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NPC Story Contest - Words in Silence |
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"Who are you?"
It was an innocent enough question to the casual eavesdropper, but any Gaian worth their name would likely take a moment to think before answering. In a land where a person's identity could change at the snap of a finger such a question carried a lot of weight.
"Who are you?"
Three words. Three words called cheerfully over a sunny cafe table overlooking the beach, three words whispered in the darkest alley in Durem, three words yelled into the sky at a presence which may or may not exist... Three words. Three simple words. Only three words.
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Louie is preparing to close shop for the night and he's just finished moving the last of the merchandise into the stockroom when the sound of claws scraping over rubble reaches his ears. The scrapes are uneven, like the person is limping, and based on the softness of the sound he guesses that the claws are a little on the small side - perhaps it's an imp of some sort. He silently hopes that it is a devil imp; although they are notorious troublemakers he's confident in his ability to kick them out. Angel imps, on the other hand, never do anything to warrant being kicked out and most of them have a habit of sneaking disapproving glances at him when they think his back is turned. Louie knows that vampires aren't exactly the most holy creatures out there, but having it rubbed in his face by an angel of all things doesn't really do much to improve his mood.
When he walks out of the storeroom to greet his potential customer, however, he's met by an ashen-skinned, solemn-faced teen who is what he had hoped for - and at the same time not. The boy's clothes stongly hint at Durem origins, which to most would be a sure sign of a devil imp. Indeed, the leathery wing protruding from where the left ear would normally be is clearly demonic in origin. But at the same time...
"Who are you?"
The question escapes Louie's mouth before he can stop it. Immediately he wishes he can take it back, having been on the receiving end of that same question far too many times and knowing all too well what it's like to be in the spotlight.
But the boy doesn't seem to mind and simply blinks slowly with that one visible, blood red eye before offering him a polite nod. The pearly white feathers which cover his right wing rustle slightly in the breeze and Louie's reminded of the leaves rustling mockingly outside his window as he stands indoors with only Zhigavo and his father for company.
"I'm Gimpi," the boy says, and despite his expressionless face there's something lingering in the depths of his eye, something so powerful it threatens to shatter the flimsy mask he's been wearing for who-knows-how-long.
Gimpi's wing rustles once more and Louie again thinks of those long nights in the mansion he once called home. This time, however, he is no longer the frightened child but rather the potential threat.
"I'm Louie," he offers, though it's probably unnecessary since he's been getting quite a bit of publicity lately. "Do you want to take a look around?"
Gimpi hesitates, and that's all the answer Louie needs.
"Hang on a sec," he says as he turns back to the storeroom. He reaches in and pulls out an item before he locks the doors and pockets the key. Then he faces Gimpi again and watches as the boy's eyes widen with surprise.
"Sorry it's a little singed," Louie says with a chuckle as he hands him a plain but well-crafted black cane. "But it should be functional enough."
Gimpi stares at him for a long moment. Then he smiles. It's a tiny smile, nothing more than a brief twitch of his lips, but Louie knows how to look for it.
"Anyway, I was thinking about getting something to eat," Louie says conversationally as he begins to pick his way back towards the sidewalk. There's a brief moment's hesitation before Gimpi's scraping footsteps sound behind him, albeit much more evenly and accompanied by the tapping of a cane. "My brother's been throwing me all these restaurant recommendations and they look delicious, really, but the servings are always so big I can never finish them by myself. You know?"
The scraping and tapping continues, but otherwise there is absolute silence. Louie's accustomed to silence, however, so he doesn't mind and simply taps his shoes against the pavement to shake off some dust before resuming his walk. Gimpi trails along behind him, but it isn't until they're almost at the restaurant when the boy speaks up again.
"I know," he says softly. He doesn't say anything more.
He doesn't need to.
Alazon · Sat Aug 18, 2012 @ 02:59am · 0 Comments |
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