lake spirits and lost spirits (emy)
- Thread starter Der Lampman
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@"Emy"
"Then if I live long enough..." Max began, trailing off. She let herself sink into the water, following urges she couldn't understand. The cool of the lake made her comfortable, and somehow, safe.
She mulled over his words as air bubbled forth from her, slowly releasing what little air she had. It was an enticing thought, the idea of existence without consequence. To simply be. Max had long wanted such an existence, though circumstance felt as if it did not wish her to have one.
Her thoughts slowly felt hazier and hazier, as did her vision and her senses. The air bubbles stopped issuing forth, and she could feel the cool of the water being too cool. An existence without consequence...
Almost at the last possible moment, she realized that her timing for thinking was way off. With what little strength her idle contemplation left, she tried to swim back up to the distant surface, hands reaching out for the sunlight that now seemed so distant.
"Then if I live long enough..." Max began, trailing off. She let herself sink into the water, following urges she couldn't understand. The cool of the lake made her comfortable, and somehow, safe.
She mulled over his words as air bubbled forth from her, slowly releasing what little air she had. It was an enticing thought, the idea of existence without consequence. To simply be. Max had long wanted such an existence, though circumstance felt as if it did not wish her to have one.
Her thoughts slowly felt hazier and hazier, as did her vision and her senses. The air bubbles stopped issuing forth, and she could feel the cool of the water being too cool. An existence without consequence...
Almost at the last possible moment, she realized that her timing for thinking was way off. With what little strength her idle contemplation left, she tried to swim back up to the distant surface, hands reaching out for the sunlight that now seemed so distant.
Na Lan Tai Hu
For a little while, Na Lan merely watched the spot where the girl had submerged herself. Reaching out through the lake itself, he could sense her lurking a few feet beneath the surface. A small trail of bubbles marked the route she had taken. After a few moments of waiting, Na Lan sank into the water and melded fully with the lake again. Some people might have theorized that the change uprooted sense of self but Na Lan was a fluid being to begin with so he retained a solid awareness of where he ended and the outside waters began. The places where only he existed in the lake were betrayed with wisps of soft light.
Humans were not meant to stay so long in the water. There were things that Na Lan did not understand about them but that was a concept he could easily grasp. He trailed after the girl a little worriedly as the stream of bubbles began to lessen. At the last possible second, it seemed to dawn on her just how long she had been under. As she struggled to reach the surface, Na Lan curled himself around her body and heaved her up. Though his own body might have been weakened by the taint in his lake, within water itself, in this state, he could at least do this much.
As the two of them rose up, the spirit pulled down on the surface waters. The place where they ascended dipped down into a sort of basin shortening the distance they had to travel.
For a little while, Na Lan merely watched the spot where the girl had submerged herself. Reaching out through the lake itself, he could sense her lurking a few feet beneath the surface. A small trail of bubbles marked the route she had taken. After a few moments of waiting, Na Lan sank into the water and melded fully with the lake again. Some people might have theorized that the change uprooted sense of self but Na Lan was a fluid being to begin with so he retained a solid awareness of where he ended and the outside waters began. The places where only he existed in the lake were betrayed with wisps of soft light.
Humans were not meant to stay so long in the water. There were things that Na Lan did not understand about them but that was a concept he could easily grasp. He trailed after the girl a little worriedly as the stream of bubbles began to lessen. At the last possible second, it seemed to dawn on her just how long she had been under. As she struggled to reach the surface, Na Lan curled himself around her body and heaved her up. Though his own body might have been weakened by the taint in his lake, within water itself, in this state, he could at least do this much.
As the two of them rose up, the spirit pulled down on the surface waters. The place where they ascended dipped down into a sort of basin shortening the distance they had to travel.
@"Emy"
The darkness felt less dark through her eyelids. And the water... it started to feel.. more solid?
Max opened her eyes, only to find herself being carried up by her otherworldly companion. With weak arms and coughing lungs she reached out and tried to touch the antlers again, and then she extricated herself from his grip.
She dropped to the floor of the lake by the edge, and she stood up slowly, water dripping from her now very messy hair. A few more coughs issued forth and she tried to get her soggy hair out of her vision. Her head turned every which way frantically, trying to remember where exactly the person was, so that she could bow demurely, with a strange hint of animosity, as if she disliked the thought of rescue.
"I'm sorry," she began, her flat expression contorting into a slightly less flat, more regretful one. "I was thinking, I think... thinking makes me stop doing things. Your words were - they were like answers to questions I didn't know I had, like how you set out to play a piece on the piano and play something else entirely and you're just stuck there under the weight of it all, not knowing what to do except keep playing along..."
The darkness felt less dark through her eyelids. And the water... it started to feel.. more solid?
Max opened her eyes, only to find herself being carried up by her otherworldly companion. With weak arms and coughing lungs she reached out and tried to touch the antlers again, and then she extricated herself from his grip.
She dropped to the floor of the lake by the edge, and she stood up slowly, water dripping from her now very messy hair. A few more coughs issued forth and she tried to get her soggy hair out of her vision. Her head turned every which way frantically, trying to remember where exactly the person was, so that she could bow demurely, with a strange hint of animosity, as if she disliked the thought of rescue.
"I'm sorry," she began, her flat expression contorting into a slightly less flat, more regretful one. "I was thinking, I think... thinking makes me stop doing things. Your words were - they were like answers to questions I didn't know I had, like how you set out to play a piece on the piano and play something else entirely and you're just stuck there under the weight of it all, not knowing what to do except keep playing along..."
Na Lan Tai Hu
He let the girl go as soon as it seemed safe to, setting her down as gently as possible even though she ended up stumbling from his grasp anyways. The term "confused" did not even begin to explain how he felt, though Na Lan did believe there was a perfectly logical explanation for it despite the fact that her explanation served as an interesting obstacle in itself.
"You are allowed to stop from time to time," Na Lan chided lightly, his face showing a slight frown. Really, with his limited knowledge on how to properly display emotions, this only showed a fraction of the amount of worry he actually felt. "Sometimes, it is not appropriate too dwell too much on ideas. What comes out in actions is much more useful, I think, and your own should not cause yourself so much distress."
He tilted his head to the side. "If I may, you are the one who ultimately decides what tomorrow will bring. If you want to move on to a different piece, then why not try again?"
He let the girl go as soon as it seemed safe to, setting her down as gently as possible even though she ended up stumbling from his grasp anyways. The term "confused" did not even begin to explain how he felt, though Na Lan did believe there was a perfectly logical explanation for it despite the fact that her explanation served as an interesting obstacle in itself.
"You are allowed to stop from time to time," Na Lan chided lightly, his face showing a slight frown. Really, with his limited knowledge on how to properly display emotions, this only showed a fraction of the amount of worry he actually felt. "Sometimes, it is not appropriate too dwell too much on ideas. What comes out in actions is much more useful, I think, and your own should not cause yourself so much distress."
He tilted his head to the side. "If I may, you are the one who ultimately decides what tomorrow will bring. If you want to move on to a different piece, then why not try again?"
@"Emy"
"Maybe... yes, maybe I should stop. I also think - I think I should... thank you. For the..."
Max's voice trailed off as her thoughts did as well, drifting off to who knew where. She thought for an instant that they were maybe left under the depths, but this was just one of those moments where her thoughts refused to translate to words. Try as she might, the translation absolutely refused to happen.
Instead, she gave him a doubtful and tentative hug, soaked in water though she was. She clung on weakly, vision obstructed by wet hair. Her flat, dull eyes looked up at the lake, and she stammered out a short, "Thank you."
Upon releasing herself she sat on the grass by the bank, straightening her hair out and trying to dry herself. It only made her sneeze and shiver, and for the first time in a while, she felt cold.
"Maybe... yes, maybe I should stop. I also think - I think I should... thank you. For the..."
Max's voice trailed off as her thoughts did as well, drifting off to who knew where. She thought for an instant that they were maybe left under the depths, but this was just one of those moments where her thoughts refused to translate to words. Try as she might, the translation absolutely refused to happen.
Instead, she gave him a doubtful and tentative hug, soaked in water though she was. She clung on weakly, vision obstructed by wet hair. Her flat, dull eyes looked up at the lake, and she stammered out a short, "Thank you."
Upon releasing herself she sat on the grass by the bank, straightening her hair out and trying to dry herself. It only made her sneeze and shiver, and for the first time in a while, she felt cold.
orz. Forgive me.
Na Lan Tai Hu
He followed after the girl balefully, glancing up at the sun. At the very least, Na Lan would have quite a bit of time before he started to dry out. For the moment, he was content with the excess amount of water that was around him.
"Perhaps it is time to head back to your dorm?" Na Lan suggested, giving her a once over. After watching her try to dry herself out for a while, he simply ordered most of the water off of her so that it began to slide away more quickly in thin, silvery ribbons. He returned as much of it as to the lake as possible. Freshwater was rare, after all.
Na Lan Tai Hu
He followed after the girl balefully, glancing up at the sun. At the very least, Na Lan would have quite a bit of time before he started to dry out. For the moment, he was content with the excess amount of water that was around him.
"Perhaps it is time to head back to your dorm?" Na Lan suggested, giving her a once over. After watching her try to dry herself out for a while, he simply ordered most of the water off of her so that it began to slide away more quickly in thin, silvery ribbons. He returned as much of it as to the lake as possible. Freshwater was rare, after all.
@"Emy"
Max sneezed a little, and even her sneezes only served to highlight how fragile she seemed, shivering there, eyes gingerly peering around, trying to recall where she hung her clothes. They were on the other side of the lake, too far to walk to currently. Instead she moved to the side, catching a bit of the sunlight. It felt warm and comfortable enough to make her ignore her original discomfort.
In the distance she could make out the outline of her dress, neatly hung on a low tree branch, its sky blue a stark contrast to the earthy hues of the wooded foothills. She contemplated going over to get it, though the rays of the sun felt like they were suppressing any action from her.
"I don't want to go back there," she said wistfully, staring out into the distance with her hands clutching her knees. "It's colder than here, and there's no music. It's silent. It's like the world... the world... I forget."
Max sneezed a little, and even her sneezes only served to highlight how fragile she seemed, shivering there, eyes gingerly peering around, trying to recall where she hung her clothes. They were on the other side of the lake, too far to walk to currently. Instead she moved to the side, catching a bit of the sunlight. It felt warm and comfortable enough to make her ignore her original discomfort.
In the distance she could make out the outline of her dress, neatly hung on a low tree branch, its sky blue a stark contrast to the earthy hues of the wooded foothills. She contemplated going over to get it, though the rays of the sun felt like they were suppressing any action from her.
"I don't want to go back there," she said wistfully, staring out into the distance with her hands clutching her knees. "It's colder than here, and there's no music. It's silent. It's like the world... the world... I forget."
Na Lan Tai Hu
"Would you rather go elsewhere, then?" Na Lan asked her. It was a bit strange to him that she thought this weather was cool but then again, he was a lake spirit and so the cold never bothered him anyways.
The silence, however, was something its own sort of burden. Beneath the lake, there was a special sort of song that could not be heard on land. The dorm could be like a tomb at times but at the very least, he could always crack open a window and listen to sounds from outside. The walls were not too thick that they blocked out all noise from the hallways as well.
"Students seem to like to go to cafes around the area," he said. "Perhaps there?" The spirit would have offered up his room and tea as well but no that he had a roommate, he thought it was best to wait and see what Enelen's habits were before issuing invitations of that sort.
"Would you rather go elsewhere, then?" Na Lan asked her. It was a bit strange to him that she thought this weather was cool but then again, he was a lake spirit and so the cold never bothered him anyways.
The silence, however, was something its own sort of burden. Beneath the lake, there was a special sort of song that could not be heard on land. The dorm could be like a tomb at times but at the very least, he could always crack open a window and listen to sounds from outside. The walls were not too thick that they blocked out all noise from the hallways as well.
"Students seem to like to go to cafes around the area," he said. "Perhaps there?" The spirit would have offered up his room and tea as well but no that he had a roommate, he thought it was best to wait and see what Enelen's habits were before issuing invitations of that sort.
@"Emy"
The question felt strange to Max. She could not sense any sort of intent from it, which was strange. Nor could she, after blinking and switching sight to emotion, see anything. She knew that her eyes were pointed at him, but she couldn't see him. Carefully, she closed her eyes and rubbed on the eyelids. When they opened, he was still there. "Hmm..." she hummed, thinking that it was probably her recent almost-drowning was interfering with her vision. "I don't know. Sometimes I like to wander, but I get lost easily. But to where would I go?"
Max rose to her feet, basking in the sun. She wondered how she could get her clothes from the other side of the lake, and opted to walk there. A step, and then another after. Before the third hit the ground however, she remembered that someone was there with her. Upon her realization, she sat down, gently pulling her hair so that it fell in front of her. "I was to get my clothes... would that be okay?"
"I've never been to a cafe," she mused. Her head tilted in curiosity. In the past, she'd seen them, but everyone there seemed to have company, and it didn't feel like it would be appropriate to go to one without company of her own. "What is it like? I've seen them, and I saw so many strange things... like a weird tapestry. So colorful... and confusing."
The question felt strange to Max. She could not sense any sort of intent from it, which was strange. Nor could she, after blinking and switching sight to emotion, see anything. She knew that her eyes were pointed at him, but she couldn't see him. Carefully, she closed her eyes and rubbed on the eyelids. When they opened, he was still there. "Hmm..." she hummed, thinking that it was probably her recent almost-drowning was interfering with her vision. "I don't know. Sometimes I like to wander, but I get lost easily. But to where would I go?"
Max rose to her feet, basking in the sun. She wondered how she could get her clothes from the other side of the lake, and opted to walk there. A step, and then another after. Before the third hit the ground however, she remembered that someone was there with her. Upon her realization, she sat down, gently pulling her hair so that it fell in front of her. "I was to get my clothes... would that be okay?"
"I've never been to a cafe," she mused. Her head tilted in curiosity. In the past, she'd seen them, but everyone there seemed to have company, and it didn't feel like it would be appropriate to go to one without company of her own. "What is it like? I've seen them, and I saw so many strange things... like a weird tapestry. So colorful... and confusing."