[???] As Though in a Trance (Ying + ???)

[chiickadee]

Living in Halloween had not been easy, nor did Ying ever think it would become easy. It had been very clearly defined that the path she now walked was not only a difficult one, but a lonely one. Very few had chosen to walk away from Medea, and Ying thought every day of returning.

Not to Medea's way of life- never to Medea's way of life- but to her brother, her friends. To food and warmth and life. She still hardly recognized her daily motions as living.

Even now, Ying had crashed after a long day of prejudice and shut doors, to her tiny, sagging apartment in downtown Halloweentown.

For now, Ying slept. She dreamt of the life she once knew- the shores of an island culture, the imperial nature of the Conquest island. The comfortable life she once knew, not knowing of conflict or death or Death or any of it.

Yet she dreamt of something more. Something powerful.

zoobey

dream sequence we talked about before biggrin biggrin biggrin

 

[Zoobey]

The dream started like most dreams did, just voices muttering, just echos of memories. Slowly, the colours blurred together and pulled tighter, slowly shapes began to form.

A road, leading forward. Just one road.

At the end of the road was a tiny figure wearing a blue dress and white apron. It was young, a young scareling perhaps. She curtsied. "This way, this way."

She pointed forwards, and in front of the two was a large black door. She stepped in first, and inside was a table, at the other end of the table a tall pale figure in black that very much resembled Death himself.

"Another visitor," he looked almost real as he gestured to Ying with a skeletal hand, "please, make yourself comfortable. I have all the time in the world." There was a pause and it felt like they were making some indiscernible joke. "So what will it be then? Conversation or request?"

chimarii

 

[chiickadee]

Ying blinked slowly, first stretching upwards and then settling on her feet whilst rubbing her eyes. It seemed as though she'd just woken up- though that couldn't be true. This was not her apartment.

She walked along the road, looking around for something- anything. The events of the recent had past had taught her to be wary, alert. Perhaps even paranoid.

A blue girl curtsied and Ying blushed, doing the same. She was directed and Ying responded, "Oh th-thank you very much miss!" She scurried towards the door whilst bowing in the girl's direction.

The room was simple. A table, and a figure. A large figure. She bowed to this one as well, unsure of what his status was or even who he was. He looked like death, but then, death had many forms from what she'd seen. At this point he could have been Medea in disguise for all Ying knew. "Ah! Um .... Conversation, maybe? I ... I am not sure why I am here, therefore I am not sure what I would request."

Following Death(?)'s invitation, she padded to the table and took a seat at the foot of the table. "M-My name is Ying Zheng, sir," she said, moving to bow and then realizing there was a table in the way.

zoobey

 

[Zoobey]

"A lovely name, I'm sure," he replied dryly. "If we are going by introductions, then I will say I simply have no name or title as I neither belong in the living or dead world. This," he gestured at himself, "is all that remains, my own legacy, really, before the word Legacy had power."

He folded his skeletal hands back on the table. "Please, entertain me. Alice has been such wonderful company lately, I haven't been actively seeking any guests, not yet anyway. You are free to correct me at any time, as this is conversation, but I believe you are here for someone, and that someone is yourself, and not the remains of me. So, follower of Conquest, what are you here for, and be honest with me, I have a low tolerance for lies."

chimarii

 

[chiickadee]

Someone ... was she looking for someone? Ying put a tiny hand on her chin, trying to search through her mind for who that might be. She still felt like she'd just woken up.

But this man- whoever he was- did remind her quite a bit of death. Charon came to mind- he was, of course, on her mind quite a bit lately. "Um ... honestly I don't know what I'm here for, but ... would you happen to maybe know Charon?"

With Medea and Charon's ... "display" in the desert, Ying wasn't sure how anyone wouldn't know his name. "You just remind me of him a little ... I am unsure what happened to him since I've seen him last."

zoobey

 

[Zoobey]

"I know of many," the visitor confirmed, "Hundreds have taken the name, and all of them are called Charon, passed by the greatest of human gifts, their personal legacies. The question is which Charon, and a greater question of why. Eventually all those with names simply happen, myself included, and with time, are forgotten. The name is unimportant. "

chiikadee

 

[chiickadee]

"I see ... um ..." One hand ran through her long ebony hair, unsure of how to respond to such a claim. It was a bit lofty, and went right over her head. In many ways, Ying had tunnel vision.

Her fingers tapped on the table lightly. "Well, m-my Charon- well it isn't right to call him mine- that is very rude and um-" She took a gulp and dared a look at the bigger figure. "H-He p... perished out in the Sahara f-fighting Medea." She grew more quiet and said, "Why is more complicated ... um ... a bad lady took over the clans, and I do not believe she stands with the clans b-best interests in mind. I think she stands for herself. Ch-Charon believed a s-similar thing, I think."

She realized her tale was getting lengthy and she sat up a bit straighter. The last thing she would want to do is waste somebody's time! "He ... He somehow turned into a weapon. A purple staff. The hunters- they took him. I would like to at least see him one last time ... if possible I would like to return him to his homeland ... It seems unfair to be surrounded b-by scary hunters ... even in death ..." She then shut her mouth and looked to the ground, as was customary when waiting for a request's response.

zoobey