Completed [The Prairie] Tea Time (Elaine)

[Fubuki Kouri]

The Prairie, 60th of Winter 513 A.V, 23rd of Bell

"Ha... hahaha!" An eerie childish giggle echoed in the Prairie in the cold winter night of Sahova, splotches of blackish blood marring the snow-covered grounds of the Prairie. A little girl wearing a white dress with swaying alabaster locks could be seen there, standing before the decapitated form of a giant man-sized tarantula, her crimson eyes watching in glee, like a child who just discovered how to play her new toy. Metallic glints could be seen floating beside her shoulders, four chakrams, each composed out of four sharp daggers and held by ghastly tendrils sprouting from the girl's back. It was one of Kouri's favorite past time in Sahova, hunting various failed experiments of the Wizards. These creatures could be killed at will, usually the Wardens took care of them, but Kouri wanted a slice of the action, she was helping them and had fun at the same time, a win-win deal.

Her life in Sahova had changed considerably ever since she signed the Grand Oath, binding herself to Anna, the sorceress became her adoptive mother. As time wore on, Kouri's mind fully accepted this fact and Anna loved her like her own daughter anyway so she should be happy about it. The ghost girl wanted to relief herself that night, utilizing her projection power to hunt failed beasts. The ghost girl needed a taste of violence every now and then, just playing with dolls could be boring, even with Lily, her animated moving doll, toying with prisoners in the Dungeons became tedious if she did it constantly, those pitiful souls couldn't provide any challenge. The only feasible choice left were this monsters.

Kouri quirked an eyebrow at the mutilated tarantula before her, it had black blood for some reason, and it was gigantic compared to normal. A common man would be overpowered, but not her, it would take a lot more to defeat a ghost like her, such as... that giant cobra-scorpion monster thing who hunted ghosts and could incapacitate her with its dart-like spine. The ghost girl shuddered, her eyes swiveled from side to side, hoping the monster wasn't anywhere near. She exhaled in relief, it wasn't here... as the monster emitted soulmist of its own, she could sense it like how she sensed other ghosts.

Suddenly, a prickle on her soul, something with soulmist was about! The ghost girl's crimson eyes widened as her chakrams spun around, ready to strike, was one of those beasts here after all? Kouri looked around as she prepared herself for battle, by experience, there was no use in trying to outrun it. The thing was fast for its size and it could shoot incapacitating darts. Well, she could always escape into the ground, but if she kept running away, nothing would ever be done. Gulping audibly, the Vantha ghost prepared herself for the unknown being's approach.

[Elaine Spade]

Wandering around the Citadel was interesting but it could get boring. The people was dead, Elaine couldn't tell much else. She got information where to find Clyde even though she had no luck yet. A little break couldn't hurt, she didn't have to sleep anyway but it also important to check other parts of this island. Being alone a bit was a bit relief for her. So she headed north and left the Citadel. She immediately noticed that not many people were here. In fact she hadn't seen one.

She found herself in a place which could be very dangerous. She was really alone, but she didn't feel very well. She could swear she saw strange creatures around her. She only saw a nuit who was summoning or doing something like that. She didn't wait to see what's going to happen there. She went on and she heard weird voices. Like someone was fighting. She went to the direction of the sound. Her curiosity could lead her danger, but at that moment somehow Elaine didn't think about that. The closer she got, the stranger feeling she had. She felt another ghost's soulmist.

And she had arrived. She went behind a tree. For Elaine's suprise it was a little girl. Around her there was blood. She couldn't believe to her own eyes. She was sure that she was a powerful ghost. But she was only a little girl... When Kouri had defeated the human-sized scorpio, Elaine just gasped. That much power and that much violence. This was not normal for her. She was wondering what kind of past this child had if she turned out like this. But she didn't want to stay and ask, she was about to leave.

But it was too late now. The other ghost girl has spotted her for sure. She was ready to attack. Elaine hesitated for a bit what to do. She thought the best to get over with it to do it peacefully and coming out slowly. And so she did. She slowly walked in front of Kouri, still keeping a safe distance from her. Elaine was still amazed and terrified by her power. Then she gathered a little courage to speak."Okay..Okay! Calm down, calm down! I didn't want to hurt you." She would be a fool to try anyway, Elaine thought."So how about I introduce myself and you do the same? I bet we have a similar fate... we are ghosts afterall. I'm Elaine Spade." She bowed a little before Kouri.

[Fubuki Kouri]

"Eh?" If there was one thing she would completely not expect from a Prairie monster, it was speech, as far as she remembered, the failed beasts here couldn't speak Common, including the giant scorpion thing. The tarantula she just killed couldn't speak either, it just screeched pitifully as it fell under her blades. Hearing the voice of a slightly older female made the girl instinctively relaxed, her chakrams stopped spinning and the mists surrounding her body steadied themselves. The ghost girl didn't completely drop her guard, of course, this was Sahova, one could never be too careful.

The appearance of an older ghostly female with slightly taller height, slim build, and brown long hair. Her blue eyes would match Kouri if she was taking her original Vantha form. The girl wore a white blouse with long black skirt, a rather contrasting choice of garments, but it fitted her nicely. "Oh..." Kouri's caution was replaced by genuine curiosity, what were the odds of encountering another ghost other than Wanda's guardians or the ones trapped in the Courtyard. This female wasn't Mia for sure, Mia looked younger than her and a lot more... detached. This older girl was acting sheepish for some reason, perhaps feeling guilty that she spooked the Vantha ghost, "Ahaha~" Kouri's eerie giggle echoed in the prairie, "It's okay, I was just surprised, uhm..." She wasn't sure on what to call this older girl.

Thankfully, the girl introduced herself, so her name was 'Elaine Spade', she offered a friendly introduction, but Kouri quirked an eyebrow at her obvious comment about them being ghosts. The little girl knew she was a phantom, but she wouldn't go telling people that she was a ghost if she could help it. Her state of being wasn't something she fond of. Elaine was acting polite, even to a seemingly younger girl, this made a good first impression to the child, she liked people who acted with decorum and tact. She giggled again, grabbing the hem of her dress and curtsied to Elaine, "I'm Fubuki Kouri, Miss Elaine," As she looked older, the title would be appropriate.

Kouri slowly straightened her back as one of her chakrams flew to her right hand, the four daggers changed position so now they were aligned with each other, Kouri focused the soulmist on her left hand and started cleaning them one by one, "So, Miss, are you here to play too?" Another chakram spun playfully as Kouri gestured to it with her head, "I can give you the toys, we can play together~" She gave her a big cheerful smile.

[Elaine Spade]

When Kouri calmed down a bit, Elaine was a more relaxed. She was still terrified that what kind of death this child had, so she turned out like this. But she wasn't here to ask horrible memories like these. It would be rude and too intimate. Also she didn't understand why would Kouri come to a place like this. It was foul and dangerous. Just like the island itself was dangerous. She sighed.

Kouri's giggle made this situation even scarier for Elaine. She just suprised... Well at least she knew now, she wasn't the only ghost who got a free pass from Wanda. Kouri mustn't be that bad after all then otherwise she wouldn't be here. That thought was a bit relief for her. And she was polite with her just like Elaine was polite with Kouri. Fubuki Kouri. Elaine was suprised by somebody calling her Miss. She waved her hand and smiled at her. "Oh, you can drop the 'Miss' title. Feel free to call me Elaine. "

She was once again amazed by what Kouri could do. Elaine had problem taking books at the library yet this child were using these daggers like they were feathers. Also the strange definiton of playing."..Erm.. No.. actually I'm searching for my dear friend." And she looked at the "toys" Kouri was offering. Was she able to do that? "And I don't think I can even handle these or... Can.. Can I try it? Just holding them, I will give them back." She fixed her eyes on the daggers. She was too curious about her own ability.

[Fubuki Kouri]

"Mmmm~" Kouri pondered for a moment, the older girl wanted her to drop the polite title, but the ghost girl felt odd if she called someone she just knew without a title, especially if the aforementioned person was older. Since they were fellow ghosts and Elaine looked friendly enough, Kouri decided to comply with her request, maybe it would make the older girl less cautious towards her. "Alright then, Elaine, nice to meet you!" She gave Elaine a big smile as her left hand wiped another dagger clean, splattering the black blood to the ground.

Now they had properly introduced each other, the ghost girl could ponder about her new acquaintance further, if Elaine was here, that could only mean two things, one, Wanda allowed her to roam just like she was, or the ghost somehow escaped the Master Spiritist's notice. The latter was unlikely so Kouri assumed the first, the older ghost looked weaker than her at first glance but who knows, she might be secretly as strong as Mia, Kouri didn't want to take risks, caution was a virtue in Sahova. Kouri finished cleaning a set of daggers then switched to another set, wiping the blades with her left hand.

"Oh? Who is your friend?" How odd, searching for a friend in a place like this, the ghost girl assumed this 'friend' of hers was a fellow ghost or a Nuit, Kouri wanted to help but she didn't know any other notable ghosts besides Mia and Wanda's guardians and she didn't want to deal with any Nuits at the moment, except for her personal maid, Kriemhild. Elaine looked uncertain at first, but she accepted KOuri's offer in the end, a tendril carried one clean steel dagger as it made its way to Elaine, "Sure!" She offered her daggers in the first place, the ghost girl would obviously allow Elaine to borrow one of her toys.

She finished cleaning her daggers then shifted to a standing position, her feet floating just a few inches above the ground, "Alright! Let's play, first, look for animals! These animals are meant to be killed anyway, we are doing the Wardens a favor!" The older girl might not know about Celeste and her group, "The Wardens are people who uhm... take care of failed experiments, they are humans who can transform into large dogs!" Both Celeste and Brom could do it, she supposed the rest could as well. Readying her four chakrams beside her shoulders, Kouri gestured for Elaine to follow her, "Come on!"

After a few moments, Kouri's crimson eyes spotted a pack of mutated dogs in the distance, devouring over the carcass of a strange deer-like animals. The dogs had strange glowing green eyes and their saliva also glow sickly green, there were about six of them, "Look, Elaine," Kouri whispered, staying close to the older ghost, "Toys, go ahead, they can't hurt you". Unlike the giant scorpion, these dogs had no hope of harming the ethereals unless they materialized themselves.

[Elaine Spade]

Elaine was staring at the daggers. Kouri was holding them like it would be a natural thing to do. Also she had indeed misunderstood Elaine's request. She wanted to hold them only not kill. Although Elaine could get the idea why this place looked dangerous then. Failed experiments and killing animals. Before she could say anything Kouri already invited her to follow. After a little hesitation she did.

She was telling to herself that it was for the greater good. They were dangerous, they couldn't be deal with. They weren't suppose to be here probably. Then Kouri noticed something. Elaine looked down to her when she had saw them too. Looked like dogs too her, but they looked monstrous. The thought they can't hurt them gave her a rest. At least they can't. Still looking at them made her feel uneasy. She had never thought something like that could exist. This was the very few moments when Elaine felt she had really not lived enough for this.

She could breath, surely she would be breathing quickly. Then she took one of Kouri's offered dagger. It was easy to take it. With her soulmist she grabbed it and lift it up with the line of her head. Then she was aiming at one of the dog. Could she push it that hurt to kill it? She was pondering. Yes, she could. The memory of killing the innocent girl who tried to help her popped up."I can't... Not again." The terrible image of the lifeless body scared her. It even disturbed her soulmist. The dagger fell down to the ground.

She found herself back at the present and not at her memory. She looked down to the dagger. With her soulmist she picked it up again. Again aiming at one of the dog. This situation was different. The laws were different. She was hesitating again. If she attacks one of them the others may try and attack her. But then she remembered. She nearly forgot what the other ghost said. The monsters can't hurt them. Kouri just said that a moment ago... That memory confused her very much.

"I can't believe myself." She said to herself. "I only kill one of them Kouri...I feel I'll regret this action as well anyway. You can deal with the rest. You enjoy it anyway, I don't want to steal it away from you." Then with her dagger she went closer to the dog which was a bit futher away from the others. It was wilder and angrier as Elaine went closer. When Elaine was closer enough, it tried to bite her. Failed. And Elaine pushed the dagger into its head.

[Fubuki Kouri]

To her delight, the older ghost decided to follow her, she just gained another fun playmate, a fellow phantom to boot. The mist around her form swirled slightly as if representing her happiness, the ghost girl gave Elaine a big grin as one of her daggers glinted beside Elaine, held by the older ghost's soulmist, "Yes, it'll be fun, trust me~" Her tone was similar to a younger sister urging her sibling to play a new kind of game. Kouri let Anna took the stage as she watched the older ghost aimed the sharp steel at one of the monster dogs. She waited and waited, but the moment never came, slightly annoyed Kouri turned her gaze back to Elaine.

"You can't?" The smaller ghost girl quirked an eyebrow, her chakrams bobbed up and down once in confusion, what did Elaine mean? Perhaps she wasn't confident in her ability to take down one of those dogs, but they couldn't hurt her so Kouri didn't see why she couldn't just try, if one never practiced, one would never grow. Feeling wise, Kouri was about to give Anna a short lecture regarding their soulmist projection ability, but when Elaine spoke 'not again', she held herself. "Huh?" Kouri's child-like mind couldn't see the hidden meaning behind Elaine's statement right away, "Again? You have fought them before?" She tilted her head in childish innocence, genuinely curious, if it turned out that Elaine was familiar with the monsters roaming here, Kouri would ask more.

The ghost girl's crimson eyes followed her dagger as it fell from Elaine's grasp, she sighed in disappointment, "Well... if you don't want to play, I suppose..." She extended a tendril to pick it up, but Elaine suddenly picked it up again, Kouri's brows furrowed as if conveying her 'make up your mind!' look. The older ghost then spoke to her again, this time explaining about her hesitation earlier, Kouri got it, she was afraid to kill. "Uhn..." Kouri clasped her lips shut, refusing to answer Elaine right away. The way Elaine put it made the phantom Vantha looked like a sadistic little girl who enjoyed spilling the blood of other beings. It was true to an extent, but by Morwen, she wasn't going to admit it out loud, shame held her back.

The smaller ghost watched in silence as Elaine approached the dogs, the failed experiments all raised their head, glowing green eyes looking upon the approaching phantom with savage glare, purely driven by wild instinct. The dogs growled, blood of their prey dripping down from their jaws, one of the dogs tried to snap its jaw at Elaine, but to its surprise, its teeth went through the teen as if she was air, the dog tried again and again, but it was no use. Then, cold hard steel pushed itself into its head, puncturing its skull and brain, instantly killing it, greenish blood began covering the dagger.

"Elaine..." Kouri whispered, she felt a kinship with this ghost, she was like her once, hesitating and held back by human morals, but... as time went on, her experiences of being scorn, left behind, betrayed, and stabbed by various people made her jaded, her child innocence still clung on, but was twisted to the point that she regarded life and death as mere toys.

As the dog died, the rest of the pack barked loudly at Elaine, seeing the ghost as a threat, they all pounced, but of course, their corporeal forms passed through Elaine's ethereal one. Kouri sighed, it was her turn, she dashed forward into the fray, four chakrams spinning beside her shoulders in all their buzzing glory. Even from a distance, Kouri's back hunched down as two chakrams launched from her, waltzing through the air as they simultaneously sawed two dogs at their belly, cutting apart skin, flesh, and organs. The chakrams then quickly went back to their mistress as she arrived, standing beside Elaine, both ethereals were now surrounded by three dogs.

"..." In silence, Kouri's small form spun like a ballerina as all four of her chakrams quickly spun out like an expanding circle, the steel and cold iron blades cut through flesh, spurting greenish blood everywhere. In just about two chimes, all six monster canines lay butchered around them. Odd, she should feel happy about this, she should be having fun, but... for some reason, Kouri could only feel disgust at her actions, looking upon her gory work in revulsion. "Elaine..." Kouri looked up at the slightly taller girl, her small hands wrapped around the girl's torso, she didn't know why, but she felt guilt, "I'm sorry..." Guilty for forcing Elaine to do something she didn't want to do.

[Elaine Spade]

What was that for? The dog didn't move anymore. Elaine didn't feel sorry for it, but she was wondering if it was a real dog before or not. Blood was on the dagger and she just shook her head. She wanted to try, and she could do it. She felt successful about it, but it didn't change anything. She was staring at the dog, shaking her head.

She looked up then. The monsters were already angered, barking loudly at Elaine. They were approching to her, desperately trying to bite her somehow. No use. They went through Elaine, and she was just standing there. What else she could do? She saw however that Kouri was ready and already was holding her daggers. For that Elaine stepped back from the dogs , from Kouri and her daggers.

She was watching her how she did it. No wonder she called them toy. She held them as one. She saw Kouri using her soulmist, like she was dead for a long time now. And her movements were like she was dancing. She killed two of them. And only three remained. She wasn't even worrying anymore. Kouri dealt with them within two chime. Elaine stood there emotionlessly. Like back then, when she was her old self.

Then for her suprise, she found Kouri's arm around her. She looked down. She was sorry. Yes she was a child, who didn't know she is doing. But it wasn't her who was disturbing her. At least not that much, it was something else. It was that memory. It was always there, in her mind whenever she saw blood and killing."That blasted memory." She felt remorse. This memory will always haunt her, only time can ease that feeling, but that memory and that feeling will always be with her.

She looked down at Kouri. She sighed and laid her hand on Kouri's head. "Look, it's my fault. I should have been more obvious in the first place." She said. She gave a weak smile. "But... somebody had to deal with them I guess. They were dangerous. " Then she grabbed Kouri's arm gently and took them off from her and Elaine kneeled down to the little ghost. "What a life you had that made you that tough? What is holding you from moving on?"

[Fubuki Kouri]

The ghost girl tilted her head at Elaine's curse, something about a memory, Kouri wanted to ask more as per natural childish curiosity, but she assumed Elaine wouldn't appreciate her prodding, not when the older looked so hurt when she spoke it. Kouri could understand, she had painful memories as well, her parents' death being one of them along with her horrible experience of being scorned, lied to, abandoned, and betrayed. "..." Kouri hugged Elaine tighter, no matter how unlikely, this older girl might have suffered more than her.

"Big sis..." Kouri didn't even realize she was making up titles for Elaine, it just came to her naturally, to call a calmer, older, figure as a big sister. Truth to be told, Elaine looked the part, she wasn't old enough to be her mother, yet older than the ghost girl to be considered as a sibling, barring their lack of physical resemblance. Kouri gave a coo when Elaine laid her ethereal hand on top of her head, their soulmist rubbing against each other comforted the younger ghost, "No, big sis... it's no one's fault." She shook her head, her long white locks following the own course of non-existent wind. It was no one's fault, but she was glad that Elaine didn't condemn her for killing these failed experiments, "Yea, they are supposed to be killed anyway, Big sis, we help the Wardens, you see?" She gave Elaine a big proud grin, like a child who just succeeded at creating something she deemed a masterpiece.

Kouri let Elaine release her hug then lowered her gaze as Elaine knelt down to her height, the ghost girl was taken aback by Elaine's question, not because she was afraid to answer, but because she had no answers, she never thought about it... until now, "I..." Kouri fidgeted with her fingers, playing with a strand of her hair, she desperately tried to seek answers but after a chime of awkward silence, she gave up, "I don't know, big sis..." She muttered off something unintelligible in Vani then looked back at Elaine, "I just want to be happy, perhaps? I... I want this world to be good." It was a simple unrealistic wish of an innocent child. Kouri then shook her head, she didn't want to talk about herself further, "What about you, big sis?" She changed the subject, putting her hands behind her back as the chakrams landed on the ground, laying dormant for now, "Why made you so afraid to kill these dogs? A memory?" She curbed down her hesitation and be straight-forward for once.

[Elaine Spade]

Kouri hugged more and more thightly. She also hugged her back a bit and patted Kouri's head. She wasn't sure what to say or do now. She was also feeling uncomfortable about her own question. Why did she even ask that now? She was just shaking her head. Stupid Stupid Stupid. But she didn't know how to treat children. She wasn't really playing with them when she was little. And then, calling her big sis...

This was the strangest. Calling her big sis even made the situation more awkward. She didn't know how to act one or why could she be one. But surely Kouri didn't mean it literally did she? Just she was older and a ghost girl also. And what a nice thought : No one's fault. She tried to fool herself with it. But it was clearly Elaine's fault. But she didn't want to start this. Would be pointless and didn't want to make the little girl sadder. She was smiling for their success.

"Of course you want it. It might become one." She gave a weak smile to Kouri and looked away and she whispered really silently. "...Just move on, because you'll be dissappointed." And she got her question back. Kouri let her now and her flying daggers weren't flying behind her back. "Memory?" She asked, then she realized that she might have said it out loud. She sighed and was waving her hands. "Oh I .. erm.. They reminded me of my old dog. That's all..." She lied.