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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 9th March 2018, 6:22 pm

    Two fingers dipped into the thick, shimmering rainbow liquid which filled the smooth coconut shell laid beside the silvernette. They bobbed up once before diving slightly deeper into it, making sure to get a good amount twirled around her fingers before they were brought up to the empty crevice of her eye socket. Pressing the fingers into the chasm of healing and pale skin she would delicately trace over the worst parts of the scarring more carefully than the others. But overall, she would leave behind a good, thin coating on all the parts she could reach, watching herself apply the medicine using a clean puddle of water which had dripped down from one of the many stalagmites in the cave system. It no longer hurt to do this process, as she had been doing so for a good while now, prehaps for two or three months. It was a daily routine she easily got used to as the time went on. It no longer hurt or stung like it first did, and was more of an irritating coldness that would soon enough warm up once her skin got used to it. The eye itself was doing fine now. Of course, she would now regrow the eye. Not with the cursed energy embedded so deeply into it, but it at least was no longer infected. Astrid did not know how much longer she would need to apply this special formula, but Sirius had told her to keep doing it until the skin healed. Given how long it was taking? She would be at this for another good while.

    "Are you sure you want to do this?" A curious deep rumble came from the dragon behind her, who watched his student with steady golden oculars.
    She paused applying the liquid, thinking over her response with a somber expression before continuing.

    "No." Of course she wasn't sure. Going back to Peace Village, where her grandfather just died? Where Savage Skull slaughtered and pillaged her home village? Of course she wasn't sure if she wanted to face the aftermath of that, not right now, where she also just lost her own guild. So much loss happened in such a short amount of time, the elf hadn't known what to do with herself. Which is why she escaped to Terasu in the first place. Earthland was not a place she wanted to be right now. There had been too much pressure, too many overwhelming emotions, too much darkness. It was suffocating. Confused and scared the slayer found comfort in only a place far beyond it's skies. The planet of Terasu, a planet untouched by any of the sadness or destruction. She had been recuperating from the entire ordeal ever since. But now? It had been four months since she left. One month since Desiree came here and stayed for a while. Honestly if the guild master hadn't come and cheered her up a bit, assuring her everything was alright? She might still be tempted to just hide away here forever. But her fellow slayer, along with her newfound appreciation for the healing practice of belief had rekindled the elf's fire of passion. She was ready to continue her adventure again. Granted, very cautiously, but she was going to try nonetheless. It was time to stop running away, and face her problems head on.
    She had gone through so much on her adventure, and just life in general. This wasn't going to be the thing to break her.

    "You are unsure, and yet you leave anyway? I would say I am proud, but actions speak louder than words." Sirius narrowed his gaze. Astrid's body temperature decreased with his cold words. Not that she blamed him. He had continuously reminded her she could not run away from her problems forever, since she had arrived even. But it had only taken her until now to actually go through with it. He was probably tired of her. Most dragons lived in solitude all their lives after all, so having a guest stay this long with him would be draining. Even if he was more forgiving in the beginning, she has long outstayed her welcome. It was one of the main reasons she was leaving. It's the least he deserved since he helped her through this so much, some peace and quiet.
    She rubbed the liquid off on her skirt before placing the pink lily she had received from Desiree into the empty eye socket. She let go of the flower once she felt Nephthys' soul strings curl around it to keep it in place. The slayer pushed herself from her sitting position, and dusted her clothes off.
    She spun around to face him, giving a bright expression, something that had been missing from her face for quite a while.

    "Then I'll be sure to make quite the racket when I leave."
    The dragon's staring gaze lit up slightly, giving a small toothy grin.

    "I would like to hear that. Just be mindful of the other resistance on the mountain. If Wagner is disturbed from his yearly nap again he says he'll have my tail. And I'm quite fond of my tail."

    Astrid nodded, a small smile curving up the edges of her lips.
    "Of course."


    ...

    The trip from Terasu to Earthland had not taken too long. But of course, if you could run at the speed of light nothing would really be too tough when it came to traveling. It had taken her mere minutes to reach the portals, and only a few more to reach the edge of the village. It would have been even shorter of a trip, but her nerves of stepping off on the planet still clawed her way into her movements, slowing her down somewhat. She was nervous. Nervous of seeing people that knew her, nervous of getting blamed for the tragedy of Rose Garden, getting blamed for the fall of Golden Phoenix. Fingers were eventually going to be pointed, and she would once again have to fall under the spotlight and be questioned for her actions. And after her childhood? Getting pointed and yelled at was something she feared the most. But she had swallowed her nerves for a reason, and wished to help her village rebuild. It was going to be the first act of her never ending quest to help people, and a good way to get back into it. Right now? She was helping herself. But not just helping herself, also helping the people she cared about. It was killing two birds with one stones.
    However, at this moment before she began, there was something she needed to see before she could begin rebuilding her life.
    The cloaked figure of the elf wondered along the path of the village's cemetery place just a little on the outskirts, walking past the many new tombstones that were only just put in mere weeks ago. She had never really visited it much, at least not when she permanently lived here. She had no need to, not when it was such a gloomy place to be in. It had never held anyone she really knew, until now.
    Her dull red gaze traveled along the lines of stone, scanning over the engraved names until they landed upon a familiar one. Eustace Foss. She stopped just before it, and stared for a moment, taking it all in before kneeling down. It was really here, he was really in there. Just seeing it took her breath away. It was... Strange seeing his name on tombstone. When you're a child, you think the people that take care of you are immortal. It never really hits you until they're under the earth that humans are just as mortal as anyone else. Even now, her brain couldn't really comprehend he was really gone. She felt like if she went home she would see him working on some sort of machine. But that wasn't the case, and she knew it.
    She blinked once, bent her head downward, placing her hands onto her lap, and closed her eyes. She would take this time to finally say her goodbyes, and thank him for all he had done for her. It was the least she could do, since she had not been there for his last breath. A few minutes in, her one remaining eye would slowly begin leaking tears down her pale cheek.
    The reality of the situation, was finally settling in.
    He really was gone.
    Special Snowflake
    Special Snowflake

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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 12th March 2018, 2:26 am

    Every day was a somber day for Erika recently. She hadn't done much research instead she had just tried to catch up on her trashy romance novels and continue about her life. She had taken an extended vacation from her company work after she had retrieved Astrid's Grandmothers wedding ring from the group that stole it from Erika's home, and she didn't wish to focus on running a company right now. Her protege could handle it in her sted, he was smart though his designs were a little gaudy she could always fix it in an instant with a new brand so it was fine. The entirety of her time was now simply devoted to losing it day by day, trying to make herself feel a little less empty over recent events. Many had died by her hands and all because of one purpose, one person that she held value for. Before the past year or so Erika had only cared about a few people, one of which was her teacher Erika, whom she had taken the name from, and Sharp the only one that had seen who Erika was and hadn't judged her... well until a year or so ago. Astrid had seen her in that mansion and didn't judge her, a bitter and hateful individual deep down who tried to conquer her own rage and anger in order to live a better life and help others, out of some form of penance. Was she perfect? No, but that's fine no one was, and yes that included Erika. She knew she was far from perfect, she made up that facade to protect herself from others in a world she hardly knew at the time, and still doesn't know all that much about.

    The limited knowledge she has is evident that it took so long for her realize her feelings, and what she really wanted to keep her happy. Power, fame, wealth, all of it was just a tool to an end an end which Erika had never considered beyond acquiring more, but now she realized the point, she had just tallied a body count so high as to keep the coffin business rich for weeks, all for just a small ring that was the property of someone else's family. It was one of the first times she had fought for something that wasn't hers but another. That wasn't entirely true, it was for her in a way, just a different way than she was used to, not that Erika right now would have any of the courage in order to ask in the first place, which was also a first for her, but she had done it for two possible people. Judging by how things had gone with her father though she wasn't sure if anything like that would last, especially if Erika had a longer lifespan than Astrid or if Erika had a shorter lifespan than her, nothing was certain.

    As Erika wandered through the peace village she made sure to try and keep the old man's grave with flowers on it, though various animals and kids would sometimes eat or take them she'd show up every week to have some flowers placed there by her own hands out of a sign of respect. She owed him her life, it was just a shame she couldn't have saved him. At least she had saved her fathers and was now trying to grow closer to him, not as his little experiment but as his daughter and he as her father, though she found the calls awkward and hard, she grew the appreciation for knowing someone when they are alive rather than regretting it later, as with the case of the old man. Walking up to the grave site, she was in the same appearance she had when she was here during her recovery period. Getting up to the grave site Erika noticed another nearby, and instantly she felt it was Astrid. Erika for a brief moment contemplating leaving, she hadn't seen her in so long and she didn't know if it was right to disturb her, but she knew that her grandfather would want someone to comfort his little girl in this time since he wasn't around to do it.

    Slowly approaching, the assortment of flowers within both hands Erika made sure as to not make much noise, though she was sure the slayer could hear it, and gently placed the flowers down into the vase at the base of the grave.

    "He'll like these ones."

    leaning down to Astrid's Level Erika wouldn't look at her to prevent Astrid's embarrassment, instead, all she would try and do is place a hand on Astrid's shoulder.

    "It's okay Astrid, I don't have anywhere to go, take as long as you need."

    All she could do now is just simply be here in this moment, a strange feeling. No words just a prescence, and hopefully it would be enough.


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 12th March 2018, 9:16 am

    The elf knelt and continued to stay near the grave for a good while, even after she was done saying her goodbyes. It had taken her a while to get everything out. There was just so much she was thankful for. Him taking her in when her parents could not care for her, giving her a home, allowing her to hear, giving her the violin, taking Lucius in when no one else would, caring for Jiyu when her home life got a little too rough, saving Erika. He had done so much to improve her life, and without him she didn't know where or who she would have ended up as. The path was hard, very hard. The recent rough patches were some of the worst she had ever been through. But honestly, at this point? She regretted none of it. Of course, she was seeking to fix her mistakes. There were mistakes. Many of them. But they were done, and it was now up to her to fix them. Would she take them back if she could? Of course. Everyone would wish to take back their mistakes if they somehow found a way. But despite this being a world of magic, there was no such magic that could fix those mistakes. It was up to the individual themselves to make things right again. Astrid was no exception.
    It was time to move forward.
    It took a fair amount of time to get everything off her chest. She found herself rambling, even in her own head. She didn't want to take too much time here, so she wanted to finish it quickly. But that was easier said than done. Even after she had finally managed to finish, she found herself unable to move. She didn't want to move, despite knowing at some point she would have to. She could not force her gaze away from his name. Something kept her there. She was not sure what it was, but she did not fight against it. If her body wished to stay a little longer, she would. She saw no harm in it. The only reason she wanted to leave quickly was to help the others in the village. But if she wasn't completely satisfied by her visit to the grave, then what use would she be in rebuilding? So she figured a little longer would not cause too much damage. She was allowed this one thing, after all. To grieve. And so she would.
    The elf wiped the tears away with her sleeve, allowing herself to see more clearly and take in every sense and sight. After crying, she did feel a little better. Though now her nose was a little stuffed. Annoying, but she would get over it. Her face would most likely be red too... Maybe it was a good thing she was staying here a little longer. She didn't want to face the others in this mess of a state. Even in grieving, Astrid still had her stupidly high pride.
    It was after a moment of calming herself down, did a familiar soul wavelength enter the area. The silvernette was surprised at first, and even contemplated leaving the area. But knowing Erika? Well, she already knew she was here, there was no use in trying to hide. Besides, she was learning to face her problems head on. Running away? Would null that entire concept.
    Erika would approach, and place a vase of flowers at the front of the grave. Violets. Astrid was able to recognize the flowers instantly. They grew in their back garden every summer, after all. They were his favorite type of flowers, which became painfully obvious if one knew he named his own daughter after them. Though Violet never quite lived up to the name, she didn't really think her grandfather minded. The flower themselves were said to symbolize true love, and that said a lot about how he thought of his daughter despite her cold and harsh nature.
    Though a little shaky and nervous, Astrid calmed a little at her touch, followed by her words. It showed the slayer that the dragon was not here to question or judge her for her actions, which had been one of her many fears coming back here. Instead, she would stay by her side for as long as she needed. Though a little taken aback at first, eventually her expression grew into a soft smile.
    "Violets were always his favorite. But, we had such a hard time growing them. I would always pick them because i thought they were pretty, but by picking them i was just killing them faster... He was never angry though when i did. Instead, he would put the ones i picked in some water and put them inside the house. Despite the fact they were dying, they brought a little bit of liveliness to the room." From death, brought life. Even when she would accidentally kill them they would always just grow more, using the remnants of the old life for the new life yet to come. In a strange why now that she thought about it, that situation could be applied for this one. The past, was bringing life to the present, which would then funnel into the future. It was funny, how that worked. They were just like flowers, in a strange and wonderful way.
    The slayer would lean her head against Erika's arm. It was her way of giving her her hug, when their current positions didn't quite allow them to do the action. But for her? This was good enough. Just the physical contact alone brought her comfort. Having shown she was here for her despite her actions, had lead the silvernette to really think the only person she could find comfort in right now was Erika. Much like she did not judge her, she also did not judge her back. It was a nice feeling, one that warmed her chest with a fuzzy feeling.
    One single red ocular shifted upward to the blonde, giving her a soft smile.
    "So, did i miss anything good while i was on my break? Did Frontroad Girls release a new album?... Or did we get the next volume of Midnight?"
    How much had changed since she last was here? Nothing too major, she hoped. She wished to go back into society as soon as possible.
    Special Snowflake
    Special Snowflake

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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 12th March 2018, 3:05 pm

    Erika didn't speak when Astrid mentioned the memory, it was her time ti listen, not to question the girl or add to it, at least that's what Erika would want if her father were to pass away now, not advice but an ear to listen. Hopefully if her father should pass Astrid could listen to her as Erika had long since repaired her hearing. Violets were his favorite, well that was obvious due to how many there were, but Astrid thought she killed them by plucking them, she did but everything die's eventually, better to die beautiful than withered right? That was a scary thought to Erika again, her own life span, she had no idea how long she would live, but maybe it was for the best, so she could just enjoy these moments more than if she knew again didn't have the curse of mortality thrust upon her.

    Astrid shifted gears and asked about more mundane things, though Erika was happy to reply, it amused her that over their time coming back from the trip they had discovered they liked some of the same stuff, though Erika would never have admitted such objects of enjoyment to anyone else as they were too... degrading in her mind, guilty pleasures mostly.

    "They released a new album, but it's mostly about break ups and such, it's not that great to be honest their olderived work is better, still worth a listen I suppose, as for midnight. They finally got together but then there was this weird like imprint thing and a giant fight that never really happened, I don't get why the baby was taboo in the first place, if that baby was taboo then I guess I'm taboo, but whatever, I wanted more but it was fine. Really weird sex scene though, almost like the author was trying to quite their fantasies instead of reality. "

    Erika stated with a calm voice, answering truthfully.

    "How have you been Astrid? "


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 12th March 2018, 5:26 pm

    It was a shame about what she would consider to be one of her favorite bands. One of the few things she hoped to do when she came back was maybe relax a bit and listen to some new tunes. She enjoyed their barrage of mushy romance songs that helped them explode onto the scene when she was younger. But the break up song routine was a little old by this point, and totally out done. Every musician these days were out to bank on this new crazed obsessions with break up and dramas. Astrid wasn't really for such music as that. She much preferred a happy tune over a sad one. It was shame, but she would probably give it a listen anyway. It was one of the few bands both her and Erika liked, so even if she also didn't end up enjoying if they would at least have something to rag over for a while until the new one. Even then? Astrid knew deep down she would end up buying the vinyl. T'was the life of a fangirl. You found yourself buying the things even you hate about a certain group or individual, just because you want to support them. Plus, well, vinyls were always nice to have. Nothing could beat their nostalgic sounds.
    As for Midnight, well, without context to some of the book it was a little hard to understand... But the series was known for it's strange twists and turns. It seems the author was having some trouble coming up with ideas now. It was a shame, despite it being a bit too much of a fangirl feast for some Astrid rather enjoyed the gushy romance between Ella and Bedward. I mean, a forbidden romance between a werecat and a human? What was more wild and interesting was that? Though, once you realized Ella made love with a cat... It got a little strange. But that wasn't the point. The point was they loved each other, but their species were keeping each other apart. As long as they kept that concept, she was fine with reading what others would considered hot garbage.
    "Well then, sounds a bit intense... I'll have to pick those both up some time." She knew she would enjoy both either way. Both were things she loved to listen and read. It was sure to bring her back to being home once again.
    Then her next question came. The elf tensed up a little. How was she supposed to answer that? How was she doing?
    The slayer sat there in thought for a moment, pressing her lips together.
    "As good as i can be..." Other than the missing eye, the dead grandfather, and the destroyed guild? Yeah, she was pretty okay. She was at least better than she would have been if she stayed here and wallowed in her sadness. Sirius had done his job well, and managed to bring the girl somewhat out of her rut. Of course, everything that happened was still etched into her mind. She would not forget the pain of getting her eye torn out, and leaning of Golden Phoenix's demise. But at least now, it didn't bother her as much as it first did.
    Though, the guilt of it all... The guilt of running away for so long, the guilt of not telling Erika where she was going, the guilt or not seeing her for so long and then just coming back one day... Erika hadn't deserved any of it. And yet despite this, the woman was still treating her like nothing had happened, which in a way just made her feel more guilty.
    One soft crimson eye looked sadly down to her lap, leaning back over to sit up straight.
    "... I'm... I'm sorry i just disappeared like that. It was a foolish thing to do in my condition... But i didn't know what else to do." As she explained, her voice started to quiver. Tears began to prick once again at the edge of her eye. "I left you... Lulu... Wolfy... Kaisto... Shizuka... Everyone, for so long. Just because i got into a little trouble. I failed to protect my guild, i failed to control my temper, i failed to protect myself, and i failed to think about others and how they were feeling." Her vision blurred, as once again warm tears rolled down her cheek. Silver blood also started to drip down the other cheek, under the empty eye socket. Because it was not completely healed and it was trying to produce the same action as the other eye, it instead ended up ruining some of the scabbed scar tissue, allowing blood to flow freely down her face. Silver blood and clear tear droplets dripped onto her arm as her hands gripped the edge of her dress, trying to suppress the pain both in her eye and her heart.
    "I-I'm so... So sorry. I just wanted to get stronger, so i could protect you from anything like that again. But all i did was isolate myself from the problems." She didn't expect to be forgiven, not for anything she did. She was the one that caused so much hurt, for a lot of people. She was going to have to carry that the rest of her life.
    She raised an arm, trying to rub the blood and tears away. "Now all i'm doing is crying in front of the grave of someone i loved. I... I don't want this happening again."
    She didn't know if what she was saying made sense anymore. There was so much she had to think about that it all just jumbled together. Plus now she was crying, in front of Erika. It was embarrassing, but she couldn't find it in her to stop.
    She wanted to protect the people she loved so much, but she kept failing, even when she tried.
    She didn't know what else to do.
    Special Snowflake
    Special Snowflake

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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 16th March 2018, 3:45 am

    There she went, going from pretending to be happy to the real emotion of grieving and sorrow in an instant. When would Astrid learn that being honest with herself was the way to go, yes she had made horrific mistakes and done terrible actions, but if anyone was to not cast the first stone it would be Erika, just how many generations of families had been cut short by her? More than Erika would ever care to remember, and she had a near perfect memory. As the silver-haired girl stopped leaning on Erika in order to cry once more Erika was prepared to listen to her, and to just sit there and be a presence to help her, but looking over towards the side of her face, Erika saw the blood drip down the other side of her cheek from the wound in her eye. Erika didn't understand how that was happening, but she didn't want to allow that to continue. Reaching one of her hands over to Astrid's face to wipe the blood away Erika moved in front of the silver-haired elf. Gently wiping the blood Erika tried her best to make a smile.

    "Astrid, everyone does something they regret, but you are alive so don't cry tears of shame, because your grandfather certainly wouldn't cry them, he would cry tears of joy because of how mature you have become."

    Erika's own eyes had a shimmer of the stars within them as she started to become a little sentimental right now towards Astrid, and in a rare moment might start crying herself.

    "Astrid, I was the one who failed you, I wasn't there for the guild and I wasn't there to save you from getting your eye removed if anything I failed you. I want your forgiveness for that, but more important than that I finally have enough sense and courage now to understand feelings I had never considered before. I know I've said it before to you but..."

    Leaning in slowly Erika guided her face to try and match up with Astrid's, Erika's own lips hovering before Astrid's.

    "I love you Astrid, no matter how many mistakes, faults, or flaws."

    Kissing Astrid Erika would have tears start to fall from her eyes from a feeling of melancholy that she oddly wished wouldn't pass her by, but instead stay within her for a while and shape her to become not a scared running away little dragon, but someone who was worthy of anothers affection, and was mature enough to handle the responsibility of it all. her only regret was it took the death of someone who had been selfless to her, for her to learn this lesson.


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 16th March 2018, 9:58 am

    Despite trying to continue to wipe away the blood and tears herself, they just kept coming. Nothing she did could seem to stop them. She continuously told herself to suck it up like an adult, but for once she was not able to listen to herself. She had done so well, trying to keep her sadness hidden. She did not want to bring such a negative emotion with her on this new journey, and defiantly not present it to Erika of all people, who was a person who didn't deserve to dwell in such negativity. This was her burden to carry, and no one else's. But even when Erika pressed a finger to her cheek to wipe some of the silver blood away, Astrid could not stop sobbing. Her sadness was just so overwhelming that trying to keep up a happy facade no longer worked. It was like a bottle that was overfilled. Despite trying to keep the waterworks in all this time eventually she was unable to hold them in. Even so, Astrid hated it. She hated crying in front of people, after being such a crybaby in her youth. She wanted to move past those days, but she had so many emotions that it was hard to hold them all back.
    When the dragon moved in front of her to try and stop the blood more the elf's solemn gaze refused to met her's. She was too embarrassed. So instead, her single eye moved down to the ground below them. Her cries began to soften with small sniffles until eventually the tears did begin to subside, all that were left on her face being remnants of the salty liquid.
    Erika comforted her with her words, which was something she never thought she would say. Erika... Seemed different than the Erika she had seen all those months ago. She was a lot more docile, laid back, emotional. What had happened in all those months she was gone? What had happened to the thread mage that had caused her to become this way? Not that it wasn't nice, it was, especially with everything going on. But Astrid was curious to know what had changed the egotistical dragon's heart to drastically.
    Perhaps, it was the guilt. Erika had a lot of guilt and regrets, just like Astrid did. She felt she had failed her, by not protecting her or the guild. Which was funny, seeing as how the elf had the same exact regrets. They both viewed they had failed each other, but they also didn't view that the other had failed them at all. How did that work? Erika hadn't failed her, not at all. It wasn't the dragon's fault everything had happened the way it did. She was the one who saved her, after all. How could she have failed her if she saved her life?
    About to refute these claims the thread mage was throwing out so willingly Astrid found herself at a sudden loss of words when the dragon's face inched close to her. Her mouth had been open to argue against her, but it closed the second Erika approached closer, and declared her love.
    Being too caught off guard to do anything Astrid's breath was taken away when the thread mage pressed her lips into her's.
    A kiss.
    The elf sat there in shock for a few minutes, unable to process the event that was currently happening, her one crimson optics widening drastically. Of all the things she had expected to happen today, this was not one of them. In fact, all she had expected today was to help her village rebuild. What she hadn't expected? Was to meet Erika and then kiss her.
    ... But did she mind?... The longer she sat there, the more she realized she really didn't. At all. In fact, she was quite accepting of the idea. It was something lovers did as an exchange of their feelings, and even if it had taken Astrid just until a second ago to realize this, she loved Erika. She loved Erika so much, that it hurt to be away from her for so long, to go so long without seeing her. Finding her here and seeing she was willing to accept her despite everything, had made her the happiest she had ever been.
    The elf's heart fluttered in excitement, as she finally found the courage to return the gesture. It was a bit awkward, of course, but everyone's first was a bit awkward. She hoped the dragon would not mind she was a bit inexperienced, even with how many trashy romance novels she read. But reading and actually doing were two completely different things.
    Astrid would disconnect only when Erika would, blinking once before a blush burned onto her cheeks. She couldn't believe what they had just done. She did not hate it, not at all. But it was just so sudden, and the feelings had been so powerful... It was a little overwhelming for the girl who up until now had never really expected anything so raw in the love department before.
    "I-I... I w-" she elf stumbled upon her words after a moment of silence. She closed her eye in concentration, trying to swallow down her embarrassment. "I... I wu-wu-w-wuv-w-"
    Growing more and more frustrated with herself the blush would burn even more red, balling her hands into fists to try and calm herself down so she could get her words out.
    "I... WUV... WOO TOO!" She swallowed her embarrassment, but didn't quite get rid of that speech impediment of her's... Which then just made her even more embarrassed than before. Erika had never heard her talk in such a way, a lot of people didn't. When she was a child she had trouble speaking, due to being deaf. Over the years it had gotten better. Of course she still struggled sometime,s but ti wasn't as apparent as it was back then. But with such intense emotions, the elf found herself slipping back into old habits.
    Unsure if Erika would make fun of her words Astrid covered her red face in her hands, as if by hiding her face the dragon would not be able to see her at all.
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 16th March 2018, 1:04 pm

    Astrid embraced the kiss back which was a relief, Erika couldn't imagine what would have happened if Astrid was like "Nah bro I hate you." Erika would have probably just thrown the ring down her throat and told her to choke on it, especially since Erika had just spent a good couple of months killing every single member of a mafia in a cold-blooded style fashion. That was probably why Erika was so calm down, she had gotten enough murder out of the way for a life well for a long while at least, Erika was sure if need be she could kill more people it wouldn't be that hard but for now the world should consider itself lucky that she had her fill. Pulling back from the kiss which had turned loving, Erika's ears were met by Astrid's words. They were strange, she sounded like she was crying and struggling to get out the words at the same time. Granted she had just been crying and Erika too felt the sting of tears but this was different. Did Astrid just get a speech impediment? She said that she wuved Erika, and Erika couldn't help but let out a chuckle even if it was horrifically insensitive.

    "What was that?" Erika laughed slightly, "It was like a little kid!" her voice was a bit elated but one could hear the soft color of sadness among her words, due to the tears still falling if not slowly.

    "Well.." Erika stated getting some composure back slightly. "If that's how you say you love someone, I think it's the sweetest sound I could hear."

    Putting a faint smile on her face Erika stood up and wiped the tears from her face and tried to become a little more serious right now, even though that would prove difficult beyond momentary bravado. They couldn't spend all day making out in front of a gravestone, well they could but it would be a little weird, and while Astrid's grandpa probably enjoyed the view, that old pervert, Erika didn't think it would be too appropriate to stay here the entire day.

    "I have to say though, as much as he probably enjoys the view of the two of us we probably shouldn't sit in front of the grave the entire day, we can come back later, but I doubt that you aren't hungry right now Astrid, and tired. Come on, it's on me."

    Erika stated by pulling out and flashing her black lacrima card because of course everything is a lacrima something get over it. Hopefully, it wasn't insensitive to ask for Astrid to leave the grave site, but Erika figured that if Astrid kept crying here she would get a cold, or would never leave and that wasn't healthy, would be better to visit in spurts rather than let the girl sit there for days on end wallowing in self-pitty.


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 16th March 2018, 2:01 pm

    Astrid held her face deeper into her hands, burning even more brightly when the woman laughed at her, saying she sounded like a little kid.
    She couldn't believe she had slipped up, at such an intimate moment too. It totally ruined the mood.
    The elf removed her hands to pout at the thread mage like an embarrassed child, really only backing Erika's words further. "E-Es not funny!" her voice continued to waver with her embarrassment, though it was becoming more calm as time passed. Usually with these moments? Her weird speech pattern didn't last long. It was a spur-of-the-moment type thing, where she got so caught up in all the emotions that it completely fried her brain. Or, at least what was left of it. But this hadn't happened in such a long time, the elf almost forget about her speech impediment herself. It took a lot to activate it. Guess that said a lot about how she truly felt about their first kiss.
    ... Her and Erika kissed... It was a strange thing to think about. If it didn't just happen, the elf would find it hard to believe herself. It felt like a dream, unreal. But, it would not be easily forgotten.
    After a moment of still being embarrassed Erika brought up the idea of moving. Which, right about now, would be a good thing. They had just shared a kiss in front of his grave... It was a rather strange scene for someone's first kiss... Her grandfather was probably happy about it, but she was right. It was about time they moved on. She could come back later if need be. But the journey here had worn her out. It may have only taken her a couple of minutes to get from the portals to Peace Village, but running that fast consumed a lot of her power. To say she wasn't exhausted from that and just her time on Terasu? Would be a lie.
    Over time the red from her embarrassment faded, and so did her tears, a soft smile etching onto the corners of her lips as she looked up to Erika. "That sounds like a good plan."
    Though, as a sudden thought popped into her head, that soft smile of her's quickly turned into a devious smirk.
    Opening her mouth in a wide yawn Astrid would stretched her arms up, before flopping backwards upon the grassy ground.
    "But i'm soooo tired. How will i ever make it back to the house when i don't have the energy? If only there was someone here strong enough to help me home. Oh, woe is me!" She placed her hand upon her head for dramatic effect. Exaggerating her voice, Astrid would pause, and glance back over to the thread mage. If Erika remembered well enough, she was trying to replicate how the dragon had talked to her after the Sombra job. The job, where they had bonded so well. And also the job Erika had forced her to carry her back from... It was just a tiny bit of payback, while also trying to lighten the mood a little.
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 9th April 2018, 1:31 am

    To Erika it was pretty funny how embarrassed Astrid was acting right now, it was just a simple kiss, though Erika could understand it a bit, it was special compared to what Erika had felt before. This kiss was different, it wasn't just for her own satisfaction but to be with another, which while she laughed at Astrid, Astrid was merely expressing easily what Erika was feeling on the inside. She scoffed at herself a bit as she realized she was getting soft after all of this time. Perhaps getting a bit soft wasn't such a bad thing if she could have more moments like this and fewer moments attempting to kill her own father, though she now shuttered at the idea of having to try and kill her own sister and mother. It was inevitable, unlike her father who had tried to help her survive as a child her sister was most likely brainwashed by her mother and her mother was probably completely beyond recovery. As she briefly thought of that Erika got a bit jealous of Astrid, yeah her life hadn't been that great, but at least she knew some parents and wasn't just a tool for the longest time. Perhaps Erika just killing all those people and trying to take over was her just lashing out at her parent for treating her so terribly, or maybe it was just her inner desire to conquer, or maybe both.

    Or perhaps none of it mattered because Astrid was now pulling a stunt of pretending to be unable to walk. That was a load, she totally could who did she think she was fooling... wait was Astrid getting revenge on Erika for oh so long ago when she had Astrid carry her back? Astrid could hold a grudge!? That's a surprise, she normally wasn't so... malicious. Could Erika be having an effect on her or did Astrid change a bit in the few months she was gone? It was probably that she had changed, maybe grown up a little bit became less naive? Maybe the two of them were rubbing off on each other a little too much, though not in that way at least not yet anyway.

    "I didn't know you could hold a grudge, Astrid... Oh well, come on."

    Erika could have lifted her up with threads, she could have just moved the space around her to have her float there, but despite the fact that Erika knew it would be harder, she bent down and picked up Astrid in her arms, and hoisted her up. Erika would have to focus a bit to make it so she was strong enough for the time being to keep this up and not ruin the moment, but if she was going to do it, and fair was fair, Astrid actually carried her, so Erika would actually carry Astrid. Cradling her legs in her left arm and back in her right Erika looked down at Astrid and smiled.

    "Well then my princess you know this village better than me, point the way to your favorite spots, and I shall carry you away."


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 9th April 2018, 3:09 pm

    In all honesty? Maybe only half of her act was a joke, an act of revenge for when the thread mage made her carry her all those miles back at Sombra's mansion. The other half, was genuine exhaustion. Living on another planet and only training for four months on end did take it out of you. And on top of it all, the elf hadn't had a proper meal or bed to sleep in for ages. Sirius' usual meal for her was just consuming the light in the air around them. And the bed, was simply made out of moss and leaves from the vegetation around Terasu, or sometimes when she was lonely or crying, it would end up being Sirius himself when she needed a little extra support. So, not entirely the best conditions. She was sore, she ached, and overall she was just tired. Nothing was more tempting to her now, than the idea of a nice physical meal and a comfy bed to rest on. She hadn't really thought about it, at least not until just right now... But this, right at this very moment, was the least stressful her life had been over the last couple of months. Now that everything had settled down, the slayer was finally be able to breathe again, at least for now. The fact that she finally noticed she was tired and was able to admit it only backed this more. Even worse things may be ahead, but at least right now, they would be able to relax and take a load off for a while. As much as she hated not doing anything, for at least a short amount of time, she was willing to get mad at herself and just relax. She deserved a little bit of peace after everything, didn't she? Actually, they both did.
    Astrid wasn't sure if the dragon would actually give in to her little request to be carried. Really, she had assumed the thread mage would see she was more than capable of moving by herself and would tell her to stop being lazy. So, she was plenty surprised when Erika actually pick her up. Bridal style, of all things. The elf would let out a tiny little squeak, holding with one hand onto Erika's clothes once she was picked up. The slayer's one red eye widened, slightly tense at the sensation of being held, fearful for a few moments that she might end up dropping her. But feeling that Erika had at least somewhat of a good grasp on her, she relaxed quickly. The silvernette looked upwards to Erika's smiling face, her expression closely resembling a deer caught in headlights, surprised by the dragon's willingness. She genuinely didn't seem to mind this too much, even if Astrid had been joking about it. The slayer's face reddened once more, feeling that flutter within her chest again. Princess? Did she just call her princess? It wasn't even said in a sarcastic or teasing manner, she had called the elf her princess. Normally? Such nicknames wouldn't get to the slayer at all. But for some reason, when Erika said them, they meant a lot more.
    "H-Home would be nice" the slayer manage to force out, looking to the side. As much as she would like to look around the village and see what would need repairing, right now, all she really wanted was a place to rest that wasn't in front of o her grandfather's grave. Plus, you know, she was already embarrassed enough as it was. If the two of them went around the village like this, she would probably die from the embarrassment.

    "By the way-" she would interrupt once Erika would begin walking, casting her gaze up once more to the blonde. "-None of anything that happened was your fault. Really, if it wasn't for you i wouldn't even be here right now. So don't think you have to gain my forgiveness, because you never lost it in the first place." It had been bothering the elf for the last couple of minutes, how the dragon thought for some reason she was to blame for everything. She wasn't. If anything, a lot of the blame was actually on her. Her rash behavior, her blindness. Erika had simply saved her from herself. Her very own knight in shining armor.
    ... Which was ironic, seeing as how she was a dragon. But, she guessed the dragon wasn't always the bad guy. They had hearts too.
    Still clinging onto the thread mage's shirt for a bit of support, the slayer would close her eye and fully lean into the woman, nestling the side of her face into her chest. "My dragon knight." Feeling the most comfortable she had felt in a while, the elf would be lulled to sleep by the dragon's warmth and support as they carried on. She may become a little heavier to the girl, just because she would now lean her entire weight into her... But even then, it was barely a noticeable difference.
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 7th May 2018, 1:04 am

    Erika didn't reply to Astrid, she knew that no matter what she said, Astrid wouldn't be convinced that Erika believed her, mostly because Astrid still blamed herself for everything. In reality, Erika should have been there to stop all of it, but she was too busy off taking care of other business, distracted and away, leaving the guild and everyone vulnerable. Now Astrid was missing an eye, and blamed herself for everything, Erika really did suck at this whole defense thing, didn't she? Well, Erika never had to defend anything before, and this was half the reason why she never wanted to because she knew people would come after those she grew a fondness for and Erika didn't know if she could save them. This feeling of vulnerability left Erika feeling desperate to get stronger, but she didn't know how she possibly could. She had reached the peak of her magical capabilities and she probably couldn't get stronger.

    As she held Astrid in her arms and Erika saw her fall asleep, she started to view that none of that mattered right now. Erika could worry about the future and all the worries and possibilities and just focus on the moment. At this moment she held Astrid and could count herself as happy. While she could worry about what the future would bring and all the hardships she would have to endure, right now she just needed to focus on what was important and the person who needed her. Erika felt weird at this thought as she walked around the outskirts of the town towards Astrid's grandfather's house, though she supposed it was now Astrid's house. For the first time, she wasn't just holding her own heart within her hands but another's heart, and Erika was both happy and terrified at this prospect.

    Arriving at the grandfather's house Erika opened the door with a few simple threads and went into what she presumed was Astrid's old room, the room which still had all the girly wallpaper and dolls. Erika noticed a few of the dolls were cute, she didn't have any as a child so she was a little jealous that Astrid had so many, though Astrid's life wasn't easy either for different reasons. Still, if Erika had gotten at least one teddy bear she would have been happy, oh well no use in crying over such things, when Erika could try and be productive. This house was completely out of sorts, and it was up to Erika to make sure that it would be up to snuff.

    In an instant, several clones appeared within the house and Erika placed her hands on her hips and smiled towards them.

    "Alright, let's clean this entire place up!"

    "Well, of course, all of you can clean it up, I'll supervise."

    "Wait... you are going to supervise? I'm not doing petty work."

    "Exactly, why should I do the work, we should just get some kids off the street to do all the work, the payment is we don't kill their families."

    Exasperated Erika threw her hands into the air. "LOOK, I made you guy's you have to do what I want, now get to cleaning!"

    "just because you made us doesn't mean we are your slaves."

    "We demand equal rights!"

    "I won't be oppressed just because of someone's foolish ego!"

    Frustrated Erika started to boil under her own skin. "I'm not arguing this." At that moment she shut down their personalities, so she wouldn't have to listen to herself insult her. In their last gasping moments the clones shouted out, "You can't hide... the truth..." but Erika was far past this entire distraction, and in that instant, she forced them to change into maid outfits, mostly to mock them but also because if they were to work they should be dressed for it right? That and Astrid had some weird accent that reminded Erika of maids for some reason.

    As the clones got to work cleaning up the room, Erika decided despite the time of day she would attempt to cook something, though Erika didn't know when Astrid would wake up she figured it wouldn't be too long, since Astrid tended to wake up at weird times, concerning but she didn't tell Erika about it so Erika didn't ask right now, that and Astrid might be over it. Still Erika would try and cook slowly so it didn't get cold... that or Erika could always heat it up with her flames... that sure would be fun.


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 11th May 2018, 4:41 pm

    "Am i supposed to recognize you? I've seen many kidnappers in my day, but none of them like you. Now are you going to answer my question properly, or are you going to refuse and just suffocate that poor soul inside of your being?" A snappy comeback, a little too snappy for her current situation. But well, she was getting kind of annoyed with vague answers. That's all kidnappers did these days instead of getting straight to the point. It was getting a little old. All she wanted to know is why she was here so she could kick her ass and get out of here as soon as possible.
    ... Why did all of what she said sound so familiar? This room too did as well. The small, circular room with nothing but a bed and a few tables and draws scattered off to the sides, most obviously supposed to make her feel comfortable and welcomed only for it to have the complete opposite effect with the strange yellow feline watching her off to the side with fiery red eyes. The elf could have sworn she had seen all of this before, like it wasn't her first time here. A wave of deja vu consumed her mind, and she wasn't able to shake it off. It was a strange feeling, prehaps the yellow furred cat in front of her was causing this feeling? She did not know, this creature was outside the realm of her knowledge. All that she knew, was it could speak, and it was consuming a weaker, smaller soul inside of it. But her thoughts of how weirdly familiar this scene was did not and should not matter to the slayer right now. What was more important, was escaping this place and returning back home to Golden Phoenix.
    A growl came from the two tailed feline, its eyes glowing a bright ruby red against the dimness of the candlelit doom. For a moment, upon the bed of silk sheets from which she had awoken, Astrid found herself faltering in her forced confident persona, wincing back slightly under the assertive gaze. It looked as though she had struck a nerve with that comment, but she was not about to let the feline simply kill off an innocent soul like that. She had to do something- anything. Perhaps making the cat angry was not the best thing to do, but the cry from that soul deep inside of her was not falling onto deaf ears. It pained her to see the beast keep hurting something so fragile like that, if it couldn't stand up for itself, then someone had to.
    The cat unsheathed its claws, gripping onto the edge of the draw, flexing them as if it was supposed to intimidate her. Those puny claws? Didn't really do the trick. She had dealt with cats scratching her as a kid, mostly because she wasn't able to read when the picky animals had enough of her hugging and petting. And while this cat's specific species was unknown, Astrid couldn't really see it more than anything as a weirdly colored kitten. In actuality, it was actually kind of cute, even if it had kidnapped her. The feline shook its head, a sharp breath of air forced inwards between its sharpened teeth. Astrid, while wanting to scoot further back upon the bed, found she wasn't able to move. "What? What is this? Why can't i move??" She thought quietly to herself. Casting wide, crimson eyes downward she saw her hand gripping onto the white sheets tightly, shivering. She was scared. She hadn't even recognized it at first, but she was scared. Not because of the cat though, the feline agitated her more with its vague questions than anything else. But for some reason she was so scared that she was unable to even move an inch. Why was this happening to her? What was she so afraid of?
    A more jagged and rumbling growl escaped from the cat, closely resembling that to an angered beast. The slayer was quick to turn her gaze back over to it, but not in time. A flash of pale yellow consumed her vision, and she found herself being slammed right up against the back of the bed. It hurt, the impact from both sides. While her back had taken the impact of the force, her chest was currently under the feline's now giant black paw. The wind was knocked out from Astrid's lungs, catching her gasp of surprise within her throat. While her eyes had closed shut when she felt the large body knock her over, they now reopened to see the cat's muzzle right in her face, its large canines mere inches away from her flesh. By now her persona had completely fallen, in its place her true emotion shone. Fear. Complete and utter fear as she gazed into the beast's deep crimson eyes. How had the smaller cat managed to shift into a completely new form? The elf did not know, but she really should have expected something like this. This like kitten shouldn't have been able to kidnap her in such a small form after all, there had to have been a tick to it. And now, the elf was pretty sure she was seeing this trick.
    She continued to shiver under the might of this beast, letting in sharp gasps of air when its paw pressed more harshly into her chest. The cat brought down its larger face towards her, to the point where she could feel warm, rancid-smelling breath against her cheek. Another deep rumble came from its mouth, and all Astrid could do in response was let out a weak whimper. She couldn't do anything, nothing at all. Even though her mind screamed at her to move. To punch it, to kick, to scream, to do anything to get out of this situation. And yet, all she could find herself doing was giving into her fear. For a few seconds though? Nothing happened. The guild master just stared at her with those big ruby orbs, as though she was staring right through her. A certain points, the paw keeping her down on the bed would weaken, but once again dig into her rib cage before she could do anything. Astrid stared back. It was all she could do. After enough time had passed, the slayer's breathing had actually managed to calm down slightly, unsure if the cat was even going to do anything now. It was as if it was contemplating something. It wanted to act, but something was keeping it from doing so. At least, until its claws sunk into her chest. Astrid let out a hiss through her teeth, feeling the sharpened nail dig into her flesh. It wasn't anything too bad, and it just barely broke the skin, but it still stung nonetheless. The cat grumbled to itself, flexing its claws against her skin, only digging them deeper until it finally looked as though it finished contemplating. It sighed, releasing its grip on her. Though pained from the claws, Astrid let out a breath of relief. For a moment, Astrid was thankful that the feline had not acted upon its anger. But her thanks would be wasted as at the last moment a flash shone in the cat's eyes, and it reached over to swipe at the elf's face. The reach was successful, as she had not moved from her pinned position in fear of agitating it more. The black claws found its way into her right eye socket, plunging into the edge of it. The elf screamed in pain as the eye was dug into, quickly severing her optic nerve and scooping it out. When the eye loosened enough the claw came out with it, scooping it and flinging it across the room. Astrid continued to scream as wave after wave of throbbing pain clouded her mind and body, her first instinct to cover it with both hands so nothing further could damage it. It was bleeding. She didn't even need to look to know, she could feel the warm blood oozing out of the now empty crevice of her face. The skin around it was effected even, as the claws had lightly scraped the area around it before and after it had dug into her eye. She hunched over, the blood seeping past her fingers and dripping onto the bed, staining the sheets. She tried to look up with her remaining eye, only to see the cat had leapt off the bed by now and was staggering towards the door, managing to knock over a stool before exiting the room and shutting the door behind it with some sort of strange force. It left her alone, writhing and squirming in pain in a cold empty room with one less eye.

    Astrid grabbed onto the sheets with one hand as the other still covered the eye socket, squeezing them with all her might as to try and make the pain go away. But no matter how hard she tore into those sheets, nothing was helping. The pain was too great. Gaining a sudden lightheadedness the saint fell onto her side, only to miss the bed completely and instead land onto the wooden floor on her side. She landed with a thud, but the impact from doing so barely effected her. Tears fell from her one remaining eye, as blood continued to leak freely onto the floor from her missing one. The elf curled up into a tight ball, covering her eye once again with both of her hands, her sobs echoing within the small room. In her entire life? She had never felt more helpless than she did right now.


    ...

    She awoke with a gasp, her heart beating rapidly within her chest, almost jumping into her throat. Her one eye shot open, gazing around the room with a wild look before she was able to recognize where she was. Slowly, her breathing calmed. She was home. That's right. She had met Erika again and the thread mage had carried her home. Apparently, she must have fallen asleep or something. Just how tired was she? Pretty tired, given how she hadn't had too much sleep over the last couple months anyway.
    Nightmares. Both them and dreams where common for the slayer to have, but yet, nightmares seemed more dominant these days. Visions of the past coming back to haunt her, forcing her to relive the darkest moments of her life. These nightmares plagued her every night, making it hard for her to really sleep peacefully. This one though? The one of her reliving the guild war was new. Surprisingly, she had managed to avoid them for quite a while... But this time was different. It seemed as though now she had to worry about reliving the moment of losing her eye among other things. That was dandy.
    Astrid stared at the ceiling, raising a hand to hover over the pink follow stuck so firmly inside her eye. The socket throbbed somewhat, but it was a numbed throb. More like it was irritated. The nightmare must have given her a sort of ghost pain. A deep sigh came from her chest, flopping her hand back down to her side. She was safe now. She was with Erika. She needed to remember that. Nothing like that was going to happen again... But yet, despite telling herself this... It didn't seem to calm her nerves. After a few moments of gathering herself Astrid sat up in her bed, swinging her legs over the side and grasping onto the edge of the bed. She sat there for a moment, pausing as she felt her arm start to shake, then the rest of her body followed. "Hah... I'm still shaking. Come on, Astrid, it was just a nightmare. Don't be a baby." She told herself in a wavering voice, and yet, the shaking would not stop. Images of the beastly cat pinning her down and tearing the eye right out of the socket were still so deeply ingrained into her mind. She used her other hand to grasp onto the wrist, pressing her thumb down into it very hard. "I said don't be a baby!" She commanded herself more aggressively, narrowing silver brows. But the pressure only made her hand shake more. Digging harder into the skin Astrid gritted her teeth together, trying with all her might to stop the shaking. After a few moments, it calmed down. Her arm stopped shaking, and with it, slowly her whole body did too. Though there were still a few moments whens he could feel a shiver run through her being, she was at least not shaking constantly now. She flexed her hands in and out, making sure they were able to move correctly before she pushed herself off the bed. Out of habit, the silvernette took a moment to make her bed before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. As soon as she closed the door, the smell of food hit her nose. A hungered growl came from her stomach. That's right, she hasn't had any solid food in months. The entire time she was on Terasu Sirius made her eat nothing but light. And while it made her magical energy better, it wasn't the most filling thing in the world. She was hungry for something a bit more... Physical. Something that would actually fill her rather than just barely get her through the day.
    Taking steps away from her room Astrid traveled down the hallway towards where the smell was wafting in from. She walked into the living room, only to see a bunch of Erika clones all wearing maid outfits. The slayer stopped in her tracks upon seeing this unfold, watching as they went about cleaning and tidying the place.
    ... It sure was lovely to be home.
    Switching her gaze over towards the kitchen she would look to see the original Erika busily cooking food. Ah, so that's where it was coming from. The elf walked herself over to the kitchen, minding the other Erikas who frantically scooted past her to wipe up the missing dust and spills they had missed.
    She walked up and stopped behind the dragon curiously, stepping onto her tips of her toes to look over at the food she was currently making, her hands grasped behind her back.
    "What's that you're cooking?" She would question lightly, blinking down over to the pan. She couldn't help but begin to drool slightly, just from the smell alone.
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 8th June 2018, 5:32 pm

    Erika had heard Astrid walking into the kitchen, but she still didn't know how to face the elf. Erika was making something that was precious to her but would seem silly to others, especially given Erika's personality around most. The dragon had always loved pancakes, and not just because of their taste, the fluffy food held a special place in her normally blackened heart.

    "Pancakes..."

    Erika said with just a tinge of nervousness in her voice, as she knew Astrid would slightly make fun of her.

    "I'm almost done, you take a seat and I'll serve you."

    Erika would state as she made sure to keep flipping the flapjacks to make sure the density was just right. While Erika viewed making clothes as a pleasure, this was her passion but she didn't view it would make enough money to help her with her conquest, or at least influence of the world so she didn't pursue it, instead, she made her fashion company. As Erika had calmed down from her previous passion, mostly due to how she was turning soft from the happiness she felt for once in her life, Erika grew to regret that decision. Perhaps Erika could leave her company in charge of one of her proteges, take a pension and move on to making a restaurant. She could have it be small time, run by her clones, that could be fun and save on labor costs... well she'd have to make sure her cooking was perfect. Assuming that Astrid had sat down at the prepared table, Erika would serve her just one pancake, just in case, Astrid didn't enjoy it.

    "Here you go."

    Placing the buttermilk pancake in front of Astrid, Erika would also place a cup with syrup and a stick of butter on a tray as well.

    "The syrup is imported from... Enca, there are rare trees which grow on the water and produce a syrup which blends well with buttermilk, though if you want raisin or blueberry the syrup from fiore is probably better as it's less sweet and thus doesn't compete with the flavor... anyway I hope you like it."


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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 8th June 2018, 10:12 pm

    Pancakes. It hadn't been the first thought that came to the slayer's mind. She wasn't even aware Erika knew how to cook in the first place. Usually, it was the elf that had to make the meals for them. The only time she could recall tasting Erika's cooking, would be on the ship during their space mission. But even then, who knew if it was really her that made it. So to see the dragon cooking for real, it was rather nice. Of course, she would have to see if it actually tasted any good, but just from the smell alone the elf knew it at least would taste like pancakes and not burnt mix. Yet again, to a hungry dragon slayer, anything would taste good right about now after months of not having anything solid.
    Upon the thread mage telling her to take a seat, Astrid did just that. She lowered herself down from the tips of her toes, turning to the table just a few feet away from the stove. She pulled out one of the wooden chairs, plopping down into it. The first thing she noticed? Was that her feet still didn't quite touch the ground. But unlike all those others times, instead of being angry about it, Astrid didn't mind too much. It brought a sense of normalcy to her, which after so many months of being away, was rather welcoming. The saint waited patiently as the dragon flipped the puffy bread, the smell only growing more incising the longer she had to wait.

    Finally, after a few more minutes it was done. The thread made flipped the golden pancake onto a plate, bringing a cup of syrup and bar of butter along with it. It was only one, but Astrid wasn't complaining too much. Who knew if she would even end up liking it. Well, there was only one way to find out.
    She took the knife next to the plate and put a little bit of the butter on it, slathering it across the fluffy top. Next, she grabbed the cup of syrup, pouring it over lightly, as to not completely drown it. The perfect mix of things to make the perfect pancake. Not too much, not too little. Just right.
    Putting down the knife and picking up the fork in its place she would use the edges of the fork to cut a little piece of the fluffy pancake off, plopping it inside her mouth. The silvernette chewed for a few seconds, trying to decide her judgement. But after a moment, her remaining crimson eye finally began to shimmer, letting out a "hmm" of satisfaction and wonder. "This is really good!" she let out a small gasp, cutting off another piece. It was fluffy, went down well, nothing was too overwhelming. It was the best pancake she had in a while, even better than her own. "I never knew you could cook like this! What else can you make??" So excited was she that she started talking with her mouth full, which, normally she wouldn't. But she just had to know what else the dragon could make. Maybe one day she could get her to cook some other things... Perhaps she could mix in a little bit of that phoenix fire too. Ever since they had killed those monsters off the slayer had wanted to try and eat it. But it was a little awkward to go up to someone and say 'hey let me eat your fire'. This would give her an excuse to kill two birds with one stone
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 11th June 2018, 10:41 pm

    Astrid liked it? Good, because if she hadn't liked it Erika might have shot her again, probably in the other eye. Joking aside, it would have been the heart because that's what would break on Erika. Thankfully Astrid enjoyed it and asked what else Erika knew how to cook. That was a complicated question as Erika KNEW how to cook a lot, but she had never tried cooking too much, perhaps she should try cooking at least a little bit if Astrid liked it. Oh Erika what was becoming of her, doing things because someone else wanted her to, she was clearly going soft. Erika didn't like the fact that she was going soft, it meant she would lack her instincts, but for once in her life she wanted to have what she always wanted deep down, something normal and happy. She had tried to live up to her potential and she saw where it got her, misery. She was powerful, no doubt about it but now Erika felt she had hit the peak of her performance, without some kind of divine intervention Erika couldn't go beyond her limits now without risking her own life, so she'd just have to make do.

    "I've mostly cooked breakfast because... my father he, well don't laugh. He didn't really care too much about me in the sense of, I had what I needed and beyond that, it wasn't much, but on my birthday he would always cook me breakfast. He said it's all he knew how to do, and I watched him and learned how he did it. To me, it's a bit special because it was one of the few times I saw much affection, well illogical affection, so I thought you might want to share a bit in it since I know you've probably been depressed for months."

    Erika glared.

    "Don't try and deny it, I know you well enough, and I may have peeked a bit into your memories, I can tell you that dragons do like scars, but I don't think that's why I'd say you are pretty. I think you are pretty..."

    Erika walked to the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the meal, and a bit for herself before placing some more on the table for Astrid to pick and choose at her pleasure.

    "I don't have to hold up barriers around you, so... to me that makes you really pretty."

    As she said those words Erika's blonde hair changed to black, and her eyes a red. Her body type adjusted a bit, and if one were trying to sense it, they could tell her mana's feeling changed from human to draconic. Adjusting her clothes Erika did a dramatic hair flip because even when soft she has to try and be a little arrogant. Looking at Astrid she tried to pull out a smile.

    "It feels weird right now to be like this, I don't know if I like it so I have to ask, do you? Being myself I mean, not wearing a disguise or being someone else. Also please tell me you don't like waffles more than pancakes, I can't take that heartbreak."



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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Guest 14th June 2018, 11:50 pm

    Erika's father. Astrid did not know too much about the man, apart from the things she had seen from Erika's memories back in Sombra's mansion. He was a scientist first, a father second from what she remembered. He had treated her like nothing more than another test subject for all those years, keeping her locked up, making her clean after his other failed experiments. But the one thing he did for her, was make her pancakes on her birthday. That action in Astrid's eyes? Was nowhere near enough to make it up to the girl, for all the years of suffering and trouble he had caused her. But at least now Erika saw it as a sentimental gesture. Pancakes obviously meant a lot to her, and it was pretty sweet that she thought sharing them with the saint would cheer her up a bit. In a weird way, this was the dragon's way of trying to comfort her. Which, it actually kind of was.
    Although, the fact that Erika could read her so easily did bring a great bit of distress to the elf girl. When the thread mage glared at her, stating that she had read her memories Astrid's face turned a bright red, bending her fork so hard with her thumb that she accidentally snapped it in two, her single eye widened in surprise, as she had forgotten about that specific ability. She had... Seen that conversation with Sirius? And what was worse, she knew she was talking about her! How embarrassing! That was supposed to only be kept between the two and no one else. She really did hate when the thread mage used that ability, it made her feel like she couldn't ever keep anything private. "Stop looking into my mind without my permission! Normal people don't like to have their privacy invaded!" She would scold the dragon firmly, making it known how much she disliked the action. Astrid was a girl with many secrets. Secret emotions and ideas she didn't wish others to know about. It was how she coped with everything, shoving her true feelings so deep down inside of her that even she herself wasn't aware they existed. If Erika continued to read her, then how was she supposed to deal with things? How much did the dragon even know? She didn't know, and it only made her more nervous.
    The slayer pouted when the thread mage got up to get herself some food, placing her broken fork down onto the table. Still, her words after did make her feel a little better. She didn't like her for her scars, but rather because she didn't have to put up barriers around her. Astrid was happy the dragon felt that way, it meant that she trusted her a lot. But the silvernette felt a little guilty that she could not do the same for Erika. Not so much with barriers, as just not letting her true feelings really ever show. It was not something so easily done when you had gone most of your life pretending you were always okay and nothing bothered you. She didn't want to be seen as a burden. But the longer she continued to do it, the longer her facade became a reality. It was hard to shake when it was so natural to you. Erika was getting there. By all means, she was the person who had seen her emotion barriers dent and crack the most. But it was still far from ever releasing her true feelings onto another. It was just... Too hard of a thing to do all at once, even after all this time.

    Her face still blushing red the slayer watched timidly as Erika sat down, now with her own plate of food. Right in front of her, the thread mage would transform into that body. The one she had seen on their space mission all those months ago. Except, instead of white this time it had black hair. An odd bit of a transformation, but nonetheless it was still her birth body. The body she rarely got to see, only used when they were alone. Erika asked if she liked this, that she was able to show the elf the real her, without trying to act like someone else. A bit of a silly question. Astrid couldn't help but smile a little, pushing away the former feelings of guilt and dismay. Seeing as how with a broken fork she was done eating, she placed her hands into her lap, leaning back into her chair slightly.
    "Of course i like seeing you, the real you that is. It means that you trust me, and that's all i could ever ask for. You've come a long way since we first met, and i'm very proud of you for changing yourself for the better." Of course, there was some things they were going to have to work on. But Astrid saw the dragon as her little project, like how she saw everyone else who had gone down the wrong path in their life. She saw them as lost, beings who needed help with correcting their choices. While some were defiantly easier than others, she would like to think of the dragon as one of her more successful cases. Even if the elf was the only one who could see it, Erika really had changed, for the better. And nothing could make her happier.
    Although, for the question of which breakfast food she liked more the elf had to ponder a bit, looking upwards to think. "Hmm, i do like both a bit, but waffles tend to trap syrup more than pancakes. So i supposed out of the two i like pancakes more." She would nod for confirmation, giving a smile. Plus pancakes just went down well a little more, and they were easier to make in general. Pancakes meant a lot to Erika, and she wasn't about to ruin this moment with stating her favorite food was inferior.
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    Settle The Scar • Private, Erika Empty Re: Settle The Scar • Private, Erika

    Post by Special Snowflake 6th July 2018, 12:07 pm

    Astrid freaked out when Erika stole her memories to see what she was up to in those four months that Astrid was gone. Erika was worried as people don't just vanish for a long time for no reason, good or bad, thankfully this time it was mostly good, Astrid could have done without the depression but that's fine Erika could solve depression.

    "Privacy is a very subjective word, I like to think of it as... making sure someone is okay. I mean you weren't going to tell me what you did and what was wrong, so I knew to help I had to take a small peak. Seriously though dragon saliva, you aren't going to ask me to spit in your eye right?"

    Erika was making a joke on that last part, but she really hoped that Astrid didn't want Erika to spit her in the eye, that would be really weird. Erika wasn't even sure she had healing powers like that anyway, maybe her bodily fluids could heal but in what situation would Erika ever have to use them to cure Astrid or something afflicting her. Clearly, that would never happen. Regardless Astrid stated how she liked pancakes more than waffles, this was good as she didn't want to have to dump Astrid because she liked such an inferior product of breakfast. Erika COULD eat waffles if it was the only thing left but beyond that, she wouldn't touch the foolish creations. Whoever made the waffle was her mortal enemy. She wouldn't suffer such treachery in her household. Erika was a bit embarrassed though when Astrid said how much she enjoyed seeing Erika's real body, or at least the one she was supposed to have growing up, thanks, Dad.


    "Well, I'm glad you like seeing the real me because I'm not going to change it around you unless it's in public, I'm still worried about people knowing who I am, or sensing what I am. You'd have noticed I feel like a dragon magically right? See how would people react to that out in public, sounds weird but I don't want to attract a lot of attention just because of what I am."

    Erika wasn't really showing weakness right now just, she didn't want to have a bunch of problems appear because she was a dragon and someone would freak out about it. Sure the war happened a long time ago and Erika wasn't around for it but if any feelings still lingered then it would be bad. it's all that stupid Acnologia's fault anyway for being such a massive jerk and killing so many people. Sure Erika had killed a lot of people but not as a dragon so that wasn't relevent to this topic of conversation.

    "Say... Astrid, did you know I'm part phoenix? My Dad was from a dragon clan so he had dragon in him, but he made me more like a proper dragon so I wouldn't die after being born, but my mom is a phoenix. So, I don't think I can revive from ashes or anything but it's how I can use my clones, I'm also a bit of a freak dragon wise... I don't have scaley wings instead I have feathered ones. It's embarrassing for me but I peeked into your mind so I guess it's only fair."

    Manifesting wings her wings on her back, they were smaller than if she was a dragon but they were the same thing, white feathered wings. Erika felt odd talking about herself like this and it was a bit random but she wanted to show Astrid how much she trusted her right now, that and she didn't want to hide anything since they hadn't spoken in four months. That and she had already expressed her love of pancakes so why not go for broke right now.

    "Yeah, it's random but we didn't speak for months and I just want to get everything in the open rather than hide it, because I didn't know if you were coming back at all and that... well... I didn't like that idea."


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