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"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

She shrieked, he looked a bit confused but his hands hadnt left the floor.

"LET ME GO YOU b*****d! NO! N-N-NO! -- UGHN! LET GO!- I'LL KILL YOU! --- URRRAAAAGH!! I'LL ******** KILL YOU!!"

It was about then he realized she wasnt talking to him. Her words were aimed elsewhere. At some monster somewhere that had scarred her in such a way as to make her wish she had never been made. He couldnt tell what caused the pain, only that it was bad, very bad.

He could see it, that growing pain, building up inside her. It brimmed to the surface rippling over like a balloon filled with too much air. And when it popped, this fire would only get worse. He readied himself, his fingers curling into fists. His muscles tensing for the blast.

The world around them bent to her pain, the candle exploding from a tiny burning wick to a roaring torch. It was like standing in an oven.

"NO MORE!!"

She screamed even as her body burst into flame, a shockwave of energy exploding outwards.

The loss of her self, her children... her lover, the one the gods had made a part of her... And all of this only in the last two years. The grief and loss she had pushed through for the entirety of her existence, pulled her under miring her in the blackness of her thoughts as she drowned in the memories and the grief.

Her spirit and her mind had been broken.

She had nothing left...

It came at him like a crushing wall. He was so close to the source of the blast but he would not back away, no pain in this world or any other would let him abandon this woman he barely knew.

The flames washed over him, his right arm raised to protect his face, this was not a true fiery attack. It was her pain, versus his will, and did not intend to back down.

As the flames finally faded, there he stood, a smile cast across his face as he looked at her broken. That grief, that pain infested her being like a poison. It had been trapped inside her eating her away, and finally she had been given a moment to release it.

Now she had nothing. A blank void. That meant the only way she could go, was up. There was hope, and that hope is what made him smile. There were no words other than the look on his face, silently declaring that things could only get better. And his presence through her outburst to tell her without a doubt, that he would be there to make sure it did.

He felt it, every tear, every drop of sadness. The haunting emptiness of her eyes. And he in turn gave hope. Boundless hope that seemed completely inexhaustible in the form of a single smile.

You dont have too. Not yet.

He wiped some of the soot off his face, smacking the char off his shirt and pants. In a place like this, the damage he took was related to the amount of damage his will took. It wasnt much at all, but enough to help lighten the situation. If only to pretend nothing was wrong, even if something was.

As he smacked his sleave and a chunk of the shoulder fell off like a sprinkle of ash on the "ground", almost immediately followed by the entire right sleave.

Awww, and this was brand new too...

He said it almost laughing with the brightest of smiles, ask he knocked the rest of the ash off revealing yet more holes in the black fabric. His tone changed ever so slightly, carefully re-approaching the situation at hand.

When your ready to understand, it will come...for now though...

He reached down lifting up a bit of the ground as if pulling of a table cloth. And up the ground came, blurring his form for just a second as it blew,and was sent gliding down a distance away, revealing a teapot and two tea cups. As well as Maximos in fresh new attire.

Care for a drink?

Sadly the person across from here was just as oblivious. He was powerless to stop it, though at the same time, he was open to help or befriend whoever stood before him. He never knew the Sierra of before, only the Sierra of now.

Like this!

He reached down beside the teacups and pots and pulled up another "cloth", revealing a small dish with cheese and crackers on it. Of course that didnt really answer the question, but it sure was tasty! But she was confused enough as it was, he'd be gentle with her mind right now.

Right now we're no where. And yet we're here. But here is whatever is in there.

He pointed straight at her forehead, without touching it. He was entirely too gentlemanly to ever do a thing like that.

And so, whatever you create here.

He said, still pointing at her forehead.

Is made out here.

His hand fanned across the little tea party with a smile.

You try!

Do I ever!

Maximos smiled brightly eying the delectable and delicious delicacy laid before him. He caught the grin on his face, and felt a little glimmer inside. The grin is a close relative to the smile, and moments ago the lady before him seemed as though she would never smile.

Now, there was really only one thing to do. He twirled his fingers as if spinning a baton or sorts between them only to reveal a knife. Not a weapon, nothing so threatening just a clean cake knife. With a flick of his hand, the blade turned so that its handle faced out.

Life without cake, just...just..is not a life worth living!

He offered her the knife, it was only natural as it was her cake.

Will you do the honors?

At first his seemed dead focused on the cake, it could have been the most delicious cake imaginable, as long as he could imagine just that. But her reaction seemed off, the way she paused as if she had never seen a knife before. The way her eyes seemed wide and yet empty at the same time, it was like she was startled by something and wanted to act surprise, but did not fully understand what surprise was. Or who exactly was surprised.

The shadow was to say the least, confused. A moment ago he was looking at an old, rather distressed but otherwise normal soul. Now, he saw...next to nothing.

The stains, the colors, the tumultuous blend of emotion, all of it was so very base, so very bare, unformed by life. Perhaps she had caught on to his soul sight, and this was a masking technique of sort. Or perhaps...no that just...it just couldnt be. All he could think to do was ask, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side.

Are...you alright?

And that was all it need say. His fear was realized, it seemed he had come at the moment of her destruction. He closed his eyes for a moment, slowly shaking his head left and right as the full ramifications of what had just come to pass sunk in. He could not leave her, but this would take quite a while. A deep breath filled his lungs and slowly, slipped past his lips. It was annoyance, more uncertainty, he wasnt sure he could accomplish this. And deep inside he kicked himself for not arriving soon enough to stop her from...well he didnt fully understand how or why this had come to pass.

I suppose its too late to ask your name then...

A grin of sorts stretched across his lips. Something like the smile you give while staring down the barrel of a loaded gun it sort of said, "Its not good, but at least it cant get worse.".

Regardless, if she is gone then what matters most is who you become.

He was talking to himself, gazing at the woman like a sculpture gazes at a block of claying wondering what it wants to be made into.

I've never been much of a teacher, but I'll see what I can do.

He smiled at her, it was a warm friendly smile, the sort you get when you meet an old friend. Maximos stepped forward, just a bit, his hands up, as if he was being held hostage. It was the somewhat universal sign of "peace". It showed he wasnt armed, he wouldnt attack. He wouldnt get too close, just a few feet away before stopping, dropping down to her hieght.

A single hand came down and gently tapped his chest. A symbol of self, or at the very least a method of drawing attention to the object that was himself.

Maximos.

He said it first at a normal pace, and then repeated it slowly. Breaking down not just the words, but the sounds of each letter.

Mm-ack-ssssim-oh-ss.

There was no way to tell wether she would grasp that, so he paused for a moment, scanning for some sort of reaction.

Good your getting it!

He said for an extra bit of positive reinforcement. If that smile of his could have grown any brighter at that moment it did. She was trying! And she had gotten two letters out 7, that was a good start. With that bright smile on his face he tried his very best to assist.

Maaaacks, macks, max....

He tried by exactly to lead her syllable by syllable through the word. He didnt have the easiest name in the world, but she was getting it!

Maaax, eeeeem, ee....m-m-moooooosssssss.

On the plus side, if she could say something like Maximos, then should she meet someone named Bob, it would be a piece of cake! His eye glanced at the treat for a moment, wondering if it would be easier to teach her to eat instead. Before resuming the phonetic lesson.

Maaacccckseeemooss. Maximos. See its not that hard is it!