soul_logs | [Closed]

Entry tags:

tassadar,
zeratul

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Characters: Tassadar and Zeratul
Location: City Church
Rating: G
Time: March 19th, late afternoon
Description: Two protoss catch up after the mission.

Most days when he needed to think or rest, Zeratul returned to the church where he and Tassadar had first spoken here in peace and quiet. The building was a quiet, spiritual place by nature, and that was why he liked it so much. Going deeper into the park was always an option, but silence was expected here, so he came for that comfort.

There was quite a bit for him to reflect on, having been on two missions in a relatively short amount of time. His excursion with Tassadar and Kerrigan had been enlightening in more ways than one, but ultimately his fight alongside Ramza had been a truer initiation. Zeratul found he had a quite liked the man, and having him at his side was as a beneficial as sparring with him. Which was good, considering the monsters they’d faced down in those caverns. The war effort seemed as reactive and unorganized as he’d first thought, but at least something was being done.

Zeratul sat near the back of the open hall, where only a few people came and went. There was no service that afternoon, though he had sat through a few of the religious meetings here, simply out of curiosity. At the moment, he was waiting for Tassadar to join him, whenever the templar was available.

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The battle had come and gone much like any other one he'd experienced here. He had found the young ninja a delight to partner with, but he had been far too aware of the differences between wielding Lee in comparison to Nataku. That thought in itself had him pulling away from the general public after they'd returned from the successful mission. He knew that Zeratul would want to speak, but the templar hadn't found it within him to face his companion just yet. That was why he had sought out a location where he could disappear for the large majority of the day.

Tassadar had eventually emerged once his mind had settled enough, and he felt ready to face his companion. They hadn't spoken much since Zeratul had arrived, despite being in each other's company more often than not, and it was a thought that didn't settle well within. He knew that it was due to him, however, and that he shouldn't continually close himself off to those around him.

Trudging his way through the city, he remained lost in his thoughts even as he approached the church and entered into the quiet building. He didn't need to look to know that Zeratul was there, but he did pull himself out of his thoughts to focus on the prelate.

"En Taro Adun."

Zeratul stirred from his not-so-meditative state, turning his green eyes on Tassadar as he greeted him. He inclined his head once in return.

"Adun toridas, my friend," his voice was low, even if the conversation could only be heard by them. It was a combination of both respect and his own subdued mood. "I trust you are well?"

He had known Tassadar was present at the mission, but given the size of the location and all the guests involved, they'd hardly seen one another. A bit strange, all told, but there was only so much two Meisters could do if they did not have Weapons. Besides the mission, he could tell Tassadar was as withdrawn as he was, which was never good. Aiur protoss suffered too much from isolation.

As Zeratul spoke those words, he wondered if this was an attempt by Adun to hide them. It was a foolish thought, and one that he knew had nothing to do with their situation, but he couldn't help but make the connection regardless. Still, he continued to approach the older protoss as he moved deeper into the church.

"I am. The battle we fought was one, and such victories should be savoured," Tassadar said in return before he came to a stop a few metres from where Zeratul stood. "I trust that you found yourself well after the battle?"

Putting his hands on his knees, Zeratul sat up straighter to stretch out his back. Hundreds of years of hovering over scrolls and artifacts hadn't done his posture much good, and correcting it was likely impossible. Still, the stretch loosened up his muscles, and reminded him to move more than once every few hours.

"Indeed. Unharmed, as was my partner for the duration," he said. He lifted one hand and motioned towards Tassadar. "Come, sit and join me."

None of this standing around like he wasn't welcome.

"It pleases me to hear such things," Tassadar honestly murmured.

His armour sounded lightly within the large church as he moved to sit opposite his companion. His long digitigrade legs shifted to fold beneath him as his large form came to rest on the cool ground. He brought his calm gaze up to meet with Zeratul's glowing green ones, and with a soft murmur, he asked, "Did you find more of an understanding of our enemies after such a battle?"

While he knew Tassadar spoke the truth - he always did - the tone was still off. Not for the first time, he wondered how long they were going to shuffle around one another, or if they'd just let it keep going.

Zeratul nodded again, a bit more at ease now that Tassadar was directly in front of him. "Between the two missions, I certainly do. The fight ahead seems much longer than I hoped, however."

As usual, there was more than one meaning to his words. Larger, community events always seemed to reflect personal events just as well.

It was an unfortunate reality of this war, and one he had come to expect when it came to being in this world. While their people were known for their longevity, even he wondered if they would still remain to see the war's end? Zeratul was already over six hundred years of age, and he knew of not many protoss living beyond a thousand. While he still had centuries to go, he did not wish to perish on this planet, not when there were far more important things to be done back on Aiur.

"There have been some positive movements in this war since my arrival," Tassadar said before adding, "Perhaps with all of our involvement, Shibusen will have the capability to begin reclaiming ground."

Edited 2012-09-01 03:20 (UTC)

Zeratul would rather not spend the rest of his life here, nor would he wish the same on Tassadar. The only thing that would make it anything other than short of torture for the last four hundred years would be if the templar remained here with him. That thought was beyond selfish, and he'd had enough of dwelling on himself for the past four years.

"Of that, I have no doubt," he said. Perhaps they were better off now than before, but it was difficult to tell from his standpoint. "But you have seen more than me, and I will trust your words above my own judgement."

The fact that Zeratul would trust his judgement without question meant much more to him than the prelate would realise. That thought had him glancing down as he closed his eyes to consider such things. Tassadar knew that he hadn't always made the best decision, but the decisions he did make were always for their beloved Aiur.

"Experience and knowledge of this world will come in all due time," Tassadar murmured with a light air to his tone. He fell quiet for a moment and peered at his companion before he found himself asking, "And what of the Weapon that you resonated with?"

"I have spent my life gathering such experience and knowledge. It is a pity so much of it is useless here." It was cruel to remove an old man from his ways and force him to learn something new, wasn't it? Well, not as far as he was concerned. Aldaris, however, had been a perfect example of such inflexibility.

"But the Weapon - ah, his name is Ramza Beoulve. A battle standard; unique as a weapon, but not over cumbersome at all."

He supposed that was due to his nature as a Weapon, and not just a regular polearm. The banner hadn't gotten in the way whatsoever, and he felt as if it had helped bolster the battle by some manner.

That was unfortunate, he wasn't going to lie about that, and the glow of his eyes reflected such thoughts as he inclined his head to his companion. It was only fortunate that Zeratul was rather adaptable to new situations. Selendis, after all, had found the transition to this world difficult. "It is unfortunate, my friend, but knowing as such is also a benefit so that you do not head into battle blinded."

He had not heard of the name before, but that was of no surprise. He had been more of a recluse the last few weeks, and because of such, he hadn't outstretched much of a welcome to the new guests to this world. Listening to Zeratul speak, he was pleased that he had found a Weapon that had been rather compatible for such a battle. Knowing that his friend had the means to defend himself was relieving, after all.

"It is pleasing to hear as such," Tassadar murmured with a light chuckle tinting his tone. "Your resonation held out throughout the battle?"

Despite his age, he never wished to stop learning or exploring new worlds and so much more. Having the fundamental basics of the universe ripped right out from under him would take some getting used to, but so far he wasn't struggling. Fighting at least made him feel like he had an affect on this war, one step closer to home.

He hesitated a moment before answering. "Resonation is a curious thing, but yes, it did hold."

Sharing minds and memories wasn't done as often among his people as it was with Tassadar's. A different upbringing and culture made him hesitant to do so, though it was easier with another protoss. That was nothing compared to Ramza's experience, though, who would have never been through such a thing.

He didn't miss the hesitation, and peered at Zeratul in curiosity. Tassadar could take a guess as to what it was for. There was nothing said to begin with, while he took in his companions answer. It would be good for the prelate to find a partner to head into battle with. That was something he continued to struggle to do after he and Nataku had ceased being partners.

"It is good that your resonation went well," Tassadar said. "Knowing that you can resonate with one, you can focus on improving it if this Ramza Beoulve, you speak of, wishes to partner with you for this war."

While stretching his back earlier had felt good, he found himself returning to his usual posture, elbows sinking to rest on his knees as he hunched over. Some behaviors just couldn't be corrected in such a short amount of time, unfortunately.

"Perhaps we will take that path, but it is too soon to say," he shook his head. He had his own reservations about the whole partnership set up, and the man hadn't been here overly long. They got along, that was much was certain, but that didn't equal instant success. "What of you, Tassadar? You had a Weapon there, did you not?"

There was a nod in return to Zeratul's words. He knew well that the prelate would never rush into a situation without giving it serious thought. If this human was one his companion found worthy of his respect, then he held no doubt towards their success should such a thing come to be.

"Indeed. He was a young human by the name of Rock Lee," he murmured before tilting his head to one side in thought. "While our resonation was decent, it appears as though his dedication belongs to another." There was no sense of disappointment in his tone, simply fact, as he spoke his thoughts. In all honesty, Tassadar didn't mind in the slightest, for he was uncertain if he could create such a strong bond with another here yet again.

Zeratul was disappointed enough for the both of them - Tassadar was the one who truly needed a partner and the companionship that went with it. Thus far, he'd been a poor substitute, and he knew the templar was pressing him for this presence out of respect. Unfortunately, he was letting the distance between them happen just as much by skirting around bigger topics.

"Perhaps another will come along, then," he said, his tone a bit more subdued. "Either way, you fought well with one another, and both performed your duties soundly. Sometimes you cannot ask for very much more."

Tassadar fell momentarily silent when Zeratul spoke of performing his duties soundly. He knew what it meant and the reason behind it, and he wondered if it was the prelate's attempt to console and encourage him in some way. The thought that Zeratul would attempt such a thing didn't factor into his thoughts until now, and he found himself quietly thinking over such a thing.

"I had fought alongside Rock Lee a number of times before, long ago in the past here," the templar murmured before glancing up towards the ceiling of the church, as if he were lost in thought. It didn't last for long, and Tassadar seemed to come back to himself in the next moment as he glanced back at Zeratul. "But this one is not the same as I had once fought alongside."

It took him a moment to work out Tassadar's meaning, though partially because he watched how he stared up at the ceiling. Of course, he knew BREW sent people home as quickly as it brought them in, with or without their memories. How could one maintain a partnership if their other half never came back, or returned without remembering the other? In that regard, winning this war seemed to far out of reach.

"You have lost too much, Tassadar," he finally said, bowing his head slightly.

Zeratul's words drew the templar's attention back to him. The way that the head was bowed spoke far more than the words ever could. He reached forward to lay a hand on the armour covering Zeratul's shoulder.

"What I have endured here is nothing in comparison to our people, Zeratul," Tassadar murmured while trying to gain the other protoss' attention. Peering thoughtfully at the older male, he quietly muttered, "My only focus is to return to Aiur so that our people can be free of the cursed Overmind, even if that act alone will not bring about the end of the war against the Zerg."

He looked at the hand on his shoulder, but it was a moment before his gaze shifted back to Tassadar. For a moment, though, he simply looked through the templar, rather than right at him. Their people would be free of the Overmind, and Tassadar would be bound to it, learn its secret and sympathize with it. He had no idea what waited for him beyond this place, and Zeratul hardly understood it himself.

"It is not matter of degrees," he finally said, his attention shifting back into the present. "They have suffered, yes, and you have also not forgotten your duties to them. None of this changes the fact that you still feel pain yourself."

He meant every word of what he said, even if Zeratul would not believe him. Tassadar knew that he was on borrowed time here, but the templar was always aware of just where his place truly should have been. That was why he would continue fighting here so that he could return to restore the balance that was lost with his departure.

Yet Zeratul continued to speak, but they weren't just words. No, they were far from it. The words spoken held wisdom in them which caused the hand on the prelate's shoulder to disappear as he sat back down with his hands folding neatly in his lap.

"I am still living, and thus am capable of such things, yes," he answered, suddenly uncertain to just what direction Zeratul would take this in.

Zeratul's brow knit together for a moment, though his response was little more than a flat stare. He didn't move as Tassadar dropped his hand, not really seeming to notice. That had been such a hollow answer, he felt as though he was looking at himself during his self-imposed exile. That was not a good thing.

"Is that all," he murmured, half to himself.

There was a difference between being alive and actually living, not just reacting to pain.

The response caught him by surprise, and Tassadar couldn't help but regard his companion in confusion. It happened so often when they had first met and started forming bonds, but what had changed since the discovery of each other?

Lowering his face, almost as if shamed, the templar murmured, "What is it that you wish for me to say?"

"Nothing more than what you have," he said, tone still subdued. "If you have given me the truth, I can ask for nothing else."

Which was the problem, unfortunately. He hardly thought the templar capable of lying in any capacity, which made his words a little to serious for Zeratul's tastes.

"Where is that warrior's fire, hm?" Zeratul continued, looking directly at Tassadar. Though he had never spoken out of ego or bravado, Tassadar had always been strong and proud, not quietly accepting.

There seemed to be something within Zeratul that set the templar on edge. Regarding the older male thoughtfully, he debated within himself whether to voice his concerns a tall. It seemed, however, that such a thing was unnecessary as the prelate in question voiced his own.

Feeling that piercing gaze on him, Tassadar's gaze widened in surprise before he glanced downwards a moment later. "Much has happened within this world, my friend," he murmured before honouring his friend by returning his gaze back to Zeratul. "I am afraid that I do not have an answer to your question."

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/fails at life T3T

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