Humans Are Awful [Esmerelda]

Esmer listened, feeling a cold numbness spreading through her... that sounded... sort of... but... it couldn't be... She tilted her head, looking at Avelina again... But... That was impossible... Plus it would mean... well... a lot of things Esmerelda didn't want it to mean...

"O-Oh... Sounds like... she loved him very much... Even after he left.. B-but she found someone else and she's married now, right? So she's happy?" She at least needed to know that much... "But.. t-tell me more about this guy. It... rings some bells. I think I might know who he is..." She was REALLY afraid she might...

Avelina missed the looks, focused on being grumpy and kicking sticks, moving along at a good pace still but just frustrated by this talk. "Yeah, Mom still does... She's happy enough, she could be better. He's kind of a dumbass, I don't like him one bit."

A friend of mom's deserved to know at least and Avelina shrugged. "Well... I'm not really sure too much else. She's got lots of stories, like the time they broke into the Vatican and turned all the Popes paintings upside down or backwards and then... well that's my conception story apparently. Yaaay. Possibly, I dunno."

Her voice was dry and just bland as she related that story, not really too grossed out but not unbothered either.

"Upside down." She said staring off into nothing. "I heard it... was upside down.. Yeah... I knew him.." She said weakly. Oh god... How... How how how how how HOW?! That didn't even make sense! She.. She wasn't a GUY! Maybe it was a Bount thing? She didn't know how they worked, maybe they could produce guy stuff... But then shouldn't it be Esmer who was pregnant? She was sort of the girl of the two of them anyway... sort of...

But... there it was... Kanza... wouldn't lie about this sort of thing... And... even though it raised all sorts of horrible feelings about herself, not to mention a whole number of new doubts and fears... and questions on HOW, let's not forget... She was, at least, happy that Kanza hadn't cheated on her like she'd suddenly thought...

But that did mean that Esmerelda was basically the world's biggest bastard...

"Yeah.. Your father was a real dumbass..." She said darkly, realizing fully now that... well...

She was this girl's 'father'...

"Upside down then. Hah, you did? That's kind of funny. Well punch em for me when you see them. I'll still punch em later... What's their name?" Avelina's voice grew a bit soft at the end. Her mom had never told her and it bothered her, since her mom refused utterly.

Even now when she was a fully grown fifty year old!

Esmer's dark tone made Avelina smile, someone else who hated her father! How nice!

It was as they found this out, that the woods started thinning a bit more as light shined through. "Hey, almost there and mom can figure this mess out for you."

"Ummm..." She wondered... should she tell her? She... owed it to her... She should tell her, yeah... but... She was in the past, yeah? What if this wasn't permanent.. Or hell, what if she screwed up time by telling her and caused some sort of... dimensional rift...

"I know their title. They go by The Black Waltz sometimes." That was.. technically true... and while it implied she didn't know the real name, she didn't actually say as much...

"O-Oh!" She glanced up, seeing the woods thin. God, she was nervous.. what... What would Kanza even say? Would she even help her?... she had a feeling she would.. Esmer squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. What if... she could stay here? She would. She really really would. She knew that whatever was happening right now was temporary, but... If she could just.. throw herself into Kanza's arms and tell her how sorry she was... she didn't know if she even needed to stop floating.

"...I'll remember that." Avelina's voice didn't bode well for the father of her, the smile making it worse. It was a cold smile, made of punching of faces or more. Maybe a kick? A nice kick, she had strong legs. Yes...

Smelling something odd, it wasn't woodsmoke really, Avelina stopped and frowned strongly. The trees were thinning but the wind shifted and it started getting darker...

Smoke. Smoke was coming from... Forest fire? No no no no! Avelina took off at a dead run, rushing forward. "Somethings wrong Esmer! Hurry hurry!"

Should she teleport?! No...no she needed for the ghost... She rushed towards the smoke with reckless abandon now.

Esmer gulped, wondering if this kid, her... holy hell, her DAUGHTER... was wandering around looking for vengeance in her time... The thought began threatening to sink in that she HAD ANOTHER DAUGHTER when Avelina stopped. What was wrong... was she sniffing? Esmer sniffed but didn't notice... well, anything, even the usual forest smells. But then she spotted the smoke and Avelina took off.

"A-Avelina, wait!" She didn't want her little offspring to get hurt. She floated after her full speed, unaware of what it was they were racing towards, or why Avelina was in such a panic.

Avelina didn't listen, if there was a forest fire she would be needed to help get everything out! She had to hurry, hurry hurry. In her haste to get there, she ignored the signs that were rather obvious. The fire was only in one spot... it wasn't moving... It was much smaller than it should be as the glow came into the quickly thinning trees.

Despite all these warning signs, the woman was shocked as she stumbled into the clearing where her mother's cabin had sat for quite a few years. It was on fire, not entirely ablaze yet since it seemed only the back half was set for now. Avelina shrieked, forgetting the ghost for now and not noticing the angry voices on the other side of the large cabin.

Her doll opened a portal at her feet as she dropped into it, before appearing inside the burning building. It was hot, burning hot but she had see... "ALWIN! MOTHER! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Her screams could be heard outside, showing where the Bount had gone as she stumbled through the smoke. She heard a coughing sound from a young man and sobbing and headed towards that.

Esmerelda sped forward, floating through the trees, coming up on the clearing. The second she saw the house, her heart seemed to clench inside of her chest. "Oh no..." She ran for the house before Avelina seemed to disappear. Esmerelda's world went topsy turvy and suddenly she was in the building. "No no no no." They needed to.. get out of here... she knew this sort of fire. This was no accident. This was witch hunting at its 'finest'.

"Avelina!" She could hardly see through the smoke, noticing only barely that she wasn't coughing. She seemed to be unconnected to the physical world... the same was likely not true for her.. her daughter. "Avelina, come back!" She gasped, hearing the sobbing. She could see a clear pathway and grabbed Avelina's arm. If she was going to stumble into a fire, Esmerelda at least wouldn't let her stumble blindly. "This way." She guided her forward.

"No! Alwin and Mother are-" She was cut off as Esmer grabbed her arm, stopped from stumbling around blindly in the smoke that was quickly getting to her. Obstacles were in her way, mother's carefully collected home furnishings and all sorts of presents from Avelina or Isabeka when that daughter showed up.

"Thanks." Avelina let Esmer drag her through the clear path, coming upon her worst nightmare really. Alwin knelt in a pool of blood, holding his mothers hand in the one part of the house not fully engulfed yet. He had a few wounds himself but didn't seem to care, the blonde young man's hair in a short braid at his neck as he sobbed and attempted to cover the gaping wound in Kanza's chest.

Kanza for her part was smiling weakly, holding on by sheer will as she spoke to the young man. Avelina dove forward with a cry, drawing the woman's attention as well as the young man's. He wasn't fully grown into the adultness he would later, but that was covered mostly by the soot and smoke.

"Liiiina! Momma is hurt...fix her! I can't get her out of the house... Papa came with some men and they hurt Mom and I don't understand why! They held Papa back when I ran inside..." He was sobbing out his words, but they were easily understandable even with the coughing.

Avelina looked around for the ghost, coughing as she leaned down to hear her mother whose voice was fading. Her voice was filled with confidence she didn't feel, her insides tearing up and tears threatening. "Alwin! Alwin I'm going to take you outside with my portal... Then I'll come back and take care of mother. You stay right where I put you all right? Esmer, keep an eye on him damn it!

Avelina looked around for the ghost, hoping she heard her. Then she grabbed her brother and teleported out of the house. Esmer wouldn't be pulled along this time, the bount not going too far as the woman was left with Kanza whose breathing was slowing as her eyes closed for a moment. Instead it was to a bush nearby, where Avelina deposited Alwin and told him to stay quiet and hide and keep his eyes shut no matter what.

Esmer froze, letting Avelina run forward without resistance. She barely paid them any mind as Avelina struggled to get Alwin away. She heard... something about who did this... but it didn't matter... it... this happened hundreds of years ago... What... What had happened to her? Had she died again? Was this hell? "K..." She couldn't say the name, feeling tears starting to well... She floated to the floor, coming nearer. All of her fears had been confirmed, along with new ones. At the same time, all her hopes were bleeding onto the floor still.

"K..Kanza? No... Please.. Please don't be ... " She shook her head, crying now. Avelina had left, but she was still here... She sunk to the floor, trying to wrap her arms around Kanza, but finding her insubstantial. "No.. No no no no no... I'm sorry. Please don't die, I'm so sorry.." She shook her head. She... she knew Kanza couldn't hear her.. but... "I should never have left... I was just scared.. Please.. Please hear me.. please don't die... I love you. I always loved you, please..." She continued pleading, utterly catatonic. If it had been possible for her to burn to death, she very well might have, as she had no intention of leaving.

With Alwin safely secured for now, Avelina portaled back in. She saw Esmer laying over her mother and realized the poor ghost was losing a friend and her only chance back...

Instead of focusing on the pleading softly woman, Avelina leaned down to her mother and heard her words... Words that tore at her heart as a choked sob broke out. Her mother was dying and she wanted...

Kanza's eyes opened slowly and she nodded, making Avelina look to Esmer as if for guidance.

"I can't let her burn to death... I can't heal her... I can't fix her... I can't help her at all..." Avelina was sobbing silently and tearlessly as she too knelt in the burning building. There wasn't time and Kanza was fading with her blood, her consciousness too as the mother's hand reached out and grasped hers. The older bount knew, it shown in her eyes, how hard and awful what she was asking of her daughter.

Avelina's mismatched eyes watered finally, her will weakening as she looked back down to her mother.

"Take...care of Alwin....it'll protect you both. Isabeka is safe..." Kanza wheezed, much louder this time and with all her strength as she squeezed Avelina's hand with strength. "Don't hit them too hard... they just loved...too much to stay... It's okay baby... you are stronger than me, you won't... break from this...just use me to protect you both..."

Her words a spur, Avelina gulped and didn't care that she had a ghost witness this scene, sobbing as she lowered her fangs to blood covered neck. As soon as she did, a glow sufficed her, the soul rushing in most willingly as it filled her. Kanza's power filled the woman as she cried out, her legs glowing as the boots she was wearing changed and morphed. It was only a few moments more, but the fire was covering all exits now as Avelina quickly recovered from the assault. She'd focus on that later, she'd adjust later...

The bounts eyes pretty green eyes stared up sightlessly until Avelina closed them with her fingers. She was coughing, but she needed to get out of there and there was a hard but brittle texture to her voice. "ESMER! COME ON!"

The ghost didn't seem affected, but she'd do her best to keep the woman safe...since she had promised her mother's help that now fell to her.

Esmerelda looked up, eyes puffy and red already, tears still flowing. She... Avelina could help.. She could teleport it seemed like... couldn't she... teleport Kanza to safety? Esmerelda tried to summon up her shadows... She could do something... if only her powers worked.. and if she could touch Kanza.. Oh god, if only she'd really been here, this wouldn't have happened... "No..." Kanza was unaware of her presence, but Esmerelda was going to talk to her anyway.

"No.. Please don't... Please..." She glanced up to see the soul... Kanza's soul... draining into Avelina... She... felt no anger at the girl. She knew Kanza... it was what she would have wanted... Still... The body in her arms, slowly became solid and her arms tightened around it immediately, not wanting to realize what that meant. "Nononononono." She whispered, her eyes squeezed shut, trying to stop... everything from happening.

"I can't.. I... I don't... We.." She shook her head, clinging for all she was worth to Kanza's body. "I'm sorry." She said it as much to Avelina for being unable to let go as she said it to Kanza.

Maybe this woman had loved her mother, Avelina realized... A friend who loved her from afar? She felt a pulse in her frozen heart, knowing now she had to get her out of here and help her.

The ghost could touch her mother now and was clinging to her... "Esmer! I need you to come with me, Alwin's hiding what if they've found him!"

Watching the body burn to death would be miserable for the poor woman, Avelina was already starting to get singed. Grabbing the ghost's shoulder, she pried her off of the body and pulled at her. About to inject energy into her, she realized the ghost for some reason didn't need it as she tugged the woman strongly through the absolute horror of Avelina's portals.

They popped up, Avelina smelling strongly of smoke and soot while Alwin sat there rocking back and forth, singing himself a song and covering his face and eyes. He was as curled up as he could be... they'd sheltered him from all the awfulness as best they could and raised him as normal as possible...

It'd been a failure and now... The humans were nearby, she could sense prey and her eyes hardened as she dropped the ghost she'd drug along. "Esmer, stay...stay with Alwin if you can. There's something weird about you, I can't place it but stay with him! I need... to go fix things."

Esmer shook her head. "NO! NO!!!" She screamed, resisting Avelina pulling on her, but not so out of her mind with grief to try and hurt her. She clung to the body until Avelina pried her loose, the girl having become much stronger already. Esmerelda gave another weak "no..." Before she was pulled through the portal and Kanza disappeared from sight.

She sat catatonic as Avelina checked on Alwin. She looked up. She needed to go... She.. Was going to fight those humans. She needed to go with her to ... She needed to.. to... But as she moved to get up, her body felt weak and she fell backwards. She.. couldn't seem to follow... but.. She should... She looked to Alwin... He was too young to be... Avelina's twin.. but still... Kanza's son.. She scooted over and wrapped her arms around him.

"There there... It will be okay..." She said, trying to think of something more comforting... if not for Alwin's sake for herself. "Your sister will take care of you..." She finally added.

"Who is Esmer, Lina?" Alwin opened green eyes similar to the woman who had just died, if a shade brighter, his lip quivering. He...knew what Mother not returning meant and looked between the building and his sister as he cried silently.

Avelina for her part was shaking slightly, long daggers in her hand as she tracked their progress. They were headed back for the village nearby... well nearby as in a few hours ride. Her mistmatched eyes glanced over and she sighed as she realized there was no way for the ghost to be seen by him. "Its no one... You stay here Alwin. This will only take a little bit... I'll be back and we can go somewhere nicer..."

She had to hold it together, she couldn't cry. There was no crying allowed with Alwin looking up at her and nodding. She gulped back a sob, looking at the woman attempting to soothe the man and tried to smile. "Esmer, be safe. I'll be back you two..."

As she spoke that and a portal of her making appeared, a rift looking almost identical formed opposite as the woman who would become known as Naki stepped into hers. The pull from Avelina shifted to the rift, tugging at Esmer as Avelina disappeared.

Esmerelda nodded. She would... She would stay here with Alwin... even if... Even if she couldn't get back to her time.. she would stay here and watch him... watch them both... she deserved that much for all of this awfulness, to be a floating half-live protector... But as Avelina disappeared, another rift appeared and Esmerelda winced. It... It was pulling on her... a lot... She dug into the ground with one hand, keeping an arm around Alwin, even if he didn't know it.

She... She needed... to stay here... Kanza... She could at least... do that much for her... "aHH!" She shouted before tumbling into the rift. Everything was... nothing... there was nothing... no sight, no sound... She tried to scream but wasn't even sure she did that much... Soon though there was a sound that left her ears ringing. A pop.

And then concrete met her. Cold concrete. She gave an "oof" as she hit it and laid on the floor, drained. She was back in her room. She ... she still had no idea what had happened... but she glanced at the door to make sure it was locked. Once she was sure it was, she rolled onto her side and curled up and just... cried.