Thread: Penance [Arberus x Selini x Temara]

RE Penance I'll wake her. And yet, he hadn't been able to so far, not more than a little, and to patch her up. Her old friend- or whatever the woman was- had gotten her more stable, but even the visit had not roused her much more than Danni, or his occasional bursts of angry demand or best efforts had managed. She was stuck inside her own head. He could tell that much. It was obvious he hadn't stopped her soon enough, not for her. Had she really been so fragile, and he'd refused to see? Why had he ever brought her here and let her do this? I should have known better. This was my burden, my mistakes to fix. She's never deserved this. But his guilt didn't leave him lethargic or deadened like it once might have- once had. Rayner felt dead on his feet in some ways, but his muscles still responded, still managed a confident, if somewhat sad smile, as he kissed Danni on the forehead before he sent his adopted daughter home, even though inside he felt more than anything else angry. Why should this woman, these girls be punished? The gods about Gaia might have been false, but he knew they had power, and had taken notice of these few in particular. And yet, why did they never seem to raise a hand? What about God? He felt like he had less reason than ever to believe there was one watching. Danni deserved her mother back. If it came to it, he would go inside her head with her to bring her back to the girl. No more fear, or doubt. No more arrogant sense of purity in his method. He'd seen into his Other's mind. He'd seen what the blood he shared could do, where it came from. If he found a way, he could do it. And he could deal with the consequences. He'd made sure she ate again, and washed her face and neck with a cold wash cloth again, massaging and trying to stir her for what reaction he could manage, but even after all that it never brought that spark back. And so, he stared at an array of books, sprawled out across a table he'd converted into a study in the past few nights. Papers, notes, old tomes. He knew none of them had what he was looking for, but they might have had answers- told him where he could find it. He damned himself for his weak mind. If he'd been as sharp as her, been as quick a study, he could have probably read them cover to cover in the time it had taken him to skip about composing paltry research. Rayner resisted the urge to sweep them all across the floor. Kael, you fuck. If you can hear me, come get me. I'll rip the answers out of you. Goosebumps spread across his skin, a twinge of fear. But he was far gone enough to mean it. The cold dread spread through his veins, but if there was a time he could forget all his fear to rage he believed it was now. But... perhaps if he did it right he could call- There came a knock at the door. His head raised from the table and he stared for a moment. No one was supposed to be coming now. As if willing the door and it's visitor to remove themselves from his world, he stared in blank impatience for a moment. Stubbornly, the door remained. Rayner rose, and paced across the room, opening the door- And froze. His first urge, as it too often was these days, was violence. Paranoid instinct told him there was one reason above all others a foe sought out an unbeaten enemy. His teeth went tight, the tension in his jaw and neck visible as he coldly looked at Selini, restraining himself for the moment as he looked her in the eyes and... something was wrong. No, she'd acted strangely the whole time. Regretful, until she'd simply let the beast free and he knew that process, that look. She was no real danger to Celeste unless she started to revert to that, and if he saw her begin... he'd end her on the spot. No. No need to start a conflict, he assured himself, letting little bits of the tension sink away. His eyes softened slightly despite himself, even though his hands tightened into fists- this time there were no gloves covering them, exposing the scarred skin, as if a branding iron had been taken to every inch of the flesh on them until it was one thick mess of discolored, rough callous and reminders. He hadn't bothered to put any shoes on either, but otherwise he was fully dressed at least. .... There was some sort of words he was supposed to offer in greeting, but instead he just raised a questioning eyebrow. And waited.