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 Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:38 pm
Right. I suck at making threads, so yeah, don't expect much from me. XD
This thread is for me and Gee to RP Kenshi and Nika, though I suppose if someone else wanted to pop in, that would be fine. You might want to ask Gee first, just to be sure. =3
I SHALL POST NEXT. I don't want the RP itself going in the first post. XD
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:40 pm
Time away from Rhia, yes, that was exactly what he had needed.
Kenshi sat on the mossy ground near a quiet stream; legs crossed and hands resting on his knees. It was easy to relax out here when one was alone, trying not to think of anything in particular. He wasn't really meditating, per say, simply sitting and enjoying the serenity of this place; glad that he had found the stream. It wasn't far from Rhia's ship, and not too far into the forests either, though he was still subconsciously on the lookout for any animals that might lurk near here.
His bright eyes flickered over the water in front of him, the rays of the sun dancing across the shimmering surface, and he inhaled deeply, smelling the scents of the water, the earth beneath him, the trees around him... the dozens of smells that mixed together to form the unmistakable scent of a forest. He was a little sad he was ready to leave (he had been there for over an hour), even if he would just come back again tomorrow.
Getting to his feet, he brushed off the seat of his pants and turned, climbing back up the small embankment, and that's when he realized how tired he was. The embankment was small, hardly steep at all, and yet he found himself having trouble clearing it. Standing at the top, he breathed deeply a few times to steady himself before continuing back.
It only took him a few steps before his trembling legs gave out and he fell to his knees, upper body bowing forward as a faint spell of nausea gripped him. He lifted his head a bit, vision blurred, and tried to stand again, but found he couldn't. Both his legs and his arms felt heavy and far away, his breathing almost constricted, as if someone had wrapped metal bands around his chest.
What is going on..? He thought to himself, a twinge of panic rising inside him before he could quell it. He was out here, alone, he had no weapon to defend himself with, and with his vision darkening it was obvious he was going to pass out in just a few seconds. Slumping onto his side in the foliage, he rolled onto his back, wings flapping feebly against the ground and crisp eyes glazed as darkness enveloped him.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:23 pm
Peace and quiet, that's what he'd been looking for. It always helped him think, always helped him to see things in a new light. This time, he discovered the tranquility he'd been searching for through the mesmerizing speed and power of his own steps.
For the time being, he was a man trapped with in his own mind, utterly oblivious to the world surrounding him. Nika wandered amongst the trees nearby the camp, his sub-conscious having refused to let him go any farther alone and without a weapon.
He needed to talk with Zahar. It was important that she know he wasn't upset with her. If not for her sake, then, for his. The young man wasn't sure how she felt about what had happened and he wanted to know, wanted to make sure that she knew she could always come to him if she needed to. He wanted-
His train of thought was abruptly interupted as Nika's physical awareness kicked into drive.
He sat in the dirt and blinked a few times, trying to recall what had happened.
He'd tripped...
...Over what?
Nika twisted where he sat to look at whomever or whatever it was that he'd tripped over.
The Sumarai. His confused expression morphed into a pleased one. He'd only ever seen the other masque once before, months ago. Hadn't he been a child then?
Yes, Nika realised, that had been a long time ago.
He was a teenager now. Nika wondered if he'd just recently grown or if something else had knocked him out and torn his clothes to shreds. There didn't appear to be any wounds on his body.
Figuring that the teen would still be unconsious by the time he came back, Nika swiftly made his way home and returned, moments later, with a pair of pants.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:10 pm
Kenshi wouldn't have awoken so soon if it weren't for the soft blow he took to his ribcage. Even then, it didn't hurt and so he stayed more unconscious than conscious, his eyes flicking back and forth behind his eyelids, but his body not moving.
He slowly roused from his half-conscious state only when he heard someone near him get up and retreat. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times and stared up at the limbs of the trees for a moment, feeling quite a bit better than he had before he had fallen, but also feeling different in a way he couldn't really pinpoint.
Sitting up, he absently ran his hand over his masque before realizing that his clothes were pretty much ruined. Startled by this, he glanced at himself and was even more startled to find that he was bigger, and not just by a little bit. He was alot bigger.
He didn't really have the time to process what exactly had happened before whoever had gone decided to come back, if in fact this was the same person. The samurai gave Nika a wary look before he remembered about his torn clothing; had he done something?
Instinctively, Kenshi's hand flew to his side where his glaive normally rested, only to find it missing. Which, of course, it would be missing, he had left it back at the ship, but at least he would never make that mistake again. Trying to relax his tense shoulders a bit, the reason for the pants that Nika held was the furthest thing from the young man's mind.
What... what happened?
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:02 am
"You grew," Nika shrugged and tossed the pants at Kenshi, a bit shaken by the obvious movements the other boy had made for the weapon that hadn't been there. He wasn't used to getting those kind of reactions, especailly from the other Masques.
He ran a hand through his hair and was again surprised that he hadn't made contact with the hard wood of his own mask. It was odd sometimes, how he forgot that he no longer wore one, when it was something every single member of (what remained of) his people longed for.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:31 pm
Catching the pants, Kenshi bunched them in his lap, a bit too perplexed at the moment to stand up and put them on. He hadn't really talked with anyone enough to know how exactly they went about growing, not to mention, what had triggered it? He hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. Of course, he was trapped inside a mask for so long, coming out a child again when it had been given to Rhia, he shouldn't be that surprised.
He was suddenly glad that he had opted against wearing his armor.
I feel... He absently rubbed the knuckle of one thumb across the forehead of his mask. How did he feel? No longer tired, for one, and it was weird to say the least, going from four-foot-something to nearly six feet in just a few minutes. Glancing down, he moved his hand away from his face, experimentally clenching it into a fist and turning his forearm, muscles flexing. Strange. I did not expect to age ten years in just a few short moments. I have not talked much with anyone since my... rebirth... does this happen to all of us?
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:45 pm
He watched Kenshi for a few moments with a small, amused smile on his face. It was easy to recall how awkward his first few days as a teenager had been. When he'd, he'd been lucky enough to pass out on the couch in the home he shared with Gee.
"It takes some getting used to," Nika nodded and sat down on the ground across from Kenshi, "and, I'm pretty sure it will happen to all of us. There are a few children left, I think. Some of us are just slower to grow than others."
Nika paused for a moment and tilted his head to the side, "You'll be remembering a lot of things now, too, I imagine. I slept a lot after I grew because of that. The memories are... difficult to absorb."
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:44 pm
It wasn't awkward so much as it was just... surprising, but Kenshi decided to keep that to himself. He had felt a little awkward as a child, strangely the growth seemed to suit him better and made him feel more at ease. He had more control over his body now, he was stronger and more fluid in his movements. Yes, going from child to teen was a vast improvement, even if he hadn't expected it.
His crystalline eyes flickered away from his arm and up to Nika as the man sat down, their coloration standing out against the black and white of his mask. Something about the man unnerved him, making it hard to relax, and his wings shifted on his back restlessly. He ran his fingers over his arm in an unconscious gesture, feeling the muscles shift beneath his skin, and studied Nika.
I do not understand... why did I not remember things before? He narrowed his eyes a bit at Nika, vaguely recalling that they had met once before, but Nika had been wearing a mask like his then. And wear is your mask?
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:06 pm
Before the curse, stares had been a common thing. There had been no place where he could go to completely escape the interested glances and the rushed murmurs of his people. Then, it had been a part of his everyday life.
Now, however, Nika found the way Kenshi was studying him unsettling and he fidgeted with the collar of his collar of his shirt.
"The magic in the masks hinder our ability to remember our past, before we were cursed to wear them," Nika explained calmly and straightened his back in order to look Kenshi in the eye properly, "From what I've learned... The magic grows weaker as we grow older and our memories return to us. Slowly, at first, and you might not remember everything until your mask is removed. I know that I didn't."
"A dear friend possessed the magic to remove it," the side of his eyes crinkled when he smiled at Kenshi, "I'm sure its been crushed to pieces."
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:51 pm
Kenshi continued to study Nika, watching silently as he fiddled with his shirt collar, the gesture more telling than perhaps the other man wanted. Nika's unease didn't settle the samurai's own, however, it simply added more questions to the pile of ones that currently had no answers. Perhaps in time, things would become clearer.
Zahar told me of the curse, it was a brief encounter, but I do know that she was the one who bestowed it. At this time, I do not remember much, if anything, but... I would like to. Kenshi slowly stood, stripping off what remained of his clothing and slipping into the pants Nika had brought him. Living a life as hollow as this is something I doubt I had ever wanted.
Confident that he could stand without passing out again - from vertigo or otherwise - he took a brief moment to stretch and run his hands over shoulders, chest, stomach, all exposed now that his shirt was ruined and discarded. He was far from being vain, but he found his new physique much to his liking.
His cool gaze turned back to Nika, the young man not returning the smile, but not intending to sound rude either, You would let such an item be destroyed? The mask is a symbol of the curse and of our rebirth, is it not? I believe I would keep such a thing, to remember all that was lost, and what was given anew... a second chance at life.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:30 pm
"You will remember," Nika assured him with a nod of his head, but he couldn't help it if his mind was on other things.
"Zahar told you?" he asked, so surprised that he did not look away when Kenshi started to dress. Zahar had spoken with Kenshi about the curse. Thoughts of his daughter swirled around in his head and he couldn't keep from asking a few questions about her.
"Is she alright? Do you know how she feels? Do you know where I might find her?"
The anxiety in his tone vanished when Kenshi began to examine himself and Nika let out a little, amused chuckle. After he'd stopped tripping over his own feet and gotten over the awkwardness of his growth, he too had been quite pleased with his new body. It was much faster and stronger than that of a child's.
"After the masks are removed, they do not lose their magic and if we were to keep them intact, they would only be a potential hazard. Its preventable, so we destroy them. Gee was upset when we found out for she had wanted to keep it, but getting rid of it was more than necessary."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:14 pm
Kenshi blinked, a bit surprised at the splurge of questions, and watched Nika carefully. Zahar had told him about the curse, yes, but she hadn't told him about her relationship with the man in front of him, which was obviously quite a powerful one.
I do not know how she is, we spoke only briefly and it was long ago. She felt awful though, for doing this to us. I believe she feels very guilty, perhaps even wishes to be punished somehow. Again the samurai studied Nika carefully, gauging his reaction to this news. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he felt like he should be learning as much of this man as he could, without coming right out and asking questions.
What sort of hazard would they be? He asked, azure eyes flickering with a curious glint. This power they hold, what harm would it cause if the mask stayed unbroken? It seems strange, for you to be so wary of them, it must be a great power then, a very great threat?
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:02 pm
Perhaps asking questions about his daughter hadn't been the best idea. Nika anxiously ran a hand through his hair. Kenshi's answers were what he'd been looking for, yes, but they seemed so open-ended coming from a source that wasn't Zahar and he found himself wishing he could talk with the girl more now than ever.
"How could we possibly punish her?" Nika mumbled and covered his face with his hand, "It seems she's already put herself through hell."
"I'm not sure how great a threat it poses," Nika sighed in answer to Kenshi's question, slightly distracted by thoughts of his daughter, "A large part of my past was spent studying magic. The curse bound the masks to us for such a long period of time and I believe that if the mask was to ever fall into the wrong hands, the soul that had been connected to it, would be vulnerable. Perhaps the blue-print to our very cores are printed on the inside of them? Magic works in curious ways."
He was merely speculating. There was no way of knowing how dangerous the masks were if they hadn't kept one and to Nika's knowledge, every mask that had been removed was smashed.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:29 pm
Kenshi steepled his fingers in front of his stomach, gaze traveling from Nika to the forest around them for a moment, trying to clear his head. It was starting to ache slightly, and he feared the pain would grow from this point on, at least for some time.
I told her that she should not punish herself, nor did I want to punish her for what she had done. He paused a moment, brow creasing slightly as he contemplated that. There was in fact a feeling he harbored towards Zahar... something he hadn't noticed before. A deep sense of aggravation, as if she had spoiled something for him at one point in time. He let out his breath slowly as a small tremor passed through his wings, knowing that he was on the verge of remembering something, something very important.
His inner evaluation was dampened when Nika proceeded to talk about the masks; the samurai turning a keen ear to this information, speculation or otherwise. So, perhaps we are connected to these masks, even after they are taken off. They... retain a part of us. If what you say is true, or holds some small shadow of the truth, these masks would be very valuable to some. How do you know destroying them is the correct course of action? Perhaps all that is needed is a tiny piece... He stopped for a moment, blinking and shaking his head a bit. A strange feeling had crept over him, like there were two of him, old and new, and they were battling within him, each trying to stifle the other. Forgive me, I do not mean to pry so. Perhaps I have been spending too much time around Rhia, she has been known to do such things.
He swallowed, a worried glint hovering in the icy depths of his gaze. Perhaps regaining his memories was not such a good thing after all...
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:49 pm
He was incapable of keeping his thoughts completely away from Zahar, and Nika still hid his face in his hands. He desperately wanted to see her; to talk with her, now, more than ever.
"I hope she's alright," a tired sigh rattled inbetween his lips and shook his entire body. Would she be easy to find? Would she even want to see him? Would she run away?
His thoughts were finally turned away from his daughter when Kenshi spoke again. Startled, Nika let his hand drop from his face and peered up at the samurai.
"How couldn't it be the right course? If the mask was to fall into the wrong hands, there's no telling what might befall the mask's owner. Somebody could get badly injured. I don't see any reason for taking that risk."
At the mention of Kenshi's gaurdian, a smile curved Nika's lips. Gee had played a similar role on his personality; her influence had caused some small changes in him.
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