Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:37:24 GMT
Linnet was quiet for a short while, and Drake settled back, still partially throttling James, who had gone quite limp by this point. It seemed that this was all playing out in his favor. Such a shame. Sure, she annoyed him to no conceivable end, but at the same time, he'd just started having fun; and here she was, a look half-colored by fright on her face. So boring. But then, she must have caught her voice again because she spoke. He stared at her for a moment, then mouthed the question, as if he was thinking about it. Why he just didn't kill her? He ruminated for a moment more, his grin growing hungrily. Good question, but he needed to be consistent here. Any old answer would do, of course, but he liked to be accurate with these things. What better a lie than a half-truth?
"You humans are all the same," he said, caustic amusement in his tone, "you think you're all so special. I've lived for longer than you can imagine. Does a king prepare his own feast? I think not." The demon paused for a moment to readjust James so he could trace the slowly healing outline of the bite he'd dealt the boy not too long before. "It'd take a lot more than just a polite inquiry for me to want to kill you." He sighed, an edge of the dramatic to it. "Anyway, how boring would it be for it to end like that? This way is significantly more entertaining."
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:37:31 GMT
Drake's amusement annoyed her, but he seemed content to continue speaking. He danced around the subject with a superiority that made Linnie want to tense up, though discomfort prevented that. He dismissed her questioning, but she thought that there was more to it than what he said. He dithered on about finding this way more entertaining.
Her irritation at his dismissive tone showed as she spoke, "En'ertaining? I thought you'd be angry, not entertained. Wot's wrong with you?"
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:37:40 GMT
Ooh, now she was irritated, he could hear the bite of it in her voice.
"Angry? Me?" he asked, finally releasing James to press his hand into his chest instead in faux surprise. "My little witch, it'd take far more than trying to jump off the roof to make me angry. I am, perhaps, slightly irked that the fall didn't kill you immediately, but there isn't much a human could do to make me angry."
He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers in front of him.
"I'm not quite as volatile as you are, my dear, nothing short of..." he paused for a moment, looking up as though seeking to snatch a stray thought out of the air, "setting something afire would annoy me."
Drake paused for a moment. Wait. Maybe that was a little bit too much information? Well, she was obviously on her way out, what could she viably do? She had a broken arm for goodness sake, and who knew what was wrong with her ribs, for that matter. There was no way she'd be able to walk, let alone find a way to set anything on fire.
He laughed, trying to backtrack a bit, just in case she really did get any ideas from that. "Even then, it would only be a small inconvenience, right James?"
James sighed and regarded him coolly.
Maybe, just in case, he'd make sure James kept a close eye on her.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:37:47 GMT
As Drake continued, Linnet realized how close she was getting to the end of her reserves. An acute headache was beginning to accompany the general sticky warmth of fever. Everything below her neck dully ached as well, and worse when she moved. Her stomach was decidedly unsettled with all the various aches. Linnet had to be purposeful about keeping her attention on what Drake was saying or she would miss it. Her attentiveness was rewarded with a single phrase about fire. She would not have thought about that if Drake had not mentioned it, but now it loomed large in her thoughts, though she carefully kept it from showing on her face. Still, with the level of pain she was in, that was not hard.
Drake seemed to backpedal again, as though wondering if he had let too much information slip, but Linnie gave no reaction in response. She had far too much to think through as it was without listening to more of Drake's ranting. Instead, she turned her head, closing her eyes at the disconcerting dizziness of even that small movement, and found she had no real desire to open them again. She made an effort to continue thinking about the myriad of startling things she had earned, but her tiredness and pain kept distracting her. Finally, she relented and let her thoughts go silent as she waited for release, distantly wondering what she would say to James when she got the energy to open her eyes again.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:37:58 GMT
That was when Linnet decided it was high time to roll over and go to sleep, apparently. Well, not really roll over, all things considering, but she turned her face away, and when Drake craned his neck a bit, he saw that her eyes were shut. Well, now was the perfect time to escape. He had better things to be doing anyway, like cleaning up all the mess that Hassen had made. Usually he'd make James do it, but this was... a special case. Anyway, he couldn't think of anything he wanted to do less than watch a sleeping human for several hours.
/Keep an eye on her and make sure she stays here. See if she'll eat anything when she wakes up. If anything bad happens, it's on your head,/ he signed at James, who nodded and immediately settled into the chair once the demon stood up.
Drake quietly left the room, the red glimmer of his eyes the last thing to vanish behind the closing door. James turned his attention to Linnie, another long sigh pulling itself from the depths of his body. How had things become so tangled up? It was such a mess, and here he was, in the middle of it, unsure of what exactly to do and exactly how to communicate. But wasn't that just how things went?
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:06 GMT
When Linnet's eyes did open again, she realized time must have passed. Her head was hot and the sheets were somewhat damp with the sweat from her form. She still felt rather miserable. She tried to fall asleep again, but her mind stayed stubbornly awake and aware of dull pain and warmth. Annoyed at this, Linnet decided the best use of her time would be to try to process things. It was hard to focus, but she managed for a time. In the end, all she really decided was that James was a soul-eater like Drake. Though perhaps somehow not like Drake in that the daemon seemed fine with the possibility of James killing her. She was not sure if James, with his looks so unlike Drake, was human, or even partially so. Still, from what James asserted, he thought there was a difference or wanted there to be. Finally, there was a time limit on her life. Presumably, Drake thought James would start to get hungry, and that hunger would not be beneficial to her.
After a couple more minutes of trying to sort through things, Linnet turned her attention to the object of the majority of her thoughts: James. He was dozing in the chair, his mouth opened slightly. The innocence on that sleeping face made her want to question everything she had just learned. Still, there was no going back from that now, no matter how much she might yearn to do so. After a moment more, she tried to get his attention.
"James?" Her voice came out as a husky whisper from a throat that felt bone dry. She worked around what little saliva was in her mouth and tried again, managing to be only slightly louder.
"James?"
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:14 GMT
James had sat and watched Linnet for a while, her face tired even in sleep, but eventually his head dropped onto his chest and he drifted off. His dreams wandered, circling over each other in confusing spirals, but the first time Linnet called his name it pulled him halfway out of his sleep. Then she said his name again, a bit louder, and he jerked upright, snuffling a bit as he closed his mouth and reoriented himself. He scrubbed at an eye as he slid off the chair and reached for the basin, dipping the cloth into the water to dab on her face. Her cheeks were patched with red, and her hair was sticking to her sweaty face. She didn't look too good. He brushed her hair out of her face and peered into her eyes as he wiped the sweat from her face.
James, being that he hadn't gotten sick in... many centuries, wasn't sure exactly what to do. He typically didn't deal with sick humans. So he tipped his head at her, though from the creaking sound of her voice, he didn't know if she could communicate any better than he could. But he was eager to seek forgiveness for what Drake had told her, to show her that he wouldn't hurt her.
Now that Drake was gone again, he was feeling bolder, though she seemed to be getting sicker. Anxiety reared its head in his belly. Everything was obviously not going to turn out fine. When did it? But he wasn't sure how exactly this would play out. He had a feeling, however, that he wasn't going to like the end to this act.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:23 GMT
The way James jerked awake almost brought a smile to Linnet's features, but she could not quite manage it. He wet a cloth and dabbed it across her forehead, sending small waves of heavenly coolness over the feverish surface. The relief dissipated far too quickly. As he brushed her hair away from her face, she could not help the slight upturning at the corners of her lips. It was an almost automatic response to the concern in his eyes, though in reality she was far from being okay.
She wondered if she looked worse than she felt, or if she felt worse than she looked. The thought was oddly amusing and it was a moment before she realized James looked at a loss. She paused to figure out what she needed before speaking, though this time she did not sound as hoarse.
“Could ya 'elp me... sit up? I'll need wa'ah." She began trying to move herself, but winced as her various pains seemed to scream their disapproval.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:30 GMT
James nodded at Linnet's request, withdrawing his arms against his chest as he considered how to approach the situation. Drake hadn't mentioned the extent of her injuries, but she had fallen off a roof, so he needed to be as gentle as possible with her. First thing was first though, he needed something to put behind her so she wouldn't fall back down. So he moved over to the armoire in the corner of the room and stood on his tip-toes to get the linens from the top shelf, then detangled an extra pillow from the mess and pushed the rest of it back onto a different shelf.
He set the pillow next to Linnet and gave her an apologetic look before anything else. He was sure that he would inadvertently hurt her by moving her, but there was no other option. With one arm he supported her back and slowly propped her up until he could slide the pillow against her back and resettle her, wincing sympathetically. Then it was to the water. He made a gesture for her to wait before darting off to the kitchen to find a cup and a pitcher for her, pulling some fresh water. He acted as quick as he could without spilling anything on himself, despite his persistent trembling, since his body hadn't quite finished regenerating all the blood he'd lost previously.
When he returned to Linnet's room, he poured her a cup and then set the pitcher down beside the small end table. He held the cup up for her, giving the opportunity to take it if she wanted to or if she could, before bringing it to her face so she could drink, careful to not spill it on her.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:36 GMT
She stopped her movements, catching her breath as James moved off to grab a pillow from the wardrobe in the corner. His apologetic look as he set the pillow beside her allowed her enough time to brace herself and prepare to move. She clenched her jaw as he helped her up to keep from crying out with the massive twinge of pain. Her nausea returned as she leaned back against the pillow, and once again, she could not breathe deeply enough to dissipate it. Her breathing was shallow and fast as the pain slowly faded again, though the feeling of nausea was more persistent. James left the room for several minutes, and Linnet let out a small groan as she shifted to find a better position with some success. By the time James returned, her breathing was slightly better, though the water was very much welcome by then.
He held out the drink. Linnet tried to take it quickly, but withdrew her hand when the motion slightly pulled at her ribs. She did not realize that such a small movement could make her tense up, but it did. She would have to let James help her. The boy was ever so careful, as if scared of even the slightest movement hurting her, and she gulped the water thirstily. It was a soothing sensation, and she felt better, if only comparatively. After that glass was mostly drained, she carefully lifted her right hand and set it against James's hand, pushing it away a little.
She kept her hand there and looked away as she intoned, "I... I fink we should tawk, or well, I need ta' ask some questions?"
She looked up at him then, dropping her hand. A sad smile set over her features as she hoped to reassure him that she was not angry. Still, there was a distance to her look.
Her eyes dropped once more as she searched for words. Her fingers worried at the blanket for a moment before she looked up again.
"So, you... you eat souls laike Drake?" It almost sounded like a statement rather than a question, but she had to confirm that before moving on.
She watched James's face intently, wanting to find out more from his response than just the answer to the question.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:43 GMT
James set the cup down, and glanced back at Linnet as she spoke, her voice somewhat stronger now. Talk? Well, she would ask questions. Hopefully he could properly pantomime clear answers. There was a moroseness to her expression that made him nod, casting his gaze downwards momentarily. No anger, but a hollowness that hadn't been there before. James pulled the chair closer to the bed so he faced Linnet well enough that she could see him without turning her head. And now it was her turn to lower her eyes. Was she thinking, or was she afraid to ask the question on her mind?
James fiddled with a button on his jacket, his teeth poking into his bottom lip nervously.
When she spoke, he tipped his head to one side, listening intently and thinking hard. Yes, he did eat souls, but it wasn't quite the same, and he wanted to make that distinction clear.
He wasn’t like Drake.
He lifted one shoulder for a moment, not quite a yes, not quite a no. Then he placed one hand on his throat and held the other one above his head, face upturned and mouth open, as if he was holding something, the way Drake liked to tease him. Then he dropped the higher hand, though the one at his throat stayed, unconsciously rubbing at the wound there.
He tilted his head to one side again, then, with some reluctance, nodded. It was true, he did eat souls. She deserved to know that.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:38:54 GMT
At first, he gave her a half shrug in response. Linnet frowned a moment before realizing it wasn't the noncommittal shrug of a boy wanting to avoid a question. She wondered for a moment what he wanted to express, then realized it was likely that the answer wasn't simply a yes or no. He mimicked holding something over his open mouth yet kept one hand at the wound on his throat. Linnet was not sure what he meant, other than that the motion was meant to imitate eating a soul. He dropped his hand again and, after a hesitation, nodded. Basically, he did eat souls, but perhaps it was not simply 'eating souls like Drake.' Linnet figured that had to be the part that made this question require more than a yes or no. 'At least he's being honest,' she thought with a vague feeling of relief. If he had blatantly disagreed to the question, contradicting what she knew, she may not have even bothered continuing.
She went on in a considering tone, "You're not laike Drake, but I don' un'erstan' 'ow that is, or why."
The statement was not accusation, as though she thought he was lying, but merely uncertainty of how to proceed.
She paused for a tense moment, her head starting to pound unhappily, before bursting out with, "Are you 'uman?" Something in his face made her amend, "Or... weh you?" Her gaze dropped a fraction, jumping back to his face again when he moved to respond.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:39:31 GMT
He couldn't tell how well she was understanding him, but the conversation was moving along, which was a good sign. Or at least, he thought it was? Her voice was not harsh, but he could sense her confusion. Could he even explain everything to her if he had full vocal faculties? Probably not. It was too complex, those small intricacies that made up his life, but that she, as a human, had probably never encountered before.
She paused a moment, and he let his other hand drop into his lap, wringing them together now. Then her question. Was he human? He screwed up his mouth to one side, it was another yes or no question that he couldn't answer either way. But then she made an addendum. Or was he? He brightened slightly, nodding and looking directly at her. He had been human. Technically, he still was, but the other factors at work masked his lingering mortality.
But this was a start, wasn't it?
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:39:37 GMT
His response was immediate and confirmed what she had thought. He was human at one time, even if he was somehow changed or more than human now. The thought made her feel odd, but she realized that oddness was more a physical sensation than a mental one. A wave of heat and queasiness washed over her; her vision swam and she closed her eyes, breathing shallowly but steadily. After a moment, the feeling mostly passed, though a general sense of malaise remained. She opened her eyes again, taking a moment to regather her thoughts. If James was once human, that meant something had changed him.
"Did Drake do somefin' to you, then?" The thought was unsettling, especially if Drake had a way to change humans as well as consume their souls.
|
|
Website Destroyer
Pie
IS OFFLINE
EST
Autumn comes when you're not yet done with the summer passing by
1,266 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Pieluver on Nov 2, 2022 1:39:44 GMT
When Linnet shut her eyes, James moved to stand up, to wipe her forehead with the cloth again. Really, there wasn't much else he could do to help her, but then she opened her eyes again and slowly the boy sat back down. It was back to the questions again, though this one was simple, but also complex.
He wished he could talk, tell her exactly what had happened, that one memory from the far past that still stood out in full relief in his mind.
He nodded, then made the gesture again, holding one hand to his throat and the other above his head, trying to show her. He was also tempted to point at the empty space in his mouth, tell her that Drake had done that as well, but he didn't want to make his answer too complex, especially considering how pale she looked.
|
|