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[Shiyami]

9st of Winter, 514AV, 9th Bel

Shiyami sat on the docks, looking up at the sky, while leaning his back against a nearby barrel. Frankly, the terms 'sitting' and 'leaning' wouldn't exactly be correct, since he wasn't truly touching the objects with a tangible body. However, even as a ghost, he chose to act somewhat akin to the living.

Right beside him was his smallest companion, Kichi, who pearled to be a child lying on her belly, as she reached over the edge of the dock to touch the water's icy surface. Of course, she couldn't exactly 'touch' the ice, as Kimi, older of the two companions was explaining.

Looking back in the direction of the city, Shiyami sighed. "I know I said eventful experiences.....but I didn't believe it would be at this kind of degree.", he muttered, with the older companion adding her own words, "The populace mentioned an Obelisk, long since slumbering, has awakened.", without taking her watchful gaze off the youngest.

Shiyami only laughed, before shrugging. "Well, the bright side to most of this is, we are already dead. We can't get hurt by most things.", he said, trying to shrug off the possible worry, which was only brought to the forefront by the absentminded comment, "However, magic can." by the same person responded to him before.

Shiyami

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

Kendhl was bored.

Now, this wasn't a 'normal' sort of boredom, of course. A 'normal' sort of boredom came from not wanting to do anything. No, this was a ghost boredom. She wasn't able to do anything, she couldn't touch anything without wearing herself out from materializing, and she was tired of it. Absolutely tired of it.

She was somewhat concerned, too, since her bondmate (Or perhaps her ex-bondmate? Did the bond carry over in death? Probably not.) was nowhere to be found. The Obelisk had awakened just a few days earlier, and she saw neither hide nor hair of Gale. Still, she felt he could take care of himself. He'd be fine.

The ghost had just passed by the docks when she heard the words 'already dead.' She lifted her head and turned to look. More ghosts? she thought, frowning. Were her eyes deceiving her? Slowly she made her way to where the land met the wooden slats. She still wasn't sure if she was able to step on them, although the other spirits certainly seemed to do so. One was even lying on her belly.

"Excuse me!" she called. "You said you're ghosts, yeah? How're you on the dock, then? Wouldn't you just slip through?"

Common - Fratava

[Shiyami]

At the sudden, unfamiliar voice that interrupted the idle chatter -and poking, for the youngest- of the ghost, they all turned to look at the newcomer. A rather average female, about an inch and a half higher than the tallest of the trio. However, all of them knew that this woman was not normal.

As evident by the translucency of her body, and the slight gap between her feet and the ground, she too, was a ghost. However, as far as Shiyami could tell, she was most likely weaker than the small, sadistic ghost from Syliras. At least, he didn't feel as much danger in comparison.


Suddenly remembering the questions the woman had bombarded them with, the ghost pondered for a few moments. From what he could infer from the question, he would presume that the one asking questions was a recent ghost. "To not fall through the docks, isn't exactly such a grand trick. We only appear to be stable, but truly, we are floating.", Shiyami said, before emphasizing his words by placing his hand through the dock.

Withdrawing it, he scrutinized the woman, giving off the vibe that he was staring into one's soul, a ridiculous notion for those already spirits. Finally speaking, he asked a question of his own.

"You recently died, didn't you?"

Shiyami

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

Kendhl blinked in surprise as the male ghost stuck his hand through the dock. Could they actually float that high? Her mind wandered. If she could float that high, she could help with so many things.

She was pulled back to her ghostly form, barely catching the other spirit's words. "Huh? Oh. Um, yeah. I di- It was pretty recent, yeah. Lemme think..." She paused, pursing her lips and counting on her fingers.

"About a year ago? It was like, in the end of summer. I think." Kendhl didn't really enjoy thinking about her death. It wasn't peaceful, it wasn't easy. It was painful and charged with fear.

She took a hesitant step onto the wooden panels of the dock, and was pleased that she didn't fall through. She proceeded to float the rest of the way to the small gathering. "So, what're your names? And who's this little one, here?" she asked, kneeling in front of the ghost who appeared to be the youngest.

It was probably best to be on their good side. Who knew how destructive other spirits could be?

Common - Fratava

[Shiyami]

Shiyami watched as the woman hesitatingly 'walked' on the dock. Granted, she didn't exactly move her feet akin to how the living does, but it's a good start for one who hasn't gotten use to the feelings of an ethereal.

He watched as the woman floated the rest of the way towards the trio, before kneeling down mext Kichi. Who, in turn, took on look at the woman, and moved at a much faster speed than one would expect from a normal child. The small ghost nestled herself on the woman's back, a cheerful smile on her face, as she hugged the larger ghost.

"My apologies, the little one seems to enjoy hugging every single person she meets.", Shiyami said with a laugh and a small smile on his face. Gesturing to the ghost who basically latched onto the woman's back, he started the introductions. "She would be Kichijou, the one beside me is Kimi, and I myself is Shiyami.", he said, before standing up and giving an overly dramatic bow, to ease possible tension. "And you would be?", he asked afterwards, when he settled back down in his original seated position.

Shiyami

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

The child startled Kendhl by jumping on her back. The once-Kelvic was so shocked that she could touch and be touched she almost began crying. It was so different from trying to hold Gale's hand, or caress his face, or anything like that. The child felt normal.

She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand and sniffed. "No, it's fine. Come here, child. Kichijou, is it? That's a pretty name." She pulled the little ghost off her back and held her against her chest, smiling.

"I'm Kendhl. Pilkvist. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiyami, and you too, Kimi." Her fingers ran through Kichi's hair, stroking the smaller ghost's head. She felt a sudden emptiness.

Kendhl shook it off. "Is it possible to change how you look? I mean, I know I- we're, dead. But is it possible, maybe? I've never met another ghost before, so... I'm gonna have a lot of questions. Sorry about that."

Common - Fratava

[Shiyami]

Both Shiyami and Kimi smiled with amusement and gentleness respectively, as they watched Kichijou snuggled herself up in Kendhl's embrace.

Turning his attention back to the question at hand, Shiyami had to ponder for a moment. "Well, it depends on what you mean by changing own's appearance. I had an....acquaintance of the sort, who was capable of forming tendrils. But otherwise, to the best of my knowledge and experiences, you can change to another, humane appearance.", he said, wincing slightly at the word 'acquaintance'.

Shifting his eye over to Kimi, who only shrugged when she noticed his glance, Shiyami then added, "Altering one's appearance as a ghost, is actually quite similar to the stories of how one changes their body with the arcane Morphing. You somewhat envision yourself as you are now, then piece together or take apart that image, create new parts of the image, and piece them together, something like a puzzle.". Halting his explanation here, he gestured to the older of his two companions, who altered her appearance back into her original appearance, the one of a girl smaller than her current appearance, the ends of the black ribbon fluttering in the wind.

"Also, once you've become familiar with certain appearances, they become easier to transition from and to. It's like how muscle memory works for the living, except instead of our muscles remembering, its the shape that our soulmist takes.", he finished explaining 'altering appearances as a ghost', just as Kimi retook her form from before, the blueish-silver girl in a blue dress.

Shiyami then shrugged, before adding, "It's actually refreshing to meet another ghost like yourself. Most, if not any ghost, would lose their sanity. After all, watching the world change, and yet remaining unchanged for the msot part, would be rather cruel on one's mentality.", with a sigh.

Shiyami

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

Kendhl thought for a moment. "So, it isn't possible to completely change your appearance to something other than human? I was a Kelvic in life, so I thought that maybe changing into an otter shape would make me feel better about death."

The ghost shifted and hoisted Kichijou up higher in her arms, still stroking the little girl's hair. If only I was still alive. Then I might've had children by now.

"How long has it been since you died, Shiyami?" If he was far older than she, perhaps he could teach her something. She could use the experience of an older ghost. He felt old enough. Kendhl was momentarily distracted by her Soulmist, but refocused on Shiyami.

"I mean, I don't know much about ghosts. D'you think you could teach me something? If you're old enough, that is. You feel old, but I'm not sure."


She stood while she was talking, setting Kichijou down. Her pacing began; back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Common - Fratava

[Shiyami]

Shiyami pondered for a moment, before sighing in resignation. "To the most of my knowledge, I have not seen nor heard of any ghosts who could change their entire appearance into an animal.", he said, while mentally smiling at the knowledge that Kendhl was a Kelvic. They are quite the inquisitive bunch, aren't they? was actually a thought that ran through both Shiyami and the older of his two companions, both currently thinking of a certain parrot Kelvic.

However, Shiyami frowned when his death was brought up. The frown wasn't because he disliked people talking about his death, but more so because it was such an old event, that he had to try hard to remember.

"Let's see.........."
"..."
"..."
"..."

When the silence had reached half a chime, Kimi responded for the old ghost, answering "It's been four hundred years since his death, give or take five either way.", with an exasperate tone and a bemused expression.

Of course, being older does mean he has more experience being a ghost, but was he really able to teach someone with his current abilities? I would never know until I try, with such a thought, Shiyami nodded before asking, "So, presuming as a new ghost, there are plenty of topics you would probably want to know. Where do you want to start?"

The youngest of the trio was still smiling, lying down on her stomach next to Kendhl, her legs swinging back and forth, sometimes even through the dock itself.

Shiyami

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

"Four hundred years!?" Kendhl let out a low whistle. "That's a lot more than I thought. So you're really alright with being dead, huh? A lot of experience?"

She pursed her lips at his question, thinking for a moment. "Can we pass through anything? Even really thick walls? What are we made of? Why do I get tired after trying to become real? Is it possible for me to live again? What do we feel like to the living? Can I still eat? Can I sleep? Can I dream?"

The young ghost's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge she could understand, information about her new kind that she could put to use. Her hands moved as she spoke, bombarding the older spirit with her sudden curiosity. She stopped pacing when she finished, then knelt beside Kichijou. Kendhl looked up at Shiyami, her voice quieter.

"Do Kelvic bonds survive death?" she whispered. "Can ghosts even love?" A hand went to Kichijou's hair and her fingers became entwined, running through the translucent locks. She felt a sudden sadness again, and a fear. She was afraid that she'd never be able to love Gale again. How much of their relationship had been their bond, and how much had been actual love?

Common - Fratava