RP:Curse This!
Summary: Irenic gets it handed to him.
Deep Forest
Cloistered, dark and dank, the foreboding presence of the gathered trees whisper and whittle their machinations under the whistling cloak the wind provides, the languid sway of their bough and bole enough to instigate thoughts of mass-retaliation to any who step foot within these enchanted boundaries. Sage is the forest of the Elfin, and many of the parchment-hued brethren roam its borders bow in hand and mind upon defense, few seep past their ever-vigilant sentinels. Like pus weeping from an open wound sap falls from the thick trunks of some trees, the fletched-tail of an arrow protruding from the anthropomorphic wounds the giant pillars have suffered; sanguine dried and hard etched into the contours of the gargantuan oaks that reside here ever-more. High among the leaves, their rugged and verdurous hues drinking in what little light breaches the infallible darkness, pathways intertwine, wooden of structure, trod upon only by knowing Elven foot, should one's ears been keen enough to catch such faint movements. Passage through these areas is, as ever, dangerous for the traveler, the notching of arrow, by some hidden watch, covered by the step of boot on twig. The twang of the bolts release needs no such mystique, for once the feathered projectile is loosed it never fails to meet its mark.
Valrae is a thin silhouette in the dappled moonlight. Under the canopy of trees she rustles through the thickest parts of the underbrush, picking out the best spots for death caps and other herbs best collected in the moonlight. Her feet are dusty and bare, with shining silver rings and thin anklet with hanging crystal charms of amethyst. The witch is in a thin shift as white as the face of the moon, stunning against her sun darkened skin, and shows the curve of a long leg through a high slit in the flowing skirt. Her hair is as pale as star silk in the silver light, braided in shining line down her back. A glistening bowline is in her hand, curved and wickedly sharp, that she is using to harvest her careful selections. She hums as she goes, her voice soft and low while she follows a low and haunting tune. A hand woven basket is a few paces away, already filled with delicately wrapped things she's collected. This was not an unfamiliar scene for the woman. The forest had become a place of comfort to her now that reaching a place of salt and sand was an impractical option.
Irenic was starving, so much so that he neglected stalking Valrae tonight; no, wait, that would come later. He was already in the deep forest near her, but so focused on eating something that whatever he killed and started eating caused him to ignore any other sounds around him. He didn't hear the jingle of the beautiful woman's charms, did not hear the humming from her honeyed voice. The only thing he heard was the cries of the animal he killed, the thud to the forest floor and the gnashing of his mouth… No his beak, on the carcass of his prey. The iconic massive ivory wings glistening in the few dapples of moonlight through the canopy of trees. They seemed shinier somehow.
Valrae | The witch's humming stopped abruptly with the dying cry of whatever animal Irenic had silenced. She was in the middle of cutting her final death cap and she jolted the bowline slipped and nicked her index finger. Valrae cursed softly and pressed the bleeding appendage to the soft white helm of her shirt. Slowly, she stood. She left her bowline on the earth beside her harvest that rested on a cream color cloth. In silver spotted dark she walked toward the gruesome sounds Irenic made as he ate. The wings were the first thing that came into view, stunning in the light on the moon. For a moment, her heart beat quickened but it wasn't from fear. Irenic's name crashed through her mind. But no, he no longer had his wings. And he was no longer interested in her. And this was not him. Her frown deepened. What was an avian doing the middle of Sage eating like a wild animal? She crept closer, attempting to edge around and get a view from the side or front, when her foot landed on a brittle tree branch. The cracking sound it made felt deafening to her ears, even if it hadn't hardly been enough to hear over the sound of the creatures meal.
Irenic stiffened. Feathers ruffled when his pointed pierced ears picked up the sound of a breaking branch. 'Merde' he thought to himself when out of reflex a wing folded out of the way and the unsettling mismatched gaze fell on Valrae. The world seemed to stop as he took in how she looked in the speckled moonlight, his heart leapt at the sight of her face, but sunk once more when he reminded himself of what he looks like. All he could seem to do was stand there in tattered trousers and the only two things to make out it's Irenic is the tattoos on the human-like torso and arms. The skin turns to feathers around where his forearms are and his fingernails are claws. He looked like a monster and even more so with his pristine ivory feathers are dotted with burgundy colored blood. A sadness furrowed in his brow and he could not will himself to move or run away, although… He was sure she would be the first… Just look at him.
Valrae is stunned into immobility. Sure, his tattoos were the most identifiable feature on him now, but the moment Irenic had turned his indescribably unique eyes to her she'd known. His name was pounding through her head, her blood. Her Irenic and not, still. Even in this form she knew him, how could she not? A thousand memories flooded her. In slanted golden light as they hid away in libraries. Surrounded by stars the first night they'd met. In moonlight when his face was dirt and tear stained from the loss of a precious child. Her heart was a painful lump in her throat as she stood there, fingers clenched in her blood spotted skirt and her mouth in a surprised 'o', and tried to form thoughts into words to string into sentences. When she finally found her voice the only sound that escaped her was the heartbroken call of his name.
Irenic stared right back for whatever duration they needed to stop and stare. Him to ashamed to move and her to scared to. His wings slowly sunk in a shameful sort of drag behind him once she uttered his name and finally his gaze tore from her down to the creature he just killed, until he was starring down at the blood and meat stuck to his feathered hands and under the sharp black claws… He is a beast, doesn’t deserve her and he knows it. He was afraid to even try to speak as it seems whatever comes out during the day isn't common. Like, what if he squawked or something embarrassing like that? He nodded once with a low and gruff sigh. He wanted to run so bad still for he feels like a downright hideous monster.
Valrae's breath release, though she hadn't even realized she'd been holding it, when Irenic nodded. She took a slow, shaking step forward. Then another. She looked at him, really looked. The blood, the mess, the feathers and his claws. The familiarity of his tattoos and his bi-colored eyes were jarring on this new form before her. "Where have been? What happened to you?" The questions came pouring out of her. It wasn't like the day in the nail salon. Under the moon and the trees, with the sounds of the forest and the smell of earth and blood all around her she felt... Confused, hurt, and worried for the man that was more beast in front of her. Her anger was there, it had just been pushed down by her concern and her curiosity. "Why do you look like this? Why haven't you talked to me? Do you know how worried I've been about you?"
Irenic was still rather frozen in place while he looked down at her now and blinked in confusion, 'Why hasn't she run away?' He has not even tried to talk in this form and I guess if there was ever a time to embarrass yourself it would be now. "I don't…" he hesitated, he can talk this way! What a cruel joke someone has imparted on him. "I have no idea. Our last night, it was so good, great even. The best night I have had in quite some time, but in the middle of the night I woke up and turned to this." He motion to himself, the feathers, the talons for feet the beak. "I cannot sleep at night and during the day when I am somewhat normal I cannot tell anyone what's happened. I've been trying to find a cure for whatever this is, but I don't even know what did it." He heavily sighed again, "You must be disgusted with me…" He tears his gaze away in shame and takes a step back from her. "…. And, yes, I know." He scratched his head, spreading the blood to the pristine feathers there, too. "I've been keeping watch over you ever since."
Valrae was glad he wasn't trying to speak in the other language he'd used in the salon. When he spoke of the night he disappeared, the night she told him she loved him, her heart started to ache. Her anger returned, like a jolt of energy pulsing through her. "Don't" She said suddenly. "Don't talk about it like that, don't say things like that!" She was frowning at him, tears forming in her dark eyes. "If you honestly felt that way you wouldn't have done this!" The hand that was clenched in her skirt tightened. "I don't care what form you've been cursed, seeing you now is better than thinking you were dead!" The tears spilled over. They were tears of frustration and hurt. "I looked for you. That first night, weeks after that. I didn't stop looking for you until that day in the salon. I..." Realization dawned on her. He'd been watching her? All those times she'd felt like she wasn't alone, like she could turn and someone would be standing beside her. The night on the beach when her charcoal drawing had be taken... She'd found feathers when she'd left the beach that night. "All this time, you watched me search for you all this time?" Her voice broke. "You let me think the worst because... Why?"
Irenic felt completely dreadful, the lowest of the low. "Valrae… Look at me." His hands shove into the remainder of the pockets that are his tattered pants, "I'm some… Freak, a mutilated freak. This more than likely happened to me because of everything I've done in my past. I don't deserve happiness." His voice sounded quite casual of his own plight, but the words were a heavier burden than that. Instinctively he went to step to her and hold her, but he stopped himself. His usual gruff tone continued, "I just couldn't face you looking like I do. I couldn't let you think that you had any cause in this because you don't. I cannot let you blame yourself for this because you've been," his voice cracks a little before he clears his throat, "You have been the only thing that's kept me going."
Valrae couldn't hide the hurt from her face. "Do you really think so little of me? You think I'm so vain that I would turn away from you because of this?" She waved her hand at him for emphasis before crossing her arms around her. "You should have let me help you with this. You should have trusted me." Angrily, she swiped at the tears that were on her cheeks. "I don't understand why you would chose to go in hiding or serving some queen before being with me."
Irenic really had no other words to mush into excuses, "I just did not know what to do and I was afraid of losing you because... I just got you." His wings arch behind him and sort of twitch and he doesn't understand why. "You've got it wrong. I think the world of you and I couldn't even bare the slim chance of me horrifying you." The serving in the royal guard was a harder thing to try and get out of, "Some of the other knights of the Royal guard were talking of how others have been beheaded for abounding their posts. Usually I'm not talked to and I can keep myself covered in my armor, but I can't leave without there being repercussions on top of their suspicion of witches. I'm trying to keep my ear close on their developments for… Quizzical." It was visible if still pained him to even say the boy's name.
Valrae watches Irenic in the quiet that followed Quizzical's name. There was a storm of emotions in her chest. She was holding this hot ball of anger there, letting it burn so she wouldn't have to feel the rest. She had been so relieved the first time she'd seen him in the salon. The witch hadn't shown it, still wouldn't let herself, but she was so breathlessly grateful that he was still alive and breathing. "What witch thing?" She said suddenly. It would be easier to talk about that, about anything else.
Irenic started to try to wipe his hands on his tattered jeans, "I don't know. There is a lot of hush talk about it, but many suspect witches were behind the disaster." He was distracted by something… How long have they been frozen there in the dark of the forest they couldn't see how the moon was setting and how slowly the horizon started to lighten to a purple. "I don’t care what I have to do, Valrae… I won-" He pauses as the mind splitting pain hits him once more and it never seemed to get better the next time it happens. Every night and Every morning he shifts and he's slowly coming to a breaking point. "I won't let you-" He grunted with a gasp before the pain brought the tall man to his knees. He didn't care what she saw anymore as he didn't even have the energy to run while it happened. This is probably going to get a bit pathetic as he doubles down on all fours now letting out a guttural and agonizing growl slash yell. Those marvelous wings twitching and stretching straight up into the air as if she were watching a drowning bird and then 'snnap!' before a 'crrrunch!' it sounded like they were literally being torn from the man's back, then they seemingly dissolved into piles on either side of him. He'd fallen further onto his elbows while either of his hands were gripping the sides of his hair in pain. He let out another loud yell before an agonizing moan followed.
Valrae's brows furrowed. Witches? Behind the quake? "That's ridiculous!" The words left her lips as she thought them. "The quake was just a natural disaster," This was said with much less certainty. She wrinkled her nose, the witch was working herself up to another burst of anger. People always looked for a scapegoat, why not witches? But before she could make another comment Irenic was doubled over. There were awful sounds being made. His wings were disappearing right before her eyes. She made a small, strangled noise in her throat and stumbled toward him with a hand pressed white over his lips. "Irenic?" Val called his name after the quiet that followed his moan. Her shaking hand left her mouth to reach out toward him.
Irenic was breathing heavy as this shift took quite a toll on his body, was he… Crying?! It hurt so bad and for someone that's already been through some of the things he has, that was saying a lot. He sniffled loudly before wiping his face on the inside of his forearm and the ink under where the feathers were are now exposed once more. The whites of his eyes were red as if he's gone without sleep for days when he craned his neck to look up at her from his hunched position. "Pourquoi cela m'arrive-t-il." His voice sounded to harness more gravel in it than before and he was back on his knees with a slouch causing his abdominal muscles to ridge deep valleys in his tawny skin. He means to plead with her 'Please, Valrae, my love… Help me. Help me.' It came out as, "S'il te plaît, Valrae, mon amour ... Aide-moi. Aidez moi." A scowl proved he forgot he cannot speak common anymore. He hopes his soul would call out to her and not these words he attempted to say 'I've made a mistake not to trust you… Please help me,' but she would hear, "J'ai fait une erreur de ne pas vous faire confiance ... S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi." Those multi hued eyes look at her with pain in them, not moving from her reaching hand.
Valrae bridged the gap of space between them herself, determination darkening her moss hued eyes. Her hand would touch his shoulder if he didn't move away from her. "Irenic, I don't know what you're saying..." A hopelessness filled her chest and frustration bowed her lips into a frown. "But I'm going to help you, I don't care what you want. You can't keep running away from me! I.. I want to help!" He looked so tired, so broken. Her heart ached, stronger than her anger and her bruised feelings was this feeling of worry and regret. If she'd have looked harder, maybe if she would have followed him after the nail salon..? Val shook her head and the thoughts that filled it away. "Stay here. Don't move." She removed her hand, took a step back while watching him. "I'm serious Irenic, if you run away from me again... I'll hunt you down, fix you, and I swear I'll turn you right back." She wouldn't, it was empty threat, but if it would make him stay she would say anything. Without wasting another second she hurried back to her bowline, bag, and basket. If he was still there when she returned she would offer him water, with lavender and lemon for taste, and what was left of the sharp cheese and basil bread she'd neglected to finish for her dinner.
Irenic did stay there not only because he completely accepted her help, but he was in no condition to run for it felt he just grew all new bones. Might be because bird bones are hollow. His glance to the corpse next to them sent him into a trance when she was gone for he was still hungry and didn’t get to finish, but it was the odd fact that he still found it appealing in his human form. This was bad as it seemed the mannerisms of the natural Avian side of him is starting to bleed into his humanity. When she returns with food and water he wasted no time in consuming it, staying on his knees he pulls her into an embrace whether she liked it or not. He just needed her right now and that was hard for Irenic to come to terms with considering his upbringing he learned fast to only rely on himself and that's how he lived the rest of his life until now. His arms so long they nearly wrapped around her twice and his face buried in her neck to take in her scent once more, how he missed her so.
Valrae let Irenic pull her into a hug. Slowly, she returned it. Worry was etched into the lines of her face, not that he could see, as she held him. She hated to see him this way. Why couldn't he have told her sooner? Maybe things wouldn't have gotten so far. Her hand feathered through his hair absently. "Irenic, I'm going to help you, I swear. I'm not running away and I'm not afraid." Even if he thought she would be. Finally she pulled away to take another look at him. His wingless form was familiar and not. "Where are you staying? It doesn't look like you're taking care of yourself and that worries me." She was frowning at him. "I'm staying in Larket now... You could come visit me again. I could give you a nice meal every now and again. I'll even start keeping meat."
Irenic can’t respond so all he does is shrug to her first question meaning no where and shake his head with another shrug to her next question, he doesn’t know and half the time he doesn’t remember. He slowly stands, but is still a little shaky and he nearly collapses while using her to stands up correctly. All he could do was look down at her like he did their last night and take in every feature of her beautiful face while his own expression looked nothing but apologetic. His brow was furrowed in concern and he took a deep breath to allow her to take him anywhere.