#etykraks ic ;; all of us; some of us; love you

[thvndersnow]

@mantleoflight says ;;

Thin claws click against soft stone as a slim, robed figure made his way through the sand stone pathways of the Cosmodrome. It wasn’t easy staying unseen or at least unnoticed by guardians, but it did help having a few ghosts to keep an eye out and cover for him when he played dead. Fortunately, the blind vandal had managed to stay away from the Guardians’ attention. But the familiar sound of Eliksni footsteps has him waving away his little friends to hide. Turning to the sound, Kesivik leaned against his seeing staff and bowed his head. “Valask,” he said politely if not a bit skittishly. “I hope I am not trespassing. If I am, I will leave.”

etykraks is moving through the cosmodrome attempting to avoid both other eliksni and other guardians, the hood of his headscarf pulled to block the noontime sun from the two sensitive eyes on his right side. he has had a hard time, as of late, being in and around the city -- a harder time looking either zavala or misraaks in the eye. some time alone, just him and his ghost, will do him good, he thinks, and as he does, he leans his head against the little light nestled on his shoulder.

of course, it is while he's distracted that he stumbles upon someone else.

shakespeare is quick to decompile, tucking herself away into etykraks's neural net. the eliksni blinks down at his fellow in surprise, processing what has happened, before lowering his shoulders and clicking his mandibles.

"valask," he says, carefully. his voice carries the accent of devils -- though etykraks himself does not know it. "no, friend, my apologies. it seems that i am trespassing on you."

the titan glances from side to side. it is rare to find a vandal on their own, so he looks for this one's crew. the fact that he cannot see any crew is not much of a reassurance. he clicks again, this time to himself.

"i have to admit, i... was not expecting to find someone here."

[thvndersnow]

@ahkein (x) ;;

"You're one of us," She murmurs, eyes locked onto one of the few scant momentos of her kin, of the Sunbreakers that no longer walked the sun-scorched sands of Mercury. The once mighty Sunbreakers' Order stood now as a mere trio of Guardians, two of whom had never seen the Order in its glory, had never witnessed the sheer unadulterated might of the Sunbreakers. Their history, their heritage, had been stolen from them by the Red Legion and now... Now it was up to Liu Feng alone to inspire them. To lead them, if they so wished it. She so hoped they did.

"You're one of us," She repeats, raising from her seated position to fix Etykraks with her eyes aflame, "A Sunbreaker. Though you wield not the hammer, you wield the flame. And as far as I'm concerned, that makes you a Sunbreaker. "And, as a Sunbreaker, that makes you exactly the person I want. Because all Sunbreakers are my kin. Thank you for being here. Thank you." Her voice cracks at the last minute.

he does not think, other than his ghost, a single person has wanted him from the moment of his rez.

that isn't to say etykraks has never known kindness. the vanguard has been kind to him, hospitable, but he sees the weariness in their eyes when his existence causes them consternation. other risen have been kind to him, but most tiptoe around him, unsure how to reconcile his presence with their preconceived notions of their place beneath the great machine. he has known kindness, yes; but only his ghost has ever shown him care.

that is, until now.

the eliksni clicks his mandibles thrice, soaking in liu feng's words. there is a swelling in his chest he cannot quite describe, a feeling not unlike the heat that rises up within him when his temper gets the better of him -- but this feeling warms like a hearth, rather than incinerating like magma. etykraks lowers his head and his eyes in respect, kneels down before the other sunbreaker.

(he is too tall, perhaps, for this to make much of a difference)

"i only hope, then, that i can give that title the honor it deserves."

[thvndersnow]

@fiirecracker says ;;

“Technically, I am unarmed. But no one should ever underestimate the harm that fingernails can do. Especially if the target is unprepared.” // Leah @ Etykraks

the eliksni blinks at the hunter next to him. for a moment, he looks down at his own claws, contemplating them, before turning his eyes towards her hands. he tilts his head.

"...i do not think your nails would be very efficient at inflicting damage."

[thvndersnow]

@mantleoflight says ;;

Kesivik canted his head at Etykraks, listening for the movements of the other. ❝  you can’t be very wounded if you can stand for so long.  ❞ he remarked, noting that he hadn’t heard the other sit or fall. ❝  But… I do not know how wounds are for others. Perhaps you are tougher than most? ❞

etykraks only grunts in response at first, staring down at the hand that clutches the wound in his abdomen. most guardians become desensitized to this, he’s been told, but this has yet to happen for him – every fatal wound he receives feels like it will be the last. he counts himself lucky he had managed to evade the other eliksni to make his way back before bleeding out. he counts them lucky that his temper had not gotten the better of him.

he raises his hand, palm up, and shakespeare compiles on top of it. it doesn’t take long for her to begin to heal him, chitin and flesh knitting together beneath his palm. etykraks breathes a sigh of relief.

“i have been told some titans are known to keep going after receiving fatal injuries,” he finally responds, now that the pain is not so overwhelming. “i do not know if i am quite so strong, but… perhaps i have some of that tenacity in me.”

[thvndersnow]

TAG DUMP 2 ;;

eliksni time

ETYKRAKS TAGS:

etykraks tag ;; the cracks of my skin can prove as the years will testify

etykraks hc ;; as I breathe into our silence there's a voice that comforts me

etykraks aes ;; there's a beautiful sadness that runs through him

etykraks ic ;; all of us; some of us; love you

--

IIKSIIKS TAGS:

iiksiiks tag ;; time and again boys are raised to be men

iiksiiks hc ;; we'll press and press 'til you can't take it anymore

iiksiiks aes ;; may your ashes feed the river in the morning rays

iiksiiks ic ;; you must fix your heart

--

MIILAK TAGS:

miilak tag ;; sycophants on velvet sofas; lavish mansions; vintage wine

miilak hc ;; all of your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine

miilak aes ;; if it feels good tastes good it must be mine

miilak ic ;; this old world is a new world and a bold world for met

[thvndersnow]

@fiirecracker says ;;

❝ i am here because i believe that we will win. i am staying until the end. ❞ // leah @ etykraks

the eliksni titan’s expression softens, in so much an eliksni’s expression can. his mandibles relax on his jaw, and he bends down and leans over, bunting his skull plate gently against the side of her head. after the arrival of house light in the city’s walls, he’d hoped he might feel more at peace here; all he’d found, however, is more questions, more uncertainty. he cannot express in words what it means to him that leah has stayed by his side. he cannot express in words the cooling salve she has been on his heart.

“thank you.” the words are simple, but it is all he can say to communicate these feelings. all he can say is thank you.