The Forge

[+Ark1002]

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

I know who I am

But do you know you are here?

 

[I think I am here.]

1 minute ago, Ax's Boyfriend said:

But do you know you are here?

Quote

That’s for the next villain I make  

 

[Silva]

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

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...”

"You know why I stayed here with Mart, Tars?" she said softly. His name felt strange in her mouth. "Because I didn't want him to be alone. We may not have ever been alone the same way as you have, but we have been alone. It doesn't take hundreds of years to get a taste of how it feels."

She let go of Mart, he seemed okay to be by himself for the moment, and moved next to the Haunt. "But that doesn't mean it always stays that way. Look at yourself now. At this moment you are not alone. You are not being ignored. You are being seen." Eve paused, trying to formulate the right words. "Life isn't static unless you make it. Things change.

"I've hated the world. Wondered why it seemed rigged against me. And, sure, I've got a prejudice or two. But sometimes what I thought was opening my eyes was actually shutting them. No one likes change and you're probably going to be hesitant to believe this--not everyone is cruel.

"Remember when we met in that PlasmaCore building? It's gone now, burnt down to the ground," she pointed to the flaming point on the horizon outside of the window. "You told me you were forced to watch. I told you it was better to watch than to be dead and not able to watch. You didn't understand what I meant the first time I said it. Maybe that's because I didn't quite understand what it really meant then either. 

"To be alive doesn't require a physical body. It doesn't require being seen. It means to be sentient. And so long as you are sentient and able to watch, you are alive and able to change. Haunt, you've been alone for longer than Mart or I can possibly imagine, but you don't need to stay that way.

"Don't you understand?" 

Any hostility was gone from her eyes. Despite her hatred of Investiture, the Haunt, or Tars Landen as he said his name was, had slowly wormed his way into her ever since their first meeting. She might disagree with much of what he did, but it didn't mean she didn't believe she understood him to an extent.

[+Sorana]

Mart followed Eve over, hesitated and then offered the Haunt his one-armed bear.

“You can talk to Bear when you’re alone. He always listens.”

He held on to Eve’s arm and smiled at her.

“And she wants to be your friend as well.”

[I think I am here.]

The Haunt looked at the watcher woman, then at the bear.

“I just don’t want to be alone,” he said quietly, and it sounded so weak. All of his motives boiled down to that.

“I never wanted to be alone again,” he said, and reached for the bear that the kid held, but of course his hand passed straight through it and the dust that made it up dispersed.

“And it was just so easy, to get people’s attention by doing bad things. It was easier that way than the other...”

Edited July 18, 2019 by I think I am here.

[+Sorana]

Mart stared in surprise when the Haunt's hand moved through the bear.

"I know what you can do."

He smiled brightly.

"Go to my school and help me write my tests. They can't see you, but you could tell me the answers."

===================

Lena followed Alask through the city.

"Do we have the time for a quick detour?"

She asked and pointed at a shield.

"It's not far and I could exchange the poisons that got damaged by the storm. And maybe fetch a rain jacket."

[I think I am here.]

On 19/07/2019 at 0:04 AM, Sorana said:

Mart stared in surprise when the Haunt's hand moved through the bear.

"I know what you can do."

He smiled brightly.

"Go to my school and help me write my tests. They can't see you, but you could tell me the answers."

“I want to be seen,” the Haunt said. “I don’t want this.”

——

Shez/Alask nodded. They had time for a detour. They found it interesting. They were in the Forge area, arguably this was the one place where people would appreciate their dual form.

[Silva]

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

“I want to be seen,” the Haunt said. “I don’t want this.”

Eve made no response. There was no answer. No good permanent solution. He could stay with them, but they were human. They'd grow up, grow older, move on. The Haunt knew that, she knew.

She stood up and walked over to the window.  For a moment she thought she saw Lena.

Lena. And Alask.

Rusts. They hadn't been there the entire time. They wouldn't realize not to fear the Haunt. Sure, they'd talked about him a little earlier, but he'd also hurt Lena...

"Lena and Alask could show up at any time. The PlasmaCore building is gone. What are we going to tell them?" she asked to Mart and to the Haunt. 

[+Sorana]

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

Shez/Alask nodded. They had time for a detour. They found it interesting. They were in the Forge area, arguably this was the one place where people would appreciate their dual form.

Lena nodded and lead them through the streets. It It wasn't far, and a few minutes later they stood in front of a house with several flats. Lena unlocked the door and stepped inside, then walked up the stairs until she reached another door. Unlocking it as well she stepped inside the two-room apartment where she lived.

"I have to feed the animals. I will be fast."

She forgot about them now and then and had to replace them, or they died after a while. Especially the frogs were difficult to keep. Humming she started to feed the snakes, frogs, spiders and even some fish she kept in one of the rooms. She was careful to keep the other door closed.

Mart shrugged.

„Just tell them, that he is nice.”

He told Eve. Sometimes adults were so complicated.

 

[I think I am here.]

Shez/Alask waited, looking around the flat.

—-—

The others were coming. 

“You saw nothing,” The Haunt growled and suddenly the dust dispersed, nothing holding it up. And the slight chill in the air began to fade.

[+Sorana]

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

Shez/Alask waited, looking around the flat.

Lena grinned at them and watered her plants. She opened a drawer and fetched some thread and pocketed it.

"I want to repair Mart's bear."

She explained and walked out of the flat again.

"Back to the forge?"

[Silva]

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

The others were coming. 

“You saw nothing,” The Haunt growled and suddenly the dust dispersed, nothing holding it up. And the slight chill in the air began to fade.

"Maybe when it all settles down," she said to Mart.

Eve stood up from the floor and moved over to a table. On a scrap of paper she wrote something down quickly then stuck it in a pocket.

Find something for Haunt.

It was likely he hadn't left yet and seeing a visible effort to remember might be a good thing.

Then she walked back over to Mart and sat down. Dust still remained on his bear from when the Haunt had passed his hand through it.

She left it there.

@Sorana

[I think I am here.]

18 hours ago, Sorana said:

Lena grinned at them and watered her plants. She opened a drawer and fetched some thread and pocketed it.

"I want to repair Mart's bear."

She explained and walked out of the flat again.

"Back to the forge?"

Shez/Alask nodded, and now when they moved you could definitely see they had begun to unsync, an outline following each and every movement. They hoped they wouldn’t freak out Eve and the kid.

They began to walk towards the Forge.

[+Sorana]

Mart hugged his bear again and grabbed Eve's hand.

"Can you make me another taco?"

He asked and smiled at her.

@Silva

=================

Lena locked the door and followed him through the streets.

"Can you change back?"

She asked mostly because she didn't like walking next to each other in silence. The forge was just around the corner, she didn't care if he walked in there like that, but it was interesting if he could.

"And do you have any wishes for dinner? I doubt there are enough tacos left for all of us."

@I think I am here.

Edited July 21, 2019 by Sorana

[Silva]

51 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Mart hugged his bear again and grabbed Eve's hand.

"Can you make me another taco?"

He asked and smiled at her.

@Silva

Eve glanced at the table. There still was some food left. She hadn't even noticed till then.

"Sure," she said, getting up. "Any preference in proportions of what goes in?"

She felt the outline of the note in her pocket as a hand brushed the fabric. Its presence was a reminder that not everything was settled yet. How did one help something invisible and basically intangible? Was it even possible to get the Haunt what he wanted?

[+Sorana]

13 minutes ago, Silva said:

Eve glanced at the table. There still was some food left. She hadn't even noticed till then.

"Sure," she said, getting up. "Any preference in proportions of what goes in?"

She felt the outline of the note in her pocket as a hand brushed the fabric. Its presence was a reminder that not everything was settled yet. How did one help something invisible and basically intangible? Was it even possible to get the Haunt what he wanted?

"Lot's of cheese."

He grinned at her widely and climbed on a stool.

"Can we buy the ghost a stuffed animal?"

He asked and explained.

"If we set it on the windowsill he can come by and talk to it, whenever he wants to."

[Silva]

5 hours ago, Sorana said:

"If we set it on the windowsill he can come by and talk to it, whenever he wants to."

"Maybe," she said. Her tone was light, even if she had a feeling the Haunt wouldn't be content with an inanimate object.

Eve picked up an empty shell and filled it up the best she could, generous with the cheese.

"What kind of animal do you think is his favorite?" 

Taco filled, she handed it to Mart.

[+Sorana]

16 hours ago, Silva said:

"Maybe," she said. Her tone was light, even if she had a feeling the Haunt wouldn't be content with an inanimate object.

Eve picked up an empty shell and filled it up the best she could, generous with the cheese.

"What kind of animal do you think is his favorite?" 

Taco filled, she handed it to Mart.

Mart grinned and took a bite of the taco.

"A crocodile."

He told her brightly.

"They are grumpy, like he is."

[I think I am here.]

On 22/07/2019 at 1:59 AM, Sorana said:

Lena locked the door and followed him through the streets.

"Can you change back?"

She asked mostly because she didn't like walking next to each other in silence. The forge was just around the corner, she didn't care if he walked in there like that, but it was interesting if he could.

"And do you have any wishes for dinner? I doubt there are enough tacos left for all of us."

Shez/Alask shrugged as an answer to both questions. They focused, closing their green eyes. Could they unsync? Well, they’d been unsynced before, it was only their joint force and the Alleystorm’s power that had connected them, and now, they were already unsyncing. They thought for a moment, and they agreed, Shez would leave back into the spikes.

There was an unclouding of features, and slowly Alask begin to re-emerge from Shez/Alask, like when he transformed back from Shez, only slower. When it was done he looked to Lena.

“That was really cool,” he said. “I’ve never done that before.”

[+Sorana]

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

Shez/Alask shrugged as an answer to both questions. They focused, closing their green eyes. Could they unsync? Well, they’d been unsynced before, it was only their joint force and the Alleystorm’s power that had connected them, and now, they were already unsyncing. They thought for a moment, and they agreed, Shez would leave back into the spikes.

There was an unclouding of features, and slowly Alask begin to re-emerge from Shez/Alask, like when he transformed back from Shez, only slower. When it was done he looked to Lena.

“That was really cool,” he said. “I’ve never done that before.”

Lena grinned, pushed the door to the forge open. Eve and Mart were there, eating.

"The two of you should try to control it better. Only change an arm, or maybe a finger."

She sat down at the table, close to Mart, smiled at him while he ate. It was good to see him here. She took some dessert and started eating.

"So what's next?"

[I think I am here.]

On 24/07/2019 at 1:37 AM, Sorana said:

Lena grinned, pushed the door to the forge open. Eve and Mart were there, eating.

"The two of you should try to control it better. Only change an arm, or maybe a finger."

She sat down at the table, close to Mart, smiled at him while he ate. It was good to see him here. She took some dessert and started eating.

"So what's next?"

“Not sure,” Alask said and he suddenly had a headache from the sudden unsync. He tried conversing with Alask but it appeared they couldn’t repeat what they had done, at least not on a full body scale. Maybe they’d have to try later with what Lena suggested.

“We summoned the Phoenix, it destroyed PlasmaCore and whatever Vortex thing that was inside of it,” he’d heard about the Vortex from some passing soldiers.

“We’ve won. And the Phoenix didn’t even destroy much beyond the the actual building.”

[+Ark1002]

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

“We’ve won. And the Phoenix didn’t even destroy much beyond the the actual building.”

Quote

Yet.

 

[+Sorana]

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

“Not sure,” Alask said and he suddenly had a headache from the sudden unsync. He tried conversing with Alask but it appeared they couldn’t repeat what they had done, at least not on a full body scale. Maybe they’d have to try later with what Lena suggested.

“We summoned the Phoenix, it destroyed PlasmaCore and whatever Vortex thing that was inside of it,” he’d heard about the Vortex from some passing soldiers.

“We’ve won. And the Phoenix didn’t even destroy much beyond the the actual building.”

"Grab some dessert. And then we can talk about dinner."

She pushed him a plate with some dessert towards him.

"You have a strange definition of won though. I'd expect that sitting in a building, that is more ruin, than anything else, while the city is attacked..."

With a shrug she ate more dessert. then set her plate outside and wrapped her arms around Mart.

[I think I am here.]

10 hours ago, Sorana said:

With a shrug she ate more dessert. then set her plate outside and wrapped her arms around Mart.

“Well, now we can focus on the Forge,” Alask said. “So at least the PlasmaCore problem is over.”

He raised his spoon in victory, and started eating some of the dessert.

[+Sorana]

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

“Well, now we can focus on the Forge,” Alask said. “So at least the PlasmaCore problem is over.”

He raised his spoon in victory, and started eating some of the dessert.

"Hmmm..."

Lena thought about his words for a moment. She'd never expected him to discard the invasion going on outside so easily. For now, none of the creatures had reached the forge yet, but that was prone to change sooner than later. Despite everything that had happened, he seemed like a stranger. Interesting, somehow she had missed that change completely.

"Are you alright? What happened to protect the people? Call a flaming bird to safe us all?"

She voiced her thoughts and took a look at the bear. Sewing never had been something she liked, or did well, but she would try. They could always buy a new one later.