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Post by Vikram on Nov 30, 2022 22:40:10 GMT -5
Vikram pushed away at the bamboo in his path. The forest was beautiful in the full moon, but progress on sighting this creature was slow and limited. The denizens from a small village in the midst of the forest spoke of spooky apparitions haunting this area, and a child had claimed to have seen a ghost with his own two eyes. These superstitions bothered him little, while monstrous creatures crawled the lands and seas of Charon, he found it hard to believe there were such things as ghosts. It was always some trick of the light, or a creaky shutter in a barn long overdue for maintenance. The path he walked was certainly overgrown, the floating lantern that followed him illuminating the way ahead.
Every once in a while, there would be an overgrown shine to some local deity hidden among the bamboo. It was a small effort to clear the overgrowth with a few quick cuts, and he hoped it would alleviate some of the anxiety of the villagers. It seemed that this whole path was a long walkway leading to something old and forgotten itself. Were he a betting man, it would be the source of these rumours.
Another half hour of walking and he found it. Moss and weather aged stone covered a small clearing in the bamboo forest. In the center was a broken shrine to gods long lost to time. The vibe was certainly spooking him, the air cool and still.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?"
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Post by Celeste on Nov 30, 2022 23:31:03 GMT -5
Stories of ghosts, of apparitions, of a being somewhere in the thick bamboo forests that surround the beautiful villages in the area… Well, they weren’t new. There were always stories. Sometimes a child, who is often crying wolf, comes to cry and scream about an apparition near the old shrines, but it’s become so often that they often don’t check. Still, it was enough for the elders to warn their children. It wasn’t very often that there were passer-bys here, but they were at least easy enough to scare off.
Celeste found this place after leaving Starlight City, away from everything that had happened. Honestly, she’s been here for a minute. No one really bothered her here. So when a new person arrived at the hidden shrine, the place Celeste had managed to keep herself hidden for the past few months, she immediately hid. Brush and twigs could be heard behind one of the stones, the ghostly figure trying to keep herself out of sight. Who was this person? Celeste attempted to peek around the corner a bit, trying not to reveal herself whilst trying to identify the person. Maybe slightly cause a breeze behind him to grab his attention.
Celeste just stared, her greyish eyes narrowing slightly. She definitely has not seen this person before. What is he doing in the village?
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Post by Vikram on Dec 1, 2022 0:26:16 GMT -5
Twisting around he pulled his sword, swearing to himself that something had brushed by his back. The various bits, baubles, and jewelry adorning his body clattered about in the stillness, echoing off the bamboo like a million tiny silverbugs hiding in the night. Levelling it at the path he had just walked to get here he saw nothing. Paranoia snuck into his conscious mind like a trickle in the ceiling during a rainstorm. "Who's there?!" He shouted to the nothingness before him. Talking to himself now.... he wasn't that old quite yet. He chuckled, putting his sword back into its sheath. Jumping at breezes wasn't something he wanted to be known for, almost a child's reaction to fear. He turned back around, stroking his beard and inspecting the ancient shrine. It was in a state of incredible disrepair, a waist-high stone statue lay on the ground, covered in moss. He hiked up his robes and squatted down, lifting the stone idol back onto its feet. Taking a small cloth from his robes he wiped away bits of moss that had stuck to it over the years. A small step, but a start. A small drip could be heard plopping droplets from the back part of the roof. That would be step two i suppose, cutting off the water could help with the moss accumulation...I guess? Desert ecology was entirely based on holding on to as much water as possible for as long as possible, so he wasn't sure if the moss would just get fed by the ambient moisture instead.
Regardless, Vikram began humming a jolly tune as he walked around the back of the structure to see if he could spot the source of the noise.
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Post by Celeste on Dec 1, 2022 0:43:57 GMT -5
‘Oh sh*t’, she thought to herself as he inched closer to the farther edge of the shrine stones. The musty air in the forest felt like it thickened a little for her as she panicked a little. ‘Crap, crap crap!’ She kept going in her head. Usually that was enough to scare the villagers, as superstitious as they are. Did they hire someone? Were they really desperate enough to do that? Celeste looked around, trying to figure out some way to get out of the predicament she’s in. Seeing the thick edges of the forest around her, she figured that she would do the only thing she could think of. Obviously, that was to hide more.
Celeste, not so quick on her feet, moved her feet backwards, trying to hide behind the brush as stealthily as possible. She didn’t quite account for the panic, and the subsequent klutziness that followed. Her foot caught a vine, and before she could catch herself, she fell back, landing on her behind on the floor, and definitely making enough noise to be noticed. Celeste found herself staring up at the bejeweled man, her eyes widened and her dirty face scribbled in fear.
“S-sh*t.” She quickly pulled herself up and scrambled a bit to widen the gap between the two. She grabbed a slightly sharpened stick and pointed it at the man. “S-stay back.” Celeste demanded with a shaking in her voice that could easily be identified as fear. She kept her eyes glued on him while she pulled some mud-ridden strands of hair from her face, attempting to seem far more put together and scary than she actually is.
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Post by Vikram on Dec 1, 2022 1:54:46 GMT -5
"Gah!" Vikram stumbled backwards a few steps, surprised to have actually found something way out here. He caught himself on a backfoot, and quickly moved a hand back to his scimitar. Though something was off, this...woman, seemed more afraid of him than she would seem a troublemaker. He raised his hands in the air halfway, giving a nervous half smile.
"No need to worry. if you won't attack me, I shan't be starting any funny business." She seemed to glow in the moonlight, her alabaster skin and white streaked hair were certainly ghastly qualities. But the milky gray eyes would certainly be the source of any rumours of the ethereal. He didn't want to be presumptuous, she certainly fit the bill as described by the villagers. But a spectre? He regained his composure, stroking his beard to try and make sense of this situation. He remained a polite distance so as not to threaten this person, the last thing he wanted after this whole ordeal was a fight in the middle of nowhere.
"So... I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Vikram, the village nearby sent me to investigate some spooky sightings, which I'm guessing are you? Who are you?"
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Post by Celeste on Dec 1, 2022 2:11:54 GMT -5
Celeste stared. Assessing the situation, and looking him up and down, trying to decide whether or not she should give an actual response. It’s not as if he was threatening at all, but still, she couldn’t trust anyone. “Who I am does not matter.” She responds simply, shifting on her feet uncomfortably as she keeps the sharpened stick pointed out. “I’m just… I just want to be left alone. I am not hurting anyone.” Celeste’s eyes fall to the ground in front of her, her gaze softening a little. “I certainly did not mean to scare anyone. Children will be children, yelling obscenities out of fear, and throwing insults as a way to protect themselves. You’d think after a couple of months they’d learn to just leave me alone.” Her voice caught in her throat for a moment before she shook herself back into composure.
“Can’t you just leave me alone? Despite what they say, and… How I look…” Celeste gestured to herself. “I am not a spectre, nor a demon, nor.. What have you.”
She hesitated for a moment, the stick lowering slightly, and her threat diminishing. He did not seem to want to hurt her, but nonetheless, she maintained a distance between them, and a look of distrust, as well as an attempt to disguise her fear as anger.
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Post by Vikram on Dec 1, 2022 4:27:25 GMT -5
Hmm, how troubling. She indeed hadn't hurt anyone, and she found herself on the edge of civilization. Were it not for the villagers request of investigation Vikram probably would have just left her alone. Alas, problems need solutions. Ignoring this would potentially send a mob of villagers into the forest, and who knows what they would do to her. Perhaps diplomacy is the correct sword for this particular situation? He shrugged.
"Ah, I suppose you are right. It matters little what one looks like, only what they do with their time allotted. May I?"
Slowly, he lowered his hands to the ground, folding his legs beneath his robes. The calm blue light of the floating lantern listed, floating towards his right shoulder. It was a pleasant night, were it not for the tension in the air.
"Unfortunately, I cannot leave until the situation is resolved, my word is my vow, and we will find a peaceful resolution. The nearby village relies on this forest for many things. Food, materials, spiritual fullness and whatnot. They fear what they do not understand, and will become desperate once those needs aren't met. Perhaps we could bring you to meet them? Put a face to the rumours and the ghost stories." He had high hopes for this night, villagers fears were quite easy to quell at times. hopefully this would be one of them.
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Post by Celeste on Dec 1, 2022 13:22:59 GMT -5
Celeste stared at him in apprehension as he lowered himself into a sitting position. She had to consider what he was saying. He was definitely not like these other Villagers, the ones who would scare off easily, and then claim a ghost. Childish, really. His only goal was to placate them, there was no real reason to be scared, she supposed.
“Celeste.”
She dropped the stick, essentially disarming herself. Celeste refused to look directly at him now, a little disappointed in herself for giving up so easily. “That’s my name. There is a reason I am hiding, and I can’t go back now. Not… Not yet.” She had to take a moment to think. Were there other options? If she showed her face, would anyone even recognize her, this far away from the city? It’s not likely that the event had reached the ears of the outskirts. Still, she couldn’t quite risk it.
“I could just leave,” She thinks aloud. “No harm, no foul. I’ll find a new place to disappear, and you can just say you got rid of the ghost. That way we all get what we want. I get my peace, you get your glory, and they get their resolution. I could try to find a way off the island, even. Though that proves more difficult than it sounds.”
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Post by Vikram on Dec 1, 2022 23:23:44 GMT -5
Celeste huh... He contemplated a moment. It certainly is a solution, the villagers would believe whatever story he came up with as long as there were no more sightings. Though he worried of the isolation inherent in the self-seclusion this woman found herself enforcing. Either way, it was not his place to pry. "Alright, Celeste. If you find that would be the best solution for your situation, then so be it. Choice in one's fate is as important as the actions one takes to make it reality. I will pray for Solaria's grace to guide you, in whatever troubles you might face." He smiled calmly in her direction, glad she had dropped her makeshift weapon and had relaxed a bit. Good initial rapport was half of the solution to sticky situations.
"You know, there is no shame in compromise. I'm sure whatever has happened to lead you here should not ostracize you from society as a whole. Perhaps you are right, a change of scenery can do wonders to one's psyche. Whatever path you choose, know that I will offer you whatever support I am able to offer. There is quite the roguish bunch of sailors around these parts who care little for whom they transport, and to where." He patted his knees, bringing himself to his feet.
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Post by Celeste on Dec 2, 2022 1:31:05 GMT -5
Celeste hesitated for a moment to say anything in response, and shifted backwards on her feet as he got to his. “It won’t be forever, just… Until I can figure out what to do.” She answered, a bit defensively. “I will not become a hermit. I just want to be safe.” She seemed far too willing to talk to this man, given she had just met him, and then also threatened him. But, this man was the first actual person she’s spoken to since she had left Starlight City. “W-well.” She sighed.
“What would you do in my stead? You see how they interact with me simply existing, how do you think they would interact with me face-to-face? You’ve seen how I look. I’m a freak. They will think the same.” As if to make her point, Celeste grabbed a strand of her hair, which only seemed to be gaining streaks of white to cover the brunette, and her skin getting paler.
It almost sounded as if she wanted actual advice. After all, he was right, this shouldn’t ostracize her, and she would be far too afraid to actually approach a sailor or pirate. Still, maybe Celeste was putting her trust in the wrong person here as well. She didn’t really feel as if she could trust anyone, after all.
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Post by Vikram on Dec 2, 2022 13:01:14 GMT -5
"Hmm, in my experience, small gestures can go a long way. If others decide to write you off due to your appearance, then allow that to be their loss, not yours. Small minded people are ever-present, but you need not heed their fears and feelings. There will always be more who appreciate your contributions to society than despise your prescence." It was true, at least from his point of view. Several villages have mocked him for the way he dresses and the part of the world he had been from. While there was a minority that derided him, he found that the vast majority were thankful for his being there, helping with whatever problems they had encountered to send for assistance in the first place. Though oft thankless, Vikram found comfort in a job well done.
"While it sounds like a cliche, and it is, just being yourself will find you in better company than any attempts to conform to standards you just don't fit to. The right company will always find itself congregating, and soon you'll find it quite easy to interact once you feel comfortable. All in due time, Celeste." An owl hoo'ed in the distance, a soft rustle of wind brushed through the surrounding forest. It was as if time had stopped for a while and had recently resumed its flow.
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Post by Celeste on Dec 3, 2022 17:06:04 GMT -5
“So your grand advice is… Just be yourself.” Celeste sounded unimpressed, and a little annoyed. “The first moment I came here, they had already decided my fate. You’re literally tasked with getting rid of me because I look like a ghost. I am a ghost? I don’t know anymore.”
Celeste threw her hands up in frustration, leaning and sliding down the tree in a sort of defeated manner. “All of this because someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut…” She added with a whisper. “I lost everything.” She covered her face in her hands, fairly certain that the man wouldn’t attempt to kill her at this point.
It took her a few minutes to gather her composure, and once she did, she sighed and shook her head, wiping her face off. “Is this what you do for a living? You help people get rid of… problems? Am I a problem?” She looks up at him sadly. “All I want to do is survive. I can’t go back to my old life. All I can do is survive. But even the village wants me gone, so do I just go up there and introduce myself? They’ll burn me at the stake.”
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Post by Vikram on Dec 3, 2022 20:37:15 GMT -5
"Yes, they did indeed task me with "Getting rid" of their problem. However, I consider myself a solver of issues rather than an eliminator of problems. I must admit your situation is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but that is indeed the big and small of my personal opinion. My solution of the issue, if you will. You can either allow others to define you, and become what they say you are, or you can define yourself, and walk the path you set out for yourself independent of the opinions of others." He shrugged, that was the best he could offer. In his times of stress, he turned to the Sol City magistrate, who always had an ear to listen. This woman, or entity what have you, didn't seem to have anyone to turn to. Support systems were the foundation of a healthy relationship with society, and without them any struggle faced was immense and insurmountable.
"There is a long road ahead of you, Celeste. I pray you realize you need not walk it alone. If you need me, well, I'm not that hard to find." He turned, his drip jangles echoed across the quiet forest of bamboo, back towards the trail. The villagers need not know all that transpired here.
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