sixth rune; death; audio; dated to saturday morning.

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira's voice is even more guttural than usual, thick with gravel and pain. The strange reverberation is more pronounced, too; it's as though some other spirit hisses in echo of each word he says.]

I ask you--for my sake--for yours--do not come near my lake right now. [he pauses, exhaling raggedly.] Best ... best, in fact, to avoid the area around it in a several mile radius. For several days, at least.

Please.

[another short, gasping breath, and he's done.]

[OOC edit: koltira is now in his blood frenzy. you are free to approach him, action-style, but please keep in mind that the content of such threads may be triggering. death knights are sadists, and their view of violence is inevitably sexualized. OK? OK <3]

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[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira's eyes are glassy with the pain. He claws at his temples; growls low in his throat; glares at Bariyan.]

Why--why do you never listen to me? Leave!

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan stays right where he is, though he tilts his head slightly at the response.

There'd been things he wanted to ask Koltira, to say -- he'd come out of some vague concept of gratefulness, too. But it's evident that Koltira's in no state to converse about such things. So Bariyan puts that all away in favor of the present situation.

One corner of his mouth pulls upwards; something that might've been a wry smile, if it didn't look so alien and out-of-place on his face. ]

It's all right, Koltira.

[ He extends a hand, palm held upwards. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[GOD, ARE YOU MOCKING HIM? He feels as though he's being mocked, here. He stares at the hand, and then back at Bariyan. Shaking violently, he touches Bariyan's palm; whispers.]

What are you doing?

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan closes his hand around Koltira's fingers. The half-smile disappears from his face as he tugs, lightly. ]

Trying to help you. Again.

I think... [ knows ] ...that I at least owe you as much.

[deadelfwalking]

[he shuts his eyes; his other hand claws into the soil, digging deep. He tries to pull away, hissing.]

You don't owe me anything. That has always been perfectly clear.

[stonefaith]

[ Not so fast there. Bariyan tightens his grip to stop Koltira from breaking away. ]

We can argue about that later.

[deadelfwalking]

I didn't ask for your help. [he goes slack for a moment, trembling. Bariyan has no blood and no heartbeat, so Koltira's senses are not as crazed by the other man's presence, but he still has soft flesh, breakable bones ...]

I've never. Never asked you for anything. Except to-- [hnnh.] stay away.

[stonefaith]

I know.

[ And despite that, he stays right where he is. Here is the patience that he used to have, and the stubbornness to go with it.

Bariyan knows there's nothing to gain from arguing with Koltira, or in asserting his own reasons for being here. He's under the impression that attempting actual discourse will only agitate Koltira further. The man's hardly in his right mind, besides. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[In truth, it's the lack thereof that's agitating him, and that thin response pushes him beyond what he can bear. In a dizzying rage, he surges forward, pins Bariyan to the ground. He digs his nails into Bariyan's palms, scowling.]

Then why? Why don't you just leave me be? You can barely-- [he lowers his head for a minute as a jolt of pain sparks through him, and when he speaks again it's through gritted teeth.] --barely stand the sight of me. And yet, here you are. Here you always are!

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan bites back on a hiss as Koltira knocks him over; a short, failed attempt to move his arms is enough to tell him that Koltira has his hands pinned down.

He looks up at the other man. He knows who and what Koltira is, why he's acting this way, what he wants versus what he needs, but fear is irrational. It sparks, now, in the face of Koltira's anger. Bariyan represses it immediately. ]

One of those statements-- [ He grimaces, and makes another attempt to free a hand. Just one. He's not terribly fond of having his limbs caged like this. ] --is false. As should be clear by me being here.

[deadelfwalking]

I wouldn't bloody know it otherwise, would I!

[At first, he keeps Bariyan firmly held down, and even leans over, as if to bite or claw him in some way--but then he sees the medallion hanging around Bariyan's neck. The metal glints in the low morning light, and Koltira blinks. He recoils, releasing Bariyan abruptly and falling back on his haunches.

He buries his face in his hands.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan sees the leaning in and winces, suspecting that Koltira will go straight for the stitches this time -- but when he opens his eyes again he realizes that Koltira's weight is gone, drawn back. Why?

He sits up, rubbing at his cut palms. Staring at Koltira's hunched form. ]

What are you doing?

[deadelfwalking]

[he speaks into his hands, quavering, his every nerve alive with pain, with demands. Telling him to take Bariyan, to rip out his throat, to tear open his chest, to pull out his bones one by one. Koltira's voice is frustrated, strangled.]

I don't want to hurt you. You or the child.

[stonefaith]

[ He raises a hand, tugs at the chain, takes some meager comfort in its security. Martin is far from here; and should certainly stay far away. ]

But you have to hurt something. [ A statement. They've been through this conversation before, too, so Bariyan leaves it at that.

He wants to help. It's not just a matter of owing it to Koltira. As cold and distant as he may seem, Bariyan does care. Always has, a little, even through all the troubles of the past few months. But when it comes to Koltira, Bariyan is always at a loss as to what to do.

So this, perhaps, is the only way that Bariyan can be of any use to him. ]

[deadelfwalking]

Yes. I do. [he stands up with some effort, and begins to stagger away, towards his cabin. Each step is halting, as though he's braced against a cutting, ruthless wind. He keeps one hand over his face as he moves.

His head is a tempest; a sea of churning violence. The images in front of his eyes are blurry and indistinct. His disorientation is obvious; he seems to have forgotten that Bariyan is even there.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan's calm breaks as he grimaces, pulling himself back up to his feet and striding after Koltira. One more try, then. One more in the hopes that he is not making things worse.

It's not difficult to overtake Koltira, the other man staggering as he is. So Bariyan cuts in front of him and grabs onto Koltira's shoulders, forcefully. Nearly a push. ]

Then use. me.

[ He digs his heels in. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[Well, he can't exactly ignore that, can he. Rage boils in him at Bariyan's grab, and he growls low in his throat, the sound of a cornered animal. Ready to lash out.]

Why? So you can come away from it with another set of judgments?

[He grabs Bariyan by the throat--but his fingers, noticeably, take care to avoid the medallion's chain--and lifts him up off of the ground.]

So you have more justifications to look at me the way that you do?

[They are very near his cabin now, almost to its wooden porch. Koltira drags Bariyan up the steps as he talks. His grip is breathlessly tight--or would be, if Bariyan had breath--empowered by the adrenal fury of his hysteria.]

[stonefaith]

[ Instinct makes him grab onto Koltira's hand, his arm, fingers digging into Koltira's dead skin. The other man's nails are scratching close to his stitches. But it's relief that washes over Bariyan, not apprehension-- relief that Koltira is, perhaps, going to take that invitation after all. And relief that the chain is free of Koltira's grip.

Then the confusion starts to settle in. ]

I-- what? [ Bariyan kicks out, desperately searching for something to stand on, his feet stumbling up the steps as Koltira pulls him along. His voice is more strangled than usual. ] How do I look at you?

[deadelfwalking]

[He keeps hold of Bariyan with one hand as he throws open the door to his cabin with the other. Dragging Bariyan inside, Koltira slams him, hard, against the wall. The cabinet beside them shakes with the force--as do the bottles of alcohol lined up inside of it.]

As though I am a stranger. An intruder. No different than you looked at me before! Why--[and he pauses for a minute, groaning, pressing his forehead to the wall. He has Bariyan pinned and in a chokehold, but his grip slackens as his body shakes with another roiling crash of pain. Koltira swallows thickly, and some of the rage drains from his voice, though he is no less despairing.]

Your apology meant nothing.

[stonefaith]

[ No pain, but the impact still leaves Bariyan dazed. When his vision refocuses he sees the opposite wall first, before he shifts his gaze to Koltira, leaning against the wall over Bariyan's shoulder.

Hesitantly, he places a hand against Koltira's chest. There's no pressure, no attempt to shove him away. ]

Is that-- is that how I seem to you? [ Surprise? Indignation? Hell, even Bariyan doesn't know. Only the confusion is for sure. He tries to twist, to turn and tilt his head towards Koltira. ] I meant that apology. I still do.

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira holds their position, his body still quaking violently--the spasms last longer this time, and the pain they cause seems increased at least twofold. His eyes are squeezed shut against all this agony, and he hisses through gritted teeth.]

It is not a matter of seeming! Even when I am in your presence, you barely speak to me. You look at me with ... [a pause; a sharp, jagged inhale of breath. He digs his fingers into Bariyan's collarbone, almost hard enough for a fracture.] With distaste. Suspicion.

[stonefaith]

[ That gets Koltira a push, weak, reactionary. Hardly an actual retaliation. ]

You are imagining things. [ Exasperated. He knows he shouldn't be, he knows he shouldn't be replying at all; if anything, this conversation needs to take place outside of Koltira's frenzy. But, hell, Koltira's listening. And Bariyan is... talking, a great deal more than he probably ought to.

So he grabs a fistful of Koltira's hair, and pulls. ]

I do not mistrust you. Why would I?

[deadelfwalking]

[OW. WHY. Koltira winces at this fresh pain, immediately grabbing Bariyan's wrist and squeezing the bones with considerable pressure. He yanks Bariyan away from the wall, lifting him slightly, and then slams him down on the rickety table in the center of the room. The force is spine-cracking, and the table splinters beneath it, sagging in the middle.

Koltira leans over Bariyan, still gripping the other man's wrist, listening as the bones slowly break.

He has half a mind at present, and all of it wants to break every bone in Bariyan's body.]

You are either a liar or a fool, and I know not which is worse.

[he bends low, his face inches from Bariyan's own.]

I saw the fear in your eyes, just then. Outside. I always see it. And when I do not see fear, I see indifference.

[stonefaith]

[ He shuts his eyes and grins, horribly, as he hits the table. He hears the crack, too, but assumes that it is only the impact of the collision. The slow snapping of his wrist is not as easily written off. Bariyan opens his eyes to watch.

There'd been some panic the last time this had happened. But now Bariyan knows -- thinks he knows -- what to expect. If he is fearful, he is at least calm about it. Accepting.

He looks into Koltira's eyes, wincing a little at the brightness. His next words are soft, murmured. ]

I don't mean to be. I'm sorry that's what you--

[ He stops. He'd tried to lift a leg, to brace his foot against Koltira, maybe to push the man away -- but when he glances down he sees that his legs have failed to respond. It dawns upon him, then, that Koltira has broken his spine.

He inhales sharply, the breath hitching in his throat. Paralysis is a new thing to him, an injury he has not yet had the pleasure of suffering. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira realizes it, too, and the anger on his face gives way to absolute horror. He lets go of Bariyan; steps back from the ruined--but still miraculously upright--table. He sinks to the floor of the cabin, one hand over his face, groaning, keening.]

Oh, Light. Light help me ...