Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:36 pm**

Kura knew giving up her animals would be incredibly painful for Ela, and she hoped it was possible to avoid it, but if not, they could at least make sure her animals were safe. Still, that was for later, first there was the matter of healing Ela. So they went to Faith's. When her friend came to the door, Kura smiled warmly at her friend, but there was a note of sadness to it. What was about to happen would not be easy for her sister, but it was needed, and had been needed for years. "Hello, lass." she said, before looking around the house as they walked towards a lounge. "So did this house come with a dungeon? And if so, what do you do with it?" she asked, genuinely curious as they sat down.

Then the time came for the discussion about why they were here. "It's...not hard to explain, exactly, just hard to say." she said, before taking a deep breath. "When Ela was little her father...he was killed. Their house it was far away from any towns, and she was too young to make it anywhere. It...she did what was needed to survive, but that's...hard to heal from. I was hoping you could help her talk to her father. I don't know if he passed on or if he lingers, but...they need to talk. More than Cally and I did, even." she said, her tone gentle as she spoke before she looked at her sister.

"I know you've been busy, and we probably interrupted your relaxation time with the twins, but..." she said, before spreading her empty hand helplessly. "There's no one else who can help her heal." she said, her tone gentle.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:18 pm**

There was obviously something concerning Ela and impacting her quite badly, just judging by the way that she needed to maintain proximity to Kura. Faith didn't know Kura's sister at all, but there was a simple and fundamental bottom line for the former slave and that meant that Ela was welcome here. Not by virtue of being a mortalborn, nor of anything else. As Faith had told Karem - Kura's family were welcome here because they were Kura's family.

She shot a grin at Kura when she asked about a dungeon. "It has three levels underground, if that's what you mean. We've taken the attic as our bedroom and the very bottom floor is ours, too." The other two underground levels, she said, they were using as a future playroom and a storage area. Faith, of course, was entirely serious and solemn when she said that, looking at Kura with silver and ruby eyes which were, as so often was the case, earnest.

But her glance went to just to the left of Ela and then she listened to Kura speak. Ela had been young and her father had died. The man next to her had arcs of sadness etched onto his face and Faith looked at him and smiled a soft smile. He did a double take, "You can see me?" Faith nodded slightly. "I can see him. Hear him. He's right here." Faith breathed in and looked at Kura with an almost steely expression, although she never managed it with her friend. "You are family. That means that your sister is family. Therefore, it is impossible for you to interrupt. You are always welcome here." Faith then spoke to Ela, softly and calmly. Somehow, she managed to not be patronising, just clear and calm.

"There is a man here. His soul has remained here, with you. You are his anchor - what keeps him here." She looked at the soul and listened as he spoke to her. Faith's face smiled, a slight and rather sad smile. "He couldn't leave his . He needs to know that you are alright, and he needs you to know that .." Faith stopped speaking, looking back at the place where she saw Ela's father. "I can do better than tell you. It is better if he does. I understand that this must be difficult," Looking at Ela, she was entirely genuine. "And it must seem that I am utterly mad. He says that you shouldn't worry so, Bella-bean. I have.. well, Padraig has something which will allow you to speak to him directly." Standing up, Faith glanced at the two of them and smiled. A few moments alone together would be no bad thing for the sisters.

To the father, she made eye contact and then, when she was sure that they were alright, she left the room. Coming back just a few moments later, giving the sisters time to come to terms with it, Faith held in her hand what looked to be a tooth, made from ice. "This is the tooth of an ice tiger. It allows you to see and talk to spirits. Be clear, Ela, it lets you see them all and there are always a lot." There were, indeed. If Ela took the tooth from Faith, she would immediately see the half dozen or so souls in the room.

Including, of course, the soul of her father who stood next to her and smiled.

Faith simply glanced at Kura and took her lead from her friend. Would they leave Ela alone? Should Faith leave? What happened now was very much up to the two daughters of Karem in the room.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 12:26 am**

As Ela and Kura sat down, the pup listened to Kura's words - and her eyes widened. Speak to her father? It was impossible, he'd died. She saw him die, watched as he was killed and then eaten his body. There was no way, was there? Even if it was possible, what would she say to the man? What would the man say to her? Visibly, her body started shaking at the thought of it, Faith confirming that her father was there. Normally she wouldn't believe it, but neither of the women in the room with her would lie about this. Ela's Father, Alrur, was right there with them.
But what confirmed it for Ela was the name. Bella-bean. It had been forever since she had been called it, since the day she had fallen ill and slept for what felt like an arc, when he had kissed her head lightly and his mouth had uttered the words to her. 'I love you, Bella-bean.' he had said, every day for her entire life - or for his. Faith would never know of it, Kura had never heard it before. None of them would know it but Alrur. It had to be him.

"W-wait" she muttered to Kura when Faith left the room, her hands trembling lightly on her sister. "She can't mean it. I saw him...Please, she can't mean it. How long has he been here?" she asked, her voice filled with desperation before Faith came back in to the room, holding a sharp tooth in her hands. Fitting, in an ironic sense, the pup thought. Her feral, yet somehow fragile eyes fell to Faith as she explained the spirits in the room. Then, with some level of hesitation, Ela took the tooth.
Despite the room suddenly seeming full, with spirits everywhere to be seen, but the girls eyes only fell to one - her father. A small smile, one of pain, spread across the mans face. Freezing, the girl watched him, unable to bring herself to move. Until the mans voice brought her home, filled her with a cold chill yet a comforting warmth.

"I suppose hello wouldn't be a good start, now would it, sweet Ela?" he spoke, chuckling at his own jokes as he always would. Tears ran down the girls cheeks as she tried to reach her hand out for the man, but hesitated. A pained look spread across his face, saddened at the pain in his daughters eyes. Wiping his own eyes, the man sighed and turned his expression somewhat serious.
"Listen, I know this will be hard for you girl, but please listen" he started, eyes never once breaking away from the Mortalborn before him. "I've seen everything, Ela. Everything you've seen, everything you've done - and I couldn't be more proud of you. But you...silly girl. You blame yourself, and you hide in fear from the world, and it hurts you. It hurts you so much because you are such a kind, loving girl, and when you put so much of that negativity in yourself..."

At his words, Ela burst in to tears, clutching the ice tooth to her chest. Without hesitation the man ran over, before kneeling in front of the girl. "I'm so sorry" she cried, loud enough that even standing outside the room someone could hear it. Loud sobs left her as the girl lost it, crying in a way she hadn't done since many, many arcs ago - over the same man she cried over now. "I was so afraid, so scared that after what I did to you...I thought they would hate me. Some of them did hate me. And I was so afraid of all of them because of what I did, and because of what I can do."
Before the girl could carry on, her eyes looked up to her father, seeing the streams of tears pour down his cheeks. Yet his warm smile never once faded. "And that, my dear, is why you are a silly girl. My sweet, sweet Bella-bean. Some of the world will not love you, because the world will not love you like I do, and if they did you could do whatever you wanted without care. But they won't. However, the ones worth listening to - they will. Kura, Rynata, Tio. Your mother...all of them, Ela. They cared. They loved you, and they will continue to love you for who you are. Even if you hurt them sometimes, or make mistakes."

With a kiss to her forehead, one that the girl couldn't feel, the man looked the girl in the eyes. "Show them the same girl they fell in love with. Not Bloodclaw, and not a girl that hides in the woods. Show them Ela, and I promise you that even if the whole world does not love you - some of us always will."

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:09 pm**

Kura listened quietly as Faith explained that, yes, Alrur was still following Ela around, picked up a nickname that Kura had never heard for Ela in her life, then left to get a thing for Ela to help her see her father. When Ela asked how long Alrur had been there, Kura sighed slightly. "Since he died, it's how ghosts work. Knowing Alrur, he couldn't leave while he knew that you left all alone, or until you'd started to recover from what happened after." she said, her tone gentle. When Faith came back, Kura stepped away as Ela took the fang and started to talk to her father.

Looking at Faith, Kura smiled then stepped out of the room, letting Ela have this time with her father. When Faith joined her, Kura smiled. "Thank you. I...we aren't sure when Alrur died, but when mum found her, it had been trials and she'd been alone all that time. Mum brought her home, and we both raised her after that, tryin' to help her recover. But there's only so much we could do, and I wasn't in a place to be able to help her as much as I should have. It's part of the reason I was so angry with Rahmet, is that I was too continuously exhausted to be able to help Ela the way she needed." she said, shaking her head.

"So how're the kids doin'? I imagine they've already gotten some quirks thanks to them wolves they're bonded with." she said, laughing slightly. Frankly though, the truth was that she needed to talk about pretty much else in order to keep her mind off her sister. Ela and Alrur did not need constant commentary from Kura, so she was keepin' herself distracted. However, she was also extremely reluctant to move that far away from the room. "Did Katie and Cyrus move in with you and Pad, or they still livin' separate?" she asked, her tone curious.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:58 pm**

She handed Ela the tooth and she gently squeezed the Mortalborn woman's hand as she did so. But then, she and Kura left the room and left them to it. When Kura's first words were to thank her, Faith shook her head. "No thanks needed. See previous comment regarding family," she said, softly. There was a small bench in an alcove opposite the room Ela was in and Faith gestured over to it, for the pair of them to sit. She knew, or she began to understand, just how hard this was for Kura. Looking at her friend with a serious expression in her ruby and silver eyes, Faith spoke softly. "My sister, Rey'na. Half sister, my father's daughter, she's here. She.. I can't describe it, Kura. It's like my blood knows her." She shrugged slightly. "I can only begin to imagine how I would feel were she in such pain, and I am very aware that we do not know each other." She sat, hands folded in her lap and an almost serene expression on her face. Except, of course, Kura knew her better, but Faith was doing a good job of seeming to be what she needed to be. Or, what she thought she needed to be.

At the mention of the children, though, Faith's face lit up. "Oh, they are quite the most intelligent and beautiful children in the whole of Idalos. And yes, they're very much developing their own personalities. Madison is an explorer, she wants to try everything, do everything, discover everything. Noah, though, he's more prone to watching, then trying it in his own time." On the wolf pups, she admitted to her friend that they had simply slotted in to the family like everyone else. She nodded, when Kura asked about Cyrus and Katie "Yes, Cyrus, Katie and Luna live here too." She smiled and gestured around slightly. "It's a quirky place. Padraig went out to get some eggs and came back having bought it." Faith told Kura this, partly because she thought that Karem's daughter would find it funny, but also to distract. "He didn't look in here before he bought. Just... think of the stargazing," there was obviously no issue as far as Faith was concerned. She loved it here, in fairness.

And there she would sit with her friend and chatter, until it seemed that the right amount of time had passed. At which point, she asked quite seriously. "Do you think you should go in on your own, first? I can wait here and read until I'm needed."

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:27 pm**

'Show them'

Those words ran through the girl like nothing she'd ever felt before, pacing through her mind. Show herself to the world, not hide from it. Love people instead of fearing them, and letting the world see who she was. Who she wanted to be. Showing the world Ela Wolfsdotter instead of Bloodclaw. While it sounded like a dream to the girl, she asked herself if that world could exist. One where she was free to live among other people. After all, she was still Bloodclaw, had still killed all of those people and committed those crimes. Could she ever live among those same families after that?
"I never wanted to hurt you. If I hadn't gotten hurt, if I hadn't been asleep..." she muttered, streaming tears pouring down her face. But Alrur quieted her with a small shush, putting his ghostly hand in to hers, wishing he could feel her grip - feel her touch. Wishing that he could comfort his daughter. Yet he couldn't, and nothing would change that. No matter what he did, nothing could take her pain away. Not forever. All he could do was ease it to the best of his ability, and then...then he'd find peace.

"What happened to me was not your fault, pup. None of it was your fault. You were a small, helpless girl that just wanted to explore and adventure" he told her firmly, yet a smile spread across his cheeks as he remembered her running across the garden bare foot, the grass soft under her feet as she climbed and jumped and tumbled. "You did what you had to, you survived. You saved yourself, and that was all I wanted to do. Save you. When that man came in I begged for your life, and I am so glad you defended it girl. Because you...you are my world. For as long as you live, everything I stood for lives with you."
Alrur gently wiped his own tears. "That, my beautiful daughter, is why I want you to show them. Because you are the biggest blessing this world has ever seen, and you should never have to hide that from anyone. No matter what, never hide who you are from anyone. Be Ela Wolfsdotter, the girl who, despite everything she has been through continues to fight. Be the girl that, no matter what the world threw in her face, kept her head high and her dreams higher. Be the daughter that saw love in everything."

"I will, father. I promise I will" Ela sobbed, her eyes looking at him with a gentle expression, every ounce of hatred seeping out of her. Whatever she had done, whenever she had done it, none of it was meant to hurt him. None of it was meant to bring her father to tears. Thinking that she had done that, forced him to stay as a ghost because he could not rest, tore the girl apart. "I promise I won't hurt you again, and I promise I won't hide anymore. Never again. Never. I promise you."

Then, the man began to fade, his eyes meeting Ela's one last time.

"I'm so proud of you, girl. I always will be, you hear me. I promise. I am so, so proud..." he sobbed, before the man finally faded away, leaving the girl in the room alone. Dropping to her knees off the sofa, Ela buried her head in her hands - and she cried.

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2018 3:59 am**

Kura smiled slightly as Faith said she was beginning to understand what how Kura must feel to know how much pain Ela was in, but then she grimaced slightly. "There's more to it than even that. A Mortalborn's powers react to their emotions, and they make it easy to hide from emotions we don't want to face. After all, why face your pain when you can blot out anythin' and everythin' that reminds you of it?" she said, smiling bitterly. "Everyone looks at Parliament of Owls, that power lets me command whole flocks of the birds, and sees it's power and majesty. Truth is, though, it's a power I gained in rage and misery. I didn't want to feel, I didn't want to think. I wanted to lose myself and my power gave me a way." she said, with a low sigh. "And if mum hadn't stopped me, I'd have used to wipe out everythin' around me. I was so lost in my own pain that the thought of somethin' not sharin' in it was infuriatin' to me, so I lashed out." she said, shaking her head. "I don't even know what's worse though. The fact that I was actually younger than you or Ela when I did that, or the fact that when I fell that far, it seemed to corrupt part of my powers." she said, before conversation turned to Faith's children.

"Oh, I'm glad they're doing well. It'll be interestin' to see them grow." she said, laughing slightly. "And I'm bettin', when they're older, you'll find both of them in trouble, and it'll be that Madison dragged Noah into it, if the wolves don't keep them out of it." she said, her tone turning more cheerful as they spoke of the children. Then Faith told how they came into the ownership of the house and Kura laughed again, shaking her head. "He forgot the eggs too, didn't he? Pad's a good man, but he's got all the distractable curiosity of the greatest scholars." she said cheerfully. "By the way, did he ever do anythin' with that divine blood he's got? It won't be doin' him no good to sit on the stuff, after all." she said, her tone curious.

When it was about time to go in, Kura shook her head at Faith's offer. "No, it's best you be joinin' us right away. Truth is, there's some things that I will never be the right person to help her with, I'm too similar in all the wrong ways." she said, before she gently opened the door and looked in to see her baby sister on her knees, crying. As quietly as she could, Kura approached her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "That's right, Ela. Let it out." she said, gently her words soft and quiet as she let her sister cry as much as she needed.

Posted: **Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:18 pm**

The description of what happened for Kura when she discovered Parliament of Owls caused Faith to frown slightly, then she looked at Kura and spoke with absolute honesty. "I'm so sorry that you ever felt that way, I truly am." As for the power itself, it was a wonder there was no doubt, but Faith was more concerned with it's impact on Kura than anything else. Powers abilities, those things made a massive difference in big situations, Faith did not doubt, but she was of the opinion that a single person could change the world. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Kura and a slight smile crossed her face. "How old is Ela?" Faith wondered. She had to admit, she'd assumed that Kura's sister was ancient and venerable like Kura was. But then, that was probably just assuming unnecessarily and so she asked.

Her expression cleared and she laughed, delight on her face when Kura bet that Padraig had forgotten the eggs. "He did! He left them at the Real Estate office, we had to call back and get them." He was incredibly easily distracted from the mundane, she had to agree. It was because the world was a place of wonder for him, a place of mystery. Faith looked at Kura and smiled. "You'll come visit us in Rharne, won't you, Kura?" They had to leave, she knew that her friend understood that but equally, Faith would miss the mortalborn woman very much. "You were the first friend I ever had." Shoddy at showing her emotions, that had always been Faith's way but sometimes. Some things needed to be said. "And wherever I am, you have a friend there. We have to leave, at least for a little while." She looked at Kura and raised a hand to her eyes, which shone in ruby shades now, alongside their usual silver.

"I died," she said, softly. "Only Padraig and Cyrus know. Cyrus was there. It's a long story, I was killed by someone who thought I'd murdered their child. I was judged by the twins. Famula, Vri and Moseke were there and then Famula said no. No, I wasn't moving over and she granted me this blessing. I didn't tell Padraig for a while." That wasn't something that was like Faith, not at all. "We need some time and we never have any here." And never was there a truer word spoken.

As for the divine blood, Faith shook her head. "Not as far as I know, no. I'll ask him, though. He might have. He's currently obsessing about a wobble in the second sun." She looked at Kura and grinned. It was absolutely true, but what it meant Faith really didn't know. However, when it was time for them to go in, Faith nodded her head and walked in with Kura. Was she there because of Kura or Ela? Faith would have to say both and when Kura knelt next to Ela and wrapped her up in her arms, Faith's instinct was to sit, quietly, not involving herself.

But that was what she'd do for strangers, clients in Aeon's Hope. Not for family.

So, Faith knelt next to Kura and gently stroked Ela's hair with one hand, whilst putting her small - and cool - other hand into Ela's. She didn't say anything, just gave the young woman what comfort she could and, should Ela flinch away Faith would not hesitate to not intrude and move away.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2018 3:43 pm**

What was trills of being alone felt like a break, the girl curling up in a ball on her knees, her head touching the floor as she sobbed. Thoughts burst through her mind as years of pain came out at once, her hands gripping on to her own hair tight, wanting to tear the pain away and make it all stop. Gods, what the pup would give to make it stop. Doors opening and her sisters voice would have once given her relief, but nothing eased this. Now, Ela needed to be hurt. She needed to cry. She needed her family.
As soon as Kura's arms wrapped around her, the Mortalborn sat up and held her sister close, her hand taking Faith's and holding it to her cheek, wanting warmth and care. As she sobbed in to her sister she made no attempt at forming words for the time being, her reaction was enough. She felt pain, she felt regret, and she felt sorrow. But despite the pain she felt inside the girl knew this was good for her. It was all for the best, it was a step forward, and now she could finally let it go. After all, it was what she had wished for years of her life. To just see her father, just one more time. Just once.

"I thought he hated me" she finally sobbed in to her sisters shoulder, one hand holding Faith's while the other held her sister with desperation. Kura was her shield, her wall and her light. When things were dark Kura kept the darkness away, and if she couldn't then she helped Ela fight through it. "I never told anyone, but I thought he hated me. For being too late, for not saving him, for what I did to him after he was dead. I thought he would never forgive me, yet all he wanted was for me to forgive myself."
As she struggled to breathe, taking in sharp inhales and exhales and bordering on a panic attack, the girl felt her hands shaking uncontrollably. She tried to focus on Kura and Faith, tried to let their warmth wrap around her like they would want her to. But the panic came anyway. For bits she couldn't breathe, choking on her sadness as her body forced out all of the fear, until those bits had finally passed - and it was all gone. A few small tears ran down her face, but there was no fear. Her hands didn't shake, her breathing slowed down, her eyes showed no pain. There was just her and them, her family. People who loved her - who had always loved her.

Silently, the girl raised her head and rested her forehead on Kura's, placing a hand on her shoulder instead of around her back. Her mouth muttered the words 'I'm ok', before she shut her eyes and just breathed, glad to be breathing, and glad to be with the sister she adored above anyone else.

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:36 pm**

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Thread Review

Ela (RETIRED)

Skill Points - 15
Renown - 5 for seeking help from influential, known people
Skill Knowledges
1. UNCLAIMED
Non-Skill Knowledges
1. N/A
Items and Other Rewards
1. N/A

Kura

Skill Points - 15
Renown - 5 for using influence and connections to help a public menace in need
Skill Knowledges
1. Rhetoric: Cutting through someone's attempt at rationalization
2. Medicine: Hiding from pain doesn't help it heal
3. Medicine: Ghosts can help people heal
4. Medicine: Sharing your pain to help another
5. Discipline: Keeping control of your irritation when talking to someone
6. Discipline: Putting the anger away
Non-Skill Knowledges
1. N/A
Items and Other Rewards
1. N/A

Faith

Skill Points - 15
Renown - NONE FOR YOU!
Skill Knowledges
1. UNCLAIMED
Non-Skill Knowledges
1. N/A
Items and Other Rewards
1. N/A

IGNORE THIS

Skill Points -
Renown -
Skill Knowledges
Non-Skill Knowledges
Items and Other Rewards

Final Notes

This thread hit me straight in the feels. Ela's breakdown and withdrawal, Kura truly playing to the role of the big sister, caring and strong. I never knew that Ela was such a talker! Seeing that sisterly bond was lovely. And then seeing Faith's aside with her children helped warm my heart. BEFORE you all broke it again! Also, absolutely love the teasing everyone gives at Paddyrags' expense. Well done all around, this was a delightful, emotional thread.

If you have any questions, please PM me. Also please add the provided stamp to your review request found here and please update your CS with all of this information.

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