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+--- Thread: GO the future is now (/showthread.php?tid=9808)
the future is now - Sreda - 1/3/2026
RE: the future is now - Amaris - 1/3/2026
![[Image: f2u-icon-moon-and-star-by-kimmytheredhead-d9j8p0i.gif]](https://i.postimg.cc/yN5ybRvc/f2u-icon-moon-and-star-by-kimmytheredhead-d9j8p0i.gif){kind=icon}
Amaris lingered. An unfortunate stubbornness that he had surely received from one of his strong-willed mothers. There was something comforting about the familiar terrain that the Respite offered, even despite the poison and filth the world seemed to deliver. This was his home. And after so many days of wandering, of walking, of delivering runes and following the disembodied voice of someone in his dreams—all Amaris wished for was to recede quietly into the darkness of his home.
Just for a little while.
But before he could do that, it appeared the Five had something else planned for him.
He smelled his older sister before his eyes had landed on her approaching silhouette, the scent of Fiora, similarly held in the wind's breath. They had sent her away, although Amaris had not held his breath for his cousin--confident that whatever ailment she had picked up would certainly kill her in due time.
As much as he hoped she’d live, that is, Amaris had figured the world would take every shred of happiness and hope they could muster. Fiora included.
But with the freshness of her scent alongside Sreda’s heels, Amaris’ brow turned, and his golden eyes briefly narrowed.
Something hung between her teeth, and for a moment, Amaris eyed that as skeptically as he eyed his sister.
Just for a little while.
But before he could do that, it appeared the Five had something else planned for him.
He smelled his older sister before his eyes had landed on her approaching silhouette, the scent of Fiora, similarly held in the wind's breath. They had sent her away, although Amaris had not held his breath for his cousin--confident that whatever ailment she had picked up would certainly kill her in due time.
As much as he hoped she’d live, that is, Amaris had figured the world would take every shred of happiness and hope they could muster. Fiora included.
But with the freshness of her scent alongside Sreda’s heels, Amaris’ brow turned, and his golden eyes briefly narrowed.
Sreda?He called out skeptically into the day as his own paws hastened to cut the distance between them.
Something hung between her teeth, and for a moment, Amaris eyed that as skeptically as he eyed his sister.
Are you well?He asked instead, pausing in his strides as he waited to see if his macabre sibling would act in similarity to how they had first found Fiora.
RE: the future is now - Fiora - 1/6/2026
Sreda was blessed by The Five, of this, Fiora was certain. Her perseverance plucked the Bacchus from the edge of the shadows and dragged her back into the light! The herb she'd helped find, grow -- it'd saved Fiora. And while neither of them seemed to really know if she was cured or more permanently diseased in a way they would need to maintain, the snowy witchdoctor was lively and in control of herself again. Wasn't that the part that mattered? She was a bit slimmer than she used to be, and there was a weakness about her diminishing with every day she tended herself properly again, but she had a well of energy she didn't know what to do with after so long of just.... aimless wandering, suppressed thoughts, frustration.
She met Sreda's gaze with a joyful glimmer in her own, tail high and wagging a mile a minute. This was the homecoming she'd wanted, though there were still too many of their members gone to consider it proper. They continued on in their search for any fresh, familiar trails in the Respite, and for a moment, Fiora was drawn to the side after what turned out to be a dead end -- a tuft of golden fur caught beneath a bush. She still thought the twins were hanging around, perhaps a few faint hints of other Callosum, but where had they--
'Sreda? Are you well?'
Amaris!
Fiora exploded from the brush screeching his name and bolted up the hill to rejoin her cousin, head high.
She did not stop, wailing apology and questions in one breath as she closed in, tears streaming down her face.
She pounced for a hug, very well aware she might get bit.
She met Sreda's gaze with a joyful glimmer in her own, tail high and wagging a mile a minute. This was the homecoming she'd wanted, though there were still too many of their members gone to consider it proper. They continued on in their search for any fresh, familiar trails in the Respite, and for a moment, Fiora was drawn to the side after what turned out to be a dead end -- a tuft of golden fur caught beneath a bush. She still thought the twins were hanging around, perhaps a few faint hints of other Callosum, but where had they--
'Sreda? Are you well?'
Amaris!
Fiora exploded from the brush screeching his name and bolted up the hill to rejoin her cousin, head high.
AMARIS! AMARIS AMARIS AMARIS YOU'RE HERE!
She did not stop, wailing apology and questions in one breath as she closed in, tears streaming down her face.
I'M SO SORRY I LEFT YOU HERE ARE YOU OKAY WHERE'S YOUR SISTER?
She pounced for a hug, very well aware she might get bit.
RE: the future is now - Aelia - 1/9/2026
aelia is currently infected with the BWP PARASITE: now stage 4
skill: expert soothsayer
The clock-ward sky turned heavy with gray clouds, jumbling up any source of light that bothered to come through. It did not help Aelia's state, though; nothing would at this point, except a cure. Why was the Five doing this to her... There was still a bright spot that simmered at her very core, like a tiny little blue flame, but she could do nothing about it. No matter how much dry grass or bits of broken up sticks she ate, the fire would not ignite... No, she was stuck like... Like this.
A sword dulled, its shine frosted by time and lack of care. Aelia's fur is wrought with tangles, the tufts of her ankles crusted together, and her furred grinchy paws... well, way grinchier. And she does not dare burst on the scene like she once would have — though even if she had, the anger and annoyance she once had towards Sreda would not even registered on the zombified Daystar's mind. All she could really think about right now was feeding the fire that made her core warm... That kept her from freezing in this weather. Not that it stopped her from shivering violently...
Noises in the distance attract the Spiritwalker —
'AMARIS, AMARIS, AMARIS...' Like a ritualistic chant.
Of course, in her zombie state, she would trail after the Moon... Maybe he knew, maybe he expected her to follow after him. Or perhaps he really didn't, and she was just this attuned to her sibling... Even on a subconscious level, she was caught in the pull of his orbit. She turns her weary head, and through the bushes, she can see them... Not just the silver star but...
Wait...
Black, shadowy auras cloaked whatever distinct characteristics that made them up, and instead, they are dark blobs that dance near her twin... Dangerous things... One of them runs up to him, and despite her shivering, she can feel a small flare-up. Danger is near... And even though there is something that begs her oh-so-dearly to submit, she refuses, letting her jaw drop, and just like when she witnessed her mother lose her tail, she lets out a scream. A final girl scream — like her twin is about to be murdered in cold blood.
It makes the trees shiver, crows cawing and fleeing from the pines overhead where she lurked, more like Amaya than her own self, staring wide-eyed, slack-jawed, after emitting the horrid screech. And then her attention fell to the bush in front of her, and she stared absently at it, before leaning in to take a bite of the brittle branches — to help fuel the fire, of course. She could definitely feel it waning after that exertion of energy.
RE: the future is now - Sreda - 1/9/2026
Skill:
RE: the future is now - Amaris - 2/1/2026
Amaris was all skepticism and doubt nowadays, an inevitable result of months of the plague and the horrors he had been forced to endure. So when Sreda came forward, carrying a bag of something between her teeth, Amaris was certain to keep his distance. At least until he knew more and could be confident that whatever had latched onto Fiora would not infect another.
However, at the mere thought of his cousin, it appeared he had done enough to outright summon her.
His name was like a war cry cast into the midday air.
And before he had even a chance to move, his cousin was upon him.
Amaris landed on the cold ground with an ‘oof’ escaping his lips as Fiora’s tongue seemed to loosen with normalcy once again. No longer was her speech sluggish and slow. Instead, she seemed positively coherent…alive and well, much to Amaris’ surprise.
He offered a crooked smile as droplets of Fiora’s tears landed along his snout,
However, before much of anything else could be said or done—like answering Fiora’s questions or having Sreda answer some of his own—a screech ruptured the air like a knife slicing through glass.
Amaris startled almost instantaneously, throwing Fiora off in one final push as he scrambled to his paws with a heaving chest. Despite being used to the sounds his darker sister often emitted, nothing in his body had prepared him for the sound his ears had heard. Especially when that sound came from his golden twin’s lips.
Something in his stomach dropped like a weight. Aelia had been acting weird these last few days, but Amaris had tried to convince himself that it was nothing—that she had just been exhausted, that their trip from the south to the north was too much, and all they needed was a month of good ol’ rest.
His gaze turned toward his older sister,
No, that couldn’t be.
It couldn’t.
No, no, no, no, NO.
However, at the mere thought of his cousin, it appeared he had done enough to outright summon her.
His name was like a war cry cast into the midday air.
And before he had even a chance to move, his cousin was upon him.
Amaris landed on the cold ground with an ‘oof’ escaping his lips as Fiora’s tongue seemed to loosen with normalcy once again. No longer was her speech sluggish and slow. Instead, she seemed positively coherent…alive and well, much to Amaris’ surprise.
He offered a crooked smile as droplets of Fiora’s tears landed along his snout,
Hey—hey—it’s okay.He tried to soothe, his voice holding a breath of a quiet chuckle,
I’m glad to see you still kicking!And he meant that. Even if he had once had low hopes for the Witchdoctor’s prognosis.
However, before much of anything else could be said or done—like answering Fiora’s questions or having Sreda answer some of his own—a screech ruptured the air like a knife slicing through glass.
Amaris startled almost instantaneously, throwing Fiora off in one final push as he scrambled to his paws with a heaving chest. Despite being used to the sounds his darker sister often emitted, nothing in his body had prepared him for the sound his ears had heard. Especially when that sound came from his golden twin’s lips.
Aelia…?He called out toward her, his eyes cast in a weary glow beneath the sky. However, instead of rushing forward, offering an explanation, or doing anything remotely normal, his other half made for a bush.
Something in his stomach dropped like a weight. Aelia had been acting weird these last few days, but Amaris had tried to convince himself that it was nothing—that she had just been exhausted, that their trip from the south to the north was too much, and all they needed was a month of good ol’ rest.
His gaze turned toward his older sister,
You think Fiora did this to Aelia?His words were not sharp as they fell from his lips; rather, they were numb and quiet as he slipped his attention from Aelia toward Fiora and then back to Sreda.
The sickness has my twin?
No, that couldn’t be.
It couldn’t.
No, no, no, no, NO.
You have something—Amaris quickly added, his eyes growing wide in Sreda’s direction, his voice now holding a panicked note.
You made Fiora well. Fix Aelia, too.
RE: the future is now - Fiora - 2/3/2026
Fiora assaulted her cousin gleefully, feeling a little bad for the tears splashing against his face but man -- man, how she'd missed him. How she'd missed everyone; How she had missed herself! There was an intense delight in being able to spring about, to love on those she'd once seen daily, to hunt, to run, to speak! She knew she was being obnoxious, but, well....
They knew her. They'd get over it.
Amaris even cracked a little bit of a laugh, commenting that he was glad to see her okay.
But she couldn't. It was Aelia on that rise, Aelia the sound came from, Aelia acting strange. As Fiora's violet gaze found her golden cousin, the girl bent to take a bite of the foliage. Fi winced; been there, done that. Everyone.... stared, and Fiora felt her heart ache. Sreda made a comment, first to Aelia, then to Fiora. Amaris' panic was soft, desperate; confused, searching for a reason, asking questions. Swiftly subdued, Fi offered a dark frown to her cousin as the witch looked to her, followed by a small nod.
Amaris started pressing about the herb, and the snowy Bacchus looped around Sreda to smile at Aelia.
Her voice was sad. Sympathetic. Understanding, even.
She didn't treat her cousin like a monster come to eat her in the night. Fi knew all too well what that was like, and idly, wondered how much understanding her cousin had to her. Did that vary, from case to case? All Fiora could remember in the moment was the gnawing pit in her stomach that never subsided, the fog pulled over her eyes and clogging her mind, words filtering so slowly.
The witchdoctor enunciated her words, spoke casually, leisurely.
Fiora motioned for Aelia to come closer to her, closer to the group.
They knew her. They'd get over it.
Amaris even cracked a little bit of a laugh, commenting that he was glad to see her okay.
Its all thanks to Sreda,she hummed, beginning to extract herself from the silver form of her tall cousin; then a gods-awful screech pierced the air, and as quickly as she froze, she was shoved aside. She sprung gracefully away before being toppled by the force of the push, pelt prickling, ears pinning as she moved in a tight circle to remain nearby her family. Everyone reacted in the same unsure, 'oh shit' sort of way that nearly --nearly-- made Fiora laugh.
But she couldn't. It was Aelia on that rise, Aelia the sound came from, Aelia acting strange. As Fiora's violet gaze found her golden cousin, the girl bent to take a bite of the foliage. Fi winced; been there, done that. Everyone.... stared, and Fiora felt her heart ache. Sreda made a comment, first to Aelia, then to Fiora. Amaris' panic was soft, desperate; confused, searching for a reason, asking questions. Swiftly subdued, Fi offered a dark frown to her cousin as the witch looked to her, followed by a small nod.
I cannot say if its contagious when so many others I saw did not become ill,she sighed, uncertain and yet guilt blighting her features,
but I would call those symptoms familiar.
Amaris started pressing about the herb, and the snowy Bacchus looped around Sreda to smile at Aelia.
I was just asking where you were, little brand of sunshine,she called, approaching the sun slowly, tail wagging, a smile reaching across her features. Dread settled like a great boulder in her stomach. Had she done this to Aelia? Was Mir out there somewhere, confused, suffering? She wished, desperately, that she'd been able to talk to the other woman Kirain had mentioned being sick as well; figure out what caused this, how it was spread.
Her voice was sad. Sympathetic. Understanding, even.
She didn't treat her cousin like a monster come to eat her in the night. Fi knew all too well what that was like, and idly, wondered how much understanding her cousin had to her. Did that vary, from case to case? All Fiora could remember in the moment was the gnawing pit in her stomach that never subsided, the fog pulled over her eyes and clogging her mind, words filtering so slowly.
The witchdoctor enunciated her words, spoke casually, leisurely.
Bet you're hungry, huh? Come, let us find you food.
Fiora motioned for Aelia to come closer to her, closer to the group.