Re: Counting stars

zo mei 27, 2018 2:06 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

When was the last time she had set foot outside these mountains? In the past four centuries she had only visited Navarre once. The mountains of Navarre, not the cities. She had avoided all contact with people and had just taken a quick look as to what had happened there. Other than that… she had spent her time in the mountains, like the rest of them. She was like the beast, waiting to be unleashed once the flicker of war made its entrance. She would leave, putting the fear of the Mother into both sides. Make sure they knew what they were fighting for. Her people were fighting to win. Theirs would be fighting to survive.

“Peace has lasted too long,” she answered when Mercury seemed to realize it would be good for her, but bad for him. “It feels like the calmth before the storm is coming to an end. I don’t want it to come as a surprise,” she went on. “We can not win a war if we don’t know who we are fighting.” And if she went alone, that war might come sooner than expected. Which is why she told Mercury. Because, deep inside, she knew Ceres would want her to.

When Mercury asked what Cratos was saying, Minerva looked back. “Kill them all,” she whispered, mimicking the demon’s tone. It almost sounded like he was… laughing when he spoke. “He’s been repeating it over and over again,” she then said, looking back at Mercury. “The time has come, he says,” she then whispered.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

zo mei 27, 2018 2:28 pm

Sell your soul, not your whole self

''Peace can never last too long.'' Mercury retorted, this time his voice sounded more stern. Minerva could talk about going to war all she wanted, Mercury still wouldn't bug. There was no place in his life for war, if there was, he would not be the Commander of Peace. He would the Commander of fucking things up pretty badly. Yes, that would be a nice description. Maybe he should lay down his rank. But would the others accept that? Would the Mother accept it? After all, he had been doing this for so long, why quit now? When the thread of war was hanging in the air, didn't the people need him in this time? He would be a coward if he backed down now.

''We don't have to fight a war if we don't know who to fight with.'' He said, trying to change Minerva's opinion on the subject, but knowing that it would be a lost cause, he just sighed and turned his attention to the sky. Oh, how he wished to be a star right now. Just so he could watch the world burn and not give a damn. ''Your demon needs therapy.'' Mercury spoke, suddenly going back to his happy and cheerful self. As if he remembered that a Commander of Peace should never be this concerned. No, when people were afraid, all the needed was someone who showed them there was nothing to be afraid of. Not even when their heads were on the block.

BY MITZI

zo mei 27, 2018 7:22 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

Peace could never last too long, he told her. Minerva shrugged. “They’ll get too used to it,” she murmured. It wasn’t quite that she was out for death and destruction. Though the voices did make her feel like that at times. “They’re forgetting what it’s like. We’ll be in trouble,” she explained. Meet Minerva. She didn’t just doomthink. She invented it. She truly believed that her people were heading towards selfdestruction, simply by forgetting the shadow of War that was lingering. Simply by living a life of… bliss.

Mercury caused her to roll her eyes. “If we don’t find the war, the war will find us,” she told him calmly. “Do you want us to be prepared or lose more of our own?” she then asked, raising a brow. After that, she slowly turned to her demon. “I don’t think he’d talk to a therapist,” she noted, as if she was truly planning to go find one to fix the relationship between her and her least favorite, yet strongest, demon. ‘We need to leave, Minerva! We need to leave now!’ his voice went. She sighed. ‘You can’t leave! What if something happens here? Stay here!’ The woman scratched her head. “They’re fighting now.”

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

zo mei 27, 2018 9:39 pm

Sell your soul, not your whole self

What was wrong with getting used to peace? What was wrong with it? If people forgot war even existed, then what was the problem? All would be happy and all would be good. It was Mercury's utopia, but upon hearing Minerva's words, he knew that he was alone on that one. Not that it surprised him. ''If all would forget war existed, all would be fine.'' Mercury spoke his thoughts out loud, looking straight at Minerva. He wasn't kidding. If he could find something, anything that would exterminate all those horrible things war did to people, he would use it without thinking of the consequences.

Upon her question, Mercury looked down at his hands. Of course he didn't want to lose any more of his kind. He had found his place here, he wouldn't just give it up. He would fight for it until he couldn't get back up again. And even then he would try. This was his home, the only place that had ever felt like that. No one would take that away from him. Eventually, he shook his head, a little ashamed he didn't think of it before.
A little alarmed he raised his head again, a worried frown upon his face. When weren't her demons fighting? But seeing her like this, it was never a sight he got used to. ''Do you want me to..?'' Mercury didn't finish his sentence when he raised his hand, an invitation for her to grab it, for him to calm her down. Just like before, like they had done multiple times. Mercury just made sure to ask permission, you never know how Minerva would react.

BY MITZI

zo mei 27, 2018 10:37 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

“We can forget,” Minerva immediately spoke, “but the rest of the world won’t. They’ll be ready.” And that was exactly what she was afraid of. She didn’t want the world to get ahead of them. Mother would be so disappointed if she allowed anyone to take the first step against them. It as her job to make sure their wars were won. And she could only do that if she followed her guts and made sure they fought to win, not to survive. She knew that Mercury felt for their people too. That he cared just as much as she did. “So you need to be ready,” she told him. “For you will bring back peace.” They needed him as much as they needed her. He was the chosen one. The only Guardian that wasn’t actually from here.

“It’s like a war inside,” she whispered. “They’re alarmed too. They’re not sure. Cratos wants to go and find out what our enemies are up to, but Styx wants to stay here in case something goes wrong…” She shook her head, closing her eyes for a bit. “It’s so hard to think…” She hadn’t quite realised that Mercury had said something, until her eyes fell upon his hand. A sigh sounded as she nodded, slowly taking it in hers. Every now and then, the Messenger was a blessing.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

zo mei 27, 2018 10:46 pm

Sell your soul, not your whole self

Mercury would never forget. He had been living for quite some time now and had his fair share of wars. Every one of them different, but yet the same. The same smell always lingered around them. Fear, death, decay, hopelessness. It tore him apart, inside and out. If Minerva and he would ever switch roles, he would do a very poor job at creating war. He would probably let it go extinct. Mercury shook his head lightly. ''All my work for nothing.''< He mumbled more to himself. This peace had lasted long, very long and he was proud of that accomplishment, and now Minerva wanted to throw that all away. ''Quite the pressure you're putting on my shoulders.'' He then spoke a little more cheerful with that playful grin on his face.

Somewhere, he was glad that she took his hand and accepted his offer. He hated seeing her like this and knew that though it was only temporary, he would relieve her. Even if it was just for a moment. ''Then don't think at all. Just for a moment.'' He whispered, using his words to drown her thoughts out, to drain her from her worries and her demons. Mercury always felt something of what he took from other people, a part always ended up in him. And Minerva's always gave him a chill down his spine. But the vampire didn't back down, caressing her hand, he made sure she would be able to breathe freely again. No thoughts, no monsters. Just them and the sky full of stars.

BY MITZI

ma mei 28, 2018 2:55 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

Perhaps it was the reason she missed Mother the most. Because she missed herself. She missed being able to sit down, without Styx’ breath tickling her ear. She missed smiling without Cratos telling her the world was going to be set on fire. She missed looking into someone’s eyes without her demons telling her that he deserved to die. Even Mercury, who she had once adored, could not look at her without her demons feeling the need to warn her. Warn her that he might still turn on them. Peace was never an option, for it did not exist inside of her. Not anymore.

Mercury’s touch was one of bliss. The calmth that washed over her affected the demons too. They were still there, she could feel their presence, but the whispers sounded like they came from another room. She couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. Just a gentle whisper in the wind, nothing more. She sighed a breath of relief, slowly opening her eyes again as she looked up at Mercury. “What do you think? Do we stay?” she asked. If she’d leave, she would need him. As she always did.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

di mei 29, 2018 12:48 am

Sell your soul, not your whole self

His touch appeared to work, or Minerva had gotten very good at faking it. But he wanted to think of her like an open book, somehow he always pierced through it. Her eyes always had that kind of.. manic, the one where you weren't exactly sure if she was actually seeing you or not. Now that seemed to be gone. Mercury softly smiled at the sight of it, happy that he could help her like that. It wouldn't last long, but as long as they held hands, it would be alright. It brought him back to the old days, the first days here. Minerva had helped him through it, while the other guardians had been there as well, it was she who seemed to understand him in some way. It had had an interesting result, one that was now long past them.

Upon her question, his smile broadened. The thought of leaving here, leaving this place for only a little while. It already made him want to get up and get going. ''Where would you want to go?'' He said, completely skipping the part where he had to tell her that he indeed wanted to leave. Not for too long though, who knew the consequences of them leaving? Maybe this would indeed be the start of a new war. A Commander of War and a Commander of Peace on a roadtrip.. together. A strange sight it would be. But Mercury was living for it.

BY MITZI

di mei 29, 2018 1:17 am

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

The Commander of War and the Commander of Peace. They had been through a lot together at this point. She remembered laughing at him, yet feeling this curiosity towards the Commoner’s boy. He hadn’t judged them for what they did, had never really… made her feel bad about the whispers. Instead, he had made her feel calm. It was why they had gotten along. Yet, he was the one she fought with the most. Their opinions on life seemed to differ on every matter. It made them an interesting duo for sure. She remembered the smile on her Mother’s face as she listened to the two bickering. A memory she couldn’t wait to return to.

‘Where would you want to go?’ he asked. Seemed like he wanted to come. Minerva frowned for a bit. “Navarre,” she told him. “I heard a part of it burned since last time we were there,” she mumbled. She just wanted to see… wanted to see the world they might have to fight. Get a slap from reality. See how the people these days were, even if it was just from a distance. What did they wear? Had their language changed at all? What weapons did they use now? There were many questions that needed answering.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

wo mei 30, 2018 12:29 am

Sell your soul, not your whole self

He had heard of the fire. He had been tempted to leave and check it out himself, but something had kept him here. Maybe because it felt wrong to suddenly disappear without a trace. And what if he left and all hell would have been broken loose? He would have been the one who had to calm everyone down, Apollo was a nice substitute, but that man had a way with music and healing, not words. The vampired nodded in understanding. ''It's better than that stupid heat of Valyria.'' He confessed, glad she hadn't brought that up as a suggestion. The vampire sat up straight, so he could have a better look at the Commander of War. He still held her hand and still tried to make sure to find her rest, one he found to desperately need as well these past weeks. Maybe he sould pay a visit to Apollo, see what the Commander of health had to offer him.

''I would love to join you.'' He confessed with a sheepish smile. What else was to be expected from him? He couldn't keep his mouth shut, let alone sit still for more than five minutes. If fate hadn't chosen this life for him, if the Mother hadn't been there for him, he would have travelled, he would have discovered the world in the hopes of finding a place that didn't want to see him dead. And it had always been so close.

BY MITZI

do mei 31, 2018 1:51 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

It was nice to finally feel calm. Just sitting here, holding the hand of the youngest one, she sighed a breath of relief. An uncommon feeling of peace washed over her. She had always been at war with the world. With herself, mostly. The first war had been the worst. She remembered the deaths and how they had broken her apart. It was then that Cratos had taken over. His whispers finally got through to her and she no longer held the power to push him away. For he was right: people were poison. They could not be trusted. Chaos would rise no matter what and it was their job to turn it into order again.

Mercury would love to join her. “I thought so,” she told him. After all, it was Mercury they were talking about. There was no person on this world that frustrated her more incredibly than this boy could. Yet, he played part in an important moment of her life. And he was the only peace she knew, for as long as Ceres was gone. Both his mindset and his touch were those of peace. While she called him stupid plenty of times, she knew that wasn’t quite it. He tried being… positive. Something that wasn’t always welcomed by the Warrior. “I will try my best not to kill you during our little trip, then.” It would be difficult.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

do mei 31, 2018 3:17 pm

Sell your soul, not your whole self

Her words made him laugh, as if he didn't understand that she was threatening him. Of course he understood, he just didn't care. He knew Minerva wouldn't kill him, she still needed him for her wars, she neede him for guidance, she needed him for the silence the Mother no longer could give her. And he would be happy to oblige. Mercury didn't hold any grudges, instead, he tried to turn it around. Maybe, if he did something nice to the person who hurt him, they would see their mistake and try to live a little better. It didn't work every time, but it worked enough for him to continue his life without having to worry so much.

Eventually a soft sigh escaped his lips. Mercury let his gaze fall from the sky to his hands. ''I miss Her.'' He spoke after some silence, his entire happy-persona seemed to have faded. He was being honest, no faking, no lies, just him, talking. ''It's getting harder to keep those bad thoughts out again.'' Minerva knew what he meant, knew what he was dealing with. He didn't want to bother anyone with it, but it felt like she was the only one who could understand, hadn't she gone through the same thing?

BY MITZI

do mei 31, 2018 3:40 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

He missed Her. In an immediate response, Minerva wanted to pull her hand away and take some distance from the boy. But, she managed to stay put, only tensing her muscles for a bit. She took a deep breath in and relaxed again, before letting the air out of her lungs again. Mercury told her about how it was getting harder to keep the bad thoughts out. Without hearing Cratos in her ear, Minerva actually felt bad for the boy.

“I miss Her too,” she admitted. “There are so many times where I’m just close to wake Her up, but…” She shook her head. They both knew that would be selfish. Because they had Ceres to make them feel better, but Ceres didn’t have that. Her sire died a long, long time ago, She had said. She lived to be their Mother, so She’d only live when that was what She needed to be. “I’m sure She would tell you that you’re not alone,” she spoke, a faint smile on her face. “She would tell you to smile, for you are the one that makes Her smile.” As that had been what Mercury was good at. Awful jokes.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*

do mei 31, 2018 4:29 pm

Sell your soul, not your whole self

He felt her tense up and instintctively he tried to calm her down more. He couldn't help it. He wanted the best for her and when she did things like that, those sudden hesitations, he always started to worry. Mercury understood her. Waking up the Mother was.. wrong. But it would make things so much better. He needed that affirmation again, that he truly belonged here, that he wasn't some kind of monster. The people around him already helped lots, but none of them could look inside his head and see the monster, slowly waking up from his slumber again.

The vampire nodded, a faint smile on his face. ''I know. It's just..'' his voice trailed off and he looked down at his hands. That faithful day, it had been both a blessing and a curse. Mercury shook his head, trying to stop himself from saying things he would later regret. He wouldn't burden Minerva with his problems, she had her own. ''You're right.'' He said, smiling back at her as if nothing seemed wrong.

BY MITZI

do mei 31, 2018 5:54 pm

You've gone and proved

to be the misery of mankind

All you ever do is make excuses, God you're boring. Use everything you've got inside, you still don't find the courage. Stick your tail between your legs and go. You think you know it all? You're just a king without a throne.

Minerva shook her head when Mercury told her that she was right. She nodded towards her hand, the one he was still holding. “You’re giving me some peace of mind,” she told him calmly, “so let me give you some of it back.” It was only fair. Often enough did she want to rip his head from his neck and throw it off the mountain without a second thought. But, when the voices were quiet and she saw the sad boy she had once helped fit in, she couldn’t help but worry a bit. Something that usually would instantly be killed by Cratos, but, thanks to their little hand-holding, his words weren’t clear enough for her to care. No, all there was at this moment, was the two of them. So she could hear him out. Just this once.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mercury

FL*