Shadowed Stars

[Kaisaan]

"You have no right to demand anything of me!" the Emperor raged, but Keene didn't answer. No, he just started to walk forward, no fear, no hesitation in his steps. They were measured, smooth and when guns came up to level at his head and chest, his next few moves were executed with a flawlessness that was terrifying to watch. He didn't dodge bullets, he didn't have to. He moved with an astounding speed, small objects flying from his hand in rapid succession, never missing their targets.

They were coins, small currency...and they hit, without fail, on pressure points on the guard's bodies. Some, when they hit arms and hands, made the men drop their weapons while others made the men themselves drop, temporarily paralyzed. It only took about five dropping completely in the space of five seconds for the others to decide that they didn't want to be next as they cradled their hands and arms, and as Keene continued to advance, they got out of his way, backing up. One or two attempted to advance on him as he passed and they found their necks snapped just as quickly by a powerful black tail.

The emperor had lost his anger, his confidence and he stumbled back into his chair as the hybrid came to stand within killing distance - not that he needed to be close for that, as he'd just shown. The older man swallowed hard, looking up into dark green eyes that were blank as a wall, cold and unforgiving. The anger radiating from Keene now was almost calm, completely calculated.

When the hybrid got pissed, he didn't react blindly. No, his mind sharpened to a point deadlier than a sword and it was that razor-blade edge that came through in his voice. "You know what I want. Should I give you another chance to comply or should I save myself the trouble of having to check up on you in a month? This is what is best for your people. Peace will help them far more than war. I have done all the dirty work. All you have to do is accept the results. Will you relent of your pride? Or is this throne going to see a new ruler in the coming days?"

There was nothing in Keene's voice, in his demeanor to suggest he had any problems with killing the man before him here and now. In fact, there was very little of anything human about the hybrid right now and it was probably that fact that freaked the emperor out more than anything. Though, Keene's assassin-like abilities might have attributed to that, too.

The older man nodded slowly and it was very clear he meant what he said next if only for the fact that he didn't want to die.

"It will be as you say. You have my word."

"Good." Keene moved back then, done and he walked back to the three as calmly as he'd walked away from them, unconcerned about the guards who watched him go. They wouldn't be a threat. Cold jade eyes looked from Raxiel - warningly - Dorene and then finally Tessa. "Let's go."

 

[khetawolf]

Dorene flinched a little at every man Keene killed, but Tessa did no such thing and she watched intently as the events unfolded between the hybrid and the emperor. When the emperor finally relented though, both females were visibly relieved and Tessa turned to follow Keene with Dorene following close behind. Raxiel lingered behind briefly, his eyes meeting Keene's before falling back on the emperor. It was with great effort that the android shifted his arm back to normal and turned to follow the others out, looking none too pleased about it either.

They walked for a while and it was only after they were far from the room did Tessa speak up.

"Is there anything else you need to do here or are we going to leave?"

Tessa wanted to ask more; specifically, she wanted to ask about Keene's new title. Had he been bluffing when he said he was World's Bane? Surely so, as Tessa had always imagined the figure of legend to be an evil, bloodthirsty thing. Keene was cold and calculating, but not malicious or cruel. At least, Tessa hoped that was the case. He DID just assassinate one leader and threaten another, though that was for the greater good - maybe all of the places Worlds' Bane destroyed were for a greater good?

Tessa realized her mind was wandering and she forced herself back to the matter at hand, her violet eyes coming up to meet Keene's jade with question.

 

[Kaisaan]

Keene didn't answer right away as he pushed his anger back down, as he gained control over his emotions and steadied his powers. He'd not revealed what he'd been tempted to tell the arrogant man he was leaving for good. Oh, to see the absolute shock on the emperor's face would have been wonderful, but not beneficial at this point. No, when he gave away one of his biggest secrets - and the fact that he was Worlds' Bane, surprisingly enough, was not it - it wasn't going to be to the likes of a person like the ruler he'd just had to threaten.

No, it would be to someone he trusted....if that ever happened again in his life. It was probably accurate to say he'd not be revealing his secret anytime soon if ever.

The hybrid finally focused on Tessa when her eyes met his, feeling like somehow he was instantly stabilized as he looked at the white-haired female. It was strange and he tore his eyes away just as quickly, looking ahead again as they exited the palace grounds, no one raising an alarm or attacking as they went. Good. At least the emperor had learned something.

"I have one more thing to take care of, yes, but it's not nearly as dangerous." he assured with the faintest trace of a smile, a true one. His green eyes flashed gray as they headed back through the town, this time finding their own transportation. Keene paid the driver and they were taken back to the landing docks, but not the same one they'd arrived from. No, there were bigger ships here, ones owned by specific people and it didn't take Keene long to acquire the access card to one. It was a Dragonfly model, shaped almost like the creature itself. The engines, cockpit, repair room, infirmary, fuel tanks and artillery - and one more large room that would be revealed - were located at the front of the ship. The longer stem jutting out from the larger front end was a section of long corridors and rooms branching off from there; everything from crew cabins, to a dining area, kitchen, sparring room, sitting room and green-house were in that part of the ship. The thrusters were near the back of this stem. The 'wings' that extended from the front of the ship to either side contained gunner cockpits in case of attack, able to protect any part of the ship from enemies flying around.

It was this one that Keene approached, moving up the ramp and placing his hand appreciatively on the metal. "This is Waterlily. She's my ship." He glanced back at the other three even as he opened the door, the hiss not enough to drown out his words, but clear to hear. "Respect her and she'll take care of you."

Not waiting for a response, he walked into the ship, something about him relaxing just a little as if he'd come home. Keene didn't head toward the cockpit, but past it, down a corridor that started flashing with an alarm, red lights nearly blinding until the hybrid placed his hand on a panel. The ship quieted then, but something else seemed to have woken with the noise. There was a growling sound followed by a high whistling noise and Keene glanced at Dorene. "This should interest you, Nerd."

His jade eyes went to Raxiel. "You shoot and I swear you'll spend the next decade repairing yourself and you," He looked at Tessa and paused for a moment before a genuine smile, very faint, flickered through his eyes. "You I'm not worried about." With that, he continued on, opening a vaulted door and stepping inside without hesitation.

A deafening roar greeted him and Keene grinned, pure happiness in the expression as he looked upon the mottled blue-green-brown creature before him. It wasn't restrained in the least and it was winged, huge. It had sharp teeth and looked to be half-bird, half-dragon, balancing on two legs and small claws on it's wings, much like a bats'. Its four gold eyes settled on Keene before anyone else and the fierceness didn't evaporate....it merely settled, submitted to the hybrid.

The creature lowered its head and Keene stepped forward, cradling the deadly snout fondly as the animal crooned, obviously happy to see him. The residual iciness of the room gave testament to the fact that the flying beast had been in cyro, hibernating in a way until recently. It hadn't suffered his absence.

"This is an Aislon. They are native to the planet I grew up on, Nijera, and they bond to one person in their entire lifetime. This one is mine and she's called Nyteek. She, unlike my ship, will not accept you unless I do." Keene turned then and Nyteek hissed, growling low as her head hovered over his shoulder, her gold eyes focused on the three who had followed her hybrid. Keene looked at Tessa first and his eyes were challenging. "Come here."

He held out his hand.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[khetawolf]

As they walked to the landing docks, Tessa glanced at Keene curiously at his answer. He had something else to take care of that was less dangerous than threatening the emperor of a massive empire? Somehow that wasn't as comforting as Tessa hoped it would be. When the four stopped in front of the Waterlily, Tessa blinked and her violet eyes ran over the ship with admiration before she turned her gaze back to the hybrid. He had his own ship? It wasn't horribly uncommon to find individuals that had their own ships, but one as impressive as this was something else entirely. Then again, Keene seemed to have plenty of secrets that made owning a ship pale in significance.

They boarded the Waterlily, pausing only brief at Keene addressed each of them. Dorene gave the dark-haired man a pointed look at her nickname but she didn't say anything about it; Keene had successful piqued her curiosity and Dorene's initial irritation was already being replaced with anticipation. Raxiel had calmed considerably since they left the palace and at Keene's warning, he only met the man's eyes evenly. Tessa though, wasn't sure what to make of Keene's remark. More confusing though, was the faint smile that crossed his lips as he said it and Tessa felt a soft flutter of something in her chest before the moment passed and she settled again.

When they finally opened the vaulted doors and the creature inside was revealed, there seemed to be a collective moment of uncertainty. Tessa was the first to move and she eyed the creature with interest before stopping a few feet behind Keene. Dorene was next, her light green eyes wide with awe. "A real Aislon..." Her voice was filled with wonder and her eyes remained locked on the creature in fascination. The creature's magnificence seemed lost on Raxiel though, and he merely looked uncertain - glancing between the creature and Keene before he reluctantly decided to suppress his hostile urges towards the Aislon.

At Keene's next words, Tessa tore her gaze away from Nyteek to look at the hybrid. The dark-haired man's eyes were challenging and that alone would have spurred Tessa to action. That wasn't even needed this time though, as Tessa already wanted a closer look at the Aislon and likely would have approached it anyway, despite any danger. Tessa grinned then and without hesitation, took Keene's hand.

 

[Kaisaan]

Despite every reason he had to remain aloof, every talk and argument, every insult and disagreement that had transpired in the last five days, Keene in reality found himself smiling as Tessa's hand slipped into his own. It wasn't an open, revealing smile, but it was pleased and it was the happiest expression he'd ever given her that didn't hold a smirk, sarcasm or smug confidence. When her skin touched his, Keene almost felt his jade eyes swirl gray.

Trees. Jungles. Glowing plants and exotic scents, sounds. A pink-gold sky above the canopy and two suns high in the sky. She's giving him that look. The one that says he's crazy, but there is a smile flickering at her mouth and he knows she's been challenged because there is cold fire igniting in her violet eyes. Finally the grin spreads across her face and she seems to accept the dare posed to her, reaching up from the base of the tree to be pulled into it. Her hand connects with his own, trusting...

Keene blinked and the vision was gone and he found himself staring at Tessa, expression unreadable again. That had been his home planet, Nijera. She'd been there. With him. Holy galaxies! He'd seen something of his OWN future! The hybrid's expression morphed from blank to awed to confused and startled all in the space of a few seconds and before he could decide which to focus on, which to feel, Nyteek growled again, bumping her large head against his back.

The hybrid almost stumbled, graceful as he was in a normal circumstance and he came back to reality. His jade eyes flickered away from Tessa and he stabilized, turned to the side so that he wasn't between the Aislon and the white-haired female anymore. The creature moved her head forward, growling and baring her fangs. Keene rapped her on the nose and her four eyes flickered to him, her distrust and temper nearly as bad as his own.

"Be nice, you flying windbag."

A whistling noise greeted the ancient language and Nyteek settled a little. It was that moment that Keene had been waiting for and he slowly brought Tessa's hand forward, settling it on the warm hide of the Aislon. His own palm covered her smaller one then and Nyteek breathed in deeply, her growl turning into a low crooning sound in approval of the white-haired female. The hybrid looked between the two before sliding his hand away from Tessa's.

"There. Now she won't eat you."

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa could not deny that she was fascinated by the impressive creature but as she took Keene's hand, her focus was not on the Aislon but on the male in front of her. He was smiling - actually, genuinely smiling - and Tessa didn't know what to make of it. More confusing though, were the expressions that crossed the dark-haired man's face afterwards. Tessa's violet eyes searched Keene's jade as he transition and she might have inquired about it had the Aislon not nudged the man.

Tessa turned her attention back to Nyteek then and when the creature bared her fangs and growled, Tessa bristled as well. Keene's gentle chide successfully calmed both of them and Tessa glanced at Keene from the corner of her eye. That language again. She couldn't understand it, not yet, but each time he spoke, she was starting to piece together a little bit more. She wouldn't let him know that though, and her violet eyes fell back on the Aislon.

As Keene moved her hand to the hide of the creature, Tessa swallowed hard. Surely, her sudden nervousness was attributed to touching the massive creature and not to the fact that Keene's hand covered her own, warm and protective in a way. At least, that's what Tessa told herself. As Keene withdrew his hand, Tessa glanced up at the Aislon and then smiled faintly, gently running her hand along her side.

"Hi, there."

Dorene's eyes were wide, staring at the creature and the white-haired female, before she took out a small notebook from her pocket and began to write furiously, no doubt about the spectacle in front of her. Raxiel was notably less impressed and he watched the two with a careful eye, wary of the Aislon.

 

[Kaisaan]

Nyteek knew an admiring - for the most part - audience when she saw one and the Aislon preened, cresting her neck and seemed to swell with pride. Keene snorted at the display and smacked her side before he started to move around the creature, going to get her food. "Show off."

The creature growled, snapping at his retreating figure and Keene's black tail smacked the dangerous muzzle without alarm, earning him another snarl and a nudge in the back, a non too gentle one. The hybrid chuckled, stumbling forward. "All right, all right! Good grief, you're an impatient featherless goose." He let his tongue loose, speaking in the ancient tongue he'd known from childhood, feeling secure in it and Nyteek crooned at his words, not completely understanding them, but understanding the tone and completely understanding where he was going and what he was getting her.

As Keene got her meat, she turned her four gold eyes back to Tessa and tilted her head, studying the small female. The Aislon were intelligent creatures and Nyteek was no different. Tessa's confidence and dominant nature had already earned the creature's respect and the approval of Keene had created trust almost instantly. Lyalah and one other had been the last people the hybrid had introduced Nyteek to and the blue-green-brown animal knew such things were important.

She nosed gently at the smaller female and sniffed at her, both encouraging more stroking of her colorful hide and trying to figure out something. The Aislon finally brought her partially beaked snout to Tessa's underarm, touching the glowing tendril there with interest. A small cold burst made Nyteek pull back with a sharp whistling sound and Keene seemed to appear as if by magic, ducking under the creature's neck and bringing his hands to her head.

"What happ-" His voice had been sharp, protective, but he cut off before even finishing the question, looking at Nyteek's nose with wide eyes. Where it had been dark blue and green-swirled before....it now sported a perfect star-like snowflake symbol, pale blue and clear as day. Keene blinked, disbelieving and his fingers reached to touch to the mark. He flinched back as if burned and just as quickly as the snowflake had appeared, flames marks surrounded it, seeming to leap off the cold symbol.

The Aislon, a creature of bonding, remained completely calm through the whole thing and Keene forced himself to look away from the mark - though, it refused to fade from the creature's skin - and he moved away, his words muttered. "Don't agitate her. She's grumpy right out of cyro."

As he walked away, the hybrid felt like he could barely breathe and he resisted with supreme effort the urge to look back at Tessa; Nimue's heir. His other half....right under his nose this whole time.

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa smiled faintly at Keene and Nyteek's playful exchange and when the Aislon gently nosed her, Tessa laughed lightly and continued to pet the creature's hide. That's when Nyteek nudged the tendril under her arm though, and when she whistled and pulled back, Tessa jumped a little. She dropped her hands from the creature and looked at her with alarm.

"Is she okay? What did I do?"

Tessa glanced at the glowing tendril before looking back up at Nyteek. The tendril was cold to the touch, yes, but it had never hurt anything before. Had she accidentally tapped into her power? Tessa frowned, dwelling on the thought as Keene checked to ensure the Aislon was okay.

When Keene muttered and walked away then, Tessa glanced between the two in confusion. Her violet eyes landed on the mark on the Aislon's nose then and her eyes narrowed slightly in concern.

"Keene, this wasn't there before, was it? ...What happened just now?"

 

[Kaisaan]

Keene heard her, but he didn't respond as he typed in a code on a panel and then walked back toward Nyteek and Tessa, the former nuzzling at the white-haired female again, clearly ready to forgive the small jolt she'd received if she got more caresses. The hybrid watched the Aislon for a moment, namely the mark on her nose before he gave a firm command and Nyteek abandoned Tessa entirely, eagerly coming forward as the black-haired male pulled the feeding trough from the wall and meat by what could have been barrel-fulls dumped in.

As the creature started to eat, Keene rubbed her neck fondly and then looked back at Tessa. He knew - damn he did know - that it was time to play the game of fifty-thousand questions and this time he'd have to answer some. Things had changed in the blink of an eye and he wasn't yet sure if that was good or bad. He did know one thing, though; he couldn't let Tessa leave and that meant that he'd have to give her a lot more than he had been because right now she had no reason to stay.

Or at least, he didn't think she did.

Keene sighed. "I'll explain...a lot of things, but not here."

No, the last thing he needed was Nyteek picking up on his emotions and reacting to them. It would be terribly cruel to the creature. The hybrid started for the door, effectively making Dorene and Raxiel move back so he could get through and he knew Tessa would follow. The promise of answers would be just too much for her to resist, he knew.

Keene headed to the kitchen, taking the long corridors that led to said place with ease, knowing his way around after years of calling this place his home on and off. When they arrived, he pointed to the bar-stools around an island counter and without prompt he started to work his way around the kitchen. Few knew he could cook and Keene didn't really think about the fact that he was revealing that as he used the activity at hand as a good excuse to move and to avoid eye-contact.

"To answer your question; no, that mark wasn't there before. As for what happened...I can't tell you that yet." He paused for a moment, stilling as the significance hit him once more and then Keene shook his head, his black hair spilling across his cheekbones and eyes as he started working again.

"I can and will, though maybe not politely, answer other questions you might have....do have. Just...one at a time."

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa was surprised by Keene's response; he actually agreed to explain things? The last time Keene had agreed to do so, he had shut down after a few questions and refused to talk to anyone for three days. Yet now he was offering again? The offer intrigued Tessa and just as Keene had predicted, Tessa eagerly followed the male through the ship's corridors.

Raxiel turned to follow them as well but when Dorene didn't move, he stopped and looked at her with question in his eyes.

It took Dorene several seconds to realize the android was waiting for her and she glanced over at him only briefly before returning her attention to the Aislon. "I want to observe her feeding habits for a few minutes." Dorene certainly planned to catch up with Tessa and Keene later, but right now her focus was solely on the rare creature in front of her.

Raxiel watched Keene and Tessa leave and then looked back at Dorene again, torn. Both of his teammates were separating with potentially dangerous entities and he wasn't sure what to do. They had spent several days with Keene though, and the man hadn't tried to hurt them. He knew less about the Aislon's behavior and Dorene was the more helpless of the two females. With that in mind, Raxiel crossed his arms and stood beside Dorene, waiting for the redhead to finish taking notes.

Tessa followed Keene into the kitchen, sitting down at the bar stool and watching the man with some amusement as he worked through the kitchen. Interesting... Tessa didn't say anything about what Keene was doing though, not wanting to disrupt the opportunity to finally get some answers.

"Okay, let's start with what you are going to do next. You've essentially brought the war to a close; now what?"

 

[Kaisaan]

Well, she did get right to the heart of a matter without trouble, didn't she? Damn, every heir of Nimue knew how to do that. Why hadn't he seen that before? Okay, to be fair, his foresight had been on the fritz for days. Right now it was completely silent, docile and that made the hybrid nervous. Heck, his telepathy was staying pretty dormant, too and Keene knew that sooner or later the other shoe would drop - and then he'd be up s*** creek without a paddle.

Annnnd he was getting off-topic and Tessa was bound to call him on it if he hesitated for too long.

The hybrid focused back on the white-haired female's question and though he knew the answer, he really didn't know how to tell her it without revealing everything. So Keene did what he always did when uncertain; he closed down, expression blanking out and his voice becoming a bit sharper. "I need to go see...someone."

He stilled again, a butcher knife in his hand and his jade green eyes looked down into the reflection shining back at him. His own expression made unease curl in his stomach. He was used to being this way, he was, but sometimes when he'd felt a glimmer of happiness after seeing Nyteek or when he'd had a dream of his childhood, when he allowed himself to remember what he USED to be like...what he'd become scared him.

Damn, he didn't WANT to do this. He didn't want to open up at all, even to Nimue's heir, but Tessa being who she was would explain the fact that he'd been answering her questions anyway despite that.

The hybrid sighed and forced himself to relax a little, to ease the bite out of his voice. "I honestly can't tell you a great deal of details about the person I need to see, not yet. Rasheel...she wants him too and the less people that know about him and who he is, the better." He raised a brow and glanced over his shoulder, jade eyes meeting violet for a moment, trying to be civil at least...sort of.

"Next question?"

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa raised a brow, waiting for the hybrid's answer. When Keene finally did speak, Tessa was quick to pick up on the coldness in his tone. Yep, there was the Keene she recognized. The male DID answer her question though, even though it was a bit more vague than she had hoped for.

Tessa was about to point out said vagueness before Keene's jade eyes met her own and Tessa blinked, her expression softening a little. The man was trying to be civil, she could see that much, even if he wasn't always entirely successful. Still, he was trying and that alone made Tessa more forgiving. She didn't press Keene for more details then, instead opting for an entirely different question.

"Why don't you just kill Rasheel? She's obviously causing you problems. You can predict everything else; why not just use your foresight to track her down and kill her?"

 

[Kaisaan]

At her question, Keene groaned out loud, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling as if it would have the answers for him. The only response he got was from his own sarcastic mind telling him that he'd reaped this. He'd sown so many secrets, so many seeds of distrust, so many dangers that now every time he turned around he was confronted with them. The hybrid closed his eyes and sighed, tilting his head forward again and letting his black hair hide him for a moment.

He finally came to a decision a minute later and straightened, turning around and taking the two steps required to come to the opposite side of the bar from Tessa. He leaned his forearms on the counter and his jade eyes pierced into her violet. There was something that demanded she listen and believe him, not question what he'd tell her in his gaze, in his voice and Keene seemed to speak very carefully. He was opening up cautiously, giving her the information she wanted in the most truthful way he knew how and if she didn't accept it, there would be a long gap between now and the next time he tried again.

"My foresight doesn't work on Rasheel and her powers don't work on me. We are two sides of a spectrum and our ancestors have ever been as such. We'd be equally balanced if not for the outside forces and influences that give each of us strength over the other. Right now, Rasheel is stronger than I am. She is darkness and I....I am supposed to be light." He smiled just a little, the expression wry, bitter. "Unfortunately, I am a corrupted light and that gives her more leeway than she might have if I were stable. Right now, I clean up her messes more often than I prevent them."

And that led to a whole new topic; one containing the Worlds' Bane title, but Keene wasn't about to volunteer that.

He pushed away from the counter than, feeling like he'd ripped a scab off a wound and now it was gaping raw for the white-haired female to see. He didn't like it even as something very deep down told him she wouldn't use it against him and Keene turned away again, going back to the cooking he'd started. He brought his shield back up and it was clear in his voice.

"I can't kill her and she can't kill me. The balance between us has to be drastically tipped for either of those things to happen and right now it teeters, but it hasn't collapsed. Now, next question."

It really wasn't a request this time.

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa tilted her head a little, watching Keene curiously as he gazed up at the ceiling in thought. She didn't say anything to disrupt the male though, letting him take the time he needed to formulate his response. She didn't expect Keene to approach her though, and when the dark-haired male leaned against the counter and his jade eyes gripped her own violet, Tessa's breath hitched and she held his gaze, attentive.

It was only after Keene explained everything to her and turned back around again did Tessa finally exhale. Her heart was thudding her chest, much to both her confusion and dismay, and Tessa made herself focus on what Keene had told her. It made sense; why else wouldn't the two enemies have killed each other by now?

Tessa was quiet for a few seconds then, her mind racing through her thoughts before she finally settled on one and she spoke up again.

"Were you telling the truth? About being Worlds' Bane?"

 

[Kaisaan]

Could she read his mind?

Keene was truly starting to wonder and he resisted the urge to do a double-take at Tessa, forcing himself to focus on the celery he was cutting. Last thing he wanted was to chop off a finger. As he cut, the tip of his black tail had wrapped around the spoon sitting in a pot on the stove, stirring the simmering liquid inside. He'd learned a lot about multitasking throughout his life and when he applied it to hobbies instead of duty, it was almost comical to see.

The hybrid glared at the green vegetable in front of him as he answered Tessa's question, not having to hesitate this time. "I was." he replied simply, letting her digest just that fact.

Why did he suddenly feel the overwhelming need to turn around and see her reaction? Did he really want to hurt that badly? Was that really all he could feel anymore; pain? No, he wouldn't look and he'd convince himself that he didn't care what she thought. Keene brought his next slice down a bit more forcefully than he intended and the sharp thud echoed through the kitchen in a sudden way before he set the butcher knife down and busied himself with adding the vegetables to the pot. His tail was no longer useful in stirring, twitching and coiling much too strongly with his inner turmoil.

"I am Worlds' Bane and everything that name entails. My reasons for being that person are....not so black and white as they seem, though."

Keene wasn't really sure why he spoke again, but he felt he had to...to at least TRY to make her understand before she was lost to him forever. And he didn't understand why that was important, why he suddenly....well, cared. Stars, what was wrong with him?

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa had been watching with some amusement as Keene prepared the food and when his tail reached up to stir the pot, she couldn't help but smile faintly. The hybrid's answer shocked her out of her thoughts though, and Tessa's violet eyes darted to the man's back, as if she could glean further information by staring at him.

Fortunately, Keene DID speak again and the white-haired female found herself thoughtful at his words. From what she had seen so far, Keene never really did anything without cause and for him to do everything that the legends say Worlds' Bane did... surely he must have an explanation. Still, Tessa could hardly imagine a reason that could justify wiping out entire worlds and civilizations. She hid her uncertainty though, so that when she spoke next her tone was only curious and not skeptical.

"If the reasons aren't black and white, what are they?"

 

[Kaisaan]

"Complicated."

Keene said the word quickly, anger and frustration in his tone. Realizing he had nothing to do as he had to let the pot simmer on a low heat for a few minutes, the hybrid stilled and he closed his eyes tightly, his voice faint when he spoke again. "And tragic." Guilt threatened him then and Keene took a deep breath and pressed it back into the dark recesses of his mind again, gaining control before he turned around. Like before he came back to the bar and settled his forearms on the counter. He didn't look directly at Tessa this time, looking instead at his upturned palms as if he was seeing something complete different than his clean skin.

It was blood he saw so very vividly and the hybrid closed his eyes again slowly. His mind screamed at him to not say another word, to simply walk away, to DRIVE her away if he had to resort to that, to keep himself from being hurt again. His heart was undecided, too abused to trust blindly, but never without hope. His spirit, though...it knew Tessa. It knew the heir of Nimue just as surely as Merlin himself had known Nimue. It trusted her completely, unquestioningly and it was being demanding now. It had waited patiently for him to come to his senses and when he'd shown no signs of doing so....well, this was the end result.

A torn and confused, wary Keene who felt this burning desire to open up even as he felt an equally strong desire to close tighter than a clam. He'd have to find a balance before long, but right now it wasn't going to happen.

"I don't...didn't want to do what I did...what I may have to do again." He opened his pale jade eyes and ran his hand through his hair, still refusing to look up at Tessa. This was difficult already and the fact that he had no idea WHY he was explaining all this to her just made it worse for him. "I spoke of Rasheel's messes...well, sometimes the cleanup is just as ugly as her destruction. Her power...she's a Destroyer. She corrupts things, people....literally. Their minds, even their bodies like a plague and there have been times when...when I wasn't...strong enough, fast enough to stop her and whole worlds were....lost to her. I couldn't let her darkness spread."

And just thinking about it caused a dull throb of pain in his stomach, a tight knot of guilt and regret, and self-loathing.

 

[khetawolf]

Tessa frowned slightly at Keene's terse answer but she didn't say a word, giving the man a chance to gather himself before he either explained further or pushed her away entirely. Tessa was expecting the latter so when the dark-haired male returned to the counter and rested against it, she looked at him with mild surprise. Keene wasn't looking at her this time though, and Tessa used that opportunity to let her violet eyes trace his face, observing carefully every move the male made.

As Keene elaborated further, Tessa's expression softened a little. It was obvious Keene took no pleasure in what he had to do as Worlds' Bane and she found it easier to sympathize with him. She didn't particularly like what the male had to do but that wasn't really his fault - it was Rasheel's. Tessa shifted slightly then, trying to catch the dark-haired man's eyes with her own.

"Keene, you can't blame yourself for that. You did the best you could in those circumstances. You did what was necessary to prevent others from getting hurt."

 

[Kaisaan]

At Tessa's movement, Keene glanced up and his pale green eyes met her violet ones. He froze and for a brief moment the deep hurt, the jagged and torn state of his mind, his very soul was plain to see. Then it was gone behind his wall again, shields coming up as denial took precedent over every other emotion.

No.

She was...stars, she was actually trying to reassure him...comfort him!

No. No. He wouldn't....he couldn't accept that. No, the last person to do that had died. Rasheel had made sure of that. He didn't deserve to have someone understand. What had he been thinking?

"No. I didn't. I could have saved more. I could have put a little more f***ing effort into it and I chose not to. I'm NOT good, Snowy. I'm not trustworthy and I don't need sympathy. I'm an arrogant, cocky, over-confident d***, remember?"

He almost demanded that she remember her dislike of him, almost desperate to push her away. Keene shook his head and he took a literal step back and then another, as if putting distance between them physically would make the beautiful, fiery white-haired creature before him stop caring. Stars, WHY did she care in the first place? He'd given her NOTHING but trouble since they'd met. Was it just because they were connected through a bloodline, a destiny? That's all he could reason out at this point.

She couldn't care. He wouldn't let her, any of them. People who cared about him, people who worked with him, who got too close...they died. Period. And he'd be damned if these three would on his account.

 

[khetawolf]

When Keene's eyes met hers, wounded and filled with despair, Tessa felt her heart sink a little. It only took a second for Keene to lock the expression away, but Tessa had already seen it and the image lingered in her mind. She had expected Keene to shut down but she hadn't anticipated just how belligerent the man became towards himself. It was suddenly not so easy to call someone an arrogant d*** when they themselves were admitting it. Instead, the same insults Tessa had used before now rubbed her the wrong way and she frowned, the beginnings of regret forming in her mind.

Keene was backing away, trying to escape the situation, but Tessa was persistent; she wanted the man to know she no longer thought of him so harshly and even if Keene took her sympathies poorly, Tessa could at least rest easy knowing that she had said them at all.

"I highly doubt you chose to let those people die. What are you so afraid of? I'm not going to tell anyone your secrets." Of course, Tessa couldn't have known that what Keene was scared of was actually the safety of her and her team.

"Keene, it's okay. This is Rasheel's fault - not yours. You can't blame yourself for something that she did."