Post by Axel on Aug 29, 2009 2:50:25 GMT -5
[OOC: Wasn't sure if this was the right spot to put this, but I haven't seen the other auditions and this seemed to make the most sense--please correct me if I'm wrong!]
“H—fff—ghnnnnh…!”
A hand reached, faltered, and slapped against the edge of the sheer cliffside dropping off into the bowels of the Iifa tree. It shifted, followed by a trembling forearm with a clenched fist at the end as Zidane pulled his head and shoulders above the edge, grimacing and stopping to breathe hard for just a second—just a second—just a second more—and then boots scrabbled at the rock as he grunted with effort and wrenched himself back onto solid ground. He rolled onto his back, chest heaving, and blew a strand of blond away from his mouth.
Made it.
Clothing and Genome both were stained with blood, dirt, and grass, and here and there tiny remnants of vines were tangled in his hair. He’d already done a finger and toe count and he was all here, even if the way his tail had gotten wrenched made it feel like his whole spine shifted down an inch.
After panting for what felt like forever, he finally let his eyes slide closed and relaxed completely with a weary moan. Promised. Made it. Made it out.
Blue-green eyes opened a hair.
Kuja didn’t.
He wasn’t completely clear on what had happened after the vines got to them. There had been crushing pain, the scent of green and sweat and soil and Kuja, with his face pressed to his brother’s throat and the vines closing in everywhere, all sides, smothering, endless. He must have passed out, because the next thing he knew he was lying on the same grass altar where Kuja had fallen silent and the other Angel of Death nowhere in sight. He saved me, he tried to tell himself. But he couldn’t be sure.
Now he turned back to the sky, blinking in the glare of sunlight that suddenly seemed too bright. What’s supposed to happen when we die, anyway? Do we disappear?
He couldn’t think that. Not now. If he gave up for a second he might never get up, and that just wouldn’t work…but was it worth it? Everything ended. One day Vivi would stop, Steiner would die, Dagger would…be gone. All just like Kuja. I tried. I did, I tried… But it wasn’t enough. Kuja had ended…and if not he would end, someday. Did it really make a difference if it was now or later?
His body was too heavy and everything hurt too much and he was so…tired. Maybe if he just rested…he had to get up eventually, but just for a minute, give up for just a little while and let go…
…What if Dagger married somebody else?
Even closed, his eye twitched.
Alright.
“Gh—kh—ffffff…!” Slowly, like the half-dead kid he was, he sat up and glared defiance at the ground like he blamed gravity for this.
I’m up.
“H—fff—ghnnnnh…!”
A hand reached, faltered, and slapped against the edge of the sheer cliffside dropping off into the bowels of the Iifa tree. It shifted, followed by a trembling forearm with a clenched fist at the end as Zidane pulled his head and shoulders above the edge, grimacing and stopping to breathe hard for just a second—just a second—just a second more—and then boots scrabbled at the rock as he grunted with effort and wrenched himself back onto solid ground. He rolled onto his back, chest heaving, and blew a strand of blond away from his mouth.
Made it.
Clothing and Genome both were stained with blood, dirt, and grass, and here and there tiny remnants of vines were tangled in his hair. He’d already done a finger and toe count and he was all here, even if the way his tail had gotten wrenched made it feel like his whole spine shifted down an inch.
After panting for what felt like forever, he finally let his eyes slide closed and relaxed completely with a weary moan. Promised. Made it. Made it out.
Blue-green eyes opened a hair.
Kuja didn’t.
He wasn’t completely clear on what had happened after the vines got to them. There had been crushing pain, the scent of green and sweat and soil and Kuja, with his face pressed to his brother’s throat and the vines closing in everywhere, all sides, smothering, endless. He must have passed out, because the next thing he knew he was lying on the same grass altar where Kuja had fallen silent and the other Angel of Death nowhere in sight. He saved me, he tried to tell himself. But he couldn’t be sure.
Now he turned back to the sky, blinking in the glare of sunlight that suddenly seemed too bright. What’s supposed to happen when we die, anyway? Do we disappear?
He couldn’t think that. Not now. If he gave up for a second he might never get up, and that just wouldn’t work…but was it worth it? Everything ended. One day Vivi would stop, Steiner would die, Dagger would…be gone. All just like Kuja. I tried. I did, I tried… But it wasn’t enough. Kuja had ended…and if not he would end, someday. Did it really make a difference if it was now or later?
His body was too heavy and everything hurt too much and he was so…tired. Maybe if he just rested…he had to get up eventually, but just for a minute, give up for just a little while and let go…
…What if Dagger married somebody else?
Even closed, his eye twitched.
Alright.
“Gh—kh—ffffff…!” Slowly, like the half-dead kid he was, he sat up and glared defiance at the ground like he blamed gravity for this.
I’m up.
