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Post by Liang Bai on Jul 19, 2018 19:33:36 GMT -5
It was a normal day on planet Earth. Despite all the occurrences out in the galaxy, and the role Bai would soon play in it, one would find it haes to blame her for forgetting or wanting to forget the conflict to come. The place looked peaceful, greenery and the sounds of nature reigning in the environment around the temple she was in. That's right. 'Looked'. You see, Bai was born blind and had lived her whole life thay way, not expecting to see anything other than the eternal darkness that she knew nothing outside of. However, a string of events changed that forever. She met Atreus, her mentor and the man she felt she'd never be able to repay with the kindness he had shown her. He took her in, trained her, and showed her the world outside of the forest she rarely ever left. Then, he gave her a ship that allowed her to see. It wasn't true sight, as she had to rely on the cameras of the ship, but it was nonetheless an incredibly kind gesture that left her more than a little moved. But even that was nothing compared to this. Him and the other Valkyries had gathered the Dragon Balls for her. She was utterly stunned at the length they had gone to get those for her, and despite attempts at turning it down, Atreus managed to convince her to accept. She had received two wishes. She used one to learn a technique that she believed would be key in helping her fight evil, and the other... The results were there for all the people to see. The monks at the temple were more than a little surprised to see the usually reserved and unobtrusive girl happily skip along through the entrance like a giddy little child, walking up to one of the monks and asking, "Excuse me, would you mind telling me where Atreus is?""He's in his roo-" He didn't get to finish as she was already gone. After that, he realised something, "Did she...?" He thought. "Atreus, Atreus!" He would hear her call out excitedly as she barged into his room, very much unlike the usual Bai. Whether or not he turned to look at her, she'd skip up to him and hold his hands to pull him to her, "I can see!" She declared in an elated tone. Her eyes were dark blue, yet shone brilliantly. They reflected her innocence and current happiness, much like a puppy dog happy to be praised and get a treat. She stood there in wait, not realising how she had just nonchalantly invaded his personal space in her excitement.
445 words. (+1 SM)
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Post by Atreus on Jul 19, 2018 23:10:15 GMT -5
He could feel her. Of course he could feel her. Atreus was one of the most powerful, skilled warriors ever to be born on Earth. And more and more often, that was what he had to tell himself, simply to keep his head above water. Of course he could feel her. He kept tabs on every notable ki user on Earth to watch for potential threats. She wasn't a threat, she was an ally, but he still liked to make sure he knew where she was so he could call on her if necessary. Their relationship was close, but it was professionalism that made him always be aware of her. Atreus didn't confront the deeper truths. That he thought of her more than was appropriate for a sensei and his student. That he had to concentrate on others to be able to find their ki signatures. That would have required far more honesty and courage than Atreus possessed at the moment. So yes, he felt her before he saw or heard her. Atreus hoped against hope that he was going to receive the announcement he had longed for. When he and the other Valkries had gathered the Dragon Balls, Atreus had left them in Bai's care. For most of the other Valkyries who had acquired wishes, they had gathered as a group and celebrated afterwards. But Bai's... well, her experience was altogether different. Not only would she be receiving power, but she might be removing a handicap that she had experienced for her entire life. It was intensely personal, and Atreus did not even know if she would wish for sight. Bai's blindness was something she had lived with her entire life; she might well feel that it was a part of her, and not something to be removed via a magic wish. Atreus had been finishing his morning meditations, and as he felt Bai draw near, he rose, clad in loose gi pants and a sleeveless top. His hands and wrists were already wrapped in preparation for the day's training. He set himself, awaiting the arrival of his friend and student. Any resolve to keep himself stoic yet supportive, to attempt to maintain the proper emotional distance between them given their relationship, melted away the moment he saw Bai's face. He heard her exclamation, but it didn't register. Her atypical greeting flew right by Atreus. He was instantly struck dumb, smitten with Bai's deep navy orbs. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Atreus moved towards her, crossing the distance between them with as light a step as he had ever had. Gently, he reached out, tilting her head up towards him to gaze into her eyes. "Beautiful," he whispered. Atreus could not stop himself from folding Bai into a tight embrace, his powerful arms encircling her lithe frame. After a few moments, Atreus pulled back, though his hands stayed on Bai's shoulders. He couldn't quite bring himself to not be touching her right now. A distant part of him grumbled about what he had just done, and said, but Atreus was far too elated to care. If he was honest with himself, this was one of the happiest moments of his life. "Bai, I can't tell you how happy I am for you! We have to do something to celebrate. Anything you want, anything in the world. Hell, anywhere in the galaxy! This calls for a celebration, and I'm not skimping out here. The sky isn't the limit, the sky is our jumping off point."There were more practical concerns, of course. Bai's entire fighting style might be thrown off. Her ki sense, now coupled with sight, might lead her to over-predict enemy combatant's techniques. She might end up being light sensitive for a time. But those were all secondary concerns that could be dealt with. For right now, Atreus and Liang Bai could steal a moment of happiness in the face of the gathering storm.
WC- 660 (+2 SM) Liang Bai |
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Post by Liang Bai on Jul 20, 2018 15:40:36 GMT -5
Before she met him, she may very well have not wished for sight. She had never experienced it and had lived with it all her life, it was her normal state of being and she thought nothing of it. The reason she had actually gone through with it was the to the ship Atreus gifted her. It made her get that taste and truly desire for sight, and now she had it.
Having actual sight was different from what it was with the ship. To see with her own eyes disoriented her slightly, and she had to learn to not let echolocation cause a sensory overload. However, having all her other senses from blindness could present itself as an advantage, as the skills she learned to navigate in the dark were very much second nature to her.
But Bai wasn't thinking about any of this. No. She was just happy to see Atreus for the first time. She had yet to map out his face with her hands, so she didn't quite know what he looked like. Having him so close gave her the opportunity to truly analyse his features.
She looked at his face, taking in his features. She didn't quite have the concept of attractiveness down to pat, but she decided she liked looking at his face. Before she could say anything else, though, he held her chin to look into her eyes.
This caused her to blink. She was a bit confused at what he was going to do, but still trusted him. It wasn't like he'd do anything bad to her, after all. He was her mentor. Her eyes reflected these emotions, like a window to her soul. It was as if these young eyes had yet to learn the concept of hiding emotions and intent. Her feelings were laid bare for him to see.
Her eyes also reflected her reaction upon being called beautiful. She blinked, "E-Eh?" She squeaked out, "W-What are you saying? I'm not..." She trailed off as a blush grew on her face, but then she was hugged. Overcome with emotion, she hugged him back, burying her face into his chest.
As he hugged her, she held him tighter and he'd feel a dampness on his shirt. Whenever she puleld back, he'd see that tears were streaming down her face. Not of sadness, but of happiness, "I-I'm sorry..." She said, using her forearm to wipe her face. Despite this, the radiant smile that occupied her face refused to go away, "It's just... I'm so happy. I no longer have to fear being alone, waking up from a nightmare and not be sure if it was real or not, to not sense any friend around me... I'm free from that now." She said to him.
When he mentioned celebration, she sniffled and did her best to regain some semblance of composure, thinking about what to do. After a few moments, she'd speak, "I want to... see things. You mentioned you'd take me out to the city someday, so why not do that now? I really want to see what it's like without getting sick from a sensory overload." She said to him excitedly.
Bai then took pause and breathed, "I... before I met you, I likely would've chosen a different wish. But then you appeared and gifted me that ship, made me see for the first time. IT was then that I decided that the world was too beautiful to not see with my own eyes, and it made me choose this wish, so I just wanted to say... thank you. Thank you for appearing in my life and being so kind to me, thank you for taking me in and being nothing short of wonderful to me... thank you." She said. Her voice wavered a bit, almost cracking as emotion caused her to spill her feelings out to him. This was a rare occurrence; despite being kind and earnest, she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve. It was a testament to how happy and emotional she was.
676 words. (+1 SM)
Posts/Total Word Count: 2/1,121 (+2 SM)
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Post by Atreus on Jul 24, 2018 18:56:20 GMT -5
Atreus had a lot to be sad about. His life had not been easy; his training had been harsh, and for the past several months, he had had to deal with the loss of the man that had been like a father to him. He had made friends, and lost them to death or torment. He had been forced to take lives, more than once, and doubt his own worth as a person. He had been to the stars, to the afterlife, to hidden ruins corrupted by denizens of the underworld. He had watched an alien monstrosity consuming living beings. Atreus had become embroiled in a war that might decide the fate of the free folk of the galaxy. Not a single part of that was on his mind at the moment. His smile grew even wider and turned more kindly. He nodded to Bai's request, acquiescing immediately to her request. If she had asked Atreus to bring her part of the moon, in that moment, he would have done it. He shook his head at her effusive praise, though. The truth of the matter was, he saw things (no pun intended) rather differently than Liang Bai did. Atreus became suddenly aware of just how close he and Bai were, in more ways than one. He slowly stepped back a bit... but there was no embarrassment. Not this time. Atreus was coming to realize that, whatever he felt, it was far better to simply accept it than to try to deny it. It didn't mean he had to act on it, but pretending that he did not feel the way he did was a fool's errand. "I'm not the only one who deserves thanks, you know," Atreus said, voice low and serious. "When we met... I have to be honest with you, I was a complete wreck. I was coming undone, spiraling down, sure that I was unworthy of everything that my master had given me. A couple of weeks after, I killed other human beings for the first time. I thought I was blackened forever, beyond redemption. Having you here, with me... more than once, you've pulled me out of that. You've believed in me. You've trusted me, even when I haven't known if I could trust myself. I'm... a private person, by nature. I'm not big on sharing, especially when I'm still sorting through my own thoughts and feelings. I tend to want to analyze everything, to think about all the angles, and then process it. So I'm not the best at communicating while I'm still figuring things out. But having you around? Knowing that you're there for me, that you have my back come what may? In my view, anything I've done for you is small recompense. I'm forever in your debt."Atreus breathed out. That was... probably the most open and vulnerable he had been with another person. Ever. A part of him was screaming silently in his mind; what if this came back to haunt him? The larger part of Atreus told that part to shut up. You couldn't go through life alone, relying only on yourself, no matter how strong you were. And if Atreus couldn't trust Bai, who could he possibly trust? Deciding to move on, Atreus began to speak again. "So! The city. There's a million things to see. We could go to a museum or an art gallery. I think there's a carnival around, too, that might be fun. We could go check out both or either of those, and when we're done, we can return to my palace which is still a really weird thing to say. We could watch a movie, or some classic fights, maybe. How does that grab you?"
WC- 622 (+2 SM) 2/+4 SM Liang Bai |
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Post by Liang Bai on Jul 25, 2018 16:03:22 GMT -5
Bai's life had been quite a stark contrast when compared to Atreus'. She had experienced no hardship, no strife, no loss. She was innocent and genuinely pure from the depths of her heart. Even though she had faced demons and got thrown into war, she had not yet lost her naïvety, she was still as optimistic as ever. It was this optimism that had allowed her to face adversity with Atreus head on, and it was also what made her believe in him so much. She never realised this optimism had also helped him. She was aware of how he pulled back, which in turn, made her aware of how close they were. Despite the feeling of embarrassment, she decided to do something that made her heart skip a beat. She took his right hand and held it with her smaller hands. She didn't know why she did it, but... she felt she wanted his contact right now. And then he spoke. She looked up at him as he said his piece, exposing his inner feelings to her. Throughout his speech, her eyes displayed a wide array of emotions, from surprise to sadness to happiness. By the end of it, she smiled kindly. Though they were close, Atreus had never really spoke of his inner feelings, but to hear that she had helped him so much... Bai squeezed his hand with her own before speaking, "Atreus... I don't know what to say. I have always believed and trusted in you because I know you're the best man I've ever met. It never mattered to what else you had done that you may have felt was a failing, the things I've seen you do and the things you've done for me far outweigh any of that, I trust you implicitly with any decision you may make. I was just being myself this whole time, but if that means pulling you out of a dark place, I will continue to be just that. If you ever need someone to talk to, or simply someone to hug... I'll be here for you. Goodness knows I've needed those in the past.
I promise that I will get stronger... strong enough to help you fight, and strong enough so I will never be a burden to you. You can trust me just as I trust you." She said to him, her voice carrying a softer undertone that it usually lacked. She truly was speaking from the bottom of her heart when she said all that. She trusted him, and hoped that in time, he'd be able to open up ever so slightly. She hated the thought of the man she idolised so much suffering in silence. And then he had moved on. He suggested a slew of places they could go to, and she immediately got excited thinking about the possibilities, "Oh, I'd love to go to the carnival. I bet there's so many things to see and do there! The art gallery would also be nice. Seeing paintings had always been a dream of mine; I wonder what they look like. Oh, watching TV at your palace would be so wonderful! Seeing classic fights would be really nice, and we could potentially learn from it!" It was very clear she had gone off the handle a bit with excitement. She was practically vibrating in anticipation, like a giddy schoolgirl about to go on a date with her crush. It was here that she showed her young age. She was still 18, after all.
590 words. (+1 SM) Posts/Total Word Count: 3/1,711 (+3 SM)
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Post by Atreus on Jul 26, 2018 21:05:51 GMT -5
If Atreus' brain had been a computer, a program would have just frozen for a moment as it was bombarded with data. The words Bai had uttered. Her touching his hand. With his immense strength, and how involved he had become in events of galactic importance, it was easy to forget that Atreus was only twenty years old. In those twenty years, there had been precious little time for romance, or even friendship any deeper than acquaintances. Liang Bai had, over the past few months, crawled inside his life in a way no one else in the world had. Atreus found that he did not mind it one bit. He raked his free hand through his hair, suddenly giddy and, for no reason he could identify, nervous. "You don't need to get stronger to help me, Bai. I know you will anyway, but you help me plenty already, just by being you. That's really all I need."Listening to Bai's excitement was infectious, and Atreus felt his smile grow once more. He nodded along as she spoke, then formulated a plan. "Okay. Well, we should hit up the art first, because that will close earliest. Next, the carnival. There will definitely be some sights to see there! Then we can head back and take in some fights."Atreus paused, looking at how they were both dressed. Atreus was in his workout gi and Bai appeared to be wearing training garb as well. They would stick out like sore thumbs. "Although, maybe we should change up our attire? The place we'll be going for some culture is... well, it's not so much that I think it's a 'fancy' place. I just always thought that when one is going to experience art, one should dress well. Can't tell you why, it just feels classy to me. Besides," he continued, his grin turning roguish, "Now you'll get to see just how well I clean up."Atreus paused for a moment, thinking. "I... don't actually know if you own any sort of mundane clothing. If you don't, we can pick you something up. I already know what I'm planning on wearing, so it won't take me long to go change into it."Atreus was not unaware of his own physical appearance. He was a young martial artist in the prime of health. He looked like he had been sculpted, and he had it on good authority that his face was pleasing as well. His eyes had been called 'striking', and that was the most mild compliment they'd received. Some egotistical part of him wanted to truly impress Bai, wanted to put on a three-piece suit with all the fixings and say, 'This is what handsome looks like'. He wasn't going to go quite that far... but the intent was still the same.
WC- 468 (+1 SM) 3/+5 SM Liang Bai |
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Post by Liang Bai on Aug 1, 2018 23:09:03 GMT -5
Young and in love. It would be the perfect phrase to describe the two of them right now. Though Bai wasn't quite aware of her feelings for him, she did know that she felt something for him beyond anything she had ever felt for someone else. He could literally tell her to walk into lava and she'd do it, trusting he had a plan. She only hoped they both saw this rebellion through. At his words, she merely shook his head with a small smile. Somehow, she knew he would say something like that, but... "This is as much for me as it is for you, Atreus. I want to be able to stand next to you in strength, be able to fight alongside you and not fall behind. The others know I'm the weakest link. I... I don't want that to be the case." She said to him. She was almost Saiyan-like in her desire to grow stronger, but it seemed born more out of competitiveness and a desire to be acknowledged as a true warrior than much of anything else. Listening to him speak about what they'd do first quickly put her back in the mood, a smile on her face as she continued to hold his hand in hers, "Alright! Lead the way, I'm sure it'll be fun!" She said enthusiastically, practically bursting with positive energy. The girl truly was excited. And then he spoke again, and that gave her pause as well. She thought for a moment before saying, "I don't, actually... I didn't care much for clothes due to being blind, though I could go out shopping for the first time. I hear men hate that, though." She had heard plenty of the tales of woe from men who had been forced to keep waiting for their wives for hours on end as they lost themselves browsing for clothes and such. She didn't want to do that to him, what if the same happened to her and she got lost in clothes as well? Unlike him, Bai was utterly unaware of her physical appearance. This was not only due to being blind for most of her life, but also due to the fact that Taoism instilled the notion of the spirit, giving little to no value to the physical body; after all, tales of how monks survived on just meditating and their adherence to the doctrines of Taoism. Due to this, it'd take a long time for her to have a notion of aesthetics. She'd still trust Atreus if he said he was handsome, though. It's not like he'd lie to her, would he?
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Post by Atreus on Aug 3, 2018 2:46:57 GMT -5
"Okay. Hang on."Atreus lightly touched Bai on the shoulder, feeling uncomfortable fluttering in his stomach as he did so. After a moment of concentration, Atreus used Instant Transmission and the two teleported away. Atreus had set as their destination one Videl Street, one of the highest end areas of Satan City. While Atreus could easily have brought the two to a mall and brought Bai too a department store, he was conscious of the fact that it was going to be Bai's first time doing a thing like this. He thought that the less people there were, the better time she would have. As they materialized, high up in the air so as not to startle mundane Earthlings, Atreus turned a sidelong glance to Bai. "Don't worry about me hating the experience, by the way. I thought it would be fairly obvious at this point that I'm not most men... and besides, in my heart of hearts, I'm sort of a fancy boy. I like getting new clothes... and I promise I'll do my best to try not to sneak a peek while you're trying things on," he said with a smirk. Atreus took her to a high end, boutique clothing store. It was called Shenron's Hoard, and it carried high end, designer apparel for both men and women. When he had turned nineteen, his parents had bought him a jacket from this store. It had been one of his most prized items of clothing. After Atreus had become wealthy, he had come back and acquired an entire wardrobe full of fine clothing. Gianna, one of Atreus' favorite people at the store, greeted him as he walked in. "Hey, Gianna," he said as she came over. "Atreus! Always good to see you. Expanding your wardrobe some more? Or are we here for your friend?""The latter. Gianna, this is Liang Bai. She's a dear, dear friend of mine. I mean no insult when I say this, but she knows... absolutely nothing about fashion. She hasn't had much cause to pay attention to it in the past. Anyway, we're going on a bit of an adventure today. Some art, some carnival, some fun. Set her up with some options and your expert advice, if you please. Something classy, elegant, but nothing too overwrought. Nice without being overly nice; at home in a gala or a carnival. Maybe something with a sun hat? Some good flats, for footwear. Oh, and some obscenely comfortable nightwear. Comfy shirt and pajama pants... maybe the cashmere?" Gianna simply nodded along. Atreus had never brought anyone else here, but Gianna had helped him out every time he had come for himself. She had worked at Shenron's Hoard for years and had a plethora experience finding just the right garment for just the right person. Atreus had no doubt she would be equal to the task. Looking over at Bai, Atreus spoke. "Gianna will get you some selections. I'll take this opportunity to head back to my place and get dressed... that'll cut down on time. I'll only be a few minutes... be back before you miss me!"Atreus left the store, not wanting to startle anyone inside the store. He flew up, drawing a few glances, then teleported away. Atreus materialized back in his room, and swiftly went to his closet. He selected a grey suit jacket and slacks combo with a cream white shirt. All three garments were bespoke, and fit Atreus like a glove. They manage to hint at his muscular build but still look elegant. For his footwear, Atreus selected a pair of two tone leather wing tips with black laces, white bottoms and grey tops. Taking just a moment to style his normally unruly hair, Atreus looked at himself in a mirror. He grinned; he'd turned heads in this exact outfit before. He had no idea if Bai would be swooning right away, but hopefully, by the end of the day, with everyone else she saw, she'd have a bit of a comparison. Atreus dearly wanted her to find him attractive. He then concentrated, teleporting back. The whole process could not have taken more than ten minutes, and he wanted to see if Gianna had found anything for Bai yet.
WC- 708 4/2,478 Liang Bai
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Post by Liang Bai on Aug 5, 2018 5:46:17 GMT -5
Usually, being transported like that would be very disorienting and perhaps even a little scary. Her blind self wouldn't be able to comprehend the sudden shift in atmosphere and ki signatures, and she would likely need a few moments. This time, though, she could see. It was a bit confusing but she only took a moment or two to actually gain her bearings. At this, she couldn't help but smile a bit. It was nice to always know where she was. Speaking of where she was, she was high up in the air with Atreus, looking down upon a street of some sort. She didn't quite know what told her this, but it appeared... more refined than the other places. She imagined it was one of those high end places she had heard of, and that made her a bit nervous. She hoped she didn't embarrass Atreus. When he spoke, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. She had not wanted to make this anything less than a great time for him, and hearing that he didn't mind her going out shopping made her happy that she'd get the opportunity to look her best for him. But that didn't stop her from blushing at hist last cheeky comment, turning to him with reddened cheeks and an indignant expression, "A-Atreus! Behave!" She told him, not really sounding angry. Still, it was a direct order from a woman. After her little moment of chastising the man who couldn't keep his mouth shut, she'd follow him down to the clothing store. As she expected, it had a high-end atmosphere that told her it would be best for her to be on good behaviour. Fortunately for the monk, manners were something she had ingrained in her very being, so it wasn't too difficult to look proper in this context. Her attention was caught by the woman who came and greeted Atreus. Judging by their dialogue, Atreus knew the woman relatively well, and she also worked here. Bai stood by his side, patiently waiting for him to finish speaking with the woman before saying anything. His suggestions confused her a bit since she had no notion of fashion, but Atreus was the one making suggestions, so they were probably sound. The comfortable nightwear option did sound good, though. Comfortable clothes in general were nice to her, and about the only thing that mattered in the dark of blindness. She wondered what Gianna was thinking as she looked over her, but before she could delve further into that line of thought, Atreus spoke. She smiled a bit and said, "Alright, then. I'll see you soon, Atreus." After saying that, she turned back to Gianna. Bai was quickly ushered along by the woman, who began choosing clothes for the monk without a fashion sense... Throughout her time there, Bai had been taken along for a wild ride, Gianna seeing fit to mix and match a ton of clothes. Bai didn't quite know what was happening, but she felt her brain bombarded with information that she never knew existed. It was as if a new world was opening up to her, and that world was... slightly intimidating. Still, she realised just how many options there were. In the end, Bai had said she wanted something that had robes, but looked far too modern to be out of place. The result was her wearing a red jacket over a simple blue yukata along with tan boots to wear. It was something that stayed true to her core, but was an evolution from her traditional garbs. Her hair had also been let loose and styled to look prettier. The girl stood by the entrance, fidgeting nervously. When Atreus arrived, she looked at him. Was this what a handsome man looked like? She didn't quite know, but she kind of liked what she saw, so she'd use him as a basis for judging attractiveness from now on. "You look nice, Atreus." She said to him with a small smile, before she looked towards her own clothes, "I-I hope you like this choice of clothing..."
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Post by Atreus on Aug 6, 2018 10:59:09 GMT -5
Atreus smiled at her, fighting to keep his eyes from taking in every inch of her. He thought that such attention might be... uncomfortable, and he didn't want that. "Bai, you look beautiful," he instead said simply. He was unable to quite stop himself from reaching a hand out to gently touch her newly styled hair. It felt soft as he ran it through his fingers... and then Atreus suddenly became aware of just how intimate that gesture was. He pulled his hand back, suddenly embarrassed, and couldn't keep a quick flush from spreading to his cheeks. Shaking his head a bit, Atreus reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a thin wallet. From it, he produced a sleek looking, black metallic card that he handed to Gianna. He didn't bother looking at how much the items cost; money was no object to him. He smiled over at Gianna. "Impeccable taste, as always. Thanks for everything! I'm sure I'll be back before too long."Gianna smiled back and gave a warm farewell to both Atreus and Liang Bai, wishing them well on their day. After that, Atreus motioned for Bai to follow him out. He moved down to a side alley, and when Bai followed him, he spoke. "I'll get us to where we need to be again. You should like the area; the views are quite nice. We could fly there, but why mess up our nice clothes? Hold on!"Atreus gently took Bai by the shoulder once more, concentrated and the two teleported again. They appeared high in the air above their destination. Atreus pointed downwards, drawing Bai's gaze to their destination. "This is the Villa. It's set up to look like an ancient mansion; the art we'll see inside, some of it probably resided in homes just like this one."As the two descended, the sun shone down, illuminating the area for them to see. The Villa was set up on a relatively large hill. Across from it was a long highway that extended north and south, and just beyond the highway was the coastline; magnificent beaches shone with light reflected from mica and the scent of salt water beckoned as waves crashed into the surf. Atreus smiled. "I love this place. Always have, even more so after... I learned some things about myself. I feel very connected here, in a way that's hard to fully explain. I hope you like it."Upon landing, Atreus began to walk forward. As the pair walked up the hill, Atreus began to speak a bit. About the place. About himself, about why he liked art. The truth was simply that it calmed him. Atreus' brain was a never ending hive of activity. But museums, theater... more so than any other activity, it could quiet his mind, bring him a measure of peace and serenity, and that was becoming more and more valuable as time went on. As they entered the Villa proper, Atreus reached into his wallet and grabbed a large bill. The Villa was free, but they had a donation box, which Atreus contributed to every time he went. He led Bai to the sculptures, where he thought it would be good to start. Atreus explained that many of the sculptures had been recovered at sea; they had been in transport and the vessel carrying them had sunk. The water had eroded some of the sculptures. Some had even been home to mollusks and other small sea creatures. Eventually, Atreus reached a damage statue that stirred his heart every time he stood in front of it. He looked up, mastering himself and willing his body to calm stillness. It wasn't easy, but he managed, beyond a momentary tensing of his shoulders. The sculpture had no name; many of the names of the members of ancient pantheons had been lost to time. But this man sat in a chair, and though the statue was broken, Atreus could see the completed version in his mind's eye as clearly as if he were looking at the man it was based on. His right hand rested on his lap, and in his left... in his left rested lighting and thunder, and his voice carried death eternal. Heryshaf. Lord of the Lake. Hello, father.
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Post by Liang Bai on Aug 14, 2018 1:31:18 GMT -5
 The world truly is a sight to behold. Bai had been an absolute bundle of nerves as she waited, desperate for the approval of her mentor. To her, this was incredibly pivotal. Perhaps she looked for his approval too much, perhaps she was a bit too attached to the man, but it was how she had developed being around him for a while now. This was why she looked elated when she heard those words. Despite being very clearly embarrassed, it was drowned out by how excited she was at being approved by him. The girl blushed hard as he brushed his hand against her hair, managing only a small, "Thank you..." As she leaned into it slightly. And then he removed his hand, and she realised just what she had been doing. This caused her to become incredibly embarrassed, looking to the floor and fidgeting like crazy. She had no idea what to do, and it seemed he'd need to guide her once again. She simply stood there as Atreus paid for the clothes, trying to look as invisible as possible in wake of what had just happened. She had probably never been so embarrassed in her life, and hoped the Tao would make Gianna forget about this event soon. Something told her that wouldn't be the case, though. Bai followed Atreus out after giving a small bow to Gianna, walking alongside him as she took a moment to play with her hair and look at her clothes. They looked quite good if she said so herself, not that she'd know much about it, but something told her she'd be looking into this much more in the future. She wondered if she should bring Atreus along as well. After the man spoke, the girl nodded, letting him hold her shoulder and teleport them high above the air. She took in her surroundings before looking downwards, towards the place Atreus had pointed at. She widened her eyes at the place. It was huge! It was also quite extravagant, and she didn't doubt it was a place for high class people. Once again, she was determined to be on her best behaviour so as to not embarrass Atreus. He didn't need that in his life. "It looks impressive. I can't wait to see what's inside!" She said to him in her seemingly eternally optimistic tone, descending together with him towards the Villa. As she followed alongside him, she listened to the man speak about the place. One thing that piqued her interest was when he mentioned a connection here, as well as learning something about himself. She looked up at him curiously, but seeing as he didn't specify what it was, she chose not to pry. Questions could come later, she just wanted to enjoy these precious moments with her mentor. She saw Atreus put money in a box, and not knowing what exactly it was, did the same. Maybe it was an entry fee or something? Either way, it was best to just do as he did and not embarrass herself. Bai then followed Atreus to the sculptures. The girl listened intently to his explanations, clearly quite interested in learning about these. Being a Taoist monk, they valued the spirit and mind a lot, so she was eager to learn all there was to learn about these sculptures. They then came across a sculpture of a man with a hand on his lap. That was when she noticed something different in Atreus, like he was being emotionally affected by it. She noticed the tensing of his shoulders, but more than that, the change in his ki. Was this the connection he was talking about? Regardless, she took his hand and held it in hers, looking up at the man and giving him a reassuring smile. She knew not the history between him and this statue, but she would do her best to support him nonetheless. After that little moment she looked at the statue as well as what was written below it. She furrowed her brows before she realised something, "Atreus, I can't read."Atreus // 676 words // 3,509 total words //6 posts MADE BY NOVA |
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Post by Atreus on Aug 15, 2018 18:08:42 GMT -5
Of course she can't, you dumb idiot. You should have expected that.Atreus was, as always, hard on himself. It was a minor mistake, one that probably everyone in existence would have made. It wasn't even a faux pas, really. How could you plan for something like this? And Bai clearly wasn't upset. But still, Atreus took it was a personal failing that he had not anticipated. And yet. His self flagellation seemed to roll off of his shoulders. So, too, did the stress of the burdens he carried. They were still there, but they were distant... like those were the burdens of somewhere else. Everything seemed to melt away, replaced with a feeling of comfort and security that Atreus had no conscious memory of. He had probably never experienced anything like this, at least not since he was a babe, swaddled by his mother. It was ridiculous, the power that gestures had. Even so simple a gesture as the joining of hands. "Oh, uh, sorry," Atreus said, quietly, so as not to disturb any other museum goers. "Um... I don't know if you ever learned braille, but the museum has braille entries for all of the exhibits. They're pretty, um, inclusive, which is good."Atreus indicated where Bai could find the braille, if she was so inclined. The bumps that represented letters were present right next to the letters that spelled out the name of the sculpture. "You're smart. You'll be able to pick up regular reading in no time. I'll even teach you, if you want. To make it easy on you, though... this is Heryshaf. The Lord of the Lake. Ruler of the Riverbanks. The Giver of Life, the Scion of the Sky. Most scholars believe that ancient texts point to him being worshiped as a creation and fertility deity by ancient civilizations that propagated near large bodies of water.
They're very far off the mark."Atreus breathed in slowly, held the breath for several seconds, then exhaled. Perhaps, here, with this woman above all others... perhaps he could let his guard down. He could be vulnerable. Perhaps, for once, he could count on someone else to lift him up. "They got the name right. Heryshaf. Son of Bayek and Aya. Like Bayek and Aya, he was... better than other humans. Stronger. Faster. Capable of incredible feats of strength and skill. He was one of ancient Earth's most notable ki users. Eventually, his feats became so notable that people started believing Heryshaf to be a god.
In one of my past lives... he was my father."Atreus let that comment hang in the air for a moment. As a Taoist, Bai would certainly have her own views on life and death. Atreus had long since moved beyond mere belief; his experiences, both with past lives and with the afterlife in his current incarnation, had long since stripped him of anything resembling faith. What he had, at this point, was a breadth of experience and information. Eventually, he decided to continue. "I didn't always have knowledge of my past incarnations. That's only happened in the last couple of months. Most of the lives I've lived... they're just noise. Like fragments of a song you remember. I'll get little flashes here and there, but nothing substantial.
Except for Arsaphes."Atreus exhaled once more. He had never really entrusted anyone with this information... but he had started. It was time to follow through. "Arsaphes... so these other lives I'm talking about. The ones that aren't him. They're like the memories you have of being a young child. But the memories that Arsaphes gives... he's a presence. Like an old friend, one that you know you can always reach out to, no matter what. But he's inside my head. He reveals the past to me, a little at a time. Heryshaf, some others like him... they were brought together by an ancient power that only gave their name as Cinder."Atreus could not keep the snarl out of his face, or his voice, as he spoke that hated name. "Cinder brought together Heryshaf, and many others. She coined a term for the group that she taught. She called them the Chosen. She taught them enough that they were able to harness heir powers, though she neglected to explain the true nature of ki. It was, you see, her way of controlling them."ATreus swallowed, then barreled on. There was no turning back at this point. "Heryshaf was, far and away, the strongest among them. Eventually, he had a son with one of his contemporaries, a woman named Alcemene... and from their union, they had a son. Arsaphes. Countless thousand of years ago... that was me."Atreus fell silent for a moment, then powered forward. "The son of two powerful ki users, though they did not know the true nature of their abilities, could not be anything other than prodigal, even as an infant. Arsaphes' strength was obvious from the time that he was developed enough to walk. Cinder ensured that his development was... spread along a certain path. By the time he was a teenager, his ki, though he did not know precisely what ki was, was linked to the very nature of the storms of Earth. The lighting, the thunder... they were his. Not to put too fine a point on it, but before Arsaphes had even noticed the opposite sex, the storms, the power they contained... they were his.
And yet.
Something deep withing Arsaphes told him that Cinder, for all her unctuous smiles, was not to be trusted.
Sadly, he didn't understand enough about ki to blunt her deeper game. Arsaphes did not understand ki well enough to understand that the ki that Cinder lent him for training was tainted with evil and madness. He had no idea that this dark ki would worm itself in to Arsaphes' very being so strongly that he became Cinder's puppet... that he would become so strong that the Chosen fell before him like reeds against the wind. The only one that could stand against him...
Well. It was his father. Heryshaf.
Heryshaf knew he could not defeat his son in truth. That Arsaphes had gained more power than any five of the Chosen put together. So he did not try to win. Instead, he accepted his death, and struck his son a mortal blow in return.
But sometimes, even without the Dragon Balls, a wish can be granted. Heryshaf wished that his son would survive... that his spirit could live again, without the influence of Cinder, to develop and grow and uplift his fellow.
That wish was granted, and that soul has been reincarnated multiple times. And now... well, here I am."Atreus shrugged, helpless. "Sorry. That was a big, rambling whole bunch of nothing. I should have known better than to bring you here. I love this place but it makes me maudlin."And yet... he had known the exhibits here. Known the effect they would have on him. And he had still decided to do it. To come to a place where he would be open, vulnerable, all in the hopes that the incredible person that he had brought with him would choose to look upon it with kindness rather than derision.
WC- 1,213 TWC- 4,371 Liang Bai
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