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The Oasis
Nov 26, 2018 1:00:19 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kelathi on Nov 26, 2018 1:00:19 GMT
She took in what he said without a word. He had a strange way of responding to her questions- he seemed to answer them but still managed not to tell her much, or was it just perhaps just her own comprehension that was lacking? The word ‘witch’ was specifically familiar to her, however, a shred of a memory flashed to the forefront of her mind upon hearing it, but it was gone before she had chance to grab it and make sense of it. Nevertheless, the word itself seemed to spark in her a feeling of both dread and anger. It was strange how words could do that.
When he had finished, there was only a short pause before she spoke again, and when she did, it was much quieter, as if she was hesitant to ask it at all.
“And... who am I?” Until the moment she had stepped out of the forest, it had not occurred to her that there were things she did not know, and it had also never entered her head to question the state of her being- she merely existed, and so did her forest, which served as her home and her haven. Only now was she beginning to realise that her memory was severely lacking, with even her own identity a mystery to her. He seemed to know everything, and as she appeared to know nothing, all she could do was to put her trust in him and believe in what he said. After all, what did she have to compare it to, and what choice did she have?
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Nov 29, 2018 16:13:44 GMT
This time Impares had no ready answer, and he slowed to a halt, rather than stopping short. How to respond? He couldn’t tell her the truth, even what limited understanding he had of it. Could he wrangle a way out of the question?
“You are special,” he began, his hollow voice again ringing with that feeling of sincerity that was difficult to tell if a lie, or an elaborate truth. “You are important… and you are valuable.”
(sowwie, super short ^_^;; lol)
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Post by Kelathi on Dec 1, 2018 22:41:36 GMT
"Oh."
Her answer was incredibly flat. If what he said had any impact on her at all, it certainly did not stroke her ego as it might have done others. After a short pause, she tried again, but this time it became clear as to what she had really been asking. Her voice was quiet and mousey now, as if worried about pushing further lest she just be disappointed. "Do I have... A name?" Some kind of identity? Some kind of essence? She felt like if she just knew she had a name, it would be something to hold onto to keep her grounded. Something to make her feel more a part of this world, rather than the wayward intruder she was beginning to feel herself as.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 6, 2018 3:47:23 GMT
Impares caught the sudden change in her voice, going flat and unsatisfied. So she wouldn’t let it lie, then? What to say then?
Uncharacteristically, he stopped, lost in thought. A name had come to him, something familiar and yet unknown, but rather than ponder too long on it, he decided to use it for something else.
“Tasya,” he finally said, his voice more hollow than before, as if haunted by the name, but using it anyway. “Your name is Tasya.”
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Post by Kelathi on Dec 7, 2018 23:33:44 GMT
She had thought for a moment that he was not going to respond, and that response in itself answered her question. Downcast, her head had tilted down slightly, and she began to study the ground as she walked. It took her a moment to realise that he was no longer following. She stopped too, and turned to him, a question on her tongue… when he had broken the silence.
A pause, and then a small smile slipped onto her lips. As he began to walk again, she felt her heart lift a fraction. “Thank you.” She responded, taking his pause for a sign that he had racked his memory to retrieve her name, and yet unbeknownst to her that that was indeed what he had done, and that the name he had unearthed was not her own…
But ignorance is bliss, and although she felt no familiarity towards the name, she accepted it willingly.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 9, 2019 18:12:09 GMT
Impares seemed to hesitate at the word of thanks, but it was difficult to tell as the robes simply continued to move. He said nothing in reply, but instead silently mulled over this strange new feeling. To be thanked… it had been a while since he was last thanked. Never by one that he had such plans for… was this a pang of guilt striking him now? Perhaps.
Not that it mattered.
---
It had been more Tasya’s slowing step than a conscious decision on Impares’ part to stop at times for rest, he having to work out what was needed, often long after it was needed. That included that morning, where Tasya seemed uncomfortable, that he finally thought about it and realized that in this form, she must have required food as much as rest. But he had time, and the most inconvenience this caused was simply needing to recall how to fix it.
This was why they were walking into a town, Impares more willing and able to pay for food rather than try to make any himself. As usual, he earned little more than a passing glance as he had no interest in making himself an object of curiosity, but the woman with him earned many glances. He would have to be careful.
“Here,” he said as they approached a tavern, a hand slipping out from between the folds of the robe to open the door for her. Even though she was a tool to him, he had continued to treat Tasya as if she were royalty, although she might not recognize such behavior as such. It was more insurance in case she ever did. Not that he had any intention of harming her… yet.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 9, 2019 18:37:49 GMT
It had taken her longer than it would take others, to realise that she was becoming weaker. Every new thing they passed caused her to pause and study it, sometimes it was a particularly exotic-looking plant, other times, a bird she had never seen before. Through all these pauses Impares seemed endlessly patient, although he was just as cryptic with his answers as she had come to expect. Every now and then, as the day stretched on, she’d feel something she’d never felt in the forest- a wave of sickness and a hollowness in her stomach. Each time, the period of discomfort was short, and there was always something more interesting to dwell on, anyway. Unbeknownst to herself, the magic of the forest had staved away her need to eat or drink, which was why these signs were being missed. Eventually, when one such wave of light-headedness had caused her to stumble, Impares had finally put two and two together and sought out food.
It showed how unlike herself she had become in that she hardly seemed interested in her surroundings even as they changed rather abruptly. Now to the point where she was dizzy with hunger, she followed her guide without comment or question, entering the tavern as he had motioned. Upon entering, however, she did pause, and a familiar glint of curiosity returned to her eyes. “What is this place?” she asked, looking around wide-eyed. She felt she’d never before seen so many people in one place, until an old memory resurfaced that confirmed she had, many times. There was so much going on, it was hard to know what to focus on. Laughter and chatter bubbled in the air, and she could hear music, something that filled her with a long-dormant and yet somehow familiar warmth. A few curious gazes drew towards her, but she was too distracted to notice the attention she was drawing.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 10, 2019 4:09:48 GMT
“This is a tavern,” Impares began to explain as he led her to a table, still maintaining his patience through this. He had plenty of time. “It is a place where living beings can find food and shelter.”
Of course, in the tavern, it was harder to simply pass by unnoticed, for even if he had wanted to, he had to be visible enough to make an order. A barmaid came up to them, only a little cowed by Impares’ height, which quickly resolved itself as he sat down. “What can I get you two?” she asked in a cheerful voice, politely ignoring the curious stare she was earning from the shorter of the pair.
“Food, and water, please. Whatever you think is best,” came the order, taking on a grateful tone, not unlike a beloved elder family member might. The voice put the woman at ease, smiling and nodding. “Of course. We have just the thing. Be back soon.”
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 2, 2019 21:39:57 GMT
Living beings. That phrase stuck in her mind, for some reason. As if it was important, but for the moment, she couldn’t figure out why. Not to mention there were so many things to be looking at and thinking about right now. Like the torch hanging on the wall, the flickering flames not so very different from those that had been in that old woman’s hearth…
The thought sent a lance of sadness through her heart. That… had been an odd moment. She had been fearful then, and yet now, she felt relaxed in Impares presence. As he spoke to the barmaid, she was struck with a sudden wave of affection, but it had not been her own. Watching the woman’s back as she walked away, Tasya began to realise that it had been what the barmaid had been feeling. Towards Impares. He clearly had an effect on people, and she found herself suddenly wondering if he was aware of it. The thought made her feel uneasy, because it raised the question as to whether that was the reason she had begun to feel so relaxed… was it merely because he wanted her to be?
“She likes you.” It came out suddenly, so for a moment she had not been aware that it had been herself speaking. She was watching him closely as she spoke, even though she could not see his face. She hadn’t considered that before, not as acutely as she was in this moment, anyway. It had seemed perfectly normal to her to stare into the empty space of his hood before, because she knew no better. But no-one that she had met yet had hidden their faces like he.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 7, 2019 23:26:39 GMT
There was a sense of Impares’ gaze drifting to Tasya at her comment, having been looking over the patrons of the tavern to assess any potential risks. Maybe it was the way the hood crinkled to one side, as if the head inside twisted towards her. Maybe it was just the way he seemed to still for a moment, considering her words.
“Yes, I believe she does,” came the noncommittal answer. “Being sociable… ‘liked,’ as you say, is important to civilized behavior. There is no harm in it,” he added, as if guessing at her unspoken concern.
In truth, he was studying her now almost as intently as she was studying him. And the fact that she was now questioning him, even if silently, was a potential problem. He had time… but he knew he didn’t have forever. Things would become more complicated if she began to question him, most assuredly if she began to fight him. He had to keep her dependent upon him… blindly trusting, if possible.
“Don’t you like me?” he asked, as if concerned that her question suggested she didn’t. It was asked without malice or control, his tone almost pitiable.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 7, 2019 23:46:34 GMT
She seemed to regard his question silently for a moment, perhaps too long to be considered polite. When she finally opened her mouth to answer, it was with a question. “Do you like me?” It seemed almost like a challenge, despite the fact that her voice remained steady, innocent. Then, before he could answer, she cut in quickly. “Don’t answer that.” Why she had decided not to hear his answer might have seemed questionable, but it was because she had already heard him proclaim that she was special, that he wanted to protect her. Why would he do that if he didn’t like her?
“What would you consider…” She paused, searching in her memory for the right word, before continuing, “…Uncivilised behaviour?” She prompted, clearly his reference to ‘civilised’ society sparking her interest in the topic. The word ‘uncivilised’ seemed familiar to her, as if she had heard it many times in her past, although she was not sure in what context.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 12, 2019 3:26:09 GMT
While there was no expression to read, no tilt of the head to see, no outward sign… there was a sense of endearment, as if her question and quick withdrawal of said question was sweet and likable. It also spoke volumes as to how much he liked her, and thus answered her quickly retracted question. Tasya was right, even if she wasn’t fully certain she was.
Impares knew how to make himself “likable.”
Her second question finally earned another head tilt, Impares considering his words carefully before answering her. “As ‘civilized’ behavior is what one does to belong to civilization,” he began, “’Uncivilized’ would mean what one would do to not belong to civilization. To not belong would be to push away from civilization. To reject it… perhaps even fight it directly.”
As if on cue, their waitress returned with two bowls of stew, promising to return with water shortly after. Before she could leave, Impares handed her several coins, she obviously surprised at the number. “Oh, it wasn’t that-“
“Please, take them.”
With a sweet little smile at the stranger’s generosity, the woman left, in higher spirits than she had been before. Impares, seeming to understand that he’d have to help Tasya in more ways than one on their journey, picked up his spoon and - apparently - took a bite. Apparently, as the hood’s cast shadow hid any sign of a mouth, so as the spoon came near what must have been his mouth it too seemed to vanish into the inky darkness. “Be careful, it is warm,” he added, in spite of not hesitating to take the bite, making it curious that he didn’t seem to mind the temperature but was aware she would.
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Post by Kelathi on Apr 29, 2019 22:16:02 GMT
Tasya dipped her head in response to his words, accepting them as truth not only because he said them, but because her memories were giving credence to his words. This word… ‘civilised’, seemed to stick in her mind, and she was certain she had heard it, and it’s counterpart ‘uncivilised’ many times before. Especially the latter, which she seemed to remember being used in an accusatory way against herself. Every moment spent outside of the forest seemed to be unlocking long-forgotten memories, knowledge she never knew she had, and it was easy to lose herself in these thoughts at times, as she was now.
As the waitress returned again it drew the woman’s attention back to the present, as Tasya once again felt the wave of fondness directed at Impares, this time the small metal discs that passed from one hand to another seemed to be the catalyst. Even so, her attention was soon focussed on the food before her, especially as the scent of it made her mouth water. She watched Impares carefully before lifting her spoon, mimicking him as she scooped up some of the stew, pausing as he warned her that it was hot. To blow on it first seemed to make sense, and as she finally tasted it… her eyes lit up with pleasure. It soon became clear to her why her companion had brought her here, this was the cure to the hollowness in her stomach, the sickness that had begun to plague her. It was so obvious now that she knew, and unlocked many memories of countless times before sitting in places such as this. The vibrancy of such memories caused her to pause, eyes misting over as she stared into space, trying to focus on these strange recollections so that she may study them more closely.
“Why am I valuable?” She asked suddenly, blinking and looking towards Impares, focussing in the dark shadows of his hood to where she assumed his eyes must be. It was in regards to what he had said long before, seemingly forgotten until now. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she put forth her question, unaware of how problematic her constant questioning was beginning to be for her companion.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jun 11, 2019 4:40:42 GMT
Impares reflected only immeasurable patience, taking in these questions, showing the girl how to survive at the most basic level, little more than a child in her limited understanding. Her questions proved that she was growing more aware the farther they went, however, every look, every pause she made being studied with the utmost care.
How long before she remembered enough to become a problem?
“All life is valuable,” he began, setting his hand down with the spoon just barely resting against the bowl’s edge. “But there are those who are… exceptional. Special, valuable,” he went on, reusing his own words. “They are able to do things no one else can. My purpose is to help you remember what makes you special.”
With any luck on his part, she’d remember it too late.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 29, 2021 0:49:37 GMT
Her gaze was thoughtful, fixed again on the place she assumed his eyes must be, meeting, as always, only darkness. After a few moments, she dropped her gaze, seemingly satisfied with his answer, at least for now. She ate in silence for a while, and once her stew was gone, she regarded her companion again with her large, inquisitive, green eyes. “Where to next?” She asked innocently, assuming that they would be on the move again.
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