✱ sᴜɴsʜɪɴᴇ sᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀ.

      “ Ink… really? “

MEME SOURCE

While he wasn’t immune to fear, it was rare he let it impact him severely, however that could show itself in either rashness or overwhelming courage. Carmi appeared to be the type to poke a beast with a stick, repeatedly turning to peer at where he had seen (or hadn’t seen enough of) something peculiar in a mirror both of them had passed. The emperor had gone ahead to let him stare, yet before he could get too far his nymph companion was rushing over.

MEME SOURCE

     (odyssian voice) i would rather eat days-old roadkill 

...

HOMERIC EPITHET.

GREAT TELLER OF TALES  //  You are Carmi, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW.

COMPASSION  //  Bottom line: you’re TOO NICE, and this will inevitably spell out your doom. You might meet your end by sacrificing yourself to save another, or—even more likely—you’ll happen across some individuals of questionable character who will take advantage of your niceness and lead you to ruin. Either way, it’s not looking good. You need to be meaner. Maybe scream at a small child or leave a bad tip at a restaurant or something, I don’t know. I’m trying to save you, okay?

GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEATH.

MURDERED BY A FRISBEE, ESSENTIALLY  //  The god Apollo is your lover in the nighttime, but the wind god, Zephyros, wants you for himself, because you’re just that much of a catch (no pun intended). One day while you and Apollo are throwing the discus back and forth (it’s ancient Greece, so this is just something that people do), you are struck by the oncoming discus and killed instantly. Plot twist! It was Zephyros who blew the discus off-course and caused your untimely and wholly unnecessary death, because I guess he comes from the “if I can’t have them, nobody can” school of dealing with his feelings.

WHICH LITERARY SETTING DO YOU BELONG IN?

ON THE ROAD  //  You got “On the road!” Like so many literary characters (Huck Finn, Odysseus, Gulliver, etc.), you’re an adventurer and explorer at heart, and the literary setting that most closely matches your personality is, quite frankly…all the settings! You’re not meant to settle down in one spot—you’re the kind of person who hits up multiple parties in one night, and your insta is probably filled with pics of all the cool places you’ve travelled to. So embrace it! Take to the open road with your friends, run through a field of wildflowers in the middle of nowhere, and please get a pic next to the world’s largest Ketchup bottle.

TAGGED BY :  hervaine

Things were not looking swell. At the current moment the naiad was sweaty and shivering beneath the blanket provided, even though the area seemed rather warm in temperature. His consciousness drifted in and out as he awaited relief his last guard promised they’d bring. When he stayed awake, there wasn’t much to do; he was still chained at the ankles, and Arabelle had been asleep for days, so it caused his mind to wander, to ponder his situation. However for the most part, he was bored easily digging into his brain. Sleep was the only way to alleviate the aches and pains he was experiencing.

Your dominant hues are red and blue. You're confident and like showing people new ideas. You play well with others and can be very influential if you want to be.

Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

                        “ carmi… when i die, can you promise not to forget about me? i don’t think i’ll be welcomed back and turned into stardust like the rest of my people did… i’ve done terrible things, so maybe i don’t deserve to be remembered, but.. but maybe if at least YOU remembered me, i could feel a little better knowing i’d stop existing and no one would care… “ she grows paler by the second, and despite the negation of their powers there’s a small white aura hovering right above her. upon further inspection though, you would see that the very fiber of her being was being taken away, piece by piece. she didn’t have much time left. her body grew colder by the second, and the prison floor didn’t help much with that.

                                   her last breath approached, but something much louder approached as well.

                                    harsh metal banged against each other, an ear-bleeding screech resounding throughout the confined room as the door was open. it wasn’t much brighter out there than it was in here, but still, the sudden change in light blinded the small empress.

                                    footsteps enter and approach her form, but they push her harshly against the wall she was chained to and a pained squeal is released from her. tearing away the piece of fabric that held her flesh together, a medical team begins to work on her. accompanying them is a guard though, who yells harshly at carmi and tells him to shut up.

                                   the pain of the stitching forces arabelle back to reality, though, and before she can even begin to take in her surroundings, the sight of carmi fills her eyes with light. it wasn’t all in her head — he was here, he was really here!

                         “ carmi — carmi! “ she yells enthusiastically. a smile appears on her face as the last of her tears fall. it doesn’t seem like she quite realizes the situation they’re in though, as when she tries to move closer towards him, she messes up the stitching on her stomach and is slapped across the face brutally. a wince is given, and then her face turns into one of worry. “ c - carmi..? where are we? who are you people..?! let go of carmi! let him go! “ another slap, and now she’s seeing spots, wobbling this way and that.

Despite his relief at the door’s creak open and stitching up Arabelle, assistance still comes with grit as she’s aggressively pressed against the wall. He aches to come to the small group and pitch in, yet he is aware that his chains are already being pulled to their limit. Scratchily he can only continue to speak from his position, sitting back on his legs and squeezing at his knees.

“Don’t be so rough---” The concerned order is cut off at the shout of a guard, his chest and throat filling with ire for both their situation and their treatment. So he can’t help himself when he retaliates, “you shut up, or tell them for me!” and points a finger at the commotion. 

In response the other goes onto their knees, grabbing Carmi’s shoulder and a chunk of his hair before yanking him up and closer. A yelp escapes him that vaguely resembles a dog being kicked, pointing hand going to grab at one of their wrists.

“You think you have some sort of authority here? Hmm?” He’s shaken curtly, and although their voice is little over a hiss, it sounds almost blaring next to his ear. Wincing at the pain, the naiad’s gaze shifts between them to where the empress was, hidden by bodies. “You’ve been pushing your luck with us this whole time, and we’ve been lenient with your mistakes. Too lenient. Shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

Either individual has their sights set on each other, to then turn towards Arabelle as she calls out his name. He smiles in return, although it’s distorted with pain, continuing to be held by his scalp and shoulder. How can she speak and move so normally when she was on the brink of death a moment ago? Carmi is reminded that she’s more than just a mere child, but his breath hitches as she is slapped, twice for each hit. Fully knowledgable of whose grip he was in, he still proceeds to speak. “Stop hitting her! STOP---Ara---”

Once more the king is stopped short by being thrown to the floor, and he bites his tongue upon impact. The guard takes two steps towards Arabelle’s direction.

“AlRIGHT, listen up! Our job is to make sure neither of you die in here; it seems injury is something that can’t be helped, unfortunately, and that’s no one’s faults except your own. Of course, if you comply with our requests it can be avoided from here on out---” a pointed stare at Carmi, who knows full well why it’s directed at him, “---and I’d strongly suggest you behave yourselves, lest you want something like this to happen again... or, gods forbid, we have to get family involved. And you wouldn’t enjoy that, would you, your majesty?”

                                 ara… it’s been so long since she had been called that. it’s been so long since she heard that voice… “ carmuppy, “ she says with a small giggle ( although it’s quickly followed by a fit of coughing ). her eyes are still closed. she doesn’t know if she’s awake or asleep anymore: if she’s alive or dead. truly, it would be paradise to have her friend call her name like that so fondly, but that only fueled her brain’s confusion.

                                maybe this was all in her head.. but still, it was carmi, right? even if it was in her head.. she wanted to talk to him. she missed him.

                                she opens her eyes eventually, but they’re half-lidded — any larger exerted too much energy from her. she rolls onto her back, her left arm wrapped around her stomach covering a large gash that hasn’t quite fully healed yet; a deep red drips off to her side and slowly creates a puddle, staining her shimmering white dress crimson.

                      “ i didn’t fight the monster.. at best i was just entertainment for it, but at least i stalled enough time for some of the people to escape, right? haha… “ if this was all in her head, why weren’t her wishes coming true? was it because some semblance of her was still clinging onto life?

                                but why? why would it cling onto a life that had brought her nothing but pain?

                       “ carmi… where are you, carmi? i want to see you.. it’s cold — it hurts… carmi, where are you? “her voice becomes hollow and longing as tears of her own begin to flow. where was he? she wanted to go back to her room with him and laugh on the pillows like they used to. she wanted to get on his back and tower over everyone else like he used to let her do. why couldn’t it be like that again? maybe if she closed her eyes and dreamed hard enough, her mind would take her to that place…

His nickname. When had Arabelle last called him that? For a moment he basks in it, a smile blooming despite the breathy sobs he releases, but alas her coughs cause him to look up again. Watery eyes blink several times while he attempts to focus, and he hiccups as he forces himself to calm down.

Only issue with that is it doesn’t last very long---Carmi picks out the stain on her white dress, and feels his heartbeat bang in his chest. This is too much blood, he doesn’t need experience from the Breach to know that.

“A...ra...”

Oh, no, this can’t be happening. She’s bleeding out and nobody is tending to her, not even he could lend any aid from his current position. Figuring he could reach her if he manipulated water up his arm, the pegaiai stretched out his fingers, prepared to direct his water supply up and away from his body.

Nothing. He wiggles his fingers, waves his arm around, still nothing. Why isn’t his water manipulation working? Carmi can usually bring it out so simply (that was a partial truth, for expelling his own water out is a tad more difficult than manipulating water already around him), but perhaps he’s too exhausted to use it? No... this isn’t right. That never happens. Not like he plans to delve on why he can’t do what is only natural to him, mouth already open and turned towards the cell’s entrance.

“HEY!!! SOMEBODY HELP! SHE’S---SHE’S BLEEDING!” Water pricks at his eyes, however he refuses to break down, going to rise onto all fours. “Don’t worry, I’m in front of you; I can’t touch you but I promise I’m here.” At the end of his sentence there’s a noticeable crack, doing all he can to hold back emotion long enough to get her help. The monarch stands on his knees, a shuffle made so his entire body faced where he wanted to scream.

&& they’ve been captured!

@melligine​

                                   after many attempts to free herself in order to reach the other, the empress finally collapses on the ground, her head spinning and body numb. there was.. a battle; a battle against horrible, vicious monsters that threatened the entire realm. she gave orders to all those enlisted before rushing to try and help aid the other kingdoms, but she never got the chance. beaten by one of the beasts, she still suffers some wounds from the futile battle. her attire was in shambles — torn cloth impossible to miss. there was a slash across her right eye, and bruises around her neck. her fibula seemed to be broken as well, if not only slightly fractured at best.

                                  a dry smile is forced onto her face as she uses all her remaining strength to lift her head and face carmi. “ it’s sad, isn’t it? that such a useless person like me was named empress… i couldn’t even help you when those things attacked… i really am useless… “

                                  and then, she resigns herself to the fatigue, falling onto the floor with a small thud, her eyes closing as her consciousness dips and sways between the realm of the living. 

                                  she should have tried to use the chaos when the beasts appeared to destroy the humans.. that’s what the voice in her head told her. but carmi wasn’t a human. and even so, there were other humans that she DID love… this internal strife…

                                  would humans be the death of her again?

“Wait, Ara---ARA!

Hey, wake up! Wake up! Please? Y-you’re not useless, don’t say that..! You fought a monster all by yourself!”

Melcio's king needs somebody to talk to; especially her, the person who had been missing for so long, and had treated him so kindly during his visits. Somebody who disregarded political status as much as him to make a wonderful playmate and friend. Carmi is weary himself, but a shot of adrenaline was coursing through him to find the empress here, of all places. She's alive! The situation as a whole isn’t something to celebrate over, but if he could just reach far enough to touch her hand... enough to make contact with the edges of his fingers, he might be able to alleviate some of that pain. Then maybe she could speak to him.

He would’ve liked to say it was difficult for his kidnappers to overpower him---that he’d put up a hard struggle against his assailants, made the task of abducting him, shoving him in his cell, and chaining his hands and feet a living hell. Because he had certainly tried to do exactly that.

Except... he was powerless. Carmi wasn’t one to brush up on his combat skills very often, preferring not to resort to it or even consider using it out of practice. His choices didn’t prove to help him at all, since nobody can really charm their way out of situations like these. So no other options were left besides to be an inconvenience at any given opportunity, but it resulted in him getting beaten many a time (which was supposedly not what they desired to do, given that injuring the hostages may do more harm than good). 

By the time the sack had been pulled from his face and he was pushed into his newest residence, the naiad was aching and exhausted, barely able to fight back as shackles were placed around his ankles. Someone restrained his arms during the process, and it kept him from doing much besides wiggling pathetically in his spot. When the job was complete the one who had held him back trailed a hand up his back, fingers lingering near his neck long enough to make the man shiver and stand on edge.

Once the cell doors had been shut and locked, only then did his posture slacken. Vision tiredly skimmed around the dim space; almost too dark to note any significant details on anything, although he did find that little lump in the corner to be particularly interesting. Slowly he scooted over to it, chains behind him jingling softly and making a slightly more audible raking noise on the floor. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it all the way over, restraints the cause of it, however he could now identify them better.

MEME SOURCE