A Black Ribbon to Tie it Together (Solo)

[Aello]

Spring 32, 511 AV Aello was walking silently through Nitrozian Plaza, her left hand clutching the wooden frame of her bow rather tightly. With each step she took with the right foot, her left hand would push forward, before swinging back again while the left foot took a step, and her right hand shot forward. She was breathing evenly in through the nose, out through the mouth, her chest rising and falling steadily as she glanced up and down the street. It was crowded with people of various shapes and sizes, buzzing about their business. They seemed so very caught up in themselves that they didn't so much as notice her, or the tiny sparrow that was perched upon her left shoulder, singing a quiet, sorrowful song into the cool breeze. The sun shone down on the two of them, casting them in a pale golden light, somehow managing to seemingly shine through Aello's dark cloak. "You'd think something so simple would be easier to find within the confines of this city," Aello muttered as she continued down the street. "No matter where we go, they simply don't seem to sell them, which could only mean that we may need to simply steal some if we can't just find them soon." Yune chirped in the girl's ear, temporarily interrupting her song. "It's just... where does one look for ribbons?" Aello asked, despite her inability to understand the sparrow on her shoulder. "We've already checked most of the stores, and the People's Market." Aello sighed, she was truly beginning to get discouraged. The thin red splotches that lined the edge of her cheeks proved as much. "We won't search much longer today Yune. When the sun is directly over the city, we shall stop for lunch, and keep searching another day," she said. The bird seemed to nod its head as she sung. At least she agrees with you. Aello kept walking until she reached the edge of the plaza. There was a store there, with its windows opened wide, more than likely to let in a bit of sun, and to allow window shoppers to witness all the beautiful colors resting inside. There were various items, cloth even, which were both pale and vibrant. Some settled somewhere in-between. There were reds, and blues, greens, violets, lavender, yellow, orange, silver, gold, pink... everything the girl could possibly ever expect to see as far as colors on the visible spectrum were concerned. "Aren't they beautiful?" Aello whispered, somewhat breathless. The bird stopped singing her song, and looked into the window. She seemed as mesmerized as her owner. "Surely they'll have ribbons in there," Aello added, as she looked up at a sign that hung above the doorway. Odds and Ends, the girl smiled weakly, and then shrugged. It seems more promising than anything you have seen thus far. Aello shook her head lightly, pushing away her reluctance to continue looking as her hair tumbled around her face, tickling her. Just get it done, Aello told herself, as her hair settled on her shoulders, and in the middle of her back. She took a deep breath, and stepped up to the door that led inside Odds and Ends. Within a few seconds, she was greeted by a grunting noise, something she had assumed was produced by the large burly gentleman standing by the door. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and he seemed somewhat... angry. His lips set in a hard line, his eyes seemingly waiting for someone to take one false step. Perhaps then he gets to use those muscles to pick us up and throw us out the door, Aello thought, as she stepped further into the store. Another few steps was all it took for her to be given a greeting by a rather short, round woman, who was standing behind a small counter. "Hello, my name is Gloria, the owner of Odds and Ends. Feel free to have a look around, but don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything." Aello smiled sweetly, and walked over to where Gloria was standing. Yune chirped at her merrily before Aello managed to so much as open her mouth. The girl blushed, as her mind fought to formulate the proper words. She needed to be sure she said everything politely and asked for what she wanted clearly. That way, Aello could actually get what she wanted, instead of being turned away. Or thrown out by the muscle man near the door. "Well, Gloria," Aello began nervously, "we've been looking for a few ribbons to make some necklaces. Four to be exact. They don't have to be anything spectacular, just something that would be able to support a wolf claw." There was a slight pause as Aello shifted her weight from her right foot to her left. "Could you please tell us if you have anything that would be suitable?" As soon as the words had left Aello's lips, the girl shifted her weight again, before nibbling on the edges of her bottom lip. Gloria was quiet for a moment, "well there is a basket of scraps you could sift through if you like. I haven't gotten around to throwing them out yet... so you may as well." Aello smiled, "thank you," she said, as Gloria held up a single finger, telling the girl to wait. She ducked down behind the counter, seemingly rummaging around for a few moments, before returning with a small wicker basket filled with frayed edges of cloth, broken beads, and ribbon. "Here you are darling," Gloria said, as she set the basket down on the counter. Aello smiled, and immediately raised her right hand to the basket, she began rummaging through all the tattered threads, and beads that tinkled against the side of the basket. She was biting her bottom lip as her heart began to pick up the pace. She just had to find something. It took her a few moments to find the first thread- a long, deep forest green one. The thread was thin, no more than a few centimeters wide, and seemed to have a stitched line along one side, as though the little white threads were the only thing keeping the whole ribbon from falling apart. One end of the ribbon seemed to have been cut on a diagonal line, and was fraying along the edges. That will do, Aello thought, as she pulled it out of the basket and lay the forest green ribbon on the counter. Aello placed her fingers back in the basket, and continued to push through everything for another few seconds, at which point, she found both a slender white ribbon, and a slightly less slender black one. They seemed to be just long enough for a necklace, and thus Aello pulled them out of the scraps bin as well. "Thanks again," Aello said. "I thought you needed four ribbons child," Gloria replied, as Aello quickly slipped her pack off her shoulder. She knelt for a moment, and opened her bag. She pulled the ribbons off the table and placed them inside. "Well, there are four claws, but it wouldn't be fair to take all the ribbons, even if they are only scraps, without giving you something. So, I will give you one to make into a necklace to sell," Aello explained, as she shifted through her bag, and pulled a claw out. She placed it atop the counter, before closing her bag back up, and slipping it over her shoulder. When she had, she stood back up. "You don't need to do that child," Gloria whispered, as she stared at the wolf claw. "But I want to," Aello said with a small smile, before turning abruptly on her heels, and walking out the door. As soon as she had reached the streets, a cool breeze pushed her long brown hair off her shoulders. Time to use what you have finally found, the girl thought, as she turned down a side street, and into a narrow alley. She walked to the end of the street, before turning left down another, to a place she knew she would not be bothered. You may work here, Aello thought, as she pulled her bag off her shoulder, and leaned it up against one of the buildings that lined the alley. She placed her bow next to that, and then slowly, lowered herself onto the ground. Her back rested against the side of a tall wooden building. It felt so cold.

[Aello]

Aello allowed herself to sit silently for a few moments, her arms resting in her lap. She simply listened to her bird chirping a quiet little song in her ear, as the subtle breeze rustled her long brown hair from time to time. It was an oddly peaceful day for a city such as this. The day was young, and she had much to do. Perhaps then, it was too soon for her to speak. After taking a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth, Aello eased her back off the wall, and allowed herself to sit up straight without its support. She turned to the side, and extended her hands to her pack. She opened the top flap, and then allowed her hands to dive in. She groped around the bottom of the bag for a while, until her fingers found the cold curves of the wolf claws, and the three slender, slightly frayed ribbons from Odds and Ends. She allowed her hands to envelop them, and then pull them all out of the bag, and place them on her lap. We can finish the necklaces within a few minutes, and then get on with the day, Aello thought. Hopefully Alenias likes hers, her mind added as a sort of afterthought when the girl picked up the long, green ribbon as well as a black wolf claw. It seemed to glint in the morning light, and Aello smiled weakly. There was a small hold on the end without the point. The fatter end. Just thread the ribbon through that, Aello told herself as she lifted a single frayed edge between her fingertips. She pinched the thin green fabric to her lips, and pressed it lightly onto her tongue. As soon as her saliva sank into it, the fibers clumped together. It should be easier to get through the hole now, she thought, as she pulled the ribbon out of her mouth, and lowered it towards the claw. She began to bring the edge of the ribbon towards the hole, but she'd always miss. The fabric would bend, forming a shape similar to the claw itself as they met. Maybe... Aello closed her left eye, and began to nibble on her bottom lip. She could see the hole a little more clearly now. It reminded her of when she aimed at a target with her bow and arrows. The principle was the same- the eyes fight each other to send you information. Use them together and you will fail. Use only one at a time, the dominant one, and you could be a great archer. The ribbon had just knocked into the side of the claw again, and Aello drew it back, only to push it closer to the dark item once more. Almost there... she told herself as she tried a few times, before finally managing to get the ribbon through the hole. Awesome! Now just pull the thread through, and tie a knot at the end so the claw does not fall off. Slowly, she raised her left hand, the one that wasn't holding the claw, and pulled the ribbon through the other end, until each side dangled at about an even level. When she was done, she placed it in her lap. Now tie a knot, she told herself, as she lifted one end of the ribbon in each hand, crossed the left end over the right, and then pulled the left end under and pulled. A second later, the ribbon was closing in on itself. Very good, now repeat the process with the other two. It took Aello only a few more minutes to finish threading the white ribbon through one of the claws, and the black one through the other. When she was done, she pulled the wolf claw necklace with the black ribbon, and the one with the white ribbon down over her head, so that ribbons settled around her slender neck. The frayed edges of the fabric tickled a bit, as the claws settled into the space just above her breasts and below her collar bone. The thin lines the bones made, denoting how slender she was. The one with the green ribbon can be for Alenias, Aello thought, as she placed the necklace back into her bag, and closed everything up. When she looked up again from what she was doing, she realized that the air had dropped in temperature. A sudden chill shot up the girl's spine, as the sense that she and Yune were no longer alone began to envelop her. "Something is not right here," Aello whispered, as she leaned back up against the wall. Her right hand fell to her side, and then traced the form of her long, slender leg. It came to a rest only when it reached the dagger. She could take it out if need be.

[Aello]

Aello glanced down at the ground, and then back up, and when she did she noticed the ghost from several days ago. The first one she had met in the city, the man who had told her to kill Charles. "You!" Aello growled as she sprang to her feet. "How dare you show yourself!" Aello continued, her eyes blazing with an inner flame that matched the size of the average bonfire. Her long brown hair seemed to bristle, tiny little wisps of hair flying wildly around her head. It felt as though there were smoke rising out of her head, pouring out of her ears, the ends of which were turning a bright shade of red, much like Aello's cheeks. Her muscles were tensing, winding around themselves. Her bright green veins were popping out of her neck, the back of her hands. She grit her teeth, as the ghost floated a few inches off the ground, only a few feet from where she stood. An off white mist swirled around his form, sending a chill up Aello's spine, as the wind carried her long brown hair off her shoulders for a moment, before dying down again, and returning it to its resting place. Aello stood, rigid, tense, she eased her hand into the slit of her dress, and pulled out the bloody blade, without realizing what she was doing. She held it out towards the ghost, as though she could use it against them. As though it could do anything other than call him to her. The blood seemed to sink into the blade as Aello pressed her fingers into the hilt. Her palms were sweaty, and her knuckles were as pale as the nameless ghost who towered over her. He seemed to be smiling, chuckling a little to himself. He is enjoying your anger. If only you could wipe that smile off his face. Or cut it off... "What's so funny?" Aello hissed at the ghost, her eyes settling on his pale blue ones. If only it meant that the bastard was blind. The filthy thing deserves it. "Come now Aello, aren't you happy to see me?" the ghost inquired. "No," Aello replied simply. "You had a spiritist kill an innocent man..." her voice trailed off, surely the ghost knew where she was going; what she was thinking. "Ahh yes, dear Charles. I was just coming to thank you for finishing him off for me actually. Very good work you did there. Nice clean cuts. Kind of you not to dump the body in the lake with all of the others," the ghost said. His voice seemed distant, yet loud at the same time. There was a playful, and generally pleased edge to it, which only made Aello wish she could chop out his tongue all the more. Kill the guy all over again. Perhaps the ghost had noticed the girl's anger rising, for his smile widened, and he said, "you know he deserved it Aello. He had it coming to him. Sooner or later he was going to die." Aello growled, as her fingers continued to wind themselves around the dagger's hilt. The silver of the blade seemed to flash menacingly, even in the lack of light that made its way down to the ground. "Why did you ask to have Charles killed then? Was it simply because you failed to take his life yourself, and he killed you? Or is there something else you have failed to mention in our other encounters?" Aello inquired, her voice harsh, icy. It was as though she were throwing daggers at him... or perhaps, souldarts. She took a step closer to him, her right hand still raised. The dagger was turned towards her body, her elbow slightly bent, ready to fight. The ghost seemed to be watching it, amused by her desire to shed his blood, when he had none left to shed. When the ghost hadn't answered for several moments, Aello hissed, "explain yourself! Now!" The ghost merely smiled, he was obviously with-holding information from Aello. Enjoying the sight of her anger rising. "Answer the damn question!" Aello roared, as she stomped her left foot into the ground, displacing a thin sheet of dust. The ghost still said nothing, instead he floated over to her rather calmly, and then went inside. Aello's eyes grew wide, "get the heck out!" she hissed, uncertain as to how to get him to leave, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to make her move without her permission. The ghost felt so cold, the girl shivered, as her right hand fell to her side. Her grip was loosening around the dagger. What had felt so warm before now felt so cold to the touch. "Please get out," she whispered, as she allowed herself to blink, to take a moment to collect herself. To breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth. "Get out, before I find a way to torment what little remains of your soul," Aello growled. She could hear a ringing in her ears, the hearty laughter of the ghost. Obviously he wasn't taking her seriously. No, was all he said to her for a long, long time. A sense of tension hung in the air; it felt thick, and far warmer than Aello's body. The young spiritist said nothing, waiting for the ghost to explain his actions. I think I could learn to enjoy this Aello. Making you mad... A chill shot up Aello's spine. "You wouldn't dare," she whispered, the sense that she had total control over her body beginning to waver.

[Aello]

"Oh but I would," the ghost replied. Another shiver shot up Aello's spine as she braced herself, expecting something terrible to happen to her any minute now. But nothing did happen. There is nothing he can do to you, you have control of your own body... there is nothing... nothing... The ghost was simply sitting back, smiling; watching as Aello tried harder and harder to convince herself that he had no control over her. But he did... to an extent. There is plenty a ghost can do to a mere mortal Aello. "That is true," Aello replied simply. "But a ghost's power is limited when they come in contact with a spiritist." It can be... you know how to get us to disappear, and you also know how to summon us. You can see what we have seen, if we choose to show you. Aello nodded, "what the heck is your point?" she growled. Simply that you have the capacity to see other things about ghosts that others cannot. "And?" she asked, steadily growing more and more frustrated with him. If you wish to know so much, you should open your eyes so that you may see everything that you would like to know. "They are open dumbass," Aello growled under her breath, the words slipping out of the corners of her mouth, and trailing down her chin. They seemed to wrap themselves around Aello's neck, choking both her and the parasite. There was a moment of silence as Aello waited, and the ghost did too. They each expected the other to go on and say something. Finally, the ghost cut through the silence, then look, was all he said before he took over Aello's vision. The street that nudged its way into Aello's vision was one that she recognized. It was a narrow street nestled in-between several short buildings of dark wood. All houses. There were glass windows on the bottom floor, to the right and left of a wooden door that led inside. There was always a second floor, much the same as the first from the outside, with the exception of its lack of a door. The houses were all the same, all set in this way. A long, narrow row that when walked by, made it seem as if one were not moving at all. The Ravokian street had no personality of its own. It was just a bunch of houses where people must have lived. Although, when one walked by, they never noticed anyone inside, even when the windows were left open. Walking down this street was a man. He was wearing a dark green tunic, brown pants, and brown boots. His skin was pale, while by sharp contrast, his eyes were a deep sapphire blue that were framed by thin wisps of hair; Charles. His walk was slow, as though he had not a care in the world, not a single place he needed to be. There was a slender smile upon his lips, and he seemed as fat and full of life as ever. He seemed almost peaceful, happy. Coming from the opposite side of the street was another man. He was far taller than Charles, and was dressed in a white tunic, white pair of pants, black boots, and long black cape with a hood. Judging by how his cape flapped behind him with each of his hurried steps, and how tense he looked when she caught sight of his muscles, Aello got the impression that this man was angry. As soon as the hooded figure had reached the seemingly carefree Charles, he lifted his right hand and pulled down the hood of his cloak. Charles' face turned a bright shade of red as his eyes grew wide. It was the ghost who had possessed Aello, but in the vision he was still alive. His face seemed rugged, worn. Tiny brown hairs inched along the edges of his face, his eyes were bloodshot, as though he had been drinking too much, or had cried too long. Or perhaps he was simply too enraged for them to appear normal. "Hello Michael," Charles said calmly, as he swallowed a clump of saliva that had gathered in his throat. "Hello Charles," Michael spat, as he raised his right hand, and curled all of his fingers, with the exception of the pointer finger, into his palm. "You!" Michael growled, sending tiny droplets of spit in Charles' general direction. Charles said nothing, he simply waited, taking a cautious half step back, away from Michael. "You!" Michael roared again, the edges of his face turning a bright shade of red. The veins in Michael's forehead beginning to bulge, as did the ones in his neck. His muscles continued to coil around themselves, getting tighter and tighter. "How dare you so much as lay a finger on Trisha!" Charles' face turned white as he stammered, "Trisha? Only... Mindy... Mindy ii..iiis... mii... miiine." Michael took a step closer to Charles. "That is not what Trisha told me. That is not what the bruise on her ankle told me either!" Michael roared as he took another step closer to Charles and extended both of his hands to him. Michael wrapped them around Charles' meaty shoulders, and pushed him into nearest wall. Charles winced as his back pressed into the wooden building, his clothes scrunching up, inching farther and farther up along his back. Michael twisted his hands, sending the folds of Charles' clothes into tiny spirals as he tightened his grip. "Why you little!" he screamed, as she pulled his right hand off Charles' tunic, while the left remained in place. He balled his hand into a fist and pulled his arm back until the front half of his arm was lined up next to the back half. The elbow was bent as far as it would go. His fist was resting beside his right ear. Charles closed his eyes, and turned his face to the left side, so that Michael could only see his profile. "That will not make the pain any less," Michael roared as he pushed his fist forward, and punched Charles in the eye. The man's head snapped back upon impact, hitting the wall with a loud thwack. Charles bit his bottom lip, more than likely to keep from screaming. Michael smiled wickedly as he drew his arm back again, preparing for another punch. As soon as he had brought his arm back as far as it would go, Michael swung his arm forward, knocking his fist into the center of Charles' chest. Charles seemed to jump up, and curl into his body at the same time. He let out a groan, as every snippet of air that had once filled his lungs was set free. His knees began to buckle, and Michael let go of him. Letting him crumble to the ground.

[Aello]

Michael took a half step back as he glared triumphantly down at Charles. He gave the man a moment to collect himself, before lifting his right leg and kicking Charles in the jaw. Charles stumbled onto his back as his lip split open and began to puff up a bit. A thin trickle of blood spilled down the side of his mouth, to his chin. It dripped off the edge and onto the street; a deep red rain. Charles looked up at Michael, stunned, his muscles aching. He was trying to get up, but Michael wouldn't let him. He kicked him in the side, hard, sending sharp, shooting pain through the man's side. Charles turned onto his left side from the impact, and began to curl into his body, as if for protection. "Oh no you don't!" Michael roared, as he bent down, and tried to grab Charles so that he may lift him into a position in which he may be pummeled by Michael's fist. When Michael had finally grabbed a fist full of Charles' hair, he began to lift him a little closer to his body. Charles twisted and gave out a startled yelp as Michael pulled. Something glimmered down by Charles' side, it seemed like something metallic. Aello could hear Michael thinking about what the flash could have been, just as Michael twisted towards him, and thrust a dagger into his left leg. Michael screamed. It was the cursed blade Aello carried now, devoid of blood. She'd recognize the handle anywhere, the way the silver flashed in the light. Blood squirted out of the incision Charles had made, staining his hand as he pulled the blade out, and Michael let go of his hair. Charles sank back onto his butt, before rising to his feet. Charles didn't hold the blade the way Aello did, turned towards her. It was held out towards the opponent. The fingers curled around the hilt, while the thumb pointed up, towards the blade. It made Aello think of him as little more than an amateur. Perhaps Michael had felt the same way during the event, for he laughed, despite the fact that Charles had stabbed him in the leg, and his pants were being soaked in blood. "That's not going to save you," Michael barked, as he stepped forward again, raising his right fist to strike Charles once more. As soon as Michael had begun to push through the air towards Charles, Charles side-stepped to the right, around Michael's body. He stepped behind Michael, and then thrust his blade into the center of Michael's back, before pulling it swiftly back out. Michael let out a blood-curdling scream as warm, crimson red blood began to stain his snow white tunic, causing the fabric to cling to his skin. He crumbled into himself, kneeling on the ground, begging to be allowed to live. Begging for Charles' forgiveness. But Charles was having none of it. He lowered himself to Michael's level, and pushed the blade into the man's flesh again. It was then that Michael closed his eyes, that he fell. Charles pulled the blade out, before placing it back in the folds of his clothing. The vision faded away, and Aello found herself back in the alley, still cold, with Michael's ghost sharing her body. The edges of her face were a sickly green, and she felt as though she were about to throw up. Each of them for quiet for a very long while, simply allowing the breeze to wash over them, to bring them back to reality from such a dark place; Michael's memory. Aello realized that Michael still had not answered her question, that he had presented far more questions than he had answered with the memory. Before she could find the courage to ask Michael something, his voice rung in her ears. Now you know it as it truly happened. "You lied to me," Aello replied, her heightening level of disgust with both the ghost and the memory quite apparent. It was the only way to get you to do as you were told. Aello nodded. "Why?" Aello inquired, her voice neutral, yet somewhat shaky. "Why what?" Michael asked. "Why then did you have him killed?" Aello asked. "Why show a spiritist something if it explains nothing? If it doesn't answer a single bloody question?" Her voice rose towards the end of her line of questions. The green that lined her cheeks was being fought off by a deep red. Her anger was breaking through the mask of her sickness, her disgust. "Ahh... but the memory answers everything," Michael replied. No it does not. There was a slight pause, now show something that will, if you cannot find the words to answer the question: why did you have Charles killed? I deserve to know at least that much. You already know, the ghost's answer echoed across Aello's narrow ear canals. "Already know?" Aello whispered, as the sense of cold left her body. She shuddered, even though a sense of warmth had washed over her. Michael's ghost had left her. She didn't know where he had gone either, for the alley felt strangely warm, a sign that he had not simply left her, but the place altogether. She shuddered again. If he ever shows his face again, we must find a way to make him suffer for his actions. There must be a way to torture a ghost. A way to make him beg for a spiritist's mercy. OOCGahhh... this is the last time I do a thread like this.

[Verilian]

Aello +1 Investigation +1 Interrogation +1 Meditation +1 Jewelry Making +3 Spiritism You Question My Logic? : Uh.. pretty self explanatory I think. Lores: Hunting for Ribbons, How to Make a Wolf Claw Necklace, Lore - What Happened to Charles, Origin of the Cursed Dagger (Poor) Notes: A good little read. Keep it up!