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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 0:16:26 GMT -5
Aritha's arms were full of sketches she'd done for a personal project as she walked down the hall, looking for either Natalie or Zeph. She had plans for both of her friends... in fact, if she could get her hands on one of them, they were going to get dragged to her room to try on clothes.
Ahead of her she could see someone running down the hall, and she narrowed her eyes. Yes, that was Zephyros... but...
Before she could even finish the thought, Zeph had crashed into her and knocked them both to the ground. She stood quickly, looking at him with concern. "Zeph? Zeph, what's wrong?"
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 0:20:04 GMT -5
Zeph stood quickly, looking around. He helped Aritha pick up her papers without a word, putting them in her arms... to keep them busy. Turning, he started to leave, still not speaking. The tears were threatening to spill and he didn't want her to notice. He just wanted to get to his room and lock the door.
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 0:23:47 GMT -5
Aritha dropped the papers again and grabbed his wrist before he could start running again, pulling him closer and to face her. "Zeph, tell me. What happened?"
She could see the tears lingering just short of pouring down his face, could feel how badly he was shaking. As he tried to pull away, she tightened her grip, grabbing his other arm and holding him so he couldn't get away. "Zephyros... my friend, tell me what happened to you?"
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 0:30:05 GMT -5
Zeph struggled against her grip, knowing he couldn't get away. She was too strong. As her hands tightened the tears in his eyes finally escaped, in physical pain as much as the emotional maelstrom that churned in his soul.
"Aritha, let me go. You're hurting me," he choked, still trying to pull away. She was starting to leave prints on his wrists, or so it felt. Let me go, let me go, let me go...Please just... let me go... He wanted her to let him go hide. He pulled away again, unable to get free of her impossibly strong by the looks of her grip. There would be bruises now, if he lasted that long. His heart felt like it would burst any minute. Tears kept pouring down his face as he struggled to get free.
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 0:32:04 GMT -5
"If you tell me what is going on..." she said softly. Her grip loosened enough for him to slip his hands free as she looked closely at his face, trying to see from his expression what had happened. Whatever it was, it had him completely disraught. "Zeph, please. I just want to help."
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 0:35:03 GMT -5
Zeph took advantage of her hands letting go just a tiny bit and slipped free, turning and trying to bolt down the hallway again. Aritha was strong, but she wasn't fast like he was. He couldn't see anymore, not with the tears pouring down his face. His throat was closed tightly, making it as hard to breathe as it was for him to see. It hurt as much as his chest, as his heart.
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Post by ianharris on Oct 20, 2009 0:44:32 GMT -5
This was a highly unusual day. Ian knew it was a highly unusual day because as he walked down the hall, carrying his books from his earlier class, he was actually whistling, something he had not done since third grade. He didn't even know what he was whistling - it was just random notes. Nevertheless, it made him happy, or maybe just not-so-depressed-all-the-time.
That all changed in under a second, when a bolt of pure motion collided with Ian, sending him crashing to the floor. For a moment after impact, Ian sat there, stunned. Then he reached for his books, a string of very nasty words that Natalie had taught him on his lips.
They died when he saw the face of the boy he had collided with. Zeph looked as though someone had run over him with a steamroller, and then dumped him in a river. And then run over him again. Ian, his books forgotten, leaned forward, still sitting on the ground, and grabbed Zeph's arm before the boy could bolt again. He could tell that Zeph wanted to run, and already, Ian was forming plans in his head that could prevent that. He was a HUGE fan of not using magic outside of class, but this was a special case, if it came to that.
"Zephyros." He said slowly, using Zeph's full name, which he never used. Damn EYES would not look at Zeph's. They focused on his nose instead. Close enough. "You look like shit. Can you tell me what happened?"
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 1:07:01 GMT -5
Someone else had him trapped... for a moment he just tried to pull away, and then Ian's voice cut through to him. He looked bad... small wonder no one would just leave him alone. He tried to pull free again, his entire body hurting.
Just let me go... I don't want to talk I just want to... go... He thought, tugging weakly on Ian's grip. He couldn't even think of what he really wanted right now. First Aritha, now Ian... was he going to run into all of his friends before he could get to his room? He just wanted to be alone. Trying to take a breath, he choked, finding quickly he was growing unable to even try to pull free. Getting a shaky breath past the tightness in his throat, he choked again, closing his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears.
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Post by ianharris on Oct 20, 2009 1:15:27 GMT -5
Ian loosened his grip on Zeph's arm. He was probably cutting off the blood to the boy's hand.
Seeing the expression on Zeph's face... killed Ian inside. He didn't have friends before Dunehelden, and while he had made several friends since arriving, Ian considered Zeph one of his closest after their conversation in the mess hall. And Ian did not like seeing any of the few people close to him get hurt. He felt like crying himself, but knew that he couldn't. Somebody had to help, and that somebody was going to be Ian, or at least, it looked that way.
"Okay... Zephyros..." He said, softening his tone. "Come here." Ian did a very un-Ian-ish, but necessary thing. He reached out and put his hands on Zeph's shoulders, drawing the crying boy towards him. "Go ahead and cry. It's alright." Trying to avoid the hesitation that usually came with Ian touching other human beings, he drew Zeph in. "Just let it all out, and then tell me what happened... so something can be done to fix it... it'll all get fixed, I promise. Just go ahead and cry first..."
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 1:25:38 GMT -5
Zeph stiffened, trying to pull away. He didn't want to cry on someone's shoulder, he wanted to go hide in his room. He shook violently, and then gave in, putting his forehead on Ian's shoulder. Continuing to shake, he took a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around Ian, sobbing like a small child. It was completely against every fiber of his being, but he couldn't help it. It just hurt so damn much.
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Post by ianharris on Oct 20, 2009 1:35:10 GMT -5
Ian let Zeph cry into his shoulder, ignoring the world around them. He was dedicated to a single purpose in that moment, and that purpose was to help Zeph. He rubbed Zeph's back tenderly - that was supposed to help, Ian thought. Ian could feel Zeph's tears soaking through his shirt... the boy was devastated beyond anything Ian had ever seen before.
"It's okay..." was all he could say. "Just let it all go..."
Ian still felt like crying, but he held it in. He could cry about how unfair the world was to Ian and his friends later. Right now, he had to be there for Zeph. So he just held the boy and let him keep crying, and wished that he could do more.
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 1:42:33 GMT -5
Zeph finally managed to rein in his tears, pulling his arms from around Ian. He knew Ian didn't usually... touch others. And maybe now that he could see, he could slip away and get to his room. Where he could really let go... The only question is... of what...
He swallowed, rubbing his eyes. "Th-thank you, I-ian. I... I need to go now..."
What is wrong with me... what do I do wrong? I thought... I thought... but no. I was wrong... I made a mistake I won't make again. he thought, closing his eyes. No, he would never make that mistake again...
Or any other.
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 1:44:09 GMT -5
Aritha ran up from behind them, relief flooding her features when she saw Zeph. "Thank God. Ian, thank you for stopping him..."
She knelt beside them, putting a hand on Zeph's back. "Zeph...? Hon, tell us what happened. Let us help."
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Post by ianharris on Oct 20, 2009 1:52:07 GMT -5
Ian reluctantly let go of Zeph, allowing the boy to pull away. When Aritha had run up... Ian had felt relieved, but not for himself. The more friends Zeph had around him, the better it would be for him. He nodded to Aritha. "It's not a problem."
Turning back to Zeph, Ian put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Zephyros... Zeph. We are only trying to help you. If you try to go hide in your room - which I assume is what you're in such a rush to do - it isn't going to solve anything. Please... we want to help you. Tell us what's wrong."
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 2:01:15 GMT -5
Zeph took a very slow, shaky, deep breath. He didn't want to talk about it... really... he... he didn't...
He started crying again, covering his face with his hands. "I- I f-f-found J-jason a-and J-jonath-than h-hugging a-a-and a-and J-j-jason n-never t-touches a-anyon-ne. E-ever. A-and a-a-and I th-think i-i-it's m-my f-f-fault. I-i-i m-m-must j-just d-dr-drive ev-veryone aw-way."
He choked, struggling to take in another breath as he continued sobbing. He couldn't take it... It was just too much. He curled up tightly, still trying to take that next breath. It just wouldn't come... not as deeply as he needed. Every time he tried, he started sobbing again.
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Post by ianharris on Oct 20, 2009 2:10:18 GMT -5
OH. FUCK. NO.Ian's hand, which until Zeph had finished was resting on his friend's shoulder, suddenly lifted from Zeph and tightened into a fist. Pure anger coursed through Ian's blood. He could feel the bile rising in his throat. His hands began to shake faster than they had ever shaken before. Spots of red began to appear in his vision. JONATHAN.The boy just couldn't give up. Jonathan was a schemer, and this was planned. This was revenge for the courtyard. Ian knew it. This was Jonathan's way of getting back at Zeph for the humiliation he had endured. How DARE he? How DARE he hurt one of Ian's friends? How dare he so much as TOUCH Jason? Jonathan would know what that would do to Zeph. He would have known the entire time. Ian stood suddenly, his fists clenched. "Aritha," He said, trying to be as calm as possible. "Natalie is studying in this hallway about a minute in the direction Zeph was running. Can you take him there? She can help look after him. I want to take care of something that should have been taken care of a long time ago." Jonathan...((Ian's plot continues here: Unexpected ))
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 12:03:41 GMT -5
Aritha wrapped her arms carefully around Zeph's shoulders, trying to comfort her best friend. She didn't really know this Jonathan, but from Ian's reaction... he did. And Zeph was completely crushed...
She was going to have to keep a very close eye on him for a while. "Ian... don't do anything foolish..." It was a vain hope, to think she was going to stop what Ian had planned. "Don't you think there has been enough hurt for one day?"
Carefully pulling the now completely limp mage to his feet, Aritha kept her arms wrapped around him in case he stumbled. There was no way Zeph could see with how the tears were pouring down his face, and she didn't want him to fall and hurt himself. Looking one last time at Ian, she slowly led Zephyros toward where Ian said Natalie was. She was going to need help with him... especially if what she feared he was planning was really lingering in the heartbroken young man's mind.
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 12:12:12 GMT -5
Zephyros had stopped hearing what was going around him after choking out what had happened. He felt Aritha pull him to his feet and let her, neither fighting or really helping. All there was to his entire being was a great aching hole; darkness and an emptiness that hurt like a knife was being twisted in his heart. He wished it was a knife. That way this pain would go away quickly. He willed his heart to stop beating as Aritha slowly led him down the hall.
The traitorous organ just kept pumping, forcing more agony through his system with each beat. He'd never felt pain like this... it was so strong he couldn't think, couldn't breathe. He couldn't even accidently summon a windstorm, it hurt so much. Usually when he was distressed or upset in some way, the wind echoed it, but not this time. Outside was as silent as before, as dead as he wished he was.
Just let me go, Aritha... leave me alone. Please, I just want to be alone.
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Post by natalieburns on Oct 20, 2009 14:15:40 GMT -5
Natalie sat on a bench in the hallway, reading a book Ian had recommended to her. When she saw Aritha coming towards her, half-supporting half-carrying Zeph, her heart started to race. Zeph looked... worse than Natalie had ever seen him. She lay Frankenstein on the bench and stood quickly, sprinting to help.
"Sit him down on the bench." She told Aritha quickly, indicating to where she had just been sitting. Then Natalie put a reassuring hand on Zeph's back. "Zeph, hon... what happened? Who did this to you?"
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 14:25:36 GMT -5
Zeph felt himself get pushed to a seated position, and just let it happen. He didn't hear anything except his own pulse thundering in his ears, saw only darkness even with his eyes wide, felt only the bleeding agony that made him want to die. He closed his eyes, sitting slumped over pathetically. Someone held him up... possibly more than one someone.
He couldn't focus on anything... his mind was blank, just... painfully empty. Still trying to will his heart to stop, his eyes opened slowly and appeared to focus on the stones he couldn't see. At least he wasn't crying anymore; he was too dehydrated to do so.
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 14:32:21 GMT -5
Aritha looked at Zeph's face, seeing the lack of anything in his face... the blankness frightened her. Zeph was always expressive, always open. She cupped his face in her hands, her dark eyes concerned.
"He found Jason and Jonathan hugging, and you know that Jason tends not to really touch others..."
She left it at that, turning back to Zephyros. He looked so... shattered. So broken. Like nothing could make it through to him anymore.
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Post by natalieburns on Oct 20, 2009 20:07:25 GMT -5
Natalie nodded slowly, rubbing Zeph's back comfortingly. "I understand." She bent down to look at Zeph's face, which was red and wet from the tears.
"Zeph, hon, you know that Jason is yours. Whatever happened... there was a perfectly good reason for it, and it wasn't whatever you thought it was." She smiled reassuringly. "Jason would never leave you. Especially not for Jonathan." She let the last word drip with the full hatred it deserved.
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Zephyros Aetai
Kitty Kat
Academy Junior: Small God
Even the mightest Hurricane started as the gentlest of breezes...
Posts: 1,380
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Post by Zephyros Aetai on Oct 20, 2009 21:12:00 GMT -5
Zeph didn't move, didn't react. It was as if he was unable to even hear Natalie's voice. He just kept staring at the floor in the same position he'd been in. His eyes were unfocused again, his pupils completely contracted to pinpoints. He was breathing, but it was obviously just an automatic reaction, his body doing what was needed to keep him alive.
He felt Natalie's hand on his back, and was very vaguely aware of her moving to look at his face, but he didn't even see her. Still, all he could truly sense was the black bleeding agony that should have been his heart. It felt like someone had laid him open, his heart and lungs exposed to the air and getting burned. He could feel his chest expand and contract, but it was like he wasn't... there anymore. Like everything that was happening to him was really happening to someone else and he was reading it in a book or something. Except if it were a book, he could stop reading and move to something else. For a moment, he tried to hold his breath... maybe if he held it long enough he'd at least pass out and be free of this pain for a little while...
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Post by natalieburns on Oct 20, 2009 21:53:30 GMT -5
Natalie sighed at Zeph's lack of reaction the world around him. This was ridiculous. Comforting Zeph could come later when he had managed to reorient himself in the real world. So Natalie did the logical thing at the time. She grabbed the sides of Zeph's head and raised his head so he was looking directly at Natalie.
"Zephyros Aetai." She said firmly. "You are going to snap back into reality. No matter what happens in the next few hours, if you hide inside your own head, it's all going to end up badly. Do you honestly think that you're going to get Jason back by sitting here and angsting? Do you?"
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 20, 2009 21:58:18 GMT -5
When Zeph somehow managed not to react even to that... Aritha finally got angry. Zephyros was being ridiculous. She pulled Natalie out of the way...
And slapped Zephyros across the face.
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