RP:Behind Blue Lies
Part of the Rest in Pieces: Vailkrin! Arc
Summary: As Pilar flees House Dragana and crosses paths with Emrith, Larewen arrives at the Thorne Estate in search of Shishi. While Emrith decides it is time to put Larewen to rest and free her of the madness that has taken hold of her, Larewen proposes to Shishi - that minx!
The Thorne Estate
Darkness comes knocking upon Shishi's door. Well, really it doesn't. In fact, the door to the Thorne Estate is damn near thrown open as the elf steps inside uninvited. Her wounds are obscured by the dark cloth of her gown, having adorned black to hide the oozing corruption from wounds that will not heal. A burst of necromantic energy is sent outward through the house, undoubtedly stirring some of the things that live within its walls. Her point? To locate Shishi. Her nostrils flare as she pinpoints his direction and without further ado, the elf is on her way to him. At the same time, magic dances upon her fingertips, calling upon the shards of a familiar engagement ring that lays scattered on these grounds. They gather in her palm and fuse once more as she holds it upright and toward the vampire. "Husband," she says. No question, no explanation - it's a very Trajek-esque proposal.
Shishi is alone, or rather as alone as one could possibly be in the Thorne Estate. Typically it would be considered unwise to come barging into this place, and Larewen might feel or ‘see’ the home itself preparing to lash out at her after she puts out that scanning magic, but it holds back as Shishi stirs. The assassin is alerted by the sound of the doors being thrown open rather than the pulse of energy from the necromancer, and comes into the foyer to meet with Green from the direction of the kitchen. His eyes are their normal shade of oceanic blue and there are no disturbances coming from him occurring around the house. Blue tilts his head and does that thing where he pokes at one of his fangs with his tongue while he looks down at the offered, reconstructed ring. His expression and tone is flat as he lifts his gaze back up towards Larewen’s face, “Not sure it works that way, Green. You know?”
Larewen still holds the ring in her palm and if she's deterred by Shishi's words, it doesn't show. Green and brown colored eyes meet with his familiar blue ones, but as there is with all echoes of her past presently, there stirs very little emotion. Of course she cares for her sire. It is because of him that she lives as she is. Or... well, it was. Shishi may hear the steady tha-thump of her undead heart beating in her chest, courtesy of a magic darker than her own. The stench of rot and blood and corruption can be smelled, for the now functioning organ pushes darkness through her veins and there now exists two holes in her body because of that basilisk blade. Instead of repeating herself, the elf closes what small distance remains between her and Shishi. Her other hand raises, pale and scarred fingers seeking to caress his cheek. Her palm lays against his flesh, fingertips touching upon his ear, his hair, as her thumb brushes the smooth flesh. This is the only sign of hesitation on the elf's part before she moves to draw herself up against her ex-husband. Hungrily, her mouth seeks his.
Shishi is calmer than he typically is during a visit from his first wife. He has come to expect one of two Larewens; hot, as she is now, or cold. Perhaps because he is not taken by surprise by her showing up like this and kissing him like she is, he is able to be surprised by the sound of her heart beating, a sound difficult for a vampire to ignore. Blue eyes narrow, and close and he indulges in the kiss for about a second, his left hand rising up her back to her neck. His eyes open and widen then at the sound of the heartbeat, irises still not going through their accursed color change, while his fingers close around her hair and he pulls her head back away from him, breaking the kiss while he hisses out, “What the hell did you do now, Lar?”
Larewen savors that kiss and for the briefest of moments her tongue brushes against his lips as if to beg entrance to his mouth, but it is at that moment that the assassin's fingers, entwined in her hair, pull her mouth away from his. Madness simmers in the depths of her eyes, but for the first time in months, no! years, the necromancer does not appear to be suffering. Only desire and ambition tint her stare, not the pain that has been haunting her. Tha-thump, her heart pounds even as she answers him by pressing the ring into his free hand - her reiteration of the proposal. She wants him to place it on her hand. "I am free," she whispers, and the words are so beautifully spoken.
Shishi shakes his head and releases his hold on Larewen while staring down at the ring with no intention of putting it on the elf’s first get again. “Free?” He questions her, his composure cracking. He would like very much for that to be true, almost enough to overlook the obvious signs that it is not. At least not true in the sense he would like it to be. Their definitions of ‘free’ when is comes to Green differ greatly in this case, and if Blue knew the truth Larewen might already be out the door courtesy of the assassin’s family curse, and perhaps the black flame wand if necessary. He can't sense the dark magic being pumped through her veins, only hear the beating of the heart. That same hand that had pulled her hair back now moves to press its palm against the center of her chest, indicating the somehow revived organ that he himself had stopped years ago, “Free from what?” Does he think she's cured? Look at the fangs, Blue!
Realization dawns on the elf as Shishi places the flat of his hand against her chest. He may even the fabric give way beneath his touch, as if there is a gouge in her flesh. Regardless, his hand will come away covered in blood. A third time she presses the ring against his hand, mismatched eyes seeking his blue ones in sudden, near desperation. "Free of the pain, of the hurt," she says softly. "Free to be yours, Shishi." Part of her believes this. Probably the part of her that will always belong to Shishi; a part of her that has never been and never will be a threat to the Shade, unlike her feelings for Emrith. "Free to be your wife, forever and for always. For real."
Shishi puffs out his cheeks and looks at his hand as he draws it away again, seeing the blood there. Larewen is saying exactly what he wants to hear, and she even sounds more like the woman he remembers than she has in some time. Her body however, tells a very different story. The unhealing wounds, the beating heart, all these things are cause for concern and they make him unable to believe what she is saying. He's been standing in this very position, with this same ring in his hands several times before, and all but once things did not turn out as they had planned. -Finally- he is cautious in this spot, and he continues to refuse to place that ring on her finger. “How?” His voice is weak for a moment before his expression hardens and he shakes his head, his tone following suit, “How can I believe you now? When you come to me like this and won't tell me what happened?” He holds up his bloody hand and indicates her beating heart.
Larewen lowers her hand finally, fingers closing around the familiar band as she watches his expression change. The corrupted ichor upon his hands becomes the source of her attention for a moment before finally, the elf relents. With her free hand, she reaches to her shoulder and pulls one of straps loose. The movement allows her to pull the dress down to reveal her chest and the hole that mars her sternum. It Shishi were to look, he will see straight through the elf, through sinew and loose veins. "It was an accident. I tried to take the basilisk blade from Trajek because that is the only way I can mend my injuries. With its destruction. The blade came free, but I was standing in front of it," she explains finally. Truth. The entire thing is truth, actually, even if she has other motives for a union between herself and Shishi. "But does that matter? It is only flesh. I am free, Shishi." There's a faint tremor in her voice, though its hard to tell whether or not it is genuine. Either way, the curse inscribed upon her flesh doesn't seem to be activating. Her words are not spoken out of desperate weakness, but strength. "I am whole again, for you."
Shishi sneers as his eyes finally flicker through their accursed color change and glow that chaotic crimson hue as he literally stares through his former wife. He believes her story, but he is torn between softening for Larewen, who is trying to pledge herself to him again, for dubious reasons, but he isn't able to be aware of that yet, and hatred and Fury towards that name she speaks and the blade that must be destroyed to cure her injuries. “Not whole. Not yet.” He growls while the shadows in the estate remain uneasily still in the presence of his family's curse. “You and I will go and take the blade and destroy it. Why let this be held over you like this any longer?”
Larewen gives a sharp shake of head, still holding onto the ring. There is something vaguely crestfallen in those mismatched eyes, but the source of it is as questionable as her feelings. "I do not wish the blade destroyed, Shishi. I wish to wield it, for I crafted it. It is mine," she says, noting the shift in the color of his eyes. "I do not need help with procuring the blade. I need you. That is why I'm here. I need you, Shishi." The reiteration of those three words followed by his name are spoken softly, barely more than a breath as verdant and chocolate eyes search his. "Do not make me grovel before you, please. Is that what you wish?" Her lips turn downward.
Shishi is visibly upset or disappointed that his assistance is once again refused. He is a monster only capable of violence, or at least that is how he is billed, and she will not let him do what he does best to aide her. He blinks back at her, noticing now that she has a new eye to replace an old stolen one, but he doesn't say anything about it while his own irises subside back to their usual blue shade. He sighs, letting out a heavy, unnecessary breath. He can't see any reason not to believe her, though he doesn't feel that to be good enough alone to marry someone, despite his marital history. He can't, for the undead life of him, turn her away though. He hurts when she frowns, and gives in when she threatens to beg, which he does not want. “Aye. Fine…” He frowns now, seemingly trapped again, though he won't confess to needing her too, “So what now?” He asks this knowing full well that they've been engaged so many times that it is difficult to know what the correct next step is.
Larewen lifts the ring one last time toward him, palm upward as his eyes shift back to their oceanic hue. It isn't that Larewen doesn't want his help - she actually does! But that's a conversation for another time. A less... tender... moment. She searches his face, waiting patiently to see if he takes the ring. Her next words hinge entirely on this.
Shishi takes the ring and stares, no, glares down at it for a few moments before taking her hand I his and replacing it on her finger. What a horrible sense of deja vu he is having. ‘They are destined to torture each other till the end of time.’ Those from words replay in his head as he looks down at her hand. He is powerless to stop any of this ‘and that's ok.’
Visible relief sweeps over the elf's scarred face as he takes the ring and grudgingly slides it upon her finger. It is what? Four? Five? times now that the pair have been engaged? A slow, forcibly steady breath leaves her mouth and her heartbeat quickens. She steps nearer to him once more, this time seeking his lips in a tender, perhaps even loving kiss, if he'll allow it. When that has ended, Larewen's gaze meets his and she says softly, "Now we find someone to perform the ceremony. No wedding, no event, no planning. And I have one of my servants bring me some things from my House, because I can't bear to live separately from you." She can, really. The latter part is unnecessary entirely and has little to do with her ulterior motives. Perhaps it's something she's doing for him, if she's capable of being selfless at all.
Shishi believes the kiss and it softens his defenses yet again. It all seems too good to be true and he can't shake that feeling, counteracting all of her right words and tenderness. Her eagerness now to live here at the estate where previously she would refuse anywhere but House Dragana, adds onto that strange feeling in the pit of his gut that none of this is real. He thinks of the twins for the first time during this meeting and wonders which of them now would be more unhappy with this news of Green moving into their Vailkrin home. Maybe if they were here they might be able to talk him out of this, but they are multiple regions away in Xalious with their mother and can offer no immediate assistance or protest. Blue blinks, in a daze as Larewen continues to barrel ahead. “Aye…” What he's agreeing to, he doesn't really know at this point.
Larewen could explain that one away with another gilded lie, if Shishi voiced his confusion over her relocating to the Thorne Estate. She can't stand the memories, the heartache, something along those lines. He doesn't ask though, and she finds no reason to divulge such unnecessary information. Emrith had a point that day, about honeyed words. He probably didn't expect her to find a way to twist that advice in such a wrong and hurtful way, though. Her mismatched eyes soften in their madness as she draws herself against him. The elf reaches her arms around him, seeking to embrace him tightly, longingly.