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@championofhades
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
"You wish for mercy, my dear? After all you've done?"
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
Greetings, my dears..
Many of the other champions mentioned joining this platform, therefore spiking my interest in what it may behold. I shall be present for any inquiries you may possess.
You may address me as Aiola.
I represent Hades during these games, and possess abilities I will refrain from sharing as of yet.
OOC UNDER THE CUT
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Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
I won’t harm it. Just one moment.
It seems as though Abolish isn’t doing anything to the scarf. But after a moment, it becomes clear that a thin cloud of steam is rising from the damp material.
Were you sick often, in life?
When it’s dried fully, he hands it back to the other
There. ‘S dry now.
Aiola wrapped it tightly around himself once Abolish had returned his scarf. Aer eyes flicked to him with a slight nod.
The scarf was warm now and he began to let out a slight purring noise.
"Mostly just colds. The dungeons never really kept warm, so everyone usually got sick, especially during the winter."
Guess I’m lucky it never got very cold where I was. Worse thing we’d get was the heat. I definitely um, passed out a couple times from that.
Its eyebrows flicked up at the noise, seemingly taken slightly off guard by it, before relaxing again.
"Perhaps with your new powers, the heat may no longer bother you."
Aer ears perked subtly, no longer drooping. They were rather expressive of the scrawny man's emotions. He didn't seem to even realize ae were purring or shifting aer ears.
Come to think of it, I don’t think it does. Even in that tunnel…I didn’t feel very hot.
It seems to realize, a few sentences too late, that it’s most certainly talking about its powers, something he’d been trying to avoid. Oh well, he was almost sure ae wouldn’t use the information against him.
With the way he was purring softly, it was hard for Abolish to picture him doing anything threatening, really.
How do you do that?
Aer eyes sparkled as he smiled brightly, hands clasping infront of aerself. Ae was happy Abolish no longer had to deal with severe heat.
Then the second question registered and he flushed bright pink.
"Ah, uhm, it's just.. something we elves do. A natural reaction really."
His ears pinned nervously. Ae were clearly embarrassed by the whole purring thing.
Elves? I didn’t know you uh, existed. Though, Cleo’s a satyr…so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Hopefully he wasn’t making ae uncomfortable. Though it’d probably gone deep enough into this avenue of conversation that it didn’t matter anymore.
And it means you’re happy, or something?
"It's not shocking you've not known of us sooner, we tend to keep away from human affairs when possible."
Ae tapped aer fingers against his knee slightly. Nervous habit.
"Er.. I suppose. A better description, though, would be content. We purr when we feel safe or at peace."
Abolish looks around again, at the crumbling building. Yes, it’s shadowed and foreboding in a way, but. With the rain still falling around them, and the quiet that it brings, he can understand how easy it would be to feel at peace in the moment.
I’m glad you’ve found some peace here. It’s only going to get worse, I think. The gods will surely grow bored of us simply talking to one another.
"... they will, soon. We may only pray they allow us peace for a while longer."
He looked to the ground, the smile on his lips dulling just a bit.
Rummaging through his pocket, ae pulled a circular wooden slab out, offering aer little trinket to Abolish without a word. The simple carving captured a large oak towering over two deer.
Ae had made it earlier while stuck under the statue. Before Abolish found aer.
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
I won’t harm it. Just one moment.
It seems as though Abolish isn’t doing anything to the scarf. But after a moment, it becomes clear that a thin cloud of steam is rising from the damp material.
Were you sick often, in life?
When it’s dried fully, he hands it back to the other
There. ‘S dry now.
Aiola wrapped it tightly around himself once Abolish had returned his scarf. Aer eyes flicked to him with a slight nod.
The scarf was warm now and he began to let out a slight purring noise.
"Mostly just colds. The dungeons never really kept warm, so everyone usually got sick, especially during the winter."
Guess I’m lucky it never got very cold where I was. Worse thing we’d get was the heat. I definitely um, passed out a couple times from that.
Its eyebrows flicked up at the noise, seemingly taken slightly off guard by it, before relaxing again.
"Perhaps with your new powers, the heat may no longer bother you."
Aer ears perked subtly, no longer drooping. They were rather expressive of the scrawny man's emotions. He didn't seem to even realize ae were purring or shifting aer ears.
Come to think of it, I don’t think it does. Even in that tunnel…I didn’t feel very hot.
It seems to realize, a few sentences too late, that it’s most certainly talking about its powers, something he’d been trying to avoid. Oh well, he was almost sure ae wouldn’t use the information against him.
With the way he was purring softly, it was hard for Abolish to picture him doing anything threatening, really.
How do you do that?
Aer eyes sparkled as he smiled brightly, hands clasping infront of aerself. Ae was happy Abolish no longer had to deal with severe heat.
Then the second question registered and he flushed bright pink.
"Ah, uhm, it's just.. something we elves do. A natural reaction really."
His ears pinned nervously. Ae were clearly embarrassed by the whole purring thing.
Elves? I didn’t know you uh, existed. Though, Cleo’s a satyr…so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Hopefully he wasn’t making ae uncomfortable. Though it’d probably gone deep enough into this avenue of conversation that it didn’t matter anymore.
And it means you’re happy, or something?
"It's not shocking you've not known of us sooner, we tend to keep away from human affairs when possible."
Ae tapped aer fingers against his knee slightly. Nervous habit.
"Er.. I suppose. A better description, though, would be content. We purr when we feel safe or at peace."
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
I won’t harm it. Just one moment.
It seems as though Abolish isn’t doing anything to the scarf. But after a moment, it becomes clear that a thin cloud of steam is rising from the damp material.
Were you sick often, in life?
When it’s dried fully, he hands it back to the other
There. ‘S dry now.
Aiola wrapped it tightly around himself once Abolish had returned his scarf. Aer eyes flicked to him with a slight nod.
The scarf was warm now and he began to let out a slight purring noise.
"Mostly just colds. The dungeons never really kept warm, so everyone usually got sick, especially during the winter."
Guess I’m lucky it never got very cold where I was. Worse thing we’d get was the heat. I definitely um, passed out a couple times from that.
Its eyebrows flicked up at the noise, seemingly taken slightly off guard by it, before relaxing again.
"Perhaps with your new powers, the heat may no longer bother you."
Aer ears perked subtly, no longer drooping. They were rather expressive of the scrawny man's emotions. He didn't seem to even realize ae were purring or shifting aer ears.
Come to think of it, I don’t think it does. Even in that tunnel…I didn’t feel very hot.
It seems to realize, a few sentences too late, that it’s most certainly talking about its powers, something he’d been trying to avoid. Oh well, he was almost sure ae wouldn’t use the information against him.
With the way he was purring softly, it was hard for Abolish to picture him doing anything threatening, really.
How do you do that?
Aer eyes sparkled as he smiled brightly, hands clasping infront of aerself. Ae was happy Abolish no longer had to deal with severe heat.
Then the second question registered and he flushed bright pink.
"Ah, uhm, it's just.. something we elves do. A natural reaction really."
His ears pinned nervously. Ae were clearly embarrassed by the whole purring thing.
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
I won’t harm it. Just one moment.
It seems as though Abolish isn’t doing anything to the scarf. But after a moment, it becomes clear that a thin cloud of steam is rising from the damp material.
Were you sick often, in life?
When it’s dried fully, he hands it back to the other
There. ‘S dry now.
Aiola wrapped it tightly around himself once Abolish had returned his scarf. Aer eyes flicked to him with a slight nod.
The scarf was warm now and he began to let out a slight purring noise.
"Mostly just colds. The dungeons never really kept warm, so everyone usually got sick, especially during the winter."
Guess I’m lucky it never got very cold where I was. Worse thing we’d get was the heat. I definitely um, passed out a couple times from that.
Its eyebrows flicked up at the noise, seemingly taken slightly off guard by it, before relaxing again.
"Perhaps with your new powers, the heat may no longer bother you."
Aer ears perked subtly, no longer drooping. They were rather expressive of the scrawny man's emotions. He didn't seem to even realize ae were purring or shifting aer ears.
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Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
I won’t harm it. Just one moment.
It seems as though Abolish isn’t doing anything to the scarf. But after a moment, it becomes clear that a thin cloud of steam is rising from the damp material.
Were you sick often, in life?
When it’s dried fully, he hands it back to the other
There. ‘S dry now.
Aiola wrapped it tightly around himself once Abolish had returned his scarf. Aer eyes flicked to him with a slight nod.
The scarf was warm now and he began to let out a slight purring noise.
"Mostly just colds. The dungeons never really kept warm, so everyone usually got sick, especially during the winter."
I doodled Aiola!!!! The little cutie!!!!!!!!
Also new pfp yayayyaya
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
That’s good. Getting sick this early…it wouldn’t end well.
It’s silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, it holds out his hands.
Give me your scarf really quick?
"Sickness.. I am used to sickness. I could handle it quite easily."
At the request for his scarf, Alios glanced at Abolish's hand, hesitantly removing it from aer body and offering it in his direction. Ae kept aer back pointed away.
It was mostly bare and covered in scars he'd rather not flaunt.
The scars were the main reason he'd gotten that scarf in the first place. Ae were greatful the gods had allowed him to keep it after his original death.
"... be careful, please. It is important that I am still capable of wearing that after.. whatever you're doing."
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
In that case. I call heads.
It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but at that point he feels as if he’d be crushed under the weight of this conversation as if it were to continue.
So it deflects instead, with familiar ease.
Seems like the weather’s getting better. You get too wet out there?
"I'd have picked tails anyways."
Aiola let out a slight laugh, allowing the conversation to change direction. Ae would prefer it to change now anyways.
He looked down at his clothes. He was mostly dry. Just aer hair, scarf, and the ends of his flowing garment were damp. Nothing that wouldn't return to normal rather quickly.
"I'm alright. It'll dry during my travels later, I plan to venture up the mountain a bit. The winds should do the trick."
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
No. They suffered at mine.
It murmured, voice steeled against any hint of emotion.
Turns out the only way to stay on top is to keep killing. It’s that or die yourself.
…I don’t regret it. Or- I don’t think I do.
Flame added after a moment. Did that make flame a bad person? He supposed it was too late to care.
Ae frowned, but nodded along. Aer eyes said it all. He doesn't blame flame for its actions. It was just trying to survive.
Just like aerself.
"Mhh.. opposite sides of the same coin."
Ae whispered. It was mostly to aerself, but he wasn't particularly trying to keep aer words from Abolish.
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Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Im sorry that happened to you. The arena…it’s not a good place. Particularly for the unskilled.
Abolish offers, hand drifting almost subconsciously to a scar running along his left forearm. Even now, with the memory dulled by time and death, he could remember how the blade had felt. Even more vividly however, he remembers the fear.
Looking at the scrawny figure next to him, it could only guess how much worse it’d been for him.
He glanced at Abolish's hand as it traveled to the scar, aer eyes widening slightly. He tugged the tattered black scarf tighter around his shoulders.
Gods this all made him feel sick.
The memories, the knowledge that he'd die again soon, the thought of someone else having to survive the arena. As a fighter no less. Ae hated it all.
He brushed his hair behind his drooping ears, the strands brushing against them suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
"I.. you suffered at the hands of men, too, didn't you? The way you speak. A heaviness weighs upon you."
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
No, it’s alright. Not like I’ll tell anybody. I’m not really sure I’m even following what you’re saying, to be honest.
Sensing Aiolas’ discomfort, flame dropped flames hand. He did continue to look at as however, eyes glinting even in the lower light.
I suppose, seeing as you’ll all die soon, does it really matter?
Aer gaze flickered with something, perhaps uncertainty, before they flicked away towards the entrance Abolish had come through earlier. The grass had a gentle sway unlike the earlier whipping and lashing from the harsh storm. Perhaps it'd do him some good to share.
Though, Aiola did not particularly like the idea, ae went through with his thoughts before he could talk aerself out of it.
"I wasn't exactly a servant, persay. More so lesser. I spoke back to my lord and he became enraged, so he sent me away to the arena. Discipline and cleaning."
Stares awkwardly in I found your funny ahh pinned post after you followed one of my blogs and I would like to be friends
amaaazinngggg
Id love to be your mutual
Glad you think I'm funny, I afraid it only gets worse.
Also which blog of yours did I follow?
Twas @championofhades I think?
YAYAYAYAYAY NEW FUNNY MOOT ♡♡
YIPPIEEEEE
(Also is my pinned post that funny what-)
Indeed
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
Abolish, noticing the tightness with which ae seems to hold himself at the memory, lays a hand gently upon aer shoulder
That doesn’t sound pleasant. I’m ah, sorry that happened.
It’s clearly not used to comforting people, but is just as obviously trying to make an effort to do so anyway.
Did you fight?
"Apologies. It was impolite of me to bring that up out of nowhere, especially to someone I've just met."
Ae quickly apologized when Abolish attempted to comfort him, suddenly very tense beneath Abolish's hand, subtly shifting as if to move away.
Touch never was something he'd liked. Even before the palace.
"Gods, no, I did not fight. My lord would've had me executed if I'd fought back."
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
I agree. Even with the noise I lived in, I never really got used to it so to speak. This…
Abolish gestures towards their surroundings, the rain that falls softly, the muted quiet of it.
This is much more my speed.
"The palace tends to be rather noisy, much like the arenas you likely experienced. My lord took me to one once."
His jaw tightened, yet he kept his voice soft.
The memory didn't seem particularly pleasant. Ae gripped aer sleeves tightly. He didn't much enjoy aer past.
"I was only there because my lord was tired of the attitude I held and the dungeons did not successfully discipline it."
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⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
"A darling like yourself should not partake in these foolish games."
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹ ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
aliases
Aiola Hierdey
Champion of Hades
age
Twenty-three
identity
Unlabled, ae/aer & he/him/his
Omniromantic & demiromantic, masc pref
Homosexual
species
Half-breed (elf & human)
chosen god
Hades
powers
Withered Palm; Aiola possesses a withering touch, draining the life from foliage and creatures through contact with his hands. This is used to heal aerself or, if unharmed, replenish aer mana.
???; undiscovered
???; undiscovered
???; undiscovered
little discovered facts
Aiola was supposedly a servant to royals in his time, coming from a poor family and being mistreated due to it.
He has revealed to Abolish that ae were actually a slave. His lord mistreated him heavily.
Once, ae spoke back against aer lord and was sent to the gladiator arena. He was mistreated and forced to clean after battles.
Ae seem to have bad eyesight. Everything is quite blurry, only becoming clear when directly infront of him.
Aiola stood within a crumbling temple, the roof partially caved. Rain pounds against the stone, slipping through cracks and into the large opening below, soaking a young man who sat partially under the Hephaestus statue in the center.
He fidgeted with a broken slab from the roof, glancing towards a figure that had slipped through the entrance.
The sky was split by lightning overhead, Zeus's champion's laugh sounding and fading as it traveled into the distance. Aiola hardly looked up from the person in the doorway.
It seemed neither of them had expected one another to be here. Why would someone come here anyways? The temple was in ruin.
@championofhades
You get caught in the rain?
Abolish asked, voice muffled by the rain as he stepped further into the building. Water dripped from his hair, landing on the small, shiny object he was carrying.
Aiola frowned slightly, brows furrowed as he tried to make out the figure. It was rather hard to do so. The dark clouds had dimmed the valley, and the downpour blurred everything. His already rather inadequate sight did nothing to aid him.
Then the voice graced his ears and ae relaxed slightly despite the weather's chill creeping into his body. Abolish. He'd arrived with the man's group, back in the lava tunnel, as he calls it.
Ae scooted to the side to make room incase Abolish wished to seek refuge from the storm as well.
"Ah.. I did, indeed. It was clear skies and suddenly I was drenched."
Aer squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better.
"Were you perhaps appreciate refuge from the storm? This statue does shield from the climate quite well.. besides the breeze, of course."
It’s better than this, I suppose.
He agrees, carefully navigating across the rubble towards aer spot beneath the statue. As it does, it slips whatever it’d been holding back into its bag before ae could get a proper look at it.
Sitting down next to Aiola, Abolish looked up at the statue above them, something reverent in his gaze.
“It feels warmer here. Perhaps Hephaestus is protecting us.”
Ae nodded along, plucking a flower that grew from a line in the ground. He held it carefully yet it still wilted in his delicate hand. Meanwhile, his mind wandered.
He was not built for such a game as the one they must play. His build was frail, far too fragile for a deadly world like this. Perhaps that's why ae had been chosen. The gods had loved to torture him with that sickness in life, after all. He was always destined to wilt just as the flower he touched.
Snapping out of aer thoughts, ae looked up as well, his hands falling to aer lap with the wilting plant.
"I would not be surprised. It is said that temples are still protected by the gods themselves, even when in ruin."
In this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a hand in everything that happens. Or, at least everything that matters.
Flame agrees, brushing a few drops of water from flames bare shoulder. He’s quiet for a moment, listening to the chaos of the storm, before speaking again.
How long have you been here?
It’s unclear exactly what he means by that—the temple, the world, something else entirely. And yet, the intensity with which Abolish meets aer eyes makes it clear that he wants an answer.
"This devine temple, or the curse of my second life?"
His tone held a hint of humor, yet aer eyes did not match the smile he wore. The petals of the plucked flower cracked as ae closed aer fist around it. Something so fragile had no place in this realm.
Aiola peered in Abolish's direction, staring at flame with a slight smile.
Aer face quickly fell blank again, though, as he offered a withered petal to the other. It was the only one that had failed to be crushed when he closed his hand.
"Apologies, dear, but the question was not clear."
Whichever you’d rather say. I know some people are rather…private about things.
Abolish answers, picking the petal delicately from his hands. Careful though he was, it still crumbles away, falling to the damp floor.
I know I am.
Aiola hummed at the response, raising the hand that held the rest of the crushed petals to his lips and blowing them into the downpour. Most fell, but some caught on a soft wind, dancing through the droplets silently.
He watched then for a few feet, then it all blurred and aer attention shifted.
"I arrived here maybe an hour ago, in search of something to occupy my mind. All I recived was this downpour."
Ae paused, nose scrunching slightly in distaste, but it fizzled out as he continued.
"Before, I arrived just after your group. I followed through the cave from afar."
You could’ve joined us. At least in the cave, that is. The others are…loud, but endearing in a way.
Abolish shifts, holding his hand out into the rain beyond. The drops pool in his palm, seeming to steam slightly. Though perhaps that’s just a trick of the eye.
And you’ve been hiding the last few days? I’m honestly surprised nobody’s seen you, what with the arena battle and all.
"I've not particularly been hidden, I just have yet to announce myself. Very few ever really notice my presense."
Aiola offered a smile, yet aer face drooped. Ae had never enjoyed his lack of presence.
Sure, it is easier to escape trouble when no one ever sees you, but socializing is quite difficult if no one ever remembers your name.
He furrowed his brows slightly in thought, suddenly curious of the man. He'd noticed aer presence without needing an announcement. It peeked Aiola's curiosity.
"I attended the arena from the corner. It was.. quieter there."
Aer gaze snapped to the sizzling, sparkling with slight awe. Yet he did not mention it and continued his original train of thought.
"Much like it had been in the backgrounds of the cave. The less people know of my existence, the quieter life is for me. And I do much prefer the quiet."
It’s a good strategy. If you hide until the end, you’ll be in better shape than the competition. It’s certainly less tiring, not having to manage all those relationships.
Abolish decides, angling its head towards the other. He didn’t seem unhappy necessarily. More just…dulled. Though perhaps it was just the rain.
Had ae always been this quiet? Or was it a product of this place? Though, it didn’t really matter. There were inly two ways out, death or glory. And Abolish intended to take the second.
Who knows how long we’ll be here. Won’t you get lonely?
Aiola seemed thoughtful for a long moment, eventually shaking aer head no. He would not grow tired of his lonesome existence.
"I doubt I will. Loneliness is only effective as long as you have a connection to long for, yet I do not wish for companionship."
Aer eyes drifted to the sky, dull green reflecting the angry sky.
"It is a waste of the time I have left to worry over something I will never possess."
He hadn't been lonely in a long time.
At least, he refused to be. Ae had always struggled with making lasting bonds and had given up a long, long time ago.
I get it. It’s lonely, at the top of the competition. I’m sure it is on the other levels as well.
Hesitantly, Abolish shifted slightly closer. From its bag it drew an apple, holding it out towards the other like a peace offering.
You could try one last time. Nothing we do here is going to last. Consider it an even playing ground. Nobody’s really friends after all. At least not yet.
Aiola frowned deeply at the implications. It was true, nothing would last of this place. But the thought of making friends just to go before they could leave him.. it tempted aer.
The offered apple was a surprise. It pulled him back to reality. Ae seemed to zone out a lot.
"Ah.. I suppose, in a way, that is a reasonable outlook. I may take your words of advice into account."
Ae took the apple and gave it a weary inspection. Mainly just a habit, you couldn't be too careful.
"It is not poisoned?"
I can’t say. It was a gift from Shelby. I planned on offering it to my god, but I found something better for them.
If it is. Well. At least you won’t die a worse death.
it chuckles, strangely sharp teeth flashing in the dull light. It seems to do that a lot, perhaps in an effort to dull the harshness of what he speaks.
Ae nodded slowly, raising the apple to aer lips and taking a bite without further testing. He had three lives here, aer remembered that much. And he doubted anyone would try to poison someone with multiple lives left.
It was quite sweet compared to the ones back home.
"Mh.. it is not nearly as bitter as I had expected, truthfully."
Did ae ever not speak so formally?
You’ve never had a properly ripe apple before? I loved them, when I was younger.
He asks, hoping that the question might lighten the mood somewhat. The atmosphere of the old temple was still dreary, though the rain seemed to have begun to let up slightly. Though maybe that was just wishful thinking on Abolish’s part. Just because he didn’t get cold didn’t mean getting soaked was pleasant.
"The only apples I was allowed were scraps and unwanted picks. Life in the service line is lesser, even for a royal's pet."
He'd not go into anymore aspects of his past. Just thinking of it sent aer back to the palace, a very unwelcoming place for a servant. Especially one of a lower status family.
"However, I do appreciate the food, dear. It has been difficult to find any myself. This valley is huge, and confusing to navigate."
They didn’t feed their fighters much either. Had to keep our figures up.
Flame agrees, voice losing whatever small amount of warmth as it seemingly recalls whatever blood-soaked reality it experienced before this one. Pushing the memory away, he continues
The valley is rather large. If you ever wanted to explore, I wouldn’t mind a companion. I’m sure there’s plenty to discover.
Aiola hummed as flame spoke, aer eyes curiously traveling to the marks on his skin. Perhaps that would explain them. He'd heard of arena fighters. Was he one of them?
Ae quickly looked up, his head tilting as he smiled slightly.
"I'd be honored to travel the land with our future champion, darling."
Despite the flattery, he truly believed Abolish would do well in the arenas. Hopefully he could win for the both of them.
Darling?
Abolish tilted his head, a small smile on his lips.
I didn’t take you as a flirt. Maybe you and Nikos should meet.
Despite the teasing, Abolish was glad to have the other accept his offer. It wasn’t that he couldn’t survive alone, he’d done that for years. More that ae had some strange feel to him, one that made it want to stick around.
If you ever want to go out, my home is pretty close by. I’m sure you can find it.
"Nikos.... the loud one, correct? With the lightning and tattoos."
He sat up straight, ears twitching beneath his pale hair. Aer eyes were softer now. Not nearly as dull as before.
Ae tapped aer fingers against aer thighs.
"I'd be willing to meet him. And your home? I was unaware you adored me so much."
His tone was playful, ae liked this Abolish guy enough to indulge in jests.
Yes. The loud one, who keeps calling everyone pretty. It’s not that I adore you. More that you’re more bearable than the other here.
Aer face broke into a smile, pointed ears twitching in amusement.
"He is not wrong. From what I could see, which wasn't much, most of the champions are quite beautiful."
He paused a short moment.
Aiola hummed softly as ae brushed his hair back from his face, tying it up with the clasp on his wrist. It was not the intended use but it worked.
"Hm, such a shame.. though I'd have to say the same for you. You're the least.. overwhelming. It is refreshing, having someone calmer around."
