06-29-2017, 10:55 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-29-2017, 10:55 AM by Tearen Wover.)
"C'mon Malon. C'mon!" Tearen gasped through grit teeth. Malon limped along next to him, breathing with shaky rattles. Whatever rib Cell had crushed inside of her was becoming problematic, especially given the fact that they were now hiking up an immense slope. The air was already becoming noticeably thin, despite the fact that they were hiking past rows of bountiful fruit trees.
Again, the nature of this island and its absent inhabitants perplexed Tearen. Normally when he traveled into a settled area, he could feel old memories and emotions clinging to the environment. A fight that occurred in a house or a joyous birth left psychic stains on a locus, just as bodily fluids might. Most of the time it was a tad nauseating to have to wade in and around such tumultuous echoes, but here, on this island, it was eerily silent.
Yes. Eerie. Even for him.
Not a single whisper of a bygone moment or silent grievance slipped across the psychic medium. It was more like no one had ever lived here at all, rather than having been forcibly removed. Tearen wasn't sure which possibility made Karl Jak more terrifying. A cough from Malon brought his attention back to the present.
"Rest?" he asked softly. The girl nodded.
The two Primes moved slowly over to a small half-wall made from cobblestone. The eldritch human glanced behind them and couldn't help but grin.
"Malon! Nectarines!" Tearen said with a reserved glee. He mentally plucked a few of the plum fruit free from their boughs and levitated them, using a fold of his soaking robes to form a makeshift bushel. They snacked in silence for a few minutes, with the rain reducing for a drizzle, and then abating slightly. An opening appeared in the clouds, casting forlorn lines of sunlight down upon the glorious vista that spread before them. Tearen felt the sob coming before he heard it.
He looked over at the Hylian girl who resolutely refused to let another heave escape her lips, if only because it had hurt far more than expected. The elder Prime put an arm on her good shoulder.
"Malon. What?" Tearen asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.
"Oh shut up. You already know." Malon fired back, trying to surreptitiously wipe a tear off her cheek. The Shadow let out a soft sigh; it was true, he did already know. That didn't make finding the words to console her any easier.
"Mal...you're not a parasite. You're not a faker. This is all real, and you deserve to be taken care of." he said, taking a large bite out of his nectarine. He allowed the sweet juices to dribble down his human chin. The tactile experience may of disgusted him in the past, but he didn't take such comforting vulgarity for granted anymore.
"You're not a weakling either. Raw, destructive power is easy to obtain in this world. Your relative lack of it just makes your other powers more plain. Intelligence. Skill. Courage. That last one is very important." Tearen said, speaking a little more loudly. He had noticed a few Syntech cameras buzzing nearby, eager to capture this touching little human moment amidst the carnage.
"Uh huh. Why is that?" Malon quipped, taking a few small bites of her fruit. Tearen could feel that she was not entirely buying his spiel, however honest it was.
"Courage redeems this world, Malon. You make me proud to know you." Tearen said firmly. Malon was silent at first, then let out another sharp breath. Instead of turning into a fit of tears, however, the elven girl burst out into a fit of hitched chuckles.
"Oh man, that is sappy. Is that the kind of stuff that got you out of the Underverse?" Malon asked with a grin. She hastily scarfed down the rest of her snack and hopped off the wall. After adjusting the makeshift bandage Tearen had fashioned from scraps of cloak, she let out a pert sigh.
"I get what you're saying though. I'm still not sure I'm going to survive all this, even with you being so proud of me...but...hey, I'll get as many shots as I want, right?" Malon said, with brightened eyes. Tearen wrapped up their foraged bounty and slipped off the soaking cobbles as well, once again moving to support her as they walked. It was good that she was feeling better, but it would be bad if she strained herself. Tearen allowed himself a chuckle as well.
"Uncertainty can be just as much cause for optimism as pessimism."
And so, the pair continued up the slopes...
Again, the nature of this island and its absent inhabitants perplexed Tearen. Normally when he traveled into a settled area, he could feel old memories and emotions clinging to the environment. A fight that occurred in a house or a joyous birth left psychic stains on a locus, just as bodily fluids might. Most of the time it was a tad nauseating to have to wade in and around such tumultuous echoes, but here, on this island, it was eerily silent.
Yes. Eerie. Even for him.
Not a single whisper of a bygone moment or silent grievance slipped across the psychic medium. It was more like no one had ever lived here at all, rather than having been forcibly removed. Tearen wasn't sure which possibility made Karl Jak more terrifying. A cough from Malon brought his attention back to the present.
"Rest?" he asked softly. The girl nodded.
The two Primes moved slowly over to a small half-wall made from cobblestone. The eldritch human glanced behind them and couldn't help but grin.
"Malon! Nectarines!" Tearen said with a reserved glee. He mentally plucked a few of the plum fruit free from their boughs and levitated them, using a fold of his soaking robes to form a makeshift bushel. They snacked in silence for a few minutes, with the rain reducing for a drizzle, and then abating slightly. An opening appeared in the clouds, casting forlorn lines of sunlight down upon the glorious vista that spread before them. Tearen felt the sob coming before he heard it.
He looked over at the Hylian girl who resolutely refused to let another heave escape her lips, if only because it had hurt far more than expected. The elder Prime put an arm on her good shoulder.
"Malon. What?" Tearen asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.
"Oh shut up. You already know." Malon fired back, trying to surreptitiously wipe a tear off her cheek. The Shadow let out a soft sigh; it was true, he did already know. That didn't make finding the words to console her any easier.
"Mal...you're not a parasite. You're not a faker. This is all real, and you deserve to be taken care of." he said, taking a large bite out of his nectarine. He allowed the sweet juices to dribble down his human chin. The tactile experience may of disgusted him in the past, but he didn't take such comforting vulgarity for granted anymore.
"You're not a weakling either. Raw, destructive power is easy to obtain in this world. Your relative lack of it just makes your other powers more plain. Intelligence. Skill. Courage. That last one is very important." Tearen said, speaking a little more loudly. He had noticed a few Syntech cameras buzzing nearby, eager to capture this touching little human moment amidst the carnage.
"Uh huh. Why is that?" Malon quipped, taking a few small bites of her fruit. Tearen could feel that she was not entirely buying his spiel, however honest it was.
"Courage redeems this world, Malon. You make me proud to know you." Tearen said firmly. Malon was silent at first, then let out another sharp breath. Instead of turning into a fit of tears, however, the elven girl burst out into a fit of hitched chuckles.
"Oh man, that is sappy. Is that the kind of stuff that got you out of the Underverse?" Malon asked with a grin. She hastily scarfed down the rest of her snack and hopped off the wall. After adjusting the makeshift bandage Tearen had fashioned from scraps of cloak, she let out a pert sigh.
"I get what you're saying though. I'm still not sure I'm going to survive all this, even with you being so proud of me...but...hey, I'll get as many shots as I want, right?" Malon said, with brightened eyes. Tearen wrapped up their foraged bounty and slipped off the soaking cobbles as well, once again moving to support her as they walked. It was good that she was feeling better, but it would be bad if she strained herself. Tearen allowed himself a chuckle as well.
"Uncertainty can be just as much cause for optimism as pessimism."
And so, the pair continued up the slopes...
Quote:Moving Tearen and Malon from E10 to E7
And, we dream of home I dream of life out of here Their dreams are small My dreams don't know fear I got my heart full of hope I will change everything No matter what I'm told How impossible it seems We did it before And we'll do it again We're indestructible Even when we're tired And we've been here before Just you and I
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued
Don't try to rescue me I don't need to be rescued