AIRPLANES IN THE NIGHT SKY // Aurum

[ATBASH CIPHER.]

ATBASH CIPHER

you laugh and smile at me, but you don't see a thing !

[member=6881]aurum.[/member]

Atbash decided to give Aurum some time to relax after the meeting, especially considering how many changes he made and how he decided to speak them all at once, before she went searching for him. "Aurum?" She called out for the Luminary, hanging outside his home (she didn't want to intrude, after all). "Hey, I was just thinking that we walk around the territory and get to know each other better." Considering he knew Vigenere, there probably was a lot that Aurum and Atbash had in common. But hey, what did she know? All she knew is that Vigenere liked and respected Aurum and found him to be a great friend, and that was it.

bio | female | loner, no group

© madi

[wormwood.]

[ATBASH CIPHER.]

ATBASH CIPHER

you laugh and smile at me, but you don't see a thing !

Atbash vividly remembered how exhausting it had been being the leader of a group. She was constantly worn out from the concerns of her tribemates, the state of the tribe in of itself, and outside forces. A lot went on a leader's plate that didn't seemed to get talked about often, but Atbash couldn't exactly blame that. It was hard to talk about your problems, especially when it makes you and your group seem vulnerable. Nobody wanted to admit that it was stressful being a leader, but at the same time, it also meant some were excited at the fact of becoming one. And that excitement, at least for Atbash, quickly dwindled into burnout.

"Getting some fresh air always helped me when I lead Snowbound." Atbash agreed with Aurum's statement, heading towards the entrance of Tanglewood, looking back briefly to make sure Aurum was still behind her. "Stretching your legs never hurts either. I hated being held up in camp, if I'm honest."

bio | female | member of tanglewood

© madi

[wormwood.]

[ATBASH CIPHER.]

ATBASH CIPHER

you laugh and smile at me, but you don't see a thing !

Back home, Atbash had longed to be the Shaman and although it was a much different position than being leader, she hadn't realized how exhausting it would have been. The Shaman was there to protect everyone, getting messages from the stars and receiving prophecies in dreams - that was how the Shaman had been able to predict Caesar destroying their home. Atbash looked up to the Shaman since she had been one of the few females to achieve such a position - but alas, you were either born with the Star's Touch, or you weren't. Atbash, unfortunately, didn't have the ability to see into the future so she wouldn't have been able to become the Shaman at all, despite her wishes. She had been destined to stay in the Seventh Tier, had Caesar not gotten them exiled.

"It was definitely a lot colder than the swamp." Atbash mused, a small giggle escaping her at Aurum's comment. It was so much humid here and although it took a lot to get used to, it was better than trying to stay warm at every second of the day. "It was nice, honestly, I enjoyed the cold air. Snowbound was perfect for me." She sighed, more so out of just the memory of the place than out of frustration. "I miss it there and I wish I could go back, but The Pitt burned it down." Her words trailed off as she remembered the panic she felt and how it had sent her back into when Caesar had set their dimension ablaze. Atbash slowed down her pace subconsciously, walking in what seemed like a daze, her eye wide as the images began flooding back - both of Snowbound's demise and her old home.

The worried and panic looks of her parents and former Tribemates, the way her parents held on to her briefly before Vigenere pulled her away from their collapsing den. The look of pure fear and tears streaming down their faces as they clutches each other; the entrance to the den fell, crushing their bodies beneath it. The heat of the flames burning her own fur and skin before Vigenere forced her away from the, the way she begged her brother to let her die with them. Vigenere held her down before they were tackled by Caesar and teleported away - ironically saving them before the dimension collapsed. Then came the images of Snowbound; the way she tried to get everyone out of camp before they succumbed to the same fate as her parents. The worry and fear that parents had for their own children were something Atbash couldn't forget, not when it had such a familiar feeling to it.

Atbash pulled herself back into reality as she found it hard to breathe, with the feeling of her neck being tight. She shook her head, trying to pull herself away from the flashbacks.

bio | female | member of tanglewood

© madi