03-25-2021, 07:00 AM
[align=center][div style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 11.5px; width: 340px; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]To exist, or, more aptly, live was to experience a wide breadth of emotion. So simple within the beginning, a curiosity untamed and abundant, satisfaction bringing with it the next, sorrow and anger in tears, delight in the pleasing melody of laughter. Always more, a learnt behaviour almost, responses born of the external stimuli that dictate their need. Understood and known of the negative, those fitting a darker connotation, though unearned in many ways, if suppressed. For only so long may it be held within gilded cage, paraded the opposite, false as it was and proven evident in the taunt masks bore to play it out, never locked, more awaiting the nudge to open the door.
Few, and far the distance between, the instances it had arisen. He knew it only in a basic sense, knew the hollow weight, how it gathered and churned in the pit of his stomach, tongue loosened even as pressure built. Toward himself always turned, once thought deserved, never outwardly expressed for who best deserved it than the fool who crafted it. Learned the lesson, how deserving others of the ire they arose, a heat he had grown terrified of all the same, few those in the firing line.
Different the case where it pertained to Caesar Cipher, lesser than the worms present in the soil he tread for they held a purpose of use while none may ascribe the same to the Cipher patriarch.
No cause drew Harland to where the temple was situated, in truth he was lost in thoughts rather heavily tied to the man that painted his hands in blood. Once little more than a mild threat to make note of should he grow bold, never within his mind to confront the issue. That had been a time only a few short days prior, the notion discarded when cries had proven he was hellbent on continuing this path that seemed only to terminate in his utter destruction. Maybe unconscious his movement, a gentle tug towards where Marianas was being kept, guilt festering in his chest. Too well did the bombay know his timing could offer little, his assistance possibly worsening what had occurred, no soldier was he, little the relief offered by the thought.
Voices rose in quiet conversation, distance taking the words and offering only fragmented ghosts, confusion light, a rather fertile bed for the curiosity that rose soon after. Closer he stepped, his intent difficult to decipher as he pondered over the reasoning he may offer, nerves quelled in part when recognised the temple. Few the times Harland had been within, simple his reasoning and always brief those visits, the sight one giving life to mixed emotions. These, too, were suppressed when his attention turned, dark the moisture surely grown tacky, the manner it stained at odds with the hue. Too well he knew how blood soaked into fur, stuck even as the excess fell away in heavy droplets, his mind refused to accept the reality of it, however.
No words rose to his lips, distance was instead closed and paw rose, hoped his approach noticed for it was moved in a shallow arc Roan caught entirely in it. Upwards eyes flicked, again drawn down to the clinging substance, the eye a brief afterthought as of yet unseen. None seemed to fret as he did over it, centerpiece the trophy claimed by one rather unassuming, difficult to believe a healer of his calibre would cause such harm. Of course unknown Roan, though not his family, lip caught and chewed as his attention turned away. No, this he could expect from them, knew too well the manner Pincher had conducted himself and how readily destruction was wrought his home not the only one forgotten.
Continued the words around him, finally registering, towards Vayne eyes turned. She was a Cipher, this much a fact indisputable, but such did not press against her shoulders the weight of history written in spilt blood. A place by her side did he slowly move, head lowering until he may lightly press chin to her head, removing it after only a moment. Too many the thoughts that crowd his mind, tongue tied behind locked teeth and so silent was his offering of reassurance, weak the smile arising to his lips. Was he not as those supposed naysayers that Vayne deemed to harbour a hatred simply for her lineage, allowed his own misgivings to grow entangled in an opinion unearned. For now the thought was put aside, time enough would be present for such ponderance at later date, finally his eyes meeting that suspended in the viscous fluid.
Well, that was a pleasant sight. His stomach churned and too quick the grimace to arise before it was snuffed out, away his eyes skittering, his paws and the soil he cut grooves into with the flex of his claws all he could focus on as he tried to hold down the nausea such sight caused.
Few, and far the distance between, the instances it had arisen. He knew it only in a basic sense, knew the hollow weight, how it gathered and churned in the pit of his stomach, tongue loosened even as pressure built. Toward himself always turned, once thought deserved, never outwardly expressed for who best deserved it than the fool who crafted it. Learned the lesson, how deserving others of the ire they arose, a heat he had grown terrified of all the same, few those in the firing line.
Different the case where it pertained to Caesar Cipher, lesser than the worms present in the soil he tread for they held a purpose of use while none may ascribe the same to the Cipher patriarch.
No cause drew Harland to where the temple was situated, in truth he was lost in thoughts rather heavily tied to the man that painted his hands in blood. Once little more than a mild threat to make note of should he grow bold, never within his mind to confront the issue. That had been a time only a few short days prior, the notion discarded when cries had proven he was hellbent on continuing this path that seemed only to terminate in his utter destruction. Maybe unconscious his movement, a gentle tug towards where Marianas was being kept, guilt festering in his chest. Too well did the bombay know his timing could offer little, his assistance possibly worsening what had occurred, no soldier was he, little the relief offered by the thought.
Voices rose in quiet conversation, distance taking the words and offering only fragmented ghosts, confusion light, a rather fertile bed for the curiosity that rose soon after. Closer he stepped, his intent difficult to decipher as he pondered over the reasoning he may offer, nerves quelled in part when recognised the temple. Few the times Harland had been within, simple his reasoning and always brief those visits, the sight one giving life to mixed emotions. These, too, were suppressed when his attention turned, dark the moisture surely grown tacky, the manner it stained at odds with the hue. Too well he knew how blood soaked into fur, stuck even as the excess fell away in heavy droplets, his mind refused to accept the reality of it, however.
No words rose to his lips, distance was instead closed and paw rose, hoped his approach noticed for it was moved in a shallow arc Roan caught entirely in it. Upwards eyes flicked, again drawn down to the clinging substance, the eye a brief afterthought as of yet unseen. None seemed to fret as he did over it, centerpiece the trophy claimed by one rather unassuming, difficult to believe a healer of his calibre would cause such harm. Of course unknown Roan, though not his family, lip caught and chewed as his attention turned away. No, this he could expect from them, knew too well the manner Pincher had conducted himself and how readily destruction was wrought his home not the only one forgotten.
Continued the words around him, finally registering, towards Vayne eyes turned. She was a Cipher, this much a fact indisputable, but such did not press against her shoulders the weight of history written in spilt blood. A place by her side did he slowly move, head lowering until he may lightly press chin to her head, removing it after only a moment. Too many the thoughts that crowd his mind, tongue tied behind locked teeth and so silent was his offering of reassurance, weak the smile arising to his lips. Was he not as those supposed naysayers that Vayne deemed to harbour a hatred simply for her lineage, allowed his own misgivings to grow entangled in an opinion unearned. For now the thought was put aside, time enough would be present for such ponderance at later date, finally his eyes meeting that suspended in the viscous fluid.
Well, that was a pleasant sight. His stomach churned and too quick the grimace to arise before it was snuffed out, away his eyes skittering, his paws and the soil he cut grooves into with the flex of his claws all he could focus on as he tried to hold down the nausea such sight caused.