[Nettle District] - Jumping to Conclusions - [Shiyami]

by **Altaira Readva** on November 30th, 2013, 9:45 am

Altaira couldn't help but frown at the response given, for it was one far more wordy than she imagined. She gleefully carried on stroking Kimi's hair, remembering to give her a warm, childish smile and a playful pester and tickle to keep her entertained as she turned her words and better part of her attention to Shiyami. "I suppose when one would likely go crazy if they are bound to a world but cannot communicate with it easily," she swallowed hard.

Her words quickly became a drone of random possibilities, unable to help herself from speaking her thoughts aloud. "Having to go through seeing loved ones die, the world they once knew shift and change... those alone would be enough to drive someone to madness," She faltered. "Or so I'd imagine? And that would be if they're not..." she struggled for a word, then, mindful of the little one."Insane before hand - or thirsting for power or vengeance."

She gave a childish frown and shake of her head. "I really can't imagine it. Like I said, I know little of your kind and its struggles." She took a glance down at Kimi and smiled, passing the look to Shiyami. "That being said, I'm proud of you for keeping your mind," She ruffled Kimi's hair, giggling as she did so. "I'll have to assume that you're planning on keeping this little one as such, also?"

by **Shiyami** on December 5th, 2013, 2:36 am

Shiyami nodded, as the Kelvic voiced her opinion upon ghosts in general. "My guess would be, that the newly dead ghosts, we're unable to understand the changes to themselves, by becoming insubstantial and weightless. Perhaps they let go of restraint, and therefore become driven by instinct.", he added after a moment of silent thought.

However, his wandering thoughts were interrupted by Altaira's own thoughts, as she had voiced them out loud. She would not make for a very good hired arm..., the ghost thought, as he decided on listening to whatever the Kelvic thought. "Seeing those you care about die, huh...provided their not dead already...", the quiet words that were muttered involuntarily, in response to the woman's thoughts.

"Sometimes, mystery has its uses, no? Otherwise, we wouldn't be so interesting anymore.", Shiyami said with a smile, obviously making a light poke at the lack of knowledge upon ghosts. The next sentence that came out of the Kelvic's mouth surprised the ghost. Never thought there would be a day, where I would be complimented on staying sane., he bemused, and Kimi gave Altaira a warm smile when her hair was ruffled. "Kimi is Kimi~! Not crazy~!", she cheerfully called out, eliciting a short chuckle from Shiyami. "Well, there you have it, she is staying sane.", he said after his chuckle stopped.

OOCHm, not sure what to go off to now, so I'll let you take lead.

Shiyami

by **Altaira Readva** on December 5th, 2013, 5:16 am

A sigh left her as continued to gaze at the sweet child. Whether she'd died a dozen years ago, or a dozen decades, Altaira could scarcely believe one so small and dear could have suffered a death warranting her to become bound to the earth. That being said, she looked happy. Death seemed to have been a kinder release than mere survival of the ordeal - or what ever it was that ended her life. "Oh, no. I really don't think you have it in you to fall into the depths of insanity. You're far too lovely, don't you think?"

She giggled and lost her balance a little, before taking a look back towards the store, gaze then quickly following through and down the hall. On a normal day she'd be well on her home. If that dingy little room could be considered her 'home', that was. Not only that, but hunger was quickly taking her. "Where," She began, a look of confusing and genuine curiosity taking to her feature. "Where do you live?"

Did ghosts even have homes, she wondered. Mystery was all fun and well, but it left a lot to assumptions and imaginations - not mention the accidental insults and slights that ignorance and a lack of knowledge could quickly lead to. She herself was prone to causing offense, neither realising the way her words had slipped nor the feelings of the other party. It was with that though that a giggle bubbled out of her, and her lips curved to smile. "Abandoned house? Ruins in the midst of the Bronze Woods, or in the depths of those caves not too far off? What are they called... Alysa? Alasya?" she frowned and gave a short laugh at her own slip of mind.

It was getting later by the chime, and soon travel would be impossible without a knight raising an eyebrow or voicing a concern. But she didn't want to leave - not when she had finally fond someone whose company she was dearly fond of. But that was as much the decision of Shiyami and Kimi as it was hers - she would not attempt further contact unless it was desired. Yes, that was what she was going to do.

ooc :

by **Shiyami** on December 9th, 2013, 6:09 am

Kimi only continued to give her warm and cute smile as she hugged Altaira. Shiyami, although he wouldn't admit it, was also giving a small but genuine smile, one that was not tinged with either sadness or regret.

However, as the woman brought up the question of where the two lived, Shiyami had to pause for a moment. Was he suppose to tell the woman that the two lived in the out reaches of the Bronze Woods, on a hill? That would sound pretty odd, but considering the two of them were ghosts, he presumed there could have been far more odd places to call 'home'.

Either this woman is a naturally honest person with no restraint, or she makes random jokes out of the most ordinary things in life. Or unlife., Shiyami thought with a curious tone, as the woman seemed to be voicing random ideas of where ghosts would probably reside in, or call their humble abode, amongst the giggles randomly sprouting from her mouth.

"Hm...the first one sounds far too gloomy and depressing. We ghosts are not just some depressed beings who haunt places where souls have perished.", he said, in a joking tone of voice, before continuing. "Your close on the second choice. I love on the outskirts of the Bronze Woods, on a hill. And those caves you speak off would be the Aylasa Caves.", finishing off his words, he took notice of his surroundings.

It was becoming darker by the chime, and considering this was Syliras, Knights and Squires will be patrolling with higher frequency soon. Better to either finish up their conversation, or choose to relocate. "Would you like to learn about ghosts? If you do, I suggest we do it within your place of residence, as mine would be rather unsafe for the living.", Shiyami suggested, while he glanced around every once in awhile. Considering ghosts did not have the best of impressions from the view of Syliras -[i]I wonder who they met that gave them such a thought?-, he was rightfully cautious.

OOCI'll leave the decision of continuing the thread via how Altaira responds, whether she wants to learn more about ghosts or not.

Shiyami

by **Altaira Readva** on December 10th, 2013, 1:25 pm

Altaira listened on to Shiyami with a keen ear, neglecting Kimi somewhat as she tried to pay her best attention to her father. It was odd to think of him as such, even though she'd seen kelvic parents younger than their offspring. She took the short moments between his words to give him a proper look - more than the simple once over he recieved when she first saw him.

He looked young, that was simple enough - but he wore that aged look to him, like those of Icewatch. Weathered, experienced. Wisdom beyond mere physical years and appearances. She listened as he made jokes of her own words, a lightness that she found was unfitting to every image she had of their kind. With the limited knowledge she had of their kin, that was. A smile hit her lips when she was reminded of the name of those caves, her memory following through nicely.

"I don't exactly have a place of home." She admitted, giving a shrug to the response. "I came only this season, with little intention to stay-" She gave a glance to the store behind her, and sighed lightly. "I'm currently staying at Traveler's Row."

She wasn't all too sure why she hated admitting it. She loved taking advantage of the cheap lodgings, and she took no mind in the quality of the place - it was better than spending a pretty penny on a place that she'd never reside in. She thought briefly on what it meant, exactly. 'Traveler's Row,' where people who have no desire to stay in the city rent a bed for a little while. It made her feel as though she wasn't quite a part of the Syliras. Like she was an outsider. Though it wasn't as though she was all fussed on it, she hadn't even meant to stay in the Stormhold - it was just where the wagon was headed.

"Its nothing glamorous, or clean," She began rattling off the issues in a love-hate kind of tone. "Or nicely decorated-or at all. The paint's cracked and the blanket is the strangest material..." She gave a breathless giggle, gaze dropping down to Kimi. Why was Tanroa never on her side? "Ok," she said decidedly, "If you're willing to put up with a room worn and small, then yes- I'd love to."

by **Shiyami** on December 12th, 2013, 4:04 am

Shiyami raised an eyebrow, when the Kelvic spoke upon how she was not planning to stay long in Syliras, but had seemingly cut herself off after a glance to the store behind her. Is she hiding something? Or is she just cautious? It would make sense, especially with the stories that are whispered around a late night fire, stories about ghosts., he thought to himself, carefully watching the woman's body movements.

If he saw an usual twitch, he would have been more suspicious. Of course, there are ghosts who fit within the criteria of a biased human, with all the insanity and destructive ideas that they utilize their powers to enact. However, there are ghosts who aren't as such, who gave up the life of hating, of killing, of agony, and of misery., he added with a mental tone of resignation, before brushing off his doubts.

Hearing how the woman described her current lodging within a room in the Traveler's Row, Shiyami gave a small laugh. "A room within a building, whether cracking or prestigious paint, whether sparsely decorated or absolutely filled, it must be better then the cold, hard dirt outside, without any sort of protection from the elements and wildlife. Would you not agree?", he asked, with a smile. Small or not, he did not want to draw the attention from any of the Sylirian Knights or Squires.

Shiyami

by **Altaira Readva** on December 12th, 2013, 7:26 am

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

Altaira gave her own small chuckle, and nodded curtly. "Good point," With a careful movement she then untangled herself from Kimi and took several steps back down the paved expanse, beckoning the two to follow after her."I suggest we walk quickly, the lighter it is, the better."

Her pace was brisk and purposeful, with the kelvic slowing down ever now again to ensure that her two guest kept close by. She wasn't all too sure whether they were walking or hovering, or whatever it was that ghosts do, her own heart beating in her ears. She had questions, and Shiyami had just offered to answer them. She could talk for half the night just on one little topic alone, and her heart was racing at the thought of losing such a vital chance. She didn't even consider bombarding the two until the idea was offered - even those that she had met often waited a week or two before throwing questions at her, no matter how much she urged them to be forthright.

She took in a deep breath as she rounded a corner, before resting a hand on the wall and peaking back at Kimi and Shiyami, poking a funny case at the former before deciding that they were near enough to move on. In another few steps she straightened her back and cooled her expression, breaking her look to give a smile and sweet look to a stone faced knight, ensuring her glance back to her dear new friends was in no way suspicious. The things innocent people had to do to ensure that they looked just as they were.

It wasn’t for too much longer that the rather quiet trek continued on, with Altaira slowing her pace as they neared, but still quite unwilling to speak and draw too much attention – finding that when she really looked at the pair, it was quite evident that there was something not quite right. It was a strange edge or feeling, and although ti could be noted with little more than a first glance, even she looked over the tells when she first met them… what was it? A bell or two ago?

Time had lost much of its meaning to Altaira, though her infrequent prayers to Tonroa remained as they were. In a few more chimes the hulking section of Traveller’s Row was in sights, and Altaira’s back lost its strict uprightness, and she rolled her shoulders as she began to unwind. “Home, sweet home,” She mused, careful not to let her giggle bubble too loudly.

She gave Shiyami and Kimi a haphazard glance, and lead them through the doors and up the tight stairwell that lead to her paltry room, fumbling through her pockets for a key. It was a worn little thing, the key that she’d received early that season. She remembered that first day like it was a week ago, the way she sat in the worn and empty room, staring at the ceiling and feeling sorry for herself. She’d come far, and she was glad for it. But there were still little bits and pieces she needed to resolve with herself – and with any luck, tonight would be the night that it was done.

When the door made the old ‘click’ to signify it had been successfully unlocked, Altaira was ripped from her thoughts, and almost fell through the door. She gave a giggle, and hurried into the small room, locating a match and lighting her lone candle – what was left of Syna’s light just enough to allow her to complete the task with ease. “Uh,” She said, eventually, candle light causing odd shadows to dance across her face, eyes reflecting almost a molten gold. “Make yourself comfortable,” She gestured to the small room for what it was, her cloak falling into place on the chest.

It was a quaint little lodging, that was well enough. There was single bed, table and chair, hearth and a chest. It wasn’t much at all, but when she’d first arrived in the city she didn’t intend to stay beyond half a season – and now it appeared she’d be in the Stormhol until Spring. ‘I’ll be sure to rent a nicer room for winter.’

She gave a sigh and a glare to the hearth, before moving to fan the embers and instil some life to the flame. After she was satisfied that she’d prepped the room as well as she could, she moved to her bed and took seat, gesturing for Shiyami to take seat wherever it was he pleased. “It isn’t much, but it’s the best I have.” She then gave a small smile, and pulled her feet beneath her, sitting cross legged and keen.

"So..." She soon trailed, look somewhat mischievous. "Ghosts?"

by **Shiyami** on December 19th, 2013, 4:14 am

While following the Kelvic, Shiyami was pondering over why Stormhold Castle was designed somewhat similar to a maze. Not that it was a bad idea, since it is a castle after all, or more accurately, a stronghold. What better way to make a stronghold much more impregnable, than to create a labyrinth within? While trivial thoughts akin to such, Shiyami followed the back of the woman, who was in turned, followed by Kimi. Whenever Altaira turned any corners, Shiyami took a shortcut, cutting the corner by faxing through the walls, saving himself a few extra seconds of movement time. "Eternal or not, why waste it?", he muttered softly to himself, with a mental shrug.

Although the ghost knew he hasn't done anything wrong as of yet, and hasn't warranted the attention of the Syliras Knights, he was still somewhat worried as he passed the armoured brute. I swear, your giving me the look as if I don't belong here behind that helmet visor, aren't you...?, Shiyami darkly thought, while keeping his composure straight, revealing none of his thoughts.

Managing to float past the knight without an incident, Shiyami continued to follow the Kelvic through the corridors, twists, and turns. Finally, the Kelvic had stopped, to pull out a rather worn key, and open the door within the Traveler's Row. He floated in, partially through the doorframe, with Kimi following him, except via doorway. Floating to the centre of the room, he glanced around, noting that the woman wasn't exaggerating when she had mentioned that her abode was rather sparsely decorated. Seeing that Altaira had lightened up the from, and taken a seat on her bed, Shiyami decided to sit a meter in front of her with his legs crossed, except floating in the air instead of on the ground. Kimi picked a spot beside the Kelvic, and sat beside her, before closing her eyes, and leaning on her, as if she was taking a nap.

"Ghosts.", Shiyami nodded in confirmation, before flipping through his mind over everything he knew about the ethereal. "Well, what would you like to ask about first?", he finally said after a period of around half a chime.

Shiyami

by **Altaira Readva** on December 19th, 2013, 9:25 am

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

"What usually happens when you meet people?" It was a fair enough question, she thought. One without too much of a personal angle, but still at the peak of her own curiosity. "I mean is talking usually a regular kind of thing? You can't stay..." She gave an odd gesture as she sought the word.

"Physical for long, can you?" There had to be the limitation or two, she thought. Something more than the whole liking-to-go-crazy kind of thing. After all, if being a ghost was easy, then surely there would be more of them. She pressed her lips and carefully adjusted her position. "I mean, there are ghosts that can't even..." She gave a general motion to the two, before rolling her shoulders. "Or so I've heard...?"

As she spoke the words she became bitterly aware of how little she knew, and she hoped the severity of her expression did not have her look all too ridiculous - having been made the subject of many jests and jokes for a look unfitting her words.

by **Shiyami** on December 22nd, 2013, 1:25 am

"To how others react when meeting with ethereals... it varies from person to person, and ghost to ghost. Generally, it is somewhat similar to how someone sober might attempt to converse with someone induced with alcohol. They might raise a few eyebrows, but as long as the living's side is speaking with an open mind, and the ethereal's side is sane, it proceeds rather normally.", Shiyami explained, before adding, "Of course, if the living is wary, angered, or perhaps a mixture of both, when regarding ghosts, and if the ghost is not in the right state of mind, then the meeting becomes rather....entertaining, in a morbid sense of humor.", with a half serious tone.

As the topic of Materialization, or staying 'physical', or so the woman seemed to call it, was brought up, Shiyami faltered slightly. This area, he was less certain off, and of course, his mind drifted back to the three encounters he has had with other ghosts. Both Lyco -wait, it's Kouri- and Noaru did not Materialize during those encounters, but then again, neither had Shiyami himself. It is a pity that I didn't have a chance to ask Kouri. She seems to be quite powerful of a ghost, so she might've known the answer., he thought with a mental sigh. After about half a chime of thought, he answered, abeit somewhat vaguely. "As for myself, I am unable to stay 'physical', or Materialize, for an extended period of time. In theory, a ghost could become powerful enough to hold it indefinitely, and give off a more humane appearance then myself.", was the explanation given with a shrug. The ghost hoped that the woman would understand that Shiyami himself did not have the complete knowledge of ethereals.

When Altaira wavered slightly in her questions, and faltered altogether with words, Shiyami gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you do not need to fear myself nor the little one from becoming insane, nor feel insulted in any way. Well, that is until you forget the little one's name. Then she will pout consistently around you until you remember.", he said with a laugh. Although the last part was suppose to sound somewhat similar to a joke, to lighten the mood, Kimi nodded to it, agreeing with it wholeheartedly.

Turning his attention back onto the original question, Shiyami shrugged. "Ghosts, in general, are mentally unstable, in the best of situations. When you have watched the coming and going off the cycle of life and nature for a long time, watching loved ones die off one by one, it can, and usually does, drive one over the edge. Only those with the reason and resolve manage to hold themselves together in one piece", he said with a nonchalant tone, while completing the explanation within his mind, And even then, they can still be quite unstable. Isn't that right...Scarlet Eye...?, directing the thought at himself. He waited patiently for the Kelvic to ask more questions, 'sitting cross legged in the air still, while Kimi continued to lean on Altaira.

Shiyami