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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Mar 10, 2009 17:54:23 GMT -7
Calm...
Yes, that was a perfect word to describe how Laurel was feeling at that moment. Content would be another. It was strange how much she had changed over the course of time--even such a small amount of time as this. She was, for the first time in her memory, truly happy with Nix's arms around her.
But... well, she knew of love of course, though not from personal experience. She had heard that many felt like she did now when they were falling in love -- or already in love -- with someone else. If that was happening to her, then...
She wasn't supposed to fall in love... she was supposed to remain alone for all eternity, caring for nothing other than the forest. She had to stop this now before anything actually happened between the two. Reluctantly she pulled out of his grasp and took a few steps so she stood some few feet away.
"I... I need to go..." she whispered, her voice full of sadness. "I should not stay with you any longer." Tears filled her eyes. Her next words were more to herself, "I'm not supposed to feel this way..."
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Post by Kye on Mar 17, 2009 15:24:42 GMT -7
Nix was having emotions he'd never felt before. It could be that this was one of the longer times he'd assumed his human form....but, he felt there was something about this valley....or maybe this Guardian that was making him feel this way.
He allowed these feelings of content and....passion? No...maybe...Love, to wash over him. He just enjoyed having Laurel in his embrace. He let his mind wonder less about why he was holding her so close and just relished that fact that he was. Until she pulled away.
Her next words caused him to feel a deep pain in his heart. One he never felt before.
"You have to leave?" He weakly asked. "Go....where? Why? What have I done wrong? What....what sin have I performed t cause you such distress?"
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Mar 17, 2009 15:43:32 GMT -7
Laurel shook her head vigorously, clenching her fists at her sides. "No, you didn't do anything wrong! It's all me... I'm the one who has sinned..."
Staring down at the ground she forced herself not to cry. Tears would do not good to anyone. The hurt she could hear in his voice made her heart throb painfully in her chest, but the forest guardian forced herself to ignore it. She knew she had to respond, but... what could she say? The best she could think of was not a very good explanation at all... but she had to say something.
"There is a rule that says that the only thing a forest guardian is allowed to love is the forest they protect. it is said that if we were to fall in love with another we would not be able to do our duty. That... that is why I have sinned..." She took a shaky breath. "I'm breaking the most important rule that we have!"
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Post by Kye on Mar 20, 2009 20:21:41 GMT -7
Nix was frozen to the spot. He didn't know what he found more shocking. That Laurel loved him; had fallen for him in the very brief time they'd come to know each other......or that there was an actual law prohibiting such feelings, such emotions from even existing.
Nix was unsure how to react. He'd never been in such a situation before. No one had ever told him they'd felt such away about him before. Add to that the fact that nothing could ever come of it in this particular situation....
"What made law is this?" He gasped. "There is no reason you cannot love another and still do the life-long duties bequeathed to you."
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Mar 24, 2009 6:41:08 GMT -7
Laurel shook her head. "No, it is not a law... more just a truth that we are told. We are told a story of a guardian who long ago fell in love with a priestess. In the tale their love was quick, almost instant. But one day there was a forest fire that the guardian could easily have gotten in control... had he not sensed the danger his love was in."
"If he had continued to save the forest, she would have been killed by a demon. he abandoned his duty to save her, ultimately resulting in the forest burning to the ground. He was punished for that greatly, forced to watch the priestess he loved so dearly die because of him. He killed himself the very same day..."
Raising her head she turned to smile sadly at him, a few tears on her eyelashes. "So... we are told not to fall in love... to keep us from suffering the same fate."
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Post by Kye on Mar 26, 2009 15:36:47 GMT -7
Nix listened to her tail, with a passive fascination. But, at the end of it his eyes burned with an angry passion.
"That...is one of the most ridiculous and hateful things i've ever heard. He did shirk his duty and the forest may have burned because of it. But, that was hardly a reason to punish him that greatly. That was hardly a good enough reason to kill his loved one. The forest could have been repaired! You yourself said that you did so all the time! What they did was cruel and heartless!"
Nix rubbed his face with his hand, in an effort to calm down.
"No one has the right to ban love like that. It doesn't matter if he was made by them or not. He had feelings, he had will, and he chose to love. His end was truly undeserved. But, i've never let another tell me how to feel, how to live my life. And I.........care about you as well, Lady Laurel. I may just have fallen in love with you."
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Mar 26, 2009 16:27:15 GMT -7
"No, we do not have the power to fix that sort of damage... we are only able to repair minor damage... we could never save an entire forest once it was burnt to the ground." Her eyes darkened. "That same forest... it still has not grown back, though thousands of years have passed. It is still a barren wasteland. And... we do not have the right to argue with the gods for their actions..."
Laurel's eyes widened and she took a step back, fear and shock evident in her eyes. "B-but... that's not possible! I'm just a forest guardian, nothing special at all! I don't deserve your love."
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Post by Kye on Mar 30, 2009 18:49:03 GMT -7
Nix raised his eyebrows in shock.
"It's still not grown back.....after all these centuries? What sort of demonic fire could cause such lasting devestation? Why do the Gods themselves not replenish the forest? It mattered enough to them that they took an innocent life!"
He stepped forward as she stepped back.
"It matters not to me. You could be a Goddess, a Lord on High, or even a.....a mere peasant girl. It does nothing to change my feelings toward you. You remain one of the fairest and more noble women i've ever had the pleasure to meet. I've known you for a very short time, but it feels like it's been longer. I would like to get to know you more."
Nix took another step forwad.
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Apr 20, 2009 19:07:16 GMT -7
Laurel shook her head, staring down at the ground sadly. "No... it cannot grow back on it's own... it is a cursed place, where not even the gods dare to visit. If they wanted badly enough to save it they could, but... they prefer it the way it is now. It is used as a lesson to us, to keep us from disobeying them."
Her head shot up when he spoke again, and she stared at him in disbelief. What was he talking about? Was he...speaking the truth? Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, feeling almost as though it were trying to break free. Her eyes glittered with emotion as he took a step towards her.
She hardly dared to breathe, let alone move. "Do you... mean that?" she whispered, a touch of hope in her voice. "Truly?" This time it was more desperate than hopeful, tears filling her eyes and voice.
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Post by Kye on Sept 26, 2009 10:11:40 GMT -7
Nix stopped and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how to respond to that question; such was his surprise that she even had to ask it of him at all! But, then he reminded himself that the two of them had just met and barely knew each other.
"I have lived a very long life, Lady Laurel. In that time i have never given a dishonest answer or not said what i really and truly felt. We may have just met each other, but i've never lied about anything and i'm not starting now. I meant every word i just said and all i;ve said before since the moment I chanced upon you here, in this clearing."
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Nov 25, 2009 16:46:51 GMT -7
Laurel gave him a bright smile before quickly lowering her gaze to the ground. "I thank you for your truthfulness..." Her green hair fluttered around her ever so slightly, pulling away from her ears. On the soft breeze she could swear that she heard the sound of music... although perhaps that was nothing more than her imagination.
It had sounded faintly like a wooden flute, like the kind that she herself played. Shaking her head slightly she tried to forget about the sound. There was nothing to it. It was a figment of her imagination, nothing more. There was no need to worry. "I," she bit her lip. "Truly am happy that you did come by. You saved me..." She smiled. "In more ways than you can probably imagine."
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Post by Kye on Nov 29, 2009 16:09:14 GMT -7
Nix gave an expression that was halfway between a smile of delight and a frown of confusion. Saved in what way?
"I'm not sure I follow you." Nix confessed. "How exactly have I saved you in 'more ways then one' and from what exactly? Truthfully, I'm not sure i've really done a whole lot for you, since we've first met. Though, I know I can do more for you in the future."
Nix paused just then, and looked around. His hearing was exceptional, what with being a bird, and right now he was sure he was hearing some sort of flute. He noticed Laurel shaking her head and wondered if she was hearing it as well. But, what was it? More so, where was it coming from? Nix thought that Laurel and him were the only ones in these woods.
"Do you hear anything....strange?" He asked of Laurel. Maybe he was imagining it.....
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Nov 29, 2009 16:31:56 GMT -7
"Well... you did save me from that demon, before," Laurel began, smiling slightly. Had he already forgotten? She hadn't thought that his memory was that bad. But then, she did not really know him very well at all, so for all she knew his memory could be almost nonexistent. Her smile remained as she turned and took a few steps away, her hands clasped behind her back. Looking up at the almost full moon she spoke again.
"And... you gave me something that no one else has before. You gave me... friendship." She laughed lightly. "You also told me that you care for me... and told me that it was not wrong for me to feel the same for you. That...is what truly saved me... You helped me to realize that your words are right. It isn't wrong to fall in love."
With a sigh she shook her head. "Do not fret... it was nothing... just... the wind..." No, that was not true. It had not been just the wind if he had heard it as well. "No... not quite... but truly, it was nothing to worry about. That sound... the one who made it means no harm."
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Post by Kye on Nov 30, 2009 21:44:28 GMT -7
Nix chuckled. She'd obviously misunderstood him. It was his fault for not speaking clearly. He'd have to take care not to do so in the future.
"I haven't forgotten about the demon attack from when we first met." Nix assured her. "I meant from that moment on. I wasn't aware my words would mean so much to you, though, I admit that deep down I'd hoped they would. And, yes, I did and still do mean every word of it. It is never wrong to fall in love, as, so I believe, Mother Nature only sends such emotions into it's children when the time is right, albeit the place is wrong. I find myself both grateful and lucky to have met one such as you in my travels."
Hmm. So Nix had indeed heard something. Laurel just admitted that someone was out there, but swore that they were friendly. But, why did they not come out in the open and make themselves known? Were they some kind of spirits?
"Who is it?"
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Post by 由 Yuna 奈 on Dec 1, 2009 9:19:22 GMT -7
"I imagine that you must have traveled quite a bit," Laurel commented, her voice wistful. She had never been out of this forest. At times she wanted nothing more than to abandon her duty and escape, but she always ended up staying put. Either out of fear, or sense of obligation. "You're very lucky... I am sure the outside world is beautiful."
Turning so that she could see him she smiled faintly, almost sadly. "That sound is similar to a flute... but it is made from leaves. That sound that you hear is being played by fairies. Every living thing has fairies in it... so... when you cut off the limb of a tree, for example, you are also killing the fairies that reside within it." She sighed. "Even I, who have lived here for so long, rarely see them. They are quite shy."
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