Solace chapter 14
Did I say a while? . gomen nasai. Lots of computer problems, losing logs... I no longer have logs for most of this, so it won't read as well as the last stuff, sorry, but... there should be enough here still to entertain your mind now that you know Kor and Ronin and Sinai so well. I will use what logs I have and my own brain.
Oh, and BTW- I'm sorry if any of you are confused about Sinai and Ralix and Amelyia and the collar... to be frank, I am too, and Sinai never told Kor that much about it, so only Sinai knows the whole story I'm afraid.
Sinai was sitting in the inn, drinking a little and thinking, when Korunue ran down to see her. "Sinai!" she squeals, overly perky and bubbly and happy. This wasn't like her... Sinai smiles a little to see her friend so happy.
"Sinai! Guess what?!" She sits at the table, not even waiting for Sinai to ask. "I'm getting married!"
Sinai seems a little suprized. "Really? to Ronin I assume?" she smiles. Kor nods, beaming. "That's great! I'm happy for you." Sinai sighs a little, wistfully, happy for her friend but wishing she, too, could find that kind of happiness. "I'm happy for you."
Kor blushes a little. "There's something else, too." Sinai raises an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
"I want you to be in it, if Ronin will agree to it."
Sinai sighs with great relief. "I thought ye were going tae say ye were pregnant wi' Ronin's baby..." She chuckles softly, but smiles nonetheless. "Aye. I want tae b' in it, if ye're father and future husband allow it."
Korunue giggles. "Of course not! If I was, Dad'd kill Ronin, then marry me off to some rich human." She smiles, teasing, though more than likely she was right.
Sinai chuckles some more, and smiles at her, incredibly glad that Korunue is looking so happy and so joyous, having been worried about her since her last meeting with her and Ronin. She sighs slowly, and sips her tea, looking across the table at Korunue, smiling softly."I am verra happy for ye, Korunue...now...if I could just find the same happiness tha' ye seem tae ha' captured."
Korunue reaches over and pats Sinai's arm gently. "Don't worry. You'll find happiness, someday... I never thought I *could* be happy again, and now look at me!" She smiles, trying to comfort her friend.
Sinai nods a little, looking down at the bottom of her cup, through what's left of her tea before drinking the last of it slowly, savoring the taste."One day...and maybe I'll get Amylia back...Maybe...I dinna like no' knowing, but I've no' known a lot o' things in my lifetime...I canna help tha'. I suppose happiness will find me, like ye said it will...One day."
Korunue smiles, somewhat, to comfort Sinai more. "Yes... someday. Hopefully someday soon." She sighs, thinking of recent events. But she sees them with a new light. How foolish she was, to think that death was the only escape! How silly, to imagine that her life hurt Ronin more than her death would!
"Aye...aye..." Sinai motions for Moe to fill the cup up with tea again, needing tea more than a stiff drink like BloodWyne right now...She leans back in her chair and waits for him to return, glad he knows how she likes her tea. She yawns slowly, and thanks Moe when he returns with her drink, paying him kindly in return--as always, tipping him well. Then she realizes that she still has her staff in her hand, and her cloak on...She lightly leans it against the wall next to her, and goes to hang her cloak on a peg next to the door, taking off her black boots to also grow more comfortable, trying to relax as much as possible, tired from the day's exertions.
Korunue allows her ears to track Sinai's movements, shutting her eyes, deep in thoughts. The wedding would be marvelous... everything would need to be absolutely perfect. It WOULD be perfect- she would not allow anything less. Little does she know, Sinai can practically read her thoughts, Korunue is thinking so hard on the wedding, she almost is speaking aloud through her mind, and she chuckles to herself, having always wondered why people put so much into the "perfection" of wedding ceremonies...Indeed, it needs to be a beautiful thing, but one mustn't think too hard on such things, or they will become too stressed to enjoy the event. Korunue imagines it. Perhaps in a church... no. The woods. Yes... a small ceremony, in the woods, by the lake... they were willing to die there, they can be wed there. They can build a house in the woods to live in, too....
"And ye can b' m' neighbor, too..." Sinai adds to her thought, even though nothing had been said for several minutes now.
Korunue starts. "you!" she scolds, mockingly, grinning. She shakes her head at the whole thing, teasing. "Didn't your momma teach you not to evesdrop?" she teases, pushing Sinai gently.
Sinai suddenly grows depressed at the mention of her mother, but doesn't say anything..Her face doesn't show it, but her eyes hint at it, having learned to hide such matters well enough that no one can tell how much it hurt her that such a person in her life was mentioned. "I couldna help it. Ye were thinking sae loudly and hard tha' I couldna d' anathing else but listen."
Korunue smiles. "I was only teasing... I don't mind. Really." She goes back to her thoughts, summoning up an image of the lake.. how calm and peaceful.. though, better to look at it than try and swim in it... or not swim... but that was foolishness.
Sinai chuckles. "Indeed. Tae cold this time o' year..." She couldn't help herself.
Korunue laughs, a little. "Why do I bother?" she teases, resuming her thoughts, steering them away from the lake. The woods, then, were peaceful... and so much had happened... she remembered how sad Ronin had looked when she first came back, and also how he had been hypnotized.... maybe the woods wern't so good, after all...
Sinai places a hand on her arm, smiling softly. "Tha's behind ye now, Korunue. Dinna worry about it."
Korunue smiles. "I know." she says. "But still... it happened, and I can't deny it." She tries to go back to her happy wedding plans, but now, without a spot to envision, it is hard. "Any ideas where to have it?" she asks. "I think it's supposed to be held in my house... but I pretty much live here, so any place near here should work, right?"
"What about the field out front o' the Inn?" Sinai offers.
Korunue shrugs, envisioning it. Maybe... or maybe down here, with the comman room all dolled up in fresh greenary, with a fire in the fireplace... or behind the stable.... her and Ronin's old spot, to cry and cuddle together...
"I would rather no' ha' the wedding out in front o' m' house, since sae much is going on at the moment in m' life, but if all o' the commotion in m' life calms, then perhaps there." Sinai offers.
Korunue leans back in her seat. "well, no matter where it is, the wedding will be beautiful... and perfect." She smiles. "It will have Ronin, so it will be perfect."
Sinai nods with a warm smile. "Aye...and tha' is all tha' matters."
Korunue nods. "yes... it really is." She turns her daydreams to Ronin... "it really is." she murmers once more. She wanted to be with him forever and ever, as much as he wanted to be with her. Korunue puts her hand to her chest to fiddle with her necklace reflexivly, tracing her neck looking for the cord, before she remembers. She sighs heavily, remembering...
Sinai sighs softly as she finishes her second cup of tea, and then looks outside to see the time--always going by moonlight, since there is no such thing as a Moondial, and sighs. "I think tis time for m' tae go home and slumber...tis far intae the night, and I need m' sleep."
Korunue nods, yawning a little. "I should sleep too..." she murmers, still daydreaming of Ronin. She shakes her head to break her thoughts and yawns once more.
"It was wonderful tae see ye again, Korunue, and I am glad I came here this night tae hear of such joyous news. I wish ye both peace and prosperity and eternal happiness and love." Sinai smiles warmly to her friend as she stands, bidding a farewell to Moe before going for her boots and cloak. She hugs her best friend before allowing her to go up to her room. "Good night, Korunue, m' friend. May ye rest well, and find dawn as pleasant as the dawn before it."
Korunue smiles, nodding a farewell to Sinai and the newcomer before heading up to her own room for slumber.
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Korunue heads down the stairs once more, looking refeshed and happy.She wears a white kimono with black trim on the sleeves and neckline, making a nice contrast to her night-black hair. Two fuffy dog's ears stick up from the top of her head, and they scan about the inn as she descends the stairs. Her slippered feet make little noise, and her purple eyes fairly glow with an inner happiness and peace. She smiles to Moe, sitting at a table near the window. She has some paper and some sticks of charcole, as well as a piece of kneaded rubber. She frowns at the paper, wondering where to start...
Korunue looks up, smiling, then returns to her drawing. She decides just to start... a few quick curved strokes, and a few more making triangles, and the top of someone's head, with dog-ears, appeared. She frowned, erasing the ears with her rubber, and makes them smaller- fox ears. She then makes a cross to determine where to put the face...
Korunue continues to draw, frowning. She draws eyes, then erases them, closing her eyes to imagine her subject more. She smiles, then re-draws the shape of the eyes, opening her own eyes so she can see what she's doing. She adds circles, and slits for pupils- like cat's eyes. A few quick strokes for a nose, then erased and re-done, then erased once more, with a growl of frusturation from the artist.
Korunue let one ear twitch and point towards the other woman in the room, a sort of cat-woman who was a little startled by her growling. She frowns at her drawing once more, moving on. Lips... she closes her eyes once more, remembering his lips, and the exact taste of them, and their exact shape... she makes a few starts on them, rejecting each one until the line for the top of her subject's lips was perfect. A few more lines, and his lips were complete.
Korunue finishes the face. The drawing is good, but not great. She sighs, her ears drooping. She starts to put the charcole back to the page, then the eraser, then sighs once more. She shoves it away from her, and it flutters off the table, catching a slight breeze from the door and blowing to land at the other woman's feet. She sighs once more, one ear perking up and turning to the newcomer who enters, the other on the other woman. She frowns, rubbing her ear absently.
The woman blinked as the shifting sound echoed into her hearing. Glancing down she saw the parchment, this was more of an interest to her, for she had only seen one piece of paper and that was with the woman with the dog ears. Crouching, careful fingers, curled around the page and lifted it as she stood up. Her chin lifted as she looked around first to see if she could find the owner. It was then she saw the new commer yet said nothing. Her marbled green eyes turned to look at Korunue.
Korunue frowns, remembering her drawing suddanly. She didn't like how it turned out- and she didn't want Ronin to know she had been drawing him until she was any good at it. She looks about for it to rip it up or burn it, confused when she doesn't find it on the table. She peers underneath the table, then her eyes scan the floor about the table area.
The woman still said nothing as she moved from the bar and, swallowing with fake cofidence, looked down at the page. Her head tilted a little, the image on the page didn't resemble anyone she knew, she doubted she would have, but it was someone elses. She was about to step away when a bar maid cut in front of her rushing to the stairs. The woman took in a quick breath, obviously acustom to her personal space. She waited a few more moments before, with slow steps, she approached the table Korunue sat at.
Korunue's ears twitch to the woman who approaches, and she glances up, seeing the drawing in her hands. She smiles at the other woman. "Hello." she says, kindly. She is a little surprised at herself, remembering how shy she was when she first came here...
The girl didn't seem to be that open. For as soon as she got in reaching distance she held out the page for Kor to take hold of. Not only did this woman hold the features of a cat's worst enemy she was speaking. Kel, the catling, just swallowed and continued to hold the page out for Kor to take. The only indication that she had understood what the woman said was a nod of her head. Black hair shifting and mingling with the white strands for a moment before seperating back out.
Korunue manages to quell her instincts, remembering Yuki... she takes the paper, looking at it once more. She glances back to the girl. "Don't worry, I'm not going to attack you. Thanks." she says, giving her another warm smile. She was so happy, deep down, that she couldn't help but try and share the happiness.
Kel (the cat-woman) nods her head softly to Korunue's words then, feeling a little bit at ease, she points a gloved finger towards the face upon the page. She points to the lips in particular, then with her fingers, index and thumb at each corner. She shifts her fingers closer together, just a little bit.
Korunue tilts her head to the side a little, looking for all the world like a confused puppy, and then looks at the drawing. "Smaller, you say?" she asks, to be sure. She frowns at it, twisting her mouth to the side. "I think the nose is the problem..."
Kel nods her head to the womans words then tilted her head to the other side and observed the nose. She lifted her fingers from the page to observe the curved structure...Her head tilts to either side then straight again. She lightly, with her finger, runs it along the structure of the nose. She pauses at its tip then pushes it..Well pushes her finger to the paper as if it should be squished.
Korunue frowns at it, then takes her kneaded rubber bit and erases where the smear is now from the charcole. She then takes the charcole and touches it to the page, then picks it up again, frowning. She touches it to another spot on the nose, then picks it up again, trying to envision the nose. She frowns, offering the charcole to Kel to try.
Never having seen the person in the image didn't help but going by general structure...Accepting the carcole into her fingers Kel crouched, her knees bent, arms on the table to try her hand. She lightly danced the carcole over the area of the nose. Going on basic anatomy of positioning and proportion she judged where the nose would be and how big. She lightly drew in the nose in the aproximate shape that the woman had it in. Her nose was a little bit pointed towards the top and arched down. Using the side portion of the charcole she shaded in, gathering the lighting from the rest of the image, the general area to give it the '3d' effect. When she had the nose lightly drawn and shaded she passed it to the woman, both page and charcole.
Korunue smiles, deciding the picture much improved. She takes the charcole, adding a little hair, and smiles at the picture. She puts "Ronin" in the corner in quotes, as the title, and then signs it with her own name, Korunue. She then passes the charcole to Kel to sign her name, since she helped.
Kel blinked and shook her head. It was one thing to draw it was another to know how to write. She swallowed passing the carcole back to the woman, softly shaking her head as she rose. She let her skirt and garments settled, they were obviously traveling clothes for the dust coated her skirt hem and boots. She glanced back to the bar where she had left her pack...A distinctive Meep! Was heard in that direction.
Korunue tilts her head, a question forming on her lips, then forgets it immediatly as she hears the meep. Both of her ears turn in shock to the pack, and she looks with her eyes as well, sniffing the air a bit. She looks at Kel questioningly, tilting her head like a confused puppy- which, in a sense, she was.
Kel left the woman, still having not spoken a word. Her steps were quicker this time as she got to the pack and untied it. And out of the odds and ends in the pack tumbled a little..white and black, cubby mouse. "MEEP!" it squeeked again, this time it's little black beaty eyes were focused upon Kel. Kel winced, her ears dropping a little. Her mouth, if one could see it, was in a straight line. She offered a gloved hand towards the plump creature. The mouse didn't walk or run...it waddled onto the waiting hand.
Korunue stifles a giggle with her hand, watching the small, demanding creature. She is in a good mood today, most definatly. She looks back at her picture, sighing lovingly at it, her ears on the woman and her mouse.
Kel stayed still while the mouse settled upon her hand. Lifting it though the mouse begin a series of unhappy meeps, squeeks, and twitches. Kel just seemed to take it with a spoon of sugar. When the animal finaly calmed down she lifted her other hand, and softly scratched between it's rounded ears. She then brought it to her lips where she gave it a soft kiss. Then, oddly, a single sound came from the catlings parted lips. "meep" that was it. No real basis for conversation but it won the mouse back over.
Korunue's ear twitches as Kel, too, meeps, and Kor smiles. She sets her drawing down, carefully so as not to smear it, and leans back in her seat, smiling, looking out the window, her ears betraying that she was very much interested in the woman and her mouse.
Kel didn't seem to say much if nothing. She continued to consol the mouse with kisses and scratches, unaware of being interested in by anyone. Finaly the mouse gave a Meep of forgiveness and cudded against the white furred face of the catling. Satisfied Kel moved the mouse from her hand to her shoulder, where it kind of just slumped there over her shoulder...Kel turned then to see the lady's attention else where. She swallowed and looked back to the area under the stairs. "Meep.." it was quiet but drew Kel's attention back to the room.
Korunue 's ear twitched as she heard the meep. She glanced back into the room, wondering what was up with the stairs... she tilted her head in confusion, though she didn't think anyone would be watching her. Just then, a dwarf, standing on a bar stool, crashes to the ground as the stool breaks.
Kel ducked down peering into the space between the common room floor and the stair. She gently shifted her weight so that she was practically hidden by the well. She turned so her pack slipped off onto the floor, a light thunk issuing forth. She settled back, pressing her back lightly against the wall. Her full body now being blocked by the stairs incline.
Korunue stood up quickly, heading over to help the man up. "Are you alright?" she asks, purple eyes concerned. She ffers him a hand up, though her ears stayed on Kel. Rather, on the general area Kel was... rather, the spot from which kel had made the last sound.
The man accepts the offer of assistance. "Many thanks" he blurts out trying to dust himself off. "So about that Ale?" he says casually as he looks at the scene he has cuased.
Korunue smiles. "Talk to Moe." she says, pointing to the barkeep behind the counter. "He'll fix you up with some." She then takes a seat at the bar herself, flaging down Moe for the dwarf, and then swivels around to face the room once more, one ear on the man, the other on Kel. She lances about the room once more, eyes bright and alert, ears perked up. They both scanned the room, catching all but the faintest of sounds with her supernatural hearing. Well, not supernatural per se, more like superhuman. She shuts her eyes- she doesn't need them to keep tabs on people- and daydreams of her husband-to-be. Some while later, she heads back to her room, drawing in hand.
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And now, dear reader, we must take a step back. I'm sorry to say, but Korunue cannot stay like this. Maybe, maybe, she could have stayed happy, and maybe she could have pulled through, and maybe she would have had a nice life..... but Aldrea made a mistake.
Aldrea took her to another world, through a series of worldgates. Yet, Korunue never left this world. Korunue stayed and married Ronin. But Korunue went away, and thus never got a chance to marry Ronin. Korunue fell in love with another. Korunue stayed faithful till the end. Korunue, Korunue...
Aldrea didn't take Korunue to the other world. She split her into two people. Quite a few people have alternate universe equivelents- usually not the important, world-changing ones. Like Aldrea. She does not, thus she can be a Dragonslayer, travel to any world and not worry about destroying it. Korunue was one-of-a-kind as well... until Aldrea messed up.
It wasn't all her fault. The stars were misaligned, the time was ripe for change. But this story... like Korunue, this story must split into two. It would be too confusing otherwise.
As I record these last sentences, I take a mental look at RDI Korunue and Bikon Korunue. Side by side. They are so different, one might think they were merely distant cousins. It's shocking, how different her paths are. One wonders what else could have happened to her, or to any of us. What possibilities are we missing out on by being in the wrong universe at the right time, or the right universe at the wrong time? One wonders. In any case, please join me in discovering how such a thing came about. Please, read "Rhys and Ronin" and "Bikon and Beta." And please, review!
Did I say a while? . gomen nasai. Lots of computer problems, losing logs... I no longer have logs for most of this, so it won't read as well as the last stuff, sorry, but... there should be enough here still to entertain your mind now that you know Kor and Ronin and Sinai so well. I will use what logs I have and my own brain.
Oh, and BTW- I'm sorry if any of you are confused about Sinai and Ralix and Amelyia and the collar... to be frank, I am too, and Sinai never told Kor that much about it, so only Sinai knows the whole story I'm afraid.
Sinai was sitting in the inn, drinking a little and thinking, when Korunue ran down to see her. "Sinai!" she squeals, overly perky and bubbly and happy. This wasn't like her... Sinai smiles a little to see her friend so happy.
"Sinai! Guess what?!" She sits at the table, not even waiting for Sinai to ask. "I'm getting married!"
Sinai seems a little suprized. "Really? to Ronin I assume?" she smiles. Kor nods, beaming. "That's great! I'm happy for you." Sinai sighs a little, wistfully, happy for her friend but wishing she, too, could find that kind of happiness. "I'm happy for you."
Kor blushes a little. "There's something else, too." Sinai raises an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
"I want you to be in it, if Ronin will agree to it."
Sinai sighs with great relief. "I thought ye were going tae say ye were pregnant wi' Ronin's baby..." She chuckles softly, but smiles nonetheless. "Aye. I want tae b' in it, if ye're father and future husband allow it."
Korunue giggles. "Of course not! If I was, Dad'd kill Ronin, then marry me off to some rich human." She smiles, teasing, though more than likely she was right.
Sinai chuckles some more, and smiles at her, incredibly glad that Korunue is looking so happy and so joyous, having been worried about her since her last meeting with her and Ronin. She sighs slowly, and sips her tea, looking across the table at Korunue, smiling softly."I am verra happy for ye, Korunue...now...if I could just find the same happiness tha' ye seem tae ha' captured."
Korunue reaches over and pats Sinai's arm gently. "Don't worry. You'll find happiness, someday... I never thought I *could* be happy again, and now look at me!" She smiles, trying to comfort her friend.
Sinai nods a little, looking down at the bottom of her cup, through what's left of her tea before drinking the last of it slowly, savoring the taste."One day...and maybe I'll get Amylia back...Maybe...I dinna like no' knowing, but I've no' known a lot o' things in my lifetime...I canna help tha'. I suppose happiness will find me, like ye said it will...One day."
Korunue smiles, somewhat, to comfort Sinai more. "Yes... someday. Hopefully someday soon." She sighs, thinking of recent events. But she sees them with a new light. How foolish she was, to think that death was the only escape! How silly, to imagine that her life hurt Ronin more than her death would!
"Aye...aye..." Sinai motions for Moe to fill the cup up with tea again, needing tea more than a stiff drink like BloodWyne right now...She leans back in her chair and waits for him to return, glad he knows how she likes her tea. She yawns slowly, and thanks Moe when he returns with her drink, paying him kindly in return--as always, tipping him well. Then she realizes that she still has her staff in her hand, and her cloak on...She lightly leans it against the wall next to her, and goes to hang her cloak on a peg next to the door, taking off her black boots to also grow more comfortable, trying to relax as much as possible, tired from the day's exertions.
Korunue allows her ears to track Sinai's movements, shutting her eyes, deep in thoughts. The wedding would be marvelous... everything would need to be absolutely perfect. It WOULD be perfect- she would not allow anything less. Little does she know, Sinai can practically read her thoughts, Korunue is thinking so hard on the wedding, she almost is speaking aloud through her mind, and she chuckles to herself, having always wondered why people put so much into the "perfection" of wedding ceremonies...Indeed, it needs to be a beautiful thing, but one mustn't think too hard on such things, or they will become too stressed to enjoy the event. Korunue imagines it. Perhaps in a church... no. The woods. Yes... a small ceremony, in the woods, by the lake... they were willing to die there, they can be wed there. They can build a house in the woods to live in, too....
"And ye can b' m' neighbor, too..." Sinai adds to her thought, even though nothing had been said for several minutes now.
Korunue starts. "you!" she scolds, mockingly, grinning. She shakes her head at the whole thing, teasing. "Didn't your momma teach you not to evesdrop?" she teases, pushing Sinai gently.
Sinai suddenly grows depressed at the mention of her mother, but doesn't say anything..Her face doesn't show it, but her eyes hint at it, having learned to hide such matters well enough that no one can tell how much it hurt her that such a person in her life was mentioned. "I couldna help it. Ye were thinking sae loudly and hard tha' I couldna d' anathing else but listen."
Korunue smiles. "I was only teasing... I don't mind. Really." She goes back to her thoughts, summoning up an image of the lake.. how calm and peaceful.. though, better to look at it than try and swim in it... or not swim... but that was foolishness.
Sinai chuckles. "Indeed. Tae cold this time o' year..." She couldn't help herself.
Korunue laughs, a little. "Why do I bother?" she teases, resuming her thoughts, steering them away from the lake. The woods, then, were peaceful... and so much had happened... she remembered how sad Ronin had looked when she first came back, and also how he had been hypnotized.... maybe the woods wern't so good, after all...
Sinai places a hand on her arm, smiling softly. "Tha's behind ye now, Korunue. Dinna worry about it."
Korunue smiles. "I know." she says. "But still... it happened, and I can't deny it." She tries to go back to her happy wedding plans, but now, without a spot to envision, it is hard. "Any ideas where to have it?" she asks. "I think it's supposed to be held in my house... but I pretty much live here, so any place near here should work, right?"
"What about the field out front o' the Inn?" Sinai offers.
Korunue shrugs, envisioning it. Maybe... or maybe down here, with the comman room all dolled up in fresh greenary, with a fire in the fireplace... or behind the stable.... her and Ronin's old spot, to cry and cuddle together...
"I would rather no' ha' the wedding out in front o' m' house, since sae much is going on at the moment in m' life, but if all o' the commotion in m' life calms, then perhaps there." Sinai offers.
Korunue leans back in her seat. "well, no matter where it is, the wedding will be beautiful... and perfect." She smiles. "It will have Ronin, so it will be perfect."
Sinai nods with a warm smile. "Aye...and tha' is all tha' matters."
Korunue nods. "yes... it really is." She turns her daydreams to Ronin... "it really is." she murmers once more. She wanted to be with him forever and ever, as much as he wanted to be with her. Korunue puts her hand to her chest to fiddle with her necklace reflexivly, tracing her neck looking for the cord, before she remembers. She sighs heavily, remembering...
Sinai sighs softly as she finishes her second cup of tea, and then looks outside to see the time--always going by moonlight, since there is no such thing as a Moondial, and sighs. "I think tis time for m' tae go home and slumber...tis far intae the night, and I need m' sleep."
Korunue nods, yawning a little. "I should sleep too..." she murmers, still daydreaming of Ronin. She shakes her head to break her thoughts and yawns once more.
"It was wonderful tae see ye again, Korunue, and I am glad I came here this night tae hear of such joyous news. I wish ye both peace and prosperity and eternal happiness and love." Sinai smiles warmly to her friend as she stands, bidding a farewell to Moe before going for her boots and cloak. She hugs her best friend before allowing her to go up to her room. "Good night, Korunue, m' friend. May ye rest well, and find dawn as pleasant as the dawn before it."
Korunue smiles, nodding a farewell to Sinai and the newcomer before heading up to her own room for slumber.
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Korunue heads down the stairs once more, looking refeshed and happy.She wears a white kimono with black trim on the sleeves and neckline, making a nice contrast to her night-black hair. Two fuffy dog's ears stick up from the top of her head, and they scan about the inn as she descends the stairs. Her slippered feet make little noise, and her purple eyes fairly glow with an inner happiness and peace. She smiles to Moe, sitting at a table near the window. She has some paper and some sticks of charcole, as well as a piece of kneaded rubber. She frowns at the paper, wondering where to start...
Korunue looks up, smiling, then returns to her drawing. She decides just to start... a few quick curved strokes, and a few more making triangles, and the top of someone's head, with dog-ears, appeared. She frowned, erasing the ears with her rubber, and makes them smaller- fox ears. She then makes a cross to determine where to put the face...
Korunue continues to draw, frowning. She draws eyes, then erases them, closing her eyes to imagine her subject more. She smiles, then re-draws the shape of the eyes, opening her own eyes so she can see what she's doing. She adds circles, and slits for pupils- like cat's eyes. A few quick strokes for a nose, then erased and re-done, then erased once more, with a growl of frusturation from the artist.
Korunue let one ear twitch and point towards the other woman in the room, a sort of cat-woman who was a little startled by her growling. She frowns at her drawing once more, moving on. Lips... she closes her eyes once more, remembering his lips, and the exact taste of them, and their exact shape... she makes a few starts on them, rejecting each one until the line for the top of her subject's lips was perfect. A few more lines, and his lips were complete.
Korunue finishes the face. The drawing is good, but not great. She sighs, her ears drooping. She starts to put the charcole back to the page, then the eraser, then sighs once more. She shoves it away from her, and it flutters off the table, catching a slight breeze from the door and blowing to land at the other woman's feet. She sighs once more, one ear perking up and turning to the newcomer who enters, the other on the other woman. She frowns, rubbing her ear absently.
The woman blinked as the shifting sound echoed into her hearing. Glancing down she saw the parchment, this was more of an interest to her, for she had only seen one piece of paper and that was with the woman with the dog ears. Crouching, careful fingers, curled around the page and lifted it as she stood up. Her chin lifted as she looked around first to see if she could find the owner. It was then she saw the new commer yet said nothing. Her marbled green eyes turned to look at Korunue.
Korunue frowns, remembering her drawing suddanly. She didn't like how it turned out- and she didn't want Ronin to know she had been drawing him until she was any good at it. She looks about for it to rip it up or burn it, confused when she doesn't find it on the table. She peers underneath the table, then her eyes scan the floor about the table area.
The woman still said nothing as she moved from the bar and, swallowing with fake cofidence, looked down at the page. Her head tilted a little, the image on the page didn't resemble anyone she knew, she doubted she would have, but it was someone elses. She was about to step away when a bar maid cut in front of her rushing to the stairs. The woman took in a quick breath, obviously acustom to her personal space. She waited a few more moments before, with slow steps, she approached the table Korunue sat at.
Korunue's ears twitch to the woman who approaches, and she glances up, seeing the drawing in her hands. She smiles at the other woman. "Hello." she says, kindly. She is a little surprised at herself, remembering how shy she was when she first came here...
The girl didn't seem to be that open. For as soon as she got in reaching distance she held out the page for Kor to take hold of. Not only did this woman hold the features of a cat's worst enemy she was speaking. Kel, the catling, just swallowed and continued to hold the page out for Kor to take. The only indication that she had understood what the woman said was a nod of her head. Black hair shifting and mingling with the white strands for a moment before seperating back out.
Korunue manages to quell her instincts, remembering Yuki... she takes the paper, looking at it once more. She glances back to the girl. "Don't worry, I'm not going to attack you. Thanks." she says, giving her another warm smile. She was so happy, deep down, that she couldn't help but try and share the happiness.
Kel (the cat-woman) nods her head softly to Korunue's words then, feeling a little bit at ease, she points a gloved finger towards the face upon the page. She points to the lips in particular, then with her fingers, index and thumb at each corner. She shifts her fingers closer together, just a little bit.
Korunue tilts her head to the side a little, looking for all the world like a confused puppy, and then looks at the drawing. "Smaller, you say?" she asks, to be sure. She frowns at it, twisting her mouth to the side. "I think the nose is the problem..."
Kel nods her head to the womans words then tilted her head to the other side and observed the nose. She lifted her fingers from the page to observe the curved structure...Her head tilts to either side then straight again. She lightly, with her finger, runs it along the structure of the nose. She pauses at its tip then pushes it..Well pushes her finger to the paper as if it should be squished.
Korunue frowns at it, then takes her kneaded rubber bit and erases where the smear is now from the charcole. She then takes the charcole and touches it to the page, then picks it up again, frowning. She touches it to another spot on the nose, then picks it up again, trying to envision the nose. She frowns, offering the charcole to Kel to try.
Never having seen the person in the image didn't help but going by general structure...Accepting the carcole into her fingers Kel crouched, her knees bent, arms on the table to try her hand. She lightly danced the carcole over the area of the nose. Going on basic anatomy of positioning and proportion she judged where the nose would be and how big. She lightly drew in the nose in the aproximate shape that the woman had it in. Her nose was a little bit pointed towards the top and arched down. Using the side portion of the charcole she shaded in, gathering the lighting from the rest of the image, the general area to give it the '3d' effect. When she had the nose lightly drawn and shaded she passed it to the woman, both page and charcole.
Korunue smiles, deciding the picture much improved. She takes the charcole, adding a little hair, and smiles at the picture. She puts "Ronin" in the corner in quotes, as the title, and then signs it with her own name, Korunue. She then passes the charcole to Kel to sign her name, since she helped.
Kel blinked and shook her head. It was one thing to draw it was another to know how to write. She swallowed passing the carcole back to the woman, softly shaking her head as she rose. She let her skirt and garments settled, they were obviously traveling clothes for the dust coated her skirt hem and boots. She glanced back to the bar where she had left her pack...A distinctive Meep! Was heard in that direction.
Korunue tilts her head, a question forming on her lips, then forgets it immediatly as she hears the meep. Both of her ears turn in shock to the pack, and she looks with her eyes as well, sniffing the air a bit. She looks at Kel questioningly, tilting her head like a confused puppy- which, in a sense, she was.
Kel left the woman, still having not spoken a word. Her steps were quicker this time as she got to the pack and untied it. And out of the odds and ends in the pack tumbled a little..white and black, cubby mouse. "MEEP!" it squeeked again, this time it's little black beaty eyes were focused upon Kel. Kel winced, her ears dropping a little. Her mouth, if one could see it, was in a straight line. She offered a gloved hand towards the plump creature. The mouse didn't walk or run...it waddled onto the waiting hand.
Korunue stifles a giggle with her hand, watching the small, demanding creature. She is in a good mood today, most definatly. She looks back at her picture, sighing lovingly at it, her ears on the woman and her mouse.
Kel stayed still while the mouse settled upon her hand. Lifting it though the mouse begin a series of unhappy meeps, squeeks, and twitches. Kel just seemed to take it with a spoon of sugar. When the animal finaly calmed down she lifted her other hand, and softly scratched between it's rounded ears. She then brought it to her lips where she gave it a soft kiss. Then, oddly, a single sound came from the catlings parted lips. "meep" that was it. No real basis for conversation but it won the mouse back over.
Korunue's ear twitches as Kel, too, meeps, and Kor smiles. She sets her drawing down, carefully so as not to smear it, and leans back in her seat, smiling, looking out the window, her ears betraying that she was very much interested in the woman and her mouse.
Kel didn't seem to say much if nothing. She continued to consol the mouse with kisses and scratches, unaware of being interested in by anyone. Finaly the mouse gave a Meep of forgiveness and cudded against the white furred face of the catling. Satisfied Kel moved the mouse from her hand to her shoulder, where it kind of just slumped there over her shoulder...Kel turned then to see the lady's attention else where. She swallowed and looked back to the area under the stairs. "Meep.." it was quiet but drew Kel's attention back to the room.
Korunue 's ear twitched as she heard the meep. She glanced back into the room, wondering what was up with the stairs... she tilted her head in confusion, though she didn't think anyone would be watching her. Just then, a dwarf, standing on a bar stool, crashes to the ground as the stool breaks.
Kel ducked down peering into the space between the common room floor and the stair. She gently shifted her weight so that she was practically hidden by the well. She turned so her pack slipped off onto the floor, a light thunk issuing forth. She settled back, pressing her back lightly against the wall. Her full body now being blocked by the stairs incline.
Korunue stood up quickly, heading over to help the man up. "Are you alright?" she asks, purple eyes concerned. She ffers him a hand up, though her ears stayed on Kel. Rather, on the general area Kel was... rather, the spot from which kel had made the last sound.
The man accepts the offer of assistance. "Many thanks" he blurts out trying to dust himself off. "So about that Ale?" he says casually as he looks at the scene he has cuased.
Korunue smiles. "Talk to Moe." she says, pointing to the barkeep behind the counter. "He'll fix you up with some." She then takes a seat at the bar herself, flaging down Moe for the dwarf, and then swivels around to face the room once more, one ear on the man, the other on Kel. She lances about the room once more, eyes bright and alert, ears perked up. They both scanned the room, catching all but the faintest of sounds with her supernatural hearing. Well, not supernatural per se, more like superhuman. She shuts her eyes- she doesn't need them to keep tabs on people- and daydreams of her husband-to-be. Some while later, she heads back to her room, drawing in hand.
***********
And now, dear reader, we must take a step back. I'm sorry to say, but Korunue cannot stay like this. Maybe, maybe, she could have stayed happy, and maybe she could have pulled through, and maybe she would have had a nice life..... but Aldrea made a mistake.
Aldrea took her to another world, through a series of worldgates. Yet, Korunue never left this world. Korunue stayed and married Ronin. But Korunue went away, and thus never got a chance to marry Ronin. Korunue fell in love with another. Korunue stayed faithful till the end. Korunue, Korunue...
Aldrea didn't take Korunue to the other world. She split her into two people. Quite a few people have alternate universe equivelents- usually not the important, world-changing ones. Like Aldrea. She does not, thus she can be a Dragonslayer, travel to any world and not worry about destroying it. Korunue was one-of-a-kind as well... until Aldrea messed up.
It wasn't all her fault. The stars were misaligned, the time was ripe for change. But this story... like Korunue, this story must split into two. It would be too confusing otherwise.
As I record these last sentences, I take a mental look at RDI Korunue and Bikon Korunue. Side by side. They are so different, one might think they were merely distant cousins. It's shocking, how different her paths are. One wonders what else could have happened to her, or to any of us. What possibilities are we missing out on by being in the wrong universe at the right time, or the right universe at the wrong time? One wonders. In any case, please join me in discovering how such a thing came about. Please, read "Rhys and Ronin" and "Bikon and Beta." And please, review!