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+--- Thread: Who Are You (To Me)? (/showthread.php?tid=11486)
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Who Are You (To Me)? - Alek - Sep 06 2023
Backdated to Mid-August
Here Alek was, still in the misty cave. Still with his duty and companion, the gembound that he now knew was named Erasmus. Still self-exiled from visiting his family. Was this one gembound, this unintentional murderer, worth the loss of his family, either temporarily or permanently?
And yet, Erasmus looked at him with such hope in their vivid eyes. The tragic gembound, devastated by the actions they had committed, looked at Alek and saw hope.
There was no doubt in his mind that he was far from a paragon of good, yet... Alek could not bear to hurt this being that believed in him by leaving them, let alone anything worse.
"So... you're Erasmus?" Alek asked, already knowing the answer, but not knowing what else to say. What did one say to a being that he was bound to like this? Apparently, small talk.
@Erasmus
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Erasmus - Sep 07 2023
Every word that the large being spoke was now a balm to Erasmus. Simply the musical tone of his voice soothed their newfound anxieties. He was called Alek, they reminded themself, just as Erasmus was called Erasmus. They were not used to thinking of other entities in terms of names.
As Alek addressed them, the vampire gave a content purr. "Am Erasmus," They agreed, gesturing to themself with a golden clawed hand. Then they paused, wanting to make sure they were indeed understanding correctly. The same clawed hand gestured at the large being. "Name am Alek?" Their voice rasped the question.
Their other arm held the Raspite, and a new realization dawned on them. Their content relaxation vanished, replaced with trepidation. They held out the Raspite in both hands now, then they spoke. "...Name...?" They asked, rough voice wary but determined.
After all, if all entities had names, so had this one. And it was important to know.
@Alek
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Alek - Sep 07 2023
Those claws caught Alek's eye even through the mist. Erasmus was an odd-shaped creature compared to his own kin, yet... They were undoubtedly beautiful in way simultaneously deadly and tragic. Not even fully grown yet, and already they were the sort of being that could have enraptured prey with simply their green gaze.
Erasmus confirmed their name, thankfully, and even seemed to show a sense of understanding of Alek's own name. Alek gave a nod, careful not to knock their antlers into anything as he did so. "My name's Alek, yeah," He agreed, correcting grammar somewhat subconsciously, in his own casual way.
Suddenly, his companion's contented feel became tense. And when they spoke, he could tell why. "He had a name, but I do not know what it was," Alek informed the tragic being whose bright gaze shone with weariness and determination both.
"One of my parents, whose name is Cadenza, might know... If not them, then their dragon-dad, whose name is Dread, would," Alek continued to explain in a slow even pace so that the other might take the time to comprehend his words. "...Dragons are family, after all." The last bit was spoken quieter, not truly intended for the other's ears.
@Erasmus
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Erasmus - Sep 07 2023
There was a clear distinction between the way Erasmus spoke and Alek did, even beyond their own raspy tones being compared to the larger being's musical ones. It was phrasing, and through it grammar, though Erasmus did not yet know those specific words.
It upset them that they did not know the name of the Raspite's owner, nor did Alek. They wanted to hiss and scratch instinctively due to feeling upset, but they did not want to do that anymore. Instincts versus conscious desires.
A distraction quickly presented itself that they readily attached to, for there were new words Erasmus was hearing that seemed important, that they were entirely missing any frame of reference to, forgotten or otherwise.
"Not know 'parents'. 'Dad'. ....'Family'?" Erasmus tried to ask. They did not even realize the quieter spoken words were not intended for them. After all, they had rather sensitive ears.
@Alek
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Alek - Sep 07 2023
Well, that sort of answered one of Alek's own questions, if this gembound did not know what those terms were. The dragon decided to explain in the order that made the most sense.
"Family is.... gembounds important to an individual, I suppose. They are often related by stone-giving or magic-giving, but not always," He started.
"My dad Sprig is still family and my dad, even if he didn't give me my stone or magic. A dad is a parent, but parents can also be moms, or others are simply called parents," That was thorough enough, right? Maybe.
"My life-giver, Cadenza, is my parent that gave me magic and life. Dread is their dad who gave them their stone." Alek gave some examples for good measure.
Oh! "Stone-giving is taking a small piece of your stone off to have it imbued with magic," He added, slow speech to allow understanding, but wanting Erasmus to know killing was not involved, considering the other's traumatic experiences with gemstones.
@Erasmus
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Erasmus - Sep 08 2023
Important, to Erasmus, meant things necessary for life. Such as gemstones. The idea that other beings could be thought of in the same way was startling. It was almost enough to distract them from the term 'stone-giving'. Almost, but not quite.
But Alek explained stone-giving, seemingly anticipating their fears, and that soothed them momentarily. "Alek's stone-giver?" They asked.
However, Erasmus was not an stupid being, for all that they were new to language. They could understand paths of logic, after thinking it all through.
And if dragons were family and that was how his family would know of the Raspite, then... The Raspite was a dragon. Which also meant the Raspite was family, was important. And Erasmus had taken that from Alek.
Viper eyes stared at Alek, understanding and yet not. "He's... family?" The raspy voice spoke as their hands shook around the stolen Raspite.
@Alek
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Alek - Sep 08 2023
Alek was glad for the distraction, though he was not quite sure how to word it all. "...My stone was taken from prey. Some prey have gemstones, but they don't have magic like us greater gembounds do. The gemstone taken from their body can be given life by us that have magic."
That seemed like a sufficient explanation. But it didn't take Erasmus long to make a leap of logic that Alek wasn't trying to make them deal with.
Slowly, Alek nodded his head in affirmative. "...He was part of my family, even if I had not met him before or known his name specifically."
He wasn't going to lie to Erasmus. The other seemed to accept that harsh truths were necessary, and yet Alek worried about how much his words kept hurting Erasmus.
@Erasmus
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Erasmus - Sep 08 2023
Some prey did have gemstones, this was something Erasmus had noticed as well in their three cycles of life.
More importantly, though, was the idea that one could give life to a stone from the dead. "Erasmus... give life?" The gembound rasped, staring down at the stolen stone in their arms.
It was not right that this stone was dead because of them.
A dismayed cry left Erasmus as Alek confirmed that the stone they held was from a deceased member of his family. Suddenly, the conflict Erasmus could recall from Alek at their meeting made all the more sense, and none at all.
Why did Alek seem to care about them at all? Wouldn't it make more sense if...
"Alek... kill Eramus?" The vampire asked, accepting the fate even as they spoke it. It was only fair. "Life for life."
@Alek
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Alek - Sep 08 2023
"You are too young to give life," Alek explained. "And... the gembound created by your magic would be a whole new gembound. A child, not the same as the being you killed even if related by stone," Alek explained in his musical voice, sadness tinged in the explanation.
It was clear that Erasmus wished to fix what they had been done, but there was no true fix to death.
Then... Alek jolted, all five functional eyes staring at Erasmus. He wanted to shout, but he barely restrained himself from that. "I won't kill you, not ever," Alek spoke it like a promise. But the tone of acceptance that the other's raspy voice had was horrific.
Yet... Erasmus's explanation gave them an idea. "If you're dead, you're gone. You can't do anything. To pay for death, you must continue to give in life. You can't do that if you're dead," Alek half-made up the words on the spot, not lying but making up a philosophy he had never really thought much of.
But was that enough to keep this gembound alive? Accepting death like that felt so wrong to Alek. Alek needed to give them a goal. "When you're older, you could give life to the stone. It wouldn't be the same, but it would be a second chance for the stone," Alek stared intently at Erasmus, hoping that the other took the offered bait to live.
Alek would find more reasons, he needed to, but for now, this would have to be enough. ...But why did he need to?
This kin-killer was pitiful, but that was not the reason why Alek had taken them as a responsibility, he remembered. No. Alek saw himself in this being, if he had not had family as he had. A being full of instincts. They were tragic, and they mattered to Alek for all that they shouldn't.
He had gotten attached. In so short a time, as well. Attached to the strong spirit behind the tragedy. For that strong spirit to give up was a horrific notion.
@Erasmus
RE: Who Are You (To Me)? - Erasmus - Sep 08 2023
Too young did not mean it was going to be impossible forever. But Erasmus's hopes were dashed by Alek's explanation of what it meant to give life to a dead gemstone.
Erasmus thought their logic sound when they offered their life. However, Alek's response was odd, though his logic made even greater sense. One who was dead could not do anything, let alone pay for killing another. But Alek did not want to hurt them, it seemed.
An idea was proposed, and they clung to it as much as they physically clung to the stone in their arms. A future where this stone was not lifeless. They had to stay alive to give this stone a second chance. That made sense. To give, not take.
It did not feel like enough, entirely, but for now it would have to be. Slowly, Erasmus nodded their head to indicate an affirmative, as Alek had demonstrated.
They felt emotionally exhausted, and their jaw stretched out wider than one would have expected as they yawned.
@Alek