Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 16:18:30 GMT -5
Haneul had stayed behind when the ancient history class had let out. He sat in the back, closer to the window, toying with a lighter that someone must have dropped during previous uses of the classroom. He spun the flint wheel to summon the flame and idly ran it beneath his fingertips, watching as the flame licked his skin but did no damage. He felt the heat but did not feel the pain, and after a moment of watching the tiny fire dance, his mind began to wander.
Haneul did not dream often. Occasionally his unconscious mind would revisit times and places that stood out in his memory, maybe there would be a face or a name that he hadn't seen or heard in decades.
Most of his dreams, when he had them, involved little Nina. She had come to him as a tiny creature, wrapped in a coat that was far too big to be practical, held securely in the arms of some traveler who had come to the Li Temple seeking blessings for his unborn grandchild. According to the man, he had passed by an abandoned fox den and heard a child crying softly inside. When he investigated, he discovered the foreign child held within the coils of a massive serpent. The man fought the snake, sustaining many bites and scratches before he was able to take out the beast's throat with his dagger. Haneul had noted with no small surprise that the child bore no such injuries. She had smiled up at him, held her arms up high and cooed in a voice as clear as a bell, "Found you~!"
The girl spoke in English, which Haneul knew, and though she knew a fair amount of chinese, it was a Korean name that Haneul had chosen to give her: Paem-ah, the little snake. Haneul had never in his life known greed, but he coveted the girl as his own and in an instance of selfishness began to teach her Korean, his mother tongue, so that he may have something to keep the girl kindred to him more so than the other monks at the temple.
As he mused, a light smile broke Haneul's masklike countenance. He remembered taking the tiny blonde bundle to the small stone kitchen and setting her on the table. There she sat, swinging her feet slightly, her jewel eyes watching him intently as he made her a bowl of rice with bamboo shoots and berries. She ate quickly, answering his questions between mouthfuls of food until she had finished, smiling at him with grains of sticky rice clinging to her freckled cheeks.
How long ago had that been? Ten or eleven years now. And it had been six years since little Nina's voice had sounded so clear.
Haneul frowned at the lighter in his hand and let the flame go out.
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 16:39:19 GMT -5
Julien was wandering through the castle, always the explorer. Sure he might be skipping class but he was sure that no one that found him would really care. Besides, he hated math, none of it ever made sense to him.
He was walking down one of the halls in the University section of the castle when a small light caught his eye. He looked over to see Haneul, fiddling with a lighter. The boy watched the teacher's countenance change as he mused in his own head. Julien watched for a while, curious. He shyly stepped into the class room with his regular beaming smile.
"Hello, Haneul," he said in his seemingly ever chipper voice, "What are you up to?"
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 16:43:42 GMT -5
Haneul twirled the lighter deftly twixt his fingers and tipped his head to one side as Julien entered. This one had come to the Li Temple in search of the "Ageless Monk and Snake-Boned Daughter" legends.
Needless to say he had found them.
"I'm just thinking, Jul-ah." He flicked the lighter on again and the reflection of the flame danced in his dark eyes. "I was remembering how Paem-ah's voice used to be." A shadow of a smile passed over his features for a moment.
"I miss it."
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 16:47:45 GMT -5
Julien tipped his head and moved closer, sitting atop a near by desk. "Her voice wasn't always like it is now?" He inquired, staring intriqued at the teacher. "What was Niina like when she was little?" He chucked softly, "I bet she was adorable."
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 16:53:52 GMT -5
"It's only been like it is since her twelfth birthday."
Haneul leaned back in his seat and started to twirl the lighter in his fingers again. He became thoughtful for a moment, smiling lightly again as he half-closed his eyes.
"She was... is... the jewel of the Li Temple. When she came to me... us, she couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. She was only about this big--" he held one hand to show a height about level with the teacher's desk at the front of the room-- "and she had freckles everywhere. So yes, she was adorable."
Haneul leaned his head back and watched the ceiling for a moment. "Has Paem-ah told you what she's most afraid of?"
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 16:58:06 GMT -5
Julien pondered for a moment before answering, "I know she doesn't do well with heights, but I don't think she has ever told me what she is afraid of." He looked down at his hands, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners as he remembered some of the times he had spent with Nina.
"I thought she wasn't afraid of anything, except losing loved ones. And who isn't afraid of that." His brows furrowed slightly and part of his smile faded as he looked up at the teacher. "Why?"
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 17:03:11 GMT -5
"Just wondering."
Haneul closed his eyes against the memories that threatened to flood his mind. He had dreamed the night before, and what his unconscious mind had chosen to recollect was not something he wanted to go through again.
"Your noona is afraid of fire. Terrified, in fact." He flicked the lighter into the air and caught it again. His voice grew quiet.
"It wasn't always like that."
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 17:05:11 GMT -5
Julien watched the lighter for a moment, his brows furrowing more. "Why?" He asked softly, "Why is she afraid of it now?"
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 17:08:23 GMT -5
"Because it nearly killed her."
Haneul looked at Julien and arched an eyebrow.
"If her magic hadn't awakened at the moment it did, I wouldn't have my Paem-ah with me. And you wouldn't have your noona." On went the lighter again. Haneul idly ran his fingers over the flame. "If I tell you the story, you have to promise me that you won't let Nina know that you've heard it."
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 17:12:02 GMT -5
Julien's smile slowly vanished. He understood how serious this was going to be. He placed his feet on the desk so his knees came up under his chin as a rest. He softly hugged his legs and slowly nodded.
"I promise, she won't know."
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 17:29:38 GMT -5
Haneul nodded and moved to take the seat in front of Julien. He turned it around so he was facing the boy.
"We don't normally celebrate birthdays at the temple. Rather, we didn't until Paem-ah joined us. We would take her for a hike to the waterfalls on the other side of the mountain and let her pick out a rock, then one of us would carve it into a trinket for her as a present. We would cook her favorite food and she would play the guitar while some of the younger monks danced and sang for her."
Haneul couldn't help the smile that crept along his lips. It faded quickly, however.
"On her twelfth birthday, there was a raid on the village that the temple watches over. Bandits were attacking and we had to protect our neighbors." Haneul blinked. "Nina wanted to come. She had many friends in the village and wanted to make sure they were safe. But we told her no, that it was too dangerous and she had to stay at the temple with the handful of monks who were not able for whatever reason to defend the village."
A sigh escaped him. "It had started to snow by the time we ran the bandits off. It was growing dark, and in the twilight we were able to see a glow coming from part of the temple. The east side. Where the sleeping quarters were." Haneul's hands shook slightly. "Nina had been angry with us when we had left. She had stormed off to her room and refused to speak to any of the monks that had stayed behind. So she must have been asleep when the fire started..."
Haneul had to clench his fists to stop their shaking now. "I was the first the reach the grounds. The far end of the sleeping quarters was in shambles, and the roof had caved in from the flames. I and several of my brothers ran in in search of our Paem-ah, but we didn't find her until another half hour had passed." Haneul bit his lip. "It was Sanxin that found her-- hidden beneath her bedroll, buried under coals that were still glowing with heat. When we pulled her free, she wasn't breathing. But she had a pulse, and we were able to resuscitate her after a time... She was singed and had several burns, but none of them, miraculously, were life-threatening. When she finally woke up, her magic burst and she threw out a sort of energy shield that put out every candle we had lit in prayer for her."
Haneul finally had his shaking under control and looked Julien in the eye. "Apparently, she had fallen asleep soon after we had left. When the fire reached her room, she woke up and breathed in to scream for help, but she took in a lungful of flame and that's when her magic activated. It wasn't soon enough to save her from some permanent heat damage, which ruined her voice. But I had my Paem-ah, and I was grateful to whatever force might have saved her."
"I watched over her while she slept for three months after that. It was almost half a year before she could talk again. And her voice had never sounded as clear as it used to. I don't think it ever will."
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Julien
Vi
Bounce to you, bounce to you, nae gaseumeun neol
Posts: 160
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Post by Julien on Oct 13, 2012 17:39:04 GMT -5
A shiver ran down Julien's spine. He had always hated fire and the destruction it caused. He had lost more than one home to a jungle fire but never a loved one, thankfully. But he knew the fear and suffering all too well.
He rested his forehead on his knees and tried to not think about his beloved Noona getting hurt. He took in a deep breath and then let it out again. "Thank you for telling me. . . " his voice trailed off. Now all that he wanted was to hug Nina, make her smile, like he always did.
He slowly lifted his head and began to smile at Hanuel. "She's safe now, though and I'll make sure that she always is, if she lets me." He chuckled, "That is, if you don't beat me to it."
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Li Haneul
Keme
University Junior: Mage
The enemy is nothing but images and illusions. Break the image and you shall break your enemy.
Posts: 85
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Post by Li Haneul on Oct 13, 2012 17:41:35 GMT -5
Haneul smirked and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair.
"I probably will. But if I'm ever not there, I trust you will be. I'm glad Paem-ah has so many good close friends."
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