Summary:Lucent and Zahara take a pleasant swim.
XP:L1, Z1
Tags:< Never Shouldst We Speak That Name | Sol Invictus Logs | Innocence and Guilt >
Lucent swimmed with Zahara until a coral reef barrier a little far from the coast, sitting on it like a bench, starting to braid Zahara's hair. "That was fun. Good thing we are building a palace here, we need to swim more often."
zahara "Swimming is rather soothing, I agree." She leans against his knees as he braids her hair, closing her eyes.
Lucent continues to work for a long moment, watching the sunset. "So... you think Varanim is getting better?"
zahara "Better than what?"
Lucent "... than she was before?"
zahara "Well, she seems like she's stopped trying to leave, generally. So that's good."
Lucent "Yes, even though she still wants anything but to touch me in public."
zahara "Some people do not like showing affection in public. They prefer privacy."
Lucent "Sounds like they are ashamed of something."
zahara "What does shame have to do with it? She hates being the center of attention. She's modest, and doesn't care for outward displays."
Lucent sighs. "Yes, but her lack of outward displays also meant that she did not feel like part of the group, and made her go away. So it is not like things all just go unspoken, and I know for a fact everyone here already thought of her as part of the family... but she did not."
zahara snorts. "That's a different subject altogether. She didn't feel like part of the group because she didn't want to admit to herself that she was anything like us. She still insists she's different, that she's a peasant and not a true peer."
Lucent "Yes, I thought nobles had killed her family. But there seems to be no reason for her dislike of us... just..." He paused, finishing braiding a good part of Zahara's hair. "... hmmm. You know, we could do something. You could do something. To make her feel as part of the group. To make us all feel together."
zahara "I think she will feel that way in time. After all, how long did it take until you felt you were truly part of the Circle?"
Lucent "I have no idea, I still feel the Circle is not there. We have friends, but... we need something more. Like the old Circle had. We accomplished wonders at each other's throat, we need synchrony like Circles of old had..." He stops. "You could join all our dreams, like you did your old friend's."
zahara "I am not sure that would bring us together."
Lucent "It is SOMETHING, at least. Something we can try..."
Lucent "We are a family, Zahara. Sure, you may find Imrama and Spring annoying at times, but you are stuck with them just like you would be with brothers and sisters. It is the nature of Circles. We should all attempt to thrive in our differences..."
zahara looks distantly into the water at their feet. "It's not that."
Lucent "What is it, then...?"
zahara "Sharing each other's dreams is not always easy."
Lucent "I imagine. Varanim is filled with nightmares, I suppose you must be as well... I know I am."
zahara "Times were simpler when I cast the first one."
Lucent "Then let us make them simple again!"
zahara laughs and looks over her shoulder at him. "And how would you do that?"
Lucent "Well, I cannot. But you are the leader of the group. You can unite us. And then, I can go about reinforcing the structures. Reminding you that, even though Spring is infuriating at times, he is also a poor Wasirran overestimating his place in the world dramatically. That even though Imrama appears to know it all, he is just a boy playing adventure. That Varanim is a compassionate village girl... and that you are you."
Lucent pinches her cheek. "But most of all, I was thinking of starting with laughter."
zahara swats his hand away, though she's smiling. "Laughter, hmm? And what shall we laugh about? The way we're surrounded by threats to our lives and empire? The way our supposed allies taunt us with riddles and misinformation?"
Lucent "The fact we will find them. And beat them. And kill them." He answers matter-of-factly.
zahara "Or not kill them, if Spring has his way."
Lucent "Who knows, maybe it will fail." He shrugs, then smiles, eyes closed, the last of the sunset behind him forming a picture one could never forget, "Maybe we will just hurt each other more, but then, you will at least remember that your foolish, foolish Zenith of a friend tried?"
zahara "Zeniths." She sighs. "I suppose I will do it. Hopefully we will not all regret it."
Lucent "And then you can berate Spring for not killing in his dreams." He grins. "You know, you could summon a giant mallet, and whack him whenever he mentions 'pacifism' and 'truce'!" He nods, and nods. "That sort of thing."
zahara laughs
Lucent "See, at least I am off to a good beggining." He winks
zahara "You ARE insane, you know that?"
Lucent "I try."
< Never Shouldst We Speak That Name | Sol Invictus Logs | Innocence and Guilt >