Private Finished The Fog Rises

PixelatedGlory

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Tril cocked their head slightly. This person was sitting down. That meant they intended to stay a while. And it made them feel... something. They weren't ready to put the thought into words-even inside their own mind.

They slowly nodded at Smokey's words. Tril didnt hate humanity. But Fog Demons are supposed to oppose them. To trap and beguile and hunt them. It was humans who banished Tril to this place. And they were pretty sure there were many humans here who would rather Tril didnt exist.

"They say I cant hunt. I cant keep using a face if they dont like it and tell the police. If I try to make little troubles happen too much they get mad too. This is not a home for me. Too many rules and too many gods and too many people who like the gods more and dont want me here."

They dug their claws into the dirt, managing to shred a worm they hadn't expect to be there. For a moment they inspected the results as they tried to come up with a way to describe the Fog. The womb and the afterlife. The guide and the source. They settled on an analogy. "The Fog is like...," Trill started and then pointed one clawed finger at the nearby water. "Like that. But people floating together instead of just water."

It was a mediocre analogy at best.
 

Keen

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A lot of what Tril was complaining about were things Smokey could understand wanting to be regulated. But that didn't change how Smokey felt about Tril's situation. The island tried to merge so many cultures, but they couldn't accommodate all of them. This was, ultimately, an island for magical the human and human-like with other creatures sprinkled in. Even most vampires and werewolves were humans originally.

Tril's explanation about the Fog was a little difficult to wrap their head around, but they mostly got it. Maybe. Just from a certain, oricenta, perspective.

"I think... I think that's like Ilada. They are—"don't say god—"my people's home. But they're alive too. And most of us live in them together. We protect each other and Ilada protects us. Coming here, it was very different. The people here aren't as connected, and they're very different, and they sometimes don't respect my people's traditions. It took me a while to see all the positives of here because of that, but I think in the end, I don't really belong here, even if the island wants me to think so."

Smokey was painfully aware that they were making things all about themself, but this was the best way for them to communicate their empathy to Tril. If they could show that they were similar people with similar problems, then showing there was a solution to those problems (or at the very least comfort) might be easier.
 

PixelatedGlory

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Tril listened to Smokey's explanation of their home and people. It was definitely not the same thing as the Fog. But they were doing ok at relating to them on at least a basic level. Enough so that Tril's form again changed. Some parts fading while others became more pronounced as they stayed right there where they were seated.

Ultimately it was a replica of Smokey themself that replied in Tril's ever-whispering voice. "I don't belong here either. I don't see any positives to living here other than I am away from the one holy man who sent me here. But there are other holy men and even gods and angels here too."

And then they stood up, glancing towards the empty wooded area around them. "You have others here like you. Here, I am the only one in the Fog. I am alone. We are not the...same," Tril paused a little and glanced down. The irony of saying they weren't the same while shapeshifted to look exactly like Smokey wasnt lost on them. Oops. It threw them off of their depressed rambling.

It was the kind of thing Tril normally would quietly snicker at. And they felt slightly amused by it, but remained silent for the moment.
 

Keen

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Smokey was... ambivalent at best about having their form mimicked. It was cool! Really cool. But even twin and asexually made oricenta had slight differences. At the very least, their horns were different. So seeing someone else who looked just like themself was... weird. Smokey fought against showing their emotions. Saying something would likely hurt Tril.

Though a smirk did come to their face when Tril said they weren't the same. This wasn't the time for laughing.

"You can make alliances. You won't get back to the fog by staying by yourself. Those allies can make you feel a little better until you get back."
 

PixelatedGlory

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Tril was in a state that they very likely would have run off if Smokey got upset. Or more accurately they would have dispersed into water vapor and found a new place to be. Fully alone. But they hold their reaction well enough that Tril didnt notice their misgivings about the form.

They did however see the smirk. And that led them to giving what could only be described as a tiny, wavering smile that was gone again just as quickly as it had appeared. But it had been there.

"Alliances," they questioned curiously. "Who would want to be my ally? Fog demons do not hunt alone but I do not think they have ever had alliances. Do you not need to gain something from such a thing to want to be part of it?"
 

Keen

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Smokey felt accomplished when they saw Tril smile. It was quick. Blink and you'd miss it. In fact, Smokey might have completely imagined it, but they were confident in their eyesight during the night.

Since it seemed like Tril was warming up to Smokey... "Not always. Sometimes people just want to help. It feels nice to them. And sometimes, without asking, the people they help will help them some other time." Smokey most certainly wanted something if they helped Tril, but they knew if they did that and Roa learned about it, he'd be pissed. More than usual. "I'll be your ally. I won't ask anything of you either. You're a person of the fog, and I'm an oricenta. Oricenta are meant to help the elements."
 

PixelatedGlory

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"No one helps just because they want to help," Tril replied quickly and looked Smokey in the eyes. They didnt trust someone who claimed to have no motivations. No little hooks they could use to... no. Bad Tril. They are... friendly?

Tril decided at that point to shift back to their 'natural' state, though without their armor they decided to remain just as sexless as Smokey was. It would just make things easier since their armor was.. their armor!

Tril suddenly scrambled toward where they were pretty sure they had tucked their bundle of armor. But it was gone. They ended up staring dumbly at an empty space between the roots. "... she took it..."
 

Keen

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Smokey held firm against Tril's words and widened their eyes to look back. Even as Tril changed their form, Smokey tried to look sure about what they said. But soon Tril was focused on other things.

Smokey barely registered how important Tril's armor would have been to them until now. Really, having your clothes disappear on you in any scenario would be troubling, but that armor clearly seemed made to fit Tril.

"The girl who didn't want you to die? Do you remember how she looked or what her name is?" Smokey hesitated on bringing up the school again, but so they decided to save that for later.
 

PixelatedGlory

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Tril kicked the bare root and winced at the dull pain in their foot as a result. If they wanted the armor back they wouldnt be able to just disappear into the woods. Drat.

They let out a whispery groan and then stood back up, taking on the face of Liliana again. "Her name is Liliana. She was weird and talking about the spirits a lot."

Liliana's head on the grey and splotchy skinned body of Tril looked really wrong but they didnt seem to care and left it like that for a bit. "I don't want to go back to the school but I think she lives there."
 

Keen

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Perfect. A way to show Tril that Smokey was an ally. And this was a way for Smokey to have some time to talk to Roa and figure out their next move. They planned on bringing the armor back to Tril, but they also wondered if it was absolutely necessary to report Tril to the school. The last thing they wanted was Tril feeling further excluded by being on the receiving end of an apparent witch hunt. Fog demon hunt?

Now that Smokey thought about it, wouldn't the school have security cameras around here? It was completely possible they had this whole thing recorded. This was becoming more difficult.

"Uh, I'm not familiar with her, but if she's at the school, I'll find her soon enough." She looked... about Smokey's age? It was very difficult without her body as well. They also didn't have her last name, but that should be fine. They had enough information. Probably.

"Once I get the armor, where should we meet up? And do you want her to come with me? I think she'd like to come." She was the one who didn't want Tril to die, and she had knowledge about the spirits. She likely would want to know if Tril was fine from their resurrection.
 
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