[5:15:06 PM] Swan Prince: *To say that Prince Siegfried is happy would be something of an understatement. It would be more correct to say that he was utterly delighted, glowing with boyish excitement and smiling more widely than was fitting for a prince, but even that would not have been quite perfect. For this prince, as noble as he was often accurately claimed to be, the day of his wedding and what that meant for himself and his princess, shone over everything else. Soon, he thought, Rue would be his princess officially, though she had been that to him personally for a good deal longer. Since he had led her out of the Raven's despair and destroyed him with her. This would be their reward, the tangible cementing of their togetherness, and he was surer than he had ever been that it would be the only thing that could equal her in beauty. The thrill was almost painful, but he wanted nothing more in reality or in fiction than this.
[5:30:48 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -Suddenly a hushed silence comes over the Prince's court as a sense of unease and dread flows over his people. A single dark cloud in the heavens drifts by, obscuring the sun, nevermind the day's sparkling clear skies that were a perfect blue not a moment before. Faintly it is heard, though some would swear it doesn't start on the wind, but rather in the deepest depths of the darkness of the soul. A sound of horses, diamond hooves and heaving flanks, somehow instilling the feeling of being pursued in all who hear it. A covered wagon, ornately worked and dyed in the deepest black, drawn by feirce, red eyed horses who make not a sound as the wind sends caressing fingers through their feathery manes. The wagon bears no mark, and it's windows are covered with darkened silk, but by the dread in their hearts the people know who- or rather what, resides inside. It draws up to the prince, scattering stunned nobles in it's wake as it comes to a halt, holding th entire court with it. Even still, it seems to move in a way that makes the eye water, as if it's still soaring along the countryside, yet somehow trapped in place by the world around it.-
[5:47:09 PM] Swan Prince: *Before he has time to think, Siegfried recoils, grasping at his chest as if to shield his heart from the only thing that could be inside the foul vehicle, his eyes narrowed in contrast to his gasping mouth. What has come to rest before him is an impossibility of the worst kind, but the terror does not stiffen his limbs or melt them to jelly. He feels the adrenaline flooding from his restored heart, and he has no intention of letting the Raven take it. More than that, more than anything, he will not let the bird take his princess. He closes his eyes serenely, and his arms lift in an elegant arc above his head, wrists meeting to invite a flare of sharp light to gather above his hands. The icy shimmering fades to show the swan-graced blade clutched between his palms, and his eyelids rise like lacy curtains in time with the dissipation of the light, revealing the true play of redoubled courage and unflinching will in his mind. He lowers the sword, drawing a smooth, almost musical cut from the air as it settles for battle before him. There isn't any need for words that he can see, not for the beast. He will strike the moment he has an ink-feathered target in his vision. However, before that, he offers a warning* Rue, stay back.
[6:01:27 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -Rue recoils, her eyes narrowed in fear. No, he can't be back. He's dead... Though it's hard to tell as the wagon remains immobile. After seconds that feel like ages to all around, the door of the wagon slowly creaks open. No explosion of darkness, no wind of black feathers carrying that corrupting blood, only the most eerie sort of tense silence. Finally it emerges. Not a claw, not a wing, and indeed no feathers at all, but rather a perfectly normal human foot that soon reveals itself to be conntected to a seemingly normal person. Though his clothes are decidedly odd, dressed in feathers and some sort of light cloth that seems to catch even the lightest breeze to give an odd sense of perpetual motion, it's his face that gives his inhuman nature away. Glowing eyes narrowed in a sneer that oozes superiority, a sharp grin that somehow gives off the impression of fury and hunger at once...There can be no doubt, the Raven lives, and he stands in Siegfried's court. As he steps lightly from his carrage a strane change overtakes it. Suddenly as clear as day it can be seen, the millions of shifting wings, the flock that had just barely given the illusion of wood and silk. And then as soon as the illusion is dispelled, the birds take wing, showering the screaming, scared people with black feathers as they soar upwards in a tornado of living beings as their master walks foward calmly, his palms outstetched in what is normally considered a peaceful gesture, but on his pale hands it simply looks as if he is preparing to reach out and rip someone's heart from their chest.-
[6:19:42 PM] Swan Prince: *Rue cannot allow herself to listen to her prince, for the danger is to him as much as her, and if she might do something for his sake, she would, even if it meant offering her own heart to that disgusting liar once again. She curled her flowing fingers into iron fists by her side, to match the metal in her voice.* No, my prince, I shall stand by you... *He pulls in a breath sharply, all the fear for her harsh on the surface of his fathomless eyes, but he can spare her no more than a glance. His target might lack feathers, but there is no question for Siegfried about the identity of this heart-hungry stranger, and so there is no hesitation. He takes a single slow step, and then if one could not have seen his feet on the ground, the prince could have been soaring over it. His sword rippled in a grand thrust for the Raven's chest, as he inquired* Were you not informed well enough before? *His unforgiving anger was measured out precisely in his tone* I will no longer allow you to hurt my people or my princess.
[6:25:13 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven tilts his head, still smiling.- "My my...I knew you were bold, but I never knew you were rude, Prince. Isn't it proper to get a father's consent before marrying his daughter..." -He sighs, then rolls his head to look over at Rue disdainfully.- "...Even if she is such an ugly, wretched girl." -With a soft sigh he turns back to the Prince, grabbing the blade between two fingers as he softly directs the blade away from his chest.- "...Of course, if you don't honor it, Prince, I'm going to make sure you dearly regret denying a father his daughter's wedding."
[6:33:42 PM] Swan Prince: Don't you dare insult her. *The words are a surprisingly dangerous hiss from those pale lips, and he shifts to stand protectively in front of Rue. The sword is immediately angled back in the bird's direction, but he waits to attack again, holding the blow until he can judge the time for a deadly strike. He settles his weight into his back foot to spring, and snaps in a low tone.* And you are not her true father, so I am in no way bound to you. Do not seek to threaten us. *She fights back the urge coursing through every bone to step forward and stand next to him, but distracting him now could all too easily get him hurt. The defiance in her prince's voice is edged in love that even now makes her unspeakably happy amid her rage, and she desperately wishes she could save him, but the only powers she still has are dark. She will not bend now, and allow that liar the satisfaction of seeing her rely on false blood.*
[6:43:57 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -That confident smile turns oddly wistful as he stares into Siegfried's eyes, seeming to stare to the bottom of the Prince's very soul, to seem to search for any possible weakness...- "Not bound...? You delude yourself. Don't overstep your bounds, or I'll make sure that I'm the least of your worries..." -He reaches past the sword, touching Siegfried's chest with an outstetched palm, seeming to coax something within him. A hunger, or perhaps a dark flame that until now lay banked and dormant...For a moment, the world is engulfed in dark despair and loneliness where there is only the brushing of wings in the blackness and the grinning figure of the Raven before him, spanning the sky with that awful smile...And then, just as suddenly, it is gone, though the burning remains, hungry, yet restrained by some foul magic weaved by those thin fingers.- "...After all, I always wanted a son...Daughters are so...useless."
[7:05:24 PM] Swan Prince: *At the Raven's touch, Siegfried moves to knock the hand aside, only to find himself clawing at his chest. His sword clangs against the ground, far too loud in the sudden, absolute silence. His knees try to buckle under him, but he refuses them, staring dazed into that terrible vision, the empty chill leeching his limbs and sharpening the agitated burn of hunger in his scar-marred heart. He can feel his own blood- no, not his own it can't be, he won't let it be- bucking wildly against the places where his heart had been sealed together, screaming for its master, demanding blood and power and the rule of innumerable hearts. Then everything inside of him contracts, clenching down on the slicing struggle among his feelings, and he cannot hold in a sigh of relief as the pain becomes just... voiceless pain, if no less darkly blistering. He stumbles back, and his speech is steady, but utterly breathless* No. I will not be bound to you. *Rue felt herself cut in much the same way, and she pulls him close to support him when he staggers, but the frantic, tuneless rhythm of his heart floods her own with regret. He is bound to the Raven, whatever he says, just as she is. And she is to blame for it, but what can she do but try to comfort him and tenderly brush a hand along his feverish brow quickly. Then, she leans down carefully, her masterful balance allowing her to reach for his sword without dropping her prince*
[7:21:02 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven smiles down at his daughter as if she'd done no more than dispobey daddy, though the retaliation is far more intense. He swaggers over and wraps his hand around hers, guiding it with a crushing grip.- "My daughter...You shouldn't play with such dangerous toys...Though I wonder, if that blade can smash a Prince's heart, what will it do to an ugly raven's?" -He pauses, delighting in the momentary horror in her eyes before crushing her hand yet harder, evoking a scream from her in an attempt to quash the defiance in her gaze.- "Now now now...Where did you learn to make such an ugly, hateful face? You should respect me...." -He looks over at Siegfried, his gaze burning with both a banked, faraway hatred and a mild sort of respect. He wants to take this slow, to savor it...- "...You know, I think this entire kingdom is a bad influence. I think I'll just sink it to the bottom of the sea and watch the nice little corpses float to the surface..." -He pauses, then chuckles to himself.- "I daresay their hearts, steeped in despair and fear, will taste like the most gourmet buffet..."
[7:36:10 PM] Swan Prince: Release her! *Rue's scream draws him out of his shocked state as if someone had shoved his own head under freezing water, and hate flares beside the sickly pain in his eyes. He doesn't wait for any agreement, instead, he snatches the Raven's wrist and pries him away from Rue; now it is the prince who presses her against himself. He grits his teeth and puts all his strength on keeping his hold gentle when he wants to cling to her. The Raven's threat set a bitter tremble throughout him despite his best efforts to stop it. Here are his two most precious things in such cruel danger, his kingdom and his princess... He must defend them both, and the cost is nothing. He gave his heart before, and he would claw it out with his own fingernails if that was what it took to protect them now. He lowered his head, but his gaze boiled out of the Raven's sight under the apparently submissive gesture* Ask what you want of me. But you will not hurt my princess, or anyone else here. *The bristling thorns in his voice made it undeniably clear that Siegfried's spirit was not anywhere near close to being drained, whatever his posture.* If you try, then you will get nothing from me than my sword through your heart.
[7:43:25 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven crosses his arms, chuckling quietly. This is much better, much more like it.- "Silly, silly Siegfried...I'm here for your wedding. All I want is to see my little daughter finally get her dream and marry her Prince...Isn't that a father's pleasure? Isn't that all she ever wanted?" -He throws his arms out, and as if on command ravens alight upon the rafters, glaring down with dark, beady red eyes.- "After all, you want your relatives to come and witness your most glorious day don't you~? All your brothers and sisters, and of course dear old Dad..." -He laughs openly at the irony, perhaps because he knows what's next...-
[7:58:26 PM] Swan Prince: You should not insult me, either, Raven. *He straightens, pride etched in the solid lines of his back, and he darts Rue a cautious glance. He would never assent without her, not to something that will disgust them both so much. She falters, and despises the Raven all the more for it, but in the end, she meets Siegfried's eyes firmly, and nods once, burying a whisper beneath her breath.* We must, for the sake of the kingdom... He will do it. *He returned the gesture, and her affirmation lit a determined glint in the back of his gaze. He murmurs soothingly, for her only* One day, soon, I will give you the beautiful ceremony you deserve... Untainted, for my lovely princess. *Then he calls out* Very well. Since my princess has assented, you may observe our marriage. But you must not harm any of our guests.
Raven: -Uneasy days pass at the Prince's palace as the wedding looms close. The ravens are far from kind guests, screeching at all hours of the night yet remaining eerily silent during the day. They devour any food brought forth, and while there is plenty to go around, it always seems that the birds prefer whatever is on their host's plate over their own.
However time does pass and soon it is the day of the wedding. For once everyone is too busy as to notice their winged guests. There are meals to be made, decorations to be hung and halls to sweep. However in a small room there is an odd sort of serenity, though perhaps this aura of calm is little more than a veil to hide the tension that lies in the air like a fog...
Once, twice, three times the brush strokes through Rue's feather-soft hair, each stroke so tender and loving,  at total odds to the hunger in the smile of the Raven-turned-man. His voice is light, flitting, but it is the airiness of a blade that wanders aimlessly before plunging into a man's throat.
“Isn't it a nice day for a wedding, Kraehe?”
“I'm not Kraehe. I'm Rue.”
“You keep telling yourself that...But remember, in my eyes, you will always be my darling Kraehe.”
She frowns, glaring into the mirror in front of her, seeing the glint in those sharp eyes. He's goading her, and it's working. But she won't give in. However before she can retort, he reaches into the folds of his sleeves and pulls out a pendant. It catches the light with it's darkly worked metal, no doubt made from some poor crow's suffering, though perhaps the opal in the center is genuine...Even if it does glint with a greasy inner glow. A pattern of black wings works it's way around the gem, beautiful in it's own grotesque depiction of flight.
He reaches forward and hooks it around her neck with a soft click, his eyes unreadable under the hair that dangles forward to obscure them. “If you're going to get married, then you should at least do your best to wear the emblem of your people. Really, it's only proper.”
Rue purses her lips, choking down her comment before turning it to a smile. She can get rid of the pendant outdoors, out of the Raven's sight. There will be less trouble that way. “Yes father...Thank you.”
The Raven leans back, pulling out some black lipstick from perhaps the air, the perfect complement to her ebony dress. He'd insisted, even though it was against tradition, and much to Rue's discomfort the black folds and lace fit her far more comfortably than a white silk dress ever would. He gently smears her lips with the dark substance, adding the finishing touch to her powdered face.
“There...Now you're ready to meet your Prince...And just in time, too. I think I just heard the music starting...”
Rue stands with a sudden bolt, hurrying past the Raven as she rushes out the door. Sure enough, the halls are clear and there is music in the near distance. She cannot, will not be late for her own wedding...As she rushes outside, she hastily unhooks the pendant and drops it to the ground, leaving it to gleam in silence in the hall...
And as the Raven hears her run, he chuckles and closes his hand over the small tube of lipstick, opening it to reveal a bloodied crow. The crow chuckles with him, it's weak warbling laughter echoing his own. A wedding it will be, and a more wonderful wedding will never have been seen...
Because it will be the very first wedding of crows.-
[9:05:08 PM] Swan Prince: *Prince Siegfried has passed the time in his own sour darkness, fighting the unabating pain in his chest and encouraging Rue with unwavering smiles at every opportunity. He had forgotten that about having a heart, how emotions could flit from one to the other so quickly that you could hardly remember why you held happiness in the first place. Still, despite all of this, he would at last be married to his princess, and the realization had slowly come that however the Raven might try, there was nothing that could dampen the delighted dancing of this flame, delicately warm and candle-bright. He smiled to think of how the Raven would fail, he would not ruin the wedding for them, because that was an impossibility that even fiction could not hold. It comforted him more than anything to know that. Of course, there was always that doubt, prickling in its persistence, but he had little trouble evading it. When he saw Rue at the end of the aisle, every kind of pain that the Raven had brought was scattered. Gold embroidery gleamed off her dress, and a brilliant rose shone against the black collar, but it was all colorless against her dark crimson eyes. He smiled for her again, the purest smile he had ever given her, and leaped high from the altar in a grand jete to land directly before her. He offered her an arm* My princess... *He took a breath, then whispered* I love you. So, please, don't worry... Even now. Especially now. *She blushed gracefully, laying her arm over his and allowing him to lead her. She couldn't stop the glow from rising inside her, and let that liar see it. Let him see that she was beyond his talons and the suffering he would bring her. Her prince was all she needed.* You have my trust, and my love, always. *He swept up the aisle with her, they took the steps in one unified motion, and the prince nodded for the ceremony to proceed. The priest swallowed his fear, for how could he be scared with their kingdom's brave prince before them after so long, returned to them and sure to purge every last black feather from the land?  Siegfried was gloriously excited, confidence surging within him as he bent forward to complete their marriage, and saw that the same feeling in her eyes was more than a reflection. It was only youthful nervousness that skipped over his heart when their lips brushed as they wrapped each other close. For both, the Raven was distant, all but forgotten, and easily faced when memory was forced back.*
[9:27:54 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -For the first few moments, the kiss is pure heaven. Then it turns to hell. Around them the world freezes before exploding into a painful flurry of wind that drowns out all sound, eclipsing even the very sun from sight. And all around them, the screams of people, terrified party goers, guests and even the priest at the nightmarish display. And then in between them, still smiling with that gentle, confident grin is the Raven. Harsh fingers, hooked like claws and perhaps just as hard and pointed rip them apart to bask in the sky that gleams with the red light of a bloodied moon. He holds his arms outstretched for the first red drop, catching it on his tongue with relish. Soon it is a downpour, a torrent of blood that breaks and corrupts everything it touches, staining even the marble stone black. It pools and collects, saturating the ground until it starts to form a rotten flood that threatens to drown all those who haven't already taken wing....-
[9:44:06 PM] Swan Prince: *Rue wheels away from Siegfried as blood splashes around her feet in some dark parody of cleansing rain, even as he grabs her arm to keep her near. Horror jams her throat, coming unclogged with a jarring cry* No! Stop this! Turn them back! *She almost runs forward, but he catches her by her other arm and takes them together to their knees to lean over her, to take as much of that blood as he can on himself. She struggles, because she can see the scratched creases on his brow, cracks that seem to fragment into his clouded eyes, and she is immediately aware that the bloody rain is staining his heart as much as it is his white satin tunic. It's acid, boiling through the center of his chest, and he forces coherence and rage into what by all rights should have been a wordless shriek* Raven! Restore them, or I shall destroy you! *He sinks his nails into Rue's arms without meaning to as he pins her arms in place when she tries to put them around him again, scrambling to do something for her prince, anything for her prince. But he will not ever have any part of her put in the way of Raven's blood again*
[9:59:28 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven turns, seeming to just notice the agonized couple.- "Aww...how sweet, newlyweds..." -He turns to the sky, noting that the winds swarm with the whispering of his kin. Yes...perhaps it is best to leave these two as the only humans in their rotting home? He chuckles with the thought and lowers his arms, allowing the horrible rain to trickle down from the sky before depleting itself.- "I'm not terribly worried about you and your so-called destruction, Prince, but since you're my new son, I suppose I should start to listen to you a bit more..." -He gives a soft, almost loving sigh as he stares at the wasted landscape around him, the black trees that glow in red light, the darkened remourse that covers the land like a heavy fog...- "Ah...It reminds me of home. A wonderful place to raise my new son..."
[10:22:04 PM] Swan Prince: *He clutches Rue in his trembling arms, teeth forming a vice around his tongue to stop him from screaming, but he gasps out* I am not your son. I will never... *He stops abruptly, and carefully, tenderly tips Rue's face up to his with a finger under her chin. His gaze is ill when it meets hers, his smile shifting like the surface of a shallow pool, still warm from the day's last sunrays even as the moon rises. The kingdom's pain throbs through his muscle and bone, his own heart's unceasing beat sends rot through his veins, but his pride glitters under that layer of grime.* I love you. Don't forget. I will keep you safe. *He kisses her forehead, coldly pale eyelids veiling the desperate gold serenely, and then he pulls himself away, fingers trailing as if to reach for her again, but instead he calls his sword into his grip. A battlecry streams from his throat as he charges, the blade swept back to hack the Raven apart* My prince! *She tries to stand, the hem of her gown catches her and she can only sit for a moment, her limbs strangely steady. She throws out a hand for him, and follows it in a mad scramble, fighting silk and gravity as tears burn her vision. The torturous landscape loses its meaning as she fixes on her prince's back, on his blade that somehow still finds light to gleam with*
[7:16:35 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -He lets out a long, harsh laugh which echos around the dead, bloodied landscape, the torn and twisted land turning his laugh to it's harsh, screaming true form.- "You should learn your place! These lands are mine and you, too are mine! Give in to your blood and shed your ugly human form!" -He waits for the Prince to draw near, close enough to touch, close enough to swing, close enough for that blade to come mere inches from his ches, seemingly unprepared for any sort of attack, either to defend or retaliate, only to lash out with speed unerring. It only takes one sharp clean blow to the back of the Prince's head to make his world sway and swim sickeningly, and from there it is only a final tap to send him to unconsciousness. As he topples, Rue screams out, clawing at the air, struggling against the blood which clings to her dress with crimson hands, holding her from her Prince, from all hope, from any sort of salvation.-
[7:40:20 PM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried has time for a slight groan before his ethereal balance is lost under a rush of noise echoing in his skull, a white, dull sound broken only by the cracked crashing of his sword against the stone. His fingers twitch for it, fighting a black cloth at the edges of his vision, but the cool grasp of silky nothingness is almost inviting in his feverish state, a reprieve from the fire his blood has become.  It slips over him as neatly as a blindfold and stops up his hearing, and it proves to be a more effective gag than any actual fabric. His last thoughts are the truth of it, how he had failed to defeat the Raven, and now he could not even turn his sword against his own heart. The truth that uses his final strength to pull determination onto his stilled features before the unconscious flinches of nightmares flit across them. He did not feel Rue's blood-drenched hand cupping his face, as she crawled up to him against the weight of her soaked gown around her ankles like chains. He's as still as death, her prince, and as cold as marble, but she can feel his even breath. She then turns a lethal glare upon the Raven, looking every inch a princess; not a glittering palace lady, but a fierce and daring warrior*
[8:05:53 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Ahh...So cute. You really do love him, don't you?" -The Raven smiles lightly at Rue, basking in her hatred and fury. There's nothing she can do, and he'd be more than happy to rub this in her face...But later. Right now he has something else to tend to. He snaps his fingers and without delay shadowy figures step from behind Rue, grabbing her with taloned fingers as they pull her from Siegfried's unconscious body. She lunges forward with a cry, trying to reach for her Prince, only to see the Raven's loathesome arms wrap around his body and heft him upwards like a sack of potatoes. The Raven sighs and looks back at her with something like compassion.- "Don't worry. You'll be with him soon..." -He turns on his heel, then starts down a path Rue has traveled only once, her own steps soon being jerked into place by her shadowy (and no doubt beaked) captors. Though the largely unworn path is drenched in blood, she can already see the looming, black tower that is the dungeons...-
[8:23:52 PM] Swan Prince: *The prince might have been reduced to a doll once again, his form limply unresisting as the Raven drags him away, but even without wakefulness he seems to dearly miss Rue's presence, his mouth dropping open as desperation smooths his face in a slight frown, almost as though he might protest, but of course he can make no sound. He is, in all honesty, helpless; if the Raven moved to slash a talon across his throat, his blood would join the Raven's on the ground, and he would simply have lost. It is this keen knowledge, like a blade against her own neck, that stops Rue from viciously battling against her captors. Goosebumps are raised along her arm by a sour mixture of hatred and her own helplessness in her mouth, and the taste of true bile rising to meet it is unavoidable. Her voice is its own gemstone, however, edges polished to hard sharpness, and brilliantly red* If... if you do anything that might harm him, I will have no reason not to run you through myself.
[8:32:19 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven snorts as they begin their ascent to the top of the tower- probably a good idea, as the lower levels are most likely flooded. It wouldn't do for the Raven to taint his victims any more- he wants to savor his victory this time.- "Don't worry, miss /Rue/..." -He spits her "false" name out with contempt, the first show of his displeasure with the girl since her betrayal.- "I won't let you two die so easily. Unlike you, I'm going to give the Prince some time to suffer before I break his heart..." -His lips turn to a wry smile that is utterly without humor or pity.- "Of course, I won't use that blasted sword, I'll just dash his beating heart against my teeth and shred it that way. And don't worry, you'll be quick to follow..."
 [8:41:14 PM] Swan Prince: *Her eyes flinch wide, almost baring her teeth in horror as she spits the words at him* No! You're a liar, and I know it! *Her gaze narrows suddenly, pitch dropping to one that is dangerously restrained* Just try, and I will... *But her own threat lacks a definite conclusion, because she has no real way to carry out any that she might speak. Still, she draws in a breath, squaring her shoulders with that graceful confidence that fits her so well. Her fear remains, but she buries it, out of the Raven's sight, and her own. She can ill-afford panic when her attentiveness for any small chance is all that can save them. And she has no choice but to save them, none that she will allow herself, at least*
[6:41:27 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven turns, his eyes flaring as he grabs her chin with harsh fingers. His eyes narrow, subtly changing to a familiar blood-red, a human representation of that cold glare in the sky. All joking is stripped from his voice, all mocking politeness gone from his eyes. There is nothing but contempt there, nothing but the inhuman fury that stems from a being trapped in a prison of gossamer feathers. This is her father, the monster Raven, the scheming beast who spans the sky and feasts on the hearts of men. Before him, Rue is nothing more than an insignificant speck, a failed daughter, an ugly raven born into a hideous, disgusting human body...- "You will be silent. You are my daughter. You. Will. Respect. Me."
[6:51:07 PM] Swan Prince: *She stares back at him, her eyes wide, her face shifting constantly in slight twitchs as fear, anger, and pain flash across it in unnameable mixtures. She wrenches her chin from his grip in a single sharp movement, and cannot seem to face him again for a long moment. She can't stand that liar. How dare he even speak to her anymore? However, a remarkably still calmness is what ultimately settles, pride keeping her gaze steady once again. Siegfried hovers at the front of her mind, her battered prince, but his quiet voice is still there to whisper to her, to give her the strength she needs to be his princess* I will be silent, if you wish it. But for the sake of my prince. I do not /know/ who my father is.
[7:31:39 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Tch...You'll soon find your mind changed, Kraehe." -The hall through which they walk is ill-kept, to say the least. The bloodied sky casts everything in an eerie red releif, making it as if a walk of the Raven's own black mind. The bars can only be seen as twin sihlouettes to cage and torment with that black sky so near that one could reach out...They come to the end of a row of the cages and the Raven stops, throwing open the door, forcing it past the rust of the ages through sheer strength. Siegfried is uncerimoniously tossed in, and with a steps resounding loud in the half-light, the Raven steps in with him.- "Take the Princess to the cage next to this one. I want her to see what is done to her beloved." -Of course, she cannot see the subtle wrench of his fingers, the twisting and bending of dimensions and the illusion cast over her eyes like a mask as he slams the heavy wrought iron shut with a fatal clang.-
[7:45:10 PM] Swan Prince: *She lands roughly herself, but it doesn't take her more than an instant to find her feet. Her hands wrap  around the bars, and she can't stop herself from tugging at them, but they easily resist her efforts, leaving her with cold metal. The short distance between herself and Siegfried stretches her heart into countless knots* My prince! Please, get up, defend yourself! *The thought "because I cannot" passes through her mind, but she gasps with relief to see him stir at her words. His bleary, dull gaze is soon leaping from place to place with acute awareness, the adrenaline still coursing thanks to his restored heart* Rue! I will... *He pads lithely around to the back of the cage, keeping an even glare on the Raven* Deal with my enemy. He need not concern you any longer. *His mind flashes ideas at him almost faster than he can consider all of them, but he doesn't wish to wait for the Raven to move first. So, he simply darts forward, and, in an unusually coarse method of fighting, aims a fist for the bird's stomach*
[7:54:03 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -Wordless, the Raven responds with an elegant dodge that ends with him to the Prince's back. One, two, three. Feathers, like knives plunge into the Prince's back, given edges by tainted blood that seeps into the Prince's skin, poisoning him with tendrils of pain. Images flash through his head, sickening, dizzy and yet somehow so wrongly appealing. His lands, barren, his love, sick with devotion, his people, all adoring ravens scraping at his feet. His heart full with a sickly, black joy that is all sweetly pleasurable, like a wilting flower...-
[8:11:39 PM] Swan Prince: *He winces, hissing in a breath, but manages a neat pirouette, his arms swishing above his head, and... He stumbles back to lean against the bars of the cage, because this is more than pain. For an instant, a delirious smile drifts aimlessly over his face, the scent of bloody feathers rising in his mind, and it's something heady and sweet to him- To the real him, who has lurked for too much time. The him who wants to close his arms around Kraehe and bind her to his murky heart- No, the other him, the wrong him, who would like nothing more than to see his land so darkly devastated. He has to cling to the cold metal of his cage for support, his head bowed and hair hanging in lank wisps over his clenched eyes. His back is searing mercilessly, but he wants to jump, to fly, on his dark wings, over the ruin that is his true bloodright. He shakes his head, but it does nothing for the scarlet mist lapping at his vision, and he can just see Rue at the edge of it.* No... I am... I will not.... I am Prince Siegfried! Do not think to so easily best me. *But his hand has risen to clamp over his traitorous heart, as if he might stop it, and so the poison that passes for blood in him*
[8:27:07 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven smiles softly at this triumph and crouches down, grabbing the Prince's head as he forces him to stare into his eyes. They burn into the air around him, framing his grin which seems to contain too many teeth. His whisper reaches into Siegfried's blood, making it dance to his words, forcing it to shiver and tremble. He softly, gently works another feather in, this one so near to the Prince's heart as he twists and wrenches it, allowing more of that corrupting toxin in simply by his touch alone.- "Remember yourself...Remember that hunger, that deep desire, the agony of love...Feel the blood burning in you, feel the wings that hide beneath your frail skin..." -The Raven doesn't notice his body slipping, his eyes burning into the air around him with a red mist, his mouth deepening, opening to a casm of misery that glows in an eerie blue as his words become more empassioned, more hungry.- "Don't you want your people to love you? Don't you want to love and be loved? Surely what you have isn't enough..."
[8:53:57 PM] Swan Prince: *He valiantly tries to glare back at the Raven, but those eyes transfix his soul like blades themselves. He cannot tear himself away, nor does he want to, it feels as though all those silly, pure weaknesses in his heart are being scalded away by those enchanting eyes. His blood dances, celebrating freedom, and he wishes to sing with it. And so he does, cawing with jagged delight even as he hands continue to work at his chest. He draws blood under the fabric himself, and raw terror mars the tainted gold of his eyes at his own unrestrained raven's call, almost shattering the Raven's bewitchment. Shudders jolt his deathly thin frame against the bars, as close as the remnants of the prince will allow himself to come to writhing in misery. Despite the Raven's apparent care, that feather is splitting him into pieces, or perhaps it is the poison prying apart his heart to better undermine it. Whichever it is, the pain is utterly overwhelming each sense he has, replacing them with blurred blackness. The wild cry becomes a terribly human scream as his knees reject his weight. He fades with his side against the bars, reaching out through them to Rue. He chokes, taking endless swallows of air, tipping his head to catch her eye even though the metal seems to pound his skull* N-no... I have enough... my princess... Don't... don't let me abandon you!
[9:35:39 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -Rue feels her heart crumbling into shards as thin and frail as glass as she hears that desperate, strained and broken voice. It sinks in that once again she's let her Prince come to harm by those black talons. With a deep breath she clenches her fists and squeezes her eyes, willing herself together again. She can't give into guilt- she has to be strong for Seigfried. Though bitter tears well in her eyes, burning to be released, she forces them away and reaches out to her Prince...Only to have her hand be ripped from her control, to wrap around his neck as feathers sprout from her arms, pushing their way up with sickly cracks of flesh and skin as her Prince gasps and squirms for air, his pale golden eyes begging, pleading for release. And yet beyond that veil of diverging illusions the Raven still holds the Prince near him as he sees his own version of events. He feels her reaching out, sees her pale hand stretching out for him, her eyes so heartwarmingly comforting, like a crimson blanket to wrap him up and wipe away his fears. And then she stops, slumping forward with a mask of shock on her face as blood blooms on her torso. And as she crumples forward he can see it, his sword, gleaming with her blood, the sword which has claimed a million ravens by his hand taking one more on it's own. Her hand still twitches as she tries to crawl that much closer to him, her mouth tracing a word he can't understand. The Raven smiles and gently pulls his feather loose, the ones in Siegfried's back mirroring the motion. After all, it's best to let a Prince go to mourn his dead bride...-
[10:35:56 PM] Swan Prince: *He actually smiles at her, his princess, his very hope, still there for him. She will make him whole again, just like she did before, and though his throat seems to have clenched shut, rendering him voiceless, his watery gaze brightens. He will tell her his only thought, now so much more radiant for him than the ripping fire of the Raven's blood, and he lifts his hands over his chest, weaving them like swan feathers about each other. The mime for love. Then, all that sweet warmth leaves her eyes to taint her dress with thick crimson. The sight doesn't enter his mind with any trace of coherence, instead scattering into /RuenoIRavenwhydidn'tIstopcomebackRueRueRue./ Soundless, except for a frayed sob, ragged and dirty. Perfectly round tears grace his eyelids, impeccable crystals streaming into stains on his face, and when the feathers loop to the ground, the blood trickles in shimmering ribbons. He is glass doll fallen from the shelf, broken in that undeniable moment of impact, buffeted for a moment by that final crushing agony as the cracks split his limbs and spine and heart. Nerves burn as they are torn from each other, and then the body, the noble prince, is powerless pieces on the stone floor of the dungeon.  He crashes into the bars, bruises swelling in their foul colors along his delicate skin, but it doesn't hurt him. His heart is fragmented more finely than his sword or any other could make it, and pain is as strange as happiness to him. A name is whispered, but its meaning has been dashed apart with more harshness than even its owner was...* Rue. *He doesn't feel the poison's spell as it leaks out from the sealed jar his heart captured it within, this time, a voice merely chuckles as it instructs him, its kindness crumbling with rot at the edges. The words lull him with thorny softness, but such strength could not come from the broken prince, especially not since he hears them in his mind only.* /Sleep, foolish prince. You are no longer needed./ *He nods to himself, to that dizzying voice, and obeys. To say he did so without complaint would have been overestimating his abilities at the time. However, the Prince's eyes do not close, instead, they narrow to a bitter sharpness, a dark grimace slashed against that elegant face. But as folds of black satin softly melt over the ruined wedding garments, a vicious delight slinks over his face, politely restrained as the Prince turns to the Raven.* Thank you, Father...
[11:03:09 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven straightens, smiling tenderly down at his beautiful little creation...His Prince, his enemy, his new little pet...He grins, stroking one of those white curls. Inwardly he wonders how his other subject is doing, but for now he needs to see if his former enemy is to be trusted...- "It's good to see you again, my son. Tell me, how does it feel to spread your wings again?"
[11:22:51 PM] Swan Prince: *That other subject is currently trying to disentangle herself from the Prince caught in the feathers she has begun to sprout, which painfully rend her skin as her bones are bent into wings. Rue's shock is clear in the deep fear in her eyes, not for the physical transformation, but for the one she can see in the eyes of her Prince. Disgust slowly lights over his desperation for release, and he spits at her* I should have known that you were only a foul crow. You could never truly be any princess of mine... *She shakes her head frantically, a denial rushing from her as panic forces her to wonder if it might be true.* No! I'm not a crow, please, my prince... *But his gaze is as empty and foreboding as an avenging angel of stained glass, and for some reason, her transformation will not complete and her fingers stay locked in choking him. She can't look at those eyes, because she is all too aware that she deserves them.* I'm sorry! *But the real prince cannot hear her, and indeed, would not do much for her if he could have. Instead, the Raven Prince sinks on one knee, his hand snapping into a clawed formation and sweeping over his chest as he bows his head. His pink eyes have the shine of raw meat that has yet to be cleaned of blood. He sighs contentedly* Ahh... wonderful. Now, free of that foolish prince, and I'm so hungry... *The Raven catches a flash of his prince's mad desire when he looks up, and questions with restrained eagerness* But not for long, right, father? Soon...
[11:43:33 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven only chuckles, giving him a fond pet on the head. Such eagerness for blood- it's a good foundation, but he can't linger to coach him in the ways of evil. He purrs down at the poor, twisted being bowing before him.- "Don't worry, you're going to feast soon. But I need you to wait here, for a little while..." -He walks to the jail door and opens it, giving one last glance to the Raven Prince.- "Be good and stay put. Preen if you have to, I don't much care what you do, but you can't leave and try not to listen to what I'm about to do." -That said, he walks off, his shoes echoing against the floor as he goes to see how Rue is getting on.-
[11:56:33 PM] Swan Prince: *The Raven Prince rises fluidly, and bows once more, but the thought of leaving does not even cross his mind. He is freer than he has ever been, without some chick squealing demands in his ear and trying to fight him, efforts that should have always been in vain. But now he can truly act as he wishes... His heart clamors excitedly, soon he'll be fed, and when his strength is full, he can give it all to his new father, in the form of his still-rushing heart.* Ahh... how nice. At last... *As for Rue, she is simply clinging to the neck of this being who she cannot deny as her prince, but staring down her with hate that she had only ever seen turned at her- at that liar, she forced herself to remember. Giving in now would surely be what the Raven wanted, and as long as her true prince was there for her, she would prove to him that she was his princess...* My prince, why... It is the Raven, he must be doing something! *Though, there is a large part of her that fails to believe this, however much she wishes it; even if he is manipulating something, it must be something inside her already*
[12:38:48 AM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -His cries of pain turn to soft snarls as the feathers from her distorted arm spread onto his skin, erupting in a plume of agony that spreads across his skin like a plague. His cries soon turn to screeches of animal pain, shreiks that hurt the ear as his mouth deforms into a glossy beak. His chest heaves in pain as his wedding clothes are impaled by black feathers, the red stains of blood still disturbingly fresh, even if they are not his own...He croaks weakly, his red eyes misting with tears.- "Wh-Why...Why...? I loved you...I loved you..."
[12:49:17 AM] Swan Prince: *She cannot stop herself from reaching out, running her hands over his chest as if to comfort him or brush the black agony from his body, and she, like her true prince for her, weeps to see the state of her beloved. She pleads* I... love you, my prince, I still... Why  doesn't it help? It saved you, before, and now... I'm sorry... *Her voice fades into something dangerously close to a whimper, and the black-clad princess buries her head in his feathers, above his heart, as if it might press the power that she used before through to him. If she could not use that, then... She could think of nothing, just blankness beyond. This had to save him.*
[12:59:32 AM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven smiles, figuring that the despair and agony painted in the lines of her body is his cue to step in. He steps into the cage, standing over her, staring down at her misery with a crossed arms. When he speaks, his voice is gentle, caring almost as he croons over the crumpled heap of a bride.- "You know...I could turn him back. But...Frankly...I don't really want to. He's much more handsome this way, don't you think? And who knows, maybe his heart will taste better if he's less human? I never really tried..."
[1:04:39 AM] Swan Prince: *Her stare hardens instantly, and she wheels with unexpected agility to face the Raven* Turn him back. *She bites her tongue on further demands, such as "let him stop suffering," because she knows they might just encourage the Raven, and then she softly brushes her eyelids shut. But the unwavering conviction in her voice is unmistakable, despite the fact that she knows what will be asked of her. She must move forward, even if it means losing her prince, because she now knows that it is better to have his arms around someone else than it is for him to be in such rending pain* I will do as you wish. Just turn him back, free him....
[1:16:15 AM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -His smile turns to a small frown and he crosses his arms, his eyes without their usual gleam.- "Acknowledge your birthright. This 'Rue' thing has gone on long enough. You are Kraehe, a crow, and nothing more." -He gestures towards Siegfried's gasping body, drawing painful attention to the rattling breaths that escape his beak.- "Is this what you wanted? A pitiful bedraggled bird on the verge of death? A creature eternally at war with itself? Pathetic!"
[1:21:54 AM] Swan Prince: No, I never... never wanted this... *She had wanted him to love her, but then, that was why everything had gone so terribly, wasn't it? It really made the most sense, didn't it, that her love would not truly be able to save him again? She bit her lip, traced the line of his beak with a light finger, and stood elegantly. She smoothed her dress, but it was a meaningless gesture; a spiral of dark wind and inky feathers replaced her flowing skirt with a black tutu, and tugged her hair into a feather-shaped style atop her head* Very well. I am... Princess Kraehe. *The words were needles on her tongue, but she must speak them...*
[1:45:03 AM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: The Raven grins, and hooks his hand into a claw before bringing it into one sweeping movement. A black wind flows forth, wiping the feathers from the Prince's skin as he sleeps, his face oddly peaceful, if blank. Taking her hand gently, gracefully, he bows to her, though in truth it's more of a dip towards the earth.- "You know...I never got to dance with you...I was always locked away." -His voice mellows to a low trill as he looks at her with eyes that promise death upon refusal.-
[1:51:16 AM] Swan Prince: *She glances at her prince, relief overwhelming, and returning some of her confidence with him out of danger for the moment. Her lip curls back disdainfully, despite the fact that she knows the threat in her eyes is not for her. She takes a calming breath. Her response is surprisingly demure in tone* Father, it was the Prince who taught me to dance. If you truly wish me to take on my heritage, don't ask me to dance with you. *But the word "you" still has too much contempt in it, and her hopped step away is obviously to avoid him as she carefully removes her hand from his*
[2:07:45 AM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "A shame." -He straightens, glaring down at her. Disturbingly calm, he reaches out with an idle hand and suddenly makes a grabbing motion. Though at first it seems to have no effect on anything, but by the whimpering gasp that escapes from Siegfried's chest and the way he jerks upwards as if on a puppet string, the purpose is clear. The Raven's smile stretches so far as to barely be contained on his face, his eyes glowing with sadistic joy. His wrist flicks upwards and the Prince's hands fly to his chest, clawing and scrabbling at his ribs with the fervor of a dancing spider. His eyes snap open as he suddenly yelps in pain, his chest aflame with pressure. For a sickening moment his chest begins to bulge outwards. Then there is a crunch and a spattering of blood that stains his pale lips with droplets of crimson. His eyes widen, then dim, turning to mere pale coins of gold, unfeeling and dull as his heart hovers, dripping above him.-
[1:34:08 PM] Swan Prince: *She screams, an unceasing, keening cry, but though it will not stop, she eventually manages to shape the air around her tongue into something coherent* Why? Why must you hurt him? Am I not enough for you, father? Give him his heart back, set him free! I will... I will always remain with you, loyally. *Her screeched words dwindle as she almost falls forward, giving the Raven the same panicked embrace she once gave his seal talons. If he has his daughter, will not her pain be enough, if she is sealed away with him... To be trapped in that darkness until she forgets everything of her prince and can only be a bird again, stained feathers more fitting attire than a white silk gown... Her tears are gushing, sticky as blood along her torn face* I'll do anything... be anything...
[1:41:05 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -He looks down at her impassively, then waves his hand. The heart grows black wings of it's own and flaps to his side. Without even looking at it, he snatches it from the air, it's wings disintigrating as soon as his fingers make contact with it. His word is final, cold and bitter, like a frigid winter's breeze blowing through her soul as his eyes lance her to the ground with disgust.- "No."
[1:46:19 PM] Swan Prince: No... *She repeats, a blunt, toneless echo. She folds against the ground, limp as if all her bones had been plucked from her, and quivers. But she can't let herself stay silent, she has to throw herself forward one last time for her prince, and perhaps if she can sate her father herself, it might be that her prince, at least, survives in part, until some bright and true princess or knight can save him. She is determined that he will have an ending that fits his origin* If you're so hungry, father, eat my heart instead! Then I won't trouble you anymore...
[2:22:29 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them to glares down at her with pure hate. A harsh boot meets her middle, sending her sprawling backwards.- "No. It's not for me." -He taps his foot and a small crow flies from the rafters, landing on his shoulder. He only need glance at it before it flies off on silent wings, tearing down the hall to the Raven Prince's room. It lands before him, opening it's beak to let the message flow through it's mouth like a record player. The Raven's voice comes through, calm and commanding, as if he was standing before the Prince.- "Come down the hall. I have something for you to eat and someone for you to meet."
[2:52:11 PM] Swan Prince: *He nods, a grand gesture that ripples along his spine, even though it is not visible to the Raven or anyone else, faint laughter springing from his smoothly cruel smile with the same clawed elegance that he springs from the cage with. He stalks down the hall with leonine steps that are ill-suited to his black presence, which seems to scratch the atmosphere with each pace, and brushes into the cell like a glistening shadow.* Something for me, father? And someone, too... So kind of you... *His eyes roam slowly, seeking his prizes with impossibly innocent curiosity, and when he catches Rue in his gaze, he feels the excitement dance in his heart, and bows to her mockingly* Oh, my traitorous princess... You true prince has returned. You may love again, without lying to yourself, my foul crow. *He reaches for her hand, pinning her fingers in an stinging grip and kissing them, ignoring her inconcealable repulsion. The gesture has lost all its warmth, and become something that scrapes rawly against her knuckles. She gasps, and though part of her is near tears with happiness to simply know that he still has his heart, and that those hateful words were not truly from him, there is more of regret and fear for her prince. Yes, her prince has his heart, and the poison in it... His lazily stretched smile covers the constant torment that is the Raven Prince's existence, but she has no words for him, because she gave it to him, and she fears all the more because if there is anything of the true prince alive in him, she cannot see it. Still, from him, she won't pull away, even if meeting his eyes for any longer is an impossibility. Her own heart must stay whole if she is to save him, now that she knows he can be saved.*
[3:11:25 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven laughs openly at this display, holding a hand up to his face to hold his head, lest he fall forward from his raccourous joy. After a few moments to regain himself, he tosses the Prince the heart, sneering.- "Here, take this and share it with your lovely, if you please. Either way, I'm sure that if she's a /good/ crow she'll enjoy having her husband sated." -While it's not usually the Raven way to encourage sharing of any sort, he wants to see the look on her pale face as she swallows a chunk of her husband's heart, the pain in her eyes and the trembling of her lips as she commits an act that goes against every fiber of her being...Just the thought of it sets his feathers aquiver with anticipation.-
[3:26:10 PM] Swan Prince: *However, the heart is gone before the Raven finishes his sentence, and though it is not real, that last trickle of blood spilling from his reddened lips is unspeakably gruesome. He drops his tongue to catch it, relishing a thrill of new strength from the flavor.* She doesn't need any of it... As long as I'm happy, she never needs to eat. Isn't that right, my dear Kraehe? *he takes her chin in his fingers lovingly, and smears blood on her face in doing so. His own heart squeezes keenly at the horrified disgust in her eyes, and he suddenly isn't sure why, but he feels deeply sickened. It's her, of course it's her, and not that lovely heart he just consumed, that was what he was meant to devour, the right food for a raven.* What's wrong? What is it? *Rage flickers across his brow, a murky purple flame sparking at the back of his eyes. She swallows grimly, and folds her hands against her skirt graciously* You are not my prince, or my husband. Please, my prince, come speak to me... *He can feel her trembling, and throws her away, to cower at his anger. But the sorrow around her narrowed eyes has its own strength to it*
[3:49:33 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Little Kraehe...Do you really want to meet your Prince...? He is just as broken as I left him, just as agonized and yes, dead...Do you want to meet a corpse, little crow?" -The Raven stands over her, his arms crossed, one hand incessantly drumming on his sleeve, stroking the soft fabric, running through the feathers. His voice is a drone edged with knives, a lash to slip into her ears and tear at her heart, but his offer is honest, and that, perhaps is the reason for his almost anxious hand. Honesty does not come easy to a crow, that much is clear...-
[4:02:16 PM] Swan Prince: Yes. *She closes her eyes to seal in the courage that drives her response, and fixes her mouth into an unwavering line, cold in her certainty. If her prince... Siegfried... is broken, then she will repair him; if he is in agony, then she will heal him with care; if he is dead, then she will restore him, even if it must be that her own life flows into him to do so. She winds her slender fingers into fists. The Raven Prince, standing there, is nothing to her, not even an impostor, a shadow who must be burned away with the prince's brightness. However, he laughs at her resolution, a twisting high sound that reveals his sickening amusement* Do you wish to wake your prince? Just like Tutu, you would bring him from a peaceful and dreamless slumber into torture that he can't escape from? I'd like to see it, too, father. I'd like to grind the prince out of my heart again!
[4:20:59 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven gives him an affectionate pat on his feathery head, laughing approvingly.- "Very good, little Prince! That's the spirit!" -He reaches over and gives a small tap on the head. The effect is immediate and drastic. The Prince crumples forward, his eyes rolling back in his head as he hits the ground like a doll with it's strings cut. The black outfit drains from his figure, retreating to wherever it came from as the corrupting blood within him is suppressed, though not for long...-
[4:48:47 PM] Swan Prince: *Rue immediately drops beside him, gathering him onto her lap and softly brushing his hair, his feverish forehead, his bloodless face with a lightly shaking hand.* Please, my prince, wake up... *She murmurs, a fresh tremor audible in her voice. A limp figure in red-splattered clothes, everything about his sleeping frame speaks of nightmarish injury, his breath coming steadily, but too far apart and his heart's pulsing seems almost reluctant. Still, as before, he hears her, and blinks away an empty shell of sleep. He doesn't turn his lightless gaze on her, he simply continues staring with a blank mind at her face, as if it was no different to him than the ceiling's dark stone. He is lost and translucent, a shadow with nothing physical attached, a dark patch where glittering beauty should have dwelt* My prince... *She gasps breathlessly, pressing a hand over the shocked circle of her mouth, and using her other arm to wrap him closer to her. He all but flops against her, and remains still, but a colorless whisper drifts from him. Not for her, a simple statement of recognition that is utterly meaningless.* Rue.
[5:03:07 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -The Raven looms over them both like an unsympathetic god, content to stare down at the scene of misery he has created. The broken prince and the crying crow...If the Raven didn't know better himself, he would have sworn he was being guided by the god of tragedy himself.- "I warned you, little crow. You should be careful what you wish for...Oh." -He smirks to himself and tilts his head, like a vulture examining a particularly rotten carcass.- "That little seal I placed on him to keep the Raven blood in check? It's probably going to fade away soon. So savor what time you have left with your little doll." -Of course, he won't tell her HOW soon...It will be amusing to see how the Raven Prince reacts to those tender, cradling arms.-
[5:18:47 PM] Swan Prince: *She cradles him so gently, laying his head against her shoulder and stirring her fingers in his swan-feather hair and running her other hand along his back. Her voice splinters, but her words are soothing* Shh... If you sleep again, just know that I am here. Your princess will not let you fade, my prince, I promise. *While he is awake, at least, he won't suffer anymore, she will hold him and give him love, he will not know a moment without her to comfort him, however the false prince might slash at her when he returns. Siegfried may feel nothing, but he won't hurt.* I am here for you, and you alone. *She cannot see the faintest anguished flinch that her words bring. His fingertips press against her back as tension thinly winds through his body, a nearly invisible twine. He whispers again, the word stretched oddly as he works through the single syllable* What?
[5:24:04 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Time's up." -The Raven snaps his fingers, rolling his eyes. All this sappiness, all this love and one sidedness...It's making him feel a little sick, actually, not to mention that aside from the agony of both parties, it's boring him to death. He wants to see blood. Frankly, he wants to bathe in blood, but that's probably him getting ahead of himself.-
[5:40:35 PM] Swan Prince: I'm here, my prince... *She repeats hesitantly, anxiety drawing a soft frown across her face at his touch. However, she is briefly rewarded when his hold around her tightens in return* Rue! *He cries out suddenly, tearing away to look up and into her eyes with warm life pouring unsteadily into his own. Dizziness still scatters his thoughts, and that sharp twisting at the center of his chest does not relent, but his princess is before him. Not on the ground, ripped and cold with her life pooled around her. He sweeps an airy hand against her cheek, unable to say anything apart from one very simple fact that means more to him than any torments he might endure.* You're alive... *She nods, the corners of her mouth almost rising when his fingers dig harshly into her skin. The snap of the Raven's fingers is a sound akin to the break of bone, echoing disgustingly around the cell, and Siegfried doubles over as his own heartbeat pangs in his chest. The other him is  thrashing inside, hissing in sickly sweet tones for power over his true self, and he /will not/ allow himself to succumb again. Rue bends over him and pulls him to her again, murmuring with forced calm that is betrayed only by her haste* You are my prince, and I love you, I am here for you. I want to stay by you...
[5:49:09 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Oh get over yourself...This was boring when you started and it's not getting better with time!" -The Raven kicks the Prince harshly in the side, sending him rolling from his princess. However before she has time to move, the Raven's foot is already digging down on her hand, crushing it between the cold hard floor and the colder being that stand on it. He hisses in Rue's direction, not even deigning to meet her eyes.- "You make me sick, what with all your redicululous love and worthless hope...There is nothing, nothing for you, nothing for him and nothing for anyone. Pain is eternal, despair immenant and the only salvation is the void."
[6:02:54 PM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried's limbs are battered against the floor, and each pulse sends a flood of needles swimming in his veins, threatening to burst them and his heart. He almost cries out, but he grits his teeth over the yell. He will not let Rue hear such things anymore, and he won't leave her. He throws himself forward toward her, to shake off the innumerable dark tendrils that seem to be dragging him back into an endless prison. He won't be bound again, he will knock the Raven aside and protect her, it would be beyond recovery if he had to lose her again, and the Raven would snatch her away if he let it. His entire pristine face curls in a wordless snarl, rejecting the dreamy dizziness of the voice in his heart. She shakes her head, warning him away, out of the Raven's touch, but he wants to get her away, first* Stop your lies, Raven. I am not merely your toy, and neither is Rue!
[6:09:59 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "You're still around? What, is that little fledgeling within you not strong enough?" -He grabs Siegfried's wrist, pulling him up to eye level so those glowing gold eyes can meet his pulsating crimson stare. Absurdly, horrifyingly, his face suddenly morphs into a jagged smile, his eyes gleaming with demonic delight.- "How many ribs of yours do you want to keep?"
[6:26:06 PM] Swan Prince: *Fear's reign over his features is brief as he gathers himself and darts a punch for that corrupted grin, only to have the phantom feeling of a gloved hand tightening around his wrist  halt him, leaving him open as he tries without success to yank his other hand from the Raven's steely grasp. He can only recoil from his own arm as it fails to respond to his commands, and slowly his other limbs follow suit to the point where he isn't quite sure how he can stand. His arms and legs feel as though they've had their bones split at inch increments. His ribs seem to have gone ahead of the Raven's threat, shattering into his lungs to stop his breath, but his heart persists. His defiance turns inward as he squirms for control, but the Raven Prince's quiet hissing forbids him, slipping from his own lips* Now, now, I won't let you hurt father... *Siegfried strains nonetheless, undisguisable horror at himself more than anyone else written on his features, and he clings to that horror for strength, because if he can fear himself, then at least he still is himself. At the same time, Rue does not merely sit through all of this. Her own rage flares, and she hooks the arm that's not pinned around the Raven's legs, pulling against them in an effort to topple him. Her prince is there, and it would be too much for him to fight alone again, for the sake of them both. Her curved violet nails try to draw blood as she pulls at him*
[6:37:34 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: -And blood she does get, thick and red as it oozes from his leg, dribbling over her fingers as it whispers into her mind, hissing taunts and threats and temptations as it's owner screams, his voice reaching inhuman heights that burn the ear with their soundless fury. He doesn't topple, but he drops the Prince in favor of grabbing Rue. For but a moment he is an animal once more, a screaming raven throwing his foe from him, sending her into the nearest wall to buffet her with screams and claws and wings and beak. But then the fury dims from his eyes as he sees her hit the wall and slide down, his fists still hooked into talons, his chest heaving.-
[7:09:49 PM] Swan Prince: *The prince almost crumples, his vision blurring and fading, but the indistinct form of Rue as she cracks against the wall sends him tripping forward, his own feet literally seeking to get in his way, but he ends up half resting his weight on the Raven's shoulder as he tears the bird around to face him. His voice is hoarse, rough with the despair that threatens his heart* You have had too many chances, Raven. I am not going to ask you to stop, I am going to make you. *His sword flashes into his grip, but the hilt sets his palm afire as he secures his hold; apparently, he is too corrupted for his own weapon, or rather, the corruption within him refuses the blade. Instinct loosens his grip as pain jolts up his arm, and the metal strikes the ground. He freezes for a moment, and leaps past the Raven, or at least tries to, somehow, he needs to get to Rue*
[7:49:38 PM] Lelouch Vi Brittania: "Make me? You can't make your own legs obey you, how do you expect to stay my hand?" -He pushes the Prince back, laughing at how his numbed and unwilling legs struggle to regain balance. He brings his hands together, then pulls them apart gracefully, fingers outstretched as if they were still wings. Around him the air morphs, forming into a swarm of feathers, each hanging in place, awaiting his signal. He purrs to Siegfried, his tone gushing with the knowledge of one who has his enemy pinned.- "I'm going to pump you full of holes~" -He leans his arms back slightly, his whole body arching before bringing both of his arms together. There is the sound of great wings flapping once, tearing the very air apart with their closing as they rock the earth with a thundrous roar. The feathers shoot forward, each one lodging itself into his skin, puncturing through his clothes, ripping into his flesh, cleaving through it like butter. However that's not the worst of it. After only a moment's wait those burning quills begin to wriggle their tips in deeper, dissolving only as they come deep enough for Siegfried to feel them touch upon his bones.-
[8:28:45 PM] Swan Prince: *As the feathers swarm his body, a stillness locks Siegfried's limbs; his eyes blank and wide, and twitching as though consciousness might abandon him. He feels the tips engrave delicate lines marks against his bones after they have shredded muscle in their path and slit his veins. They dissolve and flow inside, sealing the path of their entrance so none of the cursed blood can find an exit. Heart, mind, and body are pressured together as the innumerable soft blades remain in his awareness regardless of their physical presence, if anything growing fiercer as they vanish. There is no Rue. There is no kingdom. There is no prince. There is only a scream, the one that breaks from his torn throat and lashes against his entire form. He collapses, almost melting into the floor himself in a weak rush, shuddering against the stone. That low-pitched shriek, which whispered temptations somehow manage to slice through just as the intensity of ice shards scalding every inch of him, does not want to stop, but eventually, he can no longer draw breath for it, and lies there heaving and choking on air that is reluctant to stay in lungs wrought with the sensation of piercing. His heart torments him with hopelessness and helplessness at the call of the Raven's blood, washing out everything that might help him in its new flood. Rue stirs, reaching up and running a hand over the back of her head, and withdrawing it with a start when she feels blood cling to it. Everything but the redness on her fingers swims before her, distant and muffled. However, what called her back to consciousness will not be ignored long, her prince's voice, rending the air with agony she would have thought impossible to even feel. His crumpled body sharpens in her vision and she scrambles forward on her hands and knees to curl over him, tenderly placing a calm hand on his shoulder- Only to jerk back when even that slight touch forces a gasp from him. She stands in a whirl, and rocks forward dangerously, shaking her head to dispel the ache from along her scalp. Her own hands forming angry talons out of instinct as she rises protectively before the prince* What did you do to him?
[8:37:55 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven is calm, nonchalant, as if he had merely given the poor Prince a new hat instead of scalding agony that holds his very soul within his clutches.- "Oh. Nothing, really. I gave him a little more of my noble blood, a few feathers, that's all." -He delivers this gross understatement with a sweet smile, and yes, even a wink that is as filthy as the scummy ground outside.- "I'd advise you tend to him soon- it's going to get much, much worse soon. Oh, and he's fully aware of what's going on inside and certainly isn't going to stop /anytime/ soon."
[8:50:46 PM] Swan Prince: Worse... how could that...? *She stares back at Siegfried, who has wrapped his own arms around himself and begun to scratch his shoulders bloody, as if it might drain enough of the poison from him. He stares back through a bitter haze, and the thought of giving her a reassuring smile is grabbed by the Raven's blood and clawed to pieces. It no longer seeks to overcome him quietly, but to reduce his very self to ribbons, violently ripping every noble thought from his kind heart as though wrenching away chunks of flesh to leave raw wounds. She extends a quivering hand, and his desire to take it rises repeatedly, to be unforgivingly crushed each time by the bloody tide. Without even knowing that, Rue cannot comprehend how the pain burning her prince's eyes to liquid could be made worse, and yet she doesn't doubt it. And what means can she tend to him with when the slightest brush to his skin wounds him like another blade? Her eyes form slender slits, and she shifts her feet into a position that readies her to leap for the Raven's throat. She asks another question, this with a sense of finality. The ironic request, steeped in hatred* And how would you advise I tend to him?
[9:00:00 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Kill him. AHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAAA!" -He laughs, making no attempt to disguise his contempt for the both of them.- "The Prince will continue to suffer until either his soul is shattered to oblivion or he loses consciousness. He either gets to give in or lose himself and I'm willing to bet a maiden's heart that he'll be too proud to give in." -His laughter resumes, perhaps even higher and more mocking than before, resonating around the room as if he has an accompanying chorus.-
[9:21:36 PM] Swan Prince: *She pivots slowly en pointe, and lowers herself to sit beside him again, tears beading her eyelashes. To see her prince like this, or the vision she has of him, with skin like ice and the remnants of pain traced in his dull eyes, she cannot say which is worse to her. His quickened pulse carries this through him, but there must be a way to save him other than to still his heart forever. She recoils when he spasms suddenly, back arching at a dangerous angle as veins are pushed against the skin of his arms and neck. His eyes are at the angle to catch hers now, a desperate message engraved in the gold. He speaks, but his own voice is a whisper layered in a demonic echo* Rue... I will... be strong. I am your... *He seizes up, a clenched cry slipping from his tight throat. Her words pound the Raven over her shoulder, and fade into nothing, and a realization seems to strike her physically* No. No... *She closes her eyes, and when they open them, they seem to have fragmented, a dark smirk lurking on her face when she looks down at the prince again* Strength? Do not bother. I am a raven, with no need of a foolish prince's love. *She rises gracefully, and pirouettes to face the Raven.* My father, shall we dance to the music of his tortured breath?
[9:41:18 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven's laughter stops, but his smile remains, softening slightly. Yes, this is more like it, his enemy lying near death on the ground, his little Kraehe, so proud and haughty, offering herself to him once more in willful obedience. Everything is as it should be.- "Ahh, my darling Kraehe...I thought you would never ask." -He bows forward with unusually gentlemanly grace, holding out his hand to be taken, and if she really wants to get on his goodside, perhaps kissed.-
[9:48:31 PM] Swan Prince: *She swallows, and she can feel her prince's redoubled pain on her back, but she must... She must ignore it, and take her... father's hand, instead. She does not kiss it, but curtsies in a slight, sweet motion for him.* I could never disappoint you, father. *She lowers her eyes carefully, to stop the hatred from burning through clearly, and the words are a struggle, but she speaks them smoothly* I am sorry for my behavior...
[9:54:56 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -He smiles smugly, his expression akin to that of a stroked cat.- "As you should be...As you should be. But I will forgive you, in time..." -He steps back lightly, his footing proper, poised to dance. Truth be told he has always wanted to see what it is like to throw himself into such a petty, human thing. That and in this body as he is, it's as close as he can get to touching the sky once more without actually growing wings.-
[10:00:07 PM] Swan Prince: Thank you, Father... *She murmurs shyly, and carefully skips a few steps on feather-light feet, then spins in to him* May I ask you something, father? *She bites her lip, darting a glance back to her prince. Siegfried's eyes are glassy, perhaps he misses her, or perhaps he has already been too thoroughly devoured to even recall her name. She almost loses her balance, but that is more important than anything now, for his sake, she will hold herself steadily*
[5/7/2011 10:06:12 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -He sends her out again with an outcast hand, her body unfolding like a spinning top before he reclaims her once more. His dance is harsh, and it's more like he's trapping her in his grasp than guiding her in and out. Still, for once he is gentle, and while rough, he does not hurt.- "Of course my darling Kraehe...You may ask anything you please..." -Though of course, she risks the consequences of whatever she may say...-
[10:13:11 PM] Swan Prince: *She simply allows him to lead, even though it makes her skin crawl. It is nothing at all like her prince's beautiful dance, his gentle hands providing the most pristine support, moving in step with each other with neither truly leading. She wants to dance with him again, her perfect prince, the only one who can be so untainted even with Raven's blood in him. She closes her eyes slowly, breathing her question out with her steps* Why are you in human form now? Is there anything I can do? It is bad enough that you must be cursed with me, and though you are not ugly, it is wrong for you to be stuck like this... *She rests a careful hand on his shoulder, seeming for all the world like a sincerely loving child*
[10:23:19 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -For once he looks perhaps a bit melancholy, his tone devoid of hatred, his face without it's usual sneer as he grabs her other hand and leads her around the room, settling into a waltz as he speaks.- "That, my child, is because of you...And that wretched Prince whose dying gasps we dance to. My glorious form was shattered by his sword...Sadly I am but a fragment of what I once was, a near powerless shard of a great creature...I came back to exact my revenge and to perhaps find myself...I seem to be...lacking, some things..."
[10:33:14 PM] Swan Prince: I see... So you are a fragment, only a shattered piece... *Her tone perhaps takes on a darker edge, but she smooths it over spotlessly* Poor father. And that terrible prince did not accept our gift, so it is his own sword that brought this upon him... *Possibly. In face, she is not quite sure how the sword works, and it could have just as easily been a power of her father to parallel the prince's. But that idea is certainly one that needs to be considered, or rather, feared, and if she can make Siegfried understand that, perhaps they can strike a true final blow, to destroy the Raven's heart instead of merely splitting it. He follows them about with his eyes, but they lack true focus, and he might seem them both as indistinct patches of black and white against the stone. He sounds very much as if he is dying, and the paleness of his skin takes on a dank, grayish tinge under a sheen of sweat. She says, so quietly* If only he had trusted me... *And perhaps, Siegfried will here the faint plea in her voice that is only for him, the plea to trust her now*
[10:49:16 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Yes...if only he had...I always wanted a son, you know...And I always have admired him somewhat." -His tone is oddly flat, and it doesn't appear that respect is an emotion he's recovered yet, but the idea is engrained so deeply in him, written in ink, carved by pen, that even as he is he must acknowledge it. He sighs and holds Rue somewhat closer, and oddly she can feel his heart, repulsive as it is, beating ever so slowly, only one strong thud echoing in his casm of a chest, keeping him alive through sheer fury and malevolence.- "I know there will be no princess to rescue me...I have to find them all myself and reclaim my ravens..."
[10:58:44 PM] Swan Prince: *The prince's pallor worsens, he gulps nothing but air from his dry mouth, and even that cuts his insides like razors... Trust... The idea of trusting anyone is almost pulled away, and somehow, his hands come over his heart as if to physically keep it in place, even though his own hands jab him sharply when they brush his chest. He turns all his remaining power to trusting Rue, to delicately teasing the meaning from her words into his ragged heart. To act on them, then, he must... The thought disappears down the screeching throat of the other him, and he relaxes limply. Rue, holding him in the edge of her vision, speaks proudly. Trust wells in her, for her prince, that if she casts her lot now into the talons around her wrists, he will save her* No. There is no princess for you, you liar.
[11:06:43 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "WHAT?!" -He screeches, his voice making the room shake with his fury as his hands clamp around her wrists like shackles, his nails digging into her skin. He looms over her, bristling, a being of pure fury clothed in the skin of a man. He snarls at her, hissing words through his teeth, every word backed by the rattle of a furious bird. One arm wraps around her neck as the other holds her arms in place, bringing her so close she can smell the sickly sweet smell of carrion on his breath.- "/I'm going to eat your heart out, wretch.../"
[11:29:44 PM] Swan Prince: *She turns her gaze fearlessly up at him, though her heart is rattling with terror, it is not for herself, but for her prince. If she did not call to him strongly enough, he will not be able to save himself, even if she is beyond the point where she can be pried free. Still, she does not struggle, because if she were to move, it would make the Raven a more challenging target for Siegfried as he fought her. As for the prince, her words ring in his heart, a powerful melody that he protects from the stabbing beaks with his soul as a shield. He needs to... to shout, even though he still lacks the air for it, the shattered cry stretches its cracks into the room as he pushes himself upright and tries to hold onto his reason why, those words, his princess needing him, but there isn't anything more than the brutally stabbing of the ground into his feet as he steps forward, how raising his arms bends them painfully beyond the reachs of their joints as he lifts his arms to call a sword, any weapon, into his hands. The blade that obliges him is black, leaping like a spark of fire in his grip; the Raven Prince's sword. He levels it and nearly topples from the weight, and the vision of his own beaten reflection is taunted with merciless talons that rake his veins. He winces, a sour grimace spoiling his milky face, but then, another step forward, almost mindless of his actions. Parts of him are devoured more rapidly than before, swallowed into numb darkness after an instant of rough flame, and soon his eyes have emptied, but for Rue's words and what they drive him to do, pulsing in him more strongly than even his heartless desire to protect the weak ever did. His drained mind lifts the sword that leeches much-needed strength from his limbs, and drives it against the Raven's heart, though the blow lacks the power to extend through his chest. He drifts to his knees, as he refuses to let go of the hilt and it partially supports him as gravity yanks the blade downward along the Raven's back.*
[11:46:08 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven freezes mid-snarl, having already opened his mouth to plunge his fangs into Rue's soft chest, to rip her still beating heart from her and to devour it while she watches. But a sudden agony stops him, his eyes widening as he feels it, that tiny glass shatter, the sudden sound of crystal being crunched underfoot. He gives a soft gasp and releases Rue to clutch at his own heart, or rather, the lack thereof. It hurts, burning, agonizing pain that sends him toppling to the side. And then it is gone, to be replaced by nothing. Numbness spreads across his body like frost through a lake and his brain is seized and stripped of all emotion to reach a state that can only be called "null". He doesn't care that his noble blood is dripping to the floor, he doesn't mind that his enemies stand before him unmolested. Suddenly it all seems so distant...So meaningless. Even as a shadowy veil closes around his eyes, forcing them to dim and then close, even as all sound fades from his hearing, he cannot seem to bring himself to care...-
[12:00:16 AM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried does not notice his victory, as the blood in him boils with rage, and exhaustion sinks his remaining thought like dull rocks in the ocean. Exertion trembles painfully through his body, every muscle pulled taut and twanging. He honestly doesn't have the air to scream anymore, so he groans hoarsely, a scratchy voicing of distress. He wishes to close his eyes and rest, as the knowledge that Rue must be safe lets pinpricks of light in through a choking cloth over his senses, but he tenses against the hard stones, fuzzily aware of razors scything for his heart, and he cannot stop them on his own in his state... pathetic, a shard of pride stabs him treacherously, but the vengeance of the Raven's blood soon douses even that, and he slides a hand along the ground, spidery fingers grasping for warmth. Oh, and a new thought, two, in fact, one simply the bitter notion that he hadn't realized new feelings were possible. He desperately needs to let her know the other, because there is still the threat of losing all of it* Rue... Rue... I'm sorry...
[12:11:44 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Rue steps over the Raven's body, dropping to her Prince's side as she cradles his head in her lap. Her Prince, so strong, so brave and true, even after everything he's been through. How could he blame himself? No, it is her, her who said the Raven could stay, her who did not anticipate his trickery, her who dragged him into that blood-stained darkness. She pulls him closer, bending over him, tears dripping from her eyes like crystals. Her pale lips tremble as she speaks, her voice shaking, like a fledgeling caught in the chill of a winter draft.- "No..No Siegfried. Don't be sorry. Please don't be sorry for me. It was me, I did it all, and I...I will make it up to you..." -Her heart thumps in her chest, screaming that she can't, that she never could...-
[12:21:41 AM] Swan Prince: *She spins above him, dancing into two separate figures, and he reaches for the wrong one, only to flinch and redirect his hand to sweep away those tears.* Do not cry, my princess... you should not have to, if I had defended you... You owe me nothing for this. *Perhaps, yes, there were things she still owed him for in the distant past, or things she needed to hear forgiveness for even if she already had it, but this was not her fault, not now that he had truly taken her as his princess, to accept her and nearly let her fall so quickly afterward was a responsibility that he carried heavily. The throbbing ache in his chest will not subside, but it becomes easier to raise himself above it and drag his drenched, blood-soaked feelings with him. He runs that hand down her face, resting it against her heart despite the fact that supporting the light limb sears his shoulder, a pain that quivers into the rest of him to join everything else* You... my strong princess... thank you...
[12:33:03 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She gives a soft whimper, her heart overflowing with tears that not even her eyes can drip away fast enough. Arms trembling, she pulls him closer, pushing herself close to him, pressing the side of her head to his chest so she can hear his beating heart, so he can feel her warmth, her love, flowing into him. And maybe, perhaps, healing him of his pain..- M-My Prince...P-Please...It's not your fault...Maybe it is no one's fault...Does it even matter...? -Her soft tears turn to wracking sobs that she can't hold in as she clings tighter to him, afraid he may simply vanish into another illusion.- "Please...Please just pull through..."
[12:59:04 AM] Swan Prince: No... I suppose it does not... *He smiles weakly, but its very presence is not without meaning. He lowers his arms to loop them in a unsteady circle around her waist, and rests his head softly over hers. His heart is still too fast, too raw, his pulse battling grimly against his existence, and he dreads that she will hear it, but it is beyond him to push her away, he wants her near, his princess, filled with love that clung through pain worse than his. When she begins to shake against him, her pained sobs coursing through him by their closeness, he cringes, distraught with a pure clarity that knocks away some of the dark feathers binding him still. A promise falls urgently from his lips, stumbled over in his thinly cutting dread that mutes the returning glow of his eyes, dread that he may not be able to provide her the same comfort* Please, do not cry... Rue... I will stay with you. *He tightens his hold on her solidly, closing his eyes in a determined frown, and welcoming her to hear his heart. Though it might torment him still, she should know all of him, he trusts her to know all of him, and she should not fear that he might fade from her. He knows the agony of losing her, and he wishes that she not even consider that from him. His own recollection forces a single sob of his own from his heart, and the words, his deepest pain, are splashed before he can stop them, more than he can restrain* I... he... I saw you die... being without you...
[1:25:44 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She stiffens, her trembling stopping through shock alone. He..No, it couldn't, not even the Raven could be that cruel...- "M-My Prince...I..saw you die...by my own hand...saw your heart ripped out as I pleaded with the Raven, saw you die by my own arm t-turned..." -She trails off, biting her lip, recalling that feeling, the snapping bone of her own treacharous limb as it strangled her beloved, all beyond her control, all beyond her own power...Her hand trails upwards, to his silken hair, combing through it with shaking fingers, more out of habit than anything else. She can only whisper, again and again...- "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."
[1:40:56 AM] Swan Prince: *It very nearly shatters his heart again to hear that flowing voice crushed into whispery powder and scattered so achingly* R-Rue... no... shh... it's alright now... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... *All his immediate pain is forgotten, if not gone, as he realizes more quickly what the Raven must have done, and suddenly he can't see anything but the sword glistening with flecks of blood fiendishly, all hers, and its his own sword with its graceful swans so tainted. His eyes flare wide, sorrowful, and then shut firmly as he gathers her more closely to himself, for comfort as much as to comfort. His own hand drifts up, pressing her fingers into his hair and guiding them down to kiss her fingertips gently, to ease their shared terrors* He... tricked us- But look, now, I am here, and so are you, and he will not hurt us again...
[1:53:46 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Slowly the ache in her heart drains from her as they lie embraced, her head close to his thumping heart, his arm over her. Broken survivors of a terrible calamaty, drawing strength from one another by the purity of their love. Around them, the world brightens patch by patch as the raven's blood draws from the ground in twisting, black streams, only to be blown away by the wind. All the people heal, finding their true forms, their true hearts, each in their own way. Some are lost, and though it is sad, they are also swept away by a clean breeze before they can do harm to their former beloved. All around them, the stones begin to lighten, returning to the limestone they once were. Though there is no dawn, the moon rises, clean and undefilable in the black night. A shard of hope in a dark place where Rue can only wordlessly cling to her love as she tries to still her trembling lips.-
[2:10:17 AM] Swan Prince: *He can feel her love, just as before, what seems like so long ago outside of the story, almost like physical thread stitched carefully through the tears in his heart. Not painless, no, but the sting is slight compared to earlier, and it is all from the persistent gnawing of the false blood in his veins. The moon caresses them both from the window, and somehow, its simple borrowed brightness is as sweet on their skin as the patient warmth of the sun. He whispers to her, strong and ethereal as his hands lifting her in a pas de deux* My princess... my dear Princess Rue... Don't fear. *He loses track of what the words are, what he murmurs into her ear, but he doesn't stop speaking to her, letting her hear him heal as his... No, their... kingdom does.*
[2:24:37 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She leans into him, her own words warm and empassioned as her body wrapping around him as they dance. His glow is returning to him, his inner light that shines brighter and more softly than any candle, sometimes even rivaling the sun in his proud majesty. If she was to be a crow in human form then surely he was some distant sun, captured and sent to this world to bring love and light to all his people. She feels somehow overwhelmed, fatigue working it's way through her muscles like a snake through a garden, lacing her body with weaknesses. Her hand grows tired and heavy even as she rests it on his head with a tender sigh.- "My Prince...I will never fear, as long as you are with me..."
[2:50:34 AM] Swan Prince: It is the same for me, Rue... I love you. *He speaks freely, lifting his head though he hardly has the energy to do so, and allows a smile to drift down for her like golden-tinted mist. Then, he drops his head to her shoulder, and gently slips a hand under her chin to rest her head just beside his neck. He never thinks of her as a crow anymore, even when he saw her only a short while ago as Kraehe, she was still his bright, fierce princess, providing more or less literal support for him as the situation happened to require. The spark necessary to keep his eyelids apart fades into cool slumber, a dreamless blackness protecting him and granting him time to recover. The color of Rue's hair, blackness tinged with soft warmth, is his last thought, and though there's a youthful silliness to it, it pairs with peaceful contentment as the last feeling to spread through his roughened heart*
[3:05:03 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Rue tries to keep awake, tries to keep vigil, but sleep is quickly spinning a web within her mind. Though she wishes to stand guard for her beloved, she finds herself slumping on him more and more, her soft red eyes, like rose petals are drifting downward to fall into the eddies and tides of fatigue. Her stiff body relaxes, slumping against his own, the black to his white, the moon to his sun, the air caressing his cheeks and the soft hand to guide his soul home in the darkest times. She will become his guiding light, his soft luminescence in the darkness...Even as the darkness overtakes her, dropping her into the comforting embrace of dreamless, healing sleep.-

[7:30:07 PM] Swan Prince: *Duck flails forward, startled to find human limbs in place of her namesake bird's webbed feet and wings. It is, for the rather clumsy girl, the equivalent of having noodles for appendages, at least until she can adjust again, which she can't before falling over, and managing to drag a row of fancy dresses arrayed in the wardrobe she finds herself in down with her. With all her feathers gone, no, she's not wearing anything, but it shouldn't be a problem for long* Wh-what?! Where is this?
[7:37:32 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Fakir stumbles forward, bashing his head on the wardrobe door before Duck manages to flail it open. Thankfully his limbs are significantly less noodly than his formerly feather'd friend and he manages to land on his knees as opposed to flat on his face. Still, the searing pain in his forehead forces him to steady it with one hand. He grunts softly, looking around, his gaze drifting for some sort of trickery or- "Duck. Please put something on."
[7:41:27 PM] Swan Prince: Oh-! Uh, yeah... *She agrees, seeming almost dejected. She feels like there should be more to it than this, but she isn't sure what. She picks up a dark blue dress from the floor, hesitating, and then realizing what Fakir's request means and he can see and she is /not wearing anything/ and she throws the dress on over her head inside out the first time.* One second! *She hops out of the wardrobe and proceeds to slam the door in Fakir's face while she fixes the dress* Alright, sorry about that...
[7:50:42 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "It's nothing...Don't worry about it..."-Fakir straightens, all too aware of the blush on his face. However his embarassment is cleared away by how...wrong, things are. On paper it looked wretched, but to see the actual stones stained in Raven blood is another thing entirely.- "Duck, I want you to be quiet. I don't know exactly how bad things are here, and I have the feeling it's worse than I thought."
[7:54:56 PM] Swan Prince: *She takes a proper look around for herself, swishing out into the middle of the room to make a slow circle, and a thoughtful frown sets on her face* What exactly did you think, Fakir? I know you said that you started writing, and it became something... bad, but... They killed the Raven, didn't they? They were supposed to have a happy ending. *Her distress sets her lip trembling, an odd mix of angry and sadness, though she doesn't seem likely to cry*
[7:58:17 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -He sighs and shakes his head. That burning fire in his hands, the words that spilled out on their own all too fast on the page...But the words almost elude him, more, the feel is what lingers, bitter darkness and pain, the very land crying for salvation and a victory hard won. But if the Raven is dead, why isn't everything a little...cheerier?- "I'm not sure. Something isn't quite right here..."
[8:02:21 PM] Swan Prince: No... Not at all. We should hurry! *She rushes for the door, then on a second thought, rushes back, grabs Fakir's hand, and scrambles back for the door with him in tow.* We need to find Mytho and Rue, make sure they're okay! *She peers out into the hallway with uncharacteristic nervousness, as though wondering if ravens might come pouring down at them. She can't abandon the niggling worry, but she quickly marches out regardless*
[8:09:17 PM] Swan Prince: *He blushes slightly when she snatches his hand like that, so casually, but quickly tightens his mouth to restrain a protest as she drags him along. He settles on a sour frown, and matches her pace from the room, because one way or another, she's right. Finding Mytho... Prince Siegfried, he briskly reminds himself, and Rue is what they came for. He reclaims his hand from her in the hallway to cross his arms. He snaps at her* Wait. I take it you don't really know where you're going? *Not that he does. But they could both do to put a little thought into it before wandering off, it would be faster in the long run*
[8:14:38 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She freezes, one leg stuck straight out as it strikes her that she really /doesn't/ know where she's going.- "Uuuuhmn..." -She turns stiffly like a top, bringing her leg down when she faces him as she gives an optimistic smile.- "I'm sure if we look long enough we'll find a map or something?" -Her hands twiddle with the fabric as she goes on, her legs itching to move.- "I mean, it can't be that big in here, right?"
[8:34:02 PM] Swan Prince: He gives her an almost despairing look, one that would question the legitimacy of her intentions, if he didn't already know she would do exactly that. But once again, it's a prickly problem, because there isn't much they can do aside from simply walking on. So, when he sighs, the exasperation isn't only for her.* It almost definitely is “that big.” I think it's better if we look for stairs. If we find some, go down, and if we can't go down, then we know we're probably on the ground floor now. Unless they have living quarters in the basement. *He shoots a skeptical glance back at the room they just came from, presumably a noble lady's palace residence* Then we can at least look for more than a scrap of paper.
[8:36:41 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She walks along, her gaze drifting upwards as she takes in everything about the place, from the torches to the ceiling to the cracks in the stones. Funny how everything feels so familiar, it looks like Goldcrown town, but at the same time not...- "Fakir, why do you think the Raven came back? I swear we killed him the last time, but by the way you were writing about him so much, I coulda sworn he was even worse than before..."
[8:42:47 PM] Swan Prince: I don't know. We'll need to find out. *His brow furrows darkly in a scowl, and he speeds his pace to reach the end of the corridor. A part of him still dares to hope that his words were false, but such a fortunate turn is unlikely. The Raven will need to be dealt with, and swiftly, or else Drosselmeyer may get his cycle of tragedy without his own knowledge... Or could he be dropping his inky strings again? That thought scares him almost more than the Raven's return, and he is determined to dodge the strands of Drosselmeyer's control before they can settle on him*
[9:13:35 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -As they go on, it becomes ever more clear that duck is a poor guide. Her stumbling, clumsy steps are about as efficient at keeping her upright as a weight on her hair would be. She takes every turn that presents itself, often leading them down the same path. However it is by her wandering steps that they come to their first staircase, though she finds it by nearly falling in. As it is, she only saves herself by a lot of arm flailing and desperate quicking as she struggles to keep herself in from gravity's grabbing hands.-
[9:19:52 PM] Swan Prince: *He grits his teeth, the words slipping around them with dangerous impatience* I'll lead. *He takes her wrist in place of gravity to keep her upright and all but stomps down the stairs ahead of her, muttering* Come on... idiot... *He would take the stairs two at a time, if he was by himself, but he's forced to use a normal pace, much to his chagrin. Then again, just about everything is much to his chagrin, and the extent to which that is Duck's fault is debatable. It seems as though they have reached the right place when they emerge from the stairwell, perhaps a side service path into a grand hall*
[9:35:42 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Wooooww..." -Duck stares in awe at the sheer size of the space. It's big. Really big. You could probably fit an entire forest in there. But it's also pretty, filled with much of the sort of soft grace and elegance she'd come to associate with Mytho himself. She finds herself spinning on her heels, her eyes wide as she cranes her neck to take it all in.--
[9:43:21 PM] Swan Prince: *He doesn't give her much time to appreciate the beauty, nor does he take much himself, though he wouldn't have minded the chance. He releases her wrist, but walks on ahead, his shoes snapping against the marble as he heads for a large door. The light wood opens easily, fanning out in the gilded frame at his touch, and he recoils at the scene before him. The traces of blood and rot are draining away, but more slowly than he would like, and he can still see palacegoers shedding feathers.* What-? *He shakes his head to himself, mouth twisted in a fierce snarl as he darts onto the grounds*
[9:53:15 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Q-QUA!" -She runs after him, her feet slapping against the ground in a manner far less graceful. However she soon comes to the rotting outdoors and though she has to cover her mouth and pause for a moment to avoid being sick, she is soon back on the trail, if anything more determined to find the Prince and Rue.- "Mytho...Rue-chan...Wherever you are...I hope you're okay.." -She fervently thinks, offering a silent prayer of sorts as she runs on the slowly recovering ground.-
[10:01:53 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir stops abruptly, wheeling around to the palace and then to a nearby tower. They didn't see anything close to the entirety of the palace, but that tower has something especially grim about it, and the shudder that runs up his spine is also one of certainty, he's almost sure that's where the Prince will be. He shouts* Over there! *He points, a definite gesture, waiting for Duck to catch up to him, but his other hand forms an angry fist, a protective impulse he had nurtured since childhood shifting to the surface*
[10:05:45 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She doesn't keep him waiting for long, charging into the castle like a speeding bolt. Even if her legs are clumsy, she's going to use them to kick Raven's wings, and even if she can't do anything, she just wants to be there for her friends. Blind kindness drives her along faster than any sort of anger could.-
[10:11:55 PM] Swan Prince: *He runs after her with his strides stretched by a determination akin to red-hot steel, practically skidding to a halt in front of the first cell door. He wrenches it open, but inside is only cold and darkness, and he pivots away in a neat motion without bothering to close it behind him. There are too many rooms to check individually, so he sweeps each one with an intense glare until he comes to the stairs* They aren't down here! Let's go!
[10:17:50 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Right!" -She dashes with him, tripping on the stairs, though she hardly notices as she scrabbles and continues on all fours until she reaches the top, panting heavily. Thankfully the cell they're looking for is near the stairs on the floor they're on, so they needent panic for much longer.-
[10:27:23 PM] Swan Prince: *He pauses just long enough to help her upright, and then continues on, tossing narrow-eyed glances through each cell door until he freezes before one grated window. His eyelids are thrown back much farther than even their usual open position, briefly revealing a sickening fear, his stare unabating when he swings the door open* Duck... *He calls to her, his voice fading as he steps inside to see the royal pair dotted with bruises and streaked with blood. He doesn't bother to try to stop his hand from shaking as he reaches down, he just needs to know... He lifts the prince's wrist, a remarkably delicate motion for him, and feels the pulse leaping under his fingers. He checks Rue, as well, and releases a breath that had been held captive to anxiety. One of his rare, truly soft smiles lingers on his face as he whispers with rough gentleness* You've been through a lot again... You've more than earned some rest.
[10:33:45 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She runs in, late as always and skids to a stop, gasping for breath. After a few moments, she looks up...And begins frantically trying to process what she sees. The Prince and Rue, lying on the floor.- "F-F-Fakir...Are they d-d-d-d-d-QUA! Qua qua qua!" -Her knees knock together, her arms flailing up and down frantically as she panics on the spot.-
[10:38:32 PM] Swan Prince: *He shakes his head, features still softened by relief* No... They're... *Well, he can't necessarily say they're fine, can he? A faintly bitter frown returns, but for the moment, he's not going to think about it overmuch. Despite the blood, neither one has any especially horrific wound, so Fakir pushes away more unpleasant thoughts with more difficulty than he'd like* Sleeping, I think. *He shoots her what can only be described as a dirty look, and issues a whispered warning* So /be quiet./
[10:44:49 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She clasps her hands over her mouth, but releif floods her. So they're ok...Just sleeping is all...She lowers her arms, and with stiff legs walks into the room, doing her very best to avoid treding in all the blood. Sadly this fails as she trips over something soft and dark. With a ducklike quack of surprise she lands on the floor, her foot resting over...another body?- "O-Owowowow..." -She picks herself up and examines the stranger, not recognizing his face, but finding it familiar...- "Fakir...Come over here..."
[10:51:49 PM] Swan Prince: What? *He turns, that frown remaining consistent but taking on a quizzical note. He picks his way more steadily across the room to join her, his eyes taking on a steely chill in the moonlight.* Who is this? *A rhetorical question, of course, he doesn't expect Duck to know, but that chill intensifies darkly when he bends to inspect the figure more closely. There is something unquestionably familiar about the sharp-limbed body on the ground, and he recoils, despite the absense of a pulse.The black feathers and twisting air of threat are all too clear on the identity of this stranger. He states simply, but with hatred boiling underneath his tone* Now we know how the Raven came back.
[10:55:09 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Q-QUACK!" -She scrambles over herself to get away from that unconscious form, staring at it with obvious horror.- "B-But how did he come back? We got rid of him didn't we...?" -Unconsciously she starts rubbing her leg against the ground, as if to get some sort of evil Raven-germ off of it.- "What are we going to do with him now?"
[11:20:05 PM] Swan Prince: I don't know. But he's dead now. *Not that the risk of thinking this escapes him, particularly given that he was supposed to have been dead already, but quite frankly, his concern is for Siegfried and, at least in part, Rue. He rises, a grim twist to his mouth* We'll tell the guards about him, and they can deal with the body. But for now, we need to get these two back to the palace. *He doesn't allow time for potential argument, leaning down and carefully lifting Siegfried. He casts an appraising eye over Duck, and he questions rather inelegantly* Do you think you can carry Rue without dropping her?
[6:37:53 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She frowns, seeming to puff up at that rude question.- "Of course I can!" -She reaches down and picks up the Lady Rue with somewhat wobbling arms. Though it's tough going, she manages to get her on her shoulder. Though her face is red and her legs tremble, the determination on her face simply cannot be matched as she walks down the hall with stiff legs.-

[6:47:59 PM] Swan Prince: *Drosselmeyer is not grinning from ear to ear. In fact, his grin is stretching beyond the bounds of his face in a frighteningly literal manner. He drums his fingers in an eager, nameless tune against the table, keeping time with the gears that spin once again.* Ah... My poor villain. Don't worry, you'll get to bring them the tragedy we both desire for them soon! *He chirps, and claps his hands twice with practiced courtesy. His eyes roll up in anticiptation, the tawny brown becoming lost in his head, except for a single sliver of color hovering at the top of the whites. The creak of a distant grandfather clock's door can be heard, swinging open at the oddest of angles under the Raven's body*
[6:59:31 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Slowly, dimly consciousness returns to the Raven as he feels himself...falling. The wind is rushing past him in a way quite familiar and at once strange. His first instinct is to spread his wings, but for some reason they've been replaced with these useless meaty things...oh, what was it...arms? Yes, arms. And hands. He stares at them impassionately as they dangle above him, swept along by the grace of gravity. That's right. He's broken. It comes back to him in scraps and peices, the plotting, the blood, the face of his enemy...The face of his enemy. Something about it, he just can't seem to care. It's lost all meaning, just like the distant sound of clockwork surrounding him, just like the thin wire that slowly wraps around his limp, numb body, slowing his descent, holding him in place...-
[7:03:04 PM] Swan Prince: *With a snap of Drosselmeyer's fingers, a chair rushes out from the darkness to catch the Raven and pull him up to the table. He tips his hat in welcome, friendly beyond what can possibly be genuine.* Why, hello, there! Now, how is my feathered friend today? *He pauses, frowning with exaggerated puzzlement, then chuckles to himself* Well, missing his feathers, for one thing. A shame, isn't it? Ah, well... *He strokes his chin thoughtfully, then tilts his head at a jarring angle* It's lovely to have you.
[7:10:24 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The only response Drosselmeyer receives is a dull, dead stare. Something about that gaze is unnerving on a level hard to describe. There is no actual hatred behind it, no fury...But something in it contains the gleam of an tiger that has been caged too long. Deep, deep and vast, like crimson lakes, they menace with the promise that any humiliation is being recorded, brooded upon, and will be met with punishment very, very soon. It is not innocence that fills the Raven's eyes, not the wide eyed innocence that Mytho possessed. It is raw hunger, the endless, insatiable need to feed. And in seeing that form, that shape, the human before him the Raven feels a stirring that makes his hands itch and his stomach burn...He wants...he wants to consume.-
[7:18:27 PM] Swan Prince: *Drosselmeyer seems unimpressed, outwardly, at any rate. He arches an eyebrow, steepling his fingers over the table* My, aren't we cheerful today? But then, that's impossible, isn't it? *He leans back casually, his confident smirk full of aggravating self-satisfaction* You couldn't even enjoy the fall of your enemies, as you are now. Would you like me to change that? *He plucks a hand free to wave it breezily, dismissing the thought. He knows more than anyone what the Raven is capable of, and he doesn't doubt for a second that his blood would be welcome in the beast's throat, but really, he's merely working for their mutual benefit. The bird shouldn't complain, even if he will* Never mind that. You can't want anything, either. But I can give that to you, regardless.
[7:23:44 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Want..." -Those words...Something about them is making that fire in his belly burn hotter. He can't feel it, he can't feel the rage that would come with such an affront, but it's clear by the twitching of his eye and the gentle curling of his fingers on the table that something in there desperately wants to rip Drosselmeyer's heart from his body for his arrogance. But his words are flat and empty, and he doesn't feel the inclination on a conscious enough level to actually more his limp arms...-
[7:28:23 PM] Swan Prince: That's right. Want. *He offers the Raven a sagely nod, and then lifts the lid from a silver platter that one could swear wasn't there a moment before. Gemstone shards glisten, black as jet, against the gear-patterned plate, and Drosselmeyer wags an amused index finger of the hand that's not holding the lid* This isn't everything. But I can give it to you. You want it. *He leans forward, releasing the cover and allowing it to poof into nothingness. And, with both hands free, he gestures grandly to either side of himself* Tell me you want this, and I'll give it to you! Your heart, my foul Raven. And then you can go and tear the prince's to pieces. Though perhaps not literally, at first... *He smiles knowingly* Where would the fun be in that?
[7:36:10 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven is barely listening. That plate- on that plate he can smell it. What his belly is burning him for, clawing at him, screaming into his very soul. A heart, though in a different shape than usual, not that it strikes him as odd. A heart, he needs a heart, a heart dripping with corruption and blood. His entire body is trembling as he stares at that plate. His words are shaky, filled with a sort of broken softness that borders insanity.- "I...I want...I want to consume...I want
to eat...e-everything."
[7:38:30 PM] Swan Prince: *Drosselmeyer bursts out into uproarious laughter, clapping his hands delightedly* Very good, very good! And it would be too cruel for you to do that and get nothing out of it. *He slids the platter across the table to the Raven, clasping his hands in anticipation for what he knows will happen, despite the risk it carries for himself* Then, to start, you can eat this! A good appetizer, don't you agree?
[7:47:27 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -He grabs the plate with shaking fingers, slipping the shards down his throat. Though sharp and undoubtedly painful, they go down smoothly, soon finding their proper place inside him. Unfortunetely that's where the pain begins. For a moment he merely looks stunned, his face set in pale shock as emotions overwhelm him. Then he screams, a sound of pure pain and fury erupting from his throat, a sound like the screeching of demons in the pits of hell. His hands come up to clutch his throbbing head as emotions flood him, overwhelming him. He screams until his throat starts to bleed, he screams until he loses his voice and nothing is heard. He screams until, impossibly, he begins to cry.-
[7:57:46 PM] Swan Prince: Oh, poor, poor Raven... Is your own heart too foul for even yourself? *He chuckles, with perhaps the faintest grim note to the sound, but quickly shakes his head to dispel the humor* It doesn't matter. Pull yourself together. We must talk business, now, for I am in need of a villain once again. And you truly are my finest... *He half-muses the last statement to himself,  then smiles amiably* So, why don't we work something out? You give me my tragedy, and you get the prince's heart, not to mention your own. *He folds his arms expectantly, ready to hear the Raven agree to his terms*
[8:02:57 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven drops his head forward, still trying to deal with the awful headache that wracks him and the pain in his throat. He rolls one eye up, growling softly at Drosselmeyer.- "...Who do you think you are, to claim to own me?" -That's right, who is this man in a silly hat with a world of gears? He has no reason to command him, he has no right to be so smug. The Raven straightens, his mouth turned in a downward crescent that manages to bare all of his teeth.- "Who are you to command me, the proud Raven, of whom all other ravens are but mere reflections?"
[8:06:58 PM] Swan Prince: I could command you. I am your creator, after all. *He is quite unperturbed by the Raven's evil theatrics, after all, it's a tendency he created.* But, I am not going to command you. I will make you a bargain... Really, you only have to do what you would, anyway. Take the prince, and spoil that silly "happy ending." *He sniffs with obvious contempt for the very idea, and peers over at Raven pointedly* If you do that, then you can have his heart once it's been broken in the more metaphorical sense. Does that not please you?
[8:12:27 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Creator? Tch!" -The Raven scoffs, frowning...However, this man's proposition does hold promise. And the rest of his heart...Anything to be back in the sky again.- "...I will take your offer...If you make it worth my while." -He crosses his arms and glares at Drosselmeyer.- "After all, what's to stop me from simply going across this table and ripping your heart from your chest? Then I can find the rest of my heart by myself and exact revenge that way."
[8:15:24 PM] Swan Prince: But what I offer is so much faster. And you can always rip my heart out once you have yours, can't you? *Drosselmeyer's smile is disconcertingly massive, flashing blocky white teeth* No, you don't lose much at all if you are a bit patient. Look at it as the prince, then me, if you so choose. *He shrugs, exaggerating the motion, and it's quite plain that he doesn't really intend to simply let the Raven have his heart. However, at the same time, there isn't necessarily much he could do to stop the bird, and so taking a little time isn't inclined to hurt either one of them*
[8:20:11 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven calms, running fingers through his hair thoughtfully. Yes...He's getting a bit ahead of himself. He's hungry, that's what it is. His own heart has only whetted his appetite...- "Hnn..." -By the look on his face, it's clear he doesn't want to admit that Drosselmeyer is right, but it's also clear that he isn't going to act on his threat. Probably.-
[8:23:22 PM] Swan Prince: Go on! *Drosselmeyer urges brightly, nodding as a faint smirk shrinks his lips* Go on, my crafty Raven! Fly, fly to the prince, and turn those swan wings of his scarlet with blood! *He shoves his chair back from the table, rising swiftly and throwing his arms back in a fanciful gesture* There's no need to lurk around with this old man anymore. I will only be watching, watching this beautiful story write itself. I think I've earned some rest, after all.
[8:27:58 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -It occurs to the Raven that the person before him is more than likely utterly mad, judging by his expression and entheusiasm. Nonetheless, a door opens above him. While it's true that actual flight is beyond him, he has a good alternative. With a clattering of dishes he stomps on the table, throwing his thin frame into the air. With a little bit of wind and a lot of magic, the Raven finds himself thrust into the world that is his own.-


[6:30:25 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir grimaced, not a terribly dark expression, simply an irritated one, but he left the infirmary regardless of his obvious displeasure. The general population of the palace had allowed them a great deal of freedoms in return for bringing the Prince and Princess back safely, but that didn't mean that a group of rather... stiff-minded nobles was pleased with the two strangers keeping an insistent watch over the royal couple, particularly since neither had come awake to prove that they knew each other. And now an especially nasty group of them had assembled, demanding that the pair of interlopes present some definite proof of their identities, or they would be expelled immediately from the palace! Fakir sighed gruffly. Mytho- Siegfried was too good a prince for that paper-frail lot. But Fakir had not a speck of patience for them, and the moment he had stomped out the door, he whispered tightly* Shut up, all of you! Do you want to bother him? *Of course, he was not necessarily in a position to be bothered by all the chatter, with his eyes flittering lacily open without regard for any noise. A cream-pale hand slipped out from under the sheets to stir his sugar-white hair. There was... confusion, drowsiness, and he felt decidedly ill. As though something his body badly wanted to reject was grounded firmly in his head and stomach, not to mention his tight joints. He shut out the dim glow of the infirmary by pressing his face against the pillow. He supposed there was indeed something his body wished to reject, and his mind shared the view, but it wouldn't do to think of that right now. He would simply count it as a blessing that he could sourly curl in on himself to avoid being sick, despite the absence of anything real in his stomach. He rested his hand on his forehead, palm up, as if to check himself for a fever, and realized rather crossly that his eyelids had slipped on him. He had slept for more than long enough, and he was sure his kingdom would need him to help with its recovery, one more important than his own. And Rue- He jolted painfully upright, and thankfully, he only had to whip his head one direction to find her, asleep in the next bed. Peaceful. He smiled tiredly, and picked his way out of the covers to more or less sway across to her bed and perch on the side. He brushed a concerned hand over a bandage tied about her forehead, his eyes deepening with a graceful sadness* Rue... Rest well...
[6:56:57 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Lights...and sound. Rue can hear them, flitting about her head, rolling over her eyes in a confusing jumble, like a horde of butterflies. She tries to move her hand, to wave them away, but for some reason all she can see is a wing etched against the darkness, twitching in a confused jumble in some parody of movement. Somehow it fills her with guilt, though she cannot recall why. Somehow...It makes her cry, sullen, soft tears born of a trauma she cannot name as she lies in the darkness of her own mind. Light and sound drift around her, mocking, distorting, just out of reach, just out of focus. Was that her own name spoken softly or a raven's harsh cry? She cannot tell, even as her forehead starts sweating and her eyes shift feverishly, tears springing from her sleeping form in soft streams. She clings to the one shard of light she knows she will always have, her one source of happiness and joy...She screams it, hoping it will reach him somehow even as her own soft lips echo her cry.- "My Prince...My Prince..."
[7:14:26 PM] Swan Prince: *He gasps with strange delicacy, a sound that's the shock swelled in him and spilled into the air, and curves over her abruptly, heedless of the harsh pull on his spine. The smooth lines of his back are traced with tension as he shields her. Though the motion is sweetly soft, he knocks her tears away with an intensity to match any swordblow, murmuring through a fragile smile* My princess, I am beside you... *He cradles her hand in his own, and lifts it to his heart, so she can feel the thrum of his pulse, the energy rushing in him where the flow starts. The other hand drifts from her eyes to her feathery hair, stroking each individual curl back from her fevered forehead. The words trickle out with his breath, rippling soothingly into the air* I will not let even a nightmare harm you.
[7:25:40 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Suddenly...there is a hand. A hand to pull her out of the darkness and a soft voice to guide her. A gentle brush on her cheeks, the phantom feeling of a gentle caress...Rue dares not open her eyes, for fear that it will all wash away. But she can feel him, like the sun on her face, a warm light that throbs in tune with the beating of his heart. When she can stand it no longer her hazy eyes flick open to see the blurred image of her Prince's soft face, filled with concern and love and everything she has come to admire about him. Tears, hot and wet pool at the corner of her eyes as she reaches up to wrap her arms around him, to pull him close and to never let go. Her voice is cracked, frail and soft, but it contains all the compassion and love in the world.- "M-My Prince...Please...never leave my side..."
[7:56:27 PM] Swan Prince: Never. *Siegfried reassures her quietly, twining his arms around her in turn to hold her against him, so they can feel their hearts together, pounding off each other in rhythm. They stir a shimmering melody in him, constant and warm, beyond the fairytale beauty of his own lands. However frail her voice, her frame is solid and strong against him, his elegant princess, outlined in bold colors that glisten without need of light. He fans his fingers against her back, drawing her up toward him, supporting her spine as he angles it very carefully to rest a brief kiss against her lips* I promise. So... *He blushes, and though it's faint, it glows like sunlit stained glass on his porcelain face, flustered* Please don't cry. Unless I have otherwise upset you, my princess...? *And regret adds its melancholy twang to his voice, he does not seem to find that possibility surprising*
[8:03:47 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She shakes her head, bringing her hand to the back of his head, gently caressing his fluffy, marshmallow-white hair, running her fingers through each soft strand.- "No no...Anything but. You..." -She pauses, fumbling with her words.- "You are the...calm to the storm. You are my sunny day, fair Prince..." -She finds herself blushing at how cheesy her words are, but a sort of ache is addling her thoughts. Catiously she reaches up and lightly touches her head, only to flinch when her hand makes contact with the bandages there.-
[8:15:57 PM] Swan Prince: Ah, Rue... *He only smiles to hear her speak that so kindly, but a sympathetic wince twists his face for an instant, and he gently slips his fingers under hers to wrap her hand in both of his. The pain of his princess dominants his attention, making him keenly aware of a slight stutter in his heartbeat at that moment. The blush doesn't fade, though it's a not quite clear whether that is lingering warmth or the flush of illness, or perhaps some strange bittersweet blending of both. His voice skips like light through breezeblown branches as he murmurs gingerly* Rest, my princess, and heal quickly. You mustn't tire yourself.
[8:26:15 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "N-No...I'll be fine, I'll be..." -She trails off, seeing the worry in his face, weaving it's way through his eyes. Perhaps...Perhaps, just for once, just to ease her poor Prince's frazzled nerves and calm his heart she should comply and take some time off. What he needs right now isn't strength, but serenity...-
[8:43:36 PM] Swan Prince: *He loops his arms about her once more, pressing her tenderly close before lowering her to the pillow and cupping her cheek with a graceful hand* May you have sweet dreams, my princess. *His fluttering smile shifts his eyes into harvest-moon slits, warm and catching the sun's light. Then he rises in what should have been a smooth motion, spoiled by a slight stumble and a sharp intake of breath as the sudden change in position stirs sick dizziness again. He settles rather inelegantly onto his own bed, fitting his forehead into his hands*
[8:54:55 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The door slams open as Duck makes her frantic, albeit well-meaning entry. She runs to the couple's side, practically tripping over her own feet as she spews a stream of consoling gibberish, questions, and a fair number of frantic quacks as well. Even if she is dressed in a typical court dress, there is simply no mistaking those frantic eyes and that well-meaning Duckishness.-
[9:06:51 PM] Swan Prince: ...Duck? *Siegfried jerks upright, puzzlement scrawled messily in his wide eyes, until he composes himself to the point of mild bemusement. He would have expected numerous nervous nobles more eager to confirm the royal pair's health, not friendly, frantic babbling, and as sweet as Duck is, it's a tad overwhelming. He closes his eyes gingerly, as if the motion might worsen his headache, producing a weak smile from his deepest reserves of nobility* It is... nice to see you again. But... *He frowns curiously, then inquires with the most polite hesitation he can manage* How did you come to be here? Did Fakir come with you? *He waits, as if expecting his question to be a convenient cue for the other boy's entry, but the prince is disappointed for the moment*
[9:11:26 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She freezes, caught mid-frantic gesture. She hadn't noticed how pained he looked, nor the deep soft sort of sadness in his eyes. She lowers her arms, drawing her hands together to poke at each other nervously.- "Yeah, Fakir came with me, but the nobles don't like him much 'cos he's kind of rude, you know?" -She pauses thinking for mere moments before blurting out the question that was bugging her ever since she came into that dim room.- "What happened? How come lady Rue and you were so beat up? Was the guy in the room with you really the Raven?"
[5/10/2011 9:24:18 PM] Swan Prince: Yes... *He recoils, as though her outburst jabbed into a still-bloody cut. His voice drops off into a wounded whisper, and he looks away, his gaze weighed to the ground by leaden memories. His heart flickers cruelly, and he narrows his eyes with suppressed anger at what he sees, at himself, a dark and taloned bird, and regret carves deeply into his chest even now. He clutches a steady hand to his ribs, lowering his head, and shaking it once. His hair swishes over shadowed eyes. He speaks slowly, each word stretched with consideration* But there is nothing to fear now. So, please... Do not trouble yourself. *He shakes his head again, a more solid gesture. He breathes deeply, squashing a tremble from his limbs before he can look up at Duck with a pleasant enough smile* Have you been well?
[9:31:29 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Sadly for Siegfried, Duck isn't just going to let the topic drop like that. When he opens his eyes, she's already right up in his face, her own large with concern.- "I've been fine, but you don't look like you are. Is there anything I can do to help you? Anything at all?" -Frankly poor duck is sick of being on the sidelines. She wants to give Siegfried any help she can, even if it's something as simple as a hug or a glass of water. Her role as Tutu and the pain she would see on his face still bugs her slightly.-
[9:40:18 PM] Swan Prince: *He merely stares at her for a minute, at something of a loss. It had been a fairly long time since he'd met the passionate girl, and he found that there was little to do but smile thinly, though it was not unkind. He softens* No. Truly, I am fine. *His bright smile would have been a tad more convincing if sweat wasn't glistening on his face, turning its usual paleness into something more sickly. However, he doesn't give her time to question it, casting a cautioning glance at Rue* Do try to be a bit quieter, please.
[9:44:22 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "O-Oh, ok..." -Cowed, she scootches back a little, biting her lip. He doesn't look ok, but...If he wants to keep a facade, then she might as well go along with it. It looks like if she said he was anything but ok, his eggshell-thin smile would snap and he'd...No, Duck refuses to even consider the possibility of him crying, especially for something she did. Instead she turns her gaze to Rue's sleeping form and allows herself a small smile.- "Rue sure does look peaceful, doesn't she?"
[7:17:35 PM] Swan Prince: *He nods, his expression becoming infinitely soft as he turns to look at Rue. It's a wonder she was able to sleep in all the recent noise, but he can only suppose, rather sadly, that she was simply that tired.* Yes... *He glances swiftly at Duck, but before he can make whatever comment he intended, one of gratitude for what she had done for both himself and his princess, in fact, Fakir hurled the door wide and leaped into the room after it as it just barely kept to its hinges. He saw Siegfried was awake, and all his tightly frenzied motion ceased for a moment, but there was no time for what he wanted to say. He could only drop his words like a tripwire trap of spikes from above.* Get the prince and Rue somewhere safe, now! There are ravens trying to break in, and they aren't in any condition to- *But Siegfried was already tripping out of bed, rocking forward. Fear tore at his heart, yes, but anger was stronger, and he had to defend his people. Fakir grabbed his shoulders, yelling in his face without thinking about it* No! Don't even try it. *He found a grip on the prince's wrist and pulled him toward the hall, yelling to Duck* Get Rue!
[7:44:14 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -With wide eyes Duck jumps to, grabbing Rue from her bed with fearful eyes. She hasn't got time to disentagle her from her bedsheets, so she simply picks up the poor girl, covers and all, making sure to cradle her head in one arm and her legs in another. Tiny droplets of sweat bead the maiden's skin as her eyes feverishly swivel under their lids. Duck runs as carefully as she can, seeing Fakir's thin fram in the far end of the hall, rushing. She doesn't know where he is going. She can only trust him and hope.-
[8:04:48 PM] Swan Prince: Fakir, stop! I have to go! *But he's staggering to even keep up with Fakir, and the other boy only pulls the prince's arm around his shoulder to support him, ignoring his continuing protests. Siegfried's eyes are wide, his gaze lurching unsteadily as he directs his gaze behind him and tries with any strength he can find lingering in him to pull free* We must defend the palace! Take Duck and Rue to safety, then- *Fakir slices through his panicked speech with cold words, though he regrets speaking to Siegfried in such a way* No. If you get hurt, then what happens to the kingdom? *He can't let the prince be hurt any worse than he already has been, and drags him along with strength born from his own anger at the attackers. The... wrongness... of the situation is enough to make Fakir wish he had a sword in his hand again, to slash away those who would threaten the happy ending they had all worked hard for*
[8:17:14 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven hums happily, walking peacefully through the carnage around him. Soft, screaming nobles beseiged by birds at all side pave his way. He doesn't pay them any mind, even when they're underfoot, even when he steps in their blood. The great wooden doors that mark the opening to Siegfried's castle bear no resistance to him. He simply walks up with a grin so sharp it could cut and taps lightly on it once. Wood snaps and tears as breat beams are torn apart from within, snapping into great splinters that spear the ground. The Raven sighs contentedly, smiling at the grand welcoming hall that greets with wide open halls and more delicious, screaming nobles. He reaches out and plucks one from a mob, smiling down at his bleeding, nervous face.- "Good evening. Would you be so kind as to tell me where your fair Prince is?" -The man gibbers, his tongue lost to fear, however after a moment he manages to babble out "Th-THE INFIRMARY" before breaking into tears.- "Thank you very much." -With a businesslike manner, the Raven reaches into the noble's chest and plucks his heart like a ripe fruit before dropping him to the ground. After all, he has to keep his strength up. He has a Prince to find.-
[8:27:36 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir retraces his steps as best as he can remember, which is quite well, as it happens, and before long, he has led them back to the room he and Duck arrived in. He bolts the door behind them, and sets himself up against it when he sees Siegfried reaching for the handle* Fakir... let me out. *His voice is low, even weak, and yet something rich thrums through the words. A particular air of command, one that flows naturally from him, and calls Fakir to let him pass, reminding the other boy very much of his own old declarations of being the prince's knight. Siegfried takes a step forward, tilting his head up, and his feathery silver bangs fall away to reveal a gaze that aches with longing to be out and fighting. But Fakir merely stiffens, hardening his heart and pointing to the bed* Rest. You need to. *Siegfried frowns, a challenge carved in the line of his mouth, but he pivots- too quickly, and Fakir needs to reach out to catch the dizzy prince, whose frown immediately becomes one of concern when he takes sight of Rue. He approaches her quickly, and a shudder dashes through him as he places a hand against her forehead* What...? Rue, what's wrong? *Something dangerously close to utter, overpowering panic takes its place over the courage in his tone* She wasn't like this only a few minutes ago, was she? No...
[8:34:54 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Duck looks up at Fakir with tears in her eyes, sobs barely held back. She blames herself, she should have noticed, she should have been more careful with Rue. Her voice wobbles as she speaks, breaking ever so slightly.- "I..I don't know what happened, Fakir. One moment she was fine, and the next she was all hot and...I-I'm sorry..."
[8:44:59 PM] Swan Prince: No... Duck... It's not anything you did, I'm sure... *Siegfried wants to reassure the girl, but he cannot press a smile onto his face or remove the faintly agonized concern from his voice. He reaches forward and delicately slides Rue out of Duck's arms, gathering her close in his shaking limbs and setting on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. The fever rejects his light kiss against her forehead with its dangerous burning, and he swallows. His eyes seem about to crack open and spill too many tears, but he straightens his spine and simply whispers to her, quiet comforts for whatever ill dreams she might be having. Fakir nods at Duck from the distance, however* I don't even know what you could have done. Of all the things we have to worry about, don't blame yourself for that, idiot. *He snaps, more harshly than he intended, the words coming out in a sharp rush to cover his shock as the wood vibrates under a sudden weight crashing against it. Repeatedly. He turns, stepping away and steadying himself for whatever might come through.*
[9:04:06 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Smash, smash, again and again, the door begins to bulge inward from the blows. Creaking wood and the crunching sound of splinters signal the door's final few moments before it crumbles into a mass of splinters and sawdust, a hole providing entry to a person straight from Siegfried's nightmares. The Raven daintily steps through the hole, licking his fingers of blood with an idle smile. His voice is a contented lazy drawl as he looks strange group over, his red smile unnerving against the background screams.- "Well well well...What do we have here...? All of my enemies in one room...What a treat, what a treat for me...And to think, I thought today couldn't get any better...?"
[9:17:33 PM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried immediately clutches Rue to his chest, curling to cover her. They had best him, only a short while ago, it should have been impossible for him to be there, they should be rid of him, and his thoughts only become more discordant, sloshing together in a mess of blood and terror and struggling courage. He cries out, a hoarse but unflinching challenge. Because he knows now, and he will not let the bird escape without punishment* Raven! What did you do to her? Restore her, and I might grant you a more honorable death than that which you deserve. *Fakir doesn't hesitate a second, not even the blood on the monster's fingers puts him off a daring, or perhaps foolish, charge for the bird. He doesn't speak, but his eyes are chilled steel painted in their bright color*
[9:29:40 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven sighs and waits for Fakir to get close enough, still licking over his sticky fingers. Within moments he has Fakir's neck in strong, constricting fingers as he raises him to eye level, though not once does he even look at him.- "Knights should rest aside when their Lords are speaking. Know your place, fool." -His grip tightens on Fakir's neck as he finishes his snack, though his chin and mouth still drip blood. Always elegant, he turns to Siegfried, offering a coldly superior smile.- "Foolish Prince. Not everything is my doing. A plague has struck your country- I can smell it in the air. You do not see it, because your world is limited to your pathetic friends, but I have traveled the countryside and seen the taint of disease. Don't worry though, it's fairly painless from what I see, but it's also fatal..." He trails off thoughtfully, kicking a splinter of wood aside idly. "As for restoration? It can be done, yes, but the price will be high and the cure will take time." -He laughs, his smile crooked.- "Of course, that's only if you're willing to deal with a filthy Raven..."
[9:46:29 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir almost gasps in shock, but he holds in all the air he can when those wiry hands fasten far too tightly around his throat. He doesn't merely scratch at the Raven's fingers, he also kicks violently, aiming to sweep the bird's legs out from underneath him. He tries to turn his head, to look back at Siegfried and discourage him from agreeing with enraged urgency, but he is rapidly reaching a point where all he can do is not pass out, and soon even that skill would be beyond him. Even horror only vaguely strikes him when the prince speaks* You wish to... bargain with me? *He smiles, but it's a frosted, fractured thing that haunts his face. His pride burns, but with Fakir in the Raven's talons and Rue's breath growing more labored against him and Duck, that bright figure who fought to save them before threatened in such a way... His options have been plucked out as brutally as the Raven removes hearts, and if all he can do is to face an inevitable choice with his wildest courage, then he will do so. He wraps his arms around Rue all the more tightly for a moment, murmuring to her before he places her against the blankets* Don't fear, my princess... I will not leave you... As I promised. *Yes, he promised, and he would not even die in the attempt. He would merely keep it, it was not such a complicated thing for him.* I will deal with you. But it must be me, and me alone whom you bring your threat to.
[9:59:14 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Splendid!" -The Raven drops Fakir to allow him to crumple to the floor, gasping in agony. He steps forward, past the wayward knight, past the cowering form of Duck whose eyes brim with tears as she tries to sink into the floor, useless once more. He looms over Siegfried, hands crossed as he grins down at the Prince with all the warmth and beleivablility of a snake oil salesman. Sadly his cures work, all too well.- "My hated Prince...I promise you on the feathers that adorn me that I will not direct any threats towards your dear companions." -Why of course he won't threaten anyone. He'll simply walk up and sweep their hearts from their chests.- "Just make sure to keep your little attack dog from biting at my ankles while we negotiate, hmmmn?"
[10:15:20 PM] Swan Prince: I shall. Fakir, please... do not interfere. I will stop him. *He narrows his eyes, despite what the Raven might believe, kindness does not equate to foolishness, and before any further terms are discussed, he adds smoothly* You must not hurt them, either, in any way. They are to come to no harm by you, physical or otherwise. If it is someone to take out your ill-born hatred on, or someone to fulfill your hunger... Let that be only me. *He closes his eyes, a strange serenity settling over him. He is all too sure of what such a "deal" will bring him... It's essentially surrender, but it is his surrender, his shame, and he will be the one to bear the consequences for it. That is all he can ask for. He rises, putting all his dancer's grace into the motion to force the Raven back a step as he looks unwaveringly into the Raven's face, his warm golden eyes alight with nobly vivid anger. Fakir has remained frozen against the ground, trying to force his limbs to be still as he regained oxygen, but as soon as he has the breath for it, he snarls viciously* No! Mytho- Prince Siegfried- If you give him what he wants, then you may not have any chance! *He's desperately scrambling for anything he can think of that might convince Mytho to stay, to /not do this/, but nothing comes that will convince a prince with no room in his heart for himself*
[10:25:42 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Very good. You're more clever than I give you credit for." -Inwardly he is ruffled by the Prince forcing him back that step. But it is the grace of a swan as it dies and he quickly smooths his anger.- "I suppose you know what my proposal is. I want you, Siegfried. I want you to come into my care, for me to do as I please to. In return, I will remove the sickness from my wretched daughter. I promise not to harm your lackwit friends though direct or indirect means. I promise not to eat their hearts, even if their fear makes them drip and quaver in delicious..." -He pauses, wiping a small trail of drool from the corner of his mouth, tearing his drifting gaze from the knight on the floor.- "...In any event, in return, all I ask for is your surrender. A fair deal, is it not?"
[10:47:54 PM] Swan Prince: I will go with you. *He nods once, a stiff demonstration of determination, and darts neatly around the Raven, lacing his steps with all the strength he can find in his exhausted body. He never once glances back, but in the doorway, he pauses for an instant, trailing his hand reluctantly over the frame* Fakir. Duck. Do not fear for me. I trust you to keep Rue safe... while I cannot... *He bows his head dourly, and though no one else can see it, the painfully bitter sadness that tumbles through his chest with each heartbeat and carves itself roughly across his face is audible in his voice. Fakir stares, his eyes double their usual narrowed width, and he wants to choke out another protest, to stop the prince from binding himself with the entire responsibility of everyone's pain yet again, without even lessening his own, but he cannot do anything himself but accept the bravery of the sacrifice, though it makes Fakir sick at himself, a violent illness that drives him to shout* I will! I swear that I will keep her safe, until you have finally vanquished the Raven and returned to her! *Siegfried's gasp is a strangely bright sound, amid everything, and he wheels abruptly to face Fakir with a truly satisfied smile. He can say nothing, he has already promised himself to those bloodied talons, but the warmth on his face is impossibly pure*
[11:10:13 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven rolls his eyes at the tender display, sighing. He's already regretting his deal. Well, it'll all be worth it soon. Still, he sniffs at them both, his voice ringing with distaste.- "Are you done having your precious moment? Because frankly it's disgusting." -He sighs and walks over to Rue, staring over her sleeping form. Ahh, his daughter...so disgusting. That pale skin and feathered hair...How useless. Still, a deal is a deal. He places a hand on her sweating forehead closing his eyes, smelling the taint in her blood, the disease that runs through her with greedy fingers, clawing through her body. Yes, a few days and she's be dead...But it wouldn't be by his hand. He stirs her blood, calling to it, ordering it to burn away the invasion, giving it the power to heal in it's own, strange way. He opens his eyes ever so slightly, smirking as he sees her face twist in agony. He drops his hand and swaggers out, confident. Of course, the pain twining through Rue's body should make itself known soon.- "The deed is done. She'll live, of course, but the recovery will be painful. Come along, Prince. We have much to do."
[11:23:12 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Rue whimpers, softly at first, then louder as the pain in her fevered mind grows. She can feel it, running through her blood like a million wayward razors. Wings, claws, beaks, shooting through her, taking her apart, vein by vein, burning from her heart ever so slowly, seeping into her body. Her mouth opens, shaking, her lungs lacking the air to scream until she remembers to breathe. Loud, peircing, she gives her agony voice, but it only seems to delight in this display of weakness, choosing to drive more and more pain through her. Endlessly, brokenly she screams, her hands gripping the blankets that swaddle her with an iron grip, her body trembling as every muscle in her body tenses. It isn't long before her strangled scream breaks, forcing her to continue on, a rattling hissing sound issuing from her throat in it's place.-
[11:43:19 PM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried's smile vanishes in a flash of nothingness, and it is as though the Raven has doused the sun by his actions. The prince does not seem to register anything, a pitiful numbess darkening his features, and then his carefully wrought guard shatters into fragments that cut his heart as they spin away. He rushes forward madly, his tired feet scrabbling for purchase on the wood, and he actually shoves past the Raven for no reason other than the fact that suddenly Rue is screaming, as though she's being ripped apart before him, and it's as unspeakably horrible as if he could see blood and bone fragments.* /Rue!/ *He crashes, scraping his knees as tears splash into brilliant diamond shards that melt into the floor below him. He trails a soothing hand along her forehead, feeling the heat that lingers so cruelly even with this new torment. Still, he grabs her hand in a loose grip, all that he can muster as her pained breathing echoes endlessly in his skull. He sobs, his eyes burning with regret* My princess... I... I'm sorry... what did I condemn you to...? Please... please be well!
[11:54:43 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Come along Prince. I upheld my end of the bargain, you should too. Isn't that what honor is all about? Not that I would know, but I have heard rumors." -He reaches out and grabs the Prince's collar, dragging him out the door with an air of vague annoyance. His people should be about done taking the castle right now, and he's really wasted too much time on frivolities. It's about time he ascended the throne and took his rightful place.-
[12:04:21 AM] Swan Prince: Rue! Rue! *Her name, that's all he can think, and he flings his hand out to her, as though he might be able to run her fingers through her hair, softly, calmingly, anything to help his princess, but he only sees her fall further away from him, and in a moment, they are down the hall, beyond his vision. He no longer sobs, or cries out, but continues weeping in silence. He sealed his voice away, as it is no longer strong enough to carry any of his battered thoughts. He does, however, force his feet under himself to walk, instead of merely allowing himself to be pulled along helplessly*
[12:20:36 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Tch...Humans. So very emotional. If one of my kin were to drop dead, I'd simply eat the corpse..." -He walks on, glaring down at his little hostage. Such an emotional wreck. If it weren't for him, he'd be tearing himself apart. Still, he walks along, letting his poor weeping wreck trail along with him. Around them ravens occupy the air, the only living thing in the castle that once bustled with people.- "You should be glad, Prince. I got rid of all the ones carrying the plague. My people are immune, so it's no trouble to us to simply eat their flesh and stop it from spreading. " -The scope of the disease soon becomes apparent as they step into the throne room. Bones everywhere, all stripped clean and cracked open for marrow, jumbled, mixed, overturned by buffeting wings in their haste to consume. Raven sighs contentedly, stepping up to the throne and lounging in it with a smile.- "Mnnh. A nice throne. Very classy, very comfortable. I think I'll enjoy using it as a roost for now..."
[12:33:57 AM] Swan Prince: Do not think to ask gratitude of me, Raven. None of my people would have died where it not for you... *He speaks tonelessly, his words echoing emptily around the devastated hall, but there is too much in his heart, hatred, rage, a sadness that rings hollow and endless all pound the walls of his heart to something threadbare, while courage fights with unexpected power for life, aided by pride. He tips his head up, and his gaze swings wildly, a vehicle out of control, drifting toward nothing, unless he might seek an answer from the wall. He does not, however, soon his gaze is trained with curdled power on his enemy* And yet, here I stand. You dared question my honor earlier, but... *his eyes narrow into stinging slits, and he digs his nails into the palms of his hands, drawing a slight, sharp pain for focus* I will not suffer such an insult.
[12:45:37 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Foolish little fledgeling...I'm not asking for gratitude, to smudge your honor or even to insult you." -His predatory grin is a parody of the Prince's usual serene gaze, malevolence etched in the very air around him.- "What I am here to do is nothing less than to take your lands, extinguish your people, destroy everything you love and send you into never ending despair. Then I will drink your blood and eat your conflicted little heart." -He stretches on his throne, adjusting it so that he's sitting sideways, with one arm-rest supporting his legs and the other cushioning his head. He holds his hand out to Siegfried, purring his demand.- "And now, as my prisoner, I say that you give me your crown. I own these lands now, so it's only fit that I wear the emblem of a leader."
[12:54:19 AM] Swan Prince: *He could almost have sighed with relief. This was easy, painless, because it would not truly harm his people, or his friends, and though his pride recoiled violently at the blow. He lifted his crown from his head and offered it up in a gracious motion.* Very well. You may have the leader's emblem, but it will be an empty thing for you... *He lowers his head slightly, but it's a look of decided repose rather than submission. He runs a hand over his chest slowly, pressing his fingers over the ribs his heart lies beneath, and he cannot quite still a terrified shudder, but if it's despair, let it be for himself, and not his princess... He will simply have to make sure that the previous, infinitely more painful threat to everything he loves does not happen before then.*
[1:05:54 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven smiles, enjoying the bauble and how it gleams in the sun. Why is he being so petty? Well frankly, because he has something far worse in mind. The Prince will have his agony, yes, and it will be his own hand that brings it. Because even though his people have weeded out the sick, he said nothing about the living. Ah, but first he needs an ally that lurks in plain sight, a second player to his game. He places the crown on his head, where it seems to suck color from his feathers, turning to black obsidian before the Prince's very eyes.- "Oh, of course. Yes, my victory rings so hollow, Prince. Tell that to the people locked underground. Tell that to the ravens that fly above your head. Tell that to your friends, who are going into hiding this very moment. Please, don't bore me with your words." -He snaps his fingers, and a raven swoops into his hand. For a moment, it stretches, then morphs into a black tinted wineglass. Another bird flies by, filling it from a glass bottle unmarked. It's alarmingly clear that the dark red fluid that fills his glass is not wine, even before the heart drops from the bottle's neck into the fluid, left suspended and still beating by some foul magic.- "Mnnh...Say Prince, do you fancy a game?"
[1:14:21 AM] Swan Prince: Does what I fancy matter? *He retorts, though it's not especially biting, indeed, his voice still fails to call much resembling true emotion to support his words. He shakes his head slowly to himself, answering his own question, and asking another. And this one, he would very much fancy an answer to, more than he wants anything else* To whom does that belong, foul Raven? Return it. You made me a promise, so hold by it. *Not that he has much hope in that. He'll stand steadily for honor, but he doesn't question for a second that the Raven would still snatch Fakir's heart, or Duck's, or... His eyes widen into a trembling gaze before he even closes the thought, and he leaves it to hang limply. He presses blindly on, allowing the first routinely brave words that will tumble from his tongue to spill out* Or else, tell me how I might "win" it.
[1:23:33 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: "What? This?" -He glances at the heart with a bemused smile. This is going to be easier than he thought. He reaches down and takes the golden clasp from his hair, the ring gleaming pure in the light. He holds it up as he places the glass to a side table that appears as soon as he needs it, another courtesy of the ravens under his command.- "The game is simple, dear Prince. All you have to do is take this from me. Of course, I'll want it back, because heaven knows I don't need these over-long feathers spilling everywhere...But if you can take it from me, I'll be more than happy to let you have my drink." -Subtly, he shifts the one hand that is hidden by his body, readying a feather. Truthfully he cares not who wins the game- either way the outcome is in his favor.-
[1:35:00 AM] Swan Prince: *He strides lithely up to the throne, each step placed carefully as though it might have some particular weight on his victory. The ring is reflected in his gaze, and it almost seems to add another layer to his irises with its light, though he's sure the clarity of it is deceptive. He comes to stand directly before the Raven, staring with an almost frightening intensity at his target, as though everything else is slowly crumbling from his mind, and only this, his apparent single chance to save something, remains to be of any significance to him. He lifts his hand in a cleanly cutting movement, out and up, but he does not grab the ring. Instead, he sweeps the first arm in an elegant arch above his head, and blossoms spark into a great plume of pale pink, lifting him in a flare of motion as he lashes his other hand out for the ring*
[1:41:49 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven doesn't resist. He lets the ring from his hand, the other darting out with incredible accuracy and speed just before the Prince touches the ring. It peirces his chest, coming to rest quivering just above his heart as it releases it's poison, feeding his inner demon, weakinging the chains that hold it in place. The ring resides in the Prince's hand, but at what cost?- "Surprise surprise, little feldgeling, you've won. You now have my drink. I hope you enjoy it, because I'm fairly certain that it isn't going back to it's owner."
[1:58:36 AM] Swan Prince: *Agony, as ironically pure as everything else about him, slices across his face, and he grabs for his chest, but there is no feather to pry free. It has already slipped into his blood, scattering to attack him through every inch of him and driven by his own heart. Encouraged by his heart, in fact, as restlessness drives it to a dangerous speed, as it seems to writhe against his ribs for freedom. He chokes on his own breath, only to have all the air struck out of his body as he falls and crumples with a smattering of blackened flowers between himself and the marble floor. He twitches as parts of his body slip from his control, as that sickening sweetness smothers his senses and tempts him into a bloody nothingness, his teeth gritted heavily as breath begins to rattle again, in and out. He can't succumb now, just after finding himself, he can't waver, not again, not ever, but all those things he must do, all that his pride as a prince rests on, are becoming distant, a meaning lost to what they can give his thirsty soul. He stammers protests, endlessly, fearfully whispering one word, one denial* No... no...
[2:06:38 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven stands his feathery hair falling from it's braided shape to float behind him, a ghostly remind her of his wings. Plucking his drink from the table as he goes to stand over his broken enemy with relish. He swirls it, taking a small sip of the blood as he watches.- "Yes, Prince. I may not be able to lay a finger on your loved ones, but you certainly can. And I think you're going to enjoy it, every little moment. Aren't I the best Father-In-Law?" -He laughs triumphantly, grabbing the clasp from his foe's seething body. He places the wine glass before Seigfried, just within reach of his  flailing fingers while he weaves his hair back into it's usual containted braid.-
[4:21:28 PM] Swan Prince: *Dazed, his vision a ballroom of dizzying patches of black and white, the prince's throat locks shut around his own protest, but the softly satisfied sigh leaving him feels much the same as having the wind battered from his lungs again. The shredding talons scorch his heart over and over, a beak tears into the scraps, as though seeking to feed on its own carrion as a mindlessly cawing hunger devours his every feeling and molds each into something heady, something swollen and sickly that leaves only a ruin of the pristine prince. He pitches forward, curling into himself on the floor, but his hands catch the stem of the glass and pull it with him, sloshing the fragrant blood. He twists his neck far enough to crack it, and then bruises the side of his face against the ground when his head is whipped back to the glass. His heavy heart is repulsed by the Raven's threat, but already, to more of him, the fate of the others represents a delightfully grisly promise, both princes, true and false, cannot find it in them to reject the Raven's words. Already apologies crash over Siegfried's remaining thoughts, though he can find no honest value in them as blood comes in a wave over his lips, the metallic liquid tangs sweetly down his throat, impossibly delicious. He releases what can only be described as a snarl, losing some more of the flavorful warmth to his chin, and then, all the rest bursts into drops of red shrapnel along the marble floor as he weakly, defiantly tosses the glass at the Raven*
[4:31:21 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven sighs and dodges by leaning slightly to the left. The glass shatters against the far wall, leaving a dripping smear of blood that oozes to the floor. A spirited effort, but ultimately useless.- "My my. So very messy, aren't you, Prince? You should take care not to waste your prize. Hearts can be so slippery and hard to obtain sometimes..." -Indeed, though the Prince may flail and writhe in his bloodbath, the heart remains, free of harm, beating tauntingly in front of his starving eyes. It pulses invitingly, each throb more inviting as it grows weaker and weaker, less and less fresh.- "I suggest you eat up soon. Your window of time is fleeting, once it leaves it's glass."
[4:43:57 PM] Swan Prince: I... I... *He shakes his head, but the heart has bewitched him with his own deepening starvation, its gentle thrum in the air hypnotizing him. He darts a hand out fingers curving into grasping talons, but before he can reach it, he throws himself violently onto his other side and rolls roughly away, laying with his quaking back to the grotesque meal, but the marvelous smell won't leave him, drowning him in the thrill of hunger. His thin shoulders hunch forward as he curls into a ball, his nails ripping away the scabs underneath his shirt as his heart mercilessly beats him from the inside, an endless number of harsh fists traveling in his veins and clamoring to leave him wrecked beyond recognition, the other him jeering cruelly at him from the center of his chest. Too loud, too loud, so much bonejarring noise, if this would just stop then he could stand, then he could boldly defend as he should-* Silence!
[5:03:54 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven, ever kind and generous, smiles as he snaps his finger. Another unlabeled bottle is brought, the green glass obscuring it's contents. He walks over to the Prince, smiling as he daintily upends the contents over the small ball of agony that was once a proud leader. A small waterfall of blood douses him, staining his pure hair with crimson droplets, soaking his clothes and drenching his skin. The Raven tosses the bottle away once the final droplet falls, humming as he plucks one of his feathers from his sleeve. With a quick movement, he slices his own wrist, letting his own foul blood into the mix as it drips from his pale wrist.- "Bask in your heritage, foul Prince! Bask in the blood of my people, bask in the blood of your own! Bask in the agony you inflict merely by existing! Embrace your inner darkness and know your true self!"
[5:22:41 PM] Swan Prince: *Something twangs apart inside him, some fragile strand by which the remainder of his courage was hanging, and it tumbles away down a fissure, dashed apart in blackness while he stands on the jagged edge staring after it. His eyes are doused into red darkness, his ears with the rush of thick liquid, and not a single taloned word of the Raven scratches his heart. All of him, everywhere, everything, tattered body and ruptured soul, covered in that. It squirms across his skin, hotly, stickily, clinging like needles and soaking through his flesh to dip his heart in the same acid. He wants to rip it all out of him, to wrench his heart from his chest fragment by fragment, he wants his skin burned away so he can't feel it- dripping, running, flowing over him- He wants to sink into Rue's arms and then realizes he can't ever touch her again, he would wither his beautiful princess with the same pain. And then there was nothing, just a shriek, his low-pitched voice dashing wildly for escape. His face is a mask, it must be a mask, for no true human face should be so widely marred and twisted, all of it soaked in blood as though a messy child had merely picked his face for canvas.*
[5:45:17 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven delights in his Siegfried's agony, his screams sending chills through his blood. Over the poor drenched Prince he looms like an evil idol, his eyes burning red with victory, his arms spread out and his head thrust back. His laugh echoes around the throne room, bouncing off the walls in horrific, mocking echoes, the highness of the sound eventually delving into the mocking screams of a raven's contentment as he claims yet another carcass from the battlefeild. It is the triumph of a cold blooded killer over their prey, the thrill of a starving wolf tasting it's hunt, the simple pleasure of snapping a graceful swan's neck and defacing the corpse. The defilement of purity, the defeat of his enemy, the sheer delicious wonder of doing something unspeakably horrid and knowing that you are going to get away with it spurs his laughter that fills the room as his kin join in to make a nightmarish chorus.-
[6:10:45 PM] Swan Prince: *Blood begins to stiffen, forming a sticky shell from the prince's clothes, skin, and hair as he twitches and flinches in a brightly wet puddle of the foul mixture. The crumpled boy looks so young, with his darkly dyed hair and fragile limbs flopped uselessly against the ground, he looks as though he might shatter as soon as be touched. His eyes have taken on a sunken seeming, hollowed out and drifting back into his skull, and slowly flaring a dull pink. The crow nested in his heart joins the chorus, stretching the prince's mouth in terrifying excitement and cawing with vividly raw enthusiasm. His blood-drenched frame is written over with black satin, turning him into the cause of nightmares, rather than a victim of one, crowning him in the harsh darkness that spreads in a viral burst from his heart* How delightful! Dear father, you must teach me... I wish to be able to destroy someone so utterly...
[6:17:21 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven takes a deep breath, smiling as he sees his son emerge from the remains of his foe. Like a true raven.- "It's all about the execution, my dear boy. Find what they love and what irks them, then combine the two into a lovely mix." -He pauses, his eyes softening ever so slightly. "It's good to see you again, I did miss you in your absence...There is a snack on the floor which is rightfully yours, as I can imagine you're fairly hungry."
[6:21:40 PM] Swan Prince: *His faces twitches in disdainful disgust as he glances at the thing on the floor, and he shakes his head graciously* Father, can we not find something fresher? I want to hunt, I want to stretch these wings and claws of mine... *His voice trails into something light, carefree as if he speaks of nothing more than warming up for ballet after an injury. However, the shadowy pangs of his hunger are evident, he cannot fully restrain his intensity. His fingers curl into mock talons, scratching impatiently at the air*
[6:28:24 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven smiles, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. He's proud of the Raven Prince, unlike his useless daughter, this one has the spirit of a Raven about him. He was always dissappointed when the girl showed a distinct lack of eagerness for the hunt...- "Do not worry my son, for soon you will be able to feast to your heart's content. However I feel that we could use some time together, don't you? How about we celebrate your revival with a competitive game?"
[6:33:43 PM] Swan Prince: That sounds wonderful... *He smiles sweetly, but the innocent desire for murder is unavoidably haunting, highlighted by the streaked layers of blood on his otherwise colorless face. He flings his arms out grandly to either side and sweeps them up, bending his knees as though he might attempt true flight* Yes, let's play, please, I want to. Can we play with anyone we find, too, father? *It's all too clear that the Raven Prince shares his "father's" sense of amusement to his very core*
[6:45:42 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Of course you can, my dear little fledgeling~ This whole world is ours to play with, it would be wrong of me to deny you your bloodright." -The Raven grins and picks up his Prince, setting him on his shoulder. He may not be capable of true flight at the moment, but at least he can help him feel closer to the skies as they walk to the basement.- "I can show you something magical, if you can restrain your hunger long enough. Then we can play our little game."
[6:51:44 PM] Swan Prince: Of course, of course... *He murmurs excitedly, lolling his head as he rests his chin in one silk-gloved hand. His heart throbs, and its agonizing, but he's sure that his new father will give him a sacrifice, so the Raven Prince can make his own with desperately eager willingness. He's half in a daze, smiling dreamily* Show me, I want to see.
[7:01:14 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Past a sturdy oaken door, down twining staircases and into the darkness they delve, finally coming to one last door. With a knowing smile the Raven pushes it open to reveal the vast room beyond. The darkness hides much, but to the Raven and his Prince's keen eyes it is something grand. People, huddled in rags, bleeding from wounds, harried by sharp beaks until their hearts break and they turn to despair and spite, held from the light until even the meager greyness of the open door causes them to shiver and cower from it. Each heart, like a beacon, pluses tantilizingly to the duo, each whisper and whimper a serenade to their ears.- "Little Fledgeling, these are your former people. Look at them, see how pathetic they are, clinging to scraps of food and tattered clothes. Would it surprise you that they once knew opulence? That they have grown fat off the land? My Prince, this is the game we will play. We will hunt down these overfed rats, we will chase them around the castle. Not one will live, not one will escape." -He smiles, raising an arm in signal for the doors to be opened, harsh creaking assaulting the ears of the people as they tremble and whisper in waves. More light spills into the room, illuminating it in a dull twilight. He places his "son" on the floor, giving him an encouraging pat on the head.- "Whoever gets more hearts wins. The game begins...now."
[7:15:29 PM] Swan Prince: *His first step is stumbled, clumsiness brought on at the sight of the massed nobles. He clutches at his heart, at the sudden, ache of complaint that squeezes and stretches in his chest, crying out for them and earnestly begging their forgiveness, though the Raven Prince cannot even name the feeling that pains him so. Their horror as they look at him is not merely fear for their lives and hearts, though that is certainly prominent, above that is they scrambling of shock onto each face as they see him, their beloved prince, standing beside his greatest enemy with a violent desire to claw all of them to pieces in his eyes. It hurts to see it, he wants them to stop hurting him, they should love him and offer up their hearts more willingly, for is he not their prince? Either way, they wound him and disgust him, and he screams, a purple fire sparking at the back of their eyes as the Raven's blood quells Siegfried's weakened struggling* Run! Flee from me, from us, and do not be slow! Because if I am bored by this... *His voice sinks into a pained hiss* You will be /in unimaginable pain for the rest of your brief existence./
[7:29:18 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Only a moment do the people waste in horror, staring at their Prince with wide, unbelieving eyes. Then as one they scream, tearing into themselves, trampling others in a massive mob of fleeing backs, breaking for the exits with the single-minded desperation of wild animals. The Raven laughs wickedly and openly at their plight, diving forward to take stragglers with his bloodied talons and to cull those who have fallen. Waiting crows dive onto the corpses that he has finished with, hungrily stripping them of flesh even as they writhe in their death throes. It is animalistic, barbaric and completely without waste. A strange unearthly beauty overhangs the scene as blood droplets fly into the air and flesh is rent. This is the world at it's most primal, it's most natural. A predator and it's screaming horde of prey, a feast in the darkness and the stark beauty of murder. Now, more than ever before, it is clear that Raven has made this castle his own. The throne, the land, even the winged inhabitants are all just a mere outline to the painful truth. This is not his kingdom. These are his hunting grounds.-
[7:56:37 PM] Swan Prince: *The Raven Prince does not linger, he dashes out into the hallway, still as graceful as a swan even in his corrupted motions. He rips past the panicked nobles, running ahead of them and laughing, a raw mix between a caw and a cackle. He'll have his hunt, yes, he'll let them scramble, let them split off into tiny, breakable groups that he can pluck apart, heart by heart. They obviously don't want to love him anymore, but that is hardly an excuse for failing to give him his due, and he'll rip it out for them, if they won't pry it from between their ribs themselves. As he runs deeper into the palace, his harsh giggling echoes down numerous hallways ahead of him, and while it fades to instill fear in those behind, for those few who remain ahead, it calls them to alert abruptly* That's... *Fakir frowns heavily, rising just enough to find a view in the hallway around the corner. That voice should be the prince's, but everything in him rejects the idea, that laugh is beyond cruel. It makes his own blood run coldly to realize that the Raven must have stirred that taint in Siegfried's blood, and now he had to restore him, so they could both stand by their promises. He glanced over at Rue's still form, then at Duck, and placed a finger to his lips pointedly for silence.*
[8:09:37 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Duck bites her lip, carefully adjusting Rue's silent, agonized features. Even though she's stopped screaming, she still whimpers softly and a fever runs through her body. Duck tenderly wipes sweat from her forehead using a soft cloth. Duck's frown deepens as she cradles her friend close, her eyes brimming with tears. She doesn't dare speak, not with the Raven Prince running around and the Raven on the loose.-
[8:30:27 PM] Swan Prince: *The Raven Prince falls into his own silence, burning and straining with the hunger that pounds agains his veins, but his steps are sottly placed, even gentle, as his restrained bloodthirst slashes a crookedly cold smile across his face. His hands flex, winding and unwinding the mimed claws as his eyes skip along the hallway ahead of him.* Come on... come on out... Would all of you deny your prince? Surely some of you must have made it farther... *He croons, his voice a lullaby promising that sleep will be enduring. Fakir, however, is not lulled, that voice throws adrenaline through him in steady waves, and he directs them against the opposite wall, closer to where the Raven Prince approaches from to keep out of his line of site. And when that deadly, deathly whisper sounds sweetly right around the bend, he lunges out, snatching Siegfried first by the shoulders, and then pinning his wrists against the wall.* Prince! Come on, wake up, listen to me! *The corrupted prince writhes viciously against Fakir's grip, revealing too much white around his washed-out eyes, screaming immediately back in the other boy's face* What is this? You foolish excuse for a knight, who are you to lay a hand on a prince this way? Release me! *But Fakir only tightens his grip, aware now of the crusted blood on the prince's hands, to match that which wounds his normally angelic face. He can only angrily fear for what the prince was forced to do, and he certainly won't let him do anything else he might regret. The wild, unmistakably tortured eyes of the Raven Prince... He'll return them to their true shade, and the Prince, as well*
[8:52:17 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Mytho..." -Duck's eyes swim like a pool filled with naught but sorrow as she gently places Rue down on the floor, letting the folded cloth cushion her head. Uncertainly she walks forward to the Raven Prince's side, her face filled not with fear or anger, but sympathy. She opens her arms wide, wrapping them around his struggling form as she gazes up at him, tears streaming from her eyes. She won't let him do this again, not when the pain he shows is clear in his eyes. She remembers, so vividly, that tragic mime for love so very long ago, all of the moments where he would fight with himself, all of the darkness that he endured because she was simply unable to do anything. No, she can't let him hurt any longer, she can no longer stand idly by and let him break his own heart more thoroughly than any sword could.- "I-I'm sorry...I wasn't able to purify your heart...I wasn't able to stop your pain...Even now, I'm just a Duck...But I can be here for you now, and I can do what little I can...so please, don't be sad, Prince."
[9:28:28 PM] Swan Prince: LET GO OF ME! I am a prince, the Prince of Ravens, and my heart is as it should be. *He spits his words bitterly at them, but his struggles change to trembling in his frail shoulders as Duck's arms stay looped around him, and terror dawned darkly at the back of his eyes. Terror and uncertainty, confusion... What was...? He clenched his teeth, gnashing away the notion, or trying to, but it was so strange, if the thing to heal his heart would be love ripped cruelly from another for him and him alone, then why were this girl's words lighting a warm candle under his ribs, somehow managing to counteract the flames in his very skin; an impossibly peaceful method of fighting fire with fire. No, he didn't understand- And he didn't need to, he knew without question who he was, but then what where these feelings that he had lose the names for again? It hurt, it made his veins throb, and his struggling ceased* Foolish... *He shrieked, desperate now* GO AWAY. *But Fakir quickly followed with what Duck started, seeing the flash of wisdom in it, and though it was challenging, he allowed the stirred anger to drain from his face. He pushed Mytho's hands against his heart, more forcefully than he had intended to, but the other boy's arms with stiff with tension. He muttered urgently.* Feel this. It's your heart, Prince, and you fought so hard for it. I don't know what the Raven did to you, but you're safe now, so fight again! Reclaim your heart!
[9:53:57 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Please...You're going to be ok, Prince, you're going to be ok..." -Duck smothers her tears on his velvety shirt, wiping them from her face. She can feel his heart, frantic, tripping over itself in it's confusion. It makes her own heart ache, ache for him, ache for Lady Rue, ache for everyone who has ever suffered under the Raven's cruel talons. Inwardly she wonders, softly why the Raven would cause such suffering...She tightens her grip on Siegfried's middle, biting back her tears to force her face into a vivid, wet smile as she looks up at him.- "You're g-going to be ok...Y-You're going to be ok, for Lady Rue, aren't you? Because you love her, don't you?"
[10:13:55 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir reinforces her words again, proclaiming hotly* That's right! Remember what I promised you! I meant it, and I know you meant your promise, too. You need to come back now, you said you would return. I know you remember... Siegfried, I don't doubt for a second that you do. *The Raven Prince resembles a hunted animal, no longer the perilous, shadow-woven creature that lurked in the halls a few minutes ago, and every inch of him quakes, as though the lurching pressure of the blood in his veins is too much for them to hold. He felt far-removed from the situation, and he clawed for some sense of the situation, for some memory of that promise, even as something tried to yank the thoughts away from his heart before he could reach them. His eyelids sink halfway shut, but beneath them, gold and pink flare like sparks from striking swords. He groans vaguely, the acidic sting in his chest dragging at his consciousness* It... hurts, I... why... where...? *And then he jolts his gaze directly into Fakir's, the gold in them dulled even in the light of the hallway. Recognition attacks him, Rue, he can't ever be there for his princess now, he can't come near her, he shouldn't be near any of them. He has to leave swiftly, to be away before they might be irrevocably hurt by the stain that is no longer restricted to his heart. Fakir tries to smile reassuringly, but his words of welcome are tossed back into his throat when Siegfried tries to push forehead, and shake Duck off* No! I... you can't, I'll... hurt you, too... *Fakir works to hold him, narrowing his eyes as he catches the prince. He's sure the Raven Prince would have done it, but he's too relieved to have Siegfried back as he should be, and it only ignites fresh hate for the Raven that the prince feels that way about himself. He's right to feel so, if wrong about the reason* Calm down! You're alright now, relax.
[10:32:05 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Duck staggers back, her clumsy feet doing little to slow her fall to the wall. Mytho, no, Siegfried is ok, he's back and...He thinks he will hurt them? Duck's heart shatters anew at his frenzied and worried cries of pain, leaving her to silent tears on the floor.- "W-Why...? Why do you think you'll hurt yourself? You're back, aren't you? Th-The Raven Prince is gone, s-so why are we still in danger?" -Her voice cracks as her bottom lip curls inward, her chest heaving with sobs. She did what she could, so why isn't it enough? Why isn't he happy again?-
[10:53:16 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven strides along at a leisurely pace, culling with as much ease as another might swat a fly. Soon every part of him is drenched red, from his wet grin to his dripping feet as he walks along, a graceful lord in his crimson halls. Yes, the day is going perfectly and nothing is wrong in the Raven's scarlet world, at least until he turns the corner to find his Prince in the nasty claws of that blasted undying knight. He doesn't wait for them to see him. Fast, faster than he has any right to be he runs down the hall, launching a foot towards Fakir's face that knocks him into the floor a few feet away.-
[11:07:10 PM] Swan Prince: *The Raven Prince can never be gone, Siegfried knows that, and now the poison is not merely internal, but perhaps he can still save them. If he removes the threat of himself from the equation. He retreats to the other side of the hall, and half drops himself to the ground consciously, half simply falls to his knees. A flash of brilliantly white light clears as a sword in his shaking, bloodless grip, and he sets the hilt against the marble with a clatter. He closes his eyes in what should have been a serene gesture, but the sorrow is too plain on his face for that. He has to keep his promise, but all he can think is how his promise will destroy Rue, his kingdom, and everything he touches, the rough, rotting sensation of dried blood on his skin is proof of that* You restored me before... but I cannot ask you to do so again, any of you. I can no more be a prince as I should be, but I will not let you come to harm by me. The Raven is here, but you... Fakir, I know you can defeat- *And it is as he speaks that Fakir is kicked cruelly aside, blood rushing from his nose as the Raven smashes it.  He twitches silently, fighting for consciousness, fighting to push his hands under himself and find his feet beneath him again, fighting because the Prince cannot shatter himself again, he refuses to let that happen. He rolls onto his side, powered by sheer grit as blackness wells over his vision* Raven, just what did you do to him?!
[11:30:47 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven casually kicks the sword from Siegfried's grasp, sending it spinning across the ground to lie forgotten in a corner. A cruel foot presses on the Prince's back, forcing him forward, forcing his forehead to the ground in a mockery of bowing respect. The Raven folds his arms as he presses down, just barely sustaining enough pressure not to snap the Prince's spine. He crosses his arms, his voice light but his eyes glittering with malevolence as he addresses Fakir.- "Ahh, don't worry. I just gave him a little blood-bath is all. A sort of a taste of his heritage, to really get his blood pumping. Ah, but he rejects my kindness...Perhaps another taste is in order?" -He leans closer to the brittle figure of the Prince, his voice sickeningly sweet.- "Do you want to drink my blood, Prince? Do you want to taste power and all of it's agonies? Do you want the clarity of an animal's spirit?"
[11:46:45 PM] Swan Prince: No! Stop this! *The prince shouts uncontrollably, his voice spiraling high in panicked anger, wounded, fragmented pieces of a prideful rage that should have given him more strength. The strength to hurl the Raven from him, when all he can do is buck and flail futiley, and feel the creature's boot cut into him viciously, threatening to break his own spine even if the Raven doesn't it. He has to protect them all, he can fail at anything, but not that, and even though the thought of more Raven's blood itself is almost enough to scatter his shaken resolve, he wraps himself around it, holding it together in his mind, in his cracked heart. Yes, the prince is in pieces, nerves scalded where they had been ripped away from each other, and he wants what he can't have, to hold his princess against him, so they can recover together, but he can't ever have that healing, and he must not despair over it, or she will never get the chance to heal on her own...* I... I will do as you ask of me, just don't hurt them, and you must not make me hurt them, either... *Fakir, for his part, said not a word. There wasn't a need. He just staggered upright, his rich green eyes all but glowing with the strangest violence as he stared at the pair, defensive for the Prince and despising for the Raven, who he leaped for in a wild tackle*
[11:57:59 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven's teeth are bared in a jagged smile as he casually waves a hand. Ruthless black wind blows forth, tearing down the hallway with invisible hands, slamming Fakir into the wall. Black feathers, strewn about wildly in their flight, slam into the wall, peircing it with quivering quills, pinning Fakir by his clothes. Satisfied, the Raven removes his foot, allowing the Prince to painfully rise.- "There. See, I haven't harmed a hair on his head. Now allow me to make my only demand, and you'll have your lovely princess again." -With a businesslike manner a feather is plucked from his garments and quickly swiped across his wrist once more. Before Siegfried can protest, he grab's his chin and opens his mouth, angling it upwards. With a sadistic smile, the Raven raises his hand over the Prince's face, his rotten royal blood spilling into his open mouth, burning over his skin as it drops on his tongue.- "/Drink./"
[12:19:52 AM] Swan Prince: *The prince is utterly limp, helplessly agonized in the Raven's grip; his pale face seeming as fragile as an eggshell, and the blotches of blood making it seem as if cracks have already broken it. He seems beyond physical resistance, that much is certain, as the first drops pour down, feeling as though they scorch away the back of his throat. But he offers none, anyway, he does not even attempt to support his head on his own, he merely allows the Raven to hold him captive. This is only felt by him, that is the single, cruel fact that brings him solace and keeps his breath from becoming panicked. Rue was forced to do this every day of her life since before she could speak any thoughts, her own or those pressed upon her, and he had to do it now, or she would be lost. The fact that he had already lost her was of no consequence to him, he was beyond that, he only cared to see that she was protected, and he would not be absolutely without happiness. He drinks deeply, yes, just as commanded, until the true prince is too sick and distorted by the blood claiming his heart to do anything of his own will. There is nothing sweet about this, not even the expected parody of flavor, but all he can do is drink. Not all of it goes to his heart, some does find its way to his stomach, and it twists that, too, turning it in diseased knots. He stares up blankly, not really seeing the Raven anymore, unable to conceal the unspoiled terror warping his thoughts. The creature can feel the shudders that wrack his narrow frame, almost threatening to shake it apart.*
[12:39:24 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven does not relent, his smile fading from his face to turn into an apathetic frown at the Prince's pathetic shaking. Merciless, he only grips the Prince's jaw harder, holding it in place. He will not stop, he will not stop until this frail excuse for a swan disappears and black feathers sprout from his body. Such frail acceptance, such  a frail lack of resistance. It disgusts him. Such a weak boy is unfit to lead anything. Such a weak mind is unsuited to command. He will take it from him, his lands, his title, everything. It is the Raven's right, as a stronger leader. It is his right as an invading Lord.-
[12:49:44 AM] Swan Prince: *He manages to choke back a pained whimper, aided by the fact that the blood down his throat cuts off the air he would need for it. He wants escape, freedom so badly it burns as much as the blood, almost as much as the other him is once again demanding blood, but the blood taken from innocents. If he could pull away, if he could find the strength for crawling, he could grab his sword again, he could slice through the Raven. Couldn't he still do that? But it would need the strength to lift his arms so that his fingers did not dangle on the ground, and he could not even twitch his head against that clenched grip, however much he might have tried, and he can't try, not because of any weakness, whatever the Raven thinks, but because if he is lost, then everyone else might have their chance. For his people, after failing them so miserably, he could afford that. And slowly, with aching steadiness, the prince who feels such regrets is drowned away, and once again, that tide of pale blood washes away the all the beauty of gold*
[1:12:47 AM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven drops him, letting him sink down to the floor as he brings his wrist to his own mouth. One lick and the wound is sealed without a mark, as if it had never been. His gaze is unusually cold as he stares down at his foe, his voice ringing out with an ting of annoyance.- "Your other half is begining to bore me, Prince.  If you allow him to take hold again I may ignore your presence and slaughter you both. Take that into account the next time those two /buffoons/ come by and give you the rotten fruit of 'friendship'" -He spits at Duck, who curls into a tighter ball on the floor, her eyes wide with fright as she trembles.-  "Real Ravens do not need the burden of human ties. There is only the family, and the prey. Figure out which is which and I will not wet the ground with your blood."
[4:18:00 PM] Swan Prince: *He steps away smoothly, concealing a prideful grimace with a polite bow* Of course, father. I will make it so that he can see nothing, hear nothing... They can try to comfort him, but their words won't reach his heart until it is no more. I promise. *He hisses, scathing malevolence for the prince whose heart he stole poisoning his voice. That fool, not even realizing that he hurts them both, causing so much pain through his reluctance to claim hearts, whether they be figurative or literal. Such a pathetic soul shouldn't still be in existence, and he doesn't know why it is, but he won't let that stupid cygnet dash to his bold rescues anymore, he won't ever let the prince turn his beautiful Raven heart into something tender and scarred again*
[4:27:34 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven does not smile. His gaze does not lighten. His voice does not show it's usual mocking joviality. His voice is as stone, cold and unfeelingly hard.- "There is of course, the condition imposed by your other self. So go to your 'bride' Prince. Go and be with her, do with her what you may, though she lies on death's door." -He gives a vague wave, his face a mask of disgust. He hates being held to his word.- "Make eggs or something. I don't care, just make sure to drag the niggling creature with you and try not to make a corpse of her."
[4:40:41 PM] Swan Prince: *He sighs wearily, casting a disdainful glance at the unconscious princess even as he obeys the instruction. He glares down at her for a long moment, his hands curled half into fists at his sides, and he seems to consider this entire thing worthless, a useless, stupid... He growls quietly, showing gritted teeth as his frustration builds, for as pointless as this is, he cannot help but desire it. It is her curse to love him, and the empty beauty of most hearts withers quickly under a raven's talons, but her heart is just like his own, numbed in just the right places, but never quite enough, and she must be beside him as she is fated, she must follow that command above all others, for the sake of nothing but what slight relief she might bring him. His hand flashed blackly out, wrapping around her wrist and twisting cruelly to haul her to her feet* How rude of you, Princess, to neglect greeting your prince properly! Wake, and address your love, my sweet crow.
[4:53:08 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Dimly, dimly she hears him. The voice of her Prince, calling to her...Does he need her? Has she failed him again? No, no, now is not the time for pain, though it ravages her, shoving needles into every nerve in her body. She can hear him, his sweet voice just out of reach...If only her numb hands would move, if only her pained eyes would open, to gaze upon his beauty once more, to see his tender smile. Resolve works it's way through her, bringing new strength to her muscles, batting back the black wings that flow through her blood to allow her to float dizzily to consciousness. The stone floor, she can feel it wrenching back and forth, sickeningly, maddeningly below her, she can feel the sweat that beads on her damp skin, hear her own rasping breaths as she forces her head upwards, her gummed eyes prying open to reveal the dizzying, swaying, doppler vision of grey stone and black feathers assaulting her eyes with harsh stabs of light. Her voice hisses from her lips, alien even to her in it's frailty and dryness. It's as if even a light breeze could blow her away...- "M...m...my...Prince..."
[5:12:13 PM] Swan Prince: Yes, my sweet, half-rotted crow... Your true prince has returned to you, as promised. *He smiles, soft and elegant, almost warm on his bloodstained face, but the sweetness of his voice cracks into mocking laughter, deliberate shards that leave toxic wounds in the air behind them as they echo in the hall. He rests a hand against the top of her head, playing his fingers through her lank hair, pressing her closer to strengthen that lovely scent of lingering sickness on her breath. The hand skates along her spine, spidery, prickling like needles over her skin despite the fine satin of his gloves, and stopping about halfway down. She's so beautifully weak, he could just snap her in two, couldn't he? He tightens his arm against her back and fastens his grip on her wrist with all the mercy of an iron shackle as he tosses her sharply backward, supporting her in a graceless dip. He bends over her, still smiling with haunting perfection, an expression painted onto an innocent doll.* We should celebrate. Won't you dance with me again?
[5:21:40 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "...N..no..." -She winces at his touch, her eyes nearly closing once more. It can't be. She's gone straight from one nightmare into another. Her limp body won't respond in any meaningful way, it only sees fit to tremble in his claws as he has his way with her. His words are liquid poison dribbling in her ears, his mere touch the agonizing kiss of acid on her skin. Claws, his claws run down her back, molesting her by his very touch, demeaning her, stripping her of what little grace she has left to leave her crying in the tatters of her dignity. And that smile, the smile that is the gleam of death in the eye of a red star, that smile that sends chills down her spine with all the certainty of a skull's split grin. For a moment, she can only hang in his grasp, her rasping breath panting in a bouqet of disease even as it is purged from her form, staring up at him with horror, revulsion and pain-
[5:46:53 PM] Swan Prince: No? No? You dare to tell me that? My sweet crow, you have no right. You are forbidden to do anything but love me, and me alone, don't you remember? *He sweeps her upright, intending to throw her further off balance, a painful contrast to the seamless flow of their true dancing. It is because he is desperately ill, as well, the remorseless disease coursing through her body making her so powerless is paralleled by the taint of infection that turns his mind into this monstrous crow, feathers tattered and stained. So, perhaps they are both worthless, powerless creatures, his sweet crow and his royal self. His smile seems to feed from the fearful disgust in her crimson gaze, advancing to press his eyes half-closed, his entire face gleaming with raw joy. He lays a finger tenderly against her lips, his voice a cloying whisper* Be silent, and dance with me. *He drops both hands to clamp around her waist and twirl her dizzyingly, once, then again, and then a third time before sealing his arms about her, giggling drily, a profoundly venomous sound* You know who you remind me of? Myself. Didn't you once say I was like a doll, but you would love me? *He tipped her chin up, leaving her with no choice but to have her soul burned bloody on his fevered gaze* And now...
[5:58:07 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -She stares up at him, tears welling in her crimson gaze, her lips parted, cracked and dried. It is all she can do to not be sick on her diseased and befeathered Prince, her empty stomach wanting to simply expel what little bile it has from that dizzying twirl. She knows what she must do, even if it seems beyond her, even if it torments her to her very soul. Somewhere, somewhere under all that darkness and pain is her Prince, raidiant in white, the strong sun to her silent moon. She must call him forth, draw him from his own blood, purify him once more. For his sake, for her sake, to end this terrible nightmare, she must do what her body screams at her not to, lest she break...- "I...m....so..rr...y..." -Her words come as a frail whisper, her trembling arms reaching upwards, against gravity, against agony, against the pain in her heart, to wrap around his black hide. Though her breathing is labored and each movement draws more pain, red and raw, from her body, she braces her feet to the floor, determined to stand on her own two legs.- "...I...I will dance...with you...my...Prince..."
[6:26:41 PM] Swan Prince: Yes, of course... This is as it should be... *He gazes down at her lovingly, relief casting a shadow over the crackling wound in his eyes as she holds to him. He seems bewitched, enchanted by something distant, trapped in the illusion of his own false delight at the silky softness he feels when her bone-dry hands run against him, at the aching obedience screaming in her eyes as her trembling voice threatens to collapse under the weight of her heart. His princess must dance, with no pitiful regard for herself, she must set aside all her pain for the sake of easing his. He loves it, lives it, wishes he could breathe it. It is perfection, it is glory, it is the truest of all loves, that is what he finds precious in her agony. How she shakes! But if she crumbles into bony fragments in his arms as he leads her in dance, that is the best way for her to die. He only knows that her closeness is a cooling medicine, and he will drink in all of it, each drop more treasured than any literal blood. He'll drain her of love, consume everything in her and keep it wrapped around his heart as a  rough bandage. And thinking such deeply pleasing thoughts, her bespelled prince leads her in a series of delicate steps, guiding her in flowering pirouettes and lifting her in leaps, and never once do his clinging talons leave her form. Delirious with a thrill that buzzes with each pulse of his heart, he dances through his hazy world*
[6:43:34 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -It's all she can do to cling to him, in her own haze, though it is painted not with romance and agonized beauty as the Raven Prince's thorny rose-painted world is, but rather it is in the somber dress of a tragedy. Cruel hands, a mockery of her love's, bind her to him, her own trembling limbs barely following his blackened steps. And yet she presses herself to him, her soft features wrinkled in pain, her hands twitching into claws, not because of fury, not because of the Raven's influence, but because of her own heartbreak. All of her love, all of her affection, all of her hopes, her dreams, her very soul itself pours into her desperate embrace, even as her own body fails her, even as her own heart cracks open to relinquish itself to him. The Raven Prince is receiving his fondest wish even as the light dims from her eyes, even as the sunlight, borrowed from the one human who could ever love her, drains into the blackness of his dark sun.-
[7:03:02 PM] Swan Prince: *He draws her close, spinning and spinning endlessly, but slowly, leading her around in hopeless circles and breathing his words in a dreamy sigh* Ah, my princess... Your heart is mine. *He brings them to a jarring halt, gathering her in his arms, forcing her head against the clinging black fabric over his ribs and stroking her back lightly, sweetly, scraping her agonizingly with the talons of his love. Her eyes are so dark, so empty, could it be that soon she might think nothing but his name, and say nothing but honeyed words for him when he might coldly choose to demand them from her? His lovely princess of doused fire and cracked ruby, he will bewitch her, too, he'll reach out with the power that twines in his blood and strangles his heart, as she listens to its wild, tumbling, falling rhythm.* And thanks to you, that foolish swan can die at last.
[8:01:37 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Rue sinks into his arms, her very blood screaming defiance at his cold words. No. No no no no no no no no. She can't let that light fade, she can't let that beauty be extinguished. Not her guiding light, not her hope, not her love, the very meaning of her life, her one salvation, her smile, her everything...her Siegfried. Deep in her mind, deep in her heart every scrap of happiness, every moment of peace and love and contentment flashes before her, dangling tantilizingly in front of her eyes for a mere moment before moving to the next. No, not even the Raven's poison will take him from her, not even the Prince's own darkness, not even his pain will wrench him from her protective grasp. She has fought so hard, he has fought so hard, and they have both suffered so dearly for each other. Bonds, tighter and closer than even the red rings of fate bond them, unbreakable, unspeakable, glimpsed only in the tenderness of their gestures, the subtle shine when they meet. It is love, pure and untainted even by the foul claws of the poison that courses through them as a mockery of blood. Unarmed, weak, dying, Rue pushes herself upward in one last attempt to break through to her Prince, her final act of love, passionate and pure, delivered straight to Siegfried's broken and shattered heart. A kiss. Simple, tender, it blooms forth from her lips, her own deathly pallor taking on a reddish tint from the Raven Prince's burning skin, her arms coming up to shakily stroke his hair, to soothe him, to reassure of her love even as it flows forth in a silent pact of promises. "I will always be here. I will always love you. I will never abandon you. Even in death, I am yours." It thrums through the Raven Prince's blood, disrupting it, scattering it, banishing it with it's light, a promise of the soul, a promise of the heart, a promise of the body.-
[9:05:56 PM] Swan Prince: *It is painful, as well, daggers of regret and sorrow piercing his veins as the raven's blood  shatters throughout him. One instant, agony, rending and shredding, red-hot metal melting and swirling away into his own blood, and he can feel all of it with a clarity that will not allow itself to be mercifully numbed, and he doesn't want it to be, it would be wrong of him to seek to evade what is the result of his own failings. But Rue doesn't let him hurt. He can feel her, too, her shaking, trembling heart leaping with all its remaining strength against her chest, that is the first thing that the true Siegfried can feel, her frantically loving heartbeat, and her cool fingers against his fire-filled mind, running through his hair tenderly, more elegant that silk lace of the finest weave. Though she is already against him, he grabs for her, lifts her towards him as he clasps his arms warmly around her, holding her to his heart so that they might thrum against each other in their unsteady rhythms. He returns her desperately passionate kiss, throwing his love out to her, horrified at himself and determined to return what he stole, to repay her for his unforgivable cruelty, but soon even that cannot keep its stinging truth for him, and it just that she is his princess and he wishes only to protect her, to keep her safe and warm and purely happy beside him. Again, he runs his hands along her back, but this time, it is a gesture brimming, and then spilling over, with feathery affection. Fear clamors for his attention, and to keep it at bay, he buries his bloody face in her hair, gasping anxiously* Rue... Rue... I love you, my dear princess, I- *And then he nearly screams, torn freshly with the realization that he cannot be doing this, he cannot poison her further with his own corrupted nature, he must not touch her. His hands grip her shoulders achingly tight, scrabbling as though for some excuse to keep her in his arms, but he pushes her away weakly and staggers back. It is his own breath scratching his throat that stops the scream, and he raises his hands to be reflected in his shuddering golden eyes, still coated thickly with that foul liquid, and he was touching her, holding her with those hands* I'm sorry... so sorry... Stay back, my princess, I must not hurt you...
[9:24:48 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "Siegfried...?" -Why? Why should she find solace, why should she find happiness, find pleasure in his grasp, only to have him shove her away so abruptly? Why should he find fault in himself once more, when it is clearly her inability to serve him? Her body- curse it, it refuses to move, even as she crumples to the floor in a graceful heap of shaking limbs, her eyes fixated on the one glow of light in the room...Until they drift into the shadows. Those glowing eyes, the gleam of bloodied droplets on a moonlight night, the outfit woven from the very shadows to conceal a body born of incompletion. No, the pale figure that looms behind Siegfried, it simply cannot be, he died, she saw him die but...It is true. The Raven lives, the Raven lives to torment her and her love, to spring fear to his eyes and force him to cast her away from his inviting arms. Reflected in her crimson eyes, the monster in human shape walks closer, step by silent step, that characteristic grin absent from his face as he draws near, his arms, like wings, like talons, raising behind her darling Prince to snatch his will once more...- "M-My Prince...Please-!"
[9:44:33 PM] Swan Prince: *He can only stare in utter helplessness as Rue collapses, it would be worse for him to catch her, but still every muscle in his body twitches and twangs with his desire to throw himself beside her, to gather her against him and comfort her with sweetly kind words, but how can he trust his own kindness now? It could be false, it is impossible to say what poison he might shove down her throat. The same poison that toys with his heart even now, molding it into agonizing shapes within his chest, bashing it against his ribs. He severs his gaze from her fallen, quivering frame, pivoting gracelessly at her warning, and there is the Raven behind him. His pupils narrow to trembling pinpoints as he eyelids fly wide, and pain flares in his heart again, pain for everything he has done, and though it is his own weakness, he cannot deny that the Raven is the one who has seen that Rue be put through such rending dangers, that she is too frail to stand now. That he brought the most bitter of sufferings to this entire land, to Duck, to Fakir, to all who ever stood by him loyally. And then coherence vanishes with the Prince's tumbling cry, the purest rage given voice as he strikes out physically at the Raven*
[10:00:08 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven, to be frank, is not impressed by his enemy's blood curdling scream. A simple palm to his forehead, a small adjustment of position and now his foe is sent tumbling down the hallway, send spiraling down by his own momentum. The Raven's grin returns at seeing his spirited foe's feeble attempts, his desperate flailing limbs. Without a sword, the boy is useless, weak.- "Give up your attempts, Prince. I have won, and any hope for your victory is as dead as your feeble princess will be in a few moments. That Pas de deux will be her last, as there is indeed, a limit to what my noble blood can do." -He laughs evilly, his eyes glowing as if lit from within by a burning spirit of pure malicious intent.- "YOUR KINGDOM WILL DIE. YOUR PRINCESS WILL DIE, AND IT WILL ALL BE BY YOUR OWN HAND, DEAR FLEDGLI-" -His rant is stopped by a cry of pure, high-pitched desperation, his glowing red eyes alighting on the source of the sound, the trembling, unnamed girl he'd seen before...-
[10:19:50 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: "NO! RUE ISN'T GOING TO DIE!" -Duck rises, tears still wet in her eyes. Mytho, Rue, Fakir, she had seen them all rise to do something, to do anything to fight the Raven, she had seen them all suffer at his while she merely sat in a huddled ball on the ground, unable to do anything. But this....this she knows is a lie, and she will expose it for the falsehood that it is, even though she trembles under his gaze and her voice freezes and cracks like a brook in spring's turgid grasp.- "R-Ruh-Rue is too strong to die! S-She and Mytho love each other too much to just give in, Raven! T-They're n-not just gonna sit b-by and let you do wh-whatever you want!" -Cruel laughter washes over her as the Raven advances, rolling his head as he turns to face her, his smile sadistic and hungry. He walks over with an easy saunter as her legs tremble violently, her eyes widening as he comes to tower over her, his eyes glowing even as his face is darkened by shadows. With an almost soft gesture he reaches down and pulls her chin up, turning her face ever so slightly so he can examine her shaking features more closely.- "Aaahhh...I smell it now...A little duckling...how odd...how precious..." -His gaze softens into liquid hunger as he stares down at her, practically drooling. She feels sweat beading on her forehead, his breath catching in her throat as her fists instinctively clench...- "Your kind are rare in this world...Especially in such a shape...Is that how you've been hiding, little one? Is that how your pure, delicious heart has escaped my sight? You shouldn't have spoken for that dying cygnet and his rotten bride...You might have escaped...But ah, I wonder how I might have you...braised, boiled, smoked? Perhaps I will merely lock you away until your very skin begins to fall from your body with rot an-" A loud, sharp /smack/ peirces the Raven's words, his hands falling from her face to cradle his own stunned expression. Duck stands with tearful defiance, holding her hand to the side as if stained by his pale face, the image of regal offense. Silenced, the Raven's look of shock soon becomes an unhinged, infuriated smile, the corners of his lips twitching as his eyes burn a misty red and his mouth streams blue smoke. The room seems to darken as every feather on his outfit bristles in unision, each gaining a deadly edge as his nails sharpen to lethal weapons. He hisses at Duck, his nearly-restrained fury echoed by the screeching of an enraged demonic beast. Even his hair begins to bristle, forming knives that hover inches from Duck's features, threatening death or worse.-
[10:56:28 PM] Swan Prince: *Siegfried staggers as many steps as he can, but his balance runs out before long and he skids along the ground before brutally smashing headfirst into the wall. He lies there, his eyes dulled and glassy as the Raven's words bounce more painfully in his head than the ache which threatens to tip him from consciousness into a roiling blackness at the edge of his vision. But something glistens there, too, in his dampened periphery, the soft, silvery shine of metal sparking over the darkness, the white flash of carved feathers. He reaches out with torturous slowness, forcing his sore fingers to latch onto the hilt of his sword as Duck's cry bolsters him, having its intended effect as his refusal to believe the Raven's vile attempts at undermining him any longer. That's right, and even if that's the case, he must still strike, if only for vengeance, an unprincely thought but one that he can think for Rue, and he must strike for his kingdom, because it is only his own actions that can restrain the Raven's blood-drenched plots from reality. He somehow manages to stumble against gravity, tripping to his feet and walking forward, taking each step carefully, valuing each precious motion that he makes without falling again, each motion that will lend him victory. Hard fought for, tainted and impure, but he cannot stop for his own despair however much it tugs at all sides of his mind, working to stretch him into pieces. His eyes fade further as he walks, exhaustion looming just as literally as any physical enemy he could face, but he had to slash through that, as well. Duck and Fakir had attacked the Raven in his stead, Rue had nobly rescued her prince from the beast's very talons, though the right to stay with his dear princess had been snatched from him by his own faults, and now he... He was suddenly, shockingly right behind the bird, and the cruel /thing/ seemed to be sprouting blades with which to harm his friend, that brave girl who had dared to hit him. He would not see her blood lost to the ground, to the Raven, he would not tolerate such a thing. Anger was abruptly cold, impossibly, wonderfully cold, freezing over the burning inside of him as he sucked in a breath, drew back his sword. He exhaled, and by the time everything crashed over him again, devouring his senses and body and heart rapidly, his sword was halfway through the Raven's neck. He withdrew it with a sickening sound, and then he thumped quietly against the ground after its clatter.* N-no more... Y-you are... ended, foul Raven...
[11:08:48 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -The Raven lurches forward, his face still in that wretched snarl. However as his eyes loose life his feathers turn back to their soft state, the evil gleam disappearing from his eyes as he falls to the side with a soft gurgle, no doubt some last threat or taunt. However as his noble blood spills to the floor, he lies dead. Why else would his eyes lose color that way as his body grows stiff?-
[11:26:23 PM] Swan Prince: *With the Raven's apparent death, Fakir is released from his feathery prison, and he collapses, too, but the soft shock of hitting the floor is actually enough to stir him. He leaps to his feet, and see Siegfried attempting to do the same, but all he's really managing is to send shudders along his own spine as his hands strain against the ground. His teeth are gritted in determination, but the rest of his face is twisted in unrelenting agony, and it twists Fakir's heart to see it. He quietly approaches the other boy, staring down at him with sympathy and regret alongside surprisingly gentle reassurance* Hey... Just relax, alright? Get some rest, we'll take care of you. *But he's either too far gone somehow to hear, trapped away in his need to press forward for the sake of everyone but himself, proving the more unpleasant extremes that even heroism has, or he is simply ignoring Fakir. The tall boy sighs, and lightly takes the prince from the ground, mapping out the route to the infirmary in his head as Siegfried gasps roughly and begins to struggle against his cautious hold.* Hey! What are you doing? Stop it, you need to- *But the prince cuts him off, whispering desperately, both seeming and being feverishly delirious, but also quite serious in his belief* No. You can't... Fakir, I... I'm poison, he made me poison, let go... Just leave me... *Fakir's response is to strengthen his hold, his eyes lighting with hatred on the Raven's corpse, and then with harsh concern on Siegfried. He doesn't question for a moment that the prince is not poisonous in any sense of the word, but he bites back the question from his tongue, knowing that it's not the time to expect an answer as to why he thinks that* No. Duck, get Rue, and come on. *Duck, he'll need to make sure she's okay, too, his stomach tightens at the thought of something happening to her...*
[11:47:58 PM] Green-Eyed Madness: -Duck stands perfectly still, her eyes wide and shimmering. Feathers. Teeth. Abyss. Death. Disconnected, they twirl around her head in a tornado, wrecking any fragile thoughts she may try to form. Her eyes flick around the room, seeking something to focus on. Fakir. Mytho. The Raven's corpse...She blinks. He's dead. Just like that...But Lady Rue is...Not ok. With stiff movements, Duck walks over and picks up the noblewoman, carrying her on limbs that seem to be connected by rubber bands and hope.-
[4:43:43 PM] Swan Prince: F-Fakir... Will you not... put me down? I... wish to walk... *Siegfried was quite obviously in no state for any of it, his chest heaving as he fought each breath in and out. But abruptly his drifting gaze targeted Fakir, and it was something similar to being struck by a gold-tipped arrow, or so his inner author described for him. Ultimately, that didn't matter, no pretty language did, because he could see the prince's eyes like an ocean, a rushing tide of Siegfried's own soul that threatened to overwhelm him, murky waves laden with debris. Fakir sets the prince's feet on the ground, allowing him to sink from his toes to the flat of his feet, but before he can start off alone, Fakir grabs his arm again, the writer's face twisting in a slight, determined grimace* No. We'll go together. *He drapes Siegfried's arm over his shoulder, and all but drags him to the infirmary.*
[4:57:14 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Thankfully for Duck, Rue is a far less resistant noble to carry, which is a good thing, because they are both very tired. Concerned passerby look at them with worried eyes, but when Duck quietly mumbles "infirmary" they pass with nary a second thought. Though it takes longer, they finally reach that clean white bed where Rue rested not too long ago. With a troubled mind, Duck can only absently brush aside one of Rue's feathery hairs from her face before she leaves. She needs...water, and air...-
[5:16:35 PM] Swan Prince: *Fakir tries to set Siegfried on a bed, too, but the prince shakes the other boy away, and sinks to the ground without his support. He kneels beside Rue's bed, staring at her with wide eyes, a dull gaze brightened deceptively when light catches on the tears that come to gracefully dot his eyelids. They soon spill down his face, warm and salty, a fresh stickiness over the dried blood, as his jaw parts and hangs brokenly with his mouth half-open. He leans over her gently, utterly horrified by her drained state. So frail, with a pallor and dryness to match unused paper, a fever that threatens to break, and leave behind a lifeless chill.* R-Rue... I'm sorry... I failed... *He swallows, breath quickening sharply, stabbing his throat with its desperation. He might never see her wake again, to the extent of his own knowledge, and he wishes to lay his head against her and hold her tight and close to comfort her, but he must not, not when she is already so ill, he must not make it worse for her. He slides back onto his heels, gasping and sobbing and choking, clenching his fists atop his knees as acidic tears sear his vision into indistinct shapes. He jams his eyelids together, face contorted grimly as the words burn from his throat* I do not deserve to call you my princess... I'm sorry... *Then he falls back, his face smoothing into a quieter misery. *He didn't feel Fakir catch him. In his darkening awareness, his fall was broken by rough stone against his back, or what felt like stone, at least. He pushed himself shakily upright, trying to dispel a cold daze from behind his eyes, but it does nothing to clear his vision- There is nothing to see, nothing to feel or hear, just a boundless blackness that squeezes around him, constricting against his limbs and rejecting his movement. However, it is not long before some parody of light ruptures the nonexistent scenery, illuminating a ghostly figure in black satin, a malicious spirit with hair that matches his colorless skin and abraded pink eyes that seek blood to darken their shade.* So, you've come to join me? You've put it off for too long as it is, I'm actually happy to see you... *A chuckle, ringing with venomous satisfaction. He flits over the darkness that might be solid ground underneath them, sending the shadows rippling around him. Siegfried hurries away, battered as the dark washes over him, leaping for his mouth and nose, slipping down his throat, oily and cloying. Is this himself? This baleful creature with porcelain limbs and glass talons, a disgustingly exquisite nightmare, that innocent gaze, hypnotizing for most in its cancerous perfection. This is himself, yes, and he must not succumb to it. He has to be the prince, he has to protect his own nature, though it's strange, hollow, in this place with no one else to protect. Aside from that, he only has one defense, and though he doesn't know what purpose metal can serve against this ethereal creature of poisoned blood and cursed moonlight. But he calls his gleaming blade, nonetheless, and lunges cleanly. He gasps with bland shock as it glides through that other him's chest silently, but the ink-feathered prince merely smirks, an almost coy expression.* If you wish to continue fighting, then I have no trouble condemning you to such a fate. Very well, but do not think you may escape!* Thorny vines tangled around Siegfried's sword, melting and spreading over it, twisting its form in their winding, withered tendrils, shredding the swan's wings and blackening the blade itself. Siegfried's sword, undeniably, but marred to match the Raven Prince's. The vines leap to twine around him binding his hands to the poisoned hilt, thorns jaggedly clawing through the fragile skin on his hands and wrists. He can only relinquish an another gasp, agonized as the brutal sting courses along his arms, seeming to use his veins to travel, and every effort he makes to twitch his arms apart sends the same pain rolling through the rest of him. He cannot afford such minor distractions, anyhow, not once his other self has splintered into an endless rush of crows with a last blighted giggle, assaulting him as much with their clawed shrieks as their ragged beaks and talons. His skin is quickly fragmented with countless small slashes, but each time, he manages to pull his sword through a raven's body before it can peck at his heart. Still, it does seem he is fated to battle endlessly, turn another pirouette, bring his bound arms in an elegant arc to strike, and in reality, throwing himself from one side to the other on the bed. Tossing, turning, groaning, he scrapes at the blankets as if to yank himself free before exhaustion claims him even within sleep.*
[7:29:43 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Rue's eyes flick open, tired, but oddly not ill at ease. The weakness, the pain, the frailty that beseiged her...It has left like a shadow in the night, leaving only an odd wooziness and a rush of emptiness. It feels as if she cannot remember a time when she wasn't in agony, when her limbs did not feel as if they were broken. Her body feels alien, as though she is merely borrowing it for another. On oddly light feet she sweeps off the bed, holding her head in her hands. Memories like a smear of ink beseige her in a confused jumble, blinding her for a moment before being overwhelmed by her one concern. Her Prince, her Prince, where is he? She needn't look far before she sees him, tangled in his bed, fingers hooked, body thrashing as he fights a foe only he can see. She slides off the bed, nearly collapsing as her legs seem to have forgotten how to walk. However soon she is at his side, unsure how to approach him with all of his movement, unsure of how to insert herself without harming him by mistake...-
[7:53:46 PM] Swan Prince: *His eyes flicker beneath their lids, moving as frantically as the rest of him; in his mind, they desperately track the movements of raven after raven that swarms him, they are locusts, pests, a plague, and he has nothing but a sword with which to face such malignancy. He lashes out blindly, his eyes dim and tarnished, the resolve that keeps him on his feet echoing in his otherwise empty mind. The sword might be moving of its own will, but it is simply that the craft is ground in to his bones, and his strikes suffer from no apparent loss of power even as his breathing grows ragged. However, just once, one small motion overexerts him, pulls his limbs beyond their reach, and he topples lightly, managing grace even in his collapse. However, the crows descend with infinitely less gentleness, thrusting beaks or talons, both when they can, ripping him apart in the most literal way imaginable. His tries to curl in on himself, covering his eyes and keeping them closed, even as they want to burst wide in response to the terror and pain that cuts him with each blow. He issues a low-pitched shriek, one audible in reality, where he now lies curled up in a fragile ball of trembling limbs on the floor before Rue, having spilled from the bed.*
[8:03:19 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Elegant, wordless, Rue slides to the floor like water down a hill, gently taking up his side. She lies wrapped around him from behind, whispering in his ear as she presses her heart to his back, making him feel her red pulse that beats only for his happiness. Her voice caresses his ear, warm and soft.- "My Prince...Please wake...I wish to hear your kind voice...I wish to see your warm smile...Will you hide those lovely golden eyes from mine? Will you not wrap your arms around my chest and press your heart to mine so that I may feel it's gentle thrum?" -She gently runs her fingers through his hair, removing it from his eyes, stroking his pale cheek. She knows what she must do. She knows what her duty is.- "Please wake...Please wake so that we may be together again...?
[8:39:53 PM] Swan Prince: *He whimpers faintly, biting his lip in both the dreaming and waking worlds to restrain another bitter scream, only to suddenly have the tension drain from his frame as the stabbing, rending beaks scratching at his back are replaced by a warmth lighter than feathers, shielding him, soothing his panicked heart to match the gentle pace of the one he can feel against him. The delicate pleas are audible only as mild whispers that ripple around him, allowing him to breathe again after the drowning waves of sound from the ravens' demanding caws; that splendidly cool touch trickles against his face to combat his fever. His eyelids flicker, flashing specks of inconsistent golden light as his drowsy gaze roams for nothing in particular.* Ah... it's... warm... thank you, my- *He stiffens against her, the words tumbling back into his throat just in time. Before he can utter words that are now above him, beyond his right. He murmurs, quiet as a summer breeze, his face contorting in hazily dawning horror* No...  *He must move quickly, before he does some irrevocable harm, for her to be this close is... wonderful, purely, and he must not allow it. But his limbs are as reluctant to stir as his mind remains, and they linger heavily in her warmth*
[8:52:40 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -She holds him close in a firm embrace, her voice ringing soft and sad.- "My Prince...Why do you shy from my touch? Is it something I've done?" -Of course, he would never admit it if it was...And that's what makes her heart burn with worry for him. The Prince who would shoulder the burdens of the world...It seems that his broken heart was more of a blessing to him than anything, so that he may not tear it apart...She sighs deeply, blinking tears away. Is there anything she can do when perhaps his worst enemy is not the Raven and his foul ways, but himself...?-
[9:06:43 PM] Swan Prince: No... never... *He almost reaches out to comfort her, but as he lifts his hand, it's too easy to envision his pale fingers soaked thickly with blood, and his eyes widen, trembling, as the phantom sensation of that hot liquid splashing over him is recalled vividly, droplets digging into his skin like needles heated to a brilliant orange, he'll get it on her, hurt her, burn her and corrupt her and poison her, everything that should not be done to her, and when she has already been so deeply wounded. He could not protect her as would have been fitting, and so he had no claim to this gentle hold, that graceful heartbeat. He crawls out of her grasp, hauling himself unsteadily upright, staring at the wall as the room begins a lively dance before him.* I'm sorry... I hurt you again...
[9:14:08 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: "My Prince...Please, I don't understand you..." -She stands with worried eyes, stumbling slightly as she pushes herself upwards to dance forward on feathery steps, holding an arm out to him, longing for his touch once more.- "You haven't hurt me at all...The only thing I have seen you do is run, run from me, run from Fakir, from Duck. Who are you running from? Who are you running from who will harry you so badly that you will not find solace in my arms...?"
[9:29:41 PM] Swan Prince: No... I am not your prince... I-I do not deserve to be your prince... *He didn't want to tell her, to speak of it would be almost as bad as the rough rawness of the blood against his skin, and now she speaks truly, reminding him of cowardice, of weakness he had not even realized he possessed. Every inch of him was afflicted with an eroding illness, or so it seemed, sweat shining over flushed cheeks. He claimed the one backward step he could, concern sharp in the corners of his frown. He quivered, and found that it was beyond him to face her, so he turned his gaze toward the floor. Lacerations ran over his thoughts, slicing open reason with shards of distress and wretchedness* I could find solace, but at some cost to you, surely...
[9:35:29 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Rue wraps her arms around his middle, ignoring his protests, his stained comments that pummel her heart like blows.- "My Prince...Anything you would like from me, you may take. You gave me happiness. You gave me love. You, the Prince who could have anyone took a lowly crow for your wife...Don't you remember...?" -Her hands reach down, pulling his up to his middle, her delicate fingers tracing over the band that seals their fate as lovers.- "You are not my Prince, Siegfried. You are my king."
[9:51:59 PM] Swan Prince: You don't understand... *He stares at her in horror, no, no, this is utterly, absolutely wrong, she cannot offer him so much, so freely, not when there is poison woven into his very skin. His head drops, as if the strength to support it was ripped from him, and his lank bangs drip shadows over his eyes. She can't see it, then, the distant, withdrawn ache, the persistent burn laced with ill-fitting beauty by his long lashes.* He... covered me... blood... all of me... *His pupils collapsed in on themselves, fading to pinpricks. It's biting, words that seem to shred his soul to think, but she needs to hear them, so she can realize. So she can escape* The Raven's blood is not just on the inside anymore, don't you see?! I... I can still feel it... I-I am no king, no prince... It is I who have become a foul crow, and... I could not tarnish such a beautiful princess... *The shuddering in his frail shoulders swells to wrack his frame, as his breath takes on a sharp rattling through his throat, and tears cross his face in a steady, somber march before bursting against the ground. He winds his fingers around hers, an innocent reflex despite himself* I'm sorry...
[10:04:47 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -She doesn't let go, instead choosing to spin him around in her grasp, holding him close, her arms wrapping around his chest to prevent him from pushing her away.- "Look into my eyes. Red. Red as the Raven's. How many times has he doused me? How many times has he forced me to drink? And yet..." -She rests her head on his neck as she feels her eyes burning wet with tears, her heartbeat quickening slightly against his chest.- "You never left me. You never wanted me to go away, you never hated me, you never threw stones at me or called me an "ugly crow"...And all I did, all I've ever been able to give you is pain, my Prince...So please, corrupt me with your skin, hurt me, do whatever you please to this foul body...Just don't leave me, don't take my smile away...You are my life, and you own my life, so use me as you will, my love."
[10:27:32 PM] Swan Prince: No! Never... never... You must... have your own life, your own... love... You suffered too long, you must... find someone who will /not/ hurt you... *He rests her hands lightly over her shoulders, as if frightened that his touch will literally burn her if he lingers too long, and tries to push her softly away* I cannot be your smile... not if it might one day... *He jerks his head aside abruptly, severing his own words, no, those he cannot choke forth. The Raven Prince's feelings have their own frightful clarity to him, he can remember the sickly sweet desire to have everything from her, to take her heart and drain it and watch it crumble, and an image, one he received not too long ago, of her lovesick heart warped into mindless adoration, and though it is torturous to think upon now, he knows that such a monster hungers inside of him still, and he needs to protect her from it, now that hints of that taint are on the outside, too. His voice fractures keenly* Leave me.
[4:47:49 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -She only clings to him more tightly, tears running hot from her eyes to rest on his skin. Why doesn't he understand? Doesn't he feel the love that traces through her, more vital than even her own nervous system? Why can she not make it clear, trace her love in blazing words in the sky for all to see? Why must she limit herself to these feeble touches that only mislead and never quite state her words strongly enough?- "Please...You will not hurt me. I know it, I know it to be true. Listen to me, my kind, sweet Prince...I know that monster that lives inside you, I know it shares your thoughts and looks through your eyes for weaknesses in all around you. Know it is not you! It is the Raven and his foul deeds, and I would never mistake his gaze for your own...So why must you? Why must you think your actions and his one and the same when plainly they are not?"
[5:03:01 PM] Swan Prince: It is my heart... I should be able to block it out, to stop it from overtaking me... from hurting you. *His tone is quietly pleading, trying to make her understand, despite his wish to warm her, calm her heart as she does for him, to hold her close and safe- But his close hold is no longer safe. His hands clench and unclench at his sides, to brush the tears from her face with such unclean hands would be... The very thought makes him sick at himself, disgust welling within him. He knows of her love, yes, and he knows how terrible of him it would be to let her know that he returns it, utterly and undeniably. His heart scrambles, forcing him into abrupt awareness of how new it is, how young the restored thing in his chest beats. Feelings clamor for his attention as individuals, complaining loudly, mewling for him to wrap his arms about her or screaming viciously for him to not shame himself further* But... but I cannot. We are the same! *The words seem to pull the skin from his throat as they climb out of it. No, no, they can't be, but is it not the truth? He hates it, if he was to tear out his heart again, would it be fixed; would he stop hurting her? The Raven should have lost his heart before, so should he at least be noble enough to take that fate for himself?* I am... no better than the Raven... It claims my thoughts, and when it does, my heart is too weak...
[5:17:53 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Her hands drop weakly from him at his words. Horrible words. Terrible words. Getting in the way of her love, befuddling her, confounding her Prince. Words without meaning, seeking only to stab liked barbed knives, to poison with doubt and worry. She feels her hands coiling, her body tensing like a snake as he condemns his heart, his beautiful heart that, save for a bloodied past, is as pure and innocent as a dove's first flight...And then those words fall from his mouth, sobbing and careless. The Raven, to even think he would consider himself no better than the Raven, the monster who would break his heart and burn her agony into his mind...Before she even realizes it her hand comes across his face, her nails raking across his cheek in her fury. Almost immediately she regrets it as she cradles her hand close, a thing defiled by such a monstrous act. However she cannot show hesitation, especially seeing such a hurt look on his face. She steels herself, her words stern, but echoing with a lingering sort of haste and offense.- "Never compare yourself to him! You are nothing like him, do you understand?! If your heart is weak, then let me strengthen it, but don't even think such black thoughts, no less utter them!"
[5:37:12 PM] Swan Prince: *He gasps, a cutting breath that severs the flow of his aching shudders, and blankly raises a hand to his lightly stinging cheek. His silence is internal as well as external, merciful shock providing a moment of cold clarity, and it's draining. That torrent of fresh emotions dissipates, leaving him chilled and sodden, but there's breath in his lungs and not much else in him. The strange, hollowed-out sensation that always follows such extremes. It is her words, that fill in the gaps, that enter his heart and swell within it to bolster him. He is the one who made her suffer, torturing her with that supposed purity of true love, dangling it before her with his mere existence, and somehow, she still wishes to stand by him, she does not see any truth in that cruel notion. Rue loves him, and she doesn't think he's a monster, and she won't leave him by himself to tremble in darkness. Even if he might belong there, he won't be alone. Physical weakness abruptly rises, his knees liquify, but is this... relief? He should trust his princess fully, and if she will offer him so much, then he is once again unbearably cruel to question her. He drops onto the bed, and fixes an arm around her waist to sit her beside him* Rue... I... I love you, you understand. I want you to be safe, and that only... I'm sorry...
[5:44:39 PM] The Great Invincible Raven: -Rue sighs deeply, running her fingers through his hair. Really, even though he is the love of her life he can be...well, dense for one, and perhaps a bit too self-condemning for another. However it's moments like this, where she can softly hold him close, where she can bury her face in his pale neck and breathe in the soft scent of petals that make it all worth it...- "It's ok, my Prince...It's ok...Please don't apologize, because I would only ever wish the same for you..."
[5:50:44 PM] Swan Prince: *He presses her against him gently, running his hands over her back, laying his cheek against her hair, kissing her forehead once, softly.* My princess... yes... *She is the only one who can call him back, there may be darkness in his heart, and it may overcome him, but it will never overcome her. If nothing else, he will prevent that much, he will never let himself be the one to claim her even if he falls. But really, such dismal thoughts as what might require such a sacrifice don't linger, not anymore, not with the warmth of his princess beside him to light against the shadows and guard his dreams as he drifts into a true, restful sleep*