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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by The Nameless Tonberry on Nov 29, 2021 17:38:43 GMT -6
Grudge shook their head. It wasn't the people. It wasn't quite the people. It was also the people, sure, and there was also every living being with them as well, but it wasn't about just what breathed. The World was that and the stones, air and water, fire and metal and wood and flesh and lightning and void. Still, details mattered very little if the world that surrounded them, the one where they walked at that moment, was not their own.
"All must exist in balance – matter, magic, energy, and even void. Somebody attempted to change that," Grudge explained calmly. Their feet made a sloshing sound as they trod mud on the trail. The hem of their jute robe had turned an earthy brown as it dragged. "And they succeeded. The World was grievously wounded as a result, and when it swore vengeance against the culprit, it created a champion to exact it. Me."
Grudge looked up as the young woman also shook her head, and wondered in silence if she succeeded in her purpose, and whether she was also pulled away from her birthplace as soon as her mission was over. Once again, it didn't happen very often that they found any sort of commonality in the people they met, especially not when it came to one's own nature. One day they even met a group (a pack? a community? a lounge? maybe a shoal) of Tonberries, and discovered they could barely talk to each other. It was always meant to be a solitary mission. Perhaps, they considered, they were never meant to survive for much longer past it. But their mission was to defy Fate. As a result, it should not surprise them that they failed to meet Fate's expectation. Some time in the future they would work that out.
"Yes," they repeated, and then gazed at the treetops as they thought about an answer. With no knowledge of that place's geography, it took them half a minute of pondering and humming to come up with, "One is from the city. He would head for the closest one there is, and walk its streets. He would look for food and information. One wanted to go back to her family as soon as everything was over. I cannot imagine where she would go now. One will want to see this world to the fullest. He once told me he doesn't like to stay in one place for too long."
Grudge fell silent when the temperature in the area seemed to drop by several degrees. Droplets of newly condensed water glistened off their skin and the blade of their knife, only for the forest to turn a few hues darker. Every creature except for the two of them had disappeared from the boughs and the trunks and the shrubbery. A pair of stick-like arms, white with the pallor of something that had been long dead, shot out of the gloom and clawed at the woman, who for some reason did not resist and allowed herself to be dragged away.
"Do you need help?" Grudge asked. Another figure materialised in front of them. It towered over Grudge, which in itself was not much of an accomplishment. Its arms reached down to the knees and ended in long talons, and upon closer inspection Grudge realised they could still see the shadows of the surrounding vegetation through coal-coloured skin. Golden eyes locked into other golden eyes. Then: "Are you going to fight me?"
There was a roar and a clatter of nails hitting metal. "I see." A streamlet of faint orange-red light spiraled around their arm and reached their knife, a caress lighter than that of a chick's feather. The blade flared cinnabar. Grudge raised it to eye level and watched it with what might have passed as an absorbed expression. Then he calmly stepped forward. Again. Again. Again. At the third pace, the creature realised it was trying to maintain a distance, and its expression distorted (well, further, anyway) with horror when it saw that, despite its strides being much longer and much quicker, the distance between them was narrowing by the second. It slashed at Grudge again. This time, the strike connected – it could tell by the warm liquid that now dripped from its fingers, and the three marks – one for each talon – on its target's robe. Yet, Grudge kept on walking, unbothered. A shriek signalled the end of the fight. It pierced the air and grew fainter by the second, until all that was left was a soft hiss not unlike that of water being poured on a fire. Grudge patiently dislodged the knife from the creature's body, landed on their feet, and watched the remains scatter into ashes. Finally, they turned to check on the young woman again. And started walking once more.
[attr=class,bulk] Balance? Vengeance? She gave a small frown. Her people had disrupted the delicate balance of the soul cycle of Gaia in an attempt to keep themselves alive. Would Gaia, or its people, or whatever this tonberry talked about, seek vengeance against her or other Terrans? Was this creature her enemy? Her predecessor’s enemy? She started to feel slightly conflicted on whether to help or not. She watched this Grudge from the corner of her eyes. [break][break] The tonberry spoke about their friends and where they would go. It seemed the Tonberry was already on the right path for the first friend. The other two, well, she had no idea where they would be. With nothing useful to say about the tonberry’s allies, she opted to remain wordless. [break][break] Not that she had much time to respond with the ghosts being active and about. She flashed the colors of pain - dark reds and smudgy purples. She closed an eye as the icy grip caused her arm to go numb. Grudge’s question of aid was lost to her as she focused on the metaphysical thoughts. This was her home and she preferred to not use violence, if necessary. She liked the ghosts when they were not harmful. [break][break] But, she also had someone to return to. Nero had shown her that these spirits would keep her from that person if she did not resist back. [break][break] She closed her eyes now. In her first meeting with Kuja, he had used lightning to make them let her go. She focused on his lesson to her, trying to feel that same intent and swirl of colors that he showed her. The lightning element came so easily to him, but for her it always felt so stuck. And so it was with her half commitment. There was a soft sudden aura of golden static that radiated off her for just a flickering of heart beat. Her fur and hair fluffed from the static, but it was enough to shock the ghost to let go of her. It gave a dissatisfied screech as it drew back into the forest's shadows. [break][break] Her eyes turned to Grudge, who seemed to have no trouble at all with his own spectral horror. They seemed to have quite a bit of power packed into its small form. Mikoto understood to be more wary of it. The tonberry seemed unabashed by the events, just as much as she did. Silently, she turned to continue down the road she knew would take them to Torensten. [break][break] Once more, the road seemed to shift as the wind blew and the leaves rustled over the path. The disembodied arms with grasping hands rose out of the ground much like garden eels. It was clear that they were being watched on all sides now as golden eyes glinted in the shadows before disappearing. Mikoto creased her brow and looked about to determine if there was a path around them.
Post by The Nameless Tonberry on Dec 15, 2021 17:57:17 GMT -6
She didn't hear them, that girl whose name – Grudge was becoming more and more aware of this – they never asked, and she never gave. She even closed her eyes, which caused Grudge to take a hesitant step forward, only to stop when a stream of yellow lightning ran through her and lapped at the creature, if lightning could be said to lap at things. It was not a strong spell, but it was enough of a shock that, the next moment, the young woman was free and unharmed. The creature retreated into the bushes with a shriek, and Grudge watched it go.
And none of them said anything. As far as Grudge was concerned, there was no need for words, and clearly the young woman must have thought the same. They followed her further down the road, respectfully circling the corpse of the creature they had just felled. No sooner had the thing disappeared behind them a hundred yards and a few twists and turns in than a pair of new arms erupted from the ground and, since it was a few paces too early, waited.
Grudge stared at it with interest from a distance for a few seconds as the young woman looked for another path. It was already growing impatient, and started palpating the earth around it, unable to reach either of them. In the foliage, there was a glint of unfamiliar eyes looking at their general direction.
“Something is looking at us,” said Grudge, whose superficial wound had already closed for the most part, though some odd drops of blood still trickled down their body, drawing a vertical line on their short legs and then flowing into the dirt. They turned to the source of the gleam. “If you wish to hamper us, state so if you can. If you don't, I am not going to fight you. I am not here for you, or your territory, or your anything.”
[attr=class,bulk] Mikoto was not one for many words. It seemed Grudge was not one for any either. The silence never bothered her. It was something she was used to. Where she was from, words were rarely spoken aloud. She liked that about Headstone Forest. Very few words were needed compared to civilization. It followed the terms of life eating death to survive and vice versa. A concept she was very used to. Soon something would consume the corpses, so that it may live. [break][break]
Grudge came to a stop at the reaching disembodied arms. It was as if the arms were not filled with bones as they swayed in the breeze. They grappled over each other once they sensed the presence of the other two. But, they remained out of reach for the others. After a moment they disappeared. Another heartbeat more the spectre erupted from the ground a little bit closer than typical. The grasping hands now more frantically trying to grab them. One hand found an unassuming squirrel and dragged deep underground. [break][break] She turned to look at the tonberry as he spoke. It seemed Grudge had been injured and put up little complaint. However, whoever designed them and put in a factor for regenerative tissue. Mikoto studied the blood and the healed tissue with interest. Genomes had faster healing than Gaians and were built to be more resilient to survive harsh conditions. But to heal so quickly. [break][break] Should she have a sample of his cells? Perhaps it could help her predecessor. [break][break] “Something is always watching.” She responded to Grudge. That was the way to Headstone Forest. They were the intruders of the spirits here, not the other way around. [break][break] The response returned to Grudge’s demands were nothing more than a burst of cold air. A silent moaning on the wind soon followed, but one couldn’t be sure if it was simply an animal in the distance. Mikoto decided to translate for him. She was born with the innate ability to speak with spirits. “They want me to stay. You may leave.” She stated simply. She seemed unphased by all the golden eyes that flashed once more in the shadows. She offered no further explanation, as it didn’t seem required. [break][break] “The path will be revealed to you.”
Post by The Nameless Tonberry on Jan 18, 2022 19:21:22 GMT -6
Always watching. Grudge mulled over the idea. It was the kind that had holes in it, though it was less out of fallacy and more out of mere incompleteness, and it forced one to fill them through logic or, when that was not possible, imagination. By and large, in all forests lived creatures capable of seeing things and who would have good reason to view alien elements – as well as perfectly domestic ones – as potential threats, which thus must be watched. This was where logic exhausted its purpose and scope, for all it could explain was who or what was watching them and, to a lesser extent, why.
What Grudge felt was missing was on behalf of whom or what were those things watching them, and this was the territory of imagination, of conjecture, of all of the thinking done by one's innards that supplemented or, on occasion, even replaced that of the brain. It was amazing, the sheer number of synapses one could find in the average spleen.
Was it only the spirits who watched, or was it the forest itself? And, by the same token, was the forest also watching on behalf of somebody or something bigger than itself? Or, to get even further and finally to the point, was it that World that was using the forest who was using the spirits to watch over the two of them – whatever its reason might be?
Of course, that pyramid's top might have been at a much lower place than that, perhaps at what Grudge speculated might have been the very base instead, and they would have been none the wiser. Nevertheless, they concluded, the fact that a force more nebulous than a lost spirit might have been watching them was of little consequence, if its purpose for doing so would not be revealed.
“I see,” they said as they took another step further from the heart of the forest. All they felt was a rush of cold air, and all they heard was the whistling of a breeze. This time, perhaps, it wasn't them who were supposed to understand the plans of that World. “And what do you want?” they asked, ignoring the sudden flash of golden eyes that came from the gloom between the bushes and the fronds.
“I will not ask you to come with me, but you agreed to show me the way out. In exchange, I will help you clear it, should you wish to leave also.” There was a rustling of leaves, and a colder and sharper gust of wind gnawed at its flesh. Grudge turned to the eyes that glowed in the dark, and held their own gaze against the unknown's. Some sets of them blinked out of existence after a while, and others took their place. “If not, I would like to ask you for your name, if you've got one. Something I can remember you by.”
[attr=class,bulk] For a long moment, the Tonberry said nothing to her. Did they stop functioning? But there was a twitch in their eyes and a movement to their head that suggested otherwise. He was considering the forest and their situation then. Mikoto did not understand how there was so much to consider. It was simple right? She stayed and they left. There were little other factors to account for in this situation. Their goals laid beyond, therefore it was the easiest route to just leave. [break][break] Then, her head fell to the side as he asked what she wanted to do. She factored into his decision? How odd. The glowing eyes in the shadows intensified. The wriggling hands - sprouted from the ground - came another foot closer to him, grasping with their too long fingers. Orbs of light floated about her, lighting her in their pale blue glows. How similar they were to Gaian souls. Only partially formed and and harming others because of it. [break][break] “I wish to stay.” She shook her head at his misunderstanding her situation. Her large teal eyes were upon him, lit strangely by the spirits’ dim glow. “I take care of them. They are my home.” She said softly. They didn’t mean to hurt her at times, she was sure. The souls did not have anyone to cling to except her. She could keep them placated and company.The ached without vessels and she tried to ease them. [break][break] “The path will reveal itself. It’s not far.” She said simply, hands by her side. Then, she considered his last question. Her name? Would they meet again? “I am Mikoto.” She said simply, as she watched him
Post by The Nameless Tonberry on Jan 22, 2022 18:48:58 GMT -6
It would have been inaccurate to say that Grudge took a step back to avoid those spectral hands, for stepping required one to move one's feet visibly enough for one to acknowledge that movement as a step. A more faithful account of what happened would be to say that Grudge's body moved in reverse, as if repelled by magnetism, just enough so that the buried creature's fingertips barely failed to brush against their rough hemp robe. On the ground was a streak of mud that was deeper when Grudge's feet had been. "I understand. I will respect your decision.” They looked at the hands as they uttered that second sentence, which was not for the woman so much as the jealous spirits that surrounded her – surrounded them. Grudge was not, by and large, a creature of subtlety, but they met a lot of people who were and it always fascinated them with how much meaning they could charge very few words. An implication, as those people would call it, and others would make inferences out of them. Grudge's implication was that there would be no need for further violence, and as they wondered if they did it right, they saw the hands relaxing and then retreating back into the earth, and the glows disappeared into the darkness like long-dead stars in the night sky. It worked. "Mikoto,” they repeated, as if testing their pronunciation. Then they said, "I see that you found your own purpose.” They paused and looked up at the treetops and the sky that they concealed. "I am at ease now, for this means that, sooner or later, I will find mine too.” And as they resumed walking towards the edge of the forest, they pondered on the time it would take them to find it, and whether or not Mikoto was assigned her purpose or chose one for herself, like most other people did, but not Grudge, for they never had to. "Farewell, then, Mikoto.” Whatever the case, they thought as they saw the treeline thin abruptly into a grassland, it didn't mean that what worked for her would work for them. Inconvenient as it was, there was the real possibility that any resolution might have been be, all in all, theirs alone to reach.
