The Things They Carried. *A Short Thread* (Madeline and Echo)

[Echo Silversun]

"What if he..."                                                        "I bet he'll..."

"What do... Echo?"

"Echo?"              "Echo!?"     "Echo!??"       "Echo!!??"

"EARTH TO ECHO!!"

His blurry vision finally focuses and a sharp breath shoots from his nose. Silently he gives his fellow fae some sort of acknowledgment he could hear them. Rather than continue to drown in his thoughts. He often disassociated when off duty. And after all these centuries his comrades were used to it. So some chuckled knowing he wasn't listening and others shook their heads and faintly groaned playfully. "We want to know what you think of the king's new plaything and how long it will take him to lose interest in her? Actually, to be more to the point, we want to know what you think he'll do with her when he does?" He had barely been in Thistlemoon an hour after his "assignment" to head out of his home. Yet upon his return, this new prisoner thing was what all fae could speak of.

He thought nothing of it at first. Just another temporary interest for their king. But what's this? He soon learned she lured him out of Thistle... Alone!? And now she was living in the Mapleshade with them? 

Odd.

Strange.

Peculiar. 

He didn't like it.

He didn't trust it.

Which of course was unsurprising as Echo liked nothing. So by default he therefore trusted nothing. Change was even worse as it took him far too long to adjust to it. "I don't think much of her. How can I when all I know of her is secondhand talk from those who saw her in passing?" Everyone's eyes laid on him with eager expectations and he suddenly realized he was going to have to give them a satisfying answer. Or they'd never leave him alone about it. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. Pushing himself to his feet. "A flower grows where she bled." He gazed out the window and towards the spot he spoke of. "I heard pixies clawed at her face when she first arrived. Apparently, some of her blood seeped into the soil in that spot and now, there's a flower where there wasn't one before." 

He could hear the chatter of disbelief fill the room. "I saw the flower for myself." it quickly stopped and fell silent once again. As now everyone wondered where he was going with this. "I can't speak for what the King will do to her. None of us should as it will only insight disappointment when he doesn't do what we expected him to. But I can say what I want." he spun on his heels to look at the other sentries.

"I want him to kill her."

"Then I want him to bury her in the part of the forest that was killed when she stole that fire flower." 

"Earth to Earth as they say."

He looked out the window again. Looking for where the sun was in the sky to tell the time. Then left without another word. He took a loaded breath once in his room. Which wasn't far. But once alone and standing still enough his mind exploded and spiraled. And this was why he was constantly on duty. Always worked and never stopped so he didn't have to face himself. His need to keep moving and his hatred for humans and their ways were why he was often sent on missions outside of Thistle. He was unswayable to their wiles.

His thoughts were often of his past. Poisoning his mind with sorrow and filling his heart with hate. He grew too hot to stay still just then. And fortunately, the King knew that well. He was entrusted with a brief assignment but in Thistle this time. And while he absolutely hated what he was tasked to do. He saw it was important to Kyan. And he was never one to question his king's ways or wants. He trusted him because he had earned it. So Echo composed himself and gathered what he needed.

He didn't knock when he arrived. Though he should've. It was an odd concept to treat a prisoner with such or any respect. And the stone like guards at the door knew he was to come so they didn't stop him. He often wondered if they could. Strange rays of light flashed into his eyes and brought his attention to this new person he held in very little regard. Echo eyed Madeline for a moment as she wasn't what he expected. And he was quite disappointed her face or the half of it he could see wasn't deformed by the pixies.

So now he wondered if the rumor of that attack was even true. Regardless she seemed... Undisturbed... By his presence as if he hadn't just stormed in. He knew she hadn't been expecting him. Odd. He snarled a sharp breath through his nose and dropped what he held under his arm on the nearby table. Mindless of whatever she already had set there and what she might be doing. He had her full attention finally and as he came face to face with her he pursed his lips in seeing that the other half of her face was just as unscathed as the other.

"Make it work." he gestured to the microwave he'd just dropped atop her things. 

[Madeline Ezperanza-Colette]

THUMP! The long days had fallen silent once more and the morning music which she so longed to hear every dawn had faded into the forest trees. The silence was her closest friend again as Kyan drifted away like a warm breeze to handle what she could only assume were his Kingly duties. THUMP!! Far be it for her to take away all the King's time though she was told he would be back for the mere purpose of changing her future. A haunting statement really as she was unsure if Kyan wanted to save her life or be the sole reason for her death. THUMP!!! It was something she had grown very tired of thinking about but with nothing else to do in this room it was starting to weigh on her and sleep no longer helped the fatigue of said thought. THUMP!!!! Any harder and she might manage to give herself a concussion. 

Maybe that would stop the cynicism of my thoughts which only saw the bad of people's intentions. A learned trait or habit I acquired over the decades of experiencing the rotten intentions aforementioned. I groaned as a bumped my head against the doorpost leading to the balcony because I was out of ideas of what might distract me better. The pain my forehead felt was not my original intent but now that it was sore I could only think about that as I rubbed to soothe it. My aquamarine gaze glazes over the tall treetops of Thistle and soon I can hear adventure calling my name and the want to explore the forest pulled at my soul. Yet I was trapped here and even if I managed to slip past the guards and somehow out of the Mapleshade that world beyond my balcony was one I knew little of. A place where the natives made it clear I was not welcome despite how the Mapleshade treated me. 

At last, the thumping stopped because she stopped thumping her head against the doorframe. She aimlessly explored the room but at this point, she knew every nook and cranny by heart. Blindfolded she could give a perfect tour of the entire room without bumping into you or anything else here. Eventually, she purposely collapsed on the floor and closed her eyes. She would not let her dark thoughts take away from her knowing her imprisonment here could be millions of times worse and for that she was grateful. So to reset she lay with her back on the ground and her palms on the floor. Her long black locks spread around her like a crown made of shadow. She focused on clearing her mind and breathing deeply. Opening herself to the Mapleshade should it choose to come and say hello like it often did and it did. Which helped her settle and reset even further. She stayed here for maybe an hour or two or maybe more with no sense of time there was no way for her to know but based on where the sun was in the sky as its rays of light streamed through the treetops much time had passed. At last, she felt a little better. 

I got back up and stretched before fixing my dress, noticing the stained glass wind chime I had made was not set correctly. The binding on which each glass shard hung was not the strongest but it was all I had so when and if a stronger breeze blew through my balcony door and rattled the chime it would dislodge some of its colorful pieces. I gave a gleeful warm sigh at the welcome distraction of something to do. It was easier to keep my thoughts at bay when my hands were busy doing something... Anything. Around now is when Lily and a few Fae whom I assumed worked with her in the kitchen would come barreling through my door to quickly clean what they had bought me last and bring my next meal as quickly as can be because they seemed to want to avoid me. That however would not stop me from thanking them as they made the hasty exist. So when that fateful bang came it did not shock me as it once did and I would be far out of their way if I remained where I was. So I remained focused on the chime. Which required more focus of mine than most things as I was dealing with glass. However, I picked up quickly on the odd silence which followed the bang and the lack of movement from my peripheral vision. I was just about to release the glass in my palm and look at the strange Fae just... Standing? There?... When another loud clamour filled the air and... Slice. 

Madeline inhaled sharply, not from shock but from pain as she held her breath. Her following reaction was quick but odd as she wasted no time in finding something to wrap her hand. Holding it in such a way that not one drop of blood seeped through her grip and to the floor. She settled on a cloth meant to be used as a napkin from the last meal she was bought. Ripping it so it would fit her dainty hand and then using the scrap to clean what blood remained on the glass shard that cut her. It was not until she was done with containing and cleaning her blood that she gave Echo her attention, taking a small defensive stance to keep both her hand and blood stained cloth in her possession and away from him. Except she did not realize she had done so, it was just her instincts. Her cautious and confused gaze drifted from him to the microwave and the next thing she was quick to do was gather what the kitchen appliance had knocked off its new stand. She actually did not care for everything now on the floor it was just this one thing she tried not to panic over when she did not immediately find it. Until she saw the silver ring shine in her eyes as the sun gently grazed it. She breathed then finally, forgetting she had been holding her breath from the start of this. She shook her head in utter confusion "I am sorry what!?" she blinked at him. The first Fae to speak to her outside of Kyan and his sister and this is what he chooses? "You are kidding, right? Is this a joke?" her brow creased as she stared into his eyes hoping she would get an answer there but all she saw when he looked at her was hate and contempt, like if he were a judge she would already be guilty. 

[Echo Silversun]

The sound of her slicing her hand was one he knew well. Flesh ripping apart by a sharp edge. In any other situation, he'd have smirked to himself. Her pain is ultimately what he wanted. But alas that isn't what The King wanted. Echo groaned and tossed his hands up as if to say "Seriously!?" or "Of course!". He watches her next actions carefully.  Not expecting them to be so precise. Eyeing the floor as she searched for something. A ring? Why was that so important?  He huffed when she finally addressed him. The makeshift wrap on her hand just wouldn't do. And he was sure Kyan was already going to punish him for damaging what was his. Even slightly.  

He clicked his tongue and left with a wave of his hand. He wasn't gone long though. And returned with a salve and proper wrap for her hand. Both made from the natural resources of Thistle. He grappled with himself for a moment or two before he took her hand not letting her pull away. But still, somehow he was gentle. Unwrapping her hand. Examining the gash. Cleaning it. Applying the salve and then wrapping it. His gentleness didn't match his first impression. In fact, it didn't match him at all. And if any of his fellow Fae saw him in this moment they wouldn't believe their own eyes. They would assume he'd been possessed. He finished off with a tight knot. Quickly snapping out of the momentary vulnerability he had shown her. 

Getting lost in the memory of his sisters. Aspen, in particular in this moment as she was consistently getting scratched up. And he was constantly mending her. A very sudden warmth lit inside of him. A warmth he hadn't felt since he lost his family. So upon finishing with her hand. He stepped back. Opening his mouth but realizing he had nothing to say. Throwing his attention back towards the stupid microwave.  "I don't joke. I want this magical portal box fixed. And since you both come from the same world there's no one better who can fix it." The space he put between them was apparent. He could honestly care less about this thing with the bleeding hand but appearances mattered. And that last thing he wanted was for Kyan or another Fae to come traipsing in on and get the wrong idea. 

Kyan is a jealous king.

Clearing his throat he offered her the original scrap of fabric she'd wrapped her hand in. His original thought was he'd go bury it in the forest and see what becomes of it since it was soaked in her blood. But now he couldn't do it. He also couldn't say why. Was it that warm feeling and the memory of his sister? He hummed to himself to hum the thought away. 

"Look, The King set me in charge of watching you until further notice. So I thought giving you something to do would be better than just continuing to sit in this room in silence."

[Madeline Ezperanza-Colette]

Her head shifted back taken back by his response to everything, not expecting him to seem so stressed or concerned about the small cut. Again confusion washed over her as he left without barely even making a sound and leaving her to her own devices just like everyone else here. Madeline huffed as she eyed the microwave with a bewildering expression plastered across her face. She had barely taken two steps away from her spot when the Fae returned and she blinked at him. Not expecting him to take her hand or dare to care for the gash across her skin. Maybe it was the slightly stunning nature in which she felt that kept her from pulling away as she normally would have. By the time she snapped out of it seconds later it was too late to pull away, something told her he would not let her anyeay; as he worked so diligently on her hand she suddenly saw him. A glimpse past the looking glass as his unusually gentle care seemed almost natural and familiar to him. Reminding her of the extremely rare moments her father or Brandon would be there to clean a cut or the many times she was there for the children in her neighborhood.

A sudden warmth emanated from him far different from the heat his skin naturally seemed to hold. I looked away as I recognized it as a heat from the Mapleshade and seconds later he let me go. "Thank you." My voice whispers into the dense silence between us as we both take a step back. I know better than to ask about what I just witnessed and gladly accept the change of subject along with the scrap or fabric he gave back to me. Studying him for a moment to see if he gave it back because he knew what prayed and hoped no one found out or just because he thought I would want it back. I pursed my lips trying to convince myself there was no way this random Fae knew not at least before Kyan... But what if they both knew? Would I be a fool for thinking otherwise? I had to consider the possibility that just like in N'awlens someone here could easily figure out the secret within my blood. "Mmmm" My eyes scan the very clearly stolen microwave and I can not help but scoff and chuckle faintly. "Well for one thing it is called a microwave and no magic or portals are involved." I step closer and thread the cord through my fingers forcing the plug to shoot up towards my fingertips.  "And secondly we need electricity to get it to work. Normally you would just plug this end into an outlet in the wall that is loaded with it and it would automatically work." I shrugged. "But given our surroundings..." I gestured and looked around. "No electricity here. Your- our best option would be to try and generate some using a water wheel or wind turbine but even then we still need to connect the machine to either of those things somehow." Again I shrugged and set the plug down hoping that the answer would be satisfactory enough to avoid a hopeless goose chase.

[Echo Silversun]

As the plug slid upwards and into her fingers, Echo flinched back. There was no trust lost between them. He listened to her words but watched her hands. He wasn't sure if she had any abilities. She may not have used them yet but that didn't mean they weren't there. He didn't understand what she meant by electricity. All he knew was the type that came from the sky. And after eyeing this magical portal box again he was certain it would explode if they struck it with lightning. The humans had lightning in their walls!? This was unsettling news to him. How foolish. He hummed in disapproval and disbelief. A wind turbine was another conundrum he knew little about. A water wheel... it dawned on him them. And the clarity showed clearly across his face. "Power conversion." He understood that well. He hummed again. This time in thought trying to recall if that old water wheel was still around. And if it even still worked after so long.

It had been so long since he paid attention to it that he was having a hard time remembering exactly where it was. He felt faint a faint prick of shame jab him. Faint enough for him to brush it off and not think about why he felt it. "To the water wheel, it is." He spun shaking his head to agree with his words. He remembered the general area it was in. And once he was there he would remember where it was from there. The man of action expected her to follow. He had permission to take her into certain parts of Thistlemoon. The wheel happened to be in an area he was allowed to show her. He flounced out the door. And bounced down the steps with ease. But when she wasn't right behind as he spun he groaned. Not realizing his long legs meant his strides made him faster than her. He skipped back up to her room. "The King cleared me to take you out into parts of Thistle. But if you're going to be this slow I will have to call Gwanar and have him toss you on his back... again!"

"So, now, are you coming?"

[Madeline Ezperanza-Colette]

The fae were fascinating to observe as closely as she had been allowed to. Human by all appearances but that could not be farther from the truth, beginning with how they processed emotions. By now she had realized they could likely only process one at a time and watching each emotion have its five seconds of fame in the spotlight of their face before the next one took the stage was captivating. Echo was no exception, in fact, he was far more expressive than Kyan, although in hindsight she knew by this point that Kyan like her wore a mask and only allowed certain emotions the center stage. With caution she lowered her hand with the plug in it as he processed her words, picking up on his flinch and while part of her was flattered that he held in a threatening regard she hated it more. Knowing full well that if the Fae did not have the experiences they had with Humans and Eternals he would not have flinched, if only he knew just how harmless the halfling before him was. A soft chuckle whispers past her lips as he clearly struggles to comprehend how they could get this microwave to work. Oh to know what he was thinking in that moment as he eyed the machine with such distrust. She faltered at what more she could say to help him understand that here this mission of his was likely futile unless Thistlemoon had a secret source of electricity she knew nothing of, which at this point would not surprise her at all since there was so much she still did not know about Thistle and it's beautiful creatures. 

“Oh…” I should have known the forest knew some form of power conversion but I highly doubt it would help us really without the proper tools and resources. However, he was long gone before anything more could be said. “So I guess I am carrying the microwave then.” I sighed as I made the wire more compact and easier to carry before heaving the machine into my arms and hugging it to my chest. Slowly made my way to the door, floored by how this man vanished so quickly in just two to three strides. “Tall people…” I rolled my eyes before stopping short to avoid colliding with him as he leapt back up the steps as my eyes widened at his sudden reappearance. “I- what!?” I chuckled but from bewilderment and faint flustered frustration at the mention of being manhandled to get around again. “Monsieur, I am short!” I crane my neck to look him in the face to further my point. “So if you would like for me to keep up, slow down.” I allow my words to be accompanied with a soft laughter at this comical situation. “Shall we then…?”