(no subject)

[monolike]

[He sleeps.

The plan had been simple, though Sorey hadn't known if it would work; act as Maotelus's vessel, cut off all his senses, and exist as a living pulse of purification. If he slept he wouldn't change, if he slept within Maotelus's domain he (hopefully) wouldn't die. It would mean he would be lost to the ravages of time, left behind by everything he knows, but this way he could eliminate at least a little bit more of the suffering the world had already endured. Maybe it's fueled in part by ego. Maybe he just can't leave things alone for someone else to clean up. Either way, Sorey closes his eyes and prepares to rest.

Only...he doesn't.

He doesn't dream, he doesn't experience some other world or existence; what he feels instead is a spread. His eyes aren't his and he can't choose what to focus on, and sometimes he hears things and sometimes he doesn't. For decades at a time all he hears is the slow growth of earth around the crater, vegetation creeping in and animals settling within it, rain trickling down to form a lake that empties over time during the more severe droughts. Sorey feels Glendwood change around him (and it becomes other names, Nothrand, Lilium, Morensa) and he realizes, an embarrassing few centuries later, that he's not awake but he's experiencing the world through Maotelus's blessing.

It's surprisingly soothing. Even when he watches civilizations build and crumble, Maotelus is there with him to talk him through the agony of observing war. It's hard, he says in his childlike voice, seated in Sorey's lap in the shared spaces of their souls, leaning his head back against his chest, it's hard just to watch, but sometimes people don't want to have peace. Freedom is the most important. You have to remember that.

Maotelus tells him stories about his old life, stories about what the world was like before Sorey was born. He laughs and affectionately calls Sorey naive, calls him young, even as he passes into his sixth century. We're unchanging to an extent, maybe, but I think you'll always be young no matter what.

Sorey told him he didn't want to hear that from someone whose voice hasn't even deepened and Maotelus pretended to sulk for almost four full years.

When Sorey becomes unable to feel the edges of the tainted world, he knows his time asleep as an observer is coming to an end. He's done all that he can; Maotelus knows he can't stay here forever, that no matter how powerful either of them are, Sorey can't do the impossible and purify the whole world just by remaining asleep. That everything is cyclical only when it's not, and that maybe Sorey can do more good in the world if he's awake for just a few decades more, to tell people what he saw, to pass on what he knows.

I love you, Sorey thinks even as sleep takes him further and further from Maotelus, I'll miss you.

Don't be silly, Maotelus chides. I'll always be right beside you.

- - -

Sorey wakes.

It takes some time, but he makes his way out of the crater. The air smells clean in a way he can just barely remember from Gramps's domain in Elysia and he breathes it in fully. His body is the same as it was when he went to sleep; clothes ripped and dirty, muscles sore. Seventeen and human, but he remembers everything, remembers centuries of watching, waiting, talking with Maotelus. He knows that at any given point one of his friends is watching over him, and knows that it's just a matter of time until he's found.

So he plucks a few apples from a tree, chooses a flat stone to sit down on, and waits. They'll find him before he finds them, now that he's just a regular human again, so he should make it easy and stop moving around.]

Comments

[monolike]

We took care of each other, [Sorey confirms with a nod, following Zaveid's gaze back toward the Throne. Maotelus is lingering, probably seeing them both off, but he'll return to the earth soon enough and he'll watch them walk from here, until his gaze widens so far that they'll be nothing more than flecks of dust in the air.]

...C'mon, Zaveid. [Sorey lets his hand trail down his arm, slips his fingers into Zaveid's grip and gives him a tug.] Unless you'd like some time to say goodbye?

[airily]

Good. Glad to hear it. [ And, genuinely, he is. Laphicet - Maotelus, he forces himself - deserves someone to check in on him before they left. He doesn't want the kid to suffer, even if he's become something far greater and far bigger than Zaveid had ever imagined being possible.

The hand on his arm, the fingers in his, snaps him out of his thoughts and he looks down at Sorey, expression softening. ] No, I'm good. I said my goodbyes a long time ago. [ He tugs back. ] Lead the way.

[monolike]

[They go first to Elysia.

Kyme and everybody is there, minus one sorely-missed familiar face. Everyone gathers in the center of the village to celebrate, lighting bonfires and roasting boars, telling stories and playing music. It causes such a ruckus that some of the humans from the village at the foot of the mountain wander up to investigate. Sorey almost cries when he sees the humans talking to his family like normal. Sure, he'd seen resonance developing in human generations, even had a hand in that himself, but it's another thing entirely to experience the result. Overwhelmed, he wanders off in search of Zaveid as his family tell the village chief and his daughters what's happened.]

Zaveid? Where'd you go?

[airily]

[ It's the kind of place that Zaveid had never thought possible - a world where humans and seraphim are living in actual harmony. He watches from the outskirts mostly, still not entirely comfortable with the situation despite having travelled with a Shepherd, and he lets himself stand by. It's not like he's guarding Sorey, not really, but until they meet up with the others he's the only one there to make sure nothing bad happens - and he doesn't want anything bad to happen. Sorey deserves a chance at life, at some kind of happiness, especially with everything he had sacrificed.

He almost doesn't notice when the man in question starts looking around for him and he tilts his head, glancing down for a moment. ]

Yo. Over here.

[ He lifts a hand to wave, his feathers fluttering in the light wind. ]

[monolike]

[Sorey breaks out into a grin when Zaveid answers his call and he turns to hike up the hill over to him. Zaveid paints an impressive picture against the already breathtaking backdrop of Elysia; puffy clouds framing strong mountain peaks, birds swooping to and fro as if performing.

He comes up to Zaveid's side and leans against it, head against his shoulder as he stares out across the sky.] ...there's humans talking to everyone. Zaveid, I'm so happy...

[airily]

[ There's a moment where it's a little awkward, mostly because after all this time Zaveid isn't really used to being touched, but... It's easy to wrap an arm around Sorey, lifting his hand to ruffle at his hair gently. It's been long enough that he doesn't think he'd be okay with it if it wasn't Sorey touching him.

Funny how that works. ] Yeah. I guess your dream really did come true, huh? [ He looks out at the people and tilts his head, hair falling over his shoulders. ] They're happy.

[monolike]

[And that's truly the saddest thing of all, that Zaveid, who took any opportunity he could to hug, to drape himself over people, has once again grown accustomed to being alone. Sorey reaches up to snake an arm around his back and hang on, relishing the feel of Zaveid's warm skin against his palm.] And you? Are you happy?

[airily]

Huh? Me? [ He's a touch distracted by the warmth of Sorey against him, the gentleness of the touch, and for a moment he blinks before he shakes his head, lips curling into a smile. ] Sure. I've got nothing to be sad about anymore. [ Sorey's back, after all. Nothing left to wait for. ]

[monolike]

'Anymore,' huh? You weren't just waiting for me all this time, right? [He couldn't possibly. Zaveid is thousands of years old, he knows how to move on.]

[airily]

Nah. I did some travelling, I saw some things. I didn't wait the whole time. [ But he waited for long enough, enough for him to be more than just a little glad that Sorey is back here at his side. ]

[monolike]

Good. [Sorey rubs Zaveid's back, fingertips lingering in the dip of his spine before he pulls away.] But I'm still glad you were the one to find me first. I feel a little better.

[airily]

[ There's a gentle loss as Sorey steps away, and Zaveid frowns for a moment before he breathes out and nods his head. ]

Yeah? [ Reaching up, he ruffles his hair. ] I'm glad I found you too.

[monolike]

[The Sorey of a thousand years ago wouldn't have caught that little moment, but this one does. He peers up into Zaveid's face before stepping a little closer again, resting a hand on his shoulder after brushing his hair aside.] ...tell me the truth, are you really okay?

[airily]

Wouldn't I tell you if I wasn't? [ But his voice is low and quiet, and when he's looking out over at the world he feels himself relax, just a little. ] I just missed you, that's all.

[monolike]

You wouldn't, [Sorey declares, but that's neither here nor there. He can't force anything out of Zaveid, especially if there's not actually anything there.

Instead he turns a little ways from the hill.] Could I get you to come with me? I'd like to talk to you about something.

[airily]

Yeah? [ But Zaveid is smiling all the same, watching Sorey for a long, drawn out moment before he softens and relents.

It's easier, he thinks, to just. Follow. ] Sure. Let's go.

[monolike]

[Sorey leads him further up the peak, toward Gramps's old house (Kyme's, now, though he's still down at the gates talking to their human neighbors). Once there Sorey starts climbing the rocks along the back, up to where the elysalark nests used to be.] C'mon, me and Mikleo used to hide up here when Gramps was on the warpath.

[airily]

[ Zaveid raises his eyebrows, but doesn't make a comment, not for a little while. He clambers up after Sorey, leaning back and trying to make himself comfortable. ] I guess you were up here a lot, then, huh? [ He nudges Sorey gently, grinning. ]

[monolike]

Hey! ...yeah, [Sorey admits, grinning and nudging Zaveid right back. He draws a leg up and takes a deep breath, looking down over the village. It's hardly changed at all...even his house is the same as ever, right there further down the slope.] ...Maotelus...talked about you quite a bit.

[airily]

See! I know you. [ He's grinning, but they're soon relaxed and comfortable again. Things might not look as though they've changed, but Zaveid knows otherwise. He knows the time it took to get here, how long the world needed to grow and adapt, and he wonders if Sorey can see it, too. The mention of Maotelus, though, makes his breathing tighten. ] Oh. Yeah? He's gotta learn it's rude to gossip.

[monolike]

In his defense he talked about all his friends, but I'll admit I paid the most attention to what he said about you.

[airily]

Is that because I'm the only one you can use to fact check? [ Aw, well. He did have some good times with Laphicet... ] What did he say?

[monolike]

[no you ass, it's because he liked hearing about you] He talked about how kind you are. How you were good with kids, and how you liked fighting but hated killing.

[airily]

[ He doesn't know that!! Jeez... ]

Oh. [ Zaveid frowns, looking away, forward and out at the landscape. ] Guess things changed a lot, didn't they.

[monolike]

Things change, [Sorey agrees easily. He reaches for Zaveid's hand, covering it with his own.] People, places, circumstances. I don't think it's as bad as I used to.