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Crossroads

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Post  Liv Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:29 pm

It's early when I wake from my second sleep of the night, very early to judge by the quietness of the apartment. The sun has not yet risen through my east-facing window to shine upon the other London, the sane world. I pull on jeans and a shirt that reads 'summer of 69', padding out into the living room. The apartment has moved Mathias to his own accommodations, so I have the place to myself. I take a seat on the couch, watching technicolor shadows cast by neon and streetlights chase themselves across the ceiling. I've come to treasure these quiet times, free of the rush and bustle imbuing every moment when the others are awake. My friends are grand people, but I've realized that I had grown used to the quiet and the solitude of the roads in the past few decades, and at times I am just a little wistful for it.
There's a subtle sound across the room, a soft rustling as of cloth moving. I sigh inwardly. I'd been half-expecting something like this, but I had hoped he would not be so foolish.
"You know Djhuety," I say into the darkness, "along with your finer qualities, you have the capacity to be quite an idiot." I leave my seat, crossing the room. The apartment-I can never call it a barrow myself, for to me the word means a home of a great and wealthy tribe, not our small ragtag- has anticipated my needs, and the lights have brightened enough to let me see Djhuety standing stock-still before the front door. I walk over to face him, tilting my head up to look him in the eye. "Sneak away when all are asleep. No messy emotional scenes, no entanglements, no goodbyes. Simpler to sneak away like a thief in the night. That was the plan, right?" My voice is heavy with sarcasm and annoyance. I study him. Then I sigh, and smile slightly. "Well, I suppose I can't fault you too much. You stopped me from doing pretty much the same thing, not all that long ago. Maybe it's in our natures. The Kin don't like emotional entanglements. But you and I are human too, and I thought someone should be here to see you off."
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Post  Djehuty Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:00 am

Groaning inwardly, I tug at the lashing holding my sword to my back as I turn to face Liv, frowning at her grin. "I forgot you don't sleep like the others." I turn and flop into my chair, laying my now weighty coat over the high back, almost capsizing it.
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Post  Liv Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:17 am

I reclaim my seat on the couch. "I can't, you know that. And I'll miss having you around in the late nights and early mornings." There's a long, uncomfortable silence between us. To break it, I reach behind me. "I have something for you. For the journey. I know you have your own way of carrying things, but....it's traditional, when someone's off on a long journey, to give them one of these. It's a travel bag. It's bigger than it looks," I say hurriedly, forestalling his words with mine,"and it'll protect what you put inside it." Gingerly, I lay the deep brown satchel in the space between us, folding my hands in my lap and sitting back, giving him space. Suddenly I feel almost awkward with this man I've come to know. "I packed a few things in it; something for wounds to keep them clean, something for fire burns and something for iron burns, something for those headaches you get, a few other things."
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Post  Djehuty Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:26 am

I stare at the bag, then at Liv. The pause draws out until I reach out and take hold of the satchel by the mouth and set it in my lap. "Thank you," Its little more then a whisper, yet by the smile on her face, I can tell she heard. Reaching in, I pull out a number of cloth and leather wrapped packages, as well as two fresh sets of clothing and a thick book of folklore I'm unfamiliar with. Distracted, I begin to thumb through it, forgetting my haste to leave before the others wake.
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Post  Liv Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:29 am

"Those are Sidhe legends. I don't normally hold with writing stories down...but I thought you might feel more at home, knowing all the common tales." His eyes fade from one shade of blue to another. This is why we hate goodbyes, I think. So much we want to say and can't bring ourselves to. So much pent up emotion, banging against the ribs and the throat and just as forcibly pushed back. It's enough to tear a body in two.
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Post  Djehuty Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:37 am

Stowing the book carefully, along with the travel rations and cloths, I tuck the flap into place and set it next to my seat. "There's a lot out there I haven't learned yet, and any number of things to experience." I look at the door, but make no move to rise from my seat. "This is where I've felt most comfortable, but I need to know what was never allowed before."
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Post  Liv Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:41 am

Slowly, I nod. Without a word, I rise, and take his hand, leading him to the door. For a long moment, we stand in the doorway. Then, tentatively, I stand on tiptoe, and brush my lips across his. "I shall miss you." I hug him tight, then push him away. "Now get along with you. You've got a long road ahead of you. When we meet again, I expect to hear about every step of it." I step out of the doorway, opening it.
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Post  Djehuty Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:48 am

The quick embrace finished, I touch where I know the mark to be on her chest. "Stay safe, gods willing. You'll be the first to know if something happens to me," the alkaline taste of magic fills my mouth, "And I you." My fingers lay a moment longer, till I feel the light of the mark; stepping away, I make my way into the darkened street, the lights still shattered from the passing of some dark shade.
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Post  Liv Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:02 am

Staring after him, I feel my throat tightening. When I say the words of the blessing on travelers, it's barely a murmur. "May the road be smooth, may the wind be warm, may the water be clear until we meet once more."
Slowly, I close the door, leaning against it. A single tear runs down my cheek; I wipe it away in annoyance.
"Luck to you, my boy." I whisper, before turning for my room once more. In the morning I'lll have to explain the leaving of our friend. Thank gods I can leave it till morning. I couldn't bear it, not now.
Closing myself in my room, I curl up, hugging a pillow tight to me. There's a pain just below my collarbone where the Lady's mark burns, as if yearning for its mate on my friend's breast. And then the pain is gone. He is gone.This is why I never let people grow close to me, I think. People leave, and take a part of your heart with them.
But Djhuety and I are more alike than either of us would admit. He and I must be free. We are both travelers. We belong to the roads. But like all good travelers, we have our stopping grounds. Like a proper traveler, someday he'll be back to this home of his again.
I smile, and close my eyes.
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Post  Liam Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:31 pm

wakefullness is slow in coming to me the next morning, when i finally open my eyes the clock reads 2 but it feels too late for that or to early. Damn the pendulum stopped. padding over i set the weight moving again. the glancing around as i move to the kitchen even the furnishings seem to be drooping at the departure of our friend. it doesn't take long to begin breakfast, hoping having something filling for most of us might help the sense of loss to disperse i begin cooking. and cooking. and cooking, soon enough there are various types of eggs, pancakes, cereals, and assorted other things. it is easy to get lost in it. better then goign a few rounds with a bag or running right now. my little indigo companion eventually wings in with a few of it's siblings, the absence of one of the white ones tells me that i did miss a chance to say good bye. taking small chunks of the fish i am getting ready to cook for liv. i begin tossing small chunks over my shoulder, various trills and chirps tells me that they are going after the food and sometimes blocking each other.
hopefully the others will wake soon,
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Post  Liv Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:08 pm

The smell of food is what wakes me, and the morning sun. Pulling on my clothes, I open the door of my room, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my jeans.
I take a seat at the kitchen table, giving Liam a smile when he glances at me. "Thanks for cooking." I say quietly.
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Post  Liam Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:17 pm

I nod, "No problem liv, though at the rate i am going we may need groceries sooner rather then later" I give her a smirk that is a shadow of it's normal self "yours will be up in a minute, did you know you had pike in the ice box?" I shrug it may not be salmon but hopefully a comfort food none the less "besides no use laying around, what would the he think if he came back to all of us emaciated and sulking about?" Amiee trills softly rubbing her small feathered head along my chin "you got, if you take more you will get sick little Amiee ." i murmur.
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Post  Liv Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:32 pm

"Pike is good." I say quietly. I sit back in my chair. "He'll be back sometime. When he's sorted his own things out." My little Ailin tries to steal a pancake as Liam sets down the table, and falls over on her back with a squeak as it comes off the stack; the hotcake is bigger than she is. I laugh. "These little creatures go a long way to brightening the day, don't they?"
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