2021.09.04 sometime after 2:00 am
The turbulent sea reflected the mood of the tiny woman standing at the water’s edge. The light breeze picked up the loose tendrils of hair, and the shawl around small shoulders fluttered in time. Overhead, Arbrab and Trebor were bright enough to illuminate the world around her in an eerie glow. It was picturesque from a distance, though the approaching individual knew it was one of those nights from how she set her shoulders under the expensive fabric.
The sound of the waves was the only sound that one could hear. Even the wildlife was silent, perhaps acknowledging the predator’s dangerous mood. “I do not wish to hear your lecture tonight,” the accented warning broke through the crashing of water. Softer, she added, “I appreciate you agreeing to see me.”
“It always creeps me out when you do that,” Beatrice Thompson stated with annoyance. “I was being quiet!”
Lady Sylista Shadowsoul let out an outward sniff of amusement and turned her head only slightly, the curve of her full lips visible. “You have a distinctive gait and heartbeat. The sand-”
“The sand?!” The older woman exclaimed in exasperation. “The fucking sand? I want to call you insane, but your hypervigilance and enhancements makes me feel sorry for you.”
Sylista turned back to the water and stood in silence. She remained still as a statue when Betty cursed under her breath and closed the distance between them. Angelite and crimson eyes did not even look over when Betty stood beside her to also watch the water tumble unceremoniously onto the sand.
“This was always your favourite place to think,” Betty stated. It sounded almost like an apology.
The vampiress did not reply, opting to make a noise of consideration first. The pseudo apology did soothe whatever slight Sylista felt, though, and her posture relaxed. “It is a foolish place to think, really. If it was not such an odd hour of the night, I would find myself concerned about who might cross my path.”
“You miss it.”
“No.”
Betty turned to look over and slightly down at her employer with an eyebrow raised. “You know it’s okay, right? Grieving is-”
It was Sylista’s turn to cut her employee off. “I am not grieving this gods forsaken city.” A pregnant pause lingered between them before she continued. “I would never have fit in, even if I remained connected to Adalyssa and that…,” she trailed off before spitting, “Lumina.”
“You know that's not what I was talking about, but okay, continue telling yourself you hate it here. We both know you're lying. Anyway, I have news. They," Betty had to take a deep breath before continuing. "They found Caelum, Paxton, and Felix.”
Sylista stiffened and fought the urge to respond. Failing, she spun to face Betty, pieces of thick black hair falling from pins precariously placed. “Caleum?” The question was barely a whisper, hope glittering in two-toned eyes. “Our kids? Are- are they…?”
“I haven’t heard. I have been waiting to find out what happened to Indigo and Gideon first. There was some healing done to Indigo, but she was greviously injured. Even Glories can’t do much about that kind of damage. We are looking at touch-and-go each day. She gave up your family’s location prior to becoming delirious, so that was handy.” A beat. “I won’t tell you where.”
“Why not?!”
“You would try to find them and that, my dear girl, is how all of your careful plotting would end up being undone. Caelum, Paxton, and Felix need to return to whatever afterlife your world has. They don’t belong here.”
“You say that like I would try to keep them here.”
“Look me in the eyes and tell me you would let them go.” A beat allowed Betty to cross her arms in front of her. “See? You can’t. We both know it. You have your family. Let that one go.”
A glow flickered within a milky white crystal suspended from a gold chain, resting against flawless porcelain skin. She turned her body slightly to hide the rolling beads appearing black in the soft light - blood - tears very different than those staining matching porcelain cheeks in the inn not far away. “My daughter prefers her father and screams bloody murder if I do not immediately hand her over. I am unsure how to communicate with Mik, though I try to be as supportive as I can be. I am admittedly at home in the political nightmare of the courts… but family? Hm.” She pulled the shawl tighter around her, ignoring Betty’s frown. They both knew it was not because of the temperature. The waver in her voice confirmed it. “That is something I am not sure I have, Betty. Other than Mathian, who do I have? I love Haru more than I can ever say, but I am distant. Cold. I am… hm, no, it does not matter what I am. He is doing fine without me.”
A hand lifted when Betty tried to respond, cutting her off. Sylista could hear the change in tempo of the lub-dub-lub-dub coming from the older woman’s chest. It took all she had not to smirk, even if she felt her heart shattering and Betty could not see her. It would make things worse for both of them, and, sometimes, the vampiress chose not to be antagonistically difficult. Instead, she added with a voice tight with the real pain felt. “I do not wish to argue. The truth of it is, if I hear otherwise… I might wish to return. I am breaking enough rules being here in the first place. It is better for everyone that the wicked part of the whole is sequestered away in the halls of Lord Salvatore’s estate.”
“It’s not. Stop acting so fucking strong!" Clearing her through, Betty sighed. "Look, I have one more thing to say and might piss you off.” The older woman waited for some form of verbal acknowledgement. She would never hear one, but the way the more petite woman hesitated to leave was answer enough. “It would be nice if you would answer me sometimes, y’know? I am not some lycan servant bringing you tea. Anyway, his name is Darius now, not Vincent. They… chose to change it.”
“Why?” The reply was curt and full of venom.
“Better to move on from the past. The Veil was a mental prison or something and she didn’t believe the conversation when she heard the name was real.” A beat. “It means kingly. Darius, I mean.”
That was enough of an update, it seemed, and the soft curves disappeared into the sleek shape of a red fox. The tiny creature bolted for the woods, leaving her employee on the beach. It was the first time Sylista had used this form since her attempt at ending her life - the final piece required for the severing of parts - and she would not hold it for long. Too many painful memories, much like the lands in and around the city proper. Coming back was a mistake, it seemed, though one she would continue to make. There was something about Rhy’din City that will always draw her in again and again.
It was home.
"I chose it! And no choice has made me happier."
Moderators: Shadowsoul, Lady Shadowsoul
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Lady Shadowsoul
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- Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2021 2:07 pm
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Lady Shadowsoul
- Junior Adventurer
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2021 2:07 pm
Re: "I chose it! And no choice has made me happier."
2021.09.04 at 22:45
Tomila sat in the courtyard. Sylista knew right away from the whispered warnings of an apparition that was haunting the yards. The guard gave Sylista a strange look when she seemed pleased and wished her safety as she began heading in that direction. The warnings occurred at least once a week.
It amused the two vampires when they started overhearing the new werewolf guards murmuring about the ghosts that lingered in the most southern corner of the property. It was the furthest away from the graveyard, which meant the two women could sit in quiet company. Tomila's straight strands of snow-white hair reflected the light of the two moons lingering overhead like an unexplainable light source. Similarly, Sylista’s skin shimmered on even the cloudiest of nights. The poor men and women monitoring the property were terrified of the unexplainable lights, which kept the guards away from that corner.
Tomila was reading a hefty tome in her lap as Sylista approached. It was so large, the book’s cover extended past generous thighs. Tomila greeted her friend when she heard the Runelord’s heart’s steady beat without looking up from the pages in front of her. “Did you get what you need, Dottie?”
“No.” The defeated admission followed hands smoothing the flawless silk around her hips. Enchantments made sure the clothing always appeared pristine, but her parents and nanny taught her “proper” behaviour from a very young age. “I should never go back.”
Tomila’s spindly fingers pinched the worn corner of the page, frozen in the air for half of a heartbeat. The paper returned to rest against the others before the cover shut without a page marker. Tomila placed the heavy object on the bench beside her. “You will, though. Over and over.” She grasped at Sylista’s hand, gripping the warmth tightly. “It is inevitable because it is your home! You have the reply to him in your purse with every letter he has ever written you! You are too stubborn to see past your own heartache.”
If this was anyone else, they might have faced the Runelord woman’s fury. However, this specific vampiress was her friend in a world where it was dangerous to trust anyone. They bonded over being tired of the constant backstabbing for power. It was *nice* to have a friend, even if she unknowingly reiterated Betty’s advice. The two of them, Betty and Tomila, were right most of the time. Sylista rolled her eyes, and a soft, annoyed “hm” escaped from the back of her throat. Unfortunately (or, perhaps fortunately in this situation), her friend had infinite patience after living one hundred and twelve years more than her fledgling friend. The strange woman was forever twenty-seven, Sire free, and whimsical whenever possible. Tomila was Sylista’s opposite in so many ways.
Sylista eventually whispered, “heartache or pride?”
“Does that matter? The two can feed each other. Though, in your case, they are one and the same.”
Sylista sighed heavily, deflating once again. “I am not good for him, Tomi. I have been absent more than I have been there for him because I am-”
“Do you regret adopting him?”
“No!” Obsidian tresses fluttered as Sylista’s head whipped around to face her friend. Distress, not anger, made faint creases appear across her face. Sylista felt raw and vulnerable. “After being adopted and making a comment about Haru being next caused us both to freeze but it was never a joke. I knew what I wanted the second I said it. He gave me a chance to turn away or I could have asked to speak with Mathian. We both know how he would have responded, but Haru has made him so proud!” She took in a gasping breath. “Adopting Haru will forever be the best decision I have ever made! I chose it. And no choice has made me happier.”
“You’re shit at showing it.”
“Fuck you,” Sylista spat and tried to stand. Tomila did not release her grip, and the emotionally wounded woman glared before settling back on the bench. She could feel herself trembling with sadness and shame. There was no anger, just embarrassment! Shame was a new emotion for Sylista. She *hated* admitting being wrong. In a sulking tone, she whined, “it is not like I have had any good parental role models.”
“No, but are you ready to give up on him?” Tomila’s tone hid how she was feeling. She was better at it than Sylista was, and it annoyed her. Tomila sensed the feeling and thin lips curled upward in a smirk. “He was your second chance, right? You mothered him from the day you met him?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re a mother, Sylista.”
“I am not the right person to be one. I **was** once, if you recall, and I surrendered the twins to my heart-sister before they were ever born so they could have a better life. I was unfit then and I-”
“You made the right choice for those kids and you know it. I would like to remind you that you’re no longer twenty years old and you have a husband who loves you more than you could ever know. You’re in the right place and it is the right time. Besides, Haru is *not* Paxton or Felix.” Tomila squeezed Sylista’s hand reassuringly. “Dottie, *you’re not Phoenix anymore*. You let the Nexus show you who you really are. Trust yourself.”
They sat in silence as Sylista tried to catch her breath. “I love that boy. He is so strong when he believes in himself, even if he does not realize it. When he stumbles, he does not let it hold him back for long. He learns and grows. I regret responding negatively to his infernal nature at first. I was still healing from Alphonse’s attack, though that information does not make what I said hurt less. It was the moment that created the chasm between us.” A tear slid down her cheek as a shuddering inhale shook her body. After exhaling slowly and swallowing down the threatening sobs, Sylista looked out to the gardens again. “Caelum, Paxton, and Felix are near the city - I think they are in the wilds somewhere - and Betty was right about the damned situation. If I saved them from the locus, I would never let them go.” Sylista took another deep breath, letting the air out slowly before deflating a little more. “I feel helpless.”
Compassion and sympathy were never Tomila’s strengths. She was learning those skills because she was friends with the strange hybrid vampire. It was necessary to balance the tough love she offered. “Dottie, my dear friend, you are not helpless. You are focusing on the wrong things and that means you can only see what is out of your control.”
“What do you mean?”
They were still not looking at each other. Sylista tilted her head slightly toward her friend to indicate she *was* focused on the conversation. It made Tomila smile. “I am not a therapist. Take this with a grain of salt, but I have to ask, can you save Caelum and the twins without involving yourself in that chaos again?”
“No.”
“Are the Ravenwoods better equipped to help them?”
Sylista sighed in defeat. “Yes.”
“Now, can you undo the past with Haru?”
“Not easily.”
Tomila chuckled in amusement. The older vampire found entertainment when another individual might be exasperated. She shook her head and squeezed Sylista’s hand again. “The correct answer is no, you can’t undo what’s been done. Not without destroying what you have now.” She chuckled again when Sylista pouted. “You know that, Dottie. Now, can you do something about *tomorrow*?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly. So, what are you going to do?”
Sylista sighed and looked away again. “Contact him. Tomorrow, I will send my letter.”
“No, send it tonight. Then, invite him over or go see him. Tell him how proud you are and everything else you said. You *need* each other.”
Sylista gently pulled her hand away and pushed herself up from the bench before her friend could stop her. “Thank you. For everything, Tomi. I am grateful we have each other. I… I have not yet fed and need to find someone for dinner. Would you like to have tea tomorrow? I will ensure Mathian is unavailable for at least the first twenty minutes so you can spend some time with Marishka as my husband wishes to see you as well.”
Tomila frowned but nodded, picking up the tome again and opening it up in her lap. “It is okay to feel, Sylista. You know that, right? You’re safe with me. With Mathian.”
“Good night, Tomila. I shall see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, good night.”
Tomila sat in the courtyard. Sylista knew right away from the whispered warnings of an apparition that was haunting the yards. The guard gave Sylista a strange look when she seemed pleased and wished her safety as she began heading in that direction. The warnings occurred at least once a week.
It amused the two vampires when they started overhearing the new werewolf guards murmuring about the ghosts that lingered in the most southern corner of the property. It was the furthest away from the graveyard, which meant the two women could sit in quiet company. Tomila's straight strands of snow-white hair reflected the light of the two moons lingering overhead like an unexplainable light source. Similarly, Sylista’s skin shimmered on even the cloudiest of nights. The poor men and women monitoring the property were terrified of the unexplainable lights, which kept the guards away from that corner.
Tomila was reading a hefty tome in her lap as Sylista approached. It was so large, the book’s cover extended past generous thighs. Tomila greeted her friend when she heard the Runelord’s heart’s steady beat without looking up from the pages in front of her. “Did you get what you need, Dottie?”
“No.” The defeated admission followed hands smoothing the flawless silk around her hips. Enchantments made sure the clothing always appeared pristine, but her parents and nanny taught her “proper” behaviour from a very young age. “I should never go back.”
Tomila’s spindly fingers pinched the worn corner of the page, frozen in the air for half of a heartbeat. The paper returned to rest against the others before the cover shut without a page marker. Tomila placed the heavy object on the bench beside her. “You will, though. Over and over.” She grasped at Sylista’s hand, gripping the warmth tightly. “It is inevitable because it is your home! You have the reply to him in your purse with every letter he has ever written you! You are too stubborn to see past your own heartache.”
If this was anyone else, they might have faced the Runelord woman’s fury. However, this specific vampiress was her friend in a world where it was dangerous to trust anyone. They bonded over being tired of the constant backstabbing for power. It was *nice* to have a friend, even if she unknowingly reiterated Betty’s advice. The two of them, Betty and Tomila, were right most of the time. Sylista rolled her eyes, and a soft, annoyed “hm” escaped from the back of her throat. Unfortunately (or, perhaps fortunately in this situation), her friend had infinite patience after living one hundred and twelve years more than her fledgling friend. The strange woman was forever twenty-seven, Sire free, and whimsical whenever possible. Tomila was Sylista’s opposite in so many ways.
Sylista eventually whispered, “heartache or pride?”
“Does that matter? The two can feed each other. Though, in your case, they are one and the same.”
Sylista sighed heavily, deflating once again. “I am not good for him, Tomi. I have been absent more than I have been there for him because I am-”
“Do you regret adopting him?”
“No!” Obsidian tresses fluttered as Sylista’s head whipped around to face her friend. Distress, not anger, made faint creases appear across her face. Sylista felt raw and vulnerable. “After being adopted and making a comment about Haru being next caused us both to freeze but it was never a joke. I knew what I wanted the second I said it. He gave me a chance to turn away or I could have asked to speak with Mathian. We both know how he would have responded, but Haru has made him so proud!” She took in a gasping breath. “Adopting Haru will forever be the best decision I have ever made! I chose it. And no choice has made me happier.”
“You’re shit at showing it.”
“Fuck you,” Sylista spat and tried to stand. Tomila did not release her grip, and the emotionally wounded woman glared before settling back on the bench. She could feel herself trembling with sadness and shame. There was no anger, just embarrassment! Shame was a new emotion for Sylista. She *hated* admitting being wrong. In a sulking tone, she whined, “it is not like I have had any good parental role models.”
“No, but are you ready to give up on him?” Tomila’s tone hid how she was feeling. She was better at it than Sylista was, and it annoyed her. Tomila sensed the feeling and thin lips curled upward in a smirk. “He was your second chance, right? You mothered him from the day you met him?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re a mother, Sylista.”
“I am not the right person to be one. I **was** once, if you recall, and I surrendered the twins to my heart-sister before they were ever born so they could have a better life. I was unfit then and I-”
“You made the right choice for those kids and you know it. I would like to remind you that you’re no longer twenty years old and you have a husband who loves you more than you could ever know. You’re in the right place and it is the right time. Besides, Haru is *not* Paxton or Felix.” Tomila squeezed Sylista’s hand reassuringly. “Dottie, *you’re not Phoenix anymore*. You let the Nexus show you who you really are. Trust yourself.”
They sat in silence as Sylista tried to catch her breath. “I love that boy. He is so strong when he believes in himself, even if he does not realize it. When he stumbles, he does not let it hold him back for long. He learns and grows. I regret responding negatively to his infernal nature at first. I was still healing from Alphonse’s attack, though that information does not make what I said hurt less. It was the moment that created the chasm between us.” A tear slid down her cheek as a shuddering inhale shook her body. After exhaling slowly and swallowing down the threatening sobs, Sylista looked out to the gardens again. “Caelum, Paxton, and Felix are near the city - I think they are in the wilds somewhere - and Betty was right about the damned situation. If I saved them from the locus, I would never let them go.” Sylista took another deep breath, letting the air out slowly before deflating a little more. “I feel helpless.”
Compassion and sympathy were never Tomila’s strengths. She was learning those skills because she was friends with the strange hybrid vampire. It was necessary to balance the tough love she offered. “Dottie, my dear friend, you are not helpless. You are focusing on the wrong things and that means you can only see what is out of your control.”
“What do you mean?”
They were still not looking at each other. Sylista tilted her head slightly toward her friend to indicate she *was* focused on the conversation. It made Tomila smile. “I am not a therapist. Take this with a grain of salt, but I have to ask, can you save Caelum and the twins without involving yourself in that chaos again?”
“No.”
“Are the Ravenwoods better equipped to help them?”
Sylista sighed in defeat. “Yes.”
“Now, can you undo the past with Haru?”
“Not easily.”
Tomila chuckled in amusement. The older vampire found entertainment when another individual might be exasperated. She shook her head and squeezed Sylista’s hand again. “The correct answer is no, you can’t undo what’s been done. Not without destroying what you have now.” She chuckled again when Sylista pouted. “You know that, Dottie. Now, can you do something about *tomorrow*?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly. So, what are you going to do?”
Sylista sighed and looked away again. “Contact him. Tomorrow, I will send my letter.”
“No, send it tonight. Then, invite him over or go see him. Tell him how proud you are and everything else you said. You *need* each other.”
Sylista gently pulled her hand away and pushed herself up from the bench before her friend could stop her. “Thank you. For everything, Tomi. I am grateful we have each other. I… I have not yet fed and need to find someone for dinner. Would you like to have tea tomorrow? I will ensure Mathian is unavailable for at least the first twenty minutes so you can spend some time with Marishka as my husband wishes to see you as well.”
Tomila frowned but nodded, picking up the tome again and opening it up in her lap. “It is okay to feel, Sylista. You know that, right? You’re safe with me. With Mathian.”
“Good night, Tomila. I shall see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, good night.”
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