Nameless

[Paradox]

Laighean laighed, "Are you kidding me? It's more than just seeing, Draven. Can you not feel the warmth of the sun on your back? Can you not feel the wind, smell the baking breads? Hear laughter? No, I don't call this cruel at all because I know this isn't a trick of my mind. I know is real and so long as I can still feel all of these things , I know that there's still hope for us, for me..." Laighean shook his his head," Even if I couldn't be a more interactive part of this world, I could stand here forever...just content to watch. It's better than where we were...in a world where you don't feel anything but cold and see nothing but dismal greys...there's no laughter, no smiles... it's maddening. "

Laighean shrugged at his brother's comment concerning being civil and just smiled, Sure you are. "


Once they were through and Draven interrupted his antics with seriousness, Laighean nodded. "I'm not sure if even Fi knows but we don't have much else to go off of. I still think we should tell mother. "

[visualspice]

Draven flattened his lips. He knew Laighean was right, but even he had his doubts, despite having felt the warmth, seen the warmth and smelled it.

"I am aware, but still we need to proceed with caution. Fiona told us, showed us the way, but also warned us for a reason."
He frowned now.
"Do you think she might understand?" Naturally, by she, he meant their mother.  It had been ages since she had even talked...

[Paradox]

"You don't need to explain everything as if I were daft, " Laighean muttered under his breath.

He shrugged his shoulders, " Just because she doesn't speak, it doesn't mean she's completely lost. When you think about it, she doesn't have much to smile about. But this bit of news might cheer her up and give her something to look forward to." Laighean remained hopeful though all the signs pointed to otherwise. Their mother might have been even further gone than their sister was. He'd rather not think about that for he was closest to her. After all, his mother had been his mentor in magic, and in the teachings of archery and knowledge of the woods and its guardian.

[visualspice]

Draven turned towards his brother. He admired him.  Long had Draven lost hope for their mother...
her poor soul...
She had been one of the first to go.. yet she remained twisted in some sort of perversion over the rest..
Not having completely lost her color..
Simply her voice.

Sighing, he smiled.
"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we shall go to her first, though..." he glanced around, furrowing his brow. "Fiona!?" He called out to her, his voice echoing. Where did she go?

[Paradox]

ooc: Sorry for the delay!

ic:


"We could split up, " Laighean suggested, "if I know Fi, she's probably wandering. Somewhere," She could have been anywhere. It had been common to find her in the woods, but now that they were dead, she seemed not to be drawn to them quite as much. There was a possibility that she might have headed that way though. "If she's in the woods, I'd have better luck at finding her than you. " They both knew the woods, but Laighean knew them just a little better because he'd had more time to know them and , possibly, more interest in knowing them.

Because Draven had spent more time with father, learning how to be King.

Laighean studied his brother for a moment, "You haven't spoken to her in some time. I think you should be the one to give mother the first bit of news. " He patted his brother gently on the shoulder, " I'll be back soon."

Before Draven could protest, Laighean had run off!

[visualspice]

"Laighean," Draven tried to protest, sighing as he dropped his arms away, watching his brother run off. But he was right. He hadn't spoken to his mother in some time..
and for many reasons.
He felt he had no right to- who was he to face his mother- the first of them gone and lost to this wretched curse? A curse only brought about by himself.

Watching his brother disappear, he sighed again and turned back towards the castle, it's tall form menacing and grey. 

[Ivory]

Fiona would make herself apparent almost the moment Draven stepped inside.  She was nestled in the crook of the winding staircase.  Perched sideways on the railing at a precarious angle, she was practically lounging there with her cheek pressed against the rail of the stairs heading up.  She looked a bit cat-like in her contentment.

As he stepped inside, a lazy smile appeared on her face.  Without opening her eyes, she said, "Don't forget to wipe your feet, Draven.  Mother will have your hide if you drag in dirt from the yard and smudge her rugs."

[visualspice]

Draven was startled to find his sister in such a precarious position as he craned his neck up at her.
"Fiona!" he started, "What are you doing up there? Don't you know it's dangerous to hang about on the stairs like that?"  He moved closer towards her, with much swiftness up the steps, not taking any heed to her warning about wiping off his boots.
"Here, give me your hand," he reached one of his strong arms out to her. "We needn't have mother worry about you falling from the railing now, do we?"

[Ivory]

"But it's comfortable!" she protested, only opening her eyes when his hand brushed against her.  Reaching out, she grasped her eldest brother's hand, although she made no move to climb off of her perch.  "Draven, this is perfectly safe.  If I were to fall, I would have to land on my head to crack it open."  She paused, considering.  "Though I might break an arm if I were careless enough to fall."

She squeezed his hand gently, her smile as bright and beautiful as it had ever been.  "You worry too much, Brother Dear.  Worry will turn you gray before your time.  Or make you lose all your hair.  You don't want to look like Uncle Seiorgi, do you?"

[visualspice]

Draven couldn't help but laugh.
There was the Fiona he'd missed, but eve he knew she wasn't all there, and not to expect such humor and emotions from her all of the time-
or rather, cast emotions TOWARDS her.
He nodded his head
"Yes, but worry also keeps us alive, mind you," he playfully retorted.  "And also without injury. Why don't you let me take you to mother? She might like to hear what you have to say about all of the flowers you've seen..."
and.. the rip in the veil...

[Ivory]

"Pish-posh!" Fiona answered with a laugh.  "I'm not in any danger unless someone pushes me.  And who would do that?"  No one, that was who!  Still, she swung her leg back over the rail and straightened, now standing safely on the other side.  "I'm not quite the daredevil Arthwys is, but he's right.  Life is about taking chances -- and having fun for once!  You're so gloomy lately!  Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you have to be so serious and responsible all the time."

Playfully stepping away from him, she said, "I probably shouldn't tell you -- and you have to promise not to be mad at him -- but Arthywys does this wonderful impression of you!  He gets this real serious look, and he squares his shoulders, and he says things like, 'Don't jump on the bed!' and 'Stay out of the trees in the garden!'"  Her voice deepened with the impression.

"He's so good at it that I told him he should try to fool the guests at your birthday party this year!"  She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes widening slightly as she regarded him.  "Oh.  Don't tell him I told you he might.  And don't tell anyone else either!  It's supposed to be a surprise!"

She was chattering way about their brother as though he still lived and breathed -- but Arthwys, always joking and taking bigger and bigger risks -- had died a hero's death early on in the war.  Fiona didn't seem to notice.

[visualspice]

Draven raised his brows at his sister.
"You don't think your dear older brother would push you, now?" he gave a smirk. "And come, let us not speak or Arthwys, what if he hears you speaking of me so? Do you think he would be angry for these secrets?" He smiled at her fondly, but also sadly..

It had.. been sometime since Arthywys had died..
the war... the war had taken many.
he wasn't sure what fate was worth- his or theirs, but a hero's death was a hero's death, and he would rest in peace, while the remainder of their line struggled in this graying purgatory.

"And I promise not to tell anyone if you promise to behave yourself," Draven went on.  "Do we have a deal?" he asked, bending over to be at her level, brown eyes meeting to her's.

[Ivory]

"I always behave," Fi answered impishly.  She considered it for a moment, then said, more firmly, "I promise!"

She grinned at him and walked away, moving at her own pace towards the great kitchens that had once bustled with life to serve the proud Clan Flannchadh and their guests.  This had once been a hub of activity, where servants bustled, chefs shouted, and children played.

Fi moved as though those people were still there.  She swept to the side as if moving out of someone's way, then wove in an uneven pattern towards the center of the kitchen.  She reached up onto the counter with a giggle, as if swiping an invisible piece of food, then made her way out the back door.

"Draven," she said, turning to wait for him there with a hand extended, as though it held something in offering.  "If you could have anything for your birthday -- anything at all -- what would it be?"  She was looking at him with a child's gravity and earnestness.  It was meant to be a serious question.  "Even if you will be 24 tomorrow, I think it would be okay to ask for something silly."

[visualspice]

"F-Fiona!" Draven called after her. Really that girl! Could she not control herself? He knew her mind was turning to grey- much like everything else around here and he tensed and followed suit, watching her carefully as she wove herself between the invisible servants.
When she paused, he halted too, examining her with wary eyes. But then when she asked the question, he simply blinked, tilting his head to one side, looking very much like a hawk as his brown eyes met to hers, and brown eyes, which were raised like spikes, caught the faint false light of their dull sun.

"What do you mean? One wish?" his eyes followed down to where her hand was held out, then raised his eyes back to her.
If the question was asked in a more serious light, he would have told her their freedom..
to fix the curse he had awakened...

But they were too far gone for that-
but still, the seed of hope remained, and with this new revelation, this break in the 'veil'.. the seal that kept them locked away i this dying world well....


At her mentioning about him being so young, his face fell, but a sad smile soon replaced it as he stepped forward and took her hand into his own and patted it lightly and affectionately looked into his sister's gaze.

"If I had to ask for anything, anything at all, it would be for a giraffe." he smirked. "Just to be able to see your face from it. Did you know their necks crane high up into the trees while their bodies remained planted, to the earth, like horses?"

Even if he felt horrible for his sister's loss, her mind being the first to go, it did not mean he could not be a big brother to her. After all, he still had some humanity left inside him for a joke-
and he also wanted to find any means to forget that..
well..


She was falling amongst the grey.

But if there was this hope..
was there even enough time to save her?
He feared, like the others, she might become lost-
as lost and distant and cold and quiet as their mother.....

[Ivory]

Fi laughed in absolute delight.  "A giraffe!" she exclaimed, trying to conjure the image of one in her mind.  It wavered, however, looking too much like the horse in Draven's description.  "Would you keep it in your room?" she wanted to know, quite obviously taken with the concept.  "Or would it have to live in the stables with the rest of the horses?  And what will you feed it with all the leaves dead?  Does it eat cake?"

She jumped suddenly and whirled with an expression of alarm, as though startled by a sudden sound.  Her hand tightened on his as she stared over her shoulder towards the silent forest, searching its depths for only the Goddess-knew-what.

"Horns," she said, turning back to Draven with a frightened expression.  "They must be at the gates."  There was an usual tightness in her voice.  Her ashen face swung back towards the forest, and she murmured, "No.  In the forest.  Laighean's out there, Draven!"

[visualspice]

"No, but we could keep it in your room," he jested, but when her expression turned most grave and Fiona mentioned horns.. trouble, and Laighean, his interest perked.
He placed a large hand on her shoulder.
"Fiona, what do you mean?" his eyes searched her's, then follows her gaze out into the forest.  "Where is Laighean?" Was something wrong?! "What do you mean he's in the forest!?" His eyes looked desperate towards the grey woods but unlike his sister, he could see nothing there.

[Ivory]

Fiona looked him dead in the eye, as grave as she had been during her pronouncement of the dangers of the doorway earlier.

"The squirrels told me."

With that line so seriously spoken, she took off in a flat-out run towards the woods.  "Draven!" she called back over her shoulder, expertly ducking beneath a low-hanging limb even as she turned.  "Bring your sword!"

It wasn't the squirrels, exactly -- but the Veil was chattering away like an old friend.  Laighean was in trouble!  "Where?" she demanded of the voices, heedless as to whether Draven was behind her or not.  "Where is he?"

But then she saw it...and the set of footprints leading up to its archway.

"We have to go in," she said to her brother as she stopped before it.  It was dark in there -- and, absurdly, she felt afraid of that darkness.  But if Laighean was in danger...  She made a fist with her hand and reached for Draven with the other, weaving her fingers through his.

"Let's hurry," she said.  "There isn't much time."

Into the doorway they stepped...and into the narrow confines of a lady's closet.  It was impossible to know that, of course -- there was only darkness, and the soft brushes of clothing as they passed...and, there, at the other end, a sliver of light.

[visualspice]

"Fiona!? Fiona, wait up!" But soon their finger's were interlocking, heart thumping, beating with worry until the pair disappeared into the other side...

OOC: To be temporarily continued in the thread: "Coming out of the Closet".