otgolokh

[otgolokh]

Karel does not know what a wedding is supposed to look like.

It was simply never something that came to his mind, even as a young boy. The way his family lived did not allow for contact with outsiders, and in the rare times of strife where it was necessary to reach out to the rest of Sacae, he and his siblings were strictly kept out of it. The world outside of their allotment of steppe seemed almost mythical, in that sense — Extant, but utterly unreachable. It’s almost ironic that Karla could have been the one to “escape�� that way of life, if their parents ever felt the need to offer her as a wife—

His boot crashes against the ground and his jaw clenches tight before he can even try to entertain the possibility of Karla being sold off, separated from him before either of their times; with hindsight, the prospect seems ridiculous, but Karel had feared it as a boy and, on some level, he fears it now. Karla, separated from him forever, even if she remains by his side in body.

It’s for her that he’s doing all of this, anyway — Offering himself as a mercenary, standing guard at the wedding of… He can’t even remember their names, really, but the couple had offered a truly stunning amount of money for the job, and the both of them certainly need it. Apparently they’ve a particular concern for those opposed to their union trying to intercept, but in his heart Karel had just sort of scoffed at the idea.

So, that leads him here: On the outskirts of some noble party again, except this time he probably won’t even be allowed to partake in, being as unmistakably foreign as he is. He’s heard that the groom might be too, and that’s why they’ve been so private with the matter of their marriage, but Karel is past the point of caring anymore. All he wants is to get the money and come back home to Karla.

Perhaps it’s all he’s ever wanted.

@scarletplain

don't let them stay home and listen to the blues

[otgolokh]

Right, so, they aren't getting anywhere like this.

The boy seems more concerned with whether he's actually following directions than looking out for quarry. Karel isn't necessarily offended at the idea that he's a historically unreliable ally — By all metrics, he certainly is — But this is starting to prove a bit ridiculous more than anything.

"I figured as much from your stance. So, neither of us have any particular proficiency in it, then?"

Frankly, it brings a particular question to mind: What's even the point of being out here when neither of us can wield a bow?

"...I have your back covered. Focus on your line of sight and not me."

Turkey + Geese = Turkeese?

Excavation | Bow +1

[otgolokh]

"No."

It's a remarkably easy thing to say, if probably not especially convenient for the knight in front of him — Though, in the end, Karel doesn't really care what anyone from the Monastery could possibly think of him. The rot that festers out from his core is plainly visible, as if he could possibly hide it, and...

Well, perhaps it's only this man's fault if he chooses to trust him for much of anything.

"I have no training with the lance whatsoever. The sword is the only thing I have ever needed."

damn I gotta do my job

[otgolokh]

just so it's out of the way, while i'll get plotting calls for sin and samto up in a bit, karel will not be seeking any mission board prompts this month. this is because he already has a massive backlog of threads and im starting to get shy about it LMFAO

also i'll probably be ditching the colored text because its a pain to format lmfao

[otgolokh]

Karla: Do you remember, Brother? It was so long ago… We were still little… Karel: What are you talking about? Karla: The plains shone scarlet in the twilight… I was crying because I had lost my way. You picked me up and carried me home. Karel: The memory is…lost to me. I cannot recall it. Karla: I remember it so clearly. The warmth of your back. If I could, I would have stayed that way forever. Karel: …… Karla: Brother… I hated the sword. I never wanted to learn a skill that could only be used to kill. But it was the only way I could get close to you, Brother.

[otgolokh]

MAY 2025 ACTIVITY CHECK:

PASSED.

Skill points obtained: 1 Activity: 1

SKILL CHANGES:

Sword: B+ (½) -> A

LEARNED/OBTAINED:

Dancer, Snow Stiletto (PENDING)

[otgolokh]

"...Worry not. I haven't any desire to get in your way."

Karel briefly gazes at the charm the stranger hands him, in the shape of a turtle. It's... Charming, perhaps. Maybe Karla would like it more than he does.

"...Have a good night."

Thankfully, everyone's finally starting to settle down. Utterly spent as he is, physically, emotionally and otherwise, Karel's body compels him to go for one last languid walk along the estate grounds before he can retire. It's only his luck that, even at this time of night, he body collides against that of another, and—

—Actually, yeah, he can't even pretend to be nice about this shit anymore. Karel pulls an anchor off the stupid goddamn bracelet and all but throws it at the stranger as a strange sort of peace offering.

"...I want no trouble with you. Here."

A breath of fresh air sheltered from the elements but enjoying their chill all the same. He hadn't ever been too fond of the sea, constant lessons on naval strategy had been his fondest memories of it and tonight sought to overwrite bad memories with worse ones(though not all of it had been bad, had it?). When he collides with someone once again, he wonders if he is simply such an afterthought in the story of the world. When a charm is offered to him- he liked to see it as such even if it had nearly hit him in the face- he returns the favor gracefully, placing the charm in the man's hand. "My apologies for getting in your way..."

[otgolokh]

The moment Karla beckons him to her bedside, Karel doesn't hesitate to let himself fall onto the bed proper: Everything is all right, so long as he's with her… He can will himself to sleep here if it's to soothe her heart. It has been… A much worse night than either of them could have anticipated. It isn't her fault, or his for that matter, but he still feels guilty for the anguish so clear on her sleeve.

“…All right. If that is… What you want.”

He is remarkably tired, in the end. And it only makes it worse, knowing he'll have to leave Karla behind for a little while in the morning.

Tomorrow, he will have to leave. Not like he did back then, just for a little while, in order to fulfill the promise he made to Joshua. But even if she won't tell him — Something strange and frightening in of itself — Karel is more than aware something's happened to Karla. It's evident just from the way she carries herself, just something in the air that surrounds her… But there's nothing he can do for her, now.

What luck he has that the moment he wants to try being her brother again, he finds a sister ready to push him away.

…Maybe he just needs to calm down and sleep.

Thunder and Lightning

[otgolokh]

He can't believe it. Even from his own sister, Karel simply cannot bear to be told that he's all the wonderful things Karla really, truly believes him to be. He wants only for her to live a happy life, far away from where his rot can infect her… And yet, she insists on remaining by his side through it all, even now that she's fully aware of just what he did all those years ago.

He hasn't the energy to protest, or even to weep at the words so rarely spoken between them — I love you. He doesn't deserve her love and care or even her respect; and yet she gives it all to him anyway, and he takes it, because there's no one else he can possibly take it from without feeling selfish, like something precious is being wasted on him.

No one else will ever give him this closeness, or so he had thought.

“Yes, I…” He croaks, letting himself sink further and further into Karla until their bodies are perfectly slotted together, joined into one for a single, perfect moment.

"I love you." More than I could ever say in words. So much it threatens to tear me apart.

Thunder and Lightning

[otgolokh]

"…Perhaps.”

He doesn't know anymore, honestly. Karel certainly does not believe he deserves any sort of happiness after this night, or just perhaps as a whole, but he has learned that people tend to get rather upset and confused when he says things like that. So, he just doesn't. Keeps it vague enough as to not attract further fussing from this woman.

She's… She's sweet, he thinks. Why does she care so much about his feelings?

“…I may have had too much." He says with a slight sniffle caught in his tone. "My judgment is not as clear as it ought to be.”

A crash of thunder rumbles through the estate, and Karel squirms faintly, jolts invisibly. Where has Karla gone, now that he's thinking of it?

i'm never going back, just wanna sleep it off for a while

(continued from here)

[otgolokh]

He's not in the mood to deal with this. He wants to be on his own, deal with these nascent feelings on his own, not be made into a public spectacle for one goddamn night. And of course, he can't even have that much — Always someone coming to disturb what little peace he can find, wherever he finds himself.

“…Why does it concern you, how I feel?”

…Sigh. Maybe that isn't fair to her. He cannot assume this woman even knows who he is to begin with, let alone assume that she's familiar with his deeds. Perhaps his grief — If he even has the right to call it such — Is leading him astray.

“…I apologize, that—” A faint rumble comes from Karel's chest, pulling his robe over his bare shoulders for the illusion of security. “I am… Not well, I think. You cannot be responsible for that.”

@freliaslance

i'm never going back, just wanna sleep it off for a while

(continued from here)

[otgolokh]

There's a long silence in that room, interrupted only by the periodic earth-shaking roars of thunder that rattle earth and sky alike.

"...That's—"

The noise Karel makes can only be described as somewhere between a gag and a sob. It feels ridiculous that the idea that his sister's grown up without him is making him this upset, especially when he's the reason all this is happening to begin with, but... Here they are.

"I—I can't. You could—" Another wracked gag spills from his cracked lips. "I cannot... Do that. Live a normal life, like you could."

He doesn't even know what to feel or say, in response to something like that. I'm terrified that you've outgrown me — What a wreck. She says it like she was only a childhood fascination of his, and not the only person who could ever truly love him.

"...Someone dear?"

He doesn't know just what it is that he feels for Joshua, but he knows it all pales in comparison to her. Even in this state, he's too good to mention that she certainly didn't mention meeting Joshua to him, but it is something that sticks out in his head.

"...If he spoke ill of you even once when you came to him then," He spits. "I would not have bothered. Left him groveling for my forgiveness like a dog begs for scraps."

But even indulging in his worse qualities, all the rage and bloodlust he keeps locked tightly in his chest, doesn't soothe the cold sinking pit that's formed in his stomach. He left her there, to be consumed by the carnage of their family, and ten years later she still clings to him, clings to the memory of the boy he used to be rather than the killer he is now.

Perhaps neither of them have changed, in the end.

"...Why do you want to be bound to me, Karla?" He finally says, so pitifully it barely sounds like a whisper. “Knowing the person I've become?”

Thunder and Lightning

[otgolokh]

Karel remembers, faintly, telling himself that he wouldn't be tempted to drink tonight. Whatever Karla did with herself wasn't his concern, really, but he would stay alert for her sake, a sharp blade at her side. But, the first glass of Adrestian whatever hit his empty stomach, and then the second, them the third, and then, well—

As he curls his cold, damp skin against his sister's warm body, his soaked coats haphazardly discarded somewhere in this damned room, he only knows that he has failed miserably in whatever he set out to do tonight. Like he always does — He's rotten, a corpse with a sword in its tight hand, unable to fulfill even basic functions.

"Karla..." He says with a slight hitch. "Wha— What are you saying?"

I guess you haven't left me just yet. Haven't— Haven't left her just yet? What is she talking about? He did leave her alone for so long, back in those days, but isn't that why they're all the way out here to begin with, to make up for the lost time?

...Why is she doing this to him? His sister, the only person who he even has left anymore; she's mad at him and she won't even tell him why. Ah, she... She really has changed, hasn't she? He's the one who hasn't changed, he's still... Like this.

Didn't he used to not be afraid of storms?

"I," It's too hard to talk right now. “Did I do something, Karla?”

Thunder and Lightning

[otgolokh]

“ Karel! It's been a while. ”  Leif greets the man easily enough. No matter how taciturn the man might seem, running for your life alongside another in a desperate haze breaks down some barriers at least.  “ Princess Hortensia is here too. She had me help her row boats for her. It was like the path back to the monastery, putting in all that effort. ”

And she— the glue between them in those memories. Smelling the salty sea air really did put Leif in a nostalgic mood, but he hadn't realized nostalgia would extend to such recent memories too.

He supposes it's just nice to have any good memories at all.

“ I see your bracelet's got a few charms on it already too, ”  Leif points out, a bit nosy in his observations.  “ If you're still looking to complete them, why don't we trade? I'd be honored to have a memento of you after all you've helped me out with back then. ”

Oh, yes, Karel does recognize that voice, just as he did with the young girl who came to him earlier… It’s incredibly odd to see Leif in such a composed state, compared to the nightmare they had endured just months prior, but Karel supposes he does owe this young man something… In the end, it would have been all too easy to let his body rot away in that canyon, the effort he spent to save him better spent elsewhere.

“…Hm. Good to see you well.” He says, a faint, rarely-used levity to his tone. ”She already gave me her regards, if you find yourself curious.”

Karel realizes, then, that he had forgotten about the charms again. He hastily digs the bracelet out, and unhooks a little anchor from it - The motions are simply routine at this point.

“…Quite observant. If you want a memento, I shan’t refuse.”

It is nice to have pleasant memories, Karel thinks. It hadn’t been that long ago that he had simply given up on living, his body a worn shell for a fading soul, ready to die with a sword in his hand like his Father had always told him would be his fate. It seemed natural that he would die, violently, in the convulsions of war.

But here he is: Still alive, hand outstretched as if waiting for a shake.

[otgolokh]

…There’s something wrong here.

She doesn’t pull away like that, does she? No, Karla has never been distant from him, never, not like this. Karel had dared to think that she hadn’t changed at all during their years apart, and in some ways that had been true - Her kindness towards him had been unwavering, and for that he’ll always be grateful - But…

Well, it seems he had made a mistake. This is the last thing he needs tonight, after… All this. Karel wants something solid and warm, something to grab onto and feel in his arms, but there’s a sudden, cold bolt of fear that he may be losing the one source from which he could always get that warmth from.

The world has changed much from when they were children, and perhaps he was far too presumptuous when he had thought Karla hadn’t changed with it. Perhaps he is the one who has never changed from those days, in the end.

Still… He can’t push. Not while they’re here, when his strictly private concerns have already been aired out to an uncaring audience of gawking fools, which… He’s loath to blame his beloved sister for anything, but perhaps it wouldn’t have had to happen like that if she hadn’t been there, hadn’t witnessed one of Joshua’s little teases… Even so, the past can’t be changed. Karel knows that better than most. There’s simply nothing to be done, turning to her with a faint smile.

“…If you say.”

[END.]

Show me the rivers crossed

Joshua & Karel & Karla - Ethereal Ball Reunion, continued from here

[otgolokh]

"…That you will. I take these promises very seriously — And I am well aware you do as well."

What is even left to say? Was it not him who insisted on the distance between them, even if just for tonight — For his own sake, if not Karla's? Even still, he can't stop himself from thinking of Joshua warmly, even with the… Unsettling revelations made tonight. Both in regards to Joshua's past, and his own feelings. He is not just anyone to Karel's heart, but enough to tell him of the past, that not even Karla knew of fully until she came to him on the brink of death…

…In the name of Heaven, will he really?

“…Have a good night.”

From the horizon, he can see clouds forming; dark, and forbidding. Perhaps it's an omen of worse to come, or perhaps not. Either way, something about them unsettle him, and he quickly turns his attention back to his companions… Or just Karla, now.

“…Does something trouble you?”

@scarletplain

Show me the rivers crossed

Joshua & Karel & Karla - Ethereal Ball Reunion, continued from here

[otgolokh]

It is painfully easy to curdle at the words they say about him. Karla... He understands. Even with what he did all those years ago, they were as close as siblings could be, once. He could never truly let go of the bond they shared as children — And, evidently, neither could she.

But Joshua's sentiments? Those, Karel doesn't understand.

Joshua speaks of him as if he's... Irreplaceable. Something priceless that he wants to hold gently in his arms and never let go of. That's not what he is, really: Karel rarely has the desire or energy to think of himself, but there is nothing lovely or wonderful left in this body of his, nothing truly worthy of love or protection.

He's empty; he's been empty for what feels like a very long time.

"...Joshua."

It's a bit dizzying, getting to his feet and towering over Joshua and Karla both, but he doesn't regret being the first to assert himself here.

"My sister comes before any of this. You must understand that. And I would prefer not to burden her with this more than we already have — For this is our concern alone."

His gaze shifts to Karla for a moment, as if to try and apologize for the outburst, before settling back on Joshua just a little softer than before.

"...When this damned festival ends, come to me. I wish only to settle this between ourselves. Until then..."

Karel can feel his voice begin to strain from the use, but he pushes past the discomfort it causes to speak so freely. It's all for Joshua, in the end.

"You may assume my forgiveness."

...Although, I am not her, so I cannot assure my sister will be so forgiving…

@scarletplain

Show me the rivers crossed

Joshua & Karel & Karla - Ethereal Ball Reunion, continued from here