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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1464800" data-attributes="member: 15043">Note:  Shaun’s background in this section was created, basically on the fly, by Shaun’s player about five minutes before.  I’m still amazed that my roommate’s mind was that agile.Shaun Says Goodbye... and Confesses to SomethingThe next morning, Shaun couldn’t help but smile, as a sleepy grumble arose from Elenya’s form.  From beneath a pillow, her pale face contrasted by a mat of disheveled, raven black hair, rose slowly.  Her eyes had yet to focus, but already a lazy smile began to cross her lips.  He continued to sit on his side of the bed, but turned away before his smile fell.  She needs her last memory of me to be me smiling...“So....” she whispered, as she started to sit up, “you’re already awake.  That’s unusual.”  She then leaned over towards him, her hands running over his back, tempting him, “I guess you want more honeymoon bliss?””No,” he sighed, turning towards her.  Her mischievous face fell as well, and she took on a look of seriousness.  She ran her fingers onto the palm of his left hand, and held it.“What’s wrong?  You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”“I ha... well...” Shaun sighed.  It’s so complex.  “Well... let me start from the beginning... I had a dream last night.”Elenya had spent the time crawling across the bed till she could sit beside him, and now her arms wrapped around him.  He has such powerful dreams... poor Shauny... haunted by a nightmare...  “What was it hon?  Its okay to tell me...”He looked down, and sighed quickly again, as if trying to expel some demon.“You remember the dream I told you about earlier?  Where I was locked in a dark place?”  She nodded.  “Well, I saw the rest of it last night.”“After all the darkness, the mocking laughter, you came and led be back into the light...    but the laughing continued, and the light became the room where my tutor’s held class... and all the children were laughing as I looked around... except a silent, sad looking boy in the back.”“The boy looked just like me,” he said slowly.  “He was my brother, W.”  Shaun then went dead silent, with Elenya still holding him tight.  As she watched, tears began coursing down his cheeks.That doesn’t sound like a real nightmare... or one to rattle Shaun like this... unless there’s something about his brother...”Shauny... what happened to your brother?  He’s why the dream woke you up, right?” she said softly, and he nodded, a sniffle coming from him.  He looked off in the distance for a few moments, before suddenly turning to her, decision in his eyes.“Elenya... I’m about to tell you something very... um... disturbing.  Please promise me you won’t look at me any differently... that you’ll still love me?”  She let the worry in her face be replaced by a short smile, as she nodded.“I’m always going to love you, dove,” she whispered, looking into his eyes.  His eyes beamed back relief, and with a sigh, he began.“Well...  my father was a merchant... quite wealthy, but very corrupt and unscrupulous.  He never dirtied his own hands... indeed, many regarded him as a pillar of the community.  But the thugs who did his dirty work for him frequently came over to the manor.”“And well,” he smiled slightly, “you know I’m blunt and loud, love... and I was then... even when I was a mere 10.  I was smart too... I figured out what dad was doing was the opposite of the niceties he would try and make us do.  And I called him on it, and promptly became the black sheep of the family... never given school, called a troublemaker...”  his voice drifted for a few seconds, and then he cleared his throat.“Anyways... Shawn... we all called him W., was quiet about this, and once my fall from grace happened, he found himself labeled, ‘the good kid’ and was showered with gifts and blessings... including schooling.  They loved him, and hated me...” a tear fell from his eye, and Elenya hugged him tighter.“My being an outcast forced me to the streets during the day... while W. was learning courtly niceties and the science of why rivers flow and dragon’s breathe, I was learning from the sons of my father’s ‘assistants’ how to filch pockets and forge letters.  And when scraps started between the children, I would readily jump in... W. never would.”“I remember one day specifically, like it was almost yesterday.  One group of neighborhood kids... a bunch of thugs who called themselves ‘The Jettison Boys,’ started harassing W...  I told him never to walk that part of the city in his nice school-clothes, but he never listened.  Anyways,  they began to whale on him, and I jumped in the fray and pushed them back, shouting at them to leave him alone.”“The noise brought out my mother... and she saw me with the Jettison boys, and saw W.’s torn clothes, and immediately accused me of causing trouble and trying to hurt my brother!” anger building in his voice.“Did W. say anything to back you up?” Elenya asked softly.“No!  He said nothing!” Shaun spat, his voice changing from anger into a rage.  “He watched, silently, with a blank face, as my father beat me viciously for something I didn’t do!  He... did... nothing!”“Why?” Elenya asked, gently running her hand over his back, hoping to calm him as he vented his pent up anger.  As she asked her question, his fury seemed to pass as quickly as it came.“I... I don’t know.  All I know is after that day, I started to hate my brother... hate him with a fury... all my hate for my parents became focused just on him.  And one day, a few years later... I...” the last of his anger fell away, and his eyes dove back into deep despair, “I...  I did something horrible...”  Tears were now streaking down his cheeks, and Elenya pulled his head to her shoulder and rocked him slightly, shushing in his ear to comfort him.“What did you do, Shauny?  My love for you won’t change because of it... tell me.  It is eating your apart.”“I... learned from the Jettison’s how to...  how to...  I...  I put something in his food!” Shaun’s voice finally cracked, “I put many things in his food, and he ate it all!  All of it!  And then... and then... he... he died, Elenya!  He died!”Oh my god... that explains why he refused so harshly to have Shawn be our child’s name, Elenya’s mind jumped.  Part of her wanted to back away in revulsion, till another part reminded her a split second later, He’s broken up about it... he’s clearly not the same person as he was then... he needs you love... not your revulsion or hatred...  She pulled him into a tighter hug, whispering, “It’s okay... it’ll be alright...”  Shaun killed his brother... oh no...  oh sweet Pelor... “My parents never found out why W. died,” he continued after a few minutes of composing himself.  “And my father was frugal, and had already paid for W.’s tutoring for the rest of the year... so he made me go in W.’s place, and take W.’s name...” Shaun shuddered again.  “It was the ultimate punishment... I was forced into the shoes of the brother I had killed!”“That’s horrible Shauny!” Elenya continued to rock him, “Absolutely terrible!  No child should be treated like that!”  That's not something my Shauny would do!  His parents, his life forced him to act that way!  He doesn't act like that way now!  If I ever see his parents... in-laws or not, I’ll torch them with a lightning bolt...”I... I could only stand it for a few months... and then I ran away... and started living on the streets, wandering from city to city.  Elenya,” he pulled back, shaking, “I... I... regret killing W...  I can’t look at myself sometimes because of it!  I hate myself for it!  I hate myself for running away!  I hate myself for having a terrible family!””Ssshhh,” she ran a hand along the side of his face.  We all have made mistakes when we were young... for me, it was believing that traveller that he merely wanted another cupcake in his room five years ago... for you... it was something even graver... “There is nothing to regret... nothing at all, love.  None of us have done only good the entirety of our lives... and most of us have things we regret.  You said it yourself... you were young... and I know you’re a different person now,” she kissed him on the forehead.  “Do you really think I would kiss someone I felt was horrible, mean, and terrible?”“No,” he said slowly, sniffles and tears still rolling.“And according to the famous proverb, the woman is always right, hm?” she looked at him, and a brief smile came across his face at her humor.“Yes, I suppose,” a sniffle escaped the slight grin.  His eyes still betrayed nervous fear.“Then you must be the kindest, gentlest, most lovely human being I have ever met,” she delivered a brilliant smile towards him, “and regardless of your past, I love you for you.  When you met me months ago, you weren’t the same person that did those things... you were you.  That’s who I love... you!”“Thank you, Elenya,” he started crying into her shoulder again, and she pushed him away slightly to look at his face again... so deeply scarred with sadness.“Shauny... regardless of what happened back then...  you have a family that loves you, and wants you to be with them... me.”  She patted the bed next to her, and after he laid down she slid down beside him, and held him tight, whispering to him for a long period of time, “I love you, Shauny... all of you... your past, your present...and,” she gently tapped her belly, not yet protruding even, “your future...”As he hugged her, he finally said aloud the phrase that had been repeating in his mind for months...  “I’m lucky to have someone like you by me,” he smiled, and she nuzzled him happily in response......and the potential moment was interrupted by a gentle knock on their door.  As Shaun looked up, he didn’t need to see Elenya’s falling face to realize who it was... ...a messenger sent to fetch him, and take him to the teleportation chamber...</blockquote>

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