Pride and Larceny

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     Iridia looked back to see the winter fae looking simply tired as she sat on the metal floor of the cage, a frown crossing her features. The sprite went over, crouching down by the resting girl, shakily placing her cozy hands on each side of her face tenderly, lifting her head some to look at her directly in the eyes. Iridia opened her mouth to speak but fell silent as she momentarily admired the face of the mechanic. Even though she was exhausted and bruised up from this whole experience, the tanned girl still found her absolutely beautiful in every way. The way her soft, fluffy hair fell down her back in her loose, messy ponytail, her shimmering silvery eyes, and a face that she could stare at and appreciate for hours. A tug of guilt pulled at the sprite's chest, truly feeling awful for the mess she had caused the poor fae in front of her.

"You did a good job, chickadee," Iridia spoke sweetly, offering a saccharine smile that lit up her features beautifully. "It's going to work, I know it will. Then we'll get you back home and you won't have to deal with my dumb ass after that, at all, ok?" The sprite said, her voice almost apologetic as she ran her thumb gently along Rashvana's cheekbone, taking in the feeling of her soft skin she so badly wanted to press kisses to. 

     Iridia stood, sliding her palms from the fae once more as a more serious look began to replace her one of adoration, her gaze moving back to the doorway where there was still no sign of their captors. Sighing shakily, the sprite looked up to the willow's long and flowing branches, just passed the icicles hanging from the top of the birdcage. She had never tried manipulating plants from such a far distance, but if the two of them were to escape, she had to try it. 

Edited September 7, 2018 by cloakedHacker

[Witches Brew 633]

Rashvana leaned her face into the thief's hands, and she felt her heart calming down as she was comforted. This felt so nice, the stark contrast of the fae's warmth against her icy skin felt so nice. She felt her lips part, and her eyes close slightly. She put a small hand over Iridia's, and she smiled. "What if, I want to deal with your dumb ass, all the time?" She asked softly.

She opened her eyes fully, and looked up at the tanned girl. She was, to explain it quickly, gorgeous. She was so different that what she was used too, and it was refreshing. Her eyes reminded her of the grass and the sky, each of them twinkling even in this darkness. Her skin was soft, and looked like melted caramel, and her hair reminded her of the clouds, soft and fluffy, yet curling in some places. She was just breathtaking, and if someone asked her if she was glad to meet Iridia tomorrow, she would say she wouldn't have changed anything. She felt the fae's thumb brush against her cheekbone, and she felt a heave weight dissolve off her shoulders. She didn't want her to stop touching her, she just didn't want it to end. However, it had to stop, because they had work to do. She sighed and stood alongside Iridia as she tried to foucs. It was her turn to keep a lookout now. She walked towards the bars, peering into the darkness, keeping a watch for any figure that may come through the door. It was suddenly way too quiet, and she found this suspicious. 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

"I guarantee you, sweetums," Iridia spoke calmly, no hint of a tease or joke, taking a seat on the metal, focusing on the drifting branches and leaves of the willow above. "No one wants to deal with me."

     Closing her eyes, the tanned sprite lifted her hands into the air, the light jacket that Rashvana had placed over her shoulders, slipping to the ground behind her as her arms tensed up immediately, veins beginning to pop out in stress, protruding profusely as she focused her energy into the flora she felt above. With a shaky sigh, there was silence besides a soft breeze that howled quietly through the holes in the ceiling and the sound of rustling, the leaves of the willow tree brushing against the roof as it swayed in the gentle wind, its branches growing longer slowly, but surely. 

     A light sweat began to break out on the sprite's forehead, her eyebrows furrowing together in concentration as she tried to keep her mind on elongating the branches and leaves of the willow so they could slip through the openings in the ceiling.  However, it was hard for Iridia to focus on one thing, especially now that she had met Rashvana. The sprite's mind wandered to the pretty girl, how sweet and kind she was, how she could comfort Iridia easily, how the tanned sprite truly didn’t deserve any compassion from her considering the predicament she had put the other in. No one was ever this kind to the sprite once they realized what kind of fae she was; a selfish liar, a manipulating thief with nothing but bad intentions and money on the mind. But maybe, that’s just what it was.. Iridia’s arms began to tremble, her jaw clenching out of irritation, an angry mutter coming from the smaller girl. Perhaps that’s what the mechanics scheme was? Get on the sprites good side so she feels like she has to help Rashvana? Iridia shook her head slightly, her anger unintentionally fueling her energy, the leaves and snake-like branches of the tree beginning to grow quickly and wildly, creeping its way into the room through the roof, looking like it was reaching out to the two captive’s aid.

“You tricky little bastard..” Iridia seethed, her eyes squinted shut as a grimace replaced her soft features, her face scrunching up a bit like a snarl almost. While her emotions were beginning to grow a bit out of check, she was making quick work out of her plant manipulation, which she doubted she could do at such a distance in the first place.

     A few leaves and branches shimmered in the dim room, magic obviously surrounding it, as it touched the top of the bird cage. Hearing the rustling above her, Iridia opened her furious eyes to look up and see that it was within reach. Standing quickly, she wobbled a bit due to her drained energy, the sprite flew up to the plant, her small hands taking the leaves and wrapping them around the metal bars of the cage, tying them securely in multiple places, planning on using the slim branches to hoist them higher so they could drop with a bit more force.

“You always were quick with getaway plans.” Iridia heard a familiar voice, looking over to see Vox, a dagger in hand that shone dangerously at the two prisoners.

“And you were always one for clichés.” The sprite retorted in a snarky manner as she flew back down beside Rashvana, stumbling a bit as her feet touched back down to the chilled metal, easily recognizing the blade the wingless woman held in hand, the black handle a bit worn from use, the royal fae emblem still engraved into the knife’s guard. “You’re seriously going to use my knife for this?”

Edited September 8, 2018 by cloakedHacker

[Witches Brew 633]

"I don't think that's true." Rashvana said, and she looked over her shoulder to see her jacket fall the to the metal bottom of the cage. She turned her attention back to watching the room, but it was getting so dark she couldn't see very well, she stuck her arm out through the bars, the cold had crept down towards the bottom, not icing it, but making chilled. When her arm went through the bar, she lit up her hand with that familiar blue light, helping her see into the darkness. What could possibly be going on over there? 

 

This lasted for a few minutes before she saw some darkness shifting in the distance. "Iridia.." She called out, and she pulled her arm back in and looked over her shoulder, walking towards the middle of the cage. She looked up at the fae, watching as she strained to make the Willow branches poke through the random holes in the roof. She frowned slightly, watching as she strained and concentrated, trying to make the branches come down through the bars. She looked at the smaller sprite, and saw the anger in her eyes. What could be making her so angry? She heard the soft footsteps coming behind them, and there was Vox as Iridia tried to tie the branches to their project. She turned to face Vox, and noticed almost immediately the dagger in her hands. It was ornate, and quite beautiful, but it was menacing. Rashvana helped Iridia stand, gently holding her by the arms to help keep her upright, a worried expression on her face as they interacted. 

 

"Your knife?" Rashvana asked, and she looked at Iridia, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. How long have these two known each other? She glared at Vox, and bared her teeth. "Stay away from us." She hissed. 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     Iridia pulled away from Rashvana's helpful grip, the hot-headed sprite shooting her a dirty look before returning her gaze to Vox, a couple of her thugs walking up behind her to help with the clipping process. The dark-haired fae turned the knife in her hands gently, admiring it's deadly glimmer, her thumb running over the sign on the handle. She had a satisfied grin upon her face, the corners of her lips curling as much as her short hair. 

"Oh? Iridia hasn't told you anything yet?" Vox cooed nastily as she made her way closer to the birdcage, the two male fae behind her, ready at her beck and call. "You two just seem so close, I figured she would've told you all about why you're in this mess now."

"She's meaningless to me, I have no reason to spill my whole life story to a stranger." Iridia lied sharply, her mismatched eyes narrowing as Vox's henchmen flew to the door of the birdcage, undoing the lock so they could get in.

"So it wouldn't mean a thing if perhaps she were to go first?" Their captor questioned devilishly as the door to the birdcage squeaked open.

     Looking up, it was hard to see the two fae that entered the enclosure due to the dark, but sure enough, one of them easily scooped up Rashvana, as both of the girls were a bit tired still from using their abilities to ready for their escape. Iridia quickly moved to help the winter fae but was quickly grabbed by the wrists by the other thug, yanked back and held steady as the other threw the mechanic over his shoulder roughly again, dealing with her struggling easily as his larger, pointed wings lifted him back out from the cage once more. Iridia watched with wide eyes, terror beginning to become very visible on her features, her heart racing against her chest painfully. While Rashvana may have only shown kindness to the sprite for her own benefits, the tan girl just couldn't shove down her growing feelings for her fellow prisoner. The way her eyes twinkled at Iridia while they were at the shop, her soft and warm smile that could melt hearts, the way she felt to be held against. Iridia didn't want anything to happen to the winter fae, she wouldn't let anything happen.

"You bring that blade anywhere near her, and there's gonna be hell!" The sprite yelled out harshly, baring her teeth out of rage, feeling her blood boil with anger and worry, a sick feeling overcoming her senses as she watched the thug slam Rashvana down in front of the cage. Vox smiling wickedly, eager to cut out the wings from the girls back, excited to hear the thief beg and cry for her to stop. 

     Iridia began yanking her arms and thrashing around just as she had when captured the first time, kicking her legs, eyes unable to look away from Rashvana, tears welling up and lingering in her lashes. The sprite fought viciously, only to be slammed up against the side of the birdcage, the metal rattling noisily as her face pressed into the bars, her body squeezed between the thug and the prison wall, practically being forced to watch as Vox neared the mechanic, an eager cackle escaping from her ruby lips. Iridia's breath was heavy and shaky, moving every which way, trying to get free from the grasp of the man behind her. Outside, there was a loud groan that could be heard from through the holes in the roof. 

"Doesn't look like she's very meaningless to ya now, does it?" The woman sneered as the ruffian fae shoved Rashvana's face into the ground with his hand, his other firmly holding her wrists behind her back with ease as Vox gently trailed a couple slender, cool fingers down the spine of the mechanic's exposed back, pulling the cloth aggressively away from her wings more, growing impatient to dig them out as painfully as possible, just for Iridia's sake.

[Witches Brew 633]

"She's meaningless to me"

 

"She's meaningless to me.." 

 

"SHES MEANINGLESS TO ME" 

 

Those words rang in her head as she watched the interaction between Vox and Iridia, her heart aching. The internal cogs that made her heart tick just seemed to have rusted over, and her chest hurt. 

"So it wouldn't mean a thing if she were to go first?" 

Rashvana's eyes widened, and she frantically looked at Vox. "W-what?" She squeaked, and she looked above her, hearing the door creak open. She began to flutter her wings, trying to take off, but she was easily grabbed by one of the stronger male fae, his muscled arm around her thin waist. "Let go!" She cried out as she was slung over the man's shoulder. Her legs kicked frantically, but she was quickly losing steam. She was still so tired, but her fists pounded on the man's back. "Let me go!" She cried again, little did she know her wish would be granted, and she was picked up by the male, and slammed harshly onto the ground. She landed with a thud, and she actually bounced a bit before finally landing on the wooden floor. She groaned, and she tried to pick herself up, her wings fluttering hard to help her get on her feet. However, that plan was quickly squashed as another thug grabbed a handful of her hair, making her cry out again, and slammed her face into the ground. She could feel her nose bleeding, and she spat out some blood as her face was forced to face the cage. One of her eyes was swollen from her nose breaking, the other staring in fear at Iridia as her wrists were yanked and held behind her back. Tears did not spring to her eyes until she felt the back of her dress tear, the white oil stained fabric giving way, to her slender, silvery wings, that were now frantically fluttering as her last attempt to escape. 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

"Let her go!" Iridia screamed, watching Vox give a disgusting grin as she waved the knife tauntingly to the sprite still pressed against the bars of the cage. "Stop! Stop! She didn't do anything!" The sprite yelled, still trying to kick free from the thugs hold.

"Well she did something wrong if she's hanging around you." The vengeful fae hissed, getting sick of the banter.

     Vox turned her attention back to Rashvana, watching her wings fluttering frantically with envy, sliding the side of the blade against her skin, just to rouse a reaction from the girl. Iridia kept trying to shove the fae off of her, but he had a strong grip that refused to break, even with how much the sprite kept moving and jerking around. The small, tanned girl's eyes were wide and stricken with horror, her chest heaving as if she were going to be sick at any moment. The leaves and strand-like branches of the willow that was tied around the top of the cage began to lengthen once more, wildly growing as did Iridia's emotions. There was another loud, deep groaning noise heard from outside, more leaves and branches sneaking in through the little openings from above.

     Iridia could do nothing but watch as the dark-haired woman began to dig the tip of the knife into Rashvana's back, just under where her wings became apart of her anatomy. She had a sickening beam to her face as blood began to seep out from the laceration, continuing to pull the blade from her skin and cutting back again just a tad higher, carving and twisting the dagger into the mechanic, listening to her wails and screams with satisfaction.

     Iridia was screaming too, asking Vox to stop, pulling her legs up and kicking off of the bars of the cage, sending herself and the henchman who held her tumbling backward. Quickly standing and fluttering her silvery wings, the thief made her way to the unlocked door of the prison, only to be yanked back down by her ankle and slammed to the metal ground before she could get too far. The sprite cursed and hissed, not daring let any tears fall from her mismatched eyes as the man pinned her down. The fae brought his fist back before striking the smaller girl in the face, causing her head to spin a bit, as she was already dizzy enough as it was. Staring passed the man who hovered over her, winding up for another punch, Iridia saw the leaves and branches of the willow still elongating, the sound of creaking wood hardly heard over the sounds of screams and wails. 

Edited September 8, 2018 by cloakedHacker

[Witches Brew 633]

Rashvana felt the knife dig into her skin, the knife slipping through her skin like it was butter. She gasped, her eyes opened wide in horror. She could feel her blood spilling onto her back, and she kicked her legs hard, her wings still trying to flutter hard. "Stop it!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. The worst pain was when she actually started to cut into her wing. Her face paled instantly, and her wings froze. The pain was so bad, she compared it to being poked a million times with hot molted iron. Her silvery eyes dulled as she stared ahead at Iridia, as the woman continued to cut into her. Her chest heaved, and tears rolled down her face rapidly. "S-stop...stop...s-stop pl-please..." She whimpered in between screams. She watched as Iridia tried to escape through the door, but was easily caught by the taller and stronger male fae. 

 

In an attempt to save her wings, ice started to creep up the sides, but the blade the woman was using cut through like hot steel. "Iridia..." She whimpered. "Help me...plea-" Her pleas were cut off by her screams, obviously she had pissed off Vox. 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     Rashvana's screams were pure agony to listen to, they echoed in her ears and circled her mind as another punch was slammed down into her face, her head bouncing back up with the force of the blow, blood beginning to leak from her nose, her lip splitting open and gushing red liquid. Iridia's mind was spinning, there was so much going on, so much noise. But out of it all, she could hear the mechanic's desperate whispers. Suddenly, something snapped within the small sprite. 

"STOP!!" Iridia shrieked harshly, her voice ringing throughout the entirety of the large room, her voice filled with seething rage rather than a desperate plea this time.

     Vox hesitated for a mere moment at the shocking shout, but quickly went back to her work on carving out the mechanic's left wing. The blood was beginning to coat the royal-crested blade, rushing down Rashvana's pale back and pooling at her sides. The golden-eyed fairy looked absolutely elated with each push of the knife, twisting and spinning the tip of the dagger in the girl's wound, just to cause her to scream and cry out for Iridia some more. Vox's thugs even seemed to be horrified and disgusted with the act, though they only turned their heads away and continued their job, holding each of the prisoner's down so the vengeful fae could do as she pleased. 

     Vox let out a low, villainous chuckle, pulling the blade away from Rashvana's skin once more to further the slice. However, before she could make another surgical cut, everything seemed to freeze as a rumble shook the room slightly, a long, deep groan coming from the outside world before the roof caved in. Without even realizing, Iridia's emotions was fueling her manipulation abilities, causing the willow tree that was right outside to finally keel over with how long and leave the branches and leaves had become. The truck of the tree dove right through the wall and ceiling, completely uprooting itself from the ground. The birdcage fell from the table it sat upon, allowing Iridia to finally escape free from the confines of the bars and fly up to where Vox and Rashvana were. The willow tree's leaves were beginning to fill the room, the night sky filled with glittering stars and a bright moon shining down and giving light to the situation.

     Before she realized what was even happening, as it all occurred so fast, Vox looked up just as the sprite brought down a fist to the side of her face. Dropping the bloodied knife as she stumbled back and tripped from the unexpected impact, the tanned girl turned her attention to the brute that had left Rashvana on her own, just to come after the sprite who had harmed his boss. The white-haired girl scooped up the knife into her hands, shaking from anger and due to the sight of the mechanic's blood that coated the blade heavily. 

     Vox lunged after the small sprite, a mark that matched the shade of her lipstick beginning to form where Iridia had struck her. Iridia was easily able to slide around the wingless fae and kick her back, knocking her to her knees. She was unable to fly and didn't have any weapons, so the only real enemy she needed to worry about right now was the thug storming towards her. The sprite slid her bloodied knife into its halter at her back, under her sash, where it was before, running over to the bleeding mechanic. While Iridia was definitely the smallest fae there, she was still quite strong, being used to carrying large loots back and forth from cities and other parts of the Bloodstone Marsh as well as getting into a fight every now and then due to her line of work. The tanned girl helped Rashvana stand, understanding that it was going to be painful as hell, but they needed to get out of there. Once on her feet, the white-haired fae scooped the mechanic into her arms bridal style before running and leaping up, her translucent wings flittering faster and harder than usual to make up for the extra weight she cradled in her arms.

"Damn, what'd they feed you in that prison?" Iridia teased with a huff, taking them further and further from the collapsed room, gliding over a city Rashvana would might not recognize, the buildings lit up with lanterns and the gleaming moonlight.

[Witches Brew 633]

Rashvana was on the verge of blacking out from the pain, her nails dug into her skin, and her legs stopped kicking. Iridia's voice was becoming a faint mumble as she went in and out, her eyes fighting to stay open. Come on, just close your eyes, you'll wake up when it's over. Her brain seemed to tell her. No, I can't... Iridia is still in there... She thought back. Don't worry, it'll be over soon. The thought of being wingless lingered in the back of her mind, who'd want to be with her then? She'd be just like Iridia said, a freaky midget elf. Another hot pain sang across her back, and she let out a loud sob, the sound catching in her throat. Her wing was now sliced nearly in half, cut in all weird directions because of Vox's weird obsessiveness with revenge. She was really about to black out when suddenly the pressure on her back and wrists was gone, and the pain of slicing and dicing was gone, only the pain of the damage that was caused remained.  She let her arms fall beside her with a thud, and she struggled to hoist herself up. 

As Iridia fought Vox and the thug, she wondered if she would actually die from this. Faeries are hard to kill, but she had heard of a few cases of fae dying from being clipped. The fight seemed to last forever in Rashvana's dizzy head, and suddenly arms grabbed her once again. She hissed sharply in pain as she was hoisted onto her feet, and blood had stained the front of her dress and down to her skirt. Nevermind the back, it was mangled. Her left wing was shredded, but still attached to her person. Suddenly, her feet weren't on the ground anymore, and she was staring at a hazy Iridia. 

"Damn, what'd they feed you in that Prison?" Joking, this girl was seriously joking right now, but it made her smile, blood staining her teeth from the blood that dripped from her nose. 

"R-rocks.." She mumbled, her head leaning into Iridia's bust. "And I-iron bread.." She joked back, her eyes shut as she tried not to focus on her damaged appendage. Her legs dangled in the wind as they flew. "S-sorry I'm heavy..." She mumbled once more, and she wrapped her arm around Iridia's neck, her fingers brushing her hair before she took one steady breath, and she blacked out.

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     Rashvana was in such bad shape and it made Iridia feel absolutely terrible. She wouldn't have been dragged into this bloody mess if she had just kept her dirty paws off of other people's belongings. The mechanic fell completely limp in her arms as she passed out against the sprite, causing her to lower slightly in the sky as she flew. Mismatched eyes scanning the city, she went around tall buildings and over homes and shops before spotting a bell tower. The tanned girl flittered up to the top of the towering structure, landing on the cobblestone, slowly setting Rashvana down towards the corner more to keep the two of them out of site. 

     Blood had leaked all over Iridia's clothes, but that hardly mattered to her as she stood shakily, untying the cream-colored sash from around her hips and kneeling down to the winter fae's side. Iridia murmured quiet apologies as she slid the sash behind the mechanic, tying it tightly around her ribs to hopefully stop some of the bleeding from her back. With a trembling sigh, Iridia was extremely exhausted, her vision a bit dizzy and her body drained from how much power she ended up using without her knowledge. The white-haired girl sat down beside the technician, her back against the stone pillar, gently lifting Rashvana's head and laying it in her lap comfortably. Tilting her head back against the stone, Iridia closed her tired eyes, her fingers brushing away soft strands of hair away from the other fae's face before drifting off to sleep.

[Witches Brew 633]

The night was long, and cold, making it difficult for the girls to sleep comfortably. Rashvana was usually used to the cold, but she could tell Iridia was not, and her cold skin was making it even more difficult for the smaller sprite to sleep. She woke up many times during the night, gasping and groaning, and she looked down at her ribs, which were now bound with a cream coloured cloth that was saturated with blood. The bleeding seemed to stop for the moment, and she placed a pale hand to the fabric, gritting her teeth in pain as she moved. She turned her head to look over her back, and she dreaded what she was about to see. She didn't want too. 

 

It was a mess. The silvery membrane was torn, hacked at, disfigured. She reached to touch it, but pain racked through her body, almost paralyzing her. She gritted her teeth, and she let of a low whistle, trying not to wake up the tanned fae beside her. Looking away from her injuries, she noticed Iridia's sleeping face. Her broken noise bruised up her face, along with harsh bruises from being punched so often. Her ear was torn, and her lip was busted. It looked like she was shivering, and Rashvana felt so guilty. She couldn't do anything to warm her, and she thought she had a better chance to actually make it through the night without her. She looked around her, and she found some moss and some leaves, and she stood carefully, her legs nearly buckling from under her as she tried to retrieve the materials. She crouched down and grabbed as many as she could with one hand, and dragged them back over to Iridia, and she placed them gently and neatly onto the sleeping sprite. 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     Iridia blinked her tired, mismatched eyes of blue and green open, her vision a bit hazy as she squinted a bit due to the light of the warm sun peeking out over the buildings of the city they had been transported to. She tried lifting a hand to rub her eyes but found it was temporarily paralyzed on account of how purely exhausted her body was. The sprite's face felt like it was pulsing, pain shooting through her skull with each slow blink she took while turning her head to the side to take in where they were. As the two faeries sat near the top of the clock tower, on the surrounding wall right beside the large, dome-shaped bell, below them was a breath-taking city.

     There were elegant structures that almost seemed to glitter under the rising sun, fountains and clean, neat roads lined with small shops, inns, and taverns for the people of the town and frequent travelers. Practically every building in the city seemed to be temple-like and solely exquisite. Besides being home to the strangest magic in Genesaris, the gorgeous town was known, and named rightfully so, for the pure fact on how dawn and dusk was easily able to strike beings with awe. While the sun rose over the elegant establishment's of the town, the sky was a warmed mix of honey gold, cotton-candy pinks, and baby blue, mixing beautifully above Sunset Way.

     Iridia stared at the sky for a few moments, taking in the sight before realizing she had someone even better to look at. Shifting her head once more, the sprite looked down to Rashvana, seeing how badly she was bloodied up and beaten in the sunlight. Sickness and guilt twisted in the tanned fae's heart, her eyebrows knitting together as she felt a heaviness in her throat. Swearing softly, Iridia lifted her hands shakily, her soft fingers gently moving the mechanic's hair away from her resting face, taking note of the dried blood and bruises that looked like vibrant patches of color against her pale skin. The thief hesitantly traveled her gaze to the gore on Rashvana's back, the cuts and slices under her left wing due to Vox trying to dig them out from her back, the translucent pellicle shredded in some spots. It would take a great deal to heal, but with a shaky breath, Iridia was just glad it didn't end up worse. 

"I'm sorry.." Iridia whispered, leaning the back of her head against the stone wall she laid her back upon, closing her troubled, teary eyes. "I'm so sorry.."

Edited September 10, 2018 by cloakedHacker

[Witches Brew 633]

After making sure Iridia was taken care of, Rashvana places her head back in her lap, and she slept. Her sleep was dreamless, thankfully. She didn’t want to have nightmares or flashes of anything unsavory. The morning came, and she felt the smooth soft touch of the tanned sprite. She smiled softly, and her eyes slowly opened, and her pain crashed into her like a carriage colliding into her back. She grimaced, but Iridia’s soft touch seemed to help her. She could hear her speaking, it seemed she didn’t know she was awake. She shifted slight. So that she was staring right up at the girl. “Don’t apologize..” She said, her voice sounding like a hoarse croak rather than the soft thinkling she was more accustomed too. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” She said, and she grabbed her hand gently, and used her other to help herself sit up. “I should be the one that’s sorry.” She said softly, her silvery eyes not meeting her mismatched ones. “If I hadn’t...she wouldn’t have..” She didn’t finish her sentence. Her brows furrowed, and she shook her head. “I’m just so glad you’re alright.” 

[sapphicSphinx 252]

     The feeling of a hand sliding into her own surprised Iridia, making her jump just a bit, eyes opening and looking to the awaken mechanic. Why was she apologizing? What was going on right now? The tanned girl watched the fae sit herself up slowly with her aid and looking to eyes of green and blue. Iridia knitted her white eyebrows together in confusion and agitation as Rashvana put the blame on herself. Pulling her shaky hands from the mechanic's, Iridia shimmied forward, pressing her palms against the other's cheeks gently, careful not to cause any more harm to the pale girl in front of her. 

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Iridia put simply, eyes taking in Rashvana's silvery ones, the blood, and bruises on her face, the discomfort of her expression due to the pain her body had been put through. Brushing a piece of light blue hair away from her face, Iridia squinted slightly, lip quivering in the slightest as she spoke. "If I hadn't stolen from you, if I hadn't lost what was yours, if I had just let you take apart the watch like I first intended and admired from afar, you wouldn't be in this mess! You would be at home in your cute little shop, working and tinkering away on your gauntlet and helping others, your wing wouldn't be practically shredded to bits. You would've been safe and nothing would've happened!"

     Iridia's voice rose with every word, her heart pounding against her chest, eyes looking a little glossy. Maybe it was a trick of the eye? Or how the sun rose? It simply couldn't be due to tears, because Iridia practically never allowed herself to cry. The sprite's warm hands fell from the sides of Rashvana's cheeks and into her own lap with a shaky sigh, her head dropping to stare down at her clenched fists. 

"You.. would've been safe.."