1st Flame | Video / Action for Astralfield

[scarletrose]

[Kurenai wasn't sure how a chalkboard was supposed to help her communicate with the people of her district and the realm. However from the brief contact with the Queen about the communication devices, she was able to figure out how to use the chalkboard.

The feed turned on with her walking along Astralfield. She looked calm and she chose her words carefully.]

Good day everyone. My name is Kurenai.

[She gave a short and respectful bow]

Does anyone know how to get back to the mansion?

Comments

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

[That gets a smile.] Thank you! I'm sure they'll all be flocking to your lovely roses.

[He does, and blushes just a little. It's funny -- back home, he had a horrible time making friends. Here, though. . .] I'll be looking forward to it. A nice garden party with flowers and butterflies might just be what we all need.

[Video]

[scarletrose]

[She giggles happily] I certainly hope they would. So you can see them~!

[She notices the faint blush and simply smiles. She doesn't want to make this awkward after all.] I hope so~!! I will do my best to make everything a little happier here. I'll do everything I can~! [Both vigor and delight in her tone]

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

And you as well -- flowers and butterflies for everyone!

[Yeah, no need for awkward. Victor has enough awkward in his life without adding to it.] That's very good of you. We could always use a little more happiness.

[Video]

[scarletrose]

Hai. It will surely make this place a lot more beautiful.

[Happily, Kurenai understands this. She's already dealt with the most awkward rose-slapping person in her realm.] I will do everything I can, as little abilities I have, I will put it all to good use!

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

And there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Where I used to live, it was almost always smoggy and -- generally horrible.

[Heh, good.] That's the spirit. I could probably do a little more myself on that front -- I'll have to think about what I could offer, though.

[Video]

[scarletrose]

Oh? Why is that? Are there lots of factories near your home?

I'm sure your presence is more than enough. I mean, look at me, I'm a bit shaken. But thanks to you, I think I'll be alright.

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

There were -- not here, of course, but back in Whitechapel. . . Let's just say the place where dreams of all sorts come to life is an honest improvement.

[Blushing again!] Well, I -- I just remembered how frightened I was when I first arrived, and how people contacted me through this and helped me through it. . . How could I not do the same for someone else? [Paying it forward.]

[Video]

[scarletrose]

That sounds like a terrifying place, doesn't it?

[She smiles fondly seeing that cute blush.] Well I still think it's remarkable of you. I find it so helpful and I am very thankful.

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

It's horrible. A lot of my worst memories come from the time I was forced to live there. [He looks away for a moment, one hand absently fiddling with his tie.] I just hope those I left behind are all right. . .

[And he'll smile back.] You're very welcome. I hope you can get settled in nicely.

[Video]

[scarletrose]

Well I certainly hope they are fine. What do you mean by forced. [She was genuinely worried.]

Yes. I shall do my very best. Thank you!

[Video]

[forgotten_vows]

Me too. And -- [More tie-fiddling.] It's not a happy story. Suffice it to say my parents sent me there to get treated for a "condition" I didn't have. [He briefly scowls at nothing, then shakes his head. Not worth dwelling on.]

That's good. You're welcome again.

[Video] awww that icon >u<

[scarletrose]

[She's even more worried now that she can see more tie fiddling] Treated for a condition you never originally had? Isn't that pointless?

What was this condition? If you don't mind me asking of course.

[Video] Victor gets all the cutest/saddest icons ^_^

[forgotten_vows]

Pointless indeed, but I couldn't convince my parents I wasn't -- well. . .

[He does hate having to explain this, but it's going to have to come out sometime, isn't it?]

They thought I was insane. I'd had something -- unusual -- happen to me, but they weren't around to see it, and when I tried to tell them about it. . .they deemed me mad and ended up sending me away.

[Video] Awwwww makes for a cute little victor :3

[scarletrose]

What made them think you were unwell? [She'd be too scared if her foster father did the same thing. Then again, he does worse things to her.

And yes, she's a curious young woman, and she's bound to ask about it one garden party or another.]

Insane? You don't look insane at all. In fact I've seen insane people, and you are far from them. Again, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to you? I mean, the thing that they refused to believe.

[Video] He's pretty much made of adorable

[forgotten_vows]

[Better to get it out of the way now, he supposes. He sighs, fiddling with his hands now. Hopefully she won't think he's insane after he explains. . .on the other hand, they are in the land of living dreams and magic chalkboards. . .]

I -- accidentally almost-married a dead woman. One who was up and walking around at the time.

You see, I'd been arranged to marry this other girl, Victoria, and while I liked her, I was a nervous wreck at the rehearsal. The pastor banished me to learn my lines, and I fled into the woods near my village to learn them properly. I finally got them straight next to an old oak tree, and even slipped the ring onto what I thought were merely some hand-shaped twigs extending from the ground. They turned out to be the skeletal hand of a corpse bride, who'd been murdered by the man she'd meant to elope with. She'd vowed to wait for her true love to come set her free, and she mistook my practice for a proposal. So, ah, she rose up and accepted.

[Video] that icon... it describes me... *fangirl attacks Victor*

[scarletrose]

[Nothing could possibly be more insane than talking using a chalkboard.

Now if Victor didn't add that last sentence, she'd think it's all normal. Maybe he was so in-love with the dead person. But, now she is confused with the second sentence.]

That means she wasn't dead in the first place... right?

[Now she listens intently to what he had to say next.

As he continued, she could do nothing but gasp as her eyes widen at the story. Lucky for Victor, same thing can be said about Kurenai. She died. However, Kurei used his flame to bring her back to life, so that even if she was nothing more than a weapon and a spirit flame, they can still be together for all eternity. Even if they drifted from the normal, they can still enjoy each other's company.]

I don't think there's anything wrong with that story at all. I think it was very romantic. For a woman to hang on to mortal realms to await for his beloved, I think that is the most romantic of stories.

[Video] LOL XD I use the "sequel" icon on my personal: "noo! anything but the fangirls!"

[forgotten_vows]

[Victor's not sure he'd say that. He's seen some pretty insane things in his life.

He shakes his head at the first question.]

I assure you, very dead. Blue skin, one arm and one leg reduced down to bone, and an eye that occasionally popped out of its socket.

[He watches her reaction carefully and -- well, she looks shocked, but not the kind of shocked that is generally followed by a statement of 'you're out of your gourd. He smiles a little as she talks about it being romantic.]

I suppose it is, a little. . .though I find it sad too. Emily -- that was the bride -- shouldn't have died in the first place. She was so full of enthusiasm and vigor. . .she should have been allowed to live out all her years with a man who truly loved her. Not be heartlessly cut down by some bastard lord who only wanted her gold and jewels. . . [Grrr. Hate you Lord Barkis.] Fortunately, I was able to bring her peace in the end -- and vengeance on her killer.

[Video]ahahaha funny X3

[scarletrose]

[Well she has a high tolerance for insanity]

So she really is dead then, and simply came back to life. I hope her eye will be alright.

[Well if you think about it, Kurenai has a high tolerance for impossible and insane.]

That is so sweet of you. Although not while she was actually living, you were actually her knight in shining armor. I feel terrible for Emily. Women spend their entire lives fantasizing about getting married and being with the one they love forever, and a man does that to her. I hope her fiancee got what he deserved. That was just too awful.

[Video] XD People have made some really great icons for him

[forgotten_vows]

[So does Victor, after everything that's happened to him. Hell, the woman he classes as the love of his life isn't always the most mentally stable. . .]

Sort of? She was still very much dead, just -- up and moving around. Unlife, perhaps.

[He smiles weakly.] Yes, that's what Victoria told me when I first met her, and I'm sure it was the same with Emily. I was something of an accidental hero for her, but -- I'm glad I was able to help her. She was a very sweet woman, and to suffer like that. . . She's free now, though. I helped her let go of her past, and -- well, I guess she's 'moved on.' The last I saw of her, she'd just become a rabble of butterflies spiraling up into the moonlight.

[His face darkens just a little.] And trust me -- Lord Barkis is getting what he deserved. Do you know the really mad thing about all of this? He attended my wedding rehearsal to Victoria, and stepped in as the groom after I disappeared because of my almost-marriage to Emily! He'd intended to do the same to her as he did to Emily!

[Video] lovely icons indeed.

[scarletrose]

[The two of them can't be anymore similar. The love of her life was evil, mad, and insane.]

Well, that isn't really peculiar.

You are a great man Victor. I'm sure if it were anyone else, they would have run away pretending that it never happened. I am very happy she found peace and move on. It must have been unbearable, latching her soul to mortal realms for the sake of love. [Awful, but something Kurenai is all too familiar with.]

I'm glad he's getting his come-upins. What he did was terrible, I can't believe he wanted to do it a second time. The nerve of that man. I'm happy he didn't succeed the second time.

[Video] and I still haven't filled all his slots :)

[forgotten_vows]

[Weeell -- Alice isn't evil. Killed one man, but the man in question was the truly evil one. Mad and insane though, yeah. Comes with hallucinating as much as she does.]

[Victor can't help but arch an eyebrow at her 'isn't really peculiar' comment.] The people of my hometown certainly thought it was. Until they decided to deny it ever happened. . . [Whoa, that's some bitterness there. But can you blame him?]

[He fiddles with his tie a little, grimacing.] I won't lie -- I did try to run away at first. I was just so scared. . .but when I got to know her, I just. . .I didn't want to hurt her more. I'm very glad I was able to help her. I imagine it was lonely under that old oak tree.

I'm worried he did it to more girls than just Emily -- but yes, it's fortunate we were able to stop him. The man tried to kill me, then accidentally drank poison after Emily saved me. [A rather wicked smile appears on his face.] The Dead were quite happy to have him join their ranks, so to speak. Especially General Bonesaparte and his sword. . .

[Video] You have lovely gifs. so many cute icons already OuO

[scarletrose]

[Well she has a reason then, but so does Kurei. He killed so many people, destroyed so many lives, to ensure nothing bad would happen to Kurenai. But after she was murdered, he continued doing unspeakable things only to protect his foster mother from being murdered as well.]

[She frowns at the behavior of the people in his hometown.] They're all terribly narrow-minded. A person can do anything for the person they love. If only you can live one more day to see your loved one's smile you'd do anything.... you'd forsake everything. Even if it means that you'll be nothing more than a shadow of your past self...

[She smiles a bit at Victor's confession] And that makes the difference. For you to actually go back and to see through all the superficial obstacles, that's something that has to be admired.

[She lays the chalkboard on her lap and showed Victor her clapping hands] I'm glad you succeeded! That serves him right. And I hope General Bonesaparte's sword is always aimed towards that evil man!

[Video] Tanku, although I can't really take credit for the gifs

[forgotten_vows]

[Ahh, yes. Understandable in the sense of wanting to protect the ones you love, but still -- not exactly good stuff.]

[Victor nods, sighing deeply.] Don't I know it. . . My parents weren't there to see the whole business with Emily. They were, ironically, out looking for me. So if someone in the village had just spoken up. . . [He listens to her speak for a moment, eyes distant as he thinks about everything that he gave up -- that was ripped away from him -- in trying to protect Alice.] Yes. . . I -- I think I know exactly what you mean. . .

[He finds himself smiling back, glad that she didn't find his confession horrible.] I suppose. I couldn't just leave her like that. I had to help.

[And the applause brings about a bit more blushing and some tie-fiddling -- although at least this time it's accompanied by a smile.] So am I. And I don't think it's going to be aimed away from him anytime soon. Not after the horrible things he did.

[Video] yeah I guess so.. but I really love your icon set!

[scarletrose]

[Never is good when taken to extremes]

That was pitiful indeed. And you suffered because of it. [She looked a bit sadly at him if not emphatic. In his latter statement, she just nodded at him reassuringly]

[She smiles brightly for him] You're a great man for being so altruistic and helpful!

I'm glad that in the end good guys like you triumphed. And he was punished for being bad!

[Video] Thanks! The good people responsible are all credited there :)

[forgotten_vows]

[Extremes are tricky things, yes.]

Suffered greatly. I barely think of it as home anymore, really. Too many painful memories. [He shakes his head.] That's all in the past, though.

[Really, keep this up and his head will just look like a strawberry forever.] Thank you. I -- I do try.

Me too. I just wish it hadn't taken as long as it did. . . I don't know how long Emily waited for, but it had to have been quite a while.