Post by glitters on Mar 14, 2009 17:21:51 GMT -5
K, GUYS. I've been needing to write recently for no other reason than I just want to write something D:
So then I did this. Goes from Vincent leaving his wife, "dying", Hala being told the news, and then Hala kicking Jasmine out of the house into the world of Crepusculum where she sooner or later will meet Trucido and Andy =p
Everything will be alright...
"I don't understand. You've been home for not even two days and you're leaving again," her voice was calm, yet hinted a slight bitterness.
"It's not that I want to, it's that I have to," he replied rather simply, "it's a very big mission and General Maelstrom needs me."
Hala Loque's eyes narrowed at her husband's response and she folded her arms. "Your family needs you."
Vincent didn't answer back. He had looked away and then quickly directed his attention to their daughter who had just tumbled on the floor. The little blonde-haired, blue eyed toddler sat herself up with a shaken look on her face; Vincent automatically picked up her stuffed teddy bear and handed it to her to keep her from getting upset. The little girl, Jasmine, smiled happily at her father and giggled as he gave her a pat on the head before returning to her playtime.
Vincent looked back and Hala was glaring at him. He flopped his arms down to his side and stepped closer to her, quieting his voice quite a bit.
"The job's been deemed almost impossible to do, we can't have any screw-ups..."
"So then why are you doing it?!" she snapped.
"Because I honourably carry out the orders I've been given," Vincent calmly answered. Hala's eyes darted frantically about his facial features and bore into his eyes; she wasn't stupid, she could see there was something he wasn't telling her. There was a loud CRACK of skin against skin as she allowed anger to take control of her hand and slap Vincent across the face. He bit his lip and sighed deeply, but did not move otherwise.
Silence separated the two of them for a long, uncomfortable moment. She kept her hard look and he just stared, almost unphased by the slap to the face though his cheek turned a slight pink and stung with pain. After what seemed like an hour, Hala let out a great sigh and tightly wrapped her arms around Vincent's neck and kissed him deeply on the lips. He responded accordingly by putting his own arms around her waist and keeping their lips locked for just a moment longer. From there she held on to him, resting her head on his shoulder and he rubbed his hand up her back, kissing her neck gently.
"It'll be alright...alright?" he lied, but kept his voice soft and as sincere as any man could make it. He felt Hala nod her head and her grip on him tightened slightly before she let go of him and stood back, a smile now gracing her face. Vincent returned the smile and then grabbed for the door, saying on his way out, "This is for the two women in my life."
Hala watched the door shut behind him, sighing again, and then turned to put their daughter to bed.
A man's cruel death...
Smoke swirled in the night sky and choked the throats of the men abandoning the docked ship. Flames licked the sides of it and the Crepusculum army forced out the remaining criminals, lining them one by one off to the side. There was havoc, and Vincent ran in all directions, interrogating his own men. "Did you get that document?!"
"Commander, I haven't seen it," one of the soldiers replied. He looked around and then back at the ship, narrowing his eyes a little.
"It's still on there--we need to get that scroll!" he bellowed and the men around who heard it widened their eyes incredibly at him.
"Sir, that thing's gonna blow, there's not nearly enough time..."
"You're pathetic! General Maelstrom needs this, now are you going to fail just because you don't think we'll make it in time?" Vincent shot back at him. Another man stepped up and said, "Sir, you said it yourself we'd have no time!"
Vincent shot the man a glare that made him back up and nearly trip over his feet. "I also said no screw-ups! Now excuse me..." He turned and got himself ready to run into the burning ship.
"Sir, you can't go back in there!"
"Someone has to," Vincent called back as he bolted as quickly as he could for the ship. This was a very time-sensitive situation, he had to get in there before the fire reached the barrels of gunpowder - and get out, too. He slipped his hand in his thick coat and made sure the very scroll he had just made a fuss about was tucked away securely as he got ever closer to the ship.
'This is it...no screw-ups...'
With great strength in his legs, he dove through one of the windows of the ship, rolling as he landed and then leaped to his feet. He had only half a second to find the window on the opposite end of the ship, which he took another run for and leaped through. There was an ear-cracking explosion from below, and Vincent couldn't help but smile for that one second where he just made it out of the ship as it lit up the sky in a fiery shower of debris and crackling hell.
His celebration was only short-lived, however, as he emerged from the water onto an island not too far away, hiding himself among trees, reality slapping him harder than his wife ever could. The jaws of his subordinates were dropping at this very moment, and one of the unlucky ones was going to report the apparent 'death' of Vincent Loque to his family. He could never see his wife again, now heartbroken, and he'd never watch his daughter grow up.
He never had a plan for what to do from then, he had only worried about the faking of his death. His enemies knowing of his family ties weakened him, and to protect his wife and daughter, something like this had to be done. Vincent Loque no longer existed, Hala and Jasmine Loque were only normal people with no price on their heads. For the next thirteen years, this was the only thing that kept Vincent sane--knowing his family was still alive.
You lied to me...
He had left three weeks earlier. Every night Hala wondered when he would arrive back home, and every night she added a story to tell him about the people who had come to the house for treatment and help, or what silly thing Jasmine had done.
It was a little later one night when Jasmine sat in her room, nightie on and ready for bed, playing with her bear again before her mother came to tuck her into bed. She was suddenly startled by a loud, agonizing wail coming from the front room of the house. She froze, clutching the arms of the teddy tightly, unsure of what to do--what were these sounds, what was going on?
"Aww, Mrs. Loque..."
"GET OUT!! Don't ever come back to my home!"
The door slammed shut after that, and a few silent moments later Jasmine heard the sound of something shatter. Slowly and quietly, she picked up her bear, hugging it close as she tiptoed down the hallway to the source of all of the terrifying noise. She stopped when she saw scattered shards of glass on the floor, knowing full well they made up the pieces to the flower vase that once sat at the table in the middle of the room. At the moment, the table was bare, save for Hala sitting at one end of it with her head face down on it, her arms burying her head. She wailed uncontrollably yet, and this image of the mother she had never seen before, fully equipped with the sounds she heard that night, would haunt Jasmine for years to come.
She never understood it, of course. She only knew her mother was upset. Stepping closer to her mother, she looked up and became very scared. This wasn't normal, her mother never behaved this way. It brought tears to Jasmine's confused eyes and she hid behind her teddy bear for comfort as she spoke out to her mother.
"Ma...mummy...?"
Hala's head shot up right away, her face red, wet, and eyes swelling from the crying. Her audible sobs stopped as she looked down at Jasmine, but her whole body continued to shake in distress and her eyes gushed out a hard rainfall of tears yet. She let out a slow, deep breath, wiped at her eyes, and then picked Jasmine up into her arms. Jasmine let her own tears fall and hung onto her mother tightly, hoping that everything would be normal again soon. Hala hugged her daughter close and continued crying, however not as loud as earlier, and she petted Jasmine gently on the head to try to keep her calm.
"You're not going to be like that...you're not going to be like that..." she softly whispered...
A change in plans...
Hala had always dreamed of keeping Jasmine at home, raising her into a fine Sage, hooking her up with a cute guy from the area, marrying her off at an early age and demanding grandchildren.
Never once did she figure she would be a widow by the age of twenty-four, and as traffic came and went from her healing home (she had made quite the living, being very well known in the area for her services), her dreams of Jasmine marrying a good, respectable man and them living a wonderful life seemed to crumble. Times weren't good, and they were getting worse. Hala only knew from the conversations she'd eavesdrop on while working with patients.
Finally coming to terms that her heart may be broken again, she pushed Jasmine really hard with her studies. Nothing was ever made quite well enough, she hadn't read this as thoroughly as she should have, and whatever she performed well she could have done way better. Hala kept her face stern, her lips pursed every time Jasmine got frustrated and stormed out of the room after being reviewed harshly by her mother. She never did it to upset her, she only did it to ensure she would always strive for improvement...
When Jasmine was fifteen, she showed incredible improvement and promise as she did just as her mother had wanted her to do--always strive for better. It was at this time, one morning as Jasmine met her in the kitchen room, that she figured she would 'break the story' to her daughter.
"You know, our family has always been active in war," Hala lied, and hated herself for it, "many of our healer relatives have travelled the world, caring for the good soldiers and the like. I think it's about time you tested yourself, as well."
Jasmine was confused by this. She had never heard of anything like this before about their family, yet she had nothing against her mother to prove it. She simply smiled, nodding respectfully as her mother continued. "I am too old to partake in such grand adventures, I stayed home and raised you. My magic is too weak, as well..."
"How do you mean, Mother?"
Hala smiled. "Jasmine, I am more than half your age older than you yet your magical abilities are equal if not a bit better than my own. You are of much more use to a warrior than I ever would be."
In the next few months, Hala equipped Jasmine with her own bag and tools, telling her to 'use her head' and to pay attention to the world around her.
"This is scary..." Jasmine had said quietly the morning she was to leave. Hala took Jasmine by the shoulders and gently shook her, staring her hard in the face.
"You listen to me carefully, Jasmine Loque. You watch people come in and out of this house frequently and know just as well as I do which ones are worth the company and which ones are not. Your role in battle is to aid the warrior with the worthy heart, and don't you dare settle for less or it'll come back to bite you," she lectured, "and above all, remember that the way you succeed is through cooperation. The warrior you assist needs to believe in you to take care of them, and you need to believe in them to keep you safe."
Jasmine had been silent for a long moment, almost a little confused by what her mother said. She was shaken violently then as Hala raised her voice.
"Are you listening to me, you silly girl?! If you believe in them, they should believe in you - if you follow that, neither of you need ever be afraid of what you face!"
"Ahh! I believe you, Mother, I believe you!!" Jasmine retorted, wriggling herself free of her mother's grasp, heading for the door.
The last time Jasmine saw her mother for awhile was the day she left, alone, scared, and hoping that everything would be alright...
'You are a Sage, and you must continue to improve for whoever you end up working with.
Believe in them, and they need to believe in you.
And you'll never be scared...'
These words Jasmine kept in mind, and took to heart...
Um...tada?
So then I did this. Goes from Vincent leaving his wife, "dying", Hala being told the news, and then Hala kicking Jasmine out of the house into the world of Crepusculum where she sooner or later will meet Trucido and Andy =p
Everything will be alright...
"I don't understand. You've been home for not even two days and you're leaving again," her voice was calm, yet hinted a slight bitterness.
"It's not that I want to, it's that I have to," he replied rather simply, "it's a very big mission and General Maelstrom needs me."
Hala Loque's eyes narrowed at her husband's response and she folded her arms. "Your family needs you."
Vincent didn't answer back. He had looked away and then quickly directed his attention to their daughter who had just tumbled on the floor. The little blonde-haired, blue eyed toddler sat herself up with a shaken look on her face; Vincent automatically picked up her stuffed teddy bear and handed it to her to keep her from getting upset. The little girl, Jasmine, smiled happily at her father and giggled as he gave her a pat on the head before returning to her playtime.
Vincent looked back and Hala was glaring at him. He flopped his arms down to his side and stepped closer to her, quieting his voice quite a bit.
"The job's been deemed almost impossible to do, we can't have any screw-ups..."
"So then why are you doing it?!" she snapped.
"Because I honourably carry out the orders I've been given," Vincent calmly answered. Hala's eyes darted frantically about his facial features and bore into his eyes; she wasn't stupid, she could see there was something he wasn't telling her. There was a loud CRACK of skin against skin as she allowed anger to take control of her hand and slap Vincent across the face. He bit his lip and sighed deeply, but did not move otherwise.
Silence separated the two of them for a long, uncomfortable moment. She kept her hard look and he just stared, almost unphased by the slap to the face though his cheek turned a slight pink and stung with pain. After what seemed like an hour, Hala let out a great sigh and tightly wrapped her arms around Vincent's neck and kissed him deeply on the lips. He responded accordingly by putting his own arms around her waist and keeping their lips locked for just a moment longer. From there she held on to him, resting her head on his shoulder and he rubbed his hand up her back, kissing her neck gently.
"It'll be alright...alright?" he lied, but kept his voice soft and as sincere as any man could make it. He felt Hala nod her head and her grip on him tightened slightly before she let go of him and stood back, a smile now gracing her face. Vincent returned the smile and then grabbed for the door, saying on his way out, "This is for the two women in my life."
Hala watched the door shut behind him, sighing again, and then turned to put their daughter to bed.
A man's cruel death...
Smoke swirled in the night sky and choked the throats of the men abandoning the docked ship. Flames licked the sides of it and the Crepusculum army forced out the remaining criminals, lining them one by one off to the side. There was havoc, and Vincent ran in all directions, interrogating his own men. "Did you get that document?!"
"Commander, I haven't seen it," one of the soldiers replied. He looked around and then back at the ship, narrowing his eyes a little.
"It's still on there--we need to get that scroll!" he bellowed and the men around who heard it widened their eyes incredibly at him.
"Sir, that thing's gonna blow, there's not nearly enough time..."
"You're pathetic! General Maelstrom needs this, now are you going to fail just because you don't think we'll make it in time?" Vincent shot back at him. Another man stepped up and said, "Sir, you said it yourself we'd have no time!"
Vincent shot the man a glare that made him back up and nearly trip over his feet. "I also said no screw-ups! Now excuse me..." He turned and got himself ready to run into the burning ship.
"Sir, you can't go back in there!"
"Someone has to," Vincent called back as he bolted as quickly as he could for the ship. This was a very time-sensitive situation, he had to get in there before the fire reached the barrels of gunpowder - and get out, too. He slipped his hand in his thick coat and made sure the very scroll he had just made a fuss about was tucked away securely as he got ever closer to the ship.
'This is it...no screw-ups...'
With great strength in his legs, he dove through one of the windows of the ship, rolling as he landed and then leaped to his feet. He had only half a second to find the window on the opposite end of the ship, which he took another run for and leaped through. There was an ear-cracking explosion from below, and Vincent couldn't help but smile for that one second where he just made it out of the ship as it lit up the sky in a fiery shower of debris and crackling hell.
His celebration was only short-lived, however, as he emerged from the water onto an island not too far away, hiding himself among trees, reality slapping him harder than his wife ever could. The jaws of his subordinates were dropping at this very moment, and one of the unlucky ones was going to report the apparent 'death' of Vincent Loque to his family. He could never see his wife again, now heartbroken, and he'd never watch his daughter grow up.
He never had a plan for what to do from then, he had only worried about the faking of his death. His enemies knowing of his family ties weakened him, and to protect his wife and daughter, something like this had to be done. Vincent Loque no longer existed, Hala and Jasmine Loque were only normal people with no price on their heads. For the next thirteen years, this was the only thing that kept Vincent sane--knowing his family was still alive.
You lied to me...
He had left three weeks earlier. Every night Hala wondered when he would arrive back home, and every night she added a story to tell him about the people who had come to the house for treatment and help, or what silly thing Jasmine had done.
It was a little later one night when Jasmine sat in her room, nightie on and ready for bed, playing with her bear again before her mother came to tuck her into bed. She was suddenly startled by a loud, agonizing wail coming from the front room of the house. She froze, clutching the arms of the teddy tightly, unsure of what to do--what were these sounds, what was going on?
"Aww, Mrs. Loque..."
"GET OUT!! Don't ever come back to my home!"
The door slammed shut after that, and a few silent moments later Jasmine heard the sound of something shatter. Slowly and quietly, she picked up her bear, hugging it close as she tiptoed down the hallway to the source of all of the terrifying noise. She stopped when she saw scattered shards of glass on the floor, knowing full well they made up the pieces to the flower vase that once sat at the table in the middle of the room. At the moment, the table was bare, save for Hala sitting at one end of it with her head face down on it, her arms burying her head. She wailed uncontrollably yet, and this image of the mother she had never seen before, fully equipped with the sounds she heard that night, would haunt Jasmine for years to come.
She never understood it, of course. She only knew her mother was upset. Stepping closer to her mother, she looked up and became very scared. This wasn't normal, her mother never behaved this way. It brought tears to Jasmine's confused eyes and she hid behind her teddy bear for comfort as she spoke out to her mother.
"Ma...mummy...?"
Hala's head shot up right away, her face red, wet, and eyes swelling from the crying. Her audible sobs stopped as she looked down at Jasmine, but her whole body continued to shake in distress and her eyes gushed out a hard rainfall of tears yet. She let out a slow, deep breath, wiped at her eyes, and then picked Jasmine up into her arms. Jasmine let her own tears fall and hung onto her mother tightly, hoping that everything would be normal again soon. Hala hugged her daughter close and continued crying, however not as loud as earlier, and she petted Jasmine gently on the head to try to keep her calm.
"You're not going to be like that...you're not going to be like that..." she softly whispered...
A change in plans...
Hala had always dreamed of keeping Jasmine at home, raising her into a fine Sage, hooking her up with a cute guy from the area, marrying her off at an early age and demanding grandchildren.
Never once did she figure she would be a widow by the age of twenty-four, and as traffic came and went from her healing home (she had made quite the living, being very well known in the area for her services), her dreams of Jasmine marrying a good, respectable man and them living a wonderful life seemed to crumble. Times weren't good, and they were getting worse. Hala only knew from the conversations she'd eavesdrop on while working with patients.
Finally coming to terms that her heart may be broken again, she pushed Jasmine really hard with her studies. Nothing was ever made quite well enough, she hadn't read this as thoroughly as she should have, and whatever she performed well she could have done way better. Hala kept her face stern, her lips pursed every time Jasmine got frustrated and stormed out of the room after being reviewed harshly by her mother. She never did it to upset her, she only did it to ensure she would always strive for improvement...
When Jasmine was fifteen, she showed incredible improvement and promise as she did just as her mother had wanted her to do--always strive for better. It was at this time, one morning as Jasmine met her in the kitchen room, that she figured she would 'break the story' to her daughter.
"You know, our family has always been active in war," Hala lied, and hated herself for it, "many of our healer relatives have travelled the world, caring for the good soldiers and the like. I think it's about time you tested yourself, as well."
Jasmine was confused by this. She had never heard of anything like this before about their family, yet she had nothing against her mother to prove it. She simply smiled, nodding respectfully as her mother continued. "I am too old to partake in such grand adventures, I stayed home and raised you. My magic is too weak, as well..."
"How do you mean, Mother?"
Hala smiled. "Jasmine, I am more than half your age older than you yet your magical abilities are equal if not a bit better than my own. You are of much more use to a warrior than I ever would be."
In the next few months, Hala equipped Jasmine with her own bag and tools, telling her to 'use her head' and to pay attention to the world around her.
"This is scary..." Jasmine had said quietly the morning she was to leave. Hala took Jasmine by the shoulders and gently shook her, staring her hard in the face.
"You listen to me carefully, Jasmine Loque. You watch people come in and out of this house frequently and know just as well as I do which ones are worth the company and which ones are not. Your role in battle is to aid the warrior with the worthy heart, and don't you dare settle for less or it'll come back to bite you," she lectured, "and above all, remember that the way you succeed is through cooperation. The warrior you assist needs to believe in you to take care of them, and you need to believe in them to keep you safe."
Jasmine had been silent for a long moment, almost a little confused by what her mother said. She was shaken violently then as Hala raised her voice.
"Are you listening to me, you silly girl?! If you believe in them, they should believe in you - if you follow that, neither of you need ever be afraid of what you face!"
"Ahh! I believe you, Mother, I believe you!!" Jasmine retorted, wriggling herself free of her mother's grasp, heading for the door.
The last time Jasmine saw her mother for awhile was the day she left, alone, scared, and hoping that everything would be alright...
'You are a Sage, and you must continue to improve for whoever you end up working with.
Believe in them, and they need to believe in you.
And you'll never be scared...'
These words Jasmine kept in mind, and took to heart...
Um...tada?
