11-01-2019, 02:34 PM
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto+Slab&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"><style> #ionic{width:600px;} #ionicwrapper{ position:relative; z-index:0; border:1px solid #142c33; box-shadow:0px 0px 10px #142c33 inset; background:url('https://i.postimg.cc/P5ztx8kX/IonBG.jpg'); border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; padding-top:40px; padding-bottom:40px; margin-top:-90px;} #ionicimg{ position:relative; z-index:1;} #ionictext{ width:450px; border:1px solid #142c33; box-shadow:0px 0px 10px #142c33; border-radius:90px 90px 90px 90px; background-color:#67a1a5; padding:35px; color:#f2e0d0; font-size:14px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab', serif;}</style><center><div id="ionic"><div id="ionicimg"><img src="https://i.postimg.cc/mZ0p5X1q/ion-by-insane43-ddb4hg5-pre.png" width="600px"/></div><div id="ionicwrapper"><div id="ionictext" align="justify">The soft, ghostly whisper filters through the trees, recalling Ion to the reality of his time here. Limited and so very finite. Blinking back tears, Ion pulls himself from Atom’s embrace as he draws several steadying breaths. Atom is smiling faintly at him when he glances at his twin once more. He reaches forward to touch Ion lightly on the bridge of his nose before saying softly, <i>“We should go.”</i>
Ion can only nod in response, throat too tight to form words.
They walk, side-by-side, through the massive trunks as the filtered golden light melts away into a warm and dusky twilight. With a faint trill, the small bird that had clung to Ion’s mane hops forward and flutters into the branches. Ion follows it’s retreating form, gaze lingering as he tries to impart his gratitude without words. As though it understands, the bird chirps once more before disappearing into the foliage.
Returning his attention to Atom, he finds his brother watching him with a bemused expression.<i>“That was my guide too.”</i>
<b>“Oh,”</b> is Ion’s only response, blinking with surprise as he stares at Atom. Atom laughs at that, reaching out to touch him lightly once more before skipping forward with renewed exuberance. Ion follows more sedately, his attention remaining fixed on his brother as he greedily absorbs every moment they have together. When Atom slips alongside him once more, tousled and breathless and grinning, Ion stares at him wordlessly for a long moment, brows furrowing in consideration.
<b>“Atom. What if… What if you came with me?”</b> he asks slowly, mind tumbling over the possibility. Atom’s grin slips, features growing more serious as he appears to consider it.
<i>“I.. I’m not certain I could,”</i> he finally replies cautiously. <b>“But what if you could?”</b> Ion insists, gaze earnest as he stares hard at Atom. <b>“What if you tried?”</b>
Atom seems torn, his gaze darting from Ion to a distant point as his ears flick worriedly atop his head. <i>“I suppose I could try,”</i> he finally agrees hesitantly. Ion’s heart leaps inside his chest, eyes brightening with excitement as he bumps his nose encouragingly against Atom’s neck. <b>“Ok!”</b>
Their journey from there is much quicker, Ion too eager to introduce his brother to the possibilities of life to consider the endless pitfalls that might await. He barely notices the changing landscape, the waving grasses and sandstone they pass. Until a mist begins to swirl around them, obscuring the picturesque scenery. Before long though, a rough, impossibly hewn gate rises from the fog. They both come to a halt, staring at the gate, Atom in trepidation, Ion in awe.
Ion swings around, circling the gate as he tries, unsuccessfully, to determine how it works. When he makes his way back around, he finds Atom just where he had left him, still staring at the gate. He frowns at him for a moment before turning abruptly and asking, <b>“How does it work?”</b>
Setting his shoulder against the gate, he tries to shove it unsuccessfully open. With a huff, he turns to look at Atom, only to find him standing stiff and wide-eyed, the mist swirling heavily around him. His gaze jumps abruptly to Ion. <i>“Ion,”</i> he whispers, <i>“I can’t.”</i>
Panic rises abruptly in Ion’s breast as he lunges forward, pressing himself against him even as the fog begins to drag him back. <b><i>“ATOM!”</i></b> he yells desperately, even as he tries to dig his feet in. The mist seems only to writhe more determinedly between them, tendrils winding around Ion’s feet now even as it begins to seep into Atom.
And when Atom speaks once more, his voice is hollow, not his own. <i><u>“I am the guardian of these gates, and you haven’t the right to pass.”</u></i>
Panting, tears gathering in his eyes, Ion presses harder. <b>“Please,”</b> he begs, his voice uneven and desperate. <b>“Please, let him pass. He was never supposed to be here.”</b>
He doesn’t even notice when the gates begin to creep open. He only notices that, for a moment, it’s once again Atom looking back at him as he whispers, <i>“Ion, go. Please.”</i>
Ion begins to stiltedly shake his head until Atom suddenly rears back and slams into him. Shocked, Ion stumbles a few steps back. His desperate gaze jumps back to Atom even as he screams, <i><u>“GO”</u></i>, his voice hollowing again just as a gust of something like wind, improbable as it seems, slams into Ion, sending him tumbling through the open gate.
With an incoherent yell, Ion tries to fight it, throwing himself back towards the gate as it rumbles shut. Rather than crashing into rough stone as he expected however, he bursts forward onto the beach, tumbling into a jumbled heap upon the sand.
It takes him a moment to register what had happened, but when he does, anger draws another anguished shout from his deepest corners of his soul before he collapses into sobs, face pressed against the sand.<p align="center"><img src="https://i.postimg.cc/XqGHvhXR/IonName.png" width="350px"/></p></div></div></div></center>
Ion can only nod in response, throat too tight to form words.
They walk, side-by-side, through the massive trunks as the filtered golden light melts away into a warm and dusky twilight. With a faint trill, the small bird that had clung to Ion’s mane hops forward and flutters into the branches. Ion follows it’s retreating form, gaze lingering as he tries to impart his gratitude without words. As though it understands, the bird chirps once more before disappearing into the foliage.
Returning his attention to Atom, he finds his brother watching him with a bemused expression.<i>“That was my guide too.”</i>
<b>“Oh,”</b> is Ion’s only response, blinking with surprise as he stares at Atom. Atom laughs at that, reaching out to touch him lightly once more before skipping forward with renewed exuberance. Ion follows more sedately, his attention remaining fixed on his brother as he greedily absorbs every moment they have together. When Atom slips alongside him once more, tousled and breathless and grinning, Ion stares at him wordlessly for a long moment, brows furrowing in consideration.
<b>“Atom. What if… What if you came with me?”</b> he asks slowly, mind tumbling over the possibility. Atom’s grin slips, features growing more serious as he appears to consider it.
<i>“I.. I’m not certain I could,”</i> he finally replies cautiously. <b>“But what if you could?”</b> Ion insists, gaze earnest as he stares hard at Atom. <b>“What if you tried?”</b>
Atom seems torn, his gaze darting from Ion to a distant point as his ears flick worriedly atop his head. <i>“I suppose I could try,”</i> he finally agrees hesitantly. Ion’s heart leaps inside his chest, eyes brightening with excitement as he bumps his nose encouragingly against Atom’s neck. <b>“Ok!”</b>
Their journey from there is much quicker, Ion too eager to introduce his brother to the possibilities of life to consider the endless pitfalls that might await. He barely notices the changing landscape, the waving grasses and sandstone they pass. Until a mist begins to swirl around them, obscuring the picturesque scenery. Before long though, a rough, impossibly hewn gate rises from the fog. They both come to a halt, staring at the gate, Atom in trepidation, Ion in awe.
Ion swings around, circling the gate as he tries, unsuccessfully, to determine how it works. When he makes his way back around, he finds Atom just where he had left him, still staring at the gate. He frowns at him for a moment before turning abruptly and asking, <b>“How does it work?”</b>
Setting his shoulder against the gate, he tries to shove it unsuccessfully open. With a huff, he turns to look at Atom, only to find him standing stiff and wide-eyed, the mist swirling heavily around him. His gaze jumps abruptly to Ion. <i>“Ion,”</i> he whispers, <i>“I can’t.”</i>
Panic rises abruptly in Ion’s breast as he lunges forward, pressing himself against him even as the fog begins to drag him back. <b><i>“ATOM!”</i></b> he yells desperately, even as he tries to dig his feet in. The mist seems only to writhe more determinedly between them, tendrils winding around Ion’s feet now even as it begins to seep into Atom.
And when Atom speaks once more, his voice is hollow, not his own. <i><u>“I am the guardian of these gates, and you haven’t the right to pass.”</u></i>
Panting, tears gathering in his eyes, Ion presses harder. <b>“Please,”</b> he begs, his voice uneven and desperate. <b>“Please, let him pass. He was never supposed to be here.”</b>
He doesn’t even notice when the gates begin to creep open. He only notices that, for a moment, it’s once again Atom looking back at him as he whispers, <i>“Ion, go. Please.”</i>
Ion begins to stiltedly shake his head until Atom suddenly rears back and slams into him. Shocked, Ion stumbles a few steps back. His desperate gaze jumps back to Atom even as he screams, <i><u>“GO”</u></i>, his voice hollowing again just as a gust of something like wind, improbable as it seems, slams into Ion, sending him tumbling through the open gate.
With an incoherent yell, Ion tries to fight it, throwing himself back towards the gate as it rumbles shut. Rather than crashing into rough stone as he expected however, he bursts forward onto the beach, tumbling into a jumbled heap upon the sand.
It takes him a moment to register what had happened, but when he does, anger draws another anguished shout from his deepest corners of his soul before he collapses into sobs, face pressed against the sand.<p align="center"><img src="https://i.postimg.cc/XqGHvhXR/IonName.png" width="350px"/></p></div></div></div></center>