[ His voice is sharp. The accusation stings, but no worse than anything else they've said to him. He's used to them thinking he doesn't have a heart. ]
Describe your grandfather to me then. But unless you are descended from some manner of aquatic beast, I'll be taking you well away from here.
[ look she's explained to him 400 times that she knows he has a heart and why he's doing what he's doing, if he doesn't want to believe her, that's on him!! ]
He.. he..
[ she looks back toward the siren, where she still sees only the kind visage of her grandfather. her voice tightens again, choked with love and pain and loss and warmth. ]
He is.. tall, his eyes are blue, his skin is brown and his hair is white and short, and he has the warmest, kindest smile one could ever be fortunate enough to see..
[ ...Nothing about this siren comes even close to resembling what she describes. He backs away, trying to pull her along with him, well away from the pool's edge. ]
That isn't your grandfather. [ His voice is terse and low. ] Listen to me, girl: don't let that creature deceive you. I know very well how easy it is to lose yourself in a lie. I wish I once had someone to hold me back as I do for you now.
[ when she looks toward him her eyes are wide and shining with tears, and for a moment she recalls an earlier conversation - or argument, really, as discussions between her and she ascian seem to go - where he mentioned his tempering. or rather, his lack thereof.
she believes him. she does not want to believe him.. but there is no other recourse. and so as he tugs at her arms she no longer fights him, but allows herself to be tugged along, shell-shocked. ]
I..
[ the siren, however, seems unsatisfied with its prey escaping. the shadow beneath the surface surges, lunging toward them! ]
[ He roughly yanks her behind him, not having the time to care whether she falls or keeps her footing as he snaps his fingers. A solid wall shoots up between them and the siren, and there is a solid thud as the creature smacks into it. Water splashes past the hastily constructed wall and the siren screeches angrily. ]
Run! [ he shouts at her as his familiar appears beside him and promptly launches itself at the siren. Emet-Selch creates a spear for himself out of the wall he's just made and makes ready to fend off the creature. ]
[ a few brief seconds pass her by in shock as alisaie is wrenched forward and behind him. she is still stunned from the encounter itself, but even doubly so when it dawns on her that he is.. defending her. he may not even be thinking about it, but she is.
this thought is, perhaps, what is able to snap her free of her stupor.
alisaie does not like for others to fight her own battles, it isn't right, or fair, especially when she is capable on her own. she does not have her sword here, but.. ]
W-wait..!
[ she will not run, she does not have it in her, but she can certainly assist. thrusting both hands forward, icicles spring from her palm and leap up the length of emet's spear, covering it in sharp, brutal spikes. ]
[ He doesn't have the time to acknowledge or thank her for the addition. He simply lunges at the siren, attempting to drive them back into the water away from them. Away from her. It has been an age (maybe more) since he last wielded a polearm and so his initial movements are rough and jerky. Perhaps sensing this, the siren attempts to grab the haft and yank it out of his grasp.
A bad idea. He may be out of practice but he is an alchemist and ice is a material like any other. His early experiments with snow proved as much.
The ice head shifts and pierces through the creature's hands, forming into a crude bident. It screams and lets go, rivulets of blood running off the ice, dripping on to stone and into water. ]
[ that certainly hits the spot. the siren roars and reels back, and quickly scans its surroundings. most creatures that have to use something like a lure to reel in their prey aren't much for a real, knock-down-drag-out fight, and the siren is clearly now looking for a means of escape, realizing that it has bitten off far more than it could chew.
rather than stay and continue the fight, wounded, it bolts.
gritting her teeth, alisaie readies a fireball in her hands, flames swirling rapidly, forming a dense sphere which she soon launches at the siren's retreating back. ]
[ He shields his face against the heat and light, reminded briefly of Lahabrea's flashy spell-casting. The old man loved fire. He could do things with it no-one else could.
When he lowers his hand, he sees no trace of the siren but the surface of the cave wall is blackened. It must have ducked into the water and swum away deeper into the cavern. He doesn't feel inclined to pursue it.
He slowly straightens, staring at the bloodied weapon in his hand. He tosses it aside in disgust. The impact rings with a hollow echo and flecks of stone and ice scatter. ]
[ the siren makes its escape, and alisaie curses under her breath, but what's done is done. she is a strong swimmer, but she can no longer breathe underwater without the blessing of the kojin, so pursuing the beast would be inadvisable at best.. however much she wants to.
it rankles her, to let the thing go, after it has committed so grave a sin as to trick her so cruelly.
balling her fists, alisaie hisses through her teeth, but ultimately relents, stepping backward a few paces into the shallows. her breath is quick and her voice is shaken, still tremulous. ]
[ luckily for him she is not bringing it up, but that does not mean that she is not thinking about it.. about why he did it, if he even knows why he did it at all.
alisaie withdraws as well, still stung, still reeling and angry and aching inside, but moving forward. what other choice does she have but to move forward? she does not think that the siren will return, wounded as it is, and keen as they are to its tactics, but better still not to risk it.. much as she wants to tear that thing apart for daring to use her dearest grandsire as a weapon.
with a shuddering exhale, alisaie climbs from the pool. ]
[ she snaps right back, mimicking his tone, for he is not exactly her ideal hero either. no one is. alisaie would rather not be saved at all, when it comes down to it, it makes her feel foolish and incapable - which is exactly what she was. it chafes.
just to have something to do with her hands, she begins to wring out her hair as they move further from the water. no siren stirs. ]
[ He nods silently and pauses by the entrance to the spring, waiting for her to finish wringing out her hair and join him. He doesn't remember how they got here but it should be a simple matter to get out now that the trial is over.
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[ His voice is sharp. The accusation stings, but no worse than anything else they've said to him. He's used to them thinking he doesn't have a heart. ]
Describe your grandfather to me then. But unless you are descended from some manner of aquatic beast, I'll be taking you well away from here.
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He.. he..
[ she looks back toward the siren, where she still sees only the kind visage of her grandfather. her voice tightens again, choked with love and pain and loss and warmth. ]
He is.. tall, his eyes are blue, his skin is brown and his hair is white and short, and he has the warmest, kindest smile one could ever be fortunate enough to see..
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That isn't your grandfather. [ His voice is terse and low. ] Listen to me, girl: don't let that creature deceive you. I know very well how easy it is to lose yourself in a lie. I wish I once had someone to hold me back as I do for you now.
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she believes him. she does not want to believe him.. but there is no other recourse. and so as he tugs at her arms she no longer fights him, but allows herself to be tugged along, shell-shocked. ]
I..
[ the siren, however, seems unsatisfied with its prey escaping. the shadow beneath the surface surges, lunging toward them! ]
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Run! [ he shouts at her as his familiar appears beside him and promptly launches itself at the siren. Emet-Selch creates a spear for himself out of the wall he's just made and makes ready to fend off the creature. ]
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this thought is, perhaps, what is able to snap her free of her stupor.
alisaie does not like for others to fight her own battles, it isn't right, or fair, especially when she is capable on her own. she does not have her sword here, but.. ]
W-wait..!
[ she will not run, she does not have it in her, but she can certainly assist. thrusting both hands forward, icicles spring from her palm and leap up the length of emet's spear, covering it in sharp, brutal spikes. ]
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A bad idea. He may be out of practice but he is an alchemist and ice is a material like any other. His early experiments with snow proved as much.
The ice head shifts and pierces through the creature's hands, forming into a crude bident. It screams and lets go, rivulets of blood running off the ice, dripping on to stone and into water. ]
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rather than stay and continue the fight, wounded, it bolts.
gritting her teeth, alisaie readies a fireball in her hands, flames swirling rapidly, forming a dense sphere which she soon launches at the siren's retreating back. ]
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When he lowers his hand, he sees no trace of the siren but the surface of the cave wall is blackened. It must have ducked into the water and swum away deeper into the cavern. He doesn't feel inclined to pursue it.
He slowly straightens, staring at the bloodied weapon in his hand. He tosses it aside in disgust. The impact rings with a hollow echo and flecks of stone and ice scatter. ]
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it rankles her, to let the thing go, after it has committed so grave a sin as to trick her so cruelly.
balling her fists, alisaie hisses through her teeth, but ultimately relents, stepping backward a few paces into the shallows. her breath is quick and her voice is shaken, still tremulous. ]
Damned thing..
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We should leave in case it returns.
[ He is carefully not looking at her. Hopefully she doesn't try and bring up the fact that he defended her. ]
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alisaie withdraws as well, still stung, still reeling and angry and aching inside, but moving forward. what other choice does she have but to move forward? she does not think that the siren will return, wounded as it is, and keen as they are to its tactics, but better still not to risk it.. much as she wants to tear that thing apart for daring to use her dearest grandsire as a weapon.
with a shuddering exhale, alisaie climbs from the pool. ]
.. thank you.
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Don't thank me yet. We aren't safe until we are well away from the water.
[ Irritation at himself translates into irritation towards her. Who does he think he is? A good person? Oh, please.
Pivoting on his heel, he strides past her away from the water's edge. ]
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[ she snaps right back, mimicking his tone, for he is not exactly her ideal hero either. no one is. alisaie would rather not be saved at all, when it comes down to it, it makes her feel foolish and incapable - which is exactly what she was. it chafes.
just to have something to do with her hands, she begins to wring out her hair as they move further from the water. no siren stirs. ]
I should.. return.
[ she has a lot on her mind. ]
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(It had better be over.) ]