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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:50 pm
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The Sage was still in shock when her sister threw herself at her, causing Na'ima to stumble back a single step before she caught herself and her little sister. Instinctively her arms held Falair, one hand holding the back of her head and the other arm wrapping around her lower back. Na'ima's eyes were wide, her jaw dropped behind the veil that covered the lower half of her face.
She was holding Falair. Her sister. Family. Family she had assumed was dead.
Perhaps there was hope for mother and father.
It had been a very long time since Na'ima had allowed herself to cry over anything. The last time had been with joy after having received the news she was being inducted as a Sage, and even then it was something she had done privately; not even Salbei knew of her tears that day. And so it was for that reason she was startled by the few tears that did fall. She held Falair tighter, crushing the alchemist to her chest. "Falair," she whispered, terrified that if she spoke too loudly that her sister would disappear. This had to be a hallucination caused by her smoking. It had to be. There was no way.
Except she could feel her sister, hear her sister, see her sister.
Na'ima couldn't think of words yet. Nothing that made any sense.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:04 am
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Na'ima made soft shushing sounds in her sister's ear, swaying gently with the younger alchemist and pressing her face into her hair. Her sister was alive and well, and she was in one piece. All of this was spectacular news. She would let her little sister cry if she desired, but attempting to comfort someone in distress..well...distressed Na'ima. She never quite knew what to do.
She allowed Falair to lean back but did not let her go, her hands grasping her sister's upper arms. Like Falair, Na'ima refused to release her in fear of losing her again. Her eyes still glistened with tears she had not shed, her smile faltering slightly behind her veil at the mention of mother and father. So Falair had not seen them either.
But perhaps there was still a shred of hope in there somewhere. Perhaps..they had just...not returned.
Except Na'ima was quite certain they had been on the isle when she had left before..all of that mess.
"Yes, it..." Na'ima finally frowned. "It is despicable what happened to our beautiful home. I will explain that to you later. Now is not the time for mourning and looking back, now is a time for celebration, my dearest sister! Oh, Salbei will be so delighted to see you! And Faiyum as well, I am sure! I have not yet come across him but Salbei has mentioned he is here. Him, and Mahir, and Mmur was kind enough to escort me to an event the students in the nearby academy held...oh, Falair. I thought I had lost you.." Na'ima raised her hands to cup her sister's cheeks, looking fondly upon the younger Famine. She had family, real family. Real flesh, blood, and bones family.
"Dry your tears," Na'ima urged gently, rubbing at Falair's cheeks with her thumbs. She smiled behind her veil again, a smile that reached her eyes. "I am here, and I will not be leaving you. But...I do have one question.." Her eyes turned to the strange pink..thing floating near them.
"What is that?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:51 am
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The lack of acknowledgement of their parents in her older sister's reply spoke volumes to Falair. But she was not about to give up home on them. Surely others who were on the island were able to escape in time and survive. Their parents would not idly stand by and let themselves be swallowed by the darkness.
Falair had to have hope.
Part of her was curious as to what had happened in the end. But Na'ima was right. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. A smile wormed its way to her lips beneath her face mask, though it shone through her eyes as well. She was glad to hear of familiar faces that had survived too. "I am glad to hear that they all made it through as well." In time she would seek the others out, but for now she was more focused on her older sister than anyone else.
The Alchemist truly knew the meaning of not taking anything for granted now.
Her sisters affirmation that she would not be leaving her again was soothing. A great relief to her. Though she knew in her heart that Na'ima would indeed never leave her again there was that small voice in the back of her mind. But not time to dwell on such things.
Caught up in the moment, Falair had completely forgotten about Reject. That is until her sister brought his presence to her attention once again. Falair tended to forget he was even there half the time. Her head turned slowly to look at the abomination of a minipet who was hovering in the air. The instant she looked at it it smiled at her.
"I got....bored." She had a lot of time to herself. Reject wasn't the first but he was the first to survive. And survive he did. "He did not always look that way nor was he so simple minded but I tried to put him out of his misery but he just won't die. I've tried fire, poison, electrocution, smashing him. Nothing works." He was a shame filled project and yet something to be a little proud of. "Sadly, I have not been able to replicate the results so I am afraid he will be the only one."
Perhaps Falair's failings as an Alchemist were a good thing for the minipet. "He's helpful...sometimes." Reject sputtered and flopped through the air towards the two. As he drew close his body convulsed, eyes popping out one after the other in a rhythmic pattern. A few pops, hisses and clicks before he seemed to return to normal. "I think he's saying hi I do not know half the time." Sigh.
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