Whose town is this?

[Nayt]

zombzeh (8:55:48 PM): What town was this? He didn't know. He'd passed through so many over the last few months--six months, was it? Eight? A full year? Perhaps even more. Truth be told, he hadn't paid attention. He was alive, of course, which was much more than any of his kind could ever ask for--a life beyond three years or so. Milos was approaching the point where he should rightfully fade, but that wasn't going to be his case. No, he wasn't fated to be like the rest of them, or how they used to be--he was supposed to live a long, full life. But so far . . .

"Ma'am?" the innkeeper's voice broke Milos from his thoughts.

He was often mistaken for a woman, and it was just expected anymore. Wearing a baggy shirt and slacks two sizes too large on him, it was impossible to tell that he had a male body--and even then, he still had a bit of curves uncommon in most men. Lacking facial hair and the ability to grow it, as well as a feminine face, lent to this gender confusion. His voice could have gone either way, too. Most girls had both arms, though. Milos couldn't boast that--he only had one, his right arm.

"Oh! Sorry!" he exclaimed, "Ten gold pieces, right?"

"That's right."

Milos reached into his bag, rummaging through the pockets with the tip of his tongue poking out at the left corner of his lip and one eye closed--deep thought, something that always became a visible spectacle with him! Finally, a small bag of gold was procured, from which he withdrew ten pieces, setting them upon the counter before the innkeeper. It was a fairly shoddy inn; he'd stayed in better, but didn't judge them based on eachother--fortunately.

"Thanks much. You take care now, little lady."

"Thanks!" replied a chipper Milos as he slung his bag over his shoulder, "You, too. Bye~"

And so, he set off, back out into the village. He'd only needed a place to stay for the night, that was all. Perhaps after a bite to eat, he'd take his leave and continue down the north road, just to see where it took him.

Skye10296 (10:27:47 PM): As Milos exited the establishment, he would be met by a flat but distinctly female voice. "Hello."

No doubt as he exited the establishment his eyes would need to adjust to the bright morning light, but the individual standing before him would be immediately in focus. The contrast between her skin and the sunlight, no doubt, made her seem as if she were the only existence in a void of soft white. She was standing directly in front of the door, hands clasping a clipboard and resting below the waist; perhaps she’d been about to walk in, but she made no move to step around Milos or get out of his way. Indeed, she addressed him directly.

He’s cute, A demon muttered in her head. Bow.

The obsidian skinned, haired, and robed woman bowed deeply--befitting a Cizokan address to a noble--the light from her crimson eyes extinguished for a time as she broke eye contact and stared at the dirt at his feet. Time passed. She remained perfectly still and balanced, staring at his feet. It probably would have been awkward now, if she’d known of such things.

zombzeh (10:42:20 PM): Truth be told, Milos's body had adjusted to the real world. He liked it here, there was no lie about that. His eyes never had to adjust to the morning or night, for he made no habit of staying indoors for any real length of time. The gray, however . . . that his eyes would have to adjust to, and thankfully he didn't need to experience that anymore. A gray sky--forever between shades, never waning, no moon, no sun, but light anew-- a hellish lumenescence upon a savage, cracked world, deserted, dead-- a carcass of a land. He only had to adjust to that anylonger.

That and that alone . . .

Milos nearly bumped into the girl on his way out, surprising the youth, forcing him to nearly stumble back. Had he kept going, he'd not have been able to stop himself! With his only arm holding the pack over his shoulders, he lacked any free limb to brace himself with. Such was the drawback of possessing not but a single arm.

"O-oh, hello!" exclaimed the youth awkwardly.

Dark skin--eerie, but familiar. Eerily familiar. Uncomfortably so, but he didn't make this distinction clear in the least. His brow remained raised and his features pleasant; surprised, but pleasant.

The whole bowing thing was uncommon, but it happened. He'd seen it happen. Sometimes people even asked him if he was from that place, Cizok. Milos didn't think he looked it, but some people insisted--especially when they found out his real gender.

"I'm sorry," he bowed only a little; it wasn't a custom he was used to, "I nearly bumped into you."

Skye10296 (11:02:27 PM): Good. Up.

The girl righted herself after the boy returned the bow. Her eyes drifted from his lips to his neck and below before staring past him, through him, and just slightly to the left. There was a cat behind him, on the innkeeper’s desk. She liked cats.

Look him in the eyes, demanded the demon.

"Not at all," her body moved of its own accord, raising her slender hand and waving away his apologies. She could hear the demon in her head and her own voice overlap as the words came out; she was merely a spectator, learning. Monkey see; monkey do.

"You’re very handsome, sir!" The demon flirted, using her shapely body like a puppet. "I’m passing through and thought this inn might--" her midsection twisted and a funny sound came out. The demon made her clutch her stomach as if in pain, but she could only wonder why. Her bottom lip puffed out and she looked up at him in distress, "Ah~ I’m so hungry! I thought this place might have some food for a poor girl wandering through without a home to call her own."

zombzeh (11:18:24 PM): Milos blinked, confused--sort of. The way she moved her body like that was sort of . . . weird. It wasn't the first time he saw someone do that, nor would it ever be the last time, but alas! It wasn't something that usually caught his attention, and not for lack of interest. Truth be told, he found both genders as appealing as much as others confused his own gender. There were just certain things he looked for first, and traveling like he was, he wasn't going to find those--and he wasn't looking, either.

Then she shifted, her stomach growling. It would have been super rude to giggle, so he definitely avoided that.

"Oh. Would you like something to eat?" Milos asked.

He could very easily get scammed like this, but Milos didn't think anyone would do that to him. Likewise, an intelligent person wouldn't do that. He could hurt dumb people. Really, really bad. And Milos didn't like it when people walked all over his trust.

"I think . . . there is a diner down the street, if you'd like me to buy you a meal," he declared with a nod.

Nothing better to do, right?

Skye10296 (11:29:59 PM): Why would this human offer to buy her a meal?

Because he’s kind.

Kind?

Don’t bother yourself with human traits.

If I want to know?

Your curiosity will not be enforced. Learn by watching and doing. Don’t ask unnecessary things.

"Ah~~!! That would be so wonderful!" Outwardly she was bubbling and declarative, but her thoughts wandered. It became too troublesome to ignore.

Fine. Ask him yourself.

Talk to a… person?

Human. Tool. Thing. Act it out. Show me you’ve been learning.

With the same voice as before, but with far less emotion and emphasis--though still more than she herself had ever mustered, she spoke to a human being for the first time.

"Wh… why," she faltered, incredibly nervous. "Why would you… do something for me?"

Very good.

She smothered her black yukata, fingering the silver embroidery with her free hand as the other clutched the wooden clip-board, waiting for an answer.

zombzeh (11:39:23 PM): A bit of a change in demeanor she had quite suddenly! Not that it really mattered in the end. Of all people to judge someone for anything, it was Milos. He had enough oddities about him that such a judgment would have been outright hypocritical. Likewise, there was someone in his life who always acted out of randomness--someone who jumped and jittered and fought, why? because he had the urge at the time, and he acted on every urge he had when he had it and never asked why.

It was understandable.

Milos smiled at her. "Well, if you're hungry, why not? I was going to stop for something to eat, anyways--and I can always work for more money somewhere."

Money didn't grow on trees, but it was easy to get ahold of. All Milos had to do was show he was a good worker, and literally any labor shop was going to pay for his employment. Some even rued the day he left. If there was one thing he was good at, it was endurance and strength! This, of course, was impossible to tell, even when he was wearing tight clothes. Shirtless, however . . . well, he didn't go shirtless often.

"I think it's over this way. Let's go," Milos invited her along, remembering where that local eatery was. Quality wasn't guaranteed, but food was food.

Skye10296 (11:50:22 PM): "Ah…Th--thank you."

Was he lying?

No.

Correct.

Can I eat with him?

In a perfect world, little beast.

The shadeling’s features sagged slightly as he left. It was a big day for her; she regretted not being able to take him up on his offer. Mark the occasion, eat human food, or maybe just spend time with a human she wasn’t meant to destroy.

You’re developing quickly. You already know regret. Say your goodbyes.

"I-I’m glad to have met you… Milos."

And with that she was gone. All it would take is a single blink, or lapse in attention, and she would slip into the shadows beside her. Her time away from her masters was precious, but she wasn’t ready to be social yet. This was a big step, and it needed to be processed and repeated before she could blend in perfectly with humanity.

Don’t worry. You’ll see him again.

zombzeh (11:56:57 PM): "You're welcome," replied Milos pleasantly.

He was glad to help people out sometimes, especially when it seemed like they needed it. Other times, well . . . other times he was somewhere else, not in his head, out there in thought, back in Hellish Purgatory, reflecting over names he could hardly remember. Blurred faces and distorted looks; every day he forgot them more and more . . .

But there were a few he could always remember, a select group to cling to and think about and reflect and smile about all the times they spent together--

And then she said her goodbyes.

"Wh--" Milos was about to ask where she was going, but it was too late, the obsidian skinned girl had taken her leave.

Milos watched her go, confused. He was tempted to call out to her and ask if she was sure, but by the time he got ready to, she was gone. He frowned. It actually would've been nice to have someone to eat with. Oh well . . .

Milos grabbed a quick overpriced-for-a-bad bite to eat and, like the obsidian skinned girl, took his leave of the village, a place that many called Paradise--a place Milos wasn't yet ready to see.

[Nayt]

Whose town is this? // Fin.