miss hester mofet

@Tenzin

i'm so so sorry <3 we can set this whenever you'd like!

Unbeknownst to him, Jinx had already been to sample the freedom of the abandoned Vale. Lecter drew in the thin tendril of her fading scent as he loped across the border, struck by the poignant emptiness of the fertile land. Xi'nuata and her dog had disappeared, and he lengthened his stride, lowering his muzzle to track Tenzin.

It was time, he had decided, for the monk to be brought out of the place that masked such pain with beauty. Dawa did not have long upon their mortal coil, and the Dragon no longer bound Tenzin to the earth. He was a peaceful creature, one unsullied by lust and carnivorous anger, and Lecter did not truly even now understand why he had taken such an interest in the beast pelted with snow.

Perhaps it was the similarity in their ages, or perhaps it was some deeprooted, buried need for redemption. Lecter dismissed the last out of hand — his God was Sos, and Sos alone would redeem him, not the power of any misguided heathen.

Tenzin needed to be purified, guilt and shame burnt away from him in blood. A baptism from a crimson font; he would force the monk to place his paw in the proverbial wound and be reborn. His need for Tenzin's closeness seemed then to be debauchery in the face of goodness, to sully that which had always been virginal and righteous, to bare his soul to Sos and lay before him unspeakable pleasures before he too succumbed to death.

The monk had lived his life in solitude, his spirit impoverished by the absence of balance. Lecter would take it upon himself to right the tipped scale with a feather of blood.

Quietly he moved, icewater eyes searching for the familiar visage of his companion.

it's okay i forever lav u ♥ and mm a day or so after jinx/dawa??

Despite the death of his most beloved thing, the monk was not drowning in grief. He had come to accept Jinx's visit as an answer to his prayers. Dawa had been suffering greatly and there was nothing he could do for her. Unlike when she was a child, her recent wounds were beyond him. He could mend open flesh wounds and bleeding, but he could but fix her legs. He could not fix her spirit. He had been sleeping at Chenrezig for the better half of the morning and only just now stirred in his sleep. He opened his shallow-ocean eyes to gaze upon the white bark with a small, weak smile. Someone was here.

He pushed himself off of the roots and pressed his forehead against the trunk of the tree before turning and moving slowly into the Vale. He had been expecting Lecter, not because of anything Jinx had said (or hadn't said), but because he knew somewhere within himself that the shaman would return for him, regardless if the Dragon had left or not. There was a fire that sat in the belly of the bloodied wolf that Tenzin had to appreciate. With Dawa gone, the monk had been alone in the quietness of the Vale. He had avoided interacting with Creek wolves and others who ventured in to investigate except for Sky. Tenzin had always been keen on solitary life but did miss the company of his monk Brothers.

It wasn't long before he caught the sight of the bloodied shaman through the trees. "Mm, I thought that might be you," Tenzin called warmly, coming to a stop to stand tall. "I have healed up nicely, still a bit sore in some areas," he relaxed and let a soft grin melt onto his lips. "Thank you for your help, friend," he said with relief in his voice. Perhaps now the Dragon wished it had killed the monk when it had the chance, but the demon spared him. Tenzin knew it was for a life of purgatory and torture, but it was a life he was willing to accept for failing Dawa. His eyes flashed with sadness as he thought of her again. He had buried her at Chenrezig.

He stood in silence now. He expected to say more but he was just as content just being in the presence of the shaman again, despite their cultural differences. His tail moved gently from side-to-side against his hind legs and he laid his ears back, suddenly overwhelmed with happiness to see the fellow elder once again. "It is good to see you," the monk whispered with a smile.

ten is breaking my HEART ;____; ilu2

Likewise, Tenzin's force of will enlightened Lecter, and when he was seen, and in turn laid his eyes upon the form of his friend, he lengthened his stride to arrive swiftly in the monk's presence. Words spoken in a familiar soft tone entered his ears, and he nodded toward the other, but said nothing as of yet, observing that which was before him.

While the snowy man was not overcome with emotion, Lecter could sense the loss that surrounded him. Tenzin's eyes were not guarded, and he soon came to a conclusion that surprisingly pained him, if only for his companion's sake. "Dawa," he murmured softly, but did not finish the thought; he would allow Tenzin that power. While an oppressive sense of departure courted his instincts, Lecter would not know until Tenzin confirmed or denied the implication of the injured woman's name.

"It is good to see you as well," the shaman muttered, leaning forward to press his nosetip against the other's cheek in a rare show of physical like. These days, such gestures were reserved only for Jinx. But Tenzin, though he was not a carnal beast — perhaps he would appreciate the motion.

"I have come to bring you out of this place, Tenzin," Lecter murmured, icewater eyes raised to the soft orbs of the monk. "I will not allow you to disappear, nor live your life out here. You are a creature with perhaps several years left; it is time that you lived these moments in dedication to yourself, not to those around you."

He shifted. "If you do not agree, I will return again and again. Do not underestimate my cunning, monk," the madman finished, a wry smile flitting into life briefly upon his lips.

these two constantly hurt me in good and bad ways umg

The shaman uttered her name and Tenzin let his shoulder sag as his head dipped lightly. There wasn't much that needed to be said. "Free," he breathed, glancing up toward the sky where the sun sat openly. He returned his gaze to Lecter and refrained from mentioning Jinx. Her part was important, but Jinx herself was not. What mattered was that Dawa was no longer trudging through this world's endless tortures. Now she was beyond him with her mother, Yonten, and all of the other clerics the Dragon had slain that fiery, awful night.

A rare and delicate gesture from the shaman brought a sensation to Tenzin's throat that he hadn't ever quite felt before. He choked on nothing and found himself staring at Lecter through suddenly blurry eyes. The closeness he had with his Brothers was spiritual, but with the shaman it was something entirely different. The monk had lived his whole life void of friendships and favoritism. He leaned into the gesture and pressed his nose against Lecter's own cheek, closing his eyes.

The moment was but a breath in time, and as Tenzin pulled back, Lecter was speaking again. He had opened his eyes now, catching his friend's own and smiling gently. He listened to the words of the shaman and a new sensation bloomed within his chest. Though he would always be one to serve others as a spiritual guide, he knew his gods had no place here among those of the natives. There was a momentary pause before Lecter added in the last bit which caused the monk to smile broadly.

"I would never dare judge the cunning of a shaman such as yourself, great friend," he jabbed, eyes bright as he regarded Lecter now. "Are you sure your wife will have me within her pack?" the monk asked seriously, eyes fading lightly as he thought of the fury Jinx had brought to the Vale. Whether he lived out the rest of his life alone or not did not matter to the monk, for he would always have his gods and his prayers.

The monk spoke but a word, and Lecter knew Dawa's fate. He felt a stab of relief for her, she who had escaped the misery of the mortal plane, and for a brief moment, he envied the broken woman, undoubtedly blessed for her sacrifice with a new form, lovely and ethereal.

But his focus was Tenzin now, and he was pleased to see that the snowy creature was not going to challenge his logic. "She will send your head down and your ass after it if you cross us," the shaman muttered dryly, "but I do not think you shall, and I told her such."

A monk Tenzin was, but he was wise, poised. His experience would be an asset to Silvertip, and if he would relent to being trained in warfare and sparring, his life would become enjoyable indeed.

"So, friend?" Lecter murmured softly, icewater eyes dancing toward his pale companion. "Are you ready?" There was a peace and a steadiness to Tenzin, but the madman knew that this would be a shock to the other male, to be drawn from that which he had known into the light of a new and savage life.

Tenzin smiled lightly at Lecter as he mentioned Jinx's punishment for him should the monk step out of life, but the old man wasn't one to commit such acts. He wouldn't have betrayed the Dragon as his leader, however much the monk hated it, nor would he disrespect any other leader - including Jinx. "Well, thank you," Tenzin said, watching the shaman carefully.

The time had come for them to depart. Tenzin turned to look around the Vale for a moment, grasping at the sight of Chenrezig's red leaves that stood above the other trees. He would be leaving behind everything now. Even though the Dragon had left to reign elsewhere in the world, the monk was spiritually attached to the paradise within the mountains. Dawa's body would be left behind, buried deep between the roots of the white-barked tree and for the first time in a long time, he'd be without her. He'd always be without her physical presence now.

There was a certainty about him as he turned back to Lecter finally. "I am Tenzin, the monk," he said to the shaman, "But my full name is Yasuo Tenzin. Yasuo, the unforgiven, for having freed the Dragon." An uneasy quietness caught in his throat and he searched for more words so he could continue. "Yasuo means 'honest man, peaceful man,' but the title I was bestowed forever contradicts it," he said sadly, eyes dropping as he shifted, "It is a great shame in my culture, because I can never be the true Yasuo ever again."

Lifting his eyes again, he grinned. "I am no longer a monk, as I do not live in a monastery and my lifestyle will surely need a change when I leave the Vale," he said, and despite the sadness that weighed heavily in his eyes, the man was smiling, "as such, Tenzin will need to stay behind in the Vale as well. I will still be a spiritual man and it will not be my place to judge others, but do you think you could help me make the transition to Yasuo?" A pause settled in and he nodded curtly with his eyes closed, before opening them again and saying, "With that then, yes. I am ready to go."

srry ;__; i can fade it here and start us another one w/chels if you'd like

Lecter listened, knowing instinctively that the monk gave him gold with his words. It did not appear easy for Tenzin to speak these words; perhaps in the emerald shadows of the Vale he felt compelled to do so, compelled for both Lecter's sake and that of his own soul. The shaman knew well the feeling, though a rift of belief separated them on many levels.

He understood what his pale agemate asked, and dipped his muzzle solemnly. "I would not be able to live with myself if I did not, Yasuo," Lecter said softly, tasting the unfamiliar syllables of the word within his mouth.

Likewise, Lecter was silent as the monk took mental leave of the place, and fell into step with him as they departed. The verdant beauty of the place was not lost upon him, and he breathed in a draught of the air's freshness before turning eyes to Tenzin and offering him a gentle smile.