anubis [★] you were always singing along

[suvi.]

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— kiira | tanglewood | medic —

Soft crinkle of paper and gentle breaths.  A splash of alabaster and white beneath a tree, tucked into a book.  A rather large tome, smelling of dust and days long past.  Strange writing scrawled on the pages -- certainly not English or any other common tongue.  Quietly, a tongue clicked, lips moving to mouth foreign words.  Spells.  Old knowledge.

Quick of mind and eagerness in abundance, the little vixen quickly learned limits to her powers.  Her new favorite spell book simply weighed too much to lift.  With care then, she'd have to carry it back home... Later.  A comfortable place she had found, just on the outskirts of town.

One problem... The dancing of her mismatched hues never bothered to move upwards, away from her book.  Someone into the holiday spirit had snuck some mischief in the branches.  Mistletoe.  Well.  The medic had always been a little naïve and oblivious -- unlikely she'd care if she had noticed the infamous plant.

[color=#da1633]— N̶̶OW͟ [color=#c32452]WE͢͜͞'͜͟͞R̸̡E LO̷͟Ś͜͞T S[color=#ad3271]O̷UL̵̛S̵҉ AL̛͏[color=#9e3a85]L ST[color=#8f449a]U̶CK I͞͠N T҉̵HE͡ PA[color=#804cae]S̷̶͘T̕͟ —

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]Within shadows death lingered.  Or rather, the boy god of death.  An unfortunate habit he'd developed over time.  When unoccupied, the wolf found someplace quiet - and dark - and simply sat, or fiddled with something he'd found.  This time, the youth found himself focused on his Ankh necklace, ears flicking, mind well into the clouds.

The scrape of a page turning brought him back to the world.  Dark eyes blinked, flashing around his nearby surroundings, quick to spot the studious gleam of autumn and ice.  Aware this to be an opportunity, one he'd been avoiding for a while, the canine rose to his paws.  Hesitantly, he approached, wary of interrupting a book, noting that he did not recognize title nor language.  I ought to introduce her to some old Egyptian spell books.  Some time had passed since Anubis ran into a Magician of that kind.

"Hey," relaxed his voice, though hardly his mind, running through thoughts and ideas and just about everything all at once.  Does she know what she is?  Does she know she's sitting beneath mistletoe?  Does she know what's wrong with her sou- wait what? His brows crease lightly, just for a split second before he recentered himself on his original intent. "..."

"Are you studying magic?" ... Idiot. His mouth felt dry.  How did anyone tell someone that their soul was literally half of a whole because the original half decided it didn't want... 'Useless emotions' anymore?  Damn it.

[suvi.]

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— kiira | tanglewood | medic —

Owlish eyes blink, turning upwards to the other canine, pulled out of her book.  A soft smile, more polite than anything, grew on her maw.  A twinge of disappointment did resound in the girl, desire to continue her pursuit of knowledge but unwilling to ignore a friendly face.  "He-hey Anubis," strange that name on her tongue, yet familiar and warm as the sands he no doubt came from.  Did I know him before?

Sharply, head inclines down, returned to her book, "t-that's right." Reassurance settled in her chest at the idea that someone else had an interest in her studies.  As if that made her life less lonely or... Confusing.  …̷̕ ̴͘H̡̀i̶s̛ o͟҉̶pi̵͘n͘҉i͏o̧̢n̴ ̀͜͠d̴ơ̢e̸s ̷n̴͘͠o͝t ̕͢m҉͝a͜tt͡e͡r̴.͏̶̷  "D-do you know any? Mag-magic?"

Immortal.  God.  H̡̕͝è̷͝ d̕oe͡͏s̢͘n͢҉'͢͞t̛͘ ̵b̨͡e̵lơ҉n̴̢g h͢͡e̵̡rè͜͡.͜  A strange being.  She truly believed that he was what he said he was, though it did not quite click in her mind.  A simple fact stored in the library of her mind, safely kept and acknowledged but requiring further analysis.

Notes she did make.  On appearance and little twerks... Little signs of discomfort and thought.  A confident approach but wary mind.  Some hidden knowledge in those eyes.  A sudden wariness embraced her.  W͜hy̶ ͝͠i̕͠s̡͞ ̷́hȩ͞ ͡her҉e̸̶̛?̛̕ Wha͡t͜͝ ̵͢d́́͘o̴e̵s̡͠ ̵h͞e̷̢ ́k̨n͢͞o̸w̸͘?͘

The vixen learned some time ago trust could not be freely given.  Not in this world.  B̡҉̸ut̴̛̛ ̀͢I̵̵'̛͘m t̨i̶̢r̷̛͢e͘҉d͢ ҉̡͏o̸͘f̡ b̛͜͡e̸̸i̴͟n͞g̨ ́͞a̧͜l҉͞o͝n͠e̸͢.

[color=#da1633]— N̶̶OW͟ [color=#c32452]WE͢͜͞'͜͟͞R̸̡E LO̷͟Ś͜͞T S[color=#ad3271]O̷UL̵̛S̵҉ AL̛͏[color=#9e3a85]L ST[color=#8f449a]U̶CK I͞͠N T҉̵HE͡ PA[color=#804cae]S̷̶͘T̕͟ —

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]His smile turned a little shy, brows creasing in thought.  Loosely, his shoulders roll back in a shrug.  "I know a little.  Less now I am still adjusting to life in a body of my own." Illusions were the best he could muster.  Mental assaults and simple communication.  With a shift of paws, he decided to cast an illusionary projection of an Ankh symbol. "Nothing amazing," he chuckled, watching it dissipate.

"Hey, um..." No beating around the bush.  He exhaled slowly, frowning. "Actually, I wanted to know if I could talk to you about the way your body 'glitches'." The boy had no intention of bringing discomfort to the fox and decided it wasn't the end of the world if they didn't talk about it.  Yet he knew he had to bring it up.  "... I have a few thoughts on why it's happening."

[suvi.]

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— kiira | tanglewood | medic —

Like a pair of stars her eyes lit up.  An affirmative answer.  Although only an illusion was presented, her body thrummed in excitement.  Kiira felt odds were his magic was different than hers.  He learned differently.  He thought about it, wielded it... Differently.  Yet to hear it called 'magic' and not 'powers'... She beamed.  The Egyptians did have magicians from her recollection of study, but she had not figured Anubis for one. "T-that is amazing!" She protested happily.

"I c-can't d-do that."  Illusions.  Her books did have spells for them, but nothing worked.  Yet.  She believed in practice and improvement.  Her ability to comprehend certain magics was not set in stone, but malleable, as were her skills.  What does that symbol mean?  He wears it on that necklace too... A hieroglyph to study later.

Abruptly, the vixen felt a shift in mood.  Of thought.  He grew quieter and she grew uneasy along with him, blinking.  Rigidly, Kiira sat, keenly aware in that second of the tip of her tail... Phasing.  Of her heart beat, unsteady.  About the 'glitches'?  Her mouth felt dry and for a second she considered an attempt to purposely teleport.

"Ab-about... W-Why?"  [color=#ad3271]W͞hat̵ ̛do͜e̛s͢ he͝ kn̶ow͘?[color=#c32452]H̲̙̗̪̩̮ͮͪ͆̈̂̓̀eͮ͒̈͊͑̍̚͡'̹̞͙̥͓ͯͅs̥̹̤̮̙ ͬͬ͊̓ͯ̐ͣ͏̤̩̩̰aͩ̂l̝̞̟̲͖͈̃ͦ̒͌w̴͍̰̖͇̜ͥ̽̌͋a̹̫̯̤͚ͯ̓̄ͨ͛͘y̟͔̼̍͊ͮs̵̳̼͇̦̰ ́k͍̙͚̉n̫̻̎̂͒̀͂̓ͪo̤̻͌͒͆͐ͦ͌ͧ́w̤͈̤̤ͭͅn̯͉͇̳ͤ̃̾͒͊͘.̑̋͆̍̀̏

[color=#da1633]— N̶̶OW͟ [color=#c32452]WE͢͜͞'͜͟͞R̸̡E LO̷͟Ś͜͞T S[color=#ad3271]O̷UL̵̛S̵҉ AL̛͏[color=#9e3a85]L ST[color=#8f449a]U̶CK I͞͠N T҉̵HE͡ PA[color=#804cae]S̷̶͘T̕͟ —

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]He chuckled softly, shaking his head, eyes warm, unused to praise but unwilling to argue with her.  Perhaps she felt alone in her world of strange words and spells.  But other matters rested ahead and he found it hard to remain smiling, stomach twisting as something akin to panic registered in her eyes.

He pressed his paws into the grass, restlessly, antsy. "Just a few thoughts.  I cannot tell you if I am certain because I have not regained the ability to see your aura or soul." An unfortunate matter, if any, for it would solve this issue rather simply.  "... You weren't born, Kiira, you were created." A soft breath.  Gods, please don't hate me for this. "I knew by who too; her name was Cynthia." She hated me... So much.

"... She didn't want to hold onto... Feelings essentially, so she split her soul in two.  It was, I dunno, magic or a deal with one of the deities she spoke to other than myself... All I know is it worked and you were the result.  But there are consequences..."

"I'm sorry."

[suvi.]

[div style="width: 430px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: justify; font-family: palatino; font-size: 11px;"][align=center]
— kiira | tanglewood | medic —

A strange short of calm washed over the vixen as the Egyptian spoke.  Perhaps one may call it eerie as her dancing hues settled, staring ahead into the dark eyes of the wolf but not quite there.  Unfocused.  The gears in her mind turning.  Pages turning and words carefully recorded, written down and stored.  Cynthia.

Her lips thinned to a straight line, a gentle crease forming in her brow.  White paws shifted, closing her book.  Feelings. W̕͢͢hą̀͟t̸͡'̸͢s͠ ̷t͏́͠h̶̷̨e ̢͡use̛͠ ҉͏̧i̴̡ń̛͘ ͝fe̕el͟͢i̛n̢g̢͞?̵̧͟ The swell of panic and trepidation slowly melted away like freshly fallen snow, dissolving into nothingness.  Bizarre tranquility despite a sudden chaos within heart and soul, locked deep in her mind, trying to put pieces together. "… I-I... Think I un-understand."

"… I sh-shouldn't exist." Sharp the realization pierces her thoughts, a razor made of sheer ice.  T̢͞h͟i̕s ̶̡is̴ ͜ẃr͢͟o̕͢ng͝.͟͡ T͏͞hi̧s̕͟ i͞s͢n̵͜'̷t̡͝ ̷͞ŗ̷̛i͝g҉h͠t͠͠. "… W-what... Drove her... T-This far?" Cynthia. The name belonged to all those strange memories... Strange thoughts and familiar feelings... The name belonged to... Someone she used to be... Or be apart of... W̛͢͠h̛͞y?̷̢̡

"[color=slateblue]… W-what happened... T-to her? Af-after?" Just how much do you know? "An-and me..." This is n̵̶e̕v̸̵e̸r̷̴̀ going to s̢̧͠t̸͡o̴͝͠p͟, is it? "M-my so-soul and bo-body... Sh-shouldn't exist... T-there's no f-fix for this."

[color=#da1633]— N̶̶OW͟ [color=#c32452]WE͢͜͞'͜͟͞R̸̡E LO̷͟Ś͜͞T S[color=#ad3271]O̷UL̵̛S̵҉ AL̛͏[color=#9e3a85]L ST[color=#8f449a]U̶CK I͞͠N T҉̵HE͡ PA[color=#804cae]S̷̶͘T̕͟ —

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]No, no, no. Don't say that. "..." For a moment, the wolf sat, tongue-tied.  Quietly, he continued, head bowed.  "I can't say for sure.  Cynthia wasn't exactly... Friendly.  She kept her distance from others most of the time but... You can't shut everyone out.  But everyone who got through..."

Clockpup.  Zeref.  Evan.  Shattered.  Ice.  Everyone she looked twice at...

No wonder she thought she was bad luck...

"... She always ended up alone.  The last one remaining.  The pattern seemed too great to ignore... She got sick of it I suppose.  Sick of losing.  Sick of failing to truly be indifferent like she wanted.  Cynthia always believed attachments were a waste of time, that feelings got in the way, but no matter how much she tried to pretend she didn't have them, she did... She looked for an out..." Against all advice...  It made him feel sick.  Angry.  Sad.

He bit his lip. "She... Went on like normal, I suppose.  She was a medic too, you know? Though she only did it because she had the knowledge.  She never really felt too empathic for anyone.  I think it left her empty though... I dunno if she's still where she was before, or if she moved on." If she died I'm sure I'd know... He left that unsaid.

He dug his claws into the grass, brows furrowed.  "Don't say that."

"... Don't... Just give up, Kiira." Though you may be right... "At least... Don't look at yourself like a mistake.  You're not a horrible anomaly.  You're you.  That makes you special." He tried a small smile. "Don't ever doubt that." And that's the cheesiest thing you've said this century.

"You're smart, Kiira.  Even if there's no obvious solution, don't lose hope.  Maybe just start with mastering control.  Or learn more about the nature of souls."

"I believe in you. ... And if you need me, I'm here."

His stomach felt all kinds of knotted.  Dreadful and hopeful.  Memories of being pushed away and memories of failing with others he'd wanted to help...