Leta
Name: Leta
Age: growing older
Personality: getting worse...
Power Ability: Pikachu.
Is your soulmate bond established/recognized? Nope.
Chapter VII: baby, it was good
Perhaps it was the clumsiness of supposedly once-team that made the three fail at their attempt to sneak out to visit House Nyx - Baruti, along with Jim and his usually angry expression, were waiting by the road.
She thought she had some anger in her, yet faced with a discouraged - not surprised, nor angry - face of the only man in her vicinity she started to make friends with cuts like a sharp knife and she looks away the second their eyes lock.
“There are times,” he began, walking in the other direction, returning them along the well-lit road on their way back. -“There are times when I wish my instincts would prove wrong.”
The bitter, sad smile curling the side of his lips reminds her of the look Naos gave her not that long ago, and she bites into her lip, keeping her eyes down.
“I cannot blame you,” he talked on what seemed like a very sad walk: they might not have spent that much time together, yet it felt like a farewell. -“I just wish you took a different path, honestly.”
He stood just a few steps from the meeting room as they approached the house.
“What happens inside will most likely not be as gentle. Prepare for that.”
“House Nyx is a vicious House,” Tei Tei says, a serious expression on her face, and as much as she can understand the feeling here, it feels like there could be a bit more diplomacy involved - all. these leaders she met so far seem to have no issue with expressing very openly their positive and negative feelings of just about everything. “One that is ruthless and without mercy. It is rumoured that they have killed their own members out of suspicions of betrayal, so keep in mind that if there was an opportunity to cross someone, do not use it to cross House Nyx.”
“Their leaders are crazy,” Ruven muttered, with a shake of his head. “As you have witnessed, they came onto our turf and tried to intimidate us. On our turf! Usually, that would call for a war between Houses.”
“Why didn’t it?” asks Jim with a scowl. Baruti elbows him with a disapproving glare on his face. He had a point.
“Because of the context in which they did it,” Tei Tei responds with a frown in Jim’s direction. “You would do the same if your members got attacked on foreign territory.”
“At any case, they are hunting down Obsidian, one who is indeed the cause for your fates,” Ruven says to us as if this has just been made clear - what made no sense is the fact they feel they don’t belong to this war that seems to become. “Since you were willing to leave us in order to join them, we feel it is not right to force you to stay, no matter how much we wish to protect you.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes, crossing her hands on her chest.
“I’m just wondering if you’re blind to the fact this whole thing is not going to go around you when it returns,” Leta spat. -“Obsidian seems to make no difference between who he kills, so assuming you’re safe and unaffected by these events seems like you’re delaying the inevitable.”
"Leta, we both know they are doing what they can to protect those they care about, too ask them to risk going after an evil even if it comes to them this is their home we shouldn't judge their choices," Indigo sighed and shook her head.
"Leta, we both know they are doing what they can to protect those they care about, too ask them to risk going after an evil even if it comes to them this is their home we shouldn't judge their choices," Indigo sighed and shook her head.
Leta looks at the girl.
“Exactly,” she swallows her words, realizing the harshness of her words is not sitting with these people clearly used to living in their bubble. –“My words might be harsh, but my worry about everyone in this situation is real. We’re grateful for your protection and support, and only wish for your safety.”
"Thank you for the protection for the last 2 years it meant a lot to us, if I may say that we had a home," Indigo concluded.
“Thank you, we understand the situation you’ve found yourselves in and the confusion it presents,” Tei Tei face remains sombre while speaking.
“We acted the way we always do– how we imagined the outcome would be the safest for everyone involved,” Baruti added.
“And I don’t believe any of us had a willingness to leave, it was not a wanting to join Nyx but rather progressive towards answers we can not sit idle and wait,” Liv’s eyebrows knitted together, - “we just want our lives back–“
“So now we are House of Umbra, the party of three girls without any recollection of this life— yeah we will be just fine, honestly what could go wrong?” Liviana chuckles.
(...)
There are a few moments of silence as everyone takes the opportunity to digest the new happenings.
“Oh, you will be given rights over House Umbra’s lodgings, but as of now, it is not ready for you. We will begin repairs and preparation for your return to House Umbra but until then, you will be without a base. You are free to meet House Nyx and figure yourselves out from there.” Ruven hands each of you a key. “These are keys to the vaults of House Umbra’s wealth. We are not able to access them, as we are not of House Umbra but we were given guardianship until you decide to access it yourself.”
“You will emerge as House Umbra, and this could be dangerous for you.”
“In order to protect House Vishka, you will not mention you were kept hidden by us,” Baruti adds in sombrely, his eyes tight with pain. “It’s unfortunate, but we have children and families. We cannot risk their lives if you choose to join House Nyx’s fight.”
“You won’t be travelling alone,” Tei Tei adds, glancing at Jim. “This temperamental one has officially submitted a request to detach from House Vishka. I assume he will be joining House Umbra.”
Jim glares, but this time, at the floor. “Yes, I request to join House Umbra.”
“And right now, it’s time to rest,” Baruti concludes. -“Tomorrow, you continue your journey.”
Chapter VIII: could be fun
“Would everyone agree we never stray off on our own? I have an uneasy feeling in my gut, not even when we are around House of Nyx— until we know more,” Liv brushes a few stray hairs out of her face. Leta looked at her, softly chuckling - it felt childish and responsible at the same time, it felt like a making of a family in her opinion.
"Certainly, it feels like the worst idea to separate right now," Leta agreed, shoving hands deeper into her pockets.
"Oh yes, that's a good idea," Indigo answers, her attention with Jim most of the time. "My gut trusts you girls but...I don't actually know you?"
"Nothing we've done in the last two years makes sense," Leta concluded, a puff of smoke leaving her lips as she said it, snow falling softly onto everything around them. The place was eerily soft, silent, calm.
"We have been trained maybe not to part but enough to survive," Indigo turned her eyes to the girls, "I think getting our memory back should be our top priority."
“You are both right,” Liv smiles in a quick heartbeat, cuticles red; whenever the wind carries a rustle she looks over her tense shoulders, - “yet for some reason, I have this feeling we are basically doing a re-run of what had us end up here in the first place.”
"Of course it feels that way, you did choose to go after the same monster that did this to you—“ there’s a silence between them after he speaks, their eyes lingering on him.
“Technically he most likely tried to kill us and it was the rebound, or whatever, which did this to us— what bothers me the most is that we were the leftovers,” she speaks rapidly, without fumbling over the words.
"Leftovers? Why exactly do you think this, Liv?" Jim asks genuinely, somewhat even surprised she thought so.
“We are all that’s left of Umbra, everyone else died— yet this is somehow only Nyx personal battle and for some reason, we were forgotten about, I don’t know exactly, but details don’t add up, not for me anyway,” Liv takes a gander at the others, having to stop herself from continuing, from spilling that itch in the back of her head before she had put the puzzle together herself. She’d look after them the best she could.
Jim looks away, "It may have had a reason..."
“Care to share?” Leta’s voice is an intruder bursting into the house in the dead of night.
"All members of Nyx had soulmates at that time..." Jim nods "My theory is based on the fact that because you did not, you weren't the priority..." His eyes looked straight at Indigo. "Do you girls remember what a soulmate untitled?"
"Your theory might be onto something," Leta replied. -"And, honestly the fact that we're uncovering more and more things I don't remember is...not fun."
“Yeah, might be,” she brings out a smile, - “we know less than Jon Snow does,” Jim’s face contorts, - “nothing, we are two years old and haven’t been living in the paranormal state,” basically toddlers with superpowers running around unchecked.
"I will take that as a no," Jim answers and shake his head, "Soulmates like the name says are mates connected through their souls, It will feel like an energy source going through you when you touch, Your eyes will always find each other, you will always want to be together with that person an emptiness will fill you when you are apart and-" Jim stopped talking for a moment.
"Jim and what?" Indigo asked him, He sighed and rubbed his neck, "Because soulmates are bonded by souls when one dies so does the other,"
"Maybe it's better to live a short life and die with someone always by your side than to live a long, lonely life," Leta mused. -"Honestly, that came out far more depressing than I meant it," she smiles playfully.
Jim looks at Indigo, "Agrees," Indigo blushes and looks away.
"Can we Uhm... talk about the weather," Indigo mumbles. "Or how long the trip will last," Indigo continues
"Liv I truly like your name like that may I call you, Liv?" Indigo went on.
“Sure sweets,” she snickers, amused by Indigo’s embarrassment, it was endearing, - “I am not bothered by much,” shoulders shrugging and eyes taking a peek at the blue sky.
"Sweets?" Indigo smiles at that, "And which food do you prefer sweets or salty, I prefer salty food is better for your health is essential for life even ants know that," Indigo says and three pair of eyes looked at her, "what?!, I read it somewhere," she mumbles and looks away from the eyes.
Chater IX: our house
"Okay Ladies, your memories are
erased but they aren't gone," darkness had fallen around the in, they were sitting in Jim’s room on the wooden floor, a light on the nightstand moved down to their level. Her life had spiralled into something out of a movie, secrets and life threatening danger.
“Okay—“ legs sprawled out she leans back, - “time to let us in on what you know wolfie,” his lips part before realisation hits his eyes, she gestures a finger gun at him in a chuckle.
"Who told you I was a wolf?" A sudden baffled look falls over his face like a curtain, eyes widened with genuine surprise and for a second Liv mimics his look.
"Wait, your a wolf?" Indigo asks before Liv could say anything.
"Yes, you girls didn't know?" Nearly fumbling over his own words, - "thought Baruti would have told you girls by now, or someone else, anyways not important," his gaze turns to Liv, "it’s mr. wolf or Jim nothing in between," which has her crinkle her eyebrows for a second wondering if he was joking or not.
“Got it wolfie, absolutely—“ Liv titters behind a wide smile and a spark in her eye, - “so what secrets have you and Vishka been keeping from us?”
"And spare no details," Leta smiled playfully, feeling relaxed with this new energy dynamics that started to take over. -"We want the good, the bad and the ugly, please!"
“They are fucking secrets for a reason,” a grumbling voice nearly shakes the ground, by now they are used to his bass tone, but after looking around at them there’s defeat written on his face, - “some of it shouldn’t be spoken about out in the open,” skittishly he peers around while speaking in a hushed voice.
“Come on, we are dying here— give us anything,” Liv nudges him in the side, not taking his normal scowling as being angry just his normal self.
"Are you two going to take this talk seriously," Jim asks looking at the girls that seem buzzed, actually they were or at least Liv by all accounts.
"Jim is alright, they seem to have relaxed some..." indigo interjects.
“I’ve sent out a letter to an investigator about your memory loss—“ he continues after taking a big, deep, calming breath, a blood vein on his forehead slowly shrinking.
"Is it anything like what happened to House Nyx?" Leta asked, he focused on her for a short second, "we picked up on some things while we stayed with House Vishka," she explained.
“From what we’ve gathered we believe there are similarities,” Jim nods, unbelievable with an even more serious face than his resting one, - “you were all discovered in the same warehouse,” he adds in a more somber tone.
"See? You did have something to bring to the conversation," Leta concluded, a sentiment Liv could agree on.
“Where the council left us and saved Nyx, yes—“ Liv adds in, brushing her hair behind her ears, - “yes we know this part,” it had played in her mind thousands of times.
"If I wasn't mistaken Baruti was working on getting your memory back, when House Nyx appeared and you decided to leave," Jim huffed like it was his fault that they were kept in the dark because his former house wanted to have more answers. She could understand where his frustration came from, and she had learned life just wasn’t fair and they would have to dig for answers.
“Never called us saints, wolfie— I just wonder sometimes if they left us for a reason? What if our role in all of this isn’t what we think it is?”
He looked at Indigo who saw his eyes flicker between green and yellow "And I am tired of you thinking we had malice towards you girls when all we wanted was to keep you save," Jim continues in a sudden burst of anger, which Liv couldn’t place at first; before she could explain the situation snowballed out of her hands.
"No one is speaking malice," Leta jumps in. -"no one is doubting good intentions either, but you know what they say about good intentions, too." - "besides, Liv is right - what if our role was not what we think it was?" And it was frightening, not knowing, fumbling in the dark, adjusting to a new way of living one more time without much guidance; which wasn’t anyone’s fault, nonetheless questions were bound to arise.
"Do you need people to decide what your role is? Though when you girls left, you were already deciding what role you wanted to take," Jim shook his head, "Did you girls even have a plan or just desperate for answers, House Vishka was already searching for them?" Liv understood why he felt protective of his birth house, heck she would do anything for those in her own despite not knowing them fully.
"Jim, we don't have our memories, we have been kept in bubbles and even if House Vishka meant well, we were left out on what was happening," Liviana nodded, it was etched in her body that first feeling had been immense fear followed by a flooding of feelings in front of strangers, while trying to keep calm and listen.
"We had the right to choose what was best for us," Indigo continues, "Even if we hurt those around us by our choice," their house was dead, people they couldn’t remember but they couldn’t just stand idle by, yet they had made it clear they respected house Vishka’s choice of not getting involved; even if they ended up being an ally to house Nyx.
Jim sighs, "Alright, I apologize we should have told you what we knew from the beginning," she looks at him with mournful eyes because there wasn’t a need for an apology, opinions and the other side of the story would only help them see what was happening.
“Jim—“ Liv starts but simply sighs, there’s no way to start explaining and she realises the need for it doesn’t apply, - “thanks— please continue,” she pulls her knees up from underneath her.
"What I was trying to say is, the best place to go to is a blood witch when a dark curse has been placed and there is one I was told, She lives in Naporia an snowy district," Jim pauses, he mentions places while dragging a finger over the map - "That was my next plan after asking House Nyx for an alliance," he needs with his shoulders slumping down.
"Share your plans with us, next time," Leta replied shortly.
Jim huffed once more "What am I doing now."
Indigo interrupted, - "We already brought the supplies, we need to charge or energy and get horses tomorrow.”
There’s a drawn out silence sweeping through the charged room, allowing their tense shoulders to drop and they were probably all wound up and tired; this would pass. Fluttering of wings breaks their silence when a message drops in for Jim, who clears his throat.
“It’s from house Nyx requesting a meeting with us,” eyes popping out from under the letter and studying their faces.
“Before you roll up the map, could you show us where our home is on it? House Umbra?” Liv asks in a somber, low voice, studying the outlook of the terrain; so out of reach that she didn’t even know where it was.
Chaper X: invisible string
It felt like the most unbelievable feeling she felt in a while - the memories have not returned completely, yet the sense of trusting the people she was with was overwhelming her - she can’t say she liked it, yet it felt quite comfortable entering there.
They can feel they interrupted something, but she takes off her hood, pulling her damp hair out, feeling the colour returning to her cheeks, as she tries to dig through her pockets for the gloves, unable to find them, and while doing so locks eyes with a man across the room.
He smiled at her, she holds onto her confused expression like holding on for dear life as he approached her, curiously like a cat encountering some new pray, scanning everyone, returning back to her.
She stands up straight, unwillingly as he reached for her hand, unable to stop him as he did.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he says, touching her bare, stone-cold hand into his and she feels a current running through her, and recognises a feeling she didn’t feel before. She draws her hand back quickly, trying not to hurt the man. -“Are you going to tell me your name?”
“You could give them a moment to breathe,” Sybil - or Leta imagined it was her, by the description Jim gave them - sighed, and the man standing before her hadn’t moved an inch, turning over his shoulder shortly.
“I’m sure you could excuse me for a moment,” the smirk in his voice is hearable. -“But I just met my soulmate, let me savour the moment.”
He turned to her, looking at her like a reward he was just presented with and she could feel the red in her cheeks had less to do with the cold and more to do with, well, him.
“Excuse me?”
“Are we pretending you didn’t feel that?” he seems to be as direct as she usually is, yet she finds herself holding back - he had a point: something about him felt like home, yet she did not recognise his face at all. He reached for her hand, but she makes the sensible choice this time and pulls it back immediately.
"Very well," he nodded, stepping beside her, standing in such a way she could feel him look at her from time to time. She considers moving but doesn't want to do so in the end.
Chapter XI: dreamscapes
Their return to Atlanta really made her think, mostly because she had time on her hands and the fact she did not confirm the man she met only an insignificant time before this moment might as well be a soulmate - that topic sat quite badly with her. It felt like she found an easy escape from what seems to be a bigger issue, larger threat - something worth her peace. The fact she was attracted to a man seemed rather insignificant, yet she found herself unable to stop.
Topics that might be worth her time vary, but at this point two clear feelings she can distinguish are loneliness and uncertainty. Honestly, she could not really decide which one was worse.
And then, in the evenings, there was a tiny - barely noticeable - touch of fear washing over her conscious mind only a moment before drifting to sleep.
What if.
What if the reason they were left there was because they fought for the wrong cause?
Loneliness comes first, in the end. The power that might be a burden she did not ask for at all.
The electricity in the air seemed tangible to her now, and not just in a way people often describe something to make a point - she could sense the shivers of the current running all over the skin, diving under it and once she released it into the air, everything seemed to be quite thrilling. Hard to grasp concept of life seemed to be quite easy right now when it was only her there.
The time passed slowly, but she already felt like she had done so much progress: there was a clear point of focus in her mind when she trained, she could implement a great deal of control when she focused her movements and her energy to balance and there was, most of the times, this clear knowledge of the amount of danger lurking, well, inside her.
There's a clear visual inside her mind everytime she tries to shape the lighting, but it never comes out quite as clear as she'd like for it to do. Still, she spends time working on it, stubbornly.
"Is it me, or you've been avoiding me?"
She wouldn't have flinched had it only been for his voice, but she feels a hand on her bare skin, pulling back quite shocked. Which he did not seem to be.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Trying to prove my point," he smirked.
"Great way to do it," she rolled her eyes. -"Electricute yourself, another way to put your theory to test."
"I hoped you wouldn't mind a little bit of rough play, but you might be taking it a step too far," he still seemed quite happy with his choice of words and she could not deny she enjoyed this conversation. Also, what was the point of letting him know that.
She also believes part of him is aware. He leans into a wooden crate, hands in his pockets, sitting down as if a show is about to begin.
"Do you mind? I really wouldn't want to get you hurt, Astaroth."
"The fact you think you can is positively endearing."
Her brows dart up, blinking once at him, wondering how big of a faux pas would be to actually electrocute him. She decides against it.
"It doesn't hurt," he tries a more serious tone. Leta turns over her shoulder, brows furrowed a little bit and she manages to look at him without any attitude. Astaroth stepped up, pulling his hand out of his pocket and towards her. -"Promise."
"You seem like you do that a lot," she mused.
"Reach out?"
"Make promises," she replied, before extending her hand, touching his. It feels cold and his flinch has nothing to do with the pain.
Leta cannot hold her surprise back - not one bit - and she instinctively smiles.
"Progress," he said, in a more relaxed tone of voice. -"So, are we both sure you can't hurt me?"
"Not by accident, at least," he smirks at her words, and she pulls her hand back still, as more people walked into the room. She noticed Jim on the other side of the room, and Astaroth looks his way too. -"Leaving you to your training then, but feel free to find me when you're done. I feel we might have a lot to talk about."
Status: DONE.
Last edited by Zaralee (30/04/2021 at 08:12)
stupid school)
