Forum of the Elder Gods (Grave;Cross)

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Everyone in the room blushed at Grave's sudden action. All of his traveling partners because of the unexpected action, and Marybell simply because it looked embarrassing. The worst reaction to it came from Envy herself, who's face turned red from the absolute shock of him actually doing what she asked. A reaction was certainly coming, Cynder would see one slowly building, but he had caught her off guard and left her stunned. As such, he had either the option of feeding the cheese to her through the available access of her jaw hanging open, or simply letting her blow her lid.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Grave could feel the awkward silence as it descended upon the table. His own smirk was getting considerably smaller as he maintained a poker face, glancing at everyone to gauge their reactions before focusing on Envy. She was slowly getting to the point when she'd blow her lid, he was sure of that. He also had a sneaking suspicion that it'd likely end in tears for everyone involved. Not that what he was about to do was a good idea, but it was probably slightly better than the inevitable explosion. Almost painfully slowly, Cynder moved the piece of food forward towards her mouth. He felt tense, like something big was about to happen. He expected Envy to freak out, but there was some kind of morbid curiosity that urged him to press on, with a focused, almost comically serious look on his face, if only to see how much he could get away with.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

The cheese went into her mouth. The table was silent, no one was even focusing on their own food. Something in Envy finally popped, though it wasn't what seemed to be coming before. She didn't even chew the cheese. She only withdrew her face, the cheese still in her mouth, before she jumped off of her chair and was seen immediately running out of the house as if she were struck by absolute shame, her blood red face showing just how ashamed she felt, that is to say greatly ashamed.

"That..." Roy began, only to shut her mouth.

"That was kinda cute." Marybell followed up on what Roy began to say.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

"Well..." Grave finally spoke after his brain managed to work it's way through the input. "This was... unexpected?" He ventured. Sure, she ran off almost instantly, but he expected Envy to actually stab him rather than show this kind of reaction. Hell, he didn't even expect to see this kind of reaction. Then again... Her feeling for him weren't all hate and contempt, if recent events were any indication. Maybe he could get her to act like this more often...

... But preferably without feeling like he had done something illegal due to it's... Cynder couldn't quite find the right word. It almost made him forget about his own piece of cheese. Almost.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Everyone finished up their dinner in relative silence, before Marybell stood up and smiled at her guests. "I-I've only got one bed in the house, but... If yall don't mind sleepin' in the barn... I-I do keep it clean!" she insisted.

Roy nodded. "Asides from the hay, that barn did not reek of any foul odor. And given our recent troubles, it would be grand to sleep in someplace protected from the cold winds."

"Hey, Gwave!" Club spoke up. "Where did your sis go?" she asked. "She hasn't come back to finish her food."

"I think Cynder only becomes a smooth operator when it comes to small flat chested women." Valencia said bluntly. "You embarrassed her a great deal with that move."

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

"Eh, I've slept in worse places." Grave agreed with Roy - a barn was actually really inviting in their current situation, and the smell of hay was something one could get used to. Valencia's remark, on the other hand, left him feeling very sheepish. "Yes, I've realized." Cynder sighed. 'And the sad part is, she still gave me too much credit... I'm about as smooth as a piece of sandpaper.' "Would you rather I've let her snap? I wasn't entirely joking about the stabbing." Still, he resolved to at least try to apologize. He just hoped he wouldn't get torn to pieces when that happened.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Valencia put her hands against Grave and began pushing him outside. "She's a problem child, don't let her out of your sight, and chase after her!" she instructed him, forcing him outside. "And if you haven't noticed already, she likes you. You should let her know that the feeling is mutual." Valencia announced.

"Certainly a rushed way to handle it..." Roy announced, taking another bite of cheese.

Club let out a loud burp, before holding up a wooden cup with a big gesture. "More milk please!"

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

"Oh shut up..." Grave grumbled at Roy's remark as he was pushed out of the building. Bastards wouldn't let him enjoy his cheese in peace. Altough he had to admit, he had more important things to do that eat. He agreed with Valencia's assessment of Envy's feelings. He wasn't so sure about talking with her after that manouver, though - he'd rather give her space and let her compose herself. As he set out to find his sister, the half-blood mulled over what Valencia told him to do and began to see her point. Sure, this was rushed as Hell, but if he simply let his sis stew on this, she would likely end up falling back onto her usual way of thinking, which was not good for anyone if her behaviour was anything to go by. It was kinda like striking the iron while it was still hot - or at least he hoped it to be. Cynder always felt out of his depth when dealing with humans - there was always a sense of anxiety born from his earlier experiences, which didn't give him many chances to interact with and understand others. This made him question and second-guess every move he made around others, sometimes repeatedly. But even if his train of thought was wrong this time... Valencia was right about another thing. Envy was problematic, and not keeping an eye on her was a stupid idea. "Heaven forbid it got easy." Grave muttered. "Now where did she go, I wonder?" He asked himself, looking for a clue.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Looking around, Grave would find it rather easy to spot the blond haired menace. Mostly because it was drizzling slightly outside, and he'd see a yellow umbrella of hair in the corner of his eye, as Envy sat on top of the barn itself, using her hair to shield herself from the rain. Upon seeing Cynder, however, he'd suddenly see her hair return to normal, before the blond cardinal was standing up on top of the barn, and fleeing with rapid steps. Since running along a roof was a bad idea to begin with, it was no surprise that Envy suddenly slipped, and fell off from the roof with a scream. Launching her hair forth, she managed to avoid hitting the ground as her hair became a single giant hand that held herself up, except for the part where even the hand was slipping due to the rain.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

"Oh for..." Grave cursed under his breath. He had a feeling Envy wouldn't be willing to talk with him, and now she was running away. He didn't have much choice aside of pursuing her, hoping he could catch up and speak with her. And that's when misfortune struck - he could see his sister suddenly slip and begin to fall, latching onto the roof of the barn in desperation. He could also see that her grip was slipping. Cursing again, Cynder launched himself into a mad dash towards her, moving as fast as he could to grab her during the inevitable fall. At the very least, he could ensure she'd not break anything due to hitting the ground.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

She fell. Her hand slipped, and she made not a sound as she descended from the rooftop. Just barely did he make it in time. Her body fell into his arms as if she weighed as much as a roll of cloth. All of her magical hair fell over his arm just like real hair would, but disobeyed the normal rules as it fell like dry, light, flowing hair while being wet with rain. In his arms, Envy looked up to him.

Stunned, blushing, and with her arms cradled to her chest. Envy subconsciously took on a pose that made her look as meek and helpless as if she were but a scared kitten. Cute, would be the word to describe her. Before Cynder could react to any of this, Envy suddenly threw herself against his chest, burying her face there, while he felt her arms press against him as well. She breathed heavily, and it was because she was scared. At least for now, Grave was the one source of protection from the fear she just experienced.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Running like mad, Grave extended his hands to catch Envy, preparing himself for what seemed like an inevitable fall - he had little doubt that catching someone while running at full speed would end with losing balance. To his suprise, however, his sister was lighter than he expected. Between having to stop quickly and maintain balance, though, he ended up pulling her rather close to him. She seemed scared, incredibly so, though Cynder quickly realized she wasn't scared of him. And as Envy clung to him, he realized the best thing he could probably do was offer her some comfort. The half-blood embraced her, letting her calm down and collect herself. He realized she was probably so scared because he threw her off earlier, and tried not to wince at his stupidity. He also tried not to think why her hair felt so weird. Magic, probably. "It's alright, everything's fine..." He tried to reassure her. "I'm... Sorry for doing that earlier... I know it was embarrassing." Damn, now he felt really stupid.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

She clung to him, and she felt quite tense in both her grip and body. His apology and words to follow seemed to pass like a memory, not seeming to affect her at all. The rain fell on Grave and Envy as his blond demon sister remained silent, before suddenly speaking with a shaking, nervous voice.

"Don't treat me like I'm special to you..." she said, her words alone possibly seeming cold, but the way her voice shook, and the way she clung to him seemed to indicate that such was not what she wanted to say. "Don't hold me..." she demanded in a low tone, without any impact at all, coming out instead as something meek and without enthusiasm. "I don't want anyone pretending they care about me...!" she said, her voice intensifying, but not in an angry manner. Rather, it seemed she was starting to cry. "You're the last person... I want to lie to me."

Those final words were the only ones to ring of truth. Going back in their history, Envy always viewed Cynder as the lucky one, favored by their mother and even granted the luxury of escape while Envy was forsaken. Able to escape the demons while she was left behind, a meaningless girl born a human from a lamia's womb, a freak of nature among their kind. Knowing that he got the affection she did nothing to not deserve, it was true that she had no desire to be extended a false hand of mercy and care from the very same man. That great humiliation would tear her apart from the inside, just as her envious hatred had, which eventually turned her into a Cardinal Sin, one to represent the very meaning of Envy, and cursed so that her hair became hands, always reaching out, wanting to take.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Grave did not listen to Envy's half-hearted demands to let her go. "Then I won't lie." He felt a little tense as well, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I'm... Afraid of dealing with other people, so I tend to act like an ass." He began, wondering whether to mention his past. Envy had it far worse. "But I care about you. You're the only family I have left alive. And I know you're one of the few people who cares about me." Cynder figured he probably shouldn't leave that out. He had been paying attention, somewhat. "I want to answer that feeling. I'm not a very good person. But you are important to me." He took a deep breath. "I will try my best to make you happy. So... You don't have to run away. I'm going to be here for you." Perhaps this is what she really needed. Someone willing to give.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Envy's face was blood red with embarrassment. She looked at Grave as he spoke, but when he began to answer her positively, and even say that he cared about her, she turned her eyes away. After a moment, the rain cleared up, and Envy turned her face back to look at him. It took a moment for her to reply, but she seemed to adopt an expression somewhat closer to her usual cool demeanor, before a collective strand of hairs came together and formed a blade, which she pointed at his throat. "If I find out you're lying to me... I'll kill you." she said, before the blade became a hand that gripped the back of his head, and pulled him down towards her face. Then, their lips met.

Cynder would feel himself being wrapped in Envy's element of longing. Envious in her very nature, it wasn't enough that she took his kiss, but her 'hands' sought out and gripped the rest of him as well, as if wanting everything else about him as well, and in the most selfish way. It was almost as if she were cursing him with the mark of Envy. Now that he was in Envy's palm, she showed no intention of letting him go. But despite all the negative auras about Envy, there was one that stood out as a happy one. Above all else, he would be able to sense how truly happy she was.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Grave patiently waited, watching his sister carefully as the rain around them slowly began to grow weaker and disappear. Eventually she looked up, and he felt a little anxious at seeing a cooler expression on her face. The feeling got worse when she pointed a blade at him, but before he could act on that, he was once again caught by suprise. First by her words - he expected an outright rejection after being put at bladepoint - and shortly afterwards by her actions. Cynder's brain started overheating as he tried to snap out of it, figure out how the Hell his speech worked and process the strange feelings he was experiencing at the same time, leaving the subconsciousness with the task of dealing with Envy. Which it did by holding her close and returning the kiss, then not letting the brain know as it would likely raise a fuss, even if it knew better.

In the meantime, Grave's conscious thoughts started to quickly get in order as he cooled down from being threatened and suprised at the same time. Now he was pondering the various auras he kept feeling. It was as if Envy grabbed him in more ways than one, not just physically. He idly wondered whether he could sense it because of his own budding magic prowess - ever since the mansion incident, he had been developing some kind of sense, starting to feel the powers present before him. This reminded him slightly of the time he saw the hidden appearance of that small demon assassin. However, this experience was not terrifying like that one. Cynder could easily feel the aura of happiness beneath all that dark mess of jealousy. His sister finally achieved what she craved so desperately, and this feeling lifted his spirit as well. He felt he wouldn't mind spoiling her a bit.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

It was a curse. Little doubt would be the case as Grave would see a reflection of himself in the water. Around his neck was a red mark that looked as if someone had their hand around his throat. To be close to envy extended beyond the corruption she left behind in every step. Even to be the target of her affections left you with worrisome conditions. It would come to Cynder as no wonder why she was so envious when all things that are good would have every reason to avoid her. In this case, it may be that Envy's love, if he truly obtains it, will suffocate him.

The kiss broke, and Envy squirmed a little bit afterwards, apparently wishing to be let down to stand on her own. She offered no voice on the matter though, and if she were let down, then she'd remain silent, with her back facing him and her head looking to the ground.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Allowing his sister to stand on her own, Grave took a moment to glance at the strange mark that appeared on his body. It didn't take much to realize it probably wasn't a good sign. It was likely that Envy's power would begin to affect him, probably not in a good way. Cynder frowned at that thought. If this curse was what he thought it to be, then her existence was worse than he imagined. One that extinguishes everything around her, yet desperately yearns for something, anything to brighten her existence... Mentally, the half-blood added another, big mark to the list of grudges and grievances. Someone would pay for this, and dearly. In the meantime, he should probably figure out how to improve his magic power. The curse was without a doubt magical in nature, and with enough strenght he should be able to bear it - or so he hoped. And even without that, more power would likely help him out immensely anyway. "We should probably go back inside soon." He broke the silence, adjusting the collar of his jacket to make the mark less obvious. "Hopefully they haven't eaten all the cheese yet."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

"Mmm," was Envy's mere reply, along with a nod before she would be following behind Grave should he decide to make his way back to the house. Behind him, if he were not any wiser or aware, there would be no mistaking the sense of peril and doom at his back. Envy's presence now was something that made his skin crawl, as if all of his senses were now telling him that he should distance himself from this peril, but the fact came down to the simple fact that Envy's curse was trying to chase him away. Make him hate her, or detest being around her, so that her envious nature could be found once more.

Giving Envy what she desires would be breaking the very meaning of her existence as a Cardinal Sin. So long as Cynder would continue to please his sister, first starting with love, the harder the curse would fight him. Even with that knowledge alone, would come the most logical decision to follow, and that would be to abandon her so that he would be shown mercy. After all, there was no happy ending in sight. Indulging in Envy's desires would only bring him misery.

As an example of Envy's misfortune, when they returned, all of the cheese was gone. All everyone did, including Tina, was look at the pair with apologetic expressions.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)

Grave fought down the urge to shiver. The change in his sister's presence, or rather the way he percieved said presence now, was startling. It was one thing to experience her rage and hatred. However, feeling as if her existence alone was enough to put him in danger was something entirely new. It was not a pleasant experience by any stretch of imagination, he had to admit that. Cynder, however, resolved not to let that stop him. It was about damn time he stopped being a goddamn coward, and this could be a nice start, he assumed. He'd probably have to look into a way of fighting this curse, though. That would have to wait until he had the means to figure out how to deal with it. In the meantime, he'd have to brace himself and be ready for anything... Including the appaling lack of cheese.

Grave's glare slid over the people around the table. His left eyebrow twitched a couple of times as he took in a deep breath, then let out a sigh. 'At the very least, I have something to blame directly for my misfortune now.' He thought. Well, he might as well try to finish his meal, or whatever was left of it. "We're back." Cynder said, sitting down on his chair. He would get them back for this treachery someday, oh yeees.