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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 0:14:05 GMT -5
(OOC: This is a continuation of this thread winxclub.proboards31.com/index.cgi?board=Lake&action=display&thread=1132526503&page=1#1132807371) Palladium carefully laid Flora on the ground and then removed his earplugs. Lifting her arm, he placed his finger against her wrists, hoping that he would find at least some sign of life. After several moments of futile search, Palladium grimly realized he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to do something. Wracking his mind for any knowledge he had regarding sand merks, Palladium felt himself growing frustrated. After all, his specialization was potionology - not this. And what he did remember about sand merks from his studies many years ago was only that neither potions nor spells had an effect on them - and that potions and spells also had no effect on reviving a person affected by the chattering. But there had to be something . . . something that could revive a person. He knew there was but he couldn't remember. Come on, Palladium, remember. You need to remember. You need to remember now. Time is escaping. Think. THINK, dammit! Palladium rubbed his temples, wishing that somehow he would remember what he needed to do. But instead he kept drawing a blank. And then it hit him - he could do a spell on himself to let him find the knowledge he needed to revive Flora. Clearing his mind and closing his eyes, Palladium concentrated and then began speaking slowly: “Bound and binding binding bound see the sight hear the sound what was lost is now found” Opening his eyes, Palladium wondered if the spell, usually meant for finding lost items, would work on finding lost knowledge. Swallowing back fear, Palladium questioned himself, "What will revive Flora from the sand merks chattering?" And then somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he felt something surface. In his head the words 'a kiss' resounded . . . Palladium paused. Was this really the answer? Or was his mind playing tricks on him. Looking over at Flora, Palladium knew that no matter how strange the answer seemed, he had to at least try. His heart suddenly began to pound and his hands grew damp. Nerves. Just do it. This doesn't mean anything - you're just trying to save her. This will be entirely platonic . . .Palladium leaned down, placing one hand on the ground beside Flora's head. And then, before he could think for even a moment more, he gently kissed her lips. Almost immediately, Palladium pulled back, fear rising within him. Her lips had been cold. They should still have been warm. His skin prickling, Palladium wondered if he had been too late . . . |
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Post by Demeter on Nov 24, 2005 7:45:54 GMT -5
Flora started to stir, but just barely. The effects of the sand merks left her badly shakened, her mind scattered. A faint whimper escaped her lips as she struggled to come around. It hurt to think, to concentrate. She could feel herself struggling, trying to come around. But she was so tired and it was so much easier to sleep, to remain lost due to the sand merk's mental damage.
She was cold, too cold. The water had been icy - and she had laid it for a good period of time before the professor found her. She started to shiver slightly, her body trying desperately to warm itself up. A faintly murmured "cold" escaped her lips.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 11:47:11 GMT -5
Palladium breathed a sigh of relief. She was still here; her mind hadn't been lost. Whispering a silent thank you to no one in particular, Palladium began chanting a warming spell. Now that Flora had been somewhat awakened from the effects of the sand merks he should be able to use a spell on her to bring her back entirely.
Placing one hand on each of her arms he began chanting, "She is warm, warm as fire, all this warmth, this is her desire. The cold is gone, it is no more. She is warm, warm as fire, all this warmth, this is her desire."
Palladium paused, waiting to see if she would respond. Brushing his finger across her lips, he found them still cold. Frustrated, he whispered harshly, "Come on, Flora - respond. I know you can hear me; you have to wake up. You can't sleep now - you won't be able to fight."
Clenching his jaw, Palladium repeated the spell with more force. Pausing again, he felt as though he was suspended in time, waiting for her response. She had to respond. She had to. But he also knew that he had done all he could do to help her. From here on, Flora had to take control of herself.
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Post by Demeter on Nov 24, 2005 12:42:57 GMT -5
Flora's eyes slowly opened, just a little bit. "Where?" she asked weakly. It still hurt to move, to think. She winced and found that her body wasn't ready to start responding to her mental commands. She was trying to sit up, just couldn't find the strength yet. She gave him a weak smile.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 22:08:06 GMT -5
Palladium gave Flora an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand, relieved to feel the warmth seeping back into her body. "You gave me a scare there, you know." Palladium felt his throat contract and his eyes burned, "I thought that I had los - I mean, that you were too far gone to be saved."
Palladium lifted his eyes up to the sky, his gaze brushing across the canopy of trees that were swaying and rustling in the wind. Quietly he added, "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I- I don't even want to imagine it."
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Post by Demeter on Nov 24, 2005 22:15:42 GMT -5
Flora attempted to sit up, and came quite close to it, but it was still an effort. She allowed herself to sink back down against the grass. Her heart quickened at his soft admission and a slightly stronger smile appeared on her face.
"Why does everything hurt?" she asked, struggling to get the question out. Talking required thinking and thinking hurt. She remembered there was some sort of creature but the actual memory was a bit shattered.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 22:36:43 GMT -5
Noticing her attempts to sit up, Palladium quickly urged her to lie back down. "Don't wear yourself out - just rest, all right?" Smiling at her soothingly, he continued, "You hurt because, if I haven't missed the mark, you were attacked by sand merks. They chatter - quite incessantly, at that - and if you're not prepared to block out their sound they will drive you mad." Pausing, he furrowed his brow, "What I do not comprehend is how they ended up at Alfea. This is a dangerous situation, you understand; I must alert Ms. Faragonda and Griselda at once - the merks could attack again at any moment. And if another student comes across it unknowingly . . . it could be disastrous. We should try to get back to Alfea at once." Palladium scanned a glance over Flora, worriedly asking, "Do you think you can manage to travel back to the school?" Quickly he added, "You won't have to walk, of course; I'll carry you - it isn't that far and I want to ensure that you're focusing all your energy on getting well again . . ."
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Post by Demeter on Nov 24, 2005 22:47:38 GMT -5
Flora attempted a weak nod, in an effort to answer his question about getting back to school. Talking was still out of the question - it was far too much of an effort and her thoughts still weren't pulling themselves together fast enough for her liking. Besides, she doubted she had the strength to stand.
Her nose wrinkled for a moment and a small dainty sneeze escaped.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 22:57:54 GMT -5
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Palladium replied, attempting to sound nonchalant, "Okay then, we'll head back." Realizing that he now had to pick Flora up - and a conscious Flora at that, Palladium felt himself grow agitated. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage this . . .
Inhaling deeply, he managed to give Flora a shaky smile and then said as he bent down to lift her into his arms, "Up we go." It sounded strange coming from his mouth; the words certainly felt cumbersome and foreign. And more than that, he didn't sound like himself. Sighing inwardly, Palladium admitted that Flora tended to have that effect on him.
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Post by Demeter on Nov 24, 2005 23:04:20 GMT -5
Flora blushed as he picked her up and held her in his arms. Surprisingly enough, she fit perfectly in his arms. She yawned a bit and her green eyes fluttered shut as she drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and protected in his arms. She nestled closer, her head resting against his chest - the beat of his heart an effective "lullaby".
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Post by Palladium on Nov 24, 2005 23:26:36 GMT -5
Palladium's breath caught in his throat when he felt Flora shift in his arms. She fit perfectly. He briefly closed his eyes, relishing the feel of this one moment. So this was what he had been waiting for all along. Smiling, tenderness flowing through his body as he looked down at Flora, Palladium wondered for the millionth time how something that felt so right could be . . . well, wrong. But perhaps that was the thing, he thought to himself; perhaps this wasn't wrong - maybe what was wrong was him denying what he felt.
Breathing in the crisp air, Palladium shook his head, regaining his senses. Silently he reminded himself that he was treading in dangerous water. I shouldn't get my hopes up like this - after all, I'm just being ridiculous; Nothing will ever come about between Flora and myself. The only reason why . . . why I lost it for a moment there was because of the forest. At this thought, Palladium again glanced around the area he was standing in. I do believe it was the ancient sages who said that this forest could make a man lose his head because of all the magic contained within it.
Shaking off his thoughts, Palladium noticed that Flora had fallen asleep in his arms. Not able to suppress a smile, Palladium began to walk in the direction of Alfea.
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Post by Demeter on Nov 25, 2005 11:53:28 GMT -5
Flora nestled closer in her sleep, her breathing soft and even and not wanting to leave the safety of his arms. Sleep was the easiest thing for her and was one of the few things she could do that the sand merks didn't muck up. . Thinking was too hard - her thoughts were only now starting to knit themselves back together, but it seemed like it was taking forever. Her left hand gripped his shirt and slowly tightened. A small look of fear danced across her sleeping features as if what she was dreaming about scared her.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 25, 2005 12:31:32 GMT -5
Palladium felt Flora's hand gripping his shirt tightly. Glancing down at her face, he noticed with concern that she appeared to be in discomfort - most likely from some sort of nightmare, Palladium concluded. Frowning, he knew that Flora still wasn't even close to being back to where she had been before the sand merks attacked her. Sadly, he also knew that she would face long-lasting side-effects - one such possibly being bad dreams.
Right now, though, the best thing he could do for her would be to get her to Alfea as quickly as possible. There was nothing he could do about her dreams besides waking her up, which Palladium decided would be even more harmful to her than a nightmare.
Quickening his pace, Palladium saw Alfea looming up ahead, but it was still quite a way off. The building was deceptive in that way; it was quite tall so that you could see it long before you reached it. Sighing, Palladium knew it would be at least another twenty minutes before he reached it - and that was if he kept up this fast pace.
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Post by Demeter on Nov 25, 2005 13:16:08 GMT -5
Flora whimpered softly and slowly stirred. She looked up at the Professor through half closed eyes and buried her face in his shirt. It was a long five minutes before she managed to settle back down into sleep. His shirt was now stained with tears from when she had buried her face in his shirt and had wept silently.
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Post by Palladium on Nov 25, 2005 13:25:49 GMT -5
Palladium stared down at the girl in his arms and felt his heart tug again. He wanted to help her, to find out what had made her cry, but Palladium knew that asking would be a slippery slope. He was already getting too involved again. He just had to remember to be professional, distant. And so when he felt Flora stir and felt her gaze on his face, he kept his eyes averted. After a while he noticed she had slipped back into a sleep. Expelling his breath in relief, Palladium looked up ahead, glad to see that he could probably reach Alfea in another five minutes.
(OOC: I'll go ahead and make a new thread in one of the Alfea forums)
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