Chasing Yesterday

[Ariadne]

The air shimmered and colours seemed to bleed into existance where moments before there had been nothing. Lust recognized the signs of a summon's warp even from her location in the bushes. A Virtue came forth with his dog and she immediately recognized him as Honesty. Though it had been a long time, she still knew some of the older Virtues. Another being came into view, this one also looking eerily familiar. Her heart pounded as her instinct to protect Lark filled her. She quieted her body, forcing herself to remain hidden. Those were her orders right? Yes, orders...that was why she was doing it. She fingered her wrist, felt the cool metal beneath the sleeve of her coat. A reminder of her predicament.

Then she Purity sink to the ground. She felt elation before she could suppress it. Old habits died hard. But perhaps she wouldn't be forced to choose. If Purity was so dismayed, weakened, Lark would be strong enough to stand against her. She would wait...listen...watch. It was what she'd been told to do anyway. Her hand slipped from her wrist, but her skin still tingled from the metal links that touched it.

[Seya.]

ooc: a bit confused. Lark doesn't have the black marks on her cheeks, Pandie. xD

There was silence for a few minutes as Lark watched the bushes in which the sin and virtue had disappeared into. The giant wolf behind her shifted... uncomfortably. Empress, I can feel a strong aura not too far away from here. I must depart, he growled.

Taint-Lark turned her eyes back to him, still a vibrant green. Ideas, thoughts, plans... they were all formulating in her head, now given enough room, and a little bit of freedom. "Yes," she agreed after a short pause. "And take them with you. Larketh, take these two north to Deception, high in the mountains. He can best explain to Lust what has been going on, and will make sure the virtue won't double-cross us until I can deal with him myself."

She glanced up towards the ruins, studying them. "This place will have to wait, I'm afraid. When you have secured these two in Deception's domain, then return for me, but only then. There's much I myself have to do first."

A brilliant aura then hit her as well, just as a slight glimmer in her mind. Even as Lark, she could recognize when Purity was near. Now with Taint, it seemed even more stand-out from the rest of the clearing.

"Go," she urged, and the wolf disappeared.

---

Larketh came back into focus just a bit further away, towering over Lust and Restraint. If you did not hear, you are to come with me, he murmured. We head north to Lehaita tonight. Gather what belongings you need, and be at the old Crosspaths by dusk.

His large, eerie eyes bore into the both of them, chillingly, and he was gone once again.

ooc: looks like it's time to bring back an old area...

[Ariadne]

ooc: Just curious, is there a reason why you picked north?

[Seya.]

ooc: Because that's where Lehaita is? And the boats only go across to Kham'hur four times a year.

[Ariadne]

ooc: oh, ok. Cool. Just wondering. I'll reply after some of the other characters get a chance to post.

[Kal Skirata]

Restraint listened carefully to the giant wolf. Restraint thought to himself, I do not know where these Crosspaths are but this is a step in the right direction. I suppose I will have to follow Lust if I plan on finding this place on time.

Restraint turned to the Sin and whispered as quietly as he could, "My lady, I will have to follow your lead as I do not know the location of our destination. I do already have all of my worldly possessions so I am ready to leave when you are".

[Zee ♥]

He felt her hand go limp in his, and she fell to the ground in despair, tugging his as she sank. Honesty squeezed her hand in reassurance, all the while keeping an eye on Lark.. or Taint? and the giant wolf in view. Mostly the giant wolf. But it disappeared without a trace, like a summon. Taint's summon? he thought dizzily, and Fey nodded, fur still standing on end, jaws still lock in a snarl.

"Please stand, Goddess. I do not know where Restraint has gone to, but you have to face her sooner or later. I'll be right next to you, Pandeon too." He said solemnly, placing an arm around her to help her up.

[Ariadne]

The air seemed to shimmer and blur as the large summon disappeared from view. Lust heard Restraint's voice, quiet and almost hesitant in her ear. Dusk, she thought. Looking up, she could barely make out the evening moon through the trees, but she knew that Dusk was at least a few hours away. She hadn't been awake too long.

"The night is young, Virtue," she whispered without turning to face him. This time she did not spit the word, but spoke it. She turned to face him, appraising his body, but unable to focus her power to appraise his mind. She found it frustrating to be shut out of his desires, and for the second time found herself confused as to why her powers were so fleeting, ebbing and flowing like water on a beach. "Come, we'll find something amusing to do until it is time to leave."

She looked out into the clearing once more to assure herself that it was alright to leave, but chastised herself for doing so. Standing up quietly, she slipped deeper into the trees, fairly certain that Restraint would follow her.

ooc - Lust has left the thread, do you want me to make a new one Kal Skirata or do you want to?

[Kal Skirata]

OOC: You go ahead. I'm MIA for the next day or 2 because of exams and work.

Restraint is now out of the thread.

[Pandora]

ooc: Sorry I'm late! Exams and blah, blah, blah.

Honestly Purity, you are making a spectacle of yourself, Pandeon communed to Purity with a tone of such utter exasperation that the goddess seldom heard him use. She clenched her jaw in a childish, spiteful manner until she felt Honesty's arm around her, lifting her to a more dignified stance. After he had helped her up, Purity buried a cheek in his neck forlornly.

"Now," she said, regaining a note of assertiveness, "We are going to have to find them. In addition to what you told me, what more of their conversation could you gather?" Purity hoped there would be some clue as to what else might be coming or at least where they had vanished to. The goddess folded her arms over her chest, contemplating whether it would be wisest to go back to House Eternity prior to setting off on what may easily become a wild goose chase.

[Zee ♥]

Ooc: Still currently waiting for Lark-Taint to reply! D: I hope this thread isn't dead, its rather important, no? Been 3 days, but if you've been rather busy, Seya, I'm sorry for rushing you x.x I'mma continue to wait now. *hides in the corner once more*

[Seya.]

ooc; Oops. @_@; But note to Pandora, do-not-chase!

What are you standing around for? Can't you feel her?... Lark urged from the back of her own mind, forcing her thoughts into Taints. Through the Goddess' trained senses, she could vibrantly sense the location of Purity, a glaring invisible light not all that far away, likely just out of earshot. You should...

"Kill her?" Taint-Lark snickered aloud, her voice still quite tired. No, her power was still bound away who knows where, along with her much-missed scythe.

Let me take over now. I'll deal with it.

Taint wouldn't have been able to stop her. Her spine snapped strictly into a line and all the muscles in the shared body tensed as the switching of focus from one spirit to the another took place. Ouch, the Goddess growled, her own voice once again just a small echo in the back of the redhead's consciousness. Nevertheless, Lark clung to the faint idea of where Purity was, and started walking.

"...what more of their conversation could you gather?"

Lark jumped into a slight panic and she could feel Taint mirroring this emotion from the inside. Who...? "Purity?" she called out, doing her best to sound afraid and confused.

[Zee ♥]

"Restraint seems to sway towards the Sin's favor now, is all I know. And Lark seems to know the Sin..." He trailed off, but almost jumped when he heard a small voice call out to Purity. Lark. She saw them. He narrowed his eyes at her. She was hiding something, but there was a barrier holding off his powers to investigate what it was. Honesty started to say something, but shut his mouth almost as immediately as he opened it.

He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to Lark, but he subconsciously held Purity's hand, squeezing it in some silly hope to warn her about what he feels. He trusted his 'feelings' a lot, and something tells him Lark is hiding something.

[Pandora]

OOC: Sorry again for being late! D;

Purity's dazed stance was drawn into one of attention at the sound of her name. She knew that Lark was there, of course. The meek sounding voice seemed shallow, slightly unconvincing. Beyond the sound of the young woman's words something else lay festering away in a secret place. Purity could feel her mind leaving her, wandering towards Lark, playing about her disposition, her speech. Purity could feel something so very hauntingly déjà-vu clinging to the other girl. The goddess felt an eerie tingling sensation in the back of her head, shooting a shocking feeling down through each of her vertebrae.

Her hand tightened around Honesty's. Purity's mouth hung loose and she wondered aloud, "Why is she so strangly familiar?"

[Seya.]

Lark frowned. Go, she said, and pushed Taint down to her corner right now, ignoring the other spirit's whimper of protest. There. Now she could be herself.

She took a deep breath, all dim thoughts fleeing. "Purity.... I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. I... I went and saw Salvation at the ocean, but then I wanted to be alone. So I just ran.... and ran here." There. Everything she said was completely and honestly true. She didn't bother looking at Honesty; it would raise suspicions if their eyes met. "I didn't mean to spend so much time here. Can we go home?"

Very slowly, she made her way over to the Goddess, and smiled up at her as she always used to; carefree and soft.