'Souls RPG

wow that was pointlessly long, I'm so sorry

She had no idea how the night had progressed as it had. At one point, she had left the territory for whatever reason and wandered past the land bridge, further north than the newest pack of Mistfell Vale. She had visited once and hoped to visit again if things went well. She would give them time, though, and that meant she went further than she expected.

Much of the wandering was a little lackadaisical. Chaska did not accompany her, so she went fully armed to the teeth, with knife and sword on hand. It was likely unnecessary but she was not willing to take risks when alone and far from home. Instead, time seemed to tick right on by and night fell long before she had even made it back to the land bridge.

An old human road was beneath her feet, broken and cracked, with spring growth protruding in the dark. There were even small bushes growing from gaping holes, where nature reclaimed what was rightfully its own dominion. The road had pointed north when she had taken it earlier that day, so she hoped that it was going to point her south again. If she found the scent trail that would lead her to the Vale, finding her way home would be easiest.

Somehow, it never dawned on her to find the coast and follow that. For a girl raised by the sea, it seemed like a heresy.

You lost, girly? asked a grizzled voice in the dark. Kalypso's knife was suddenly in her hand as she turned. A grizzled looking woman emerged from the woods, holding a lantern in her hands. Bad luck to be lost on a good moon night, she added, raising her finger skyward. Kalypso looked up and saw the sparkle of stars and the distant shine of the crescent moon.

Why is it bad luck? countered the Queen, feeling the irritation surging into her voice.

The moon watches and the moon will confuse you to make fun. Not as good as a full moon for finding ones way. Worse really, said the crone, her grin toothy, with more than a fair share of teeth missing from her maw. Kalypso scowled openly.

You speak nonsense. It's just the moon. It does nothing. Kalypso felt her teeth bare in warning, already tiring of the lunacy of a stranger.

I've got more years under my belt than you, girly, and I know a thing or two about how the moon makes magic stronger and weaker, and it's a twisted sort of night for sorcery. She was too sagely for a moment before she let out a cackling laugh.

Magic isn't real! she barked back at the woman, who only shook her head in disappointment.

--

She turned about a vaguely familiar voice, feeling her spine stiffen from surprise. Another body in the night, she thought absently, wondering how on earth she ended up in such a situation. A strange woman hollered at her about magic and the moon, while someone she had met previously found her in the dark.

Kalypso squinted at his features illuminated by the moon-crazed woman's lantern, remembering to the time before the Winter, when life was far simpler for her. She straightened, but the stiffness of her spine softened. There was far more fluidity to her form as she put up a hand, waving at the man.

Ah, Kaimu, unexpected but please, come help me convince this insane woman that this sliver of a moon is not about to curse us in the middle of night. She waved her hand toward the slightly bent woman, who shook her head, yet again.

I am about as sane as you, girly. No boy is going to be able to convince me I'm kooky, now. The crone eyed Hibiki as though inspecting something less than perfect, less than ideal, and sniffed audible. Twig like that, he could use some of my sturdy brew to get some meat on them bones, she declared, waving her lantern and making the fire dance shadows in sharp relief against their features.

Thank you for your advice, you old hag, but if you'll excuse me, I've more normal people to talk to. Kalypso stuck her nose up at the woman and moved with a quickness to Hibiki's side. She looped her arm with his and began to pull him in the direction that he came.

--

The old woman cackled to their turned backs, making the hair on the back of the Queen's neck stand up. It was an odd laugh, especially echoing off the trees as they moved away from the bright light of a burning lantern. It grew darker and darker, her voice more and more quiet, before only the moon lit the way and the only sound was their breathing and footsteps in the underbrush.

Kalypso walked a good ways, half-tugging on the man's arm until she was sure the kooky old woman was not following them and sighed heavily with relief. She slipped her hand free of his arm and turned to look behind them with some level of concern, and an equal dose of irritation, that was only interrupted by his words. She turned and smiled gratefully to him, wondering what on earth the odds could have been that he would come wandering by - that anyone would come wonder by, even.

Before she could say much in response, especially in gratitude to his timely arrival, he spoke and she smiled. Though, it faltered briefly at his proclamation that something had changed about Kaimu.

But his name was not Kaimu. At first she was puzzled, but from the dregs of her memory she remembered he had been hoping to claim his true name, his family name, and she had to wonder on the matter. "Oh, does that mean that you convinced your mother that you deserved the name? Or.. did you decide to heed my advice and take your own name as you saw fit?" she asked with a toothy grin, tail waving slightly behind her.

How was she supposed to know the sordid details of why and how his name was changed, the reason for his mother's hatred, and the drama of his life? She barely knew the man, only the things he had told her last.

--

Her expression changed in an instant the moment the man said "murder". Her lips tightened and her brows furrowed. He hardly seemed beat up about it, which was not exactly a big suspicious thing to notice considering the revelation that his mother did not love him or appeared not to love him. But he seemed unbothered by the fact that a murder had happened at all. It was such a strange thing not to worry about, unless the killer had been caught or it was accidental. But it didn't sit with her well, only because she felt that dull ache for her own mother, whom she knew loved her mightily.

Kalypso thought it was such a horrible shame that the woman could not muster love for her child, just because he looked too much like her father. What a horrible shame, indeed. But Kai- Hibiki was barely more than a stranger and she could not justify offering him comfort, not when he seemed keen to move on from the subject entirely.

She sighed heavily, shaking her head. It seemed death and murder was the order of the previous few seasons. Sapient had not avoided it, apparently, though she doubted that the reasons there were the same as the Court's.

I'll spare the gruesome details but there was kidnap, murder, treason, executions, ascensions. It's been a busy, busy winter, she added with a dry laugh, and looking a little distant. But the glimmer returned to her eyes quickly enough and she made a visible show of shaking off her negative thoughts.

Hands jutting on her hips, she seemed suddenly energized. Well, I guess your place is nearby? I need a place for the night, if you want to accommodate me? asked the Reine, her rise to power softly swept under the rug before she could even burst out the news of the revelation.

hi sorry this is a terrible reply bc I didn't even have her find him :B I figure she's like a stone's throw from him though >__> I'm so sorry

She gave a tight smile and a nod. Yes, things are better now, she said without a hint of the hesitation she really felt about the subject. Sometimes she wondered just good things were, if they really were better than they had been during Mistral’s rule. Her father was dead and she was forced to drag her fellow Courtiers up toward the sun by the stem. Sometimes it felt unappreciated, but she would be damned if she let them fade into obscurity.

Kalypso did raise her brow though at his words, as though he suggested they sneak back into the territory he resided in. Would she not be welcomed as a fellow ruler from a distant pack? It hardly seemed likely that she’d be punished for such a thing if she were constantly accompanied by a member of the Sapient people .

What would I risk? Are you people so unnerved by strangers within your borders? she asked, half-jokingly as she chuffed and shook her mighty mane of reddish brown hair. Though I suppose it’s too much to expect hospitality everywhere one goes, especially unannounced. In the middle of the night. The Reine touched a pair of fingers to her chin as she stared thoughtfully at Hibiki, though the correct term was more like she looked through him.

She snapped her fingers and rounded behind the man, pushing gently on his back with a mischievous grin upon her face. Okay, it’s settled. Take me to your home and show me the hospitality that your pack won’t! declared the Savoy woman as though it were not an incredibly rude thing to do. There was something that felt like a challenge to her; maybe it was the mention of risk? It also seemed she was disinclined to take no for an answer.

Kalypso knew little about Sapient beyond what her half-brother had told her on the matter. He had lived there before, growing grapes before he transplanted some and moved to his father's home. He seemed more than happy to divulge the details, but he had admitted that they were likely very out of date since he had been gone so long. He had mentioned meeting the leader in the bar that they had all seemingly gone to on more than one occasion, and he hinted at alcoholism that may have been rampant.

All-in-all, none of the things Alessan had said gave her any confidence that she even wanted Sapient as a potential friendly pack. Except for the trade and knowledge. There was something to be said about information as a mode of currency that she quite liked, but the distance was far too great.

I'm sure I can handle a leader. I'm hardly threatening, she said with a grin, spreading her arms wide to demonstrate just how nonthreatening she was. Except for the sword at her hip and the knife on her thigh. The sword waved lightly behind her, catching her attention and she peered down at it, before looking sheepishly back up with a laugh. Or.. mostly not threatening. Mostly.

He acquiesed and finally led her to Sapient and his home. A hush seemed to fall on them both, but Kalypso was content with silence. It felt mysterious and reckless, almost as though she were sneaking into the pack despite her escort. A little bit of spice made everything oh, so nice.

They stood before a building, the darkness of night swallowing like a hungry creature eager for more, but the shape was easy to see, especially as the man led them both into it. Kalypso frowned a little at the dilapidated structure for it was the very thing that motivated her to move the Court's main dwelling to something more wholesome, more proper for their sort of creature. She made no comment, though, as it was not her place to question why anyone would choose a rotting house for a home.

She smiled briefly at him as she crossed the threshold, passing by with only a glance. I hope you have candles. Or a fireplace? Or would that be a waste, do you think? asked the Reine as she put out a hand in the darkness, eyes adjusting too slowly to the dimness.

--

She was forced to wait for him to come carrying wood, for she had never thought to carry a lantern or candles on hand. Lanterns were a thing ships used and candles were for home. Both were relatively expensive to maintain, though Pascal had left them with a good amount of the candles. She ought to learn, but she doubted that her half-brother was willing to teach her anything besides the direction she should walk without stopping. Not that he would say as much but there was a distinct lack of affection on that front that did not stem from his odd monotone ways.

The room Hibiki led her to, though, was sparsely furnished, offering no real place to sit down and lounge as she was want to do. Instead, she hovered by the windows and peered out into the darkness. No one came to barge in to demand why a stranger was staying in the place. That was a good thing, no?

Kalypso would have helped more with the fire, but it was an ability that she was weaker in, for all that she had made fires often enough in her youth and in her life in the frozen north. It was Hibiki’s home and she did not want to step on his toes just to demonstrate how long it took her to get a simple fire going.

Once the flame was going, she settled herself down near the light. It was not the warmth that drew her, but the luminescence. For all that she was a creature that ought to have operated well in the night, the light was the thing she could ache for freely. An animal of the sunshine and brightness, Kalypso preferred it to the stifling dark.

Peering up at the man, she shrugged. If you want, I don’t mind one way or the other. We’ve all slept on dirt floors once or twice, what’s a little bit of wood to me? She was not going to demand a pelt or two, even if it would make for softer seating. You should sit and tell me how you picked your name; I’m dying to know, she suggested, wondering if it had anything to do with his mother’s death. And her murder.

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The hospitality of Sapient? Well, it was quite comical considering that they had snuck into the pack under the cloak of night like a pair of thieves. She understood hospitality as a display to all the people, a reminder that they were generous and supportive. This, this was just a fun little one-off that entertained them both. Kalypso was certainly amused by it, at the very least.

She shook her head at him as he disappeared, the echoes of creaking wood bouncing off the empty walls. Somewhere upstairs, he was collecting whatever it was he thought was needed. He returned with full arms and laid out a pretty display of furs to sit on. Granted, it felt much more comfortable to sit upon than the hard floor.

Not that she admitted as much.

He finally sat and launched into his story. Kaly pulled up her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to secure the limbs in place. He forcibly changed his name after his mother passed and she had to admire that he persevered to wait such a time while suffering. She would have damned it all to hell and changed it on her own whim. Not that she hated her name, but it was what she would have done in his place. Hell, it was what she had suggested to him before.

At least you didn’t pick a name like Fred or Sparkle, she replied, almost carefully. She had no clue what Hibiki actually meant. For all she knew, it could have meant something like pickle and she would have not known.

She flung her hands forward toward the heat of the fire. It wasn’t needed but it was somehow comfortable.

I wonder if I ought to change my surname or not. I’m just so attached to mine, she said toward the flames, more thoughtfully than wistfully. Without letting the air sit silent too long, though, Kalypso turned to the man and continued on, You must have hated your mother pretty badly.

--

She nearly laughed. Sparkle would have been a fantastic name. For a pony. She would have also accepted it for a dancer. Otherwise, no dice. No one on God's green earth ought to suffer through a name like Sparkle or Fred. His chosen name was far more meaningful and deep, so she merely nodded her approval of it. The meaning seemed appropriate, somehow, though she could not quite place her finger on it.

Much better than Sparkle, she nodded. And much better than being called "nothing" for the rest of his life like a perpetual jab to the love not given him.

Names were important and shaped a person. It had clearly shaped Kaimu - Hibiki - far more than anything else had. Just the issue of the name itself was his main dilemma in life. Kalypso had embraced her own name and accepted the stormy moods that came with it. Her name gave her a ferocity that came with a summer hurricane, a rage that was as sudden and cold as the rain that pelted a port town. It was within her blood and she accepted it.

Kalypso's smile vanished the moment he described his life with an uncaring mother. She could not imagine it. She could not put herself into his shoes whatsoever. Her lips tightened and tightened until they almost ached with the pressure of keeping back her scathing comments on who his mother was as a person. It was unacceptable. Kaly herself could be callous and cruel at times, but to her own flesh and blood? Never. Her mother raised her better than that. Family was far more important. Born of an affair and yet her mother loved both Leander and her without condition.

Your mother was a grosse chatte and there's no way around it, blurted out the Savoy woman There was no respect to give for the dead. Her face felt hot with anger over such a thing. I can't imagine what kind of fucked up person she was inside for such a thing. Couldn't even put aside the past for a child, she grumbled to herself, settling into an angry place. Bet she cared more for your siblings, too didn't she, the puta? she said with a glance to Hibiki, eyes dancing with a flame that was not necessarily born of reflecting the fire.

She could not imagine his life.

She really didn't want to.

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What a life. It ached in her chest just thinking about it. What sort of monstrous woman would tell such poisonous things to her son, to only one of her children? Even if Kalypso ever bore children, even if one looked like that man, she would not have presumed the child was in the same vein as the dead sailor. It was not fair and even if the sight of the child hurt, she hoped she would have accepted it and hid her distaste.

She could not fathom being a mother that did not love her children. She could not understand how someone could carry children and then tell them they were worthless. Risking her life for them and not considering them precious? What a sin and a shame. At least the woman was dead or else Kalypso would have found a way to do away with the bitch herself.

Violations of honor and promises were beyond redemption. Her own heart remembered the pain of such betrayal. Miwa betrayed her promise unspoken as a mother the moment she hardened her heart to her son. Kalypso would have happily ended her for the man.

But the topic was grim and she knew it was only going to drag the mood down even further than it already had.

There are better ways to gage things anyway. Parent’s approval is so fickle even at the best of times. You’re probably better off, she added flatly as she loosened her hold on her legs, stretching her toes toward the heat of the fire. Can’t say my mother has always approved of my choices, but at least I made them without reservations, she said with a shrug. Her choices had never been in pursuit of her mother’s, or father’s, approval. That had never been how Kalypso thought.

You should make more impulsive choices, suggested the Savoy, grinning sidelong at him, attempting to shift the topic.

--

She gave a great laugh, thinking that it was hardly impulsive considering she had nearly demanded that he do it in the first place. She had asked him to take her somewhere for the night, and he had obliged. It seemed more polite than spur-of-the-moment. Well, at least stumbling upon her was such a thing, and her demanding attitude was decidedly less thoughtful.

Alright, sure, she would count it as his first impulsive thing. Very well, a good start. I expect more in the future. Kaly gave a sagely nod toward him, as though accepting the claim. She missed his glance to the window, and was somewhat surprised when he rose to standing.

He disappeared upstairs with the intent of bringing furs, leaving her to sit there by the fire and relax on her own. She turned her own head out the window, marveling at the brightness of the moonlight out there. Certainly glowing, she had to wonder if the crazy woman in the mists had been on to something about sorcery.

The Reine huffed loudly, her noise covered by the creaking of the man’s footsteps. He had a handful of pelts with him that he offered her. Kaly took them and nodded, smiling at him as she got to her knees, beginning to lay out a spot for her to nest in. I appreciate it, she said honestly, nodding her head, before turning to focus on the bedding. At least he hadn’t offered to share it with her.