The Forge

[Silva]

15 hours ago, Sorana said:

Mart woke with a start when the soothing hit him. Crying he clutched his little bear and tapped over to Eve, threw his arms around her leg and buried his face against her pants.

“You stayed.”

He repeated again and again, sounding almost surprised.

When the soothing reached Eve, it didn't do much. She was already on edge worrying and being afraid. It only increased her certainty that something was, or rather already had, gone wrong. If everything was as it was supposed to be, she wouldn't have felt the telltale signs of emotional Allomancy.

Relying on an Invested had been a bad idea. It was because of that something was off. 

Mart hugged her leg. She set down the book carefully on a side table. 

"You stayed," he said, over and over again through his tears.

Eve looked down at him. "Of course I did. Everything's going to be okay, even if it doesn't feel like it. But in the meanwhile, all we can do is wait." Wait and hope. "Your mother is a good woman. She'll fix anything that goes wrong. Alask will too. They're good people. For now, we just have to be like Fleet and keep going. You ever heard that story?" She gently slid off the chair and onto the floor next to him, careful not to hurt Mart. 

[+Sorana she/her]

7 hours ago, Silva said:

Eve looked down at him. "Of course I did. Everything's going to be okay, even if it doesn't feel like it. But in the meanwhile, all we can do is wait." Wait and hope. "Your mother is a good woman. She'll fix anything that goes wrong. Alask will too. They're good people. For now, we just have to be like Fleet and keep going. You ever heard that story?" She gently slid off the chair and onto the floor next to him, careful not to hurt Mart. 

Mart cuddled close to her and closed his eyes.

"My grandma always said, that mum isn't a bad person. She's just different."

His fingers tipped against his forehead in a gesture indicating someone crazy, obviously copying it from someone else.

"It's why I don't life with her."

[Silva]

On 7/13/2019 at 0:42 AM, Sorana said:

Mart cuddled close to her and closed his eyes.

"My grandma always said, that mum isn't a bad person. She's just different."

His fingers tipped against his forehead in a gesture indicating someone crazy, obviously copying it from someone else.

"It's why I don't life with her."

Grandma. Mum. Simply words used like any other. Mart didn't realize how much he really had. Even if he didn't live with Lena, she was still there. Alive. Unlike the Doves, Yins, or Tacets. Some people were lucky that way.

Eve wrapped an arm around him.

"You see her much?" she asked.

[+Sorana she/her]

2 hours ago, Silva said:

Grandma. Mum. Simply words used like any other. Mart didn't realize how much he really had. Even if he didn't live with Lena, she was still there. Alive. Unlike the Doves, Yins, or Tacets. Some people were lucky that way.

Eve wrapped an arm around him.

"You see her much?" she asked.

Mart shook his head.

"Grandma is dead. A man killed her a few weeks ago."

He leaned against her, played with his bear.

"Mum organized that school, so that I can sleep there, now that I can't live with grandma anymore."

His voice turned sad.

"I liked grandma. She was nice, although she didn't like mum. But mum comes by now and then. But usually she leaves after a short time again."

[Silva]

2 hours ago, Sorana said:

"I liked grandma. She was nice, although she didn't like mum. But mum comes by now and then. But usually she leaves after a short time again."

"Oh," she said. His words shook her though. A few weeks ago. That wasn't long. No wonder Lena seemed so unstable. So happy to burn down the building. Maybe Mart's grandma's killer had a connection to it...

Eve fingered a plain ring on her right hand. "My grandmother gave this to me. She died when I was a few years younger than you." Before Cherry. Before the uncontrolled flames. Before the first disaster struck. "It's aluminum. Like she knew I'd end up in places where other metals could be dangerous. Sometimes it feels like she's here, watching over me, keeping me safe when everything goes to-" she stopped herself before cursing. "Goes wrong," Eve corrected herself. 

"You like your school?" she asked, trying to change the subject to something less dark. Through the window, the Phoenix was just visible in the distance. A burning spot on the horizon.

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, Silva said:

"You like your school?" she asked, trying to change the subject to something less dark. Through the window, the Phoenix was just visible in the distance. A burning spot on the horizon.

Mart touched the ring with a chubby finger.

"It's beautiful."

He smiled at her, before shaking his head.

"I don't like my school. I have to share my room, and I'm the youngest one there. I miss my bed and my playtools."

With large eyes he looked at her, hugged her.

"It's not home. Where do you live?"

[Silva]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

"It's not home. Where do you live?"

She looked out the window and pointed in turn to the worst off areas she could spot from their angle on the floor. "There. There. There. And there. Wherever people are in need. Wherever I can help and not hurt...that's my home."

Legally she lived with her cousins' cousins, but she did her best not to spend much time there. Why should she enjoy that sort of lifestyle just because she'd been born to a family with connections? It wasn't right. The longer she spent out and about, the more she understood how much needed to be done. And the Phoenix, well, it was possible it might relapse some of the progress. 

At least it would stop some bad before it spread, even if it caused damage on the way. 

"I've figured, as I've got nothing holding me down to one spot, that's a sign that I was meant to move around," she said. "Maybe that'll change though..."

Eve hugged him back.

[I think I am here. he/him]

29 minutes ago, Silva said:

Eve hugged him back.

“My, my, isn’t this a sentimental group?”

A chill passed through the air, and in the very corners of the room dust began to blow as if caught in an invisible breeze.

“Interesting how things come together, isn’t it, Watcher? You know I met this child and his mother just a few moments ago.”

[Silva]

31 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“My, my, isn’t this a sentimental group?”

A chill passed through the air, and in the very corners of the room dust began to blow as if caught in an invisible breeze.

“Interesting how things come together, isn’t it, Watcher? You know I met this child and his mother just a few moments ago.”

Eve tensed up. She remembered how Mart had gotten earlier when they'd talked about the Haunt.

"It's going to be fine," she whispered into his ear, keeping her arms around him as though that would somehow keep him safe from someone not tangible. 

She looked at the air directly in front of her. Last time the Haunt had said it didn't matter where she looked. This time didn't seem to be any different.

"I did know about that," she said, a little harsher than she intended. "I sewed up the wound myself. Interesting how things come together, isn't it, Haunt? Did you grow bored of killing unknown innocents and decide that inflicting injury better suited your needs?"

It was stupid to speak that way and not to cower back in fear. But she wasn't afraid, even though she ought to have been.

[I think I am here. he/him]

2 hours ago, Silva said:

“I did know about that," she said, a little harsher than she intended. "I sewed up the wound myself. Interesting how things come together, isn't it, Haunt? Did you grow bored of killing unknown innocents and decide that inflicting injury better suited your needs?"

“Yes, actually,” the Haunt said. Some dust glided upwards to make the shape of a man where Eve was looking. The Forge which had been abandoned for a long time, had a lot of dust, meaning the outline of the man was more detailed.

“People tend to remember traumatising injuries than dying. After all, when they’re dead there’s no one to tell the story.”

The outline moved closer.

[Silva]

9 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“People tend to remember traumatising injuries than dying. After all, when they’re dead there’s no one to tell the story.”

"But is it really a good thing to be remembered by something bad, Haunt?" she asked. "The Nightwatcher at least balances that reputation with a Boon."

Eve didn't move, even though, if she was right, mentioning the Nightwatcher might strike a nerve. If he wanted to harm her, there wouldn't be anything she could do. Moving out of fear would only give him what he wanted, a memory he believed might last longer.

[I think I am here. he/him]

1 hour ago, Silva said:

"But is it really a good thing to be remembered by something bad, Haunt?" she asked. "The Nightwatcher at least balances that reputation with a Boon."

Eve didn't move, even though, if she was right, mentioning the Nightwatcher might strike a nerve. If he wanted to harm her, there wouldn't be anything she could do. Moving out of fear would only give him what he wanted, a memory he believed might last longer.

The dust swirling the outline stopped momentarily, the individual particles suspended in midair. Then, a few heartbeats later the dust was back to its regular habits, the man they outlined having his hands behind his back, gently floating a meter off of the ground.

“Better then not being remembered at all,” he replied. Stopped for a moment. “And I wouldn’t put too much stock into that boon she gives.”

Edited July 15, 2019 by I think I am here.

[+Sorana she/her]

56 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Better then not being remembered at all,” he replied. Stopped for a moment. “And I wouldn’t put too much stock into that boon she gives.”

Mart had hid his face, but now he looked up.

"Do you want to be my friend?"

He asked the dust cloud, staying at Eve's side.

"They say you are mean because you are alone. But if you are my friend then you aren't alone anymore and you can be nice."

[I think I am here. he/him]

17 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Mart had hid his face, but now he looked up.

"Do you want to be my friend?"

He asked the dust cloud, staying at Eve's side.

"They say you are mean because you are alone. But if you are my friend then you aren't alone anymore and you can be nice."

The Haunt looked to the kid who’s mother he’d stabbed. He didn’t inquire who’d told the kid the Haunt was alone because he already knew it had to be the Watcher woman, with her observation.

“You’d just want to be my friend so I can be ‘nice’,” he said, looking to the kid. “You wouldn’t really want to be friends, would you? Not genuinely.”

[+Sorana she/her]

40 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

The Haunt looked to the kid who’s mother he’d stabbed. He didn’t inquire who’d told the kid the Haunt was alone because he already knew it had to be the Watcher woman, with her observation.

“You’d just want to be my friend so I can be ‘nice’,” he said, looking to the kid. “You wouldn’t really want to be friends, would you? Not genuinely.”

"Will you tell me story? And play with me?"

Mart asked and continued to hold on to Eve.

[Silva]

Eve bit her lip, but didn't say anything. 

Instead, she looked up at the Haunt. People looming over her was nothing new, but the floating was. Add in the distance of sitting on the floor and the Haunt felt far away. It was curious though--he could have been anywhere in the city. Yet he'd come to them. Two people when there surely were larger groups.

Maybe he did want something closer to what Mart suggested. Earlier she'd dismissed it as childish wishing, except now she wasn't sure.

She watched his composure, waiting for his response to Mart. His name for her was right. Eve was a watcher. It was what she knew how to do. Even if the past few days had made her question some beliefs, it's what she did.

Just watched.

And waited.

And hoped.

[I think I am here. he/him]

21 hours ago, Sorana said:

"Will you tell me story? And play with me?"

Mart asked and continued to hold on to Eve.

The Haunt didn’t respond. Then he opened his mouth, then shut it again.

“What difference will it make? What if I say yes? You’re a child, you’ll change when you grow up. It won’t matter in the end.”

He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with a child. About being their friend. As if it were so simple.

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

The Haunt didn’t respond. Then he opened his mouth, then shut it again.

“What difference will it make? What if I say yes? You’re a child, you’ll change when you grow up. It won’t matter in the end.”

He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with a child. About being their friend. As if it were so simple.

"Nobody knows what will happen."

He told the Haunt completely believing his own words.

"So you don't know if I'll stop liking you one day."

Mart simled at him widely.

"You said your old. Tell me a story."

He looked up to Eve.

"My mum always tells stories. About a brave sorceress fighting evil demons."

Back to the Haunt he added.

"But your story would be true, please?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

8 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Back to the Haunt he added.

"But your story would be true, please?"

The Haunt frowned, and the dust outline suddenly moved swiftly towards the kid, all the extra dust from around the Forge outlining his facial features. He looked to the kid with a scowl and leaned down, trying the scary voice he used on passerby’s.

“You want a story?” He asked. A child was telling him to tell them a story. A story! But, somewhere deep inside, the Haunt gave in. This story would be true, alright.

“There was once a kid. Your age. The kid loved his family. And his family loved him. Do you follow?”

[+Sorana she/her]

6 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

The Haunt frowned, and the dust outline suddenly moved swiftly towards the kid, all the extra dust from around the Forge outlining his facial features. He looked to the kid with a scowl and leaned down, trying the scary voice he used on passerby’s.

“You want a story?” He asked. A child was telling him to tell them a story. A story! But, somewhere deep inside, the Haunt gave in. This story would be true, alright.

“There was once a kid. Your age. The kid loved his family. And his family loved him. Do you follow?”

Mart yelped in fear at the sudden shift of the dust and the tone of the voice. He cuddled against Eve, his knuckles on his hand clinging to the bear turning white. He wanted a story, but not that kind of story. He wanted a nice story, like his mum told him, not a scary voice story. The kids at school told such stories, scared him on purpose.

Eve had told him, that there was no need to be afraid, but he had hurt mum and he was scary. Mart only stared at him, didn't reply to the question.

[I think I am here. he/him]

3 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Eve had told him, that there was no need to be afraid, but he had hurt mum and he was scary. Mart only stared at him, didn't reply to the question.

The Haunt looked at the kid, at the way his knuckles turned white gripping his little teddy. At the way he yelped in fear when the Haunt drew close. And he smiled. It was a unhinged smile, eyes wide.

“And then much later, when that boy grew up, his whole family died! They froze to death, alone and cold and slowly and painfully, and the little boy, who was now a man, watched them die. Fun, right?

“And you would think that’s where the story ends, but no. The boy who was now a man escaped, he lived, and he tried to help everyone else, so they wouldn’t freeze to death as well. So they wouldn’t die with a scream on their lips like his family. But when he tried to help them, tried to figure out how to survive, nature laughed and gave him his wish.

“Nature changed him, so his friends didn’t know him. His family wouldn’t recognise him, if they hadn’t died already. He couldn’t tell anyone how to survive because nature had made him mute. And he lived in silent agony for years and years. The end.”

The Haunt’s smile had reduced to a cold stare by this point. “You liked that story?” He whispered.

[Silva]

21 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

The Haunt’s smile had reduced to a cold stare by this point. “You liked that story?” He whispered.

The Haunt's story was different than she'd thought it would be. Eve had assumed things that were false. He'd lost people as well, ice to her fire, but from there most similarities faded. Except for trying to help others not suffer the same fate. That was identical.

Eve kept her arms around Mart.

"He can't say if he likes it or not because that story isn't over," she told the Haunt. "It doesn't end there."

Her gaze was as cold as his to Mart. If there were one thing that could be considered her special ability beyond horrid luck, it would have been looks.

"Because then that man learnt to communicate once more. Except he didn't know what to do with himself. Too much time had passed and he lost sight of the person he'd once been. Desperate, he would do whatever he could to get attention. To be seen. 

"But what he didn't realize was that that wasn't the way to go about things. That suffocating numerous people in a cloud of fog he used to grow large and apparent was wrong. That scarring a mother in front of her child so she'd remember him was cruel. That showing up to a teenage girl and the child while chaos reigned in the city in order to try and intimidate them wasn't right either."

Eve paused and looked to Mart. "And that brings us up to the present. Right at a climax of the story." 

[I think I am here. he/him]

1 hour ago, Silva said:

Eve paused and looked to Mart. "And that brings us up to the present. Right at a climax of the story." 

“It’s my story!” The Haunt growled, right at the watcher girl’s cold stare at him. Right, wrong. As if she was the ultimate judge of morality, this teenage girl who had the gall to try and tell his life story back to him.

“Because he realised the cruelty of people,” he said to Mart, quieter. “Because even when he learnt to communicate people dismissed him, thought of him as a spren or a bother, or something less than human. They tried to trap him in a gem for their little entertainment like he was an animal. And so, he decided, there was only one way for them to see, only one way for them to see him as something more, someone deserving of attention.”

He looked to the watcher girl. “And yes. That does bring us to the present. Where the main character of our story meets with a crazily naive child and a girl who already views magic people with disdain.” He’d been doing some watching of his own, too.

[+Sorana she/her]

47 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“It’s my story!” The Haunt growled, right at the watcher girl’s cold stare at him. Right, wrong. As if she was the ultimate judge of morality, this teenage girl who had the gall to try and tell his life story back to him.

“Because he realised the cruelty of people,” he said to Mart, quieter. “Because even when he learnt to communicate people dismissed him, thought of him as a spren or a bother, or something less than human. They tried to trap him in a gem for their little entertainment like he was an animal. And so, he decided, there was only one way for them to see, only one way for them to see him as something more, someone deserving of attention.”

He looked to the watcher girl. “And yes. That does bring us to the present. Where the main character of our story meets with a crazily naive child and a girl who already views magic people with disdain.” He’d been doing some watching of his own, too.

Mart looked up from Eve’s shoulder again, looked at the Haunt.

“You say I’m naïve.”

He stated and then shook his head.

“But it’s you who is naïve. You think the world will fall to their knees, because you are here, and you think you are the only one, to be alone. But you aren’t. I am alone, and my mum is alone. I think even Eve is alone. We all are. But I don’t hurt someone, only to be recognized. You tried to help people. Now you hurt them.”

His voice started to shake.

“You wanted to kill me, you hurt my mum. You lost yourself, forgot who you were. And that is worse than being alone.”

[I think I am here. he/him]

7 hours ago, Sorana said:

His voice started to shake.

“You wanted to kill me, you hurt my mum. You lost yourself, forgot who you were. And that is worse than being alone.”

The words stung more than a little bit and the  Haunt stood up, floated a little higher. He was a force of evil, someone noteworthy! Not something to be talked down to by a child.

“You haven’t been alone like I have,” he said almost hastily. “You say you’re alone but you’re not, you’ve got that girl there,” he gestured to Eve.

“There are orphanages. People can see you. People don’t ignore you. People haven’t been ignoring you for hundreds of years. Can you even count to that?

“You are not all alone. You have never been alone. I’m alone. And I know who I am. I’m Tars Landen! And I tried to help people once, but people are cruel.”

He sunk down and sat on the ground some distance away from them. “It’s called development. I opened my eyes. It doesn’t mean I lost sight of who I am, it doesn’t...”

Edited July 17, 2019 by I think I am here.