The Birdcage | II

[Cheese 4423]

[This part is not public rp knowledge!]

 

Inhale. Exhale.

 

Juniper had it all planned out.

She was going to talk to Kiyoshi, and the rest of her loved ones.

She’d deny any allegations of abuse against him.

They would live quietly; happily.

 

Until she got home, that was.

 

And she saw what may be perhaps the most horrific sight of her life.

 

---

There was blood.

Her child’s blood. Hael’s neck was bleeding.

Surrounding him were Kiyoshi and Naya. They both held weapons,

Though the blood was clearly on Naya’s blade.

 

Juniper’s mind was racing.

 

It was happening again. History was repeating itself.

She saw Verena, whose throat similarly bled on that road to Haense.

 

She saw red.

 

“HAEL!”

A guttural cry of anguish left her throat, one that could only come from a mother.

“No no no.. oh my God- it’s going to be okay baby, just hang on!”

Naya held no remorse.

How could she? How could any of them?

---

Of course, Juniper was angry.

It was righteous; that was her son.

The one she birthed and raised, loved and protected.

The blood that was spilled was practically hers.

 

Naya was approaching. Approaching with the same weapon that harmed her child.

“At least you have something to bury. Be grateful for that.”

 

Grateful? Grateful?

 

How could she say that? How could anyone say that?

 

Juniper thought of Verena, her daughter. Murdered in front of her, in a similar manner.

Her throat cut by bandits on the road.

Juniper never got her remains either.

 

Her stomach churned. Tears blurred her vision, but her intent could not have been made more crystal clear.

 

If Hael died, no one would be saved. There would be no stopping her wrath.

---

Kiyoshi approached as well. Intents to disperse the violence went South.

Gaslights and guilt trips went in one ear and out the other.

 

“Can we all just walk away…?”

Walk away? After watching such a wretched attempt on her son’s life?

 

“She is always like this. Overactive, stupid, singularly minded.”

What’s the correct reaction? How could Juniper stand by and do nothing?

 

“Let’s just have a nice chat.”

No. There would be no nice chats. Never again.

 

It was baffling.

Did they think Juniper would have chosen her boyfriend over her son? Her own child?

Of course not, no. Never in a million years would anyone come before Hael and Silwyn.

 

Of course, Juniper did not calm down.

So, they tried to kill her too.

Naya, and Juniper’s supposed boyfriend.

---

Of course, they were no match.

Two mundane fighters, against a voidstalker? It was almost laughable.

 

Naya lay against the wall, ribs broken. Kiyoshi seemed reluctant to approach or strike further, seeing as Juniper had brisk stepped away from his last attempt.

 

And as the fighting ceased, as Hael was treated and regained the color in his face,

Juniper noted something most curious.

 

Sarryn had been watching. The White Cat herself.

She did not intervene; she did, however, assist Naya and Kiyoshi to the ampitheatre for medical treatment.

 

And once Juniper too had assisted her boy to the safety of her home alongside the man who had healed him, Juniper penned several letters. Some of departure, some of refuge.

But a final note was jotted and spread throughout Aevos.

 

The bird had finally been set free.

And never again would she allow this to happen.

---

 

In every corner of Aevos, notes were scattered around, all stamped with the seal of a flower wreath in purple and black wax.

 

Kiyoshi Renge. Naya.

 

Yesterday, I had the horror of watching the latter attempt to slay my only son. She slit his throat, before my very eyes.

The reason?

My boy had found out I had been hit by my now ex-lover, Kiyoshi, and wished to prevent any further abuse.

 

My anger was righteous. How could I allow my only son to be murdered in his own homeland?

They said I overreacted; they told be to be grateful that I could bury my own child’s remains.

They tried to kill me too.

 

And once I, as a mother should, protected him and cast them out,

They left with none other than The White Cat- Sarryn herself. 

Kiyoshi had spoken of how she did not reply to his letters, oh so casually

 

To my friends across Aevos; to parents who could not fathom the sight I witnessed as my son bled out; to the Church who are in hunt of the Inferi:

I ask that you think of your own children; think of associates of such devils attempting to slay your flesh and blood.

 

Your anger is righteous too. 

Never let this happen again, to anyone; Queen, nor child.

 

Signed,

Juniper Rose

 

[KillerMaid 389]

Ar-Malna looked down to the letter, immediately it was like her world had shifted 

 

".... you were free... you had a chance.. why, why were you with her?" 

 

She could feel herself tearing up, but she just sighed, ripping the note up, looking around the estate she was hired to work at 

 

"... maybe I need a new chance."

[sapphic_spidy 624]

Sydney grips the letter he found, reads it, then tears it to shreds, seething.

 

Juniper really doesn't understand anything, does she? He thought highly of her for so long. 

 

There's so much he doesn't know, but he knows his damn sister.

How could Juniper do this to her?

 

Anger? Maybe? He doesn't know. But Naya never had a choice, that's what he knows. Naya knows what it is like to lose a child. She wouldn't do that to someone for no reason. And now, just when things were looking up, Juniper had to go and ruin everything. It's all ruined.

 

Kiyoshi's involvement doesn't surprise him. But Naya's is complicated. He knows that- but not everyone does. 

Impulsively, he grabs a piece of paper himself, but before he can write he tears that up too.

 

Damn it, damn it. Why shouldn't he?

 

Because he could make things worse. Because Naya already didn't trust him with the full story, because she knows him. And he knows her. 

 

Naya may never be safe again.

 

Maybe Juniper shouldn't be either. 

[graveyard_bones 174]

Cerberus flicks a pen around in his finger, loosely dragging ink across a blank piece of paper- thinking, debating. Humorous, is what he'd call the situation, pitiful too. He glances around the empty halls of the grand castle he resides in, previous feelings subsiding. 

 

After enough pondering, he continues forth, outside into the trembling cold to send a letter to his sister, the very name that was slandered, Naya.

[Caedis 436]

Dainn reads the letter, and tosses it to the desk. He yawns, his other pursuits leaving him quite the tired wreck - the hunts were yet to end.

He lifted his axe from beside the oaken table, inspecting those razorbladed teeth that hungered for war.

He spared a final glance to the message. He awaited his Overlord's command.

[ProcaPro 279]

Naya, the very same in the letter, nurses her broken bones in a somewhat discrete location. Her ribs hurt, a chill still sits in her chest now and again. When she reads the missive, she merely sighs.

 

She forces herself up from her place of rest, dragging herself to a nearby desk to begin writing, slowly. A retort, letters, other things. Some to kind people, some to those she despises. Yet, despite the ache in her torso, there's a satisfaction. She hurt Juniper in some way, it seems. A goal she'd long had.

 

The writing continues long into the night.

[AuJy 269]

Godwin hoists up the letter and scans it with his eyes. Light like beacons emanates from them as he searches the deepest fathoms of his mind for answers, solutions...

 

"Nobody tells me anything... nobody... eugh."

 

Resigned to defeat, the aging bard cannot believe what he has read. Through thought alone he curses those involved in the besmirching of his sister's good name, and seeks consequences for such infractions.

[Rushodan 162]

Kiyoshi sat with his tea, thinking about the days events. He reflected on how Hael had tried to murder him by shoving him off into the drydock below. He thinks about how if Naya hadn't come along, he'd most likely be dead. The yosei was coming back from Sakura as a new man, a better man. His first talk with Juniper was how he could better co-exist with her. Improve their relationship. Even his first talk with Hael was to voice his pride for the child and explain how he wanted to be a better companion for the two of them. . .

 

. . .a sudden, aggressive push was Hael's reply. Kiyoshi barely catching himself on the dry dock ladder, avoiding a smashed skull.

 

Naya caught Hael with her blade, allowing the boy to meet with the consequences of his own actions, yet Kiyoshi and Naya were painted as the villains for this? Even after the boy tried to kill him, Kiyoshi still held Naya back and attended to Hael's wounds, likely saving his life.

 

A simple conversation would have resolved all of this. But no, violence is always the answer, isn't it? 

 

Why were people so bloody dramatic?

 

The man was tired of trying to do his best for everyone. To act selflessly. It was time to be selfish for a while. His heart once filled with Juniper's joy now falling empty once again.

 

The fact that Hael had made an attempt on Kiyoshi's life felt on deaf ears. He was the son of Sermi, the hound. He had to be the bad guy. Nobody else could do wrong, of course. The White Cat swiftly attending didn't exactly do Kiyoshi any favours, either. 

 

A bitter tone, to end the day. The tea wasn't doing much to help, either. Kiyoshi was sure his mother had a bottle of carrion black stashed somewhere around here. . .

 

 

[Karina 1323]

Scattered notes eventually found their way into the creaking hand of an old form. Milky, feline pupils - scarred with death - flicked over the missive. Something gurgled in her throat, the creatures attempt at something almost akin to a laugh. The devil formerly known as Sermi slipped that paper away; and took her position oncemore.

Snow, and wind battered her form. Ice clung to cloth with not a hint of warmth to dispel it. Amaya had lingered on her mind, recently. Was it remorse? No. Satisfaction? Neither. It was inevitable, death. She had always been pleased that, at least, she saw such a brilliant light come back to Aevos in those final fleeting moments. Were it that others understood. Were it that others would follow in her footsteps. Maybe then, there would be hope for them.

Far away from home, and with a mission in mind; little heed was paid to it beyond that initial thought. This was, after all, hardly news to her. There might be a call for violence. But who would believe Juniper? And what did it matter? These were the trivial affairs of mortals, now. Something that had grown beneath her attention. 

Another buffet of cold crashed into her form, unfelt.  Another step forward, and her head creaked up. The Infinite stood within her reach, and as she reached a hand out towards it again; she thought of that new pin-prick in her soul. They would come to regret the creature born of her corpse. All that she needed was time.

And that was the one thing she had in abundance. Birds may come and go, caged or not. But she would always remain. 

[satin 7585]

Verena rested peacefully in a grave near Haense. Her soul resided in the afterlife - perhaps her mother would never know, but some small part of Verena knew of Juniper's visitations to her burial place, and her soul was always gladdened for them. For the love she had borne for her mother till the very end was not loud. It had been hampered by conflict and disagreement, by misunderstanding, and by worldy things greater than them, beyond their control.

The love Verena had for her mother was not loud. But it was deep, and it was unending.

[Islamadon 6238]

[!] An Oyashiman nails a note to the Sakuragakure Notice Board for any would-be bounty hunter . . .

 

Juniper Rose is an instigator incapable of taking accountability. She turned a blind eye to Scrisa Anarion and threatened my people with genocide. She is a national grifter who betrayed her allegiance to Lurin in favor of Kaethul. I am a victim blamer.

Attempts to apprehend Kiyoshi Renge, retainer of the Ugokoyama Clan, will be met with hyper-violence. Such is the word of Ugokoyama Danzen, Samurai of Koyo-Kuni.

 

Namu Myoho Kani Kyō

UGOKOYAMA DANZEN the Oni Slayer, Jūshoku of Nichi-Jin Temple, Legendary Sanbushi, Buke-Toryo of the Ugokoyama Clan,  Yobushidan of Machiman and Samurai of Koyo-Kuni.

[xo31 1325]

Arthur sat and thought about his vision. Would Juniper have done the same for him that he was willing to do for her? The answer was clear, no. But he wasn't doing this for Juniper. He studied new magics in order to get back at that Cat.

 

"Juniper isn't my problem anymore."

Those words were the only ones spoke to his trusty student after being handed the missive.

[ichigomaster98 849]

The Minor God returned home from Kaethul following a pleasant conversation with another prospective follower. Immediately spotting the one they were looking for they brought them in to speak. "Tell me." They spoke, this missive set before them then. 'The Great Knower' then knows a little more, more than most others, enough to resolve these issues, if only they are asked to and owed a favor. The missive is sent away via servitor to be sorted with the rest, and a thought is given to webs.

[MadOne 4656]

Caius I reads the letter with mild amusement as he was in the middle of another card game with Frantzisko. In according to the rules of the board-game, Caius placed another card in front of Frantzisko with mirth. "Got you!" he said jubilantly, as he displayed the card forth for him;

@cadazio

 

[Halfirate 65]

Spattered in red, with viscera still freshly clung to the bottom of her shoe, a certain mali'ker was belatedly handed a missive by @KillerMaid.

 

Tonight, the air was terribly acrid.