let our eyes show the
fire in our hearts tonight
fire in our hearts tonight
It hadn’t really sunk in yet.
Her mind had been a tangled mess the past few days, trying to sort out everything that has happened, and perhaps she has even refused to let the truth sink in, to absorb the fact that her friends had gone missing. Had refused, until the cold reality had slapped her in the face -- until she had gone to the training grounds beneath the afternoon sun, alone except for her thoughts, and had found herself looking for dark eyes and a kind smile the same way she had every few days.
Looking for a star-strewn boy who had become a king, who would stand there resting the butt of a training spear against the ground, and would gently chide her for the dark circles under her eyes as if he didn’t see the weight of the world resting on her wings. Looking for a dreamer who had asked her to teach him how to become a fighter, and oh, how the thought brought a lump to her throat even now.
Was he chasing his dreams, wherever he was?
Above her, the dark clouds begin to gather, hanging low over the Halcyon barracks, low enough to almost brush against the roof.
The spot where Asterion should have been waiting for her is empty. His spear is still in the rack, scuffed handle and all. She pauses, mid-stride, staring at the weapon rack as though it had suddenly grown two heads, as though it were something unfamiliar that she couldn’t quite understand.
Asterion isn’t here.
He isn’t here.
It sinks in like claws, sharp and deadly, and the last piece of hope she hadn’t even been aware she was clinging to shudders and dies violently within her breast. Abruptly the Champion reverses course, taking two steps back towards the barracks before her wings open and she leaps into the air, planning to fly -- somewhere.
Away.
Away from the awful truth that has wrapped itself around her brain -- that there is nothing she can do to fix this, nothing that she can fight to make this feeling go away, nothing she can mend to make the nation’s grief lessen. She cannot help the way she is howling with grief -- there is no sound escaping her mouth, but the storm responds with a fury, wrapping black clouds around her like a cloak, sending down sheets of rain that threaten to drown everything beneath them.
She is ripping apart on the inside, the girl with a shield for a heart and a sword for a tongue, the girl who cannot save everyone but would kill herself trying. How many times has she failed, now? Too many to count, enough to weigh heavy on her heart until she thought she would suffocate beneath the weight, this girl with a war raging in her heart and head, this wild girl who was more god than mortal in her grief.
The rain is beating a war drum against the ground, and she has no one to fight except herself. How could she call herself a Champion when she cannot protect her people, cannot protect Terrastella? Asterion had believed she could keep them safe, and yet -- what had she done to do so?
What had she done to earn his trust, his advice, his friendship?
What could she do to honor his memory?
She could help build a stronger Terrastella. She would support Marisol, of course -- would have always done so, whether as a common soldier or as a member of her regime; but she could be doing so much more to help support whoever Marisol picked as her advisers, as well. She could hunt down Manon, and Amaroq, and others who dared act against Terrastella.
The rain begins to soften. The storm begins to clear.
The light atop the citadel beckons her home.
When she lands before Marisol, there is only the storm in her eyes still, only a few droplets of water still clinging to her wings. When she hears Israfel step forward for Regent, it only solidifies her decision, and springs forth a new one.
She clears her throat and steps forward.
“If you have considered Israfel for Regent, then I would like to offer up myself for your Warden. I am not born of Terrastella, but it has become a part of me, and there is no other place I could imagine calling home -- let me serve our people as their sword and shield, the people you know that I have bled and fought for and would gladly continue to do so."
1. Which position (Regent, Emissary, Warden) is your character interested in and why?
Warden! While she knows Israfel will be leaving behind some large shoes to fill, she believes she will be better suited as the 'enforcer' for Terrastella, someone with the capacity to protect the people and carry out the Regime's wishes rather than only being given limited tools to react to situations that threaten her home as the Champion of Battle.
2. What do you think is Dusk's biggest strength and biggest weakness (IC)? What plots do you think might come from that?
I think their biggest strength is the Halcyon, and of course the Hospital -- but perhaps their biggest weakness is their lack of utilization of either. Something that maybe isn't a plot but would be neat to see would be the messengers perhaps being utilized not just in Terrastella, but in other courts, as perhaps a more 'official' way to send letters or other messages?
3. Which part of Terrastella's lore would you be the most interested in expanding or basing events on?
We all know I'm a sucker for Halcyon (and would love to see the Ager being resettled/rebuilt in the future!) but a really interesting (and tragically underused!) part of the lore is the Scéal kelpies, and I would love to see them and their relationship with Terrastella in modern times be expanded upon, especially with the Halcyon lore that intersects with them!
4. What does your character believe should be the primary focus of the new regime and why? How would that be implemented?
She believes that upholding the legacy that Asterion and Florentine left them is important, and just as important is that Terrastella grow and adapt to a changing world in order to better protect itself and her people. With recent events, she is in full support of seeking out alliances with the other courts, to hopefully prevent another Raum from coming into power, and to also allow for easier communication / apprehension of any who would harm (or have harmed) Terrastellan citizens. I would definitely try to have Theo approach the other Wardens in an attempt to bring about an extradition system for inter-court crimes (such as, say, Manon's kidnapping of the twins) and attempt to figure out how such things should be handled and by which court.
5. What's your available activity level?
fluctuates between lurker and 'does 10 posts in a day' lmao
she wasn't looking for a knight,
she was looking for a sword.
she was looking for a sword.
