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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 16, 2015 20:45:05 GMT
Akvan closed his eyes, taking a deep grasp of the fresh air, the soft winds and the shine of the sun. There were a lot of things going on in his mind. A recent talk from Tenshi, previous ruler of Angels, had dragged Akvan towards a current goal. That close visit with death made Akvan determined to fix what he could, with the precious time he had. He couldn't just hope time would heal wounds, because it was from experience that Akvan now knew that time didn't fix anything. In fact, if anything, waiting around only poured salt on a wound. Akvan sighed, taking a breather against a tree trunk. Walking wasn't as easy as one would think with fake legs. Sure, Ningen had been a genius with the design. The prosthetics were lightweight, and barely put a strain on Akvan as he dragged them along. So the artificial part of Akvan was fine, it was the rest that wasn't quite right yet. His chest ached, especially around the stomach. But Akvan knew the reason for that, and was damn well not going to complain about it. Not when everything Akvan thought for too long, the image of what had happened that night came back to his mind.
Akvan leaned against the tree, one arm resting against his stomach, whilst he looked around this quiet forest. Rycora was so untouched, and it was a place Akvan both adored and hated. Since it held his best memory, along with the worst. He looked to the ground. Chester hadn't made one appearance over the last few days. It was for the best, Akvan had no pressure on her for showing up, but he wanted to see her again. Sucking in a breath, Akvan pushed on. Or he at least tried to, only a root knocked against Akvan's foot, forcing the Sun Child into a dance to try and regain balance, before he tipped back, falling onto the soft and dry ground.
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Post by Chester on Apr 16, 2015 20:56:22 GMT
Chester had been doing her best to keep away from Akvan... She didn't want to get so hurt again, because deep down she knew she still cared, and staying away was better then breaking down the walls around her heart. But after the most recent conversation with Nanari, one filled with tears and truths, Chester knew she couldn't fight the inevitable forever, she would have to talk to him once more, if even for some final closure. Nanari explained that he might be found in or near Rycora, and then went on to explain about not being too harsh with him... But that was something she couldn't avoid, she couldn't hide her feelings, she lost that ability long ago. Flying down to Rycora, Chester was quick to find Akvan, hiding far enough away to see him, Chester gave a nervous smile to herself, it was foolish to think she didn't care, and foolish to make it seem as if she didn't want to do this... She just didn't think se could. But before she could hide for a few more days, Akvan made a move to get up, before falling flat on his face. Shaking her head, Chester hardened her glare, before making herself known. "Nice dance Flood..." Chester may care deep down, but she couldn't get over what he did, how hurt she was and is, she doesn't think she will ever really get over it.
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 16, 2015 21:32:17 GMT
It could have been worse. Akvan could have fallen in the middle of town. Around many people who'd give him looks, and he'd have landed on a hard ground. In Rycora, soft beds of grass were everywhere, and Akvan was seriously contemplating just lying here for hours, at peace with the gentle forest wind brushing over him. He rolled over onto his back, looking up at waving branches on trees, before hearing a familiar voice. Akvan instinctively smiled, even though the current situation between Chester and him wasn't something to be happy about right now. Hearing that voice, made Akvan subconsciously smile. The smile dropped once Akvan sensed the tone, and he slowly lifted himself onto his elbows. "N-not my finest moment..." Akvan replied timidly, awkwardly smiling before trying to pull himself up further. Doing so felt horrible, like something was being pulled in Akvan's stomach. He winced, giving up on getting up as he relaxed back to released the knot of pain. Sighing, and trying his hardest to look fine in front of Chester, Akvan just pretended that he'd lost the intention on getting up, lifting only his head to look to her. "How... umm... H-how are you? After the Tower a-and everything?" He asked up towards her.
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Post by Chester on Apr 16, 2015 21:44:31 GMT
"Always with the stuttering," Chester couldn't help mumble to herself, having mentioned it time and time again to him... Before shaking her head and really looking at Akvan... She could tell he was in pain, it wasn't hard to see and it shook Chester to the very core that he remained hiding it from her... He should know by now what that does. Pitying him though, Chester walked over and offered her hand out to help him up, "either take it or remain on the ground..." Watching Akvan for a few moments, Chester sighed, "I've been better, Oblivia magic really does take it out of you, but its nice to know Exitium is no longer in control, though I wouldn't say Ru was the best replacement..." Chester gave a small chuckle, probably the first true one she made in a while, she knew Ru would do well for the Demon race, but she liked to joke that he wasn't... That, and he is way too smug about it around both her and Nanari, but she knows that Ru technically works for them, so she couldn't wait to see how that played out. "Nanari say's your doing well... But, is she telling the truth or is there something your hiding, because I know your in pain... I've seen enough of it to know." Both through others and herself, and she also know what Nanari would do if Akvan was hiding something from her, no matter how small.
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 20:10:40 GMT
Akvan looked around awkwardly, wondering if it worth getting up again. He really wasn't good at it, and Akvan wondered if Tenshi knew what she was thinking when she assumed this socially awkward idiot could try and make things better with Chester. He'd try, but lying here like a turtle on it's back whilst Chester was no doubt judging him was pretty much as good as it was getting. Chester suddenly appeared next to him, and Akvan smiled a little. He lifted a hand to hers, though even that Akvan managed to make a mess off. Because he didn't grip all too well, his hands not completely fixed yet. But he managed to hold on, holding down the bubble of pain as Chester helped him up. He backed up to the nearest tree, leaning back against it before he risked falling down again, or trying to balance on his new legs for too long. Akvan opened and closed his hand, watching the shaky movement before looking to Chester. "Oh! U-umm... Thank you, guess the legs aren't so easy to walk around on yet." Akvan said. He looked down when Chester commented on Oblivia Magic. Akvan had his own grim experience of that toxic red magic. "Because you were near me... i-it put you in danger, again... so I'm s-sorry. But..." Akvan took a deep breath, "But... I guess the reign of Oblivia is over now, h-hopefully for good." He smiled a bit when Chester did so, keeping back a lingering thought in his head that had remained since he'd heard news of exactly who were the two new kings. "I-I think your brother will do fine... G-gensho told me he would do his best to help fix the Demon race as well. Besides, R-rurushu was made for this kind of j-job."
Akvan resisted the urge to glance down to his stomach when Chester asked what he was hiding. Though, he'd planned for this, in a way. "Y-yeah... I'm in pain.." Akvan stated, "N-not much... but... well I guess I just ache. Hands, legs... what's left anyway. And then the stomach wound... Exitium's attack really made a mark." And that was how Akvan would play it. Because he wasn't entirely lying. Whilst Exitium wasn't the one to actually impale Akvan through the stomach, it was his influence that started it all.
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Post by Chester on Apr 17, 2015 20:23:02 GMT
Chester sighed and shook her head, knowing she was falling back into that comfort she once felt when around Akvan, the person she was when trying to help him over his self-defeating issues as he was showing now... She hated him for it, for still making her care, but at the same time, she could find gratitude, it meant she might not seem as cold towards her family anymore, and perhaps they would stop pestering her about it. "I chose to stay behind and help, it was never you who put me in danger... I just, wish you didn't put yourself in so much..." Oblivia magic isn't something Chester ever wished to face again, she knew what it could do, and wished that for no one else. "I hope so too." Chester gave another small smile though, she knew Ru would do fine, he always did... Always made the right choices in the end, no matter how bad the outcome was, and with Gensho by his side within the Demon realm, and Kaku on the other end of things, Chester was sure a new age was beginning, though she was terrified by what the two had planned. "Im terrified on what he and Kaku have planned... The two new kings, who are hopelessly in love... I don't think fighting against the other will be a good plan anymore..." But even with the smiles, Akvan's vague answer to her last question brought back any anger she had for him... How could he remain so calm... "Why do you feel as if you still need to lie to me?" Chester knew who caused the stomach wound, she was grateful that Nanari told her, but she wanted Akvan to tell her the truth, and he clearly was planning to take this to his grave...
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 20:38:29 GMT
A lot of people gave Akvan their opinion on what he did. Though Akvan didn't take them calling him a fool, or telling him doing that was too much as a wrong thing. It meant they cared, and Akvan took and cherished that. Although, no matter how it hurt to see everyone so worried about him, Akvan would do what he did again, without hesitation. No matter how much he lost, or the pain it forced him to endure. He smiled shyly. Perhaps Chester had a point, Akvan never wanted her in harms was, quite the opposite. "It was put myself in danger... o-or watch that tower fall." Akvan stated. He glanced up to the skies, chuckling slightly. "Yeah... It's a good thing... c-change is... good, sometimes." Akvan had mixed thoughts on the new in power, but he kept it to himself, as he would from everyone, since the fear he held deep inside wasn't something to bring out yet. Though, the Sun Child froze when Chester seemed to see through the very good lie Akvan made, and he paled a bit. It took a while before Akvan could answer. "I'm not lying." Akvan said, as clearly as he'd ever done before. "Exitium... he... he did this, all of it." Akvan added more weakly, looking up at Chester and begging her not to pry into this matter anymore.
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Post by Chester on Apr 17, 2015 20:54:43 GMT
Chester knew where he was coming from, and as much as she wished to complain more, and call him an idiot. She knew if it came down to it again, Chester would do the same, so she couldn't contradict things. Though, she could tell what he was thinking about the new kings, most had mixed feelings on the matter, even if most knew they would only do what was right for the realms, plus they had Mo and Tenshi helping them out for a while, until they got the hang of things. Its not like they are going to do much to change things, or so she hoped, but she was willing to face whatever happened, and if something terrible transpired, then she and Nanari would work together to put their heads back in the right place... "One things for sure... The Angel race and Demon race will never be closer then they will be with them in charge." That in itself was a given really.
But those thoughts were quickly replaced with anger. Even now, Akvan had to lie, even if the truth was staring him in the face... Chester hated it more then anything. "FUCKING LIES. Nanari.... Nanari told me everything, and don't go hating her for it, im glad she did. BUT WHY STAND THERE, AND LIE TO ME... AGAIN. Didn't, didn't you see what happened the last time you did that... What came from that... SO WHY DO IT AGAIN? WHY FUCK AROUND WITH TRUST WHEN YOU KNOW THE REPROCUSSIONS OF IT?" Chester couldn't see why he felt as if he still needed to lie, not after he lied about his death, and saw what because of it... Why he believed hiding something from her was going to help with ANYTHING. |
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 21:23:45 GMT
Akvan was a liar, but he didn't do it without thought. He was a little mad at Nanari, but knew there was no way Akvan could hold a flicker of a grudge against the caring woman for anything. Akvan had to stare at the floor for a bit, blinking his eyes a few times to make sure nothing came from them. It took a while before he could speak. "You... you can never tell how much something hurts, until you experience it yourself." Akvan moved a hand to his stomach, squeezing around the scar area. "Having a hole pierced through me hurt... I-it hurt more than anything before. I couldn't do anything, couldn't breath or think. I-it was horrible... And yet, then I thought... This was what he went through. When Onrah died, he put up with this pain, he still smiled, he still tried to do something... And he didn't let any one of us take the blame for it." Akvan paused, swallowing his breath hard.
"S-so... lying there and panicking, I assumed I'd probably die, and never get to say anything. S-so I didn't want you to know how it had happened, b-because I didn't want... no, I refused to let blame fall onto you."
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Post by Chester on Apr 17, 2015 21:38:16 GMT
Chester looked to the ground in tears, her anger completely vanished, now replaced with guilt and sadness. Spending a few moments in silence, Chester finally looked up to Akvan. "Sorry for shouting... And I understand where your coming from... But I have a right to know these things, after everything. I need to know..." Taking a breath Chester closed her eyes and continued. "Your right, I would have blamed myself, I do now, always did... Just as I blamed myself back then, I was next to him as it happened, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it... Knowing, knowing I've done so a second time hurts ten times worse, and knowing I did so to you..." At this point, Chester opened her eyes once more, looking right at Akvan. "It was me who stayed to help you, and I failed that help, you got hurt... I blame myself for you getting hurt anyway, and if you died... If you really did die again... I may hate what you did Akvan, the lie of your life... But if you died then, I would have followed you, because that happening, regardless if it was physically me or not, was my fault as I couldn't protect you... And then Exitium used me as a rag doll to do so. And you kept that hidden from me..." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Chester let a few more tears fall, not bothering to wipe them from her face... Hating herself for showing this weakness, but knowing that she couldn't stop if she tried.
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 21:54:00 GMT
Akvan was surprised not to be yelled at again, he'd thought he'd dug himself further into the hole he was already up to his neck in that he'd never get a chance to redo things again. He remained silent, listening to everything Chester had to say, and feeling like congratulating himself for getting through it all without ending up crying himself. He swallowed it all down, especially when Chester stated that, if Akvan ever died, then she'd go that extra step to follow him. It was not something Akvan wanted to hear again, or even think about. So the man cleared his throat, "What did... what did Onrah tell you? When it w-was just you and him at the table?" Akvan asked, not looking for an answer. Then, Akvan smiled a bit, "I can only guess he said, 'I forgive you'... o-or something like that." Akvan was guessing, although he was very certain that he knew his late brother well enough to guess something like that. "Both me and him got w-where we were willingly... so please listen when I tell you..." Akvan made sure Chester was looking forwards. "It was not your fault."
This time, Akvan couldn't stop a few tears, though he smiled through them.
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Post by Chester on Apr 17, 2015 22:13:25 GMT
Chester wiped away the tear to no avail as Akvan spoke, smiling sadly to herself and trying not to break down as she remembered that day so vividly as she has done everyday for the past seventeen years. Giving a sad half chuckle in the back of her throat, of course Onrah forgave her, it was in his blood to, it was who he was. "Yeah, he forgave me... As long as I got you and Gensho a letter, I got it to Gensho, and im sure he's shown it to you... Whatever it said..." Chester never looked at the letter, nor asked what it said, knowing anything she needed to know was said to her that fateful night. But looking up into Akvan's eyes as he told her it wasn't her fault, finally broke her... How could he say such a thing. "It was though, both of them... With Onrah, I could have stopped it, I could have stopped all of this if I just told someone, if I was strong enough... If I got to Onrah sooner, I could have helped him, everyone who has died the past seventeen years could have been avoided, if I had just said something. And now, now your hurt and in pain because I wasn't strong enough to protect you, because I allowed myself to be controlled, that lead to me hurting you to the point of near death... Everything is my fault, ALL of it. Im sorry, im so, so, so, so sorry, I didn't wish for this to happen..." Chester fell to her knees, tears pouring from her eyes, while her hands covered it up, shaking her head, Chester let out a mantra of apologies, she could never make up for everything she's caused.
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 22:49:28 GMT
Akvan was glad he'd got that bit right. Of course Onrah would have forgiven Chester, everything Akvan and Gensho knew was learnt from their older brother. And it was that forgiving heart of Onrah that inspired Akvan, and made Gensho 'Master of Forgiveness'. "I-I think brother's forgiveness extended far beyond you giving us that letter. I think, he was trying to find a way... a physical way, for you to feel forgiven." Akvan smiled a little, thinking of the letter. "It said a lot of great things, p-perhaps, without it... I might h-have never come back and travelled to the tower."
The Sun Child was honestly taken back by hearing Chester apologise like this. To the point where the weight pulled her down on her knees. And although Akvan was still so cautious and timid around her, he didn't hesitate to go near Chester, kneel by her and offering a hand to her shoulder. "I would give up everything, go through every pain imaginable, and I would do it all just so this blame you carry could disappear forever. M-maybe.... maybe the troubles of this world started with your mistake, but every good thing I've have the pleasure of seeing, also started with you. There were two options presented to me once, protect this world, or destroy it... And I chose to protect the world I'd seen as good. And that world I wanted to protect was you." Akvan stopped for a moment, looking away with a small, awkward smile. "I know I may never get to feel the love I'd once felt, or even get a chance to be your friend... But of all valuable lessons you taught me, one of them was, no m-matter what mistakes you make, however many time you fail or end up hurting others, so long as you try to do good, no one can ever blame you."
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Post by Chester on Apr 17, 2015 23:10:30 GMT
Chester felt the last of the walls she build up crumble. Perhaps it was memories of the past, and every thing good about it, or perhaps it was something else, but what ever the reason, Chester couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not, even if she felt more at peace now those walls have crumbled then she ever has done the past seventeen years. "Onrah tried to help me... Tried to tell me to run, I could see it in his eyes for a brief second. I knew then he forgave me, I didn't deserve it, not even close, and I never got chance to thank him for that before everything went to hell..." Wiping away what tears she could, Chester listened to all Akvan had to say before making a choice, one that took a lot of strength and forgiveness on her behalf. Turning slightly, Chester brought Akvan into a hug. "I wont ever forgive you for what you did, I went through hell because of it, and don't think this is me forgetting everything and letting things go back to normal, not even close.... But... But im willing to... Willing to let you back in a little...." Giving Akvan a small smile, Chester rested her head on his shoulder. "I know how I felt without you there, what I went through thinking you were dead... Knowing your here, and trying to pretend that nothing happened, like you never existed hurts more... I cant feel how I once did, at least not yet... But im willing to try. Because everyone deserves a second chance... And I haven't been a saint myself..."
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Post by Flood/Akvan on Apr 17, 2015 23:34:44 GMT
Akvan wasn't the young, terrified little Demon he once was. He'd been hugged a lot more recently than the seventeen years before knowing Chester. And yet, because it was her, Akvan almost jumped out of his skin. The slight moment of tension ended as soon as Akvan woke up and realised this was still real. And he carefully hugged back, expecting any moment to be pushed back or something to indicate that he was still hated and deserved no support or forgiveness. He listened to Chester, and was glad his head was facing away in this hug, because it was certainly passed Akvan's turn to let tears fall. Sniffing to remove them, Akvan nodded his head slowly. "W-what I did... w-was stupid. I... I g-get that now. Maybe I s-still think that what I did to protect you all did keep you a-alive... b-but it didn't let you live." Akvan admitted, being made aware of his errors from quite a few people now, even one dead man, and it was finally making it's mark. "And I don't e-ever expect forgiveness for that... A-all I can do is promise that... No matter what it is, I won't lie again... A-and I'll use this chance to try and find a new, b-better way to keep everyone safe."
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