Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 15:14:35 GMT -8
When the brigand's body hit the ground, the blades disappeared, and Sione half-turned to look at her Chosen. Ah, he was conscious. That was good. Tugging her cloak around to hide the hole in her side so as not to frighten him, she approached slowly, the shield dispersing as she neared. Once she was beside him, she knelt, keeping her hood pulled forward so her eyes weren't visible. She knew the lack of difference between pupil and iris could be.. frightening. It made her appear soulless, she'd been told.
"Do not fear, Chosen. You are safe now. How badly did they injure you?" For all her abilities, sensing where and how badly he was injured wasn't one of them. All the rage of before was gone, replaced instead by a soothing tone filled with concern. She reached out and moved some of the hair from his face, wiping away mud and dirt. Her flesh was chilly to the touch, but despite the lack of warmth, the gentle ministrations were meant to be calming.
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Warlord Shintaro Nishida
Dedicated
Marquis of Aozora
Roleplay posts: 312 
Age: 25
Clothes and Equipment: Eye Patch, Katana and Wakizashi, Odachi
Registered: Sept 3, 2015 22:12:26 GMT -8
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Post by Warlord Shintaro Nishida on Mar 10, 2016 15:15:52 GMT -8
Shintaro releases his hold on his Katana, and it clinks as it slides back into its Saya. He replies, "Perhaps I shall."
Once Kite and his gang leave and he waits for Exim to walk up to him. "My lord, we could have been killed."
"We could have, but we still live. We may have handed over some coin, but the real fortune gained is knowledge by us. We now know more about what is ahead of us, and we've met an acquaintance that may be useful in the future." Shin explains to Kun Exim. "He wasn't going to kill us, he just wanted money. He could have killed us without announcing his presence and taken anything, yet he did not. What does that mean, Kun-san?"
Kun stroked his beard while pondering, "To pass up an opportunity, is he daft?"
Shintaro laughs heartily. "There is a saying in this land, 'Honor among thieves'. This man Kite is a man of honor, I will seek him out in the future. Let us continue."
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 10, 2016 15:23:38 GMT -8
Efrik looked up at the blurry face, or what he could see of it, of the person that was touching his face. The touch was cold, but he was already chilled by the rain, so it wasn't alarming. The blue aura turned out to be hair, spilling out from beneath a hood. The hood hid the upper features of the face beneath it, but the lips and chin were definitely feminine.
Fear again played with Efrik's mind and he struggled to get up and move away. This only resulted in a fit of weak coughing though, a little blood showing on his lips. He dropped back to the ground, suddenly reminded of the pain in his ribs, and groaning in pain. The words barely made it past his blood-speckled lips, and when they did, he'd cough more. "Who... what are you?"
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 15:40:15 GMT -8
When he struggled to get up, she withdrew, only for a frown to cross her face when he coughed up blood. That was decidedly bad. She couldn't take him through the Veil to the Afterworld; he'd die immediately, even with her to protect him. Gently pushing him back down, she took the edge of her cloak and dipped it into the nearby puddle, then began to clean up his face. Poor boy. He really was in sorry shape. She needed to get him somewhere warm and out of the elements.. and some food in him, he was even more thin than she was!
"My name is Sione. What I am isn't important right now. Just know that I'm here to protect you and keep you safe." Tilting her head, she peered down at him, the slightest of smiles tugging upward at the corners of her lips. "What is your name, Chosen?" Not for the first time, Sione cursed her lack of healing abilities. It was looking like her best option right now would be to go into the Afterworld and find a healing potion somewhere.. it wouldn't be too hard, but she was leery of leaving him alone and unprotected.
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 10, 2016 15:50:23 GMT -8
"Ef- Efrik," he said, coughing a little more. "I... am I alive?" His voice was thin, and Sione could hear the tiny bubbles form and burst in his windpipe from the blood seeping into his lung. His teeth started to chatter again, as the adrenaline wore off and the cold seeped back into his emaciated body.
When the woman began wiping the mud off his face with her own cloak, he put his arms up in protest. "You have to go" he wheezed, "they might come back with more... I'm already dead... Save yourself." His words trailed off with his consciousness, the adrenaline no longer enough to keep him awake.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 16:03:13 GMT -8
"Efrik. Yes, you are alive." He had a punctured lung. This was even worse than she had feared. Withdrawing her touch at his feeble protest, her jaw clenched. "You are not dead, nor are you going to be." She hissed, a worried sound, as he lost consciousness once more. After a moment's consideration, she sprang into action. Scurrying over to the dead man, she set about stripping his person of everything useful. This left the corpse in.. next to nothing, really, as she took his clothing, boots, cloak, and money.
Rushing back to Efrik's side, her first order of business was to get him away from the mud surrounding the puddle. For all her slender size, she moved him easily, dragging him over beneath the cover of nearby trees. Once he was laid out on top of a relatively dry pile of leaves, she set about stripping him of his soaked clothing, her movements quick and methodical. Using his old clothing to wipe as much mud from his body as she could, she then bundled him into the dead brigand's garb, including the cloak, which was wrapped around his body.
Manifesting her shield around him once more, Sione moved back to the puddle and disappeared into its depths - with the pouch of coins. Disappearing into the Afterworld, she hovered for a moment, looking at all the portals now open to her. One drew her, the sight of an apothecary's sign hanging above a street puddle. It was to that one she went, hauling herself out of it and onto the streets of Isra.
<Exit to Dalael Apothecary>
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 16:29:01 GMT -8
<Entrance from Dalael Apothecary>
Rising from the puddle, Sione ran back to Efrik and knelt beside him, putting the satchel on the ground in front of her knees. Withdrawing the potion labeled Emergency, she tilted his head back, speaking to him softly. "Efrik? Can you hear me? I need you to drink this potion." If he responded, she would simply uncork the bottle and press it to his lips, tilting it so that he could drink the slightly bitter contents. If not...
She would be forced to open his mouth and tilt his head back further, then tip the potion into his mouth and gently rub his throat to stimulate drinking. Either way, she waited anxiously to see the effects of the potion. Little did Sione know it, but the potion was created by someone with access to minor healing magics, and those had been infused into every drop of the potion. Internal injuries were healed slowly, although nothing could be done for any blood lost, or for any broken bones. Those would have to heal on their own. Sione watched, staring intently, silently praying that he would be alright. She hadn't lost a Chosen yet.. she'd be damned if she started now, and when she'd just found him, to boot.
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 10, 2016 17:23:32 GMT -8
Efrik had not moved at all since Sione had left. He still lay where she had left him, his breathing shallow and troubled. When she administered the healing potion, he coughed slightly, but it seemed she had managed to get it into his stomach and not his already blood-filled lungs. The potion started working quickly, and Efrik opened his eyes after just a few moments.
"Where... am I," he asked. He felt dryer and warmer than he remembered. The pain in his leg was gone and the pain in chest was easing by the second. He noticed he had been wrapped in some kind of cloak and was laying on a bed of leaves. He looked up at Sione, "did you... do this?" He coughed again, but it wasn't the gurgling cough of a bloody lung, merely one of exertion. He propped himself up on one elbow, pushing aside the cloak before he realized how much better he felt.
"Why are you helping me?" The question wasn't sheathed in self-pity or contempt. He was honestly bewildered by Sione's compassion.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 18:29:03 GMT -8
Relief filled her when Efrik responded to the potion, and she re-corked the bottle tucking it back into the satchel. Sitting back on her lower legs, she folded her hands in her lap and watched as his injuries slowly mended. "You are still on the road. I simply moved you back out of the elements, as much as I could." That also answered his second question, but still, she smiled and nodded slightly. He was still malnourished and tired, but at least he wasn't creeping closer to death. She would have to get him to an inn and get some food in him.
When he asked why she was helping, Sione sighed, and decided she might as well give him the truth. "You are my Chosen. I'm what's called a Wraith; the spirit of a deceased person, who has been given certain.. powers. Powers to protect. We're bound to those whose souls cry out to us, because they're in need.. in need of guarding, in need of companionship." She tilted her head so that he could see her eyes beyond the edge of her hood, and tried to make the sight less frightening by smiling faintly at him. "Your soul called out to me, Efrik. And you asked for my help. So I came. I'll be with you, now, as long as you need me." She didn't point out that that would be until he died. That.. could wait.
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 10, 2016 18:47:35 GMT -8
As she explained their current situation, Efrik's mind was drawn back to the memories of the assault. The face he saw in the water, urging him to call for help. The pain and sense of helplessness. And that blue aura around a strangely calming figure. "It was you, in the water?" The question sounded ridiculous to him, but that's what memory showed him.
Efrik drew his knees up to his chest. He was cold. Not like the cold of walking through the chilly rain for hours, but still cold. When he did so, the broken rib made itself painfully known. He gasped and his face contorted from the stabbing feeling. But the pain subsided a little when he didn't move from the position. He realized all at once that he was exhausted and starving.
"Do you... do you have any food?" Begging hadn't bothered him. One must give up on pride if they wish to survive on the street. But for some reason, he felt the blood rushing to his face, somehow embarrassed he had to ask this wraith, this person for food.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 18:58:59 GMT -8
So he remembered that? She was surprised, but pleased, and nodded again at the question. "You saw me through the water, where I was in the Afterworld, waiting for you to call me. That was the only way I could save you. I can enter this world through reflective surfaces, like water or mirrors." The poor thing looked like he was freezing. She should probably build a fire. As he curled in on himself, she stood and began to gather wood, picking out as many dry pieces as she could find.
Returning to his side, she cleared an open spot and lay the wood down, digging through the satchel the apothecary had given her. What were the chances that there was a flint and steel in there? Probably slim to none. She glanced up at Efrik when he spoke, then, remembering some of the things she'd left with the dead brigand, stood and went to retrieve them. Ahh, yes. Hard tack and a waterskin. Grabbing both of these - as well as the knife he'd used to stab her and picking up a sharp-edged rock she spotted on the ground - she returned to Efrik.
Kneeling beside him, Sione set the hard tack and waterskin next to him. "Here. Not the most delicious fare, but it will fill you up, at least." With that, she stuffed some of the gauze in among the branches and twigs, and struck the rock against the knife until the resulting sparks caught on the gauze. Leaning forward, she blew on the embers until they spread and began to burn. Sitting back, she looked at him with a small smile. "Once you feel up to it, we should find some shelter. And something more filling for you to eat."
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 10, 2016 19:25:37 GMT -8
Efrik attacked the hard tack with gusto. Regardless of its taste, it was food, and it filled his stomach quite quickly. After finishing a good portion of the bread, and most of the waterskin, he immediately grew tired. He faded out to sleep with the image of Sione watching over him.
His dreams were rife with panic and he bolted upright from sleep more than once, breathing hard and wincing in pain from his unmended broken rib. Still, he would settle back into sleep almost immediately, his body so exhausted that it left him no choice.
The rain finally let up sometime during the early morning of the next day. When Efrik awoke, he looked much better. He still hissed in pain when he sat up, the broken rib reminding him of what had transpired the previous day. He looked over and saw Sione watching over him. "Sorry," he said. "Did you get any sleep?" It was very strange, talking to another person, especially one as well formed as Sione, as an equal, or even a friend.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 20:21:34 GMT -8
While Efrik slept, Sione sat awake, watching over him and keeping an eye on their surroundings, as well as feeding the fire just enough to keep it going. Every time he started awake, she was quick to murmur soothingly to him, only barely resisting the urge to reach out and smooth his hair back from his brow as he settled back down. When he awoke, she was sitting nearby, her knees drawn up against her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Looking over at him, she offered a small smile when he spoke.
"That's alright. I don't need to sleep. I'm technically dead, after all." Having refilled the waterskin during the night, she offered it to him again. "Do you feel up to walking? I think there's an inn down the road, we can get you a bath and some real food, and I can bind your ribs." She was actually positive that there was an inn not terribly far down the road, and that it was a safe enough location to house her Chosen, but she got the feeling speaking of her abilities.. weirded him out a little. Not that he could be blamed. She certainly looked odd enough, without adding her nature and powers into the mix.
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Royal Fletcher
Widely Known
Roleplay posts: 1,339
Age: 19
Physical Description: Royal is a pale boy with dark bags under his bluish eyes, an unfortunate result of too many days spent staring at books indoors by candlelight. He's thin, of slightly below average height, and has white hair.
Clothes and Equipment: Roy carries around an enchanted parasol at all times, which floats above him and shields him from the sunlight. He also has a sword, a gift from his cousin Roxanne. His pockets are always filled with an unreasonable amount of chocolate, and he usually has some sort of cake or other baked goods on his person.
Allegiances: The Fletcher Family
Player's online availability : Unreasonably often
Registered: Jun 3, 2015 19:45:42 GMT -8
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Post by Royal Fletcher on Mar 11, 2016 17:21:04 GMT -8
Roy walks down the road, pocket heavy with the jingling gold from his latest adventure.
"Look at me, Vera! Coming home from an adventure like Vinnie the Swift!"
He strolls along gaily, holding his parasol above his head with practiced ease.
"How are you feeling, Vera? I cant believe we actually did it!"
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 11, 2016 18:09:54 GMT -8
"I... can probably walk." Efrik stood up slowly, trying to avoid putting any pressure on the rib in the process. He took the waterskin from Sione and drank more than he expected to. Even though he had filled his stomach last night, he was starving again. But the cold that had possessed his body for the last few days was gone at least.
He was still bewildered at why this "Chosen" person was helping him. He didn't have any memories of being anything other than a beggar and that someone would help him for no evident reason didn't make sense to him. Even so, every time he thought to protest her actions, he'd instead feel like he could implicitly trust her.
Efrik looked down at the clothes that Sione had dressed him in. They were baggy, but they were in better shape than the rags he was wearing before. They smelled bad though. He hadn't worn boots in years and his feet felt odd with something wrapped around them. They were a little too big too, but the callouses on his feet would probably deter any blistering.
He looked over at Sione and managed to make his lips into something resembling a smile. "I guess we should go then, before they come back."
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2016 18:28:49 GMT -8
Standing when he said he could walk, she kicked out the fire before turning to help him to his feet, her hands gentle and supportive. Once he was stable, she made sure the cloak she'd taken from the brigand was firmly settled on his shoulders, not wanting to risk him catching a chill, now that she had him warm. With that done, she returned his attempted smile with a warm one of her own. "If they're stupid enough to return, I'll just fight them off. But, you're right; I get the feeling the weather is going to turn, and you don't need to get caught out in it again."
Taking a step toward the road, she waited for him to join her, and once they were walking, she stuck by his side. Keeping about two feet of distance between them, her gaze was constantly roving, watching for any sign of attack. She could sense other living essences on the road, but not near them, nor heading their way. Satisfied for now, Sione's gaze turned toward Efrik, and she tilted her head curiously. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" He may be her Chosen, but she only knew what he told her; that kind of information wasn't provided. Perhaps to forge a bond of companionship between Chosen and Wraith.
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 11, 2016 19:41:20 GMT -8
Sione's sudden inquiry surprised him. What was he supposed to tell her? All he had ever been was an orphan and beggar as far as he knew. "I don't know that there's much to tell." He was idly pulling at some of the snarls in his matted hair. "I've just been a street kid for as long as I can remember." He thinks about his past a little and realizes that it's really all just blurred together, surviving day by day. "I thought this group of people were going to help me once... They promised me food and a place to sleep if I just sold some kind of sparkly powder for them. But when I couldn't sell any, they beat me, so I ran away. That was a long time ago though."
He kept walking down the road while he was talking, staring at his feet and playing with those snarls. It really did feel weird to have boots again, he thought. The pain in his side was constant, but just a dull ache now. If he inhaled or exhaled too quickly, it felt like he was being stabbed, or what he assumed being stabbed felt like, so he tried to keep his breathing even despite his monologue.
"I... I don't understand what you mean when you say you're already dead. Dead people can't talk or move." The question was timid but serious and showed how little education the boy had ever gotten.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2016 19:58:58 GMT -8
As he began to speak, Sione listened attentively, making it seem like every word that he uttered was important. So it wasn't that she'd been sent to protect someone important; she'd been sent to be a companion for this lonely soul. Had she a heart, it would've ached for him. To grow up, so unwanted and unloved, mistreated and abused and neglected... Well, that wasn't going to happen anymore. "Don't worry, Efrik. I'm here to protect you, and keep you company. No one will hurt you again, while I'm around."
She tilted her head, surprised by his question, and tried to figure out how best to answer it. "I died a long time ago. I was just a spirit, for the most part, until I was chosen to be a Wraith. Being dead.. doesn't necessarily keep people from being around. Necromancers raise people from the dead all the time, although that's.. different, from me. I have a mind of my own, and I'm not bound to anyone's will - not even yours. I'm sworn to protect you, but I do because I want to, not because you control me." He might find it odd, that she could choose to disobey her purpose, but hopefully that she wouldn't want to would reassure him.
"I don't bleed, I don't eat or sleep, or cry, or anything living beings can do." Sione paused, trying to think of how else to explain it. "I can be hurt, in a way, in that my physical form can be damaged, but I don't feel pain, and I can't really be.. killed. Only banished back to the Afterworld, for a time." It was possible to destroy a Wraith entirely, but it was exceedingly difficult. She glanced at him, hoping that he would understand what she'd said.
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Efrik
Committed
Roleplay posts: 65
Age: 16
Physical Description: Efrik stands roughly five foot six inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. He is still thin for his height and build, but has filled out considerably in the past few days. Shoulder length brown hair is typically kept tied back with a piece of twine given to him by Sione, and his brown eyes are perceptive and inquisitive like a young child's.
Clothes and Equipment: ...
Efrik wears simple clothes Sione purchased for him. Good quality leather boots and a long dark brown water-proofed cloak taken from a dead bandit round out his current attire.
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 18:47:05 GMT -8
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Post by Efrik on Mar 11, 2016 20:05:57 GMT -8
"Well, you're nice and that doesn't seem like something living beings can do." His response wasn't sheepish or patronizing, just an honest observation to Sione's explanation of her inhuman traits.
"Has your hair always been that color?"
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 22, 2024 23:46:26 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2016 20:18:05 GMT -8
..Such cynicism from such a young person. How old was he, anyway? She had no idea. It was.. honestly somewhat saddening, to think that life had beaten him down so quickly. Well, she was there now; there would be no more beatings for him. Sione would take care of him, and hopefully, his life would turn around. His question caught her off guard, and she blurted a surprised laugh, quickly silencing her mirth even as she smiled. "I don't know. I don't remember my life. But it's been this color as long as I've been a Wraith, so I assume I looked the same when I was alive."
She fell silent for a few moments, judging the distance to the inn. They had a little while yet to walk, not quite an hour. They could've made it sooner, but she was keeping their pace slow, as she didn't want to wind Efrik too badly. "How old are you, Efrik? I'm not terribly good at judging human ages." He was too young to be out on his own and alone, though. She really had come along just in the nick of time.
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