tab The odd man doesn't seem phased at Jean continuing to avoid him and merely keeps grinning at you, clearly aware that it is you whom he'll get something from. As you ask your questions and asserted your poverty the man's grin only grew wider, his mole more enraged at his continued grip. As it thrashes and wriggles he utilizes his free hand to reach down and unhook a short blade with a long handle from the cart with care and brandishes it before him in an elegant display of showmanship. "Well, you're in luck then, eh? We Kokoro believe in collecting memories, not coin. What is coin in a world that doesn't value it? But you? You bring up something I've never heard of. Beastlings?" Shaking his head, the merchant holds the blade out for Shea to try before releasing his mole, which immediately begins a long and arduous hike up the side of his face to avoid further assault. It inches, face bunching and releasing as it continues on its merry way, quivering from exertion and the sounds of the eyes of a tiger blaring somewhere in the distance. The merchant continues with a grin. "How about your earliest memory of that word, the first time you ever heard it, and knew its meaning? For that, I'll give you all the clothes you'll need to survive this season." tab tab tab
Jean just had to scoff. However, right now, the thin walls served him well. He could hear, as he changed clothes, the mole man's offer to Shea. In a world where coin meant little, he had assumed the man meant to barter goods for goods. It appeared that was not the case, which was fine with Jean. However, the way the desired goods were phrased left Jean feeling unsettled.
Making the final adjustments to his new look, Jean returned to the room he had just left. He grimaced like something terrible as he forced himself to look at the hideous face, immediately feeling queasy but holding himself back from throwing up his tendrils. Within his body, he controlled and arranged the squirming strings, holding them still. [2/10 tendrils]
Suspiciously, Jean asked once he felt safe to speak, "Memories you say… You're not simply just asking for a sorry attempt at retelling some half-forgotten memory, are you?". Since he would be working with Shea to survive, the last thing he wanted was an amnesiac deer, quivering in fear… Ugh… Quivering… like the mole. Jean clamped his mouth shut, unable to interrogate any further for fear of what may come out.
tab█ Shea Fal'nevan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What is this [ someday? ]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. What is it really, but a tomorrow or today? tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[x] It took me a moment to process what the man was trying to say. They bartered with... memories? Jean, who had apparently returned, echoed my thoughts aloud. A story was never the answer, not in my memory; no one ever wanted something so simple. It seemed entirely likely that if we 'traded' the memory, it would be gone permanently. We would never be able to recall it. And while I couldn't exactly remember when the first time I heard and understood the word 'beastling', since it was the community I grew up in, my memories were fragile enough without someone extracting them from me. They were the reminder of who I was before everything went wrong, and I wasn't about to just hand them over, regardless of how gullible I was. Anything else, I might have gone for it, but playing with memories was a gamble that I didn't want to get swept up in because one thing led to another and another until you didn't know what you were doing anymore. I didn't trust it.
It did bring up a memory unintentionally, however, that I could consciously remember. The first time I saw an envoy from the kingdom of Nyranzora. I knew now that they were long-time allies, but had never really paid much mind to what the difference between the do'vra and the beastlings was, despite merchants that often occupied the square advertising their wares. I had been taught that beastlings were descendants of the do'vra. I guess I just always assumed their animal-like features were very minor in comparison, not that they didn't have them at all. I remembered asking my mother who the man was, and why he was there, but that was about the extent of it.
I actually felt anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach, maybe influenced by Jean's suspicion of what the man intended. I didn't like the idea at all, and had about as much interest in going through with it. Although methods were less flattering, with enough effort I could probably make some sort of protective layer of cloth out of the sheets of it lying around. If you're looking to share memories, I don't see a problem with it," I replied finally, keeping in mind what Jean said. "I don't even care if you want to share information. I'll explain or show whatever you want. But if you want to take memories, sorry, but that's not something I'm willing to do."
tab The mole jerked to attention in outrage, it's little form quivering with righteous fury as the mustache upon his face become stiff as steel in anger at the thought. His skin changed to a tone of red and blue that could be called purple if you were any kind of drunk before he inhales, exhales, and returns his skin to normal and grabs that same crank from a few moments ago and continues cranking. The mole, however, has not forgiven you, and stands erect in its impotent fury. "Now, now, what sort of monster takes memories, eh? At least, permanently. No! We Kokoro exchange things of the physical world for experiences. We don't get out much, so your memories, seeing them, experiencing them...that's what we desire!" Grunting as the crank stopped with an enormous crash, he turned his head, and the mustache that was attempting its best impression of an airplane, to face the two of you again. "It's painless. You just think real, real hard about that memory, and I lick your face. That's it. I'm no barbarian, kiddos!" tab As he says this the cart suddenly falls apart, collapsing into a perfectly square platform. As it does the wooden remains of the cart warp and change, rising upwards until they formed racks and shelves of different types of items and weapons. These all seem to be fuzzy, changing, their forms unclear and distorted, each moment resembling something similar, but not the same. tab The mustached man thumbs his mole as he leans against what looks like a large pair of tongs as tall as he was, his expression...longing. "I promise, no permanent harm to you physically, nor to your memories."
Oh, Jean was sure the anger was justified, but in what way? Was the mole man outraged because the nail had been hit straight on the head, or was he outraged because the pride of him and his people had been injured by the unwarranted remark? There was no way for Jean to know.
More importantly... Why did it have to be a lick? Jean visibly cringed, no surprise there, at the instructions. Even though this was a deal between the Kokoro and Shea, he felt inclined to interject, "But why a lick? Moreover, is it possible to just barter goods for goods with you?".
Royal Taorito
Lanfaer
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:36 am
tab█ Shea Fal'nevan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What is this [ someday? ]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. What is it really, but a tomorrow or today? tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[x] I flinched slightly at the look the man gave me at my words, telling me instantly that he had no intention of stealing memories. Just experiencing them, as he explained. A small part of me was still skeptical, but I was willing to listen, and possibly even go along with it...until he mentioned needed to lick our faces to do it. Was I desperate enough for the clothes he could provide to go through with getting licked by anyone, let alone a man with a sentient mole?
Maybe.
It was colder now. I wasn't sure if it was just because it was starting to get later in the day or the weather itself had changed, but my immunity to cold seemed to be nonexistent now, and my hands, feet and parts of my face were numb just standing there. I was risking hypothermia, and if I didn't warm soon, that's exactly what would happen. At least it wasn't snowing anymore.
One thing he said did catch me off guard though. How was he a travelling merchant that rarely 'got out'? I would have imagined he would have seen a lot in his travels. However, the crash of his cart distracted my thoughts, and I watched in some parts awe and the rest cold as the cart reformed itself into a goods stall. But the goods themselves were... strange. It was like I couldn't focus on them, and they would change in appearance in the blink of an eye. Barely, but the change was there. My brow furrowed slightly in concentration as I tried to figure out what I was looking at. Jean spoke beside me, echoing my thoughts on the licking part. Still focused on the cart-turned-stall, I turned my head, but not my gaze, toward the man to hear his response. Likewise, Jean asked if we could simply trade items rather than risk the whole memory thing.
The sky above lit up with brilliant color, and that drew my attention away altogether. In the... northern? sky, lights danced in great waves of color. The world, reflected off the snow, glowed with blues and greens. An aurora. I couldn't recall if I'd ever actually seen one, but I knew of them, and it was a mystical sight indeed. But I thought they usually only happened at night, and the sun was definitely still in the sky. Was some sort of yuunin causing it then? My head tilted slightly back toward the other two. "Is... that something that happens a lot?"
tab The Kokoro chortled at their questions and, thankfully, spared the poor mole some more bullying by instead lowering his hand and moving around the small shop that had appeared from this cart. Each time he looked at a shelf it seemed to stop twisting and convulsing, taking on more definition the longer attention was on it, but he moved on before whatever it was became completely so. As he wandered about looking for something, even looking in the same places more than once, it became obvious he was mostly buying time from the sweat that beaded on his brow. FInally his mustache quivered, and he sighed. "No. I cannot lie! It is terrible customer service! Why, my ancestors, if I had any, would roll over in their graves! No, I don't have to lick you, just touch you! I must see what you see, experience what you experience, feel what you feel!" Grunting, he turned and held out a bundle of clothing, what appeared to be two full complete sets of winter garments sculpted into perfect packages, before his eyebrows moved down angrily as if upset that they were dared to be disturbed. "Now, pick! Which if you gives me a memory, and who receives the package! There is no need for this hesitance! Your ancestors didn't have problems! Why do you?" tab tab tab
Royal Taorito
HeadlessKoko
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 7:56 am
tab█ Shea Fal'nevan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What is this [ someday? ]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. What is it really, but a tomorrow or today? tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[x] My question about the aurora was ignored, but it was fine. If that was something normal wherever I was then it didn't really matter. I watched the man mess with his cart again, the shelves becoming solid the longer he watched them, although he always moved on and they resumed shifting and changing. It took him a while to answer Jean, and after a minute or two I realized he was just biding time to avoiding giving it. I frowned slightly but said nothing, re-wrapping the blanket around me in hopes of getting more warmth out of it. It was helping a little, but my feet, which were half exposed because of my shoes, fingers, ears, and about half my face were numb, and I was shivering pretty badly.
He finally spoke up, declaring that he couldn't lie. He didn't have to lick us; a simple touch would do. Though at this point I didn't really care. I just wanted to get back to the fire and warm up again before frostbite set in. Or worse. I glanced at Jean, but when he didn't move, I took a step forward. "S-so you just want the first time I remember understanding the word 'Beastling'?" I asked, stuttering thanks to my shivering, though it was more a confirmation for myself to kick-start thinking of when that would be. Assuming he would do whatever he needed to do, I closed my eyes briefly to visualize the memory--which proved a little difficult anyway because my memory since waking up there was spotty at best--and waited.
The memory I came up with was the same one I'd thought of before. Whether or not it was the first, I couldn't say, but I definitely remembered it. Maybe because it was just before a war was launched that lasted through most of the first half of my childhood. There was an emissary from Nyranzora visiting, I think to set up the start of their later alliance. They had been trading partners until that point, but not true allies. The man was probably in his early twenties, and clean shaven, and even the black hair on his head was cropped short, militaristic. Violet eyes. I remembered that too. But that was about all. I asked my mother about him, and why he was there. A pang of sadness hit me thinking about her, but she explained the situation, and I asked why we needed an alliance.
I knew the beastlings came from the do'vra, but it never really occurred to me they were a completely different race of people. That they were very different from us; their yuunin, their culture, their appearance, all of it. We were the creation of the kreshinian of life, Tempest, and that was where we got our animal-like features. Our yuunin came from him as well, where we could cultivate and grow plants and crops at will, although at the cost of a lot of strength. I always found that part easy, and not the least bit tiring. We could heal, something only Waterborn do'vra could do, although I had never been good at it myself.
The do'vra on the other hand could use a lot of different elements, depending on their heritage, and had no animal features. They were the creation of the gods themselves, rather than one of the 'lesser' powers. And...
My head started throbbing, forcing me to stop. I opened my eyes again slowly, looking at the mole man with some amount of curiosity, although that curiosity wasn't necessarily directed at him. Something was preventing me from exploring too much into what I knew I had knowledge of. Maybe it had something to do with the body I was in, my younger self. I was limited to what he knew.
I shivered again and held out a wary hand to take the clothes. "Was... that enough?" I asked, watching my breath puff out in front of me. Maybe at the very least if it wasn't he would let me put the clothes on first.
tab█.CHAKRA :100 / 100█.STAMINA :100 / 100█.STATUS :None tab█.EXP :500 █.RYO :両000█.HEALTH :Fine█.INJURIES :None█.THOUGHTS :"I'm so cold." ▀▀▀Suddenly I'm running slowly. Suddenly it all goes dark. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
A touch was better, but still something Jean would rather avoid. There was also the problem that, living the secluded life he had, the only value Jean perceived in his own memories had been his knowledge of crafting, knowledge that he had forgotten since his awakening.
Before Jean could say anything, though, he was very thoroughly distracted by the aurora. Yes. That was it. A beautiful show of dancing lights right before his eyes, a sight he had never thought he would be able to behold in person, passed before his eyes. He couldn't even begin any cynical thoughts about how the aurora was here or if they were maybe further north than he though. Jean simply stood there, eyes upturned and wide as he silently appreciated the beauty of nature.
With a blink, he returned to the reality of his situation as a particularly freezing breeze swept through him. Even with the protection of his winter garments, Jean could feel the bite in the wind. He looked down at Shea, who had just finished the deal, and waited for the Kokoro's response to his question of it the memory shared had been enough. Jean couldn't help but feel curious, himself, his interest in the mysteries of the world briefly spiked by the gorgeous aurora that spread across the world.
Shea had covered them, but Jean could still make out the points of the antler poking through his makeshift hood. This caused a brief shiver and a rather tasteless expression to cross Jean's face. However, he was finding that he had become used to this deer person enough to at least look at the antlers to this point without feeling the urge to run for the hills. After all, at the very least there was now the line of logic,
Mole man, right. Assuming the deal went through, Jean reiterate the second part of his question, "Could we barter like normal or are memories the only currency you offer? I have clothes that I would like to trade in for raw materials and... perhaps technique scrolls that I would like to trade for other techniques if you have them."
If the deal didn't go through and the memories weren't enough, Jean would say much the same, but adding if he could barter these items to make up for whatever price Shea might be missing to get some clothes he wouldn't freeze in.
Royal Taorito
Lanfaer
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 6:53 pm
tab In between the frozen canopy of the tree top, snowfall lightly onto the protruding translucent human size chrysalis. Dazzling light bouncing off the frozen bark creates mystical shadows onto the surfaces as the chrysalis began to crack and peel itself from around the person encase itself. It shatters around the person, falling into the snow like Sakura petals. The last breaking and shattering of the chrysalis freed the prisoner within. Falling face first into the cold, wet snow was a tall young girl dressed in a thin modern traditional dress. The frozen feeling of wet, cold slush against her face and through her cold clothes shocks her awake. Mi-jin eyes scan the unfamiliar frozen landscapes as she climbed to her feet. Shivering from the extremely cold temperature, Mi-jin cuffs her hands and attempted to warm her fingers by breathing on them. She was still trying to piece together where she was.
tab The chrysalis behind her stood out in the scenery, it was a broken crumbling unknown structure and cautiously Mi-jin peer inside. Touching the inside, it was hard to believe she was inside of it, it had a grainy smooth inside as well as a mysterious bag. Kneeling down, Mi-jin picks the bag out and back away from the chrysalis with wary suspicions. Mi-jin was curious about all the items in the backpack. None of the items felt like things Mi-jin would have ownership of. There were weapons, tent, and bedroll and even armor. It was too confusing to sort things into separate bags, so instead, she wrapped the satchel around her waist and placed the weapons in them for easy access along with the glitter ball. Mi-jin. What stood out the most was a blanket. “No way!” Mi-jin gasp as a surprised noise of glee escape her lips and she pulled the pale blue and white blanket from the backpack. It felt like heavy cotton and wrapping it around her head and shoulder only brought temporary relief from the cold.
tab Mi-jin scoops a handful of the white snow into her hand and the warmth of her hand began to melt the snow. Sticking a tongue out, she lacks the wet slush and found out that it tasted like really cold water. Flavorless, but then Mi-jin spotted a different color snow. It was an amber sort of yellow and seemed to be in one big spot. Dropping the bland white snow, Mi-jin shifted over and scoops a handful of the yellow stuff. Right away, Mi-jin tasted the flavor and it wasn’t half bad. A bit salty and not sweet like she first thought. Licking her lips, she plops the rest of the yellow snow into her mouth and claps her hands clean on her blanket.
tab As Shea closed his eyes and Jean tried to avoid looking at him the Kokoro reached forward with longing in his eyes and the mole swooning to caress the boy's face with just the fingertips. If Jean watched he would see static sparking off of the touch, arching between Shea's scalp and the Kokoro's touch. Yet as the fingers seemed to find the sweet spots and press down with just enough firmness to give a grip he tilted Shea's head back just a bit more before he, to, closed his eyes and repeated the motion. Silence continue for several moments before the strange man went paler than snow, his brows raising as high as they could physically go while his mouth worked in silence to form words of incredulity. For you see, Shea would feel that while he was within the confines of his memory that there was something else there, beside him, through every step and movement. Something that remained not physically, not enough to impress itself upon the memory, but enough to be noticed in an abstract way that was best defined in terms of dreams. tab When Shea's memory faded and his lids rose it was to find the Kokoro mimicing his own actions, but with a twist: the eyeballs were gone, reflecting in their place the images he had just been seeing like some sort of projected illusion. In a moment it faded and he stepped away, expression still shellshocked before whispering words that were alien to Shea's ears as much as Jean's. Turning with shaking hands he took from one shelf a pile of clothes and he turned to thrust it towards Shea with an expression that spoke of too much awe and an infinite amount of longing that was almost painful to behold. When he spoke he stuttered, and the mole? The mole was limp upon his face, little bubbles similar to drawings of someone being out cold popping around it. "Young man, I must tell you, we Kokoro travel far indeed. We travel through Death and all its plains, and across the world peddling with the memories of the deceased. Even before, when man still ruled this world we traversed the corners of the realms, and not once have we seen something like what you just showed me. Not once." tab Shaking his head, instead of continuing to Shea he turned his attention to Jean before continuing to them both, his expression still too shocked to think straight. "Once, this world used a currency known as Ryo. I will give you credit for two hundred of these coins. While you may not know the system, young man, the one who hides his gaze surely does. Buy from me what you will, and I will consider the barter fair in exchange for what you have given me. As for your questions about scrolls, I can exchange what I have, but I do not know what I'll have till you make an offer. Please, what would you offer up?" tab Even as he finished speaking, however, there came another crash as nearby a chrysalis burst apart. Where, however, remained uncertain, as there were many buildings and many walls to hide someone new.
Royal Taorito
HeadlessKoko
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 9:31 pm
tab Mi-jin face and hands were burning from tensity of the cold and seeing her warm breath with every puff of exhaling were a fun feeling. Slowly, Mi-jin was beginning to enjoy this snowfall place as it was so much different from her sandy home. The young girl was unsure of what to do first as this was not the environment she grew up in. Everything from the sky to the building was foreign and strange to her. The confusion began to set in and Mi-jin was relying heavily on her instinct to leave her in one direction. . tab Looking around, Mi-jin notices that the nearby buildings were nothing like the houses she lived in. Mi-jin home was a two-room shack with very little luxuries. Comparing her home to these building was like comparing a pebble to a polished rock. It was shocking to Mi-jin that someone could be living in these homes and she hasn’t even seen the inside yet! Mi-jin approached the nearest building and while some of the glass panes seem to be missing, to Mi-jin eyes, they were still a luxury to have windows to even look out while being safe inside.
tab Mi-jin knocked on the thin door and the echo could be heard from the inside. A few seconds pass in a minute and Mi-jin frown. “Guess no one is home,” Mi-jin mumble under her breath as she moved to the next neighboring home. This one still looks to be in reasonably good shape. She knocked again, but this time she called out with a simple greeting. “Hewwo! I’m lost!” Mi-jin paused for a few seconds and once again, there was no response that she could hear. Rubbing her hands fiercely together, Mi-jin looked back at the door and the many buildings around her. She wonders if this place was abandoned and if it wasn’t for how freezing cold it was. Mi-jin would love to move her family here if she could figure out how to get back home.
tab After a testing a few more homes, no one seemed to be answering their doors. Which left Mi-jin feeling even more alone in this weird land. One final knock, Mi-jin decided to test the door handle. Hearing it click and turn was music to her frostbite ears. She was met with darkness and Mi-jin step cautiously inside. “Hewwo?” Mi-jin tentatively greeted as she steps passed the door frame. Once out of the cold, Mi-jin could feel her body starting to warm up even with the cold following her inside. Mi-jin left the door open in case someone was home and she could easily make a quick escape.
tab█ Shea Fal'nevan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What is this [ someday? ]xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. What is it really, but a tomorrow or today? tabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabtabAnd frozen in the footsteps untaken, we stand side by side. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[x] When I opened my eyes once more, it was to see the strange man's own missing. In their place, I could see the last moments of the memory I'd provided--bringing a sense of nostalgia to me as I viewed it once more--until it at last faded away and his gaze returned to normal. But he looked pale for some reason, and seemed dazed as he stepped away from me, muttering to himself in a foreign language. Concerned, I watched as he turned shakily to a shelf with piles of clothes, where he selected a set and thrust it in my direction. But it wasn't a look of anger or fear. More, shock and awe. I wondered what he had seen, and for a moment I was afraid he'd seen something...terrible. My memory was hazy but I had a general impression of the things that I had gone through, and none of it was particularly pleasant. However, any time I tried to venture further into those feelings, a sharp pain in my skull drove me backwards. There was something there I wasn't meant to see.
Finally he stuttered out a response, though whether or not it was an answer to my question was left in the air. He expressed he had never seen anything like what he experienced in my memory, even though he had journeyed through the realm of death himself. He then turned to Jean, answering questions I must have only half heard while bringing my memories to the forefront of my mind. Half, because I could piece together what exactly the man was answering. Jean had offered to barter, to which the merchant stated he would credit two hundred 'Ryo', a monetary term I didn't recognize, for supplies. Was my memory worth more than the clothes then? Of course, I had no scale to what exactly that amount was worth, since the Beastlings mostly bartered anyway, and I'd avoided most spending later in life.
I took a step back to let them do their business as they pleased, taking that opportunity to retreat to change my clothes. I had no intention of removing what I wore, just put more layers over top what I already had. So I slipped the new clothing on, standing on the nearby porch so that I could still hear their conversation. The pants fit fine--he must have made a pretty good judgement call for the size--but it was the shirt that was the problem. After snagging the cloth twice on the ends of my antlers, I managed to maneuver it around them enough to pull it down. The dark, log-sleeved shirt provided almost instant relief for my arms. Besides that, there was a heavy coat, a scarf, gloves, a hat that I couldn't wear, and a pair of boots. The hat aside, everything fit perfectly, and I was already starting to feel better for it.
Wrapping the blanket back around myself, I turned to head back to the other two when I thought I heard a voice. It was faint, and far away, but in the silence voices would carry. However, all was quiet again after, and I figured it was just my imagination. Or a ghost. Which in this old village was definitely a possibility.
Meanwhile, overhead, the aurora faded from view, and the world around use lost its color, becoming gray once more. It was kind of a shame, actually, given the beauty of it. But regardless, it wasn't like I could force it to stay. Shrugging to myself, I returned to Jean and the merchant, popping another one of the berries into my mouth.
I waited until neither of them were talking to finally speak up about my earlier concern, facing the mole man. "If you don't mind my asking... what did you see that was so shocking?" I asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.
tab█.CHAKRA :100 / 100█.STAMINA :100 / 100█.STATUS :None tab█.EXP :500 █.RYO :両000█.HEALTH :Fine█.INJURIES :None█.THOUGHTS :"I'm so cold." ▀▀▀Suddenly I'm running slowly. Suddenly it all goes dark. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
HeadlessKoko
Lanfaer
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:13 pm
_______________The Mole Sleeps... ||
tab Somewhere in the distance there came a loud "pop", followed by the Kokoro jerking in startlement and turning to look out towards what looked like a fortress in the far distance. However, it was Shea's question that startled him from his reverie and, apparently, the mole from its sleep, for it stood at attention at Shea's voice before turning to look at him with an expression of sorrow. Sorrow, or...perhaps it was a bit of understanding? Slowly, and with more seriousness than he had previously portrayed, the strange man reached into a small pouch at his side and retrieved a handful of multicolored sand that sparkled and danced despite the generally purple cast it bore after all the colors had mixed. Here, he inhaled slowly before exhaling sharply, sending the sand and dust outwards in a cloud that dipped and waved, shifted and twisted, expanding into smoky like structures that seemed to latch onto the air itself. A moment or so passed before the smoke came together, forming from its smoky depths ridges, walls, and finally...stairs. Frozen perfectly before Shea and Jean's eyes was a reproduction of the very place they stood, somehow apparently solid but set upon a flat plane six foot to a side. It hovered at waist height between the three of them, suspended by nothing, and one last smoke blob rose like a bubble to the top. tab Where it formed into a single, pale moon. tab The Kokoro looked to Shea with his hand still upraised as if in offering and nodded to the mist. "This is where you are now, though without the cloud cover. What do you see is missing?"
_______________The Ice Weeps... ||
tab As you walk throughout the room, eyes scanning the darkness, it becomes apparent that nothing has lived here for...quite some time. In fact everything seems frozen, with a sheen of ice covering every surface. This has two effects that are readily obvious. The first is that warmth, even the smallest amount, is insulated, kept within, and thus allows for relatively more comfort than standing exposed outside. The second is slightly more helpful in that the light outside, what little came through the clouds, reflected off of every surface and raised the ambient level of light to something somewhat more manageable than outright darkness. tab Each step you take resounds almost unnaturally for there was little in the way of the sound waves returning. What furniture or structures remained were covered in frostbite or sprouting strange, white grass with edges and tips bordering on purple and red depending on the way they moved. How life could survive in this frigid environment might be strange to consider, but it doesn't seem to care about whether you know or not. Nor that you exist, in fact, since it keeps on being what it is. tab That said, the echoes from your footsteps help your ears tune themselves better, giving way to something more important than, maybe, anything prior: voice. Human voices, and somewhat nearby.
tabMi-jin looked back out the open door, before turning back to the empty room. “wa...Hewwo? Pardon my intrusion.” Mi-jin gave a curt bow as she grips the front of her dress. She felt odd walking into someone home, but her eyes caught the frozen walls and ceiling. She was beginning to doubt that if anyone had lived here, they were no longer occupying this space. Feeling a bit better about opening someone else home, Mi-jin dropped the backpack she picked up earlier.
tabShe never did get a good look at everything she had found. Just the blanket tucked which she made sure was still tucked around her shoulders. Spreading each item on the floor, Mi-jin found weapons, armor, and a lot of camping gear. Mi-jin tucked the smaller items into the satchel. She tied the satchel around her waist and let it sit on her hip as she places the tent and the rest of the supplies back into her backpack. “Okay..okay, let see...wa I wonder if they left anything behind,” Mi-jin spoke aloud, before smiling at her own silliness. ‘Jeez, I think speaking out loud is a sign of something crazy.’ Mi-jin wraps herself back up and carried the backpack on her back as she searched the small home.
tabEvery cautious step that Mi-jin took sounded too loud and clear to her ears. Once her ears gotten used to the sound, she faintly could pick up voices. ‘Wa,, ghost or humans?’ Mi-jin thought worriedly. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to meet anyone, human or ghost until she was positive she could protect herself. The feeling of worried guided her legs from one room to the next. Her eyes scanning the rooms and testing the frozen doors and finding them either lock or frozen shut.
tabMi-jin now stood in front of a door that was already open. The only luck, she been having so far. As she walked into the room, she could only guess it was used for. There was a wooden dresser that peaks her interest as it was the only furniture not cover in that grass. Maybe she could find some clothes more suitable for this hellish weather. Mi-jin tugged on the handles of the drawer and like the doors they didn’t budge. Refusing to give up, Mi-jin opens her waist satchel to pull out on the trench knives. Carefully, Mi-jin picks at the frost lodge in between cracks to loosen the drawer. It was long and tedious, but Mi-jin was stupidly stubborn. When she finally frees open the first drawer it was ...empty. “Wa...s**t.” Mi-jin cursed and began to get to work on the next two drawers. One of them has to give fruit to something useful. “Please...wa, a jacket. Gloves heck, even thick socks would be helpful wa.” Mi-jin pleaded when she pried open the second drawer.
tabThe gods heard her prayer as she found in the second drawer a pair of shirt and pants. They were frozen solid, but Mi-jin could recall a fireplace in one of the rooms. It was hard to tell what they would look like fully thaw out, but Mi-jin spent over an hour getting them out. So, Mi-jin hopes they would keep her warm once they are done. Mi-jin removed the blanket from around her shoulders and pick up the two articles of clothing. Mi-jin was happy about her luck and after a bit of searching found the room with the fireplace. Mi-jin places the blanket of clothes next to her and unfolded it fully. Peering into the fireplace, Mi-jin could tell she would have a bit of time carving out the frost on the inside walls if she wanted to use it. ‘Everything cover in ice, so I can’t set fire to the curtain, but…’ Mi-jin thought as she took notice of the white grass growing.
tabMi-jin was sweating and as she looked at her knife, she realizes it has gotten a bit dull, but she needed this fireplace working. As she scraps and picks at more of the ice lining the fireplace wall, she removed the shard from the bottom of the fireplace. When Mi-jin stood up, her legs felt prickly from kneeling in one place. She patted her legs to help ‘wake’ them up before walking back to the front door. She had left it open all this time, but seeing as no one was here, she no longer felt the need to be polite. This was just an abandoned house and closed the door. After closing the door, Mi-jin finally felt secure, like she could relax without constantly looking over her shoulder for ghost or voices.
tabMi-jin made her way back to the fireplace, but she had to pass the kitchen area first. Pausing she notices that on the table, counters top was the white grass substance. In her satchel was the flint and steel, Mi-jin earlier thoughts followed her. Looking out the kitchen window she could see that the sun was beginning to set. If she wanted to search for firewood, she’ll have to leave now unless she could use this grass as a starter. Taking the two items from her waist satchel, Mi-jin struggles to create a spark.
Location: Frozen home
Company: no one
Stamina: 100
Charkra: 100
Ooc:
Backpack: ↳Currently on her back •One Person Tent •Blanket •bedroll •Mess kit •Soap •Twine(50meter) •Fishing hook (1x) •Whetstone(durabaility 0.3)(1x) •clay gourd
Satchel, medium ↳Currently on her side •Trench knife(x2)(durabiity 30) •10 Senbon(x2)(duarability 30) •Flint and steel •Skinning knife •Sliver glitter 'mystic' ball
