Baths of Caracalla [Open]

Sat Mar 24, 2018 5:46 pm

The Quincy Prodigy

Sofia Montero

Song: N/a STUFF - Artist: N/A STUFF - Words: N/A

Despite her youth, it seemed like such a long time since she had started her journey. The progress, both good and bad, had illuminated and shrouded in darkness the path she walked. Everything was much easier to understand, though that did not necessarily make it a good thing. She had met plenty of interesting people, strong, and not. The Quincy had faced off against some of the most powerful beings in creation, some of which had no equal save for a select one or two she was never bound to meet anyways. In the end, despite the power she possessed and the power she had grown around, her mind went back to one of her first official missions with the Vandenreich, and how time had done its duty in bringing light to concepts she had been blinded to in the past.

At the time, Gift was among the most powerful Quincy around. Of course, not many knew of his whereabouts, and half of her race thought him as dead; just as he had wanted. He had refused to lend a hand to the Quincy or anyone else for that matter. He had wanted to live alone, to be left alone, and to eventually die alone. It was a sentiment she couldn’t understand at the time, but now, now it was different. Her train of thought was temporarily put to rest as the piano began to play, a single harp stroked its cords, and an extremely large orchestra of violins, viola, and cello started off. Moments later, a pair of singers, a tenor and a soprano, projected their voices to commence the main event.

It was a very special and expensive concert held at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy. The kind of music presented required a very particular acquired taste, and the ticket price required a lot of disposable income. The cheapest tickets started off at just over $2,000 and they sat the farthest away. For those sitting much closer to the front like Sofia, the ticketing price hovered at right around $10,000. While it wasn’t completely inaccessible, it was safe to assume those who attended had more than enough wealth to spend. Despite her own duties, the Quincy prodigy had continuously made an effort to find time for the things she enjoyed; lately, there were not many.

Back at the city of light, her latest position was one of power, and which inspired respect. She was the Sternritter Grandmaster. It required not just power but also a voice that could lead and lets echo be firm and provide sustenance for her people. That was it. Beyond that, the girl had grown a bit discontent with the current affair of the world. There wasn’t anything that could really surprise her anymore. The very few whose power could would likely not be met. The lofty goals the Quincy once had for were not as easily attained, and more like foolish dreams. The very best she could do was continue to do her job as best she could. The very best she could do was live her life until she died, and the world along with it.

As the concert continued, the girl toyed with the edges of her prized regalia ring. It was part of a Quincy’s power long forgotten. There were many things the Quincy and the world continued to be ignorant to, and it seemed like no one would miss them if they were truly forgotten to time. Taking a cup of champagne that was brought to her, the woman stood up and walked just past the edges of the outdoor seating area. The music could still be heard loudly there, a courtesy of the very best equipment money could buy. At almost every counter, and every area there were guards, all of which possessed semblance of spiritual energy, and a fair amount of strength. The night was calm. It was fun yet boring. With the death of the night came a morning Sofia didn’t much care to see rise. Could the same be said for things to come? Was hope truly cast away to be forgotten, and her will all but vanished? It seemed likely. For the time being she simply watched, and drank, and waited.

Coding By: [THEFROST]

Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:45 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

ENTER THE DEPTHS

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 963

The faint caress of the piano’s music was a overture to the windy night sky above. Upon the ruined and aged spire of a tower, with it’s age and it’s majesty having been eroded by the years--she sat. Her eyes like the moon, oh so far away and yet luminous in the night as she glanced down upon the festivities below. She was like a fairy of the moon, adorned in the spotless shades of white of her attire. Celestial might by an apt description, something that had not belonged in this world in the first place. Something that had withstood the passages of time. Yes there on that eroded tower’s peak Rakki yagurashi date, of the date clan, sat. She who had gone from the weakest in all creation to a being who commanded the respect and lead an entire race within the path they had set out for so long ago.

Yet, those silvery moon-kissed eyes set upon her fairy-like face was not looking upon the sky above, nay it was studying the crowd below. The melodies of the piano as it was played by an experts hand had a way of reaching her, caressing the heart that lay ensconced by the ice of age and necessity. Her eyes drifted across the crowd until they settled on Sofia, the girl who had vanished from the vandenreich a spell. This girl. . . she had been so stubborn, a firebrand that sought to push them in the direction she felt was right. Rakki’s eyes studied her, while to the outside world it would seem as if she was weaker than the average human, a mundane.

Mundane in the sense that her energy, not even a sliver was escaping the pristine sanctity of her skin. She was not here on this night as the leader of the vandenreich, instead as she listened to the music, the smallest of smiles seemed to curve like phantoms upon her lips. The softness of her gaze was not anything like the harsh leader that would do anything, and kill anything for the betterment of the race she so loved. Those eyes for once shone with something other than the determination of the cause, instead they were like the fires of a hearth--warm and inviting.

One leg lay dangling off the edge of the roof, while the other remain against her bosom, hugged by her smooth arms, delicate fingers clasped together against the bony surface of her shin. Rakki sat there in the midst of the warm italian air, overlooking the crowd below, and for once was a nobody in the large thrum of a crowd. No one would be asking her to do paper work tonight, no one would be asking her to join a council, she did not have to deal with the queens of nations, nor the rulers of humanity. She could simply be herself as she studied the demeanor of the sternritter grandmaster, studied the way her face glinted in the lights below, even as the moon lightly illuminated the quincy crosses that lay dangling from the elects ears.

”She has come far, she is not the brash girl that she once was. “

Rakki’s expression shifted across the ruined landscape and her lips shifted as her smile seemed to be one of a bittersweet kind of joy. How wonderful had this place been within her memories? It had illuminated the city with it’s splendor at one point, and yet now all that was left of it’s grandeur was this lonely shell. The world was revolving endlessly, and here she was--stuck within it’s endless cycle.

”Everyone that knew me . . is. . truly gone. Ah, how many years has it been now? I have become something different, and yet i cannot truly be myself because of it.”

The elect’s eyes shifted before she rested her chin atop her knee and glanced down at sofia and continued to study the girl. So youthful and full of vigor, full of determination for the future. Rakki seemed to glance once more , as she closed her eyes and then shook her head slowly. The bad, was like quagmire that weighed upon her soul, but she would not let it dictate the future, and the present. As such as the whistling of wind being expunged from her lips was accompanied by her silver gaze sweeping across the crowd once more as she mumbled to no one but the wind.

”Aaah, look at me moping of yesteryears. That isn’t befitting of me at all, right?”

The girl with the snow-colored hair let that rhetorical question be whisked away by the wind before thinking to herself once more.

”Right. . ?”

Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:09 pm

The Melody

Artist: Carrotwine - Song: Dark Side Of The Road

Happiness had a very distinct and unique nature in it of itself. It was both extremely simple, and a rather difficult concept to comprehend, both at the same time. To truly pursue and obtain happiness one eventually needed to come to the realization that they either had to do a lot or do nothing. To be happy meant to be content and to be at peace with one’s life. It meant being okay with where they had come from. It meant relishing in the moment because they couldn’t have it any other way. It meant walking blindly into the future because whatever step, be it forth or back, left or right, would lead them exactly where they needed to be: a better place than today. Simple.

There were only two kinds of people that ever got to such a point in their lives. Those who enjoyed the moment as they wished and let life and people pass them by, letting go of moments and memories they would have enjoyed. There were also those who lived for the moment and prepared for the future. Those that worked their butts off to make sure anything and everything was in prime position to work not just as intended, but even better. Sofia was such an individual at one point in her life. She was younger, and though it was only a year or two ago, it already felt like a milenia. Perhaps it had to do with her maturity, and how quickly it took her to understand largely pragmatic concepts compared to people who lived for eons only to begin to understand themselves. However, her whole world view would change in a hurry as she dove into the waters of life, soaked in its essence, and nearly drowned in its everlasting might.

The Quincy were dying. The times of power and conquest, of hope and future seemed to be far gone. Yhwach, Haschwalth, and the elite Sternritter of old were no more. Luna was reluctant to go back. Gift maintained his belief that they were not his people, and preferred to die alone, perpetually running from his problems; ignoring the fact that rather than becoming part of the solution, he was continuously choosing to be a part of the problem. Ghislain had run his course. Despite all his experience and potential he had distanced himself, lost his battle against Sofia and simply disappeared into nothing. The majority of the hierarchy of the Vandenreich was, put simply, pretty pitiful. Some of the Executives were gone or stepped down, like Misa. Others, like Ginryu, were so weak and so obviously detached from their people in regards to their participation that they might as well not be there at all. Some of the Captains, like Toshiko, had gone soft, no longer setting aside time to train and improve, instead settling for a life at home. A similar picture was painted all across the lower ranks as well. All hope wasn’t lost, but if there was ever a time her people were closest to extinction, the time was now.

That wasn’t to say Sofia was a role model to follow in regards of how to act in a leadership position. Not at all. Not anymore. At one point she might have thought about the possibility of challenging the Elect for the position. The evolution of her powers, and the path they could eventually follow seemed to be filled with hopes and dreams. But that was it, they were just hopes, and dreams. Words were beautiful, but they were empty and meaningless without action to push them forth, and proof to back up its claims as fact. For the time being, the Quincy was content in holding what shambles remained of the Quincy heritage intact. She had no problem admitting she was likely the strongest among her people for the time being, but that only made her guilt worse. The fact that she had power to be memorable in battle, but not enough to bring her people out the chasm of oblivion and into the light was one of the biggest and harshest blows she had ever been dealt.

No longer did she fault Niflheim for the way she chose to run things. At one point, the Quincy prodigy had grown angered at the way things were being conducted. It took her a while to realize the Elect wasn’t necessarily pushing for the same goal Sofia initially believed in. Triumphing over evil, defeating the Demons, reclaiming the Earth; sure, it was all good, important, and necessary. But before they could win the battle against the forces that plagued the earth, they needed to win the battle against the weaknesses that plagued their people. As it stood, the Elect was doing the same thing Sofia was. She was doing her best to keep her people stable, without fully going into extinction, and delaying the inevitable until she passed away, and passed the torch. And for the first time, Sofia wasn’t looking forward to it.

The thought of taking the torch did not inspire as much happiness and pride as perhaps it once did. It seemed troublesome and a huge burden to carry. In fact, she had come to care and sympathize Niflheim now a lot more, after truly coming to understand her situation a bit better. She just wanted to be happy. She wanted to live, and even if all the goals were not fulfilled, she wanted to die without seeing the Quincy come to their end. Perhaps those weren’t her exact thoughts, but if Sofia placed herself in her shoes, that would be her mentality. The problem was, the young prodigy would likely be the one to whom the burden would be levied to, and whom would have to fight to avoid the extinction of her race. Times were tough, and they were only going to get worse.

”Are those any more comfortable?”

Leaning against one of the columns, the girl would look back and up to Niflheim. It wasn’t exactly difficult to make out as she was the only one up there. The girl had purposely avoided going up there as she didn’t know if the Elect preferred to be left alone. Specially since Sofia had gone there for the very same reasons. Still, out of all people, the Elect was likely the one she wouldn’t mind seeing there at all. If Sofia was called over she’d certainly join her comrade. Sometimes the very best views, and the most natural forms of understanding came from above. And besides, the girl needed someone to talk to. And despite her years and her experience, there was a good chance Niflheim needed her as well.

Thu Apr 05, 2018 6:16 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

ENTER THE DEPTHS

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 963

In the midst of the sonorous sound of the crowd, Sofia Montero’s question was but a tiny water drop in the deluge of noise--however Rakki Yagurashi Date heard it nonetheless. Her sculpted jaw was tilted upward as her hair seemed to spill, luminous in the moonlight before the quincy carelessly tucked it behind her left ear. She did not answer the question of Sofia Montero directly, her somberness was such that words would do disjustice to the tranquility of the sky above. Thus, quite faintly sofia could see steps of reishi being formed around the tower, in line with what it may have looked like those many hundreds of years ago. It was all the indication of an invitation that Sofia Montero would get.

Rakki glanced out at the expanse set before her, and as her silver gaze surveyed the landscape she waited. Her attitude was indifferent, but not cold. There was the faint traces of sadness that stemmed from age about her, she was timeless, she had been here almost since the first seeds of the quincy race had been sewn, and she was here even now as the very roots of their race had dwindled due to folly and hubris. Even if Sofia climbed those luminous steps, with the faint blue tinges of reishi dancing like fireflies in the sky about it, Rakki’s head would not turn, instead the fleeting sound of her words would add it’s own flavor to the melody that harmoniously swam through the balmy night.

“ Even the sky changes. ”

It was such a queer thing to say for those who had been here in the technological age. However, for Rakki who had grown up overlooking towns cast in torchlight, the brilliant blanket of stars had become a shadow of its former splendor. Rakki took a moment to readjust herself as she blinked for a moment as if she had been caught in a spell. Probably about the time Sofia Montero stepped on the towers summit, if she chose to climb those steps of course-- Rakki’s words came out in what surprisingly seemed like satire.

”it’s the comfiest stone of all. “

After making such a statement Rakki seemed to exhale softly, fleetingly in a manner that evoked a sense of exhaustion about the girl who had sacrificed so much. Her lashes framed those eyes which seemed to move in the light like liquid mercury. Thinking back on the journey she had undertaken so far, from her beginning to now, and then the endless prospects of the future, it was a humbling thing. Other than those two comments, the elect did not offer much in the way of conversation. Rakki figured if sofia had something to say she would do so, otherwise the silence was. . . welcomed.

Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:00 pm

The Quincy Prodigy

Sofia Montero

Song: N/a STUFF - Artist: N/A STUFF - Words: N/A

She had to admit there was a lot to be desired in the way Niflheim spoke. Without mentioning it or delving too deeply into the details of why, it should’ve been obvious that it lacked professionalism, respect, and careful tact. It was no secret that the woman had been going through a difficult time, but that was no excuse. The world was on its proverbial end yet again as war came even closer. Their people were scattered around the world, what little did remain. Some didn’t even want to associate with the Vandenreich. It was in part due to all the Quincy had done throughout their past, and all that they were still failing to do. None of it would be brought up to her attention just yet however. Despite being nearly a millennium younger than her, the Quincy prodigy had one thing in spades: class.

“I have to admit, this is the last place I’d expect to see you at.”

“But I’ll take your lack of interest in my presence as simply the allure to the recital, it wouldn’t do well to dwell in how your behavior is showing you to be.”

There was no anger in her voice, but Sofia had no plans to be soft or meek with her words either. The girl had risen from the bottom all the way to the top. Despite her family’s centuries of involvement with the Vandenreich, she had long gone past them. Sofia had become the Captain of the Jagdarmee, a testament to her devotion to discipline, tradition, and the rules. Her work and experience led her to amount a number of feats in and out of the battlefield. She had battled and bested the former Emperor Ghislain and had even been instrumental in convincing him to rejoin their ranks. The girl had even faced up valiantly against the former leader of the Shinigami, and a beast from the Demons.

The young Quincy hadn’t stop just to take action with her blade however, but even with her words. Not long ago she had reached to a truly powerful force of her kind that bared a hatred for all that they were: Gift. The man had no intentions to ever return just yet. But, with her help, she had managed to shake his conscious mind enough to question himself and go down the right path. Anis, a Quincy thought lost and dead from her childhood, had been rescued, and her training planned to add her to their ranks. Even the folk hero known as Cyrus whose ideology was strong yet different to their own, had been contacted in efforts to reform and advanced the organization.

There was no doubt, in anyone’s mind that Sofia had been doing all she could, and more. Her duty to her people was as the Sternritter Grandmaster, but she had been much more than that for a long time. She didn’t have the title of leader, yet, but she had been behaving and acting unknowingly as if she was. The woman had led forces, increased the range and noteworthy of her kind, and made the most noticeable effort to reach out to those that had forsaken their name. Yet, strangely enough, Niflheim failed to acknowledge her work. She even failed to acknowledge her presence, essentially ignoring her for the sake of music. And while no one could claim to understand and value the art as much as the woman that was known as The Melody, Sofia would never do that to anyone; not to a coworker, and even less to a friend that did so much to their cause.

For quite a while, nearly a year back or so, there had been rumors that Sofia would challenge the Elect for her position, but that never happened. Why? It was simple. The woman certainly had the skill to do so, but more than that she had respect. She knew that at a certain time Niflheim had the mind and the time to do as she had, but that time had passed. Her friend could still be invaluable to their organization. Her years of experience could prove instrumental with advice for the newer generation. But Sofia needed her to see and know that the young woman was the right choice to lead, in part because she could do it well, but mostly because she had already been playing the part for a while. Like she said earlier, even the sky changes. It was long overdue for her to realize that change was needed long ago within their organization, and that the driving force for it was standing right in front of her.

Coding By: [THEFROST]

Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:30 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

ENTER THE DEPTHS

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 963

The elect seemed to be less than that perfect being she had been long ago. She was no longer the ice-queen that inspired fear amongst her people. No longer did she feel the need to be perfect around the girl who she considered the most likely to take over the reigns of her people and lead them into the future. However as they sat there, the faint lull of music was almost like a remedy to the elect who seemed to purse her lips in thought as if she was contemplating if she should tell the girl something, something important. She did not start at first, nor did she take sofia’s dig when it came to her lack of professionalism, she merely began to speak as if she was telling a story.

”..Did you know . . . in the beginning humans and quincy were the same? It was much simpler then, i only had to worry about my clan, my duties. In part that has stayed the same but. . there was no lights that lit up the sky, no planes that flew across it’s lofty reaches. When you wished to get somewhere it was astride a horse, or it was with your own two feet. When you wished to talk, you journeyed and found the one who you wished to talk to.”

There was a soft wistfulness about how the elect spoke. As if when she spoke she was speaking of fond memories. As if she was speaking of a life that once had been comforting to her, a life. . . that she had thought would always be hers. It could be seen in how she held herself, pristine, but no longer like a radiant flower in bloom, but like the snow, desolate, fleeting and falling to blanket the world in silence. She, who had been alive for so long, looked ethereal and fragile, nothing like the strong leader that she had pretended to be for so long. Nothing, like the being that had fought the goliath shell, nothing like the being that had destroyed the realm around her and carved the quincy a place to call home.

”I was groomed to be a chief, in an era that women were ridiculed, thought of as tools, or objects, or whores. I worked so hard to be what i needed to be, i worked hard to meet expectations. However . . one day it seemed that everything changed, a fateful night where i could see that brilliant blue, a crystal blue that floated across the sky like fireflies, that expanded my world and illuminated the very thin scope i had of the heavens.”

A faint smile that was solemn appeared upon the elects lips, as she had studied the stars, the moon which was so bright. She hadn’t heard from her lover, and she was sitting here alone. Her posture had the bearing of a leader, and her hair blowed faintly with the wind. If this was the women sofia respected, then right now she’d be seeing that person once more. The leader that had shown them the path, had cut them from the cycle of hatred that was the emperors. The leader who had allowed them to become something more, who had given them a direction to go. It seemed however, this leader especially now to sofia would seem unreachable, not in the physical sense because she was but a outstretched palm away--but in a more fleeting spiritual sense, as if she would vanish at any moment. Not because she was not devoted, but because she seemed so frail.

”..It didn’t change much a first, i still was able to do what i wanted, and when i met the one who trained me who taught me the ways of a quincy i felt i could do something with this power. Make a difference, protect those i wanted and yet i was reviled when i didn’t age, i was reviled when i had become something more than a human. Something else which was alien to them. So i left, and i wandered until i found the vandenreich. “

She paused and shook her head some, a slight chuckle escaping her lips as she seemed to for a moment resume that perfect shell. She did not face sofia because probably the look upon her face, the resignation would set in and show the girl what had happened to her. What was going to happen to the leader of the vandenreich. Which was why this was so important for the girl to listen to. Maybe it was long winded, maybe it was contrite, necessary for the greater picture, and in fact probably the elect hadn’t had a longer, more personal conversation with anyone in hundreds of years.

”I worked my way up, and locked my heart from the world, became this perfect being you guys see. I grew in power, i assumed the mantle you yourself hold today, and i without fail carried out the orders that were given to me. The years they have blended together so nicely. In a blink of an eye we have gotten to be where we are today, where i see you, and i am relieved for the future, hopeful for what it might bring.”

Niflheim didn’t make any excuses for her actions, didn’t try to hide that she had been going through a roughpatch. But her emotional problems were only a more recent issue. The more pressing one had begun over four months ago, and she had kept it hidden, because she knew that she had to make sure the time was right. She had to make sure that she was capable of doing what was needed for her people. She who was capable of putting on the greatest act of all through her immense control of self.

”..I, a lowly insignificant human, have outlived my kin, outlived my clan, outlived my sisters and brothers, outlived my grandkids i have outlived everything that came when i was here. I have outlived the dynasties, outlived the kings, outlived the queens. I have lost comrades, I have been alive for a thousand years. A thousand years that i never expected to live.”

It was weird to hear the elect talk about her life, how long she had lived. Maybe ghislain had guessed, but to the rest of the population it was probably still a mystery. Her lips parted and that smile seemed not sad, nor scared, but releived in a sense only those who hadn’t been supposed to live this long would understand. Because after all, she originally was a human who could have lived until she was 50 if she was lucky, and turned to dust long before now, decomposed by the soil, erased from the world around them.

Niflheim didn’t want to thrust a cold reality upon the girl who had seen her a leader, and probably maybe a role-model. However, she was a big girl now, and niflheim felt she of all people could understand the truth. Which was why here in this insignificant place in the greater picture of life. With the stars in the sky muted by light, and the music smooth in the background niflheim said in a voice that was soft, so soft and solemn.

”I am dying Sofia. I have felt it for a few months now. I was never meant to live this long after all.”

Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:19 pm

The Quincy Prodigy

Sofia Montero

Song: N/a STUFF - Artist: N/A STUFF - Words: N/A

As she listened to the conversation, Sofia couldn’t help but let her eyes gaze over her friend. It wasn’t in a sensual manner in the slightest, but more like how a loved one would see a family member. The two had never talked as much as perhaps they should. Neither of the two were the kind to go on long winded conversations, save for now. Each of them had a style that had served them well for the years they had been active. But, at certain times, the prodigy had no choice but to interrupt. Because as important as what was being said was, there were certain things that needed to be cleared up.

“Times never changed ma’am,” said Sofia as she slid down onto a sitting position. “You did.”

The way she said it, there was no insult meant or any demeaning tone that could be discerned. It was simply a point. It was true that Niflheim had changed, but for the context of the situation, that was neither bad nor good. It simply was. Change was a necessary aspect of creation, because otherwise everything was bound to death and to keep repeating itself until it didn’t. War was always the same. Different times brought different players, and perhaps slightly different practices. But in the grand scheme of things, most of the major and core elements of humanity, and of life and death had remained largely the same from the inception of creation, and into the proverbial penumbrae of the end of times.

Sofia could understand the difficulty and the pain within her friend, even if it wasn’t her own. The prodigy too had been forced to struggle to become what she was. Certainly, she didn’t wake up one day with the experience and the powers she possessed at such a young age. And most definitely she didn’t choose the life for herself as a child old enough to say a word or two. It was a life she was forced into, but that eventually she came to love and respect. Just like Niflheim, she had struggled, and clawed her way to the top, just like she had. Growing up part of her dream was to be stronger than the Sternritter of old, and for the most part she had. The other part of her wanted to lead her people into better times like no one ever had, and it looked like she was finally being able to do just that. The only thing she needed was the verbal, official blessing from the current elect to assume the position she was already fulfilling. But then her friend had to go and say something relatively stupid.

“No,” exclaimed Sofia before she backslapped Niflheim across the face with her gloved left hand. “You’re not dying anytime soon. You’re not allowed to.”

There wasn’t a tear, or even a sentimental clamor. It was said with utmost seriousness, and with a tone of voice that commanded respect. Sofia did care for her friend dearly, even if she had yet to have the chance to show it, though this was it. Her friend simply wouldn’t be allowed to die. She couldn’t. For as much as Niflheim had done for the Quincy, she hadn’t done enough; not yet. To simply drop down and die would be a disgrace on her name. She would die without knowing how her people moved forward. She would die without knowing the successes or failures of the one that succeeded her. She would die without knowing if all her efforts actually paid off, or if her long live was simply a waste of years, like the number of Quincy leaders that had simply been lost to time, and whose names very few remembered.

“You still have much to do with the Vandenreich. I don’t think you’re in the best position to lead, but allowing your existence to be removed now would be a deadly blow not just to us, but to your legacy. Allow me to continue where you left off. And I hope that my work, and my years, one day allow me to see a new generation, just like mine to today, who has the will and the skill to take up the mantle and continue on the legacy we have created. Allow me to pick up and move us on.”

Coding By: [THEFROST]

Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:43 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

ENTER THE DEPTHS

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 963

It was true, as sofia interjected into the midst of the conversation to put in her point. The elect didn’t stop her from doing so. Given the prodigy was correct in a sense, the elect had changed over the course of her long life, the world was simply repeating itself only on a more advanced scale. The moon finally illuminated the sky above, filtering down upon them as Niflheim’s platinum gaze lingered upon it. The moon hadn’t changed, and it was that solace that allowed her to respond in a soft tone.

”That may be true, i certainly have changed quite a bit these years.”

What niflheim wasn’t expecting was the girl stated she simply no, that she was not allowed to die. Niflheim opened her mouth to speak before the firm sensation of a hand smacked across her face caused her cheek to sting and the elect to pause. She never had thought sofia of all people would hit her, she didnt believe the girl had it in her, and yet now she continued to talk about how much she had left to do. How more more she was needed in this world. Niflheim could see her friend was struggling to find something, anything that could make the situation better than it was. Infact, something almost uncharacteristic of the quincy elect would take place as the girl continued to speak, to try to reason with the elect that somehow she should live, when it wasn’t her choice, but nature’s course that was taking place.

Niflheim’s arms slowly shifted forward, her body raised slightly onto her knees as her slender limbs, luminous and soft like satin--moon kissed and ethereal wound around sofia’s shoulders. The elect pulled sofia’s head down into her bosom, and rested her head atop the girls charcoal covered locks. Niflheim didn’t speak, she simply held the girl as she smiled faintly, the faint fragrance of the elect was floral, like a lily. The elects soft voice would still echo though as she continued to hold the girl in a manner that sofia probably had never experienced from the elect before as the elect spoke faintly.

”I have watched you grow, and if i’m being honest even though i never showed you kindness, nor showed you anything other than the shell i normally wear, i do care about you. You have impressed me the most out of the quincy in recent years, not ghislain who has receded. Not Toshiko who is wrapped up with her girlfriend, it was you who gave me hope that there would be future, and here you are telling me to watch you grow, to go higher.”

Niflheim lips were pulled into a truly dazzling smile. It was warm, full of emotion and compassionate, kind and caring. It was nothing like the frozen woman that sofia had seen for so long. Niflheim had shifted down so that she was face level with sofia, still giving her a hug as she said in a soft tone.

”I know there’s much more for me to do. However, i grow weaker with each passing day. It is the nature of all things human or once human to eventually fade. I am no immortal, i am not a god, if you wish to prolong my life, and find a way then you can , i will help you till i’m no longer needed. However i was only supposed to live 50 years, and i have lived 1,000. I never thought i’d see a day when planes fly in the sky, or beings from other dimensions exist. “

Niflheim let out a faint laugh as she squeezed the girl faintly.

” I have lived a long life, and i am not afraid of whatever comes next.”

Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:14 pm

The Quincy Prodigy

Sofia Montero

Song: N/a STUFF - Artist: N/A STUFF - Words: N/A

She was upset. No. She was livid. Sofia wanted to summon all her strength and beat the elect to the ground. She wanted to grab her sword and carve her into little pieces, but none of those things would happen. Her anger was mainly directed at her inability to do more. The hug had been a surprise, and something she had sort of been hoping for, well, forever. Not being one to easily break the natural awkwardness of a serious situation turned friendly, Sofia wouldn’t say much more for now. Instead, she simply reciprocated the action. Her head was nestled into Niflheim bosom, as her friend’s head rested over hers. In a simple motion, the young woman would wrap her arms around her, one high and about her upper back, and one low in the space between the lower back and her butt. In that very same action, she tugged and pressed, the lack of words an unneeded translation as her actions of endearment spoke for themselves.

“If you really care about me, and about watching me grow and lead our people then fight. Don’t you dare leave me now.”

It just wasn’t fair. There were more battles that Sofia fought each and every day than could be recorded in data books or anecdotal experiences. She had fought for the right to bring respect for her family name, and she had. She had fought for the right to become the strongest Quincy, and she did that too. And now, as she essentially took on the reigns of the Vandenreich, the one person she wished would look over her and feel pride was on the brink of death. She wanted Niflheim to live. She wanted her to experience how much good she had done during her tenure. Sofia wanted her to feel that her choice was not only right, but necessary. If she had it her way, when Niflheim died, she would die knowing that the Quincy had done what they always should have. She couldn’t die any sooner. The moment she the young Quincy finally realized her friend loved her, and the moment she realized she was actually proud, was the same time she came to terms with the fact she’d lose her far too quickly.

“There is always a way. I can work something out. I know people that will help me. You’re far from being done in this world. And I need your input; I need you to see and be proud of what I do. I can’t lose someone I care about this quickly. You may have lived for a millennium, but I’ve only known you for about five years!”

Calming down some, the hug continued, though their position had shifted so they were both about eye level with each other. With an innocent and gentle motion, Sofia would bring her lips to one of Niflheim’s cheeks. The small peck might have been innocent, but it was full of kindness, and love. When she had first arrived at her location, she didn’t think all of this could have unfolded, but it had. It looked like in their conversation, the two had come to share and understand a couple simple but crucial facts. Sofia was ready to lead the Vandenreich, something the current elect would probably make official thereafter. But more importantly, the Nifheilm would need to fight to live to see her people and her choices pay off; only then would she earn the privilege to die not like other ex-leaders had, but as she deserved. Her legacy would live on with Sofia.

Coding By: [THEFROST]

Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:30 pm

[PLAY POSTING MUSIC]

ENTER THE DEPTHS

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 963

Sofia had been trying hard hadn’t she? The cold exterior that the girl had put up simply seemed to melt away before the leader of the vandenreich. She seemed like a child that was wishing for more time now that their parent was on the cusp of death. A kid who had lost the person that had cared about them too soon. The smile on niflheims lips was soft, caring, and more then that it was understanding. How scary must it be in this world of veritable gods and monsters without someone older, more experienced to lead the way? How terrifying was it to simply stumble along in the dark, clawing, fighting and living each day with an uncertainty of the future. Niflheim knew these emotions well, and the frustration of loss was something she knew as well. When ghislain vanished, niflheim had been frustrated and confused. When he returned she knew that he was no longer what they needed, and that was what brought them to the present.

Niflheim listened to sofia speak, as she talked how she could find people to help her, about how she could not die, that if she cared about this blossoming youth that she would fight, and live, and survive. Niflheim didn’t speak as the girl went on about these things. She merely held onto the girl tight, and comforted her with the warmth of another body. However she did notice the sensation of the girls palm as it trailed against her rear. Sofia’s heated hand having come into contact with her backside in a manner that caused the elect to flush. She was confused as she was embarrassed by the way it ultimately made her feel, however she didn’t stop the girl. Infact if sofia had paid attention she’d notice the elect easing back into the hold of her hand, giving her more to grab, and more importantly, Permission to grab it.

Ultimately. Niflheim understood very well the emotions that could be going through the girls mind. However Niflheim knew that there would be a price with living longer, and she was afraid that she may eventually even lose touch with the lingering vestiges of humanity within her. However she still raised a hand to cup the back of sofia’s head. The warmth of emotion from that peck upon the elects cheek still fresh in her mind; she’d pull sofia’s face down to her shoulder as she comforted the girl and finally began to speak.

”There is always a way, and there will always be a price sofia. Those that live hundreds of thousands of years, can you say we can maintain our optimism, our humanity for the course of the years that cause us to grow weary? The joy, and the sorrow grow almost unbearable for those of us who weren’t meant to live this long in the first place. We grow jaded with age, we grow cold and indifferent because of what we have experienced. The longer i live, the more weary it grows. However, this has been for the first time in ages a bright point in my life. “

Niflheim allowed those emotions she usually repressed to surge forth. She was happy that she had moved the quincy, that she had found these people of the newer generation who would take the reigns and would bring the vandenreich to newer, greater heights. She had seen the end of an era, had forcibly cut the chains that bound the quincy, she had resolved hatred that had lasted for centuries, and she had founded an everlasting city for the quincy that would live in it. A city where they did not have to fear, a city where they would not have to be beholden to others. She had done so much, and yet--not enough. The elect would let her whimsical voice echo forth as she spoke in a gentle tone.

”..However. . If that is what you need, if you need me to live then apparently i must undergo battle once more. Death. . it will come eventually but i can certainly delay it. . . until you find a cure. “

What niflheim did not tell her, was even for her and her powers such a feat would undoubtedly come at a price. Defying the natural order, defying what would happen well. . maybe it would be her humanity that she lost. Maybe it would be her power that failed her, or maybe it would be that she would grow weaker until she was trapped in her own body, decrepit and weakened by age. However sofia didn’t need to know these things, maybe it was a kindness that she didn’t tell her, but she would be healthy as long as she could, and if sofia did indeed find her a method that would allow her to live longer then she would take it, for the sake of this girl who still needed her.

As she looked at sofia,. . she couldn’t really place the emotion, nor the urges that had come over her. Instead she had leaned in softly, her arms coming up from sofia’s side and back to cup either side of her face. Maybe it was rash of her for doing something like this, however as she shifted forward she allowed her mouth to press against sofia’s while still holding her face in both her palms. It would be soft, sensual and full of caring emotion. Nif wasn’t used to kissing after all, and yet here she was, returning a peck on the cheek for a kiss on the lips. Atop a ruined tower with the faintest of music in the background.

Baths of Caracalla [Open]

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