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Snippet #2491324

located in The Wheel of Life, a part of Apotheosis of the Condemned, one of the many universes on RPG.

The Wheel of Life

None

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ephraim Solomon Character Portrait: Virgil Solomon Character Portrait: Nerys Liacht
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Nerys shifted in her spot, having left the room of the Kitsune's home and began wandering the grounds. She had thought Ephraim stayed behind, however; when she glanced back, the hellhound was trailing behind her, and she shook her head softly. There was a reason, she knew, but she didn't give much thought to it. It wasn't her place to ask, and she wasn't going to. Instead, she wanted to enjoy the beauty of this place. Maybe it was the kirin in her, that yearned for this peace, even if it wasn't peaceful. Or maybe it was just the beauty of this place that the kirin part of her yearned for. She shook her head softly at the notion, but she wouldn't put it past herself. It was a natural instinct, just like many other things she felt.

Her gaze faltered for a second, her mind wandering towards her parents, what they were like, what they had been like, and a fond smile found its way to her lips. She missed her mother, that was something she would always feel. She never wanted any of her children, if she had children, to feel like that. She never wanted them to lose her as she had lost her mother, and if they did, it would be heartbreaking to know. She banished the thoughts from her mind, rolling her shoulders back and glancing around where she found herself. It was a rather small pond, crystalline in appearance and bright. She peered over the edge and spotted koi fish swimming idly by. She smiled, kneeling down and placing her finger inside of the pond, watching as the koi fish ignored her finger and continued swimming.

One, curious, swam and nibbled on her finger before swimming off, causing Nerys to chuckle lightly at herself before another one swam up to her. She blinked at it as it stared at her finger, assessing it almost, before it repeated the same gesture of nibbling on it. She wasn't prepared, however, when it decided to try and eat her finger, causing her to pull back quickly, startled, and causing herself to fall backwards. She landed on her backside, blinking rapidly before laughing nervously, and glancing behind her towards Ephraim. "I guess that one likes fingers," she stated sheepishly before glancing back at the pond, crossing her legs under her.

Sometimes, he wondered if she fully understood the danger she was in. He suspected she did notā€”and perhaps that was partially their fault. They had not necessarily made the more gruesome details of things clear to her, though whether that was from some misguided protective instinct or something else was hard to say. He didnā€™t like to dwell on it in any case. So when she left, he followed, like the hound that he was, always treading at his masterā€™s heels. Onlyā€¦ the master was not presently about, and would not, he suspected, take particularly well to this diversion of theirs. Kurogami was a being too great to be described in terms like good or evil, but it was fair to say that he had the interests of the universe itself always on his mind. With such a long view, it was hard to justify diverting any of his resources to smaller causes. Ephraim was one of those resources, and the matter of one soul, even if it was the soul of a youkai prince, qualified as a smaller cause.

He watched impassively as she teased the fish in the pond, unsurprised when she flailed backwards and landed on her rear end, readjusting herself so she was seated properly at the edge of the pond. There wasnā€™t really much to say in response to her statementā€”an admonishment to be more careful would be too much, and it would fall on deaf ears besides. She was a willful creature; surprisingly so for a member of a docile species and one who had difficulty asserting herself over others. It was a little paradoxical, but then, werenā€™t they all?

Ephraim remained standing, just close enough that it would be obvious to anyone wandering by that he was indeed with her in some sense of the word, though not the strongest. It was thusā€”Nene sitting at the pond and Ephraim blending in that effortless way he had with the shade beneath a nearby treeā€”that Virgil found them. The corner of his mouth ticked upwards at the picture they made. They really were quite the study in contrast, like yin and yang. Perhaps Ephraim was gaining a bright spot on his heart where she had been, but he did not realize, at least not yet. Perhaps one day, Nerys would have a little bit of shade and chaos in her, as well. It wasnā€™t necessarily a bad thingā€”the dark could be a comfort, a refuge. Virgil knew that much very well.

He settled at the pond beside the half-kirin, smiling over at her softly. ā€œMy sister used to like watching the fish,ā€ he said, his voice unusually quiet. ā€œMariko was her name. Back then, I was Akihiko, and this was my home.ā€ He sounded almost a little wistful, but that passed quickly enough. He didnā€™t belong here, not anymore. He wasnā€™t as they wereā€”he had seen too many of the realms, become too much of those other places. He was foreign here now, even if only slightly.

Nerys glanced to her side when Virgil appeared, offering him a smile before returning her attention back to the fist. She furrowed her brows slightly, barely missing the wistful tone to his voice, before she gazed curiously at him. He had a sister? For a moment, Nerys tried to picture what kind of life Virgil had here. What it was like, how he must have lived it, and she had a hard time picturing his life. She pursed her lips together before shaking her head in defeat. She couldn't see him in this realm. All she could picture him as, was her friend, with Keira, a life in their world. There was nothing to picture in this one.

"They are beautiful fish, I can see why," she stated, twirling her finger in the water again, keeping them away from the fish this time. She allowed her finger, however, to glide over the scales of one. "Akihiko? That...is a mouthful," she stated, tilting her lips upward in a small smile. "I think Virgil suits you better," she stated with a nod of her head. She pushed gently into his shoulder with her own before righting her posture and glanced back towards the pond. She opened her mouth to say something, however; she closed it just as quickly. His mentioning of a sister would mean that he still had a sister, but the way he said it.

She wondered if his sister was still around, and though she was curious, she said nothing of it, instead, speaking of something else. "Is this why we came to Yokaino? To visit your family?" she asked, glancing at Virgil from the corner of her eyes.

Virgil huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head. Virgil suited him better? ā€œI would hope it suited betterā€”I did choose it for myself, after all.ā€ Akihiko was a wish his parents madeā€”a bright prince to guard the future. Virgil Solomon was who he really was now, and his only sibling in this life heā€™d made for himself was a brother. Well, and perhaps the little sister sitting next to him. The ghost that sat on his other side would always have a place in his heartā€”withered and blackened or stone-cold as it might become. But that was all. These people were not his family; not anymore, just as this was not his home. There was too much bad blood here for that.

ā€œWe are not here to see them, Nene. We are here to confront someone who stole something important from me, and to take it back, by whatever means necessary.ā€ Part of what Benihime had taken, he would never be able to get back. Mariko would never return to himā€”that had taken him a long time to accept, but in the end, he had. But perhaps there was still some use for his wretched soul, and if so, he wanted it back.

Nerys listened as Virgil spoke, and the smile only grew into a grin. It melted away, though, as soon as he mentioned the reason they were there. She blinked slowly, taking the information in before shifting in her spot. If they were here to get something back, something that was taken from Virgil, then she would help in any way she could. Virgil was her friend, he was family. They were all family, at least to her, and she wanted to ensure that her family remained happy. Even if they were currently down one member, she wanted what was left, to be happy. She turned back to Virgil, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Do...you know where it is?" she questioned. Though she was unsure of what it was, it seemed important to Virgil. And if it was important to him, it was important to her. "Or are we waiting for information on where this person is?" she added. If that was the case, then perhaps it was best to wait it out. If they did not know where this person was, going about it blindly would not be the best course of action. Furthermore, if that person didn't know Virgil was here, to retrieve that which was his, then the element of surprise was still theirs. She may not be one for combat, but she knew how important it was to remain hidden from the enemy.

ā€œYouā€™re a dear, Nene,ā€ Virgil said, laying a hand on the crown of her head. ā€œWeā€™re here at the moment because Iā€™m waiting for more precise data on her location from a contact. So enjoy yourself a little; my fatherā€™s home is a beautiful place.ā€ His smile was touched with familiar mischief; the glance he cut her out of the corner of his eye sly, but he sobered for a moment afterwards, stroking along the flow of her hair until his hand rested gently at her upper back. He was a naturally tactile creature, after allā€”touch was comfort.

ā€œWhen we find herā€¦ I must warn you. I may not be entirely myself. If that happens, I ask that you let Ephraim handle it, okay?ā€ He didnā€™t want to hurt her, and that was a feat of which he was quite capable, especially knowing that sheā€™d never be willing to fight back against someone she cared about. Ephraim, on the other hand, would do what was necessary, and Virgil was counting on it. In truth, he had no idea how this was going to goā€”he could plan as much as he liked, calculate as much as he felt necessary, but he would still not know enough to predict the outcome. He could well end up dead.

The thought was not so repulsive as it had once been, but nor did he seek it as he once had. That much, at least, was behind him now.

Not be himself? What had this person done to Virgil that he would resort that way? It only caused her lips to further purse together before releasing a sigh. He wanted Ephraim to handle it, when the time came. If the time came, and perhaps she would oblige him. She wouldn't be able to fight against her friends, however; time has a habit of changing things, changing views. She would do what she had to, regardless of how it made her feel. Her friends always came first, and she'd be damned if she'd let one of them be hurt again. But, she also didn't want to be the one getting hurt. She didn't want another episode of what happened in the graveyard.

"Alright...I'll try. Just know that...even if...even if you don't happen to be yourself, you'll still be Vivi, no matter what. And that's all that will matter," she stated, smiling brightly at Virgil before wrapping her arm around him, giving him a hug before pulling back. "And you are right, this place is beautiful. Anywhere in particular I should stay away from?" she questioned, the smile pulling into a light grin. She only hoped everything would be okay...in the end.