Tavern28 Chapter 4: Aftermath (Closed)

[Belethiel]

The sensation of slipping through time and space was a strange one, the sense of dropping out of existance, then to show up again.

The elves ended up back in Aleta's old apartment, the one that had been left empty for a year, but had always been kept, waiting for her return. "So... we're back."

Aleta leaned against Rafeal for support. "Yeah... home sweet home..." Not really. From her point of view, she didn't have one. The Tavern had once felt like home, and her old house, her old neighboorhood... all of that was gone.

All they had was a dangerous city that offered no true shelter from the cruel world, but it felt more like home than anywhere else.

Aleta was sickly for a while... silent, absent-minded. She took on the attitude of a traumatized child, finally giving into the old memories, the pain of the past, no longer feeling the need to stay strong. But she felt fulfiled, and content with what she had done. She wasn't sleeping well, Rafeal was always there to comfort her in the night, still keeping his distance according to Aleta's wishes. Although, there was no ghost there to throw a book at his crotch if he ever tried anything.

He was worried about her, and wondered if she would ever be the same. She was getting better though, maybe they could find some kind of action to bring her back...

Two weeks later:

A knock at the door. Aleta sat on the couch, sketching a picture. It had been a while since she drew anything, she had a talent for it. All of her drawings were of her old friends, and deceased family, but most of all, Rafeal. There were places she had been, things she did.

People she killed...

Zethriel.

No details there, and none should be given... all to violent or depressing.

"I'll get it." Rafeal appeared, and crossed over to the door. Aleta watched him like a curious, innocent child would watch a grown-up. Again, Aleta was... off ever since they returned.

He opened the door, surprised to find the one on the other side of the door.

"Father?"

((GTG))  

[June Malatesta]

((Music for this part X3))

Pale bare feet gently stepped accross the crystal floor, a rippling effect with each step the only evidence of there actually being a floor there. There was almost a glow to her bare skin, her pure white hair reflecting off the six mirrors she slowly approached.
She knew where she was.
"Why are you crying?" An echoing voice asked, its depth almost soothing to her. She turned her head quickly around, a tear dripping from her skin onto the ground, rippling past her. Her eyes met piercing blue ones, blonde hair dancing as he moved forward toward her.
"Amelia..." Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, elegant feather wings wrapping around both of them.
She didn't feel comforted.
"Why have you chosen this form? It makes you look much weaker than you are...master..." She stared into the empty black space behind him.
"It's more appealing than my other form, no?" She remained silent. He sighed
"June is dead. You must move on to your next life." He released her a moment, gripping her bare shoulders and whispering into her ear
"Just two more lives and then we can be together forever, my darling Amelia." her eyes narrowed, a slight gasp escaping her lips. His wings shot back and spread, curving up over him. Feathers scattered everywhere.
A smile crossed his face as he looked into the six mirrors. She was completely oblivious to what the mirrors showed:
Black eyes, burned skin and dark tattoos consisting of demonic symbols covered his body. The feathered wings sprouted from his back were torn, black, and bloody, his blonde hair a cold black.

Amelia.
That was her name. Amelia.
Her original name, at least.
Yes...that was it. He called her that. He always called her that.
That's how she remembered.
Her current state was merely as a soul, and each mirror was another life of hers. Five were blacked out now.
Each a different name, each a different course.
Now that June was dead, she forgot all the wisdom granted to her. June was the only of her reincarnations that knew it all, and was most likely the last...
Now she had to choose her next life. She'd have to go through all her lives, just choose when.
Upon being released, she stepped in front of a mirror as the man backed away to not be seen. gently, she rose her hand and tapped the mirror, the glass glowing and gently sucking her body through it.
Then he made the mistake.
Her eyes widened.
She saw who he was in the reflection.
She was scared.
Forcefully, she pulled her arms from the mirror, that life only receiving a part of her soul. She stepped back, an attempt to run away from him.
Her foot slipped.
His arm shot out to grab her, but her arm was almost nonexistant now. His hand slipped right through it.
"AMELIA!" He growled, his blue eyes flashing black for a second.
Fear continued to show on her face until it was replaced with pain.
Crack.
Shatter.
Blown away.
She broke through the dark layer beneath her into a blindingly bright world.
She broke through reality.

It was only upon regaining conciousness that she found out where she was.
Back home.
She could resume being called June, the name she chose for herself.

A few days later she would realize that she returned to a time a bit later than her previous death.
But the same place.
Her immediate priority became finding Duri, even if he was halfway accross the world.
Even if it took years.
She would find him and kiss him and never let him go.
She loved him.

Her arm was wrapped to the shoulder in a bandage, the portion of her soul taken from that arm causing it to be weak and still mostly transient. The bandages held it in place until she could even hold something without it falling through her palm.
It was a sickening feeling.
She hoped that her latest reincarnation-wherever she was-wasn't having the same problems...or worse.
They were both parts of the same soul. June wondered what would happen if they ever met.

June remained in her little town of Daivota to regain her strength and relearn her abilities--or, at least, some of them.

And then she set out.  

[Duriono]

((How do you find the time to type all that?! o__o ))

Mary wandered out into the main room, shutting the door behind her. Snipe followed, looking as if he would soon hit his boilling point. Brig had returned, covered in blood and a lit cigarette in his mouth. He had a similar standpoint with Snipe, disgusted with the way Duriono was acting.. After all, he was the man who had taught him about true strength.
The phone rang, Mary approached and lifted it to her ear.
"Hello? Who is it?"
"Sky.. How is he Mary?"
"Same as always.. it's tearing us apart... I'm frankly not sure how much the others can take of this.." Bishop approached, placing his hand on her shoulder and an open palm infront of her face.
Mary transferred the phone to him, after saying Bishop wanted to talk.
"How's the whole exile thing going.." he asked, sounding more like a statement.
"The corps are being assigned to it.. If you don't go peacefully within the next seventy two hours they'll dispatch of you all." Even Sky sounded sad, the guild lady was usually all happy and all about Duriono. So this wasn't too far out of her personality,
"Tch.. Dammit..." He swore, mumbling under his breath.
"Listen.. I'm being reassigned, to a city across the ocean called Armarus. This city is dying, it's up for grabs.. The crimson are now at the top.."
"Screw the crimson! I'm not about to let everything we've fought for just go like this!" He shouted, alerting the other mercenaries to his rage. Bishop wasn't the type to act serious about anything, often cracking jokes and thought on the lighter side about things.. But he also had a certain pride that the others looked up to. Even Duriono at times, this was the type of thing that really reached out to him.. Even now.
"Screw the crimson? Screw the city! They're tossing us out of this place after all we've done for this hell hole!" Snipe countered, his fuse finally ran out of rope. This wasn't the first time he and Bishop butted heads over things, and this certainly wouldn't be the last.
"This was supposed to be our heaven! Now it's chewwed us up and tossed us aside! We're renegades here! That man in there is the reason we're going through all of this!" Snipe continued,
"That man? That man's the person who saved you from death! Hell, without him we'd all be in the ground rotting somewhere!"
"Yeah, and because of him. Anna won't talk to me, and June's in a grave! Hell, he's the reason Zephyr even attacked this city in the first place!"
"Stop, just stop!" Mary yelled, trying to get the two of them to calm down.. Seeing Bishop become enraged over the matter. She was only ignored, Mary became weak when tensions were high between members of her familly. She just couldn't become mad when everyone around her was red with anger as well.
Key was listening from the hallway, eyes staring out the window. He felt a gentle hand place itself on his head. Then a black trench coat, slow foot falls doubled with it.
"We're not going to abandon this city." He cut in, a new ambition in his eye. All of the mercenaries silenced themselves, turning their attention to their leader.
"Bishop's right. We're not going to throw out everything we've worked for.. This city still needs the gunmetals.. But at the same time, we need to let go of it." His brown hair, unkempt, flowing down infront of his left eye. His hat wasn't even on his head, but rather clutched tightly in his hand.
"We weren't fighting for the city, but rather for it's citizens and the time's we've had in this land and those citizens have become weak, we've become weak.. But we have to become strong, and hope that these citizens become strong as well." He gripped the hat with both hands as he slowly raised it up to his head.
"Mary, I'm sorry for hurting you, Brig.. I'm sorry for almost forgetting what I've taught you. Most of all, I'm sorry June.. For letting your death go in vain... Gunmetal mercenaries, let's give this city one last glimmer of hope before the winds carry us somewhere else." He placed the hat on his head, Duriono was back.
"Glimmer of hope? There is no hope for this city! You think just apologising to all of us will make things better? 'I'm sorry,' What a load of bull@#$@! You decide to wake up for the first time in two weeks and you're still carrying June on your mind! Get over yourselves! She's dead, I wish she was still here to smack the @#$@ right out of your hopeless a**!"
"There's the door." Duriono pointed off, disgust in his eye. "I'm not ever going to give up on June, or this city. If you, and anyone else chooses differently. There's the door."
Snipe shrugged, looking at the other mercs all gather around him. It had been awhile since all of the gunmetals had been assembled like this, usually atleast one or two of them were off completing missions.
"Alright, I'll go.. And just watch a great amount of them follow me!" He began off, looking behind him to find all of them remaining loyal to their leader.
"Tch~ I honestly thought you guys were smarter than this.. fine.. Just watch him abandon you guys, you'll all end up like her!" And with that, the door slammed and Snipe was never heard from again...


They stayed within the city for the seventy two hours, helping out reconstruction of the city. However, the majority of citizens were not amused. In fact it actually gave their punishment a much larger weight, due to the crimson corrupting the minds of a great majority of citizens by eliminating the last remnants of Zephyr's army. Someone stated that the gunmetal mercenaries were trying to help them.. causing more panic within the city. A new punishment went to the guild on behalf of three fourths of the populous, saying that the gunmetals must be exiled from the entire country. The mission became official, and the crimson forced the gunmetals out of the city without a fight. Each of them only able to take a single bag with them.
"Mission complete guys." Duriono said, as they were marching out of the city.

 

[Belethiel]

((That was unexpected, June. As always. I didn't think you would come back to post here, but I'm glad you did. smile ))

"Who's that?" Aleta craned her neck to see past her mate.

"Uh... its Terah, just dropping by for a visit." He shut the door behind him, his shoulder and head still in the room.

"You said father..." she said suspciously.

"Yeah, like I said, its Terah."

"You never called him father before..."

"Well, I do." He shrugged, and shut the door quietly.

Aleta continued to listen.

Rafeal the First put his had on his son's shoulder, "Nau velendev natha wiu, naut quin natha nesst! Look at you! You're almost grown... the last time I saw you-"

Rafeal cut him off, "What do you want?" he shrugged his shoulder, flung the hand away. He really did look like his dad, the red eyes, the square jaw, the angular nose. But his hair was white, a stubbley beard was on his chin, and he smelled like alcohol.

"I-I would like to say.... I'm sorry." The man's eyes were downcast, saddened. Maybe just a little drunk, but sober enough to think coherently.

Aleta sat as still as a stone, listening to the hushed vioces.

"I've been looking for you... hoping you were alive... and I was going to ask you to come back and live with me again-"

His son didn't want to listen to his rhetorric, "The answer is no." He said firmly, emotionless.

"Of course... I've heard things about you, great things. And even greater of the people around you." He looked down at his feet. For a powerful old Drow like him, he seemed shy and childish, a little helpless. "Like I said... I want to say I'm sorry..."

Something snapped within Aleta's mind. Him! Its his fault! The source of our suffering, both of us! He gave the order for the killing...! And with that, she jumped up, tossing blankets and paper away from her, and burst through the door with a yell heard in battle, she pounced and felt the sick satisfication of her fingers closing around this stranger's throat.

((I'll be back online at home, later!))  

[June Malatesta]

((X3 I love being unexpected... And It took me fifteen minutes to write that! ;-; I kinda just barfed it out on the keyboard once I knew what her original name was gonna be. XDDDD
I have character designs for six of the seven total reincarnations...working on the seventh. biggrin
I stalk this thread anyways, why not post my link? XP))  

[Duriono]

((*has nothing moar to type* o3o It took me half an hour to type, this and get over my writer's block! I can't write as fast when I'm sick =__=
*PING* Doods, there should be a mission that sends some of the mercenaries to Daivota! 8D
Also, while writing my aftermath posts, "Show me how to live" kept playing itself over and over again on my Itunes.. I thought it was glitching, but then I checked and I figured out it was on repeat.))  

[June Malatesta]

((you fail, Duri. epicly X3
And sure! Daivota's a rural town with much of cobblestone paths, gardens, tudor and cobble houses, etc...kinda like old France.
FAIILLLL))  

[Belethiel]

(( xD You barfed it out huh?))

His roudn red eyes went wide with panic and surprise as Aleta sat on his torso, chokeing him snarling like an animal.

"Aleta!" Rafeal pushed her off of his father, it took some effort. He held her down, normally he wouldn't have much luck, but getting Rafeal away from her, well, that would invove hurting him, and she didn't want to do that. Instead, she sat there, and screamed like a child just put in time-out.

Yeah, she was very much like a kid at this time. A poorly behaved, traumatized, voilent kid... with issues.

"Shhh.... clam down." Her mate said, in a soothing voice.

"Calm down?! That man... he ignored you all these years, allowing abuse to continue, he didn't care! He didn't care about what anybody, never thought about the consequences!" She struggeled against him, and yelled again.

Meanwhile, Rafeal's father was backing away from her, recogniseing she was dangerous.

"I'm sorry... so so sorry..." Tears shone in his eyes, sincerity in his voice. His head dropped, his fingers pinched the bride of his nose, showing stress and regret.

"Let me go!" Aleta hissed.

"You promise not to kill him? For now?" Rafeal murmered in her ear.

"Yeah... just let me go..." Her green eyes smouldered, turmultious thoughts churning behind them.

She would've locked eyes with him if he wasn't looking at the ground.

"Now... do you see what you did to her?" Rafeal said in an even voice, "What you did to me? What you did to both of your sons, for crying out loud! You didn't recognise Zethriel had a problem, you shoudl've listened to my mother! If he wasn't free to roam this world, so many lives would've been spared."

Of course, Drow prized ruthlessness and the ability to kill, and didn't think much about spareing the lives of others. Rafeal's father didn't have much to say, nothing meaningful, so his son kept talking.

"But no. Greed got the best of you, like it had all of our people! It made you blind, foolish." Rafeal shook his head.

"You let them kill and steal..." Aleta spoke, "Run rampant. But you never thought of that, you admired your family's killings, thier crime, I'm sure you've killed many people in your day, am I right? Many innocent people. You should be ashamed!" She was breathing hard, her heart pounding, her teeth gritted, muscles tense, trying to control herself.

"So say you're sorry! Your actions cannot be forgiven. You may ask of it, but I promise you, you will not be forgiven, and I will not forget!"  

[Duriono]

((hey, I'm not the one that puked out a violet multihundred worded post >_>
*jabs with stick* YOU MAKE THE MISSION D:< I'm having uh.. mission block? ))  

[Belethiel]

((Its like... like a sign or a wierd coinicidence thing. That song was stuck in my head all day to. .____.

... We found another kitten the other day, it looks just like the one we found last week, but with a tail... she got shut in the door while trying to go outdside... and she's dead.... I hate it when animals die. I didn't do it, it was an accident, but still... its depressing. It just died, as I was writing my last post... emo ))

She paused to let the man take in what she said.

"I... I know. I see what I did now... part of me knew this whole thing was wrong, my wife... she felt that way, and the year before she dissapeared..."

"Was murdered." Rafeal said with a straight face. "By Zethriel."

"Yes... I know that." He looked grieved, he did love that woman once. "I.... surmised that. Later. Anway, I've been thinking about past actions, about you, son. What did I do to chase you away? I've been thinking a long time..." He looked old and tired, something had finally reached his cold heart, reason and civilness made its way into his mind somehow. "And I have a reached a conclustion. I was unfair, you life was a nightmare, wasn't it?"

His son nodded gravely, "Yes... yes it was."

"And what we've done to her...." He nodded to Aleta. "Is worse... all we did was take... all those years." The man thought for a moment, "And... I think its time I gave back."

Aleta's intrest was qipued, "Huh? Gave back? Nothing will ever make up for what was done, you know."

"I acknowledge that, and what I'll give you will never replace anything, I just want to help you two. I don't have an heir, except for you." He smiled, sadly.

"So..." Rafeal fought back a grin of satisfaction, he knew what he was going to say.

"I'm giving you half of my fourtune... that's almost 2 billion Gold."

Aleta raised her eyebrows. "That fixes nothing, my opinion of you is no higher." She said stifly.

Rafeal smiled slightly, "We'll take it... we need it. But don't expect forgiveness in return."  

[June Malatesta]

((. . . *listening to My First Kiss* er.....I don't do mission starts.
AND THAT'S NOT MY LONGEST POST, DAMN YOU! >:T it's actually shorter than I thought it'd be...))  

[Duriono]

(( Phwah.. =o= I'll make something up.. Duriono's back in Armarus if you were wondering.
Hmmm... What kind of mission should it be.... >< Any new characters you'd like to introduce within the mission or is everything all up to me?))  

[June Malatesta]

(( :T You guys probably won't be meeting the other four incarnations...so...up to you. biggrin ))  

[Duriono]

((Aight, I'm on it. The mission will take place tomarrow in the Rp.))  

[Belethiel]

((*edits both above posts* Gah, now I feel sad... I'm going to go read a book, or write something... draw... do homework.))


"I don't." He turned to leave, but hesitated. "Aleta Rose." He turned to face them again, Aleta jumped at her name.

"Again, what has happened to you is unforgivable, death is irrevocable. But if I could fix everything for you... I would. And you, my boy..." He gestured to Aleta with an unexpected joking, fatherly grin on his face, "It takes courage to go after a woman like that, and even greater bravery to defy me by doing so. Perhaps you have more tenacity and strength in you than I thought you did. Ah, forbidden love..." A forgotten thought crossed his mind, "Also, you can have my house... once they are willing to leave.... meanwhile, Duram isin't safe for you. There are ones who belive all traitors should die, they're hunting you still, continueing the blood war. I suggest you leave for now." He said, sternly.

Rafeal nodded, "We have friends to find anyway. I was waiting for her to recover."

"... I think I am... I'm back." Aleta nodded.

"You sure?"

"Yeah... I... I'm thinking clearly now, for the first time in what feels like eternity." Her eyes held honesty, her strength returning.

"Well... I hope for future happieness for both of you... you deserve it." And with that, the man turned and walked away, turning down the hall, a ragged cloak faning out in the breeze behind him, and fluttered around a corner, its owner out of sight.

"Yeah... we got friends to find." Aleta said.

"And we'll find them, see what they're up to. On to the next adventure, a new life." Rafeal smiled.

Aleta relaxed, suddenly feeling empty. Revenge hadn't fulfilled her, she still wanted to kill the source of her pain, even though her personal tormentor was gone. Its over... all over! No more fighting with them, no more fighting... Something else had to fill her life, something better than bloodlust.
Then she started to cry, tears of sadness, relief, hope... and maybe a little joy in knowing they were going to be okay.

((*sings* ~Oh, its the end of the RP as we know it~! I think... if anything else needs to be said, do eet. :3 I'm done.))