ephemeral .
If Titus had voiced those thoughts, Scheherazade would no doubt deny it. Even if Titus had not been born from real parents, they shared the same blood, the same rukh; they were close in more ways than one, and to Scheherazade, who’d never been able to — and probably never would be able to — have any actual children, she cherished Titus, even though her earlier actions would have denied this fact. If she could help Titus to live on even after her own death, she would.
Noticing that the steps following her had halted, the Magi stopped as well, turning to see what had stopped him. His words send a sharp pang of realization in the priestess — she’d done it again, hadn’t she? Disregarded Titus’ feelings, with her own mind clouded by her own thoughts. A rising, unfamiliar guilt made its way to her chest, opening her eyes and reaching out to the other magician.
“Titus.”
Just as she had been filled with worry and confusion upon being thrown into such a place, Titus must’ve had his own worries as well, and she apologizes for not realizing this sooner. When they can sit down and relax (well, as much as they can relax in this place, anyway) in Mu’s apartment, they will talk; she’ll listen to him, and help him as much as she can, just as he’d help her.
A hand reaching out to him once more, grasping the hand that clenched his uniform, gently taking it into hers. Though.. she felt that just this was not enough to ease his worries, not enough to convince him that he was definitely needed by her side, no matter how powerful he was. She gave his hand a little tug, pulling him down so that he was eye-level with her, and..
..slowly, she wrapped her arms around him. As it was a gesture that she hadn’t done herself in a long time, it probably felt somewhat awkward, though she tried her best. The Magi embraced him tightly, closely, warmly. While it had originally been her intention to help to comfort him, surprisingly, it had come to comfort herself, as well; and she found herself remaining like this for longer than she’d intended.
“My protection,” while she wouldn’t say it was unimportant, as she knew herself very well that her life was extremely important and not to be thrown in the way of danger easily, “is not something that you, Titus, need to worry about.” She had Mu, which made it unnecessary for Titus to have to protect her, that much was true. She wasn’t sure of how much of Titus’ powers had been taken away by their captors, but..
Finally pulling away, petite hands remain on the other clone’s shoulders, and giving them a light squeeze, she showed him a small smile.
“You need only to stay by my side, as long as we are here.”
“We will fight together.” Another pause, and she adds one last line to her words. “Thank you, Titus. Your being here has, to an extent, put me at ease.” Not to mean that she didn’t wish she could remain in their world, where he could still be taking care of Marga, but.. considering the fact that so many were missing, how safe would he really be? There was the possibility that as an Alexius, he could try to maintain order and take on the temporary role of a leader in Scheherazade’s place, but.. it was not very likely, was it?
Creases in his uniform slowly unfolded, hand gradually ceasing to clench as the priestess’ fingers reached to delicately grasp his grip. A hint of comfort was felt simply from gaining her attention but was unable to ease his inner guilt. It was only when the small tug on his arm pulled him forward did the magician truly realize that Scheherazade was doing all in her power to express her need for him.
The embrace was foreign. He was but a puppet who would not live any longer than she, made to take orders akin to that of a spy’s, yet the pure compassion that radiated off her being touched his very heart. It was almost embarrassing; frozen in place, Titus had realized that he hadn’t the slightest idea how to react, unsure if he was even capable of returning the warming action.
Recovering from a mix of shock and awe, he listened carefully to her next few words, each syllable engraving into his mind. His Lady was undoubtedly one of great experience and wisdom— but also, of consideration. A reason to lie could not be found as he pondered the extent of her intentions, his soul completely swayed by the love she had shown.
“I’m… so grateful, Lady Scheherazade.” The part of him that adored her for bringing him to existence shined brightly, the spite for his fate faltering in the depths of his conscience. ”Until the end, I… I will do all that I can to help you.”
There were things he could still do to assist her, that much he was assured of. In retrospect, perhaps he was foolish in trying to compare himself to someone beyond his capabilities and destiny— to someone who was meant to exist. Of course it was most ideal for him to be able to live his last moments with the child he had related with so strongly, but the circumstances no longer provided many, if any, choices in the matter. Thinking only of himself was selfish; it might have even been a blessing in disguise that he was sent to Hive city since he was now removed from needing to decide his future action in the halted war. From this perspective, being able to spend his last days by his mother’s side could be fully appreciated.
At long last, a smile would subtly curve his lips upward as the magi lightly placed her hands on his shoulders. ”I’ll do my best not to hesitate anymore.”
“Let’s continue— together.”
“I’m a bit worried about the people living in the box towns…”
“With our powers limited, making a barrier is out of the question.”
“And our apartments are too small to provide protection for all them. Maybe our captors’ll be merciful enough to open a shelter, but it’s hard to know for sure.”
☀ Enchantress. {Scheherazade &Titus}
Finding something enjoyable to partake in outside of the usual choices - causing combat, chaos and disarray - was growing increasingly difficult for the wizard to find comfort in doing. Most of the citizens of Hive City didn’t exactly seem to be social enough to initiate conversation nor would he honestly find solace in dispelling his true nature to others. Considering the weakness he felt in losing his skill set by some odd twist of fate, Judar was left with a sense of hollowness.
Weeks prior, a shadowed version of his former self truly challenged his method of thinking. Though the reward was gratifying—regaining one of his abilities in return for his suffering—the Black Sun resorted to drowning out his vices by engaging in any activities available. Whether it be by having mini-battles or even causing the death of a child, all in good effort to cure his boredom and push out the disturbed thoughts that threatened to plague his mind.
…and so he stood, walking throughout the city with a cocky stride. Hands pressed behind his neck, whistling carelessly as the wind breezed by, reveling in the sun’s glory. Making his way back to his apartment complex, the magician felt a sensation throbbing in his chest. Serpent eyes opened hastily, looking around the area urgently. What was this unshakable feeling? Cardinal hues finally fixated on an unsuspecting blond woman, completely drenched in the aura of white Rukh (although, of course, limited due their circumstances). Remarking to himself underneath his breath, Judar pondered:
“The Rukh surrounding that broad… they’re all moving weird!! What the hell is she!?”
The last time he witnessed the normal flow of Rukh responding so erratically to another was his introduction to Aladdin, a fellow Magi. Could that mean that she is also a Magi herself? Considering the choice of outfit, the off-putting female could have very well fit into the era he was from. Was this the fabled Scheherazade, Magi to the Reim Empire?
In typical fashion, the high priest hollered out towards the direction of the elegant woman.
“You, girl! Something about you is different, I don’t want to jump to any conclusions… but you look like you’re from my world, too. Who are you?”
At first, the boisterous voice had been ignored. Considering it had been addressing a woman, Titus had continued his idle browsing of sector oo5 with little to no idea that his attention had been demanded. He was much too preoccupied with finding the best fruits for Lady Scheherazade that nothing else seemed to matter. The magician’s desire to please bred only a feeling of warmth as he felt eternally grateful that his lady had acknowledged his existence and allowed him to go shopping with her.
It was only when silence lingered in the marketplace that his curiosity had gathered, wondering why it was no one had responded to the other’s exclamations. Neck casually angling to get a glimpse of the situation, he instead found himself staring back into intimidating, crimson hues.
Awkward eye contact suddenly made everything clear, stunning the magician into silent rage. With pride injured and mind plagued with unpleasant memories, anger rose immediately. Frustrated at his own feminine appearance, Titus cared more about correcting the cheeky boy than approaching with caution. Even though the misunderstanding had not been directed towards him with mockery, it would not come without consequence.
“How dare you—!!” he exclaimed, his blonde braid whipping the air ferociously as he turned to face the other completely. Hands balled into fists at his sides, his attempt to exercise self-restraint to no avail. ”I’m Titus Alexius.” he proclaimed confidently, purposely emphasizing his last name since it was well-renowned throughout each empire. Eyes narrowed with disdain, he added, “A High-Class magician of Magnostadt!”
Provokingly pointing his fencing foil in the oracle’s face, he continued childishly.
“If I had the full extent of my abilities, I’d make you pay for insulting me, you ignorant commoner!“
Satisfied with his outburst, the magician could finally examine the uneducated other without the blindness of fury. Abruptly, the furrow of his eyebrows eased as the atmosphere turned tense. Something… wasn’t right. While Titus was only a clone of Scheherazade and could not see the Rukh without it being gathered and used, he was especially sensitive to it. The proximity of the two strengthened this, sending an unnatural chill down his spine.
Could it be that… when the arrogant boy had stated something was different about him… he was referring to the Rukh he shared with Lady Scheherazade? Assuming this was true, he could reach the conclusion that the male was a magi like Aladdin. And, since he wasn’t his beloved friend or Scheherazade, that would mean it could only be the wandering magi, Yunan or the tyrannical oracle, Judar. Praying his instinct was wrong, Titus decided not to dwell on hypotheticals, lest his mind become further unstable. He only hoped his Lady hadn’t heard his immature shouting, well aware he would be scolded for such.
ephemeral .
As he speaks, she continues to keep his hands in hers, as if he would vanish into thin air if she were to let go. It was as comforting as it was distressing to see him here, glad to have him around but at the same time concerned for his well-being and the future of their own world. Her grip on his hands changes from time to time in reaction to his words, sometimes tightening up and then relaxing again soon afterwards, at the same time careful that she didn’t hurt him.
The priestess falls silent, her thoughts a jumbled mess. There was no way out of here, was there..? She couldn’t leave of her own will. The skies seemed endless, the city’s streets neverending. Ah, this could probably be bad for her heart. She had begun to hold her breath as she processed this new information, worries and concerns only adding and building onto the stress she already felt. Not to say she wasn’t grateful for the information, and despite the fact that she wasn’t hopeful for any good news, she was worried.
She only manages to take a deep breath once more when Titus slides his hands out of hers, snapping her back to reality — yes, this was reality. A cruel one, one that she couldn’t escape from. There were many times where the situation felt surreal, where it felt that she couldn’t possibly get out of it, but always managed to. But this one.. was on a whole other level.
“We need to return as soon as we can, my lady!”
Scheherazade responds at last, though her voice is quiet; tired.
“I know.”
Her eyes open slightly, lips turning to a frown. She wanted to go back too — she needed to. But.. how? There had to be a way, but.. she couldn’t figure it out. Even when she thought she’d figured out a good way to try, upon further thinking, she’d realized it would be useless. There was too little information about this place as well, which only made this task so much more difficult.
There were no words to describe how much she wanted to return. How badly she wanted to find a way. She didn’t expect a path to just open up to her — she knows that she has to think for herself, carve out the path on her own, sometimes even with the help of others. It was exhausting, draining, that this sort of situation would be thrown at her now, of all times.
There was the problem with their real body to think about, too. But she pushes this to the back of her mind for now, focusing her thoughts on ways of escape, which would only lead to more frustration.
Moving to pick up the wooden staff, she holds it upright once more, taking a deep breath in an attempt to relax herself, if only for a moment.
“Mu is here, as well.”
“But… aside from him, I also sense the presence of several Magi. Titus, please remain by my side for now. If we are to be separated, please return to Mu’s living quarters whenever you need to.” She tells him of Mu’s apartment and sector, pointing with the head of her staff the direction of it. Since they were probably fancier than the other buildings, the apartment building shouldn’t be that hard to find. “For now.. shall we head there, Titus? I would like for Mu to know that you are here now, as well.”
With no answer provided to his inquiry, Titus could only assume that the situation was as bad as he initially feared. Blinking at the priestess’ insecure demeanor, the realization that he had furthered her worries caused him to inwardly recoil. The wish to apologize stirred within him, but was not acted upon in favor of directing the conversation elsewhere. Quite frankly, he had said enough.
The thought that the experienced woman before him also had her powers stripped was discouraging. To see the famed leader of Reim reduced to such a state was an insult to the very country. The magician mused over the idea that he had a duty to attempt protecting his creator while she was handicapped— only to be shut down by the mention of the army captain.
“Understood.” The syllables were uttered so quietly, they were borderline inaudible. He wanted to tell her that he also had an apartment given to him that could be of some use, but his confidence to speak was lost. Instead, the puppet nodded solemnly and followed after his lady as they headed to the apartment of the general.
Mu… his heart was in the right place and his loyalty unmatched. To him, Titus lost on all accounts. The blond’s spite against his fate was strong but also invoked horrible guilt. The Alexius name he shared was nothing but a symbol of status; the clone had no true family. Yet Lady Scheherazade had fallen to her knees and apologized to an unworthy clone like him, even going as far as to call him her child. By contrast, Mu had made it clear that Titus was only a monster that should not have been born in this world. Then there was Aladdin and Sphintus, people who had reached out to him even despite their poor first impressions. Simultaneously, Titus was a son, a doll, and a friend. To Marga— a hero.
He stopped.
“Lady Scheherazade… is this really okay?” One hand gripped at his chest, seizing his uniform as his gaze lowered. “I… I don’t want to burden you.”
He hadn’t yet decided how he wished to spend the last of his days, but if was going to have to waste them in this place, without being able to be at Marga’s side, then he no longer served much purpose. “Mu will undoubtedly be able to protect you, so…” He paused, surprised that he even voiced the thought aloud. With a quiet sigh, he began again.
“… I’m sorry, I just don’t know what to do with myself.”
- numberonedigiqueen started following you
- invitus started following you
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- youkillordie started following you
- heroic-shadow started following you
“Uh… ‘Kay, so I guess there are tons of people here…”
“Hah, yeah.. it’s a little overwhelming…” With the shake of his head, the boy sighs absentmindedly. “A mass kidnapping like this is something that should only happen in fables.”
ephemeral .
The moment Titus stepped into the city, Scheherazade felt it. Perhaps it was because they were clones, but.. she knew. A rush of mixed emotion overcame her, pushing herself to her feet in alarm.I must find him, would be her first thought as she rushes out of the apartment (as Mu had offered to share his living space with her). Her steps slow down as she reaches the streets however, calming herself and taking it slowly. She didn’t have to hurry to find him. They probably had all the time they needed here, whether they like it or not.
She had remembered when she first stepped out of that white room. If she were to assume that Titus had onlyjustarrived, then he was probably near one now. There was no making sure if it’d be the exact same room herself had been in, but it wouldn’t hurt to check — it was the only clue she had right now, after all.
— It felt like she’d been searching for hours. By now, Titus must’ve already left his initial location, and started wandering around just as she did until Mu found her. Tired as she was, the Magi continued, each step heavy with the weight of her worries. She had thought, at least Titus was still there, and left hope that he could protect Reim if it came to that — but now that he was here, that went out the window, too. Though she wasn’t, and still couldn’t be sure that her feeling was absolutely correct and not something the scientists conjured, and that maybe she was searching for someone who wasn’t even here, she couldn’t be sure.
These thoughts are interrupted as another’s body collides with her own, nearly knocking Scheherazade to the ground before she catches herself. She turns her head up, about to ask the stranger if they were alright; and eyes widen, losing her grip on the wooden staff given to her as it falls with a loud clatter, both petite hands reaching for the other’s.
“Titus..!” She doesn’t ask to confirm his identity. She knows it’s him — there’s no way he was fake.
“Are you alright?” She kept her voice steady, kept herself calm — though Titus was an observant one — he’ll very likely notice the small hint of panic in her voice.
The sudden collision would initially cause him to narrow his eyes in irritation, annoyed that he would need to force himself to pretend everything was fine to some stranger who had neither a clue of his situation or the decency to watch where they were going. It was only when he caught glimpse of the woman’s elegant blonde locks that he froze up, emerald eyes shaking slightly as they confirmed that she was none other than the ephemeral magi.
“L-Lady Scheherazade!“
His hands are taken by hers and he calms somewhat, as if her mental stability was being shared with him. Blinking at the staff that fell to the ground momentarily, he returned his gaze to her. The magi’s voice alone offered a degree of comfort to him, yet her existence in this city was so questionable that he could not convince himself to feel entirely relived. What’s more, she herself did not exactly radiate confidence, her tone masking what he observed as shock.
Titus restrained himself from asking the barrage of questions on his mind and instead answered hers after a long pause. ”Yes, I’m alright. I’m sorry to have troubled you.“ After some internal debate on how to begin, he quietly spoke up once more.
“There have been countless disappearances in our world.” He explained, attempting to be of some use by reporting what he knew. “Several search parties have been dispatched, all looking for someone different. Aladdin, you, many of nobility… there are even rumors that the Kou Empire’s magi has gone missing. Since no replacement for them has appeared, some say that the world is gradually falling into chaos. Others believe it to be some kind of conspiracy.” Allowing the information to be processed, he posed a question.
“Is there… any way for us to return to Reim?”
His hands slide out of hers and drop to his sides, his gaze also falling downward. There’s a part of him that knows the answer already; if there had been an escape, the magi would have used it long ago, but he still tried to place hope that it was somehow possible.
“We need to return as soon as we can, my lady!”
ephemeral .
White walls trapped a trembling magician stunned into silence. Panic shrouded the mind so intensely that the scientist’s recorded presentation through the futuristic screen barely registered. Titus instead found himself distracted by the blood-stained jacket the surgeon wore, eyes instantly widening with alarm.
To think he had been kidnapped into another universe entirely was enough for denial to emerge, yet there was a part of him that felt inclined to believe it. For one, it would provide a suitable reason for the multiple disappearances that had been plaguing the world he came from; the vanishings of several magi, nobility, and others that caused an incredible uproar in every empire. And secondly, it would explain why the city he had been shoved into was so technologically more advanced than anything he’d ever seen or heard of.
Ivory hues stared blankly at foreign vehicles before they became overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people who passed him without so much as a second glance. Even if he had been correct about the location of his missing allies, finding them was another problem entirely. He did not even have a means of contacting Lady Scheherazade, as the stones that had served as a means of communication had shattered long ago— back when he had been called the traitor of the Reim Empire.
“Just what am I supposed to do?”
Unable to shake the stress that came with isolation, the magician attempted to find comfort in his abilities. Fencing foil held tightly in his grip, he tried to manipulate the gravity beneath him in order to float through the city to conduct an effective search. Unfortunately, his efforts were to no avail. Unresponsive rukh converted anxiety into pure dread, his emotions escalating beyond self restraint.
“Wh- what..?! Why!?”
“What the hell!? What’s going on!?”
“What!? Why are you pointing out my butt?!”
“Dammit, I’m not feminine!!”
“You’re asking for a specific place? …sorry, I don’t really have one in mind.”
“I’d be grateful to go anywhere since I don’t get to travel a lot! Then again, I suppose… there’s a reason for that…”
test post
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- do you know how long it took just to get a latin url
do you know how long it took just to get a latin url
