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Felicity wiped more tears from her eyes. She was still naive, stubborn, and stupid enough to trust people. The fact that Nevin told her his pained backstory was enough, however. Maybe she should return the favor...
With a deep sigh, the chillingly calm person started to speak.
"I grew up in a small town in Eiskalt. Eiskalt was different then than it is now. Back then, the more isolationist society was... close minded..." She had to search for the words. "Traditionalist?"
She leaned her head against the wood again. One leg was laid straight in front of her, her left arm fallen with it. She was making a conscious effort to enunciate past her lisp again.
"I was born to a single mother who had an apparently frightening encounter with a neanderthal. The consequence was my existence." Her right hand carelessly was thrown as body language. Her pained, ironic smile was void of warmth or light. "My mom quickly disowned me and, bless his heart, my uncle had the compassion to take me in."
Her smile became more earnest as memories of that man crossed her mind. It faded again as the cold of Eiskalt, those people, returned to her thoughts as well. "While some residents were passive or even accepting of me, the majority of the town was judgemental. The town officials let the half-neanderthal-" she choked as she spoke next; the subdued but still existent anger spat in disbelief, "-abomination live!"
She briefly shook. Thanks to the potion, she lacked the energy to speak in such a manor. Instead, she seemed dead to emotion, numbed by her pain, as she continued. "But many wanted death. Some even attempted to go outside the law and kill me. I spent most of my childhood in tbe house, and my older cousin had to be with me when I went out. Every time I stepped outside, somebody was always ready to throw another stone at me. Some hurt me..."
Her eyes glanced at the twisted finger of her left hand. This was one of those hurts.. She lifted the hand, observing the finger. The pale blue finger was horrendously twisted. It lacked any aspect of life. She shook again. She had to grasp her left hand with her right just to stop. Uneasy, shaken breaths. A moment or two of uneven breathing, then she calmed enough to speak again.
"... After years of effort, my uncle got a paton by the Tabor family to take my cousin and I and move to another country, Corone. I was eight when we moved..."
She sharply turned her head away. A surprising shame took over her. She tightened up into a ball, throwing blame at herself for even feeling these emotions. "Tha-that was years ago. I should be over it by now..."
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Nevin slowly shook his head and shifted from his kneeling position to sit next to the girl. He wished there had been someone for him to talk to when his father had throw him out - but, he was going to do for her what no one had been able to do for him. Awkwardly, he draped an arm across the girl's shoulders as she curled into a ball, and pulled her into his side. He was rather surprised when the teen turned around enough to wrap her arms around his torso, hugging for dear life. They'd make for an interesting sight, two redheads sitting on the ground in front of the counter, Nevin thought, as he stared out the windows into the street outside.
"No one has said that, or if they have, they were wrong. Being outcast, ostracized, is never easy. To be shunned, attacked for something beyond your control, instead of the person you are and the actions you have performed, is terrible." Slowly, he started to rub her back. He was more comfortable doing this with Eteri, but their relationship was different. He barely knew Felicity - but she clearly needed someone to be there for her as she spilled this.
"And I see no abomination here, Felicity. I see a young girl, scared and hurt by people who should have been better than that." He grinned a half hearted smile and ruffled her hair. His ribs had creaked for a moment there as she had hugged him tightly - and he was just glad that his threads had proven tough enough for him to take the force of the hug without needing help.
"And let me tell you, I've seen a bit of this world. Mad abominations, true bearers of that title mind you, not like you. Massive beings that consumed and left nothing but death. I've seen cat women, bird people, mad men who worship demons. You might be angry sometimes, scared at others. But that just makes you all the more human, I think. And I mean, it's not like I'm not that usual myself.".
To emphasize his point here, thin threads weaved from his palm, and began slowly spinning into a crimson orb that waved back and forth in the air.
"No one decides who you are, but you." He smiled at her.
-
As she listened to his words, the potion kept working. She was drowsy. His words seemed to bring a sense of peace into her, yet she still was unsound.
She attempted to push herself away. As tired as she was though, her arms only shook. "C-can't become them... the anger..."
She refused to become those people. She refused to bind herself to hate and treat others the way they treated her. This was why she buried all of her fury so deep. Yet, the blood fury that pumped through her heart, thundered through her veins, was inescapable. This was why she was here, however. To stop the rage. As Nevin spoke, he let her see that his veins were not just veins. A small orb of blood formed in his hands. It did not shock her as much as it would of, and only a tired smile crossed her face. She'd seen worse.
This was her blood fury. This was his blood alchemy. Were they not one in the same?
Her breaths were long and heavy. Emotionally, she was drained of all energy. The potion bubbled inside, causing her to feel the need for rest. As of now, she was comforted. Nevin had just heard of her dark DNA, her bad blood, her beserk rage... yet, he saw not a monster, but a person.
And only she could chose her own path.
Was that not why she came fighting her own abilities? Was that not why she wanted to make things right?
Her eyes closed as her consciousness slipped away. This did not make the past right, but it made her ready to face the future with her optimism one more day.
~~~
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Flamebird receives 1355 EXP and 160 GP!
Nevin receives 1625 EXP and 145 GP!
This thread will now be submitted to the workshop for peer review!
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