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Wag
 
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 1:24 PM
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Visits: 3,684
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| Belrain's cheery attempts at conversation fall upon deaf ears, and gradually subside. Neven is too morose to be interested, too introspective. The midwife had shooed him out, on the grounds that the birthing room is no place for an unrelated man. Neven's statement that he is a doctor had met only the response "Then you'd better hope you arent needed." He wishes she had decided to have the baby back home, where no-one would have shooed him out, where she would have had Skeet nearby. Here she has only this stranger midwife and Brandreth, not an especially close friend but the only female friend nearby. But she had been determined to have the baby out here, still clinging to the hope that Crowe might one day make it to Belrain's estate. She has been increasingly withdrawn, focused only on her increasingly desperate plans to get Crowe back or wreak revenge on the Spined Wolf god for what has happened. It is as if she has no other capacity to feel, something that is worrying Coop as much as it worries him. He sighs heavily, wondering if he is partly responsible for encouraging an emotional dependency on Crowe that means she cannot cope with his loss. But no, it had been where she wanted to go, he had only given her a very gentle push, and at least she had a few months of happiness to remember. The rest of her short life had been pretty bleak so that has to be a good thing. Crowe had given her a confidence that she had always previously lacked, something he and Klaus had never managed to achieve. Hopefully the baby will restore her ability to smile. The door opens and Brandreth leans round the door
"You may come in now. It is a boy, and healthy." Neven lets out a sigh of relief and smiles
"How is she?" Brandreth smiles sadly
"Sad. She called out for Crowe several times." As Neven enters the room he notices a half smile on Lyria's face. She looks at him
"He has his daddy's eyes" A small treacherous voice in the back of his mind mutters 'What? Red and demonic?' but he pushes it away and smiles, moving closer to the child for a closer look.
- _____________________________________________________
- Riftworld:
Lyria; Morgan Doosh; 'Spanners'; Tamarind of Ruunar - Artificer: Lady Evron (Survivor!)
- M&M: Miss Emily Mortimer
- Blood Red Roses: Miss Audhild Godwinson
- Crusades: Jumanah Amal
- Odyssey: Julia Tiberillus, 'Ridea', of the Cruentus Anatidae
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Champion
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:27 PM
Posts: 313,
Visits: 1,846
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It's a new day alright.
"Look here Snaggle, going and changing deals..."
"Commander Usta, why are we letting this filth into the camp..."
The hunched figure shuffles it's feet uneasily. Usta takes a subtle step back.
"Well..."
"You can't listen to a word the bastard..shit!"
The hunched figure of Snaggle unfolds into several long, corded arms and he bellows in outrage. The young Skirmisher trips over backwards, fumbling for his axes. Usta raises her hands, trying to placate the enraged Twisted, incidently signalling to the older Skirmishers nearby that the action is under control.
"Now then..."
The Skirmisher frees his axes from the tangle of blue tunic and Snaggle lunges at him intent on a serious case of strangulation.
Usta sighs. In a blur her blade sweeps both axes from the grip of the newbie, as she sticks out a casual foot, tripping Snaggle.
He, or it, crashes to the ground in a bundle of chainmail and limbs.
She taps Snaggle on the shoulder.
"Sorry about that. And you, bugger off. No, leave them here for now, eh.
"Right, how about I stretch to a nice pair of infra-red goggles on top of the food?"
"Don' need 'em, blud' fool. Blindies?"
"Flash? No way. What about a nice Photovisor though? Final offer."
" 'K, meal now too."
"Alright, wait here."
Usta checks others are keeping an eye on the many-limbed Twisted, as she walks over to the camp stores.
She winks at the seething new recruit sat at the fire.
New day indeed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Come to Riftworld:the sun never shines, tomorrow is not a better day, but you can drink and swear all you like. That's when we attack.-
"We make ritual noise, we weave the fabric of dreams..."
Bugger it, I was supposed to be having a break from this stuff...oh well....
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Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 1:24 PM
Posts: 1,534,
Visits: 3,684
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| Neven finds Lyria sitting watching the baby sleep, an odd expression on her face. She has not been any happier since the child was born, but at least her physical health is no longer suffering the additional strain. Psychologically there has been no significant improvement, but she is at least bonding normally with the baby. "You OK Lyr?" She doesnt turn and look at him, but instead keeps her gaze on her baby. Her voice is low and sounds defeated.
"Crowe should be here. I miss him Neven."
- _____________________________________________________
- Riftworld:
Lyria; Morgan Doosh; 'Spanners'; Tamarind of Ruunar - Artificer: Lady Evron (Survivor!)
- M&M: Miss Emily Mortimer
- Blood Red Roses: Miss Audhild Godwinson
- Crusades: Jumanah Amal
- Odyssey: Julia Tiberillus, 'Ridea', of the Cruentus Anatidae
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Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Sunday, August 29, 2010 3:49 PM
Posts: 1,203,
Visits: 3,797
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| "We all miss him." Neven sighs. This was hard. He'd been trying to get through to her for weeks now, months even. Ever since that night outside the research base when he'd scanned the thing which Crowe had become and felt nothing of the man he'd once been. He'd known then that there was no way that the Xadacian could stay with them in his current form. He'd had to flee, to get away from them so that the warp entities would stop chasing them and continue to pursue him. Alone he'd had a better chance. With them he'd had no chance, more likely the others would have found the courage to do what they'd been planning behind Lyria's back for a long time and kill him as he'd killed Gravel - as a poor mad beast who could no longer be controlled they were doomed as well. The Cult would still have come after them. As they had the night Klaus was taken. Not that Crowe was the only member of the little band of heroes in that base who had attracted the unwelcome attentions of creatures of the warp. Neven still shivered when he recalled standing face to face with the Winged God, defying him with every ounce of his strength and feeling like an ice cube in the face of a Titan's las cannons. The feeling both the strength of his ally in the warp fill him and then the unexpected assistance from Aelia, wrapping him in a short lived but potent barrier composed of pure warp. He really had to learn how to do that... And then there was Lyria herself. Pursued across half a continent by an obsessive half android half warp creature who only wanted the comfort of the love of the woman promised to him from the time of her birth by the Screaming God, a woman whose very life had been brutally guided by that same God. Much as a young Defender's life had been when he'd decided to explore the warp more than 50 years ago. Different god, same effect. Though what worried Neven was the fact that Dr Brown has apparently agreed to it and gone to his fate willingly. Much as he had done the moment he put that helmet on his head. He sighed again and continued to look up at the night sky, scarred as usual with the warp barrier which isolated the planet from the rest of the universe. A barrier someone like him helped to create years ago. A barrier whose construction involved the death of some of those who created it and the corruption or dissapearance of the others. The question had to be asked - when would the best time be to take that barrier down, if ever? As he looked up at the sky, he probed gently with his mind. Lyria, as usual, was closed to him - as she had been ever since Crowe's departure. The Defender in him, the man who had helped train Psionicists and who had helped cure many West Litsiders of problems related to their psi, knew that he had to break that habit of blocking everything in. It was unhealthy, it allowed the wounds to suppurate and grow more potent. Eventually she would go mad, trapped inside her own hurt and grief and unable to communicate to any of her own kind, not even her own baby. She would die of isolation, even in the midst of a crowd. She needed to release her emotions, let it all out, open herself no matter how much it hurt. But the friend, the man who had travelled with her for many years and knew her better than most, realised that now was not the time to apply a mental crowbar to her mind. Caution was needed and a careful hand lest she retreat further into herself. He just hoped she was able to communicate with the baby. At this critical time in its development, psionic communication with the mother was essential. He gently probed at the baby and felt it's mind flutter awake at his mental touch. He smiled, young minds were always so fresh and innocent. No way to tell yet if it had any signs of true talent nor even if it had inherited the traits of father or mother but it was apparently a normal, healthy human mind. Then he felt it, a slight clouding of the aura. An attempt to block him? The beginnings of the development of the innate Xadacian gift or evidence of the mother's aptitude? Interesting... He paused in his musings as he realised that Lyria was looking at him strangely. "Were you listening to me?" She snapped, clearly irritated. "Uh? What? Sorry, its just, er, the beauty of the night sky." He realised it sounded like a poor excuse even as he said it. "I said, I'm sure he'll be back. Soon. We just have to wait a few more days and he'll be here. Then we can all go off together. Me, the baby and him." Neven turned to look at her and was about to say something. He's gone, he wanted to tell her. He's with Klaus and Them. There's no going back from there. I've accepted it, why can't you? But the friend inside him shook his head and told him not to try that. Too dangerous. said the coward he always carried with him, the part of his personality which always seemed ready to teleport at the slightest sound. Instead he smiled. "Yes," he said. "A few more days. Then we'll all go off together." As he looked up into the night sky again he knew only too well that, deep down, she knew it to be a lie. Call it intuition, call it a lucky guess, call it knowing a person long enough to second guess them despite all the changes or call it some aspect of his psi getting through her formidable defenses. Whatever the reason, he knew that she knew the truth. That Crowe was not coming back and that the hope of his return was all that kept her sane.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God... Waypoint: Head referee (also Lugnan, Dr Solon, Johnathon Cross...) Riftworld: Formerly Neven (AKA Dr Thaddeus Brown), now high priest of the Whispering God cult and therefore crew... Blood Red Roses: Sir Phillipe De Richlieu, Knight Inquisitor of the Blessed Order of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Knights of the Bloody Tears Artificer: Karl du Pont, Master Alchemist, Militia Special Investigator M&M: Sir Joshua Hartley
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Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 1:24 PM
Posts: 1,534,
Visits: 3,684
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| She sighs heavily. "Only, he was supposed to here ages ago Nev. Last year. An he dont even know about Aaron, suppose he's cross cos I didnt tell him he was gonna be a dad cos I didnt know? Suppose he cant get back? What then?" She blinks as tears suddenly well up "I aint never gonna see him again, am I? An he aint never gonna see his son."
- _____________________________________________________
- Riftworld:
Lyria; Morgan Doosh; 'Spanners'; Tamarind of Ruunar - Artificer: Lady Evron (Survivor!)
- M&M: Miss Emily Mortimer
- Blood Red Roses: Miss Audhild Godwinson
- Crusades: Jumanah Amal
- Odyssey: Julia Tiberillus, 'Ridea', of the Cruentus Anatidae
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Squire
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 10:25 AM
Posts: 42,
Visits: 345
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| *miles away in the west, a lone skuk stands a atop a ridge looking out into the west atop the skuk the figures of Coop and skeet sit looking off into the distance, beside them a robed figure stands slightly apart* Its been too long paul, too long with no word, shes out there, my other daughter, refusing my help, going off into the east for frells sake. No ive waited just long enough for no word, send the message Paul... As they stand paul looks up almost ready to argue then realises how little chance he has of changing coops mind, me blinks out of existence as the defender ports back into the settlement, placing the disc coop had prepared into the comms unit ***** From Coop@westlidside.freemail.net**** To: Defender Neven CC: Defender Brown Neven, for frells sake tell me whats going on? Im I a Grandad yet, is she ok is the baby..... Are they ok. Send word soon, or get a stable ready for Kiva Coop
Baz
CP - Miyagi Roshi of the Hei Ravni
RW - Coop the mad Skukier
WP - Crew (Blaidd & Snake)
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Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Sunday, August 29, 2010 3:49 PM
Posts: 1,203,
Visits: 3,797
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| Neven patted Lyria's back in an absent minded way. There was not much reassurance he could give in these circumstances, not without using his Psi and he knew that would make things worse. He made a mental note to advise the West Litside Psychiatric arm of the Defenders to concentrate on teaching methods of counselling that did not rely so much on Psi. It wasn't always as reliable as they beleived. He looked up as he heard footsteps approach. Belrain walked across from the house with a piece of paper in his hands. He passed it to Neven. "This came through the general comm net with more urgents slapped on it than I have ever seen. Thought you may want to see it as soon as." Neven read Coop's message and sighed. He'd assumed Lyria would have passed on the news herself. He should have known she wouldn't. "Thanks. I'll deal with it. Can you take over here?" He pointed at Lyria, still hunched over and seemingly oblivious to her surroundings as she sobbed quietly, rocking back and forth. As Belrain sat down next to her, Neven made his way into the house and found the comm access panel. He typed in a quick message. "Coop, Sorry for the delay in comms. Its been a hectic few days. Package delivered and healthy. We'll be heading back as soon as it is safe. Will keep you informed."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God... Waypoint: Head referee (also Lugnan, Dr Solon, Johnathon Cross...) Riftworld: Formerly Neven (AKA Dr Thaddeus Brown), now high priest of the Whispering God cult and therefore crew... Blood Red Roses: Sir Phillipe De Richlieu, Knight Inquisitor of the Blessed Order of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Knights of the Bloody Tears Artificer: Karl du Pont, Master Alchemist, Militia Special Investigator M&M: Sir Joshua Hartley
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