[P] Tell me another riddle

[Io Kairavi]

After her meeting with Luvena she'd wanted nothing more than to sit in silence and wallow in all the emotions she'd built up. Mainly she wanted to stare off into nothingness, think of nothing and just be. She wanted nothing more at that moment to just exist within the quiet and be a blank canvas with no thoughts. Perhaps it'd be more accurate to say that she wanted to be alone to process all she had been told, all that she'd had to face, and everything she would need to face later on.

Io crumpled in on herself when she positioned her body close to the waters, staring into the reflection of the clear blue sky and bathing in the empty silence. She'd chosen a slightly lifted area of earth to keep herself dry while she watched the still surface with something resembling a mixture of anger and sadness bubbling up in her throat. If she hadn't cried herself into oblivion with Luvena she might have started to cry now, but nothing came from her besides a heavy sigh with an annoyed twitch of her ear. Io knows the emotions burning in her are aimed at no one but herself, something she doesn't really want to deal with. At least not right now, not while she's alone. While it's true Luvena is here, someone she's called sister, she'd admit she still feels alone here. Alone and cold from the ever present knowledge that she's done this to not only herself but others.

Her thoughts wander away from Luvena to Gaston, making her frown while her ears tip back for a moment. Somehow, by a miracle, that poor Pegasus has dealt with her bullshit time after time while she's been running away. Looking down at her reflection Io lets out a frustrated sigh, bordering on a groan, she's tempted to toss herself into the water and pretend like everything will wash off. God, a note. I left him a note. I couldn't even go see him either. If her meeting with Luvena had been that painful she doesn't want to think of what it could be like with him. Especially since the last time they'd met Io had been crying while heavily marinated in rum. Standing up she's careful not to disturb the water too much when she begins to walk along the edges of the lake, barely paying attention until she registers a familiar shadow.

Pausing in her steps her curled ears swivel around, trying to locate where exactly he is, with her eyes locked on the shadow. "For the absolute love of God please don't tell me you're here to lecture me about leaving notes."

"Talk."
IO'S NATIVE LANGUAGE, HOVER OVER ME
Thoughts
Chandrakant


Tags » @Gaston
Voice » Liv Tyler as Arwen
OOC » <3 i'm sorry this took me forever and is not my best -cry-

io kairavi

I KEEP CALLING OUT YOUR NAME
SO YOU KNOW I'M STILL HERE

x | x

[Gaston]

I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine
and rage the likes of which you would not believe.

If I cannot satisfy one,

I will indulge the other.

Since his arrival, his grief and rage had slowly waned. The opposing emotions still warred within his chest, but they were tamer. They merely bubbled underneath the ice and armor Gaston had donned to shield himself. He slid into his old skin so well, it should have bothered him, but he was a man on a mission. If he was to find her, he needed a clear head. Once he found her, Gaston wasn't certain what he would do. Kiss her? Strangle her? Finally call it quits? He certainly deserved better than this. Gaston knew the despite his sordid and complicated past, even a man of a dubious nature like his certainly warranted more than just a farewell note.  He had chased her for so long, stood by as she married another man, protected her when her heart was broken; and all it earned him was years of torment.

Uncertainty swirled in his chest. He had dressed that morning with care, mindful of each knot and chain of his vibrant silks. As if each knot would guard him and each chain would hold him together. Now there is was no aimless wandering these days, ever since finding the Night Court. Gaston had been mindful of his purpose. He had settled quickly in Denocte, finding comfort in the souls who were so similar to Gaston himself he could call them brothers in arms. He had found a purpose and settled into the Night Court's army with ease. Sure, there were hiccups, but that was to be expected. He was a foreign transient, after all, but he made swift work to blend seamlessly with his comrades. No promises, nor compensation for the effort, just to live and let live was enough. Yet, the comforting familiarity these new lands gave him could not blind Gaston. The pegasus knew what he had to do. When not training, Gaston wandered. He covered miles of land by hoof and wing, searching for the clues he had been tirelessly hunting for so long. 

After so long with nothing, he had become accustomed to disappointment. However...something was amiss. The morning air felt different, prompting Gaston to dress slower and more methodically as if to don his metaphorical armor with greater care. Despair lingers, blending with the sickly unease that has trickled down his spine since he awoke. Gaston's stomach churns nauseatingly, but the sudden desire to go prompts the pegasus to skip a morning meal and his routine morning workouts. Something in his subconscious was driving him from the capital, and who was he to deny a gut feeling? Listening to his gut was the only reason he was even still alive at this point in his life.

He took to the sky with ease, knowing he would cover more ground than by hoof. As time trickled and early morn gave way to the warm rays of daylight, irritation had settled into his bones. Just as Gaston is about to throw in the towel, his ruby eyes scan something. In an instant, his gaze is locked on to the flash of color on the lakeshore below him. There was no mistaking the flash of black and gold. He circled back around, content to fly over the lake for a moment so she might not see his shadow just yet so he can observe from a distance. Gaston is too far away to make out much of her, but as she begins to walk along the edges of the lake, he is keenly aware of one thing: her sorrow. He knows how she carries it too well, yet he cannot find it within himself to empathize with her at that moment. Instead, his old rage surges to the surface, driving Gaston from the sky to confront her. He does not bother to conceal his approach, knowing she would inevitably see his shadow anyway.

Gaston lands elegantly with a snarl curling his lips. His grief returned with his rage, both emotions rolling off of him in turbulent waves. His heart yearned for him to run to her, but his emotions and his mind kept his onyx hooves firmly planted in the soil. Instead, he withdrew into himself - further into his invisible armor, knowing that this confrontation will hurt him no matter which way it goes. "Don't," Gaston growled, his low voice biting despite its lack of volume. "I have stood at your side in whatever capacity you would have me for years and I was only worthy of a note? If you are done with me, I think I deserved at least a goodbye to my face."

His voice does not waver, but he can feel his heart fracturing at the mere idea. Had he chased her for all this time for nothing? Maybe she was done with him and had left a note in a misplaced attempt to not hurt him. But didn't he at least deserve some closure?

tagged: @Io Kairavi
notes: none
"Speech." Thoughts.

image | coding

[Io Kairavi]

It seemed like everyone was mad at her, it felt like each step she took in this land she was meeting another angry face. First it was Luvena and now it was Gaston, both of whom were rightfully angry at her. So far though only one of them had walked away from her, the other had kept chasing after her until now. And he was angry, angry enough to to be growling at her. The bite in his words makes her hears tip back, she wants to muffle it in an attempt to make them hurt less but she can't do anything to stop the pang in her chest. Turning to face him Io doesn't say anything, simply listening and frowning when he mentions the note and ''being done with him.'' And that makes her angry, angry enough to approach him with her body tensed.

Standing in front of him she has to look up to try and meet his red eyes. "You...You are an idiot Gaston." As angry as she is about his statement Io presses her forehead into his chest and stares down at the ground. For a second she wishes she could lie about everything but she knows she can't. He always knows when something is wrong or when she's not saying everything. "I didn't come to you because I would have stayed with you or asked you to come. I would have stayed for you if you asked me to." She's so very tired of running away from him something that's shown in how her body relaxes and her voice sounds quiet. "I didn't want to upend your world again but if I knew you'd come after me I would have just stayed." Closing her eyes she takes deep breaths, finding comfort in him even if he's angry at her.

As much as she wants to just stay there and be silent she knows that's impossible. Looking up she can feel a bit of fear bubbling up in her but she's so tired of whatever it is that they are. "I will never never be done with you Riddles, and I will never have enough of you." Looking away she hides her face in his chest before she lets out a painful confession. "But I'm scared I won't be what you need or want." She doesn't want to cry but can feel a ball creeping up her throat, making her clear it in an attempt to force it away. "I'm so tired of this and I'm so scared of the future." The words sound like a whisper when she speaks. Stepping closer to him she plucks up enough courage to ask a simple, and probably ridiculous question. "Can you tell me a riddle?"

"Talk."
IO'S NATIVE LANGUAGE, HOVER OVER ME
Thoughts
Chandrakant


Tags » @Gaston
Voice » Liv Tyler as Arwen
OOC » <3 

io kairavi

I KEEP CALLING OUT YOUR NAME
SO YOU KNOW I'M STILL HERE

x | x

[Gaston]

I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine
and rage the likes of which you would not believe.

If I cannot satisfy one,

I will indulge the other.

She seemed unfazed at his ire at first. Maybe not completely unfazed, but certainly not surprised by it. And somehow that made him even more angry. Had she known he would be upset? Without a doubt, Gaston knew that Io had likely expected some visceral response from leaving a note in her wake. Any sane person would have. Yet, her resignation to his outrage also suggested he was not the first agitated reunion she had faced recently. Curious, but that was not the important point of this whole debacle. That would be a question for another time.

His glittering ruby gaze narrows minusculely, watching her closely as she listened to him. Ears fell back and a frown turned her lips, she at least looked contrite for her actions. She tensed, spitting an insult right back at him, and Gaston would have never guessed his anger towards her could spike to such heights. He was not the angriest he had ever been, sure, but the deep breath that exhaled from his nostrils served as a quiet warning. Gaston felt his whole frame start to vibrate from the restricted resentment, biting his tongue to stop himself from hurling any truly unkind words in a knee-jerk response to his pain. Despite their mutually building anger, she stepped forward to place her head on his chest - and it stills him. In defiance of his rage, Gaston can feel himself relax just enough to no longer be quaking with emotion while a deep frown settled on his lips.

I would have stayed.

Four little words, inconsequential to some, were powerful enough to drain the rest of his tumultuous rage from him. It felt like her words had simply sucked the breath from his lungs, stealing away his mixed emotions and causing him to deflate in its wake. Gaston's eyes close for a moment, brewing in the silence between her words, before an exasperated bark of a laugh escaped him. "You are an idiot, too, ma lune. I've chased you across numerous realms, fought magic and world-eating monsters to stay at your side no matter where you had run. I had never desired something so much until I found you. Was my devotion not enough?" he inquired, fatigue softening his once biting tone. No longer fueled by burning emotions and turmoil, he was tired.

Regardless of Gaston's own confession, he remained guarded. Elated to finally hear he mattered to her as much as Io had to him? Certainly. However, there were years of hurt that could not - and would not - be ignored. Gaston knew that time would heal those wounds, though it would certainly help with her at his side.

"You silly wench," he teased, unable to help the chuckle that rumbled in his chest. "I would chase you until the end of time, or until old age got me first. Though I am getting too old for this running around bit, so can you please quit running from me?" His words, though spoken in jest, is tempered by the subtle smile that twists the corners of his lips. "There has been nobody else for me but you. Being with you taught me how to have hope, as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before." As Io tucks back into his chest, pressing into him as if she could melt right into him, the black pegasus drapes his head carefully across her neck to hold her close. Holding her close brings him comfort, though it does little to stop the wild thumping of his heart. Gaston hums for a moment, contemplating her request.

"I hurt the most when lost, yet also when not had at all. I'm sometimes the hardest to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many, or just one. What am I?"


tagged: @Io Kairavi
notes: <3
"Speech." Thoughts.

image | coding

[Io Kairavi]

She's made him angrier by calling him an idiot, she knows it and is prepared to hear some kind of snap back. Instead she feels him relax while she rests her head on him. She doesn't want to move away from him, doesn't want to have a full on discussion about emotions, and how the future might play out. His bark of a laugh makes her flinch slightly, unprepared for that and the words that followed after. Io's ears tip back slightly while stepping forward like he had the ability to swallow her whole, hide her away from the world, like she could simply melt into him. Taking a deep breath she's calmed by the scent of firewood, tears forming to cling to her eyelashes despite her eyes being closed. "But does chasing me and desiring me mean I'm really what you need Gaston?" She wants to bite back what she says next but she can't, this is a conversation they need to have. "Your devotion has always been enough but...If I'm always hurting you is it worth the pain?" Lifting her head she tries to press her own cheek against his when the tears start to track down her face. "I want this, I really do. I want an us. I just don't know how to do it, I'm scared of what will happen if I ruin us."

She gives a half groan, half scoff at his comment about being a wench and old age. "I think you forgot who's older here Riddles, if anyone is getting too old it might be me." The next time he speaks Io's chest pangs and she doesn't fight against him bringing her closer, it's a comfort to her just as much as it was to him. "God, why are you like this? Why do you have to know me so well? I won't run anymore, we can find a way to fix this, and I'll find a way to work through my own issues. Gaston...If I end up not being want you need whether it's now or in the future you need to let me know."

Listening to his riddle she thinks for a second and then Io frowns, pulls her head away, and stares at him with a look that could scream ''really?'' "My God you're corny. I almost don't want to answer that but I will just for you. It's love." She wants to roll her eyes while tucking her head back into him, the golden mare hums slightly when she closes her eyes again, her tears have stopped. "Kwara yassen amin, saesa." Knowing that Io's never taught him anything of her language she has an amused smile to let him be, possibly, confused for a few moments. "Stay with me, please. Let's stay like this, just like this. Together. Whatever happens tomorrow or in the future we can face it together but for just this moment I want to stay like this."

"Talk."
NATIVE LANGUAGE, HOVER OVER ME
Thoughts
Chandrakant



Tags » @Gaston
Voice » Liv Tyler as Arwen
OOC »

Loving me must be so terribly hard
and I'm so terribly sorry

x | x

[Gaston]

I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine
and rage the likes of which you would not believe.

If I cannot satisfy one,

I will indulge the other.

A sigh. It's a deep, sharp intake of breath that's slowly released - as if to carry away the renewed ire with it. What was she not understanding? How could she not see he had chosen her?

Golden eyes slip shut for a moment as if the pegasus stallion is quietly counting in his head. He's really tried to be better about his scathing retorts; tried to not let his emotions get the better of him. He has spent so long looking for what he wanted. So many years were wasted trying to fill the void in his heart, to find his path in the world, as his mother had wanted for him. Gaston had never imagined that path leading him to another soul, but here he was. And she wasn't understanding.

"Did I ever tell you why I left my home? I left my birthright, an arranged marriage, a future with a crown, all behind because it wasn't enough. It was not what my heart wanted. My mother saw that and understood - she had been a bird trapped in a gilded cage. She knew that I wanted to be free," Gaston started, taking a deep and fortifying breath as he paused. He never spoke of his beloved mother in all the years he had left her behind, except for a few minuscule details here and there. It had never felt right to share his memories of her...until now. "She could never be free, but she found a way to let me escape the same path she was stuck on. She made me promise to seek my happiness. 'Find it and hold on to it', she had said. It took me many years to understand what she meant. Then I met you and truly understood what her dying wish had been."

He took a step back from her, though he was loathed to do it. He needed to see her or perhaps needed her to see how truly earnest he was. He listened to her patiently as she spoke again, unable to help the ghost of a smirk that curled his lips as she expressed her exasperation. "Ma lune." Gaston did not want to interrupt her, but he couldn't stop himself. He reached for her as if to offer a gentle touch to provide comfort. "I'd choose you, in a hundred lifetimes and a hundred worlds. I would find any version of you and I would still choose you."

This time, Gaston is unable to stop the full-blown grin from spreading across his raven lips. He accepts her embrace, bundling her close to him once more with a tuck of his head and with his wings spread around them as if to shield their private moment from anyone with a wandering eye. After all their strife and pain, he could give her this moment.

"Toujours."

tagged: @Io Kairavi
notes: <3
"Speech." Thoughts.

image | coding

[Io Kairavi]

The Riddler and The Moon

I'm gonna love you till
My lungs give out

The sigh. The sigh makes her heart sink, is she testing his patience? Is she pushing too far? An anxiety is welling up in her chest while he starts to speak, she doesn't get the chance to answer his question about his mother before he's telling her. It feels familiar, like this had been something they'd talked about at their first meeting but she's fairly certain it had been her on the other end. She had been the one explaining her mother, and his words strike a chord in her. The way Gaston describes his mother feels like he's describing a part of Io herself, a golden cage, never being free. Part of her understands this on a deeply personal level, making her ears tip back until he mentions meeting her and his mothers dying wish. This makes her anxiety bubble up even more, she doesn't want to be held to a standard like that. She doesn't feel like she can be a standard, doesn't think she can properly fulfill something of that height. She's not the paragon her family had heralded her as and that rings in her head, pushing down on her until she reminds herself. She doesn't have to be, she's fine as she is. She doesn't need to reach a certain caliber if she's with him, it's okay.

Io's calmed for a moment with this, at least until he steps away and she steps forward like it's instinct. She's never fallen low enough to chase someone's touch but she's beginning to feel like that's exactly what she's doing. The mare is quiet, almost silent as she absorbs the words with something like a wisp of a smile on her lips. But when Gaston embraces her back with the words that he'd still choose her she felt something break inside. She doesn't want to admit it but Io knows that what's breaking started with a crack that started only days before but now? She feels fragile, like she's going to fall apart, this results in Io pressing closer to him like she could hide from the world. The weight that pulls down on her feels lighter in his embrace yet she can feel her body vibrating from a rush of anxiety pulsing through her. "Don't. Don't let go." It's choked out in a loud sob that finally, finally pull her down. She slips out from his grasp, crumpling down to the grounds with loud sobs that break her down more and more. It was the comfort, the warmth in him that she hadn't felt in so long that broke her down. "Why am I always crying?"

Io presses her forehead into one of his legs as she calms herself with deep breaths before a whisper comes out. "I feel so broken right now Gaston. My sister...she's here in these lands, I saw her only a few days ago and she wants nothing to do with me. I don't know what to do to fix how much I fucked up with her." Her breath is shaky, she's trying to stop her tears but she's failing so badly. "Do you know what she asked me? She asked me who I was, she said I wasn't her sister. But do you know the worst part Gaston? I can't even figure out who I am anymore either. What do you do when you lose yourself? How do you find who you are when you got lost years ago?" She wants so badly to scream, she's mad at herself but more than anything she's feeling lost all over again. Just like she had when she had to leave Elysium and found Caeleste. Was that when she lost herself? Or maybe it was in the fire? Yeah, yeah it was about in that timeline that she shut herself up. She'd felt, feels, so much that it's just easier to shut it all down. "I found her and I lost her all over again in just minutes. Please, please don't let me go."

"Talk."
NATIVE LANGUAGE, HOVER OVER ME
Thoughts
Chandrakant



Tags » @Gaston
Voice » Liv Tyler as Arwen
OOC » -cry- that hug just broke her, I'm blaming Luvena and Gaston 

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