Completed Dances With Ghosts (Shalita)

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh returned to where his discarded clothes floated off shore. He gripped his leggings in his teeth and began to swim back. The resistance of the wet clothes against even the small tidal current cut his progress in half on his way back. He nearly lost heart as he thought about the effort it would take to drag them across the beach. Even with the lack of sand to clot on them and drag them down, the glass beads making up most of the shore would surely catch on every hem and tumble inside to continually add weight. It appeared that she was waiting on him though. 'Probably more curiosity than hope,' he figured. But that would do for now. He finally got to within ten feet of shore. There were a few beachcombers about, but again, they seemed only too happy to avoid a ghost. Goneszh was not quite sure why these people were so reluctant to interact with ghosts. He had always found that to be the quickest way to make them friendly and accommodating. Of course, there was no denying the existence of bitter and angry ghosts, insane even, and often they had to be dealt with harshly. But this was hardly true of Shalita. Of course, as a Spiritist, he had his ability with making articles able to touch ghosts on their intangible level, and this could be used in a destructive way. But he'd found that the best way to get rid of a ghost that was bothersome was to make it feel as if its purpose in staying behind was satisfied or no longer pertinent. Dealing harshly with them invited repercussions. If you could not come to some kind of compromise, it almost always came to where you HAD to dust them, and he hated to do that. It was such a tragedy to bring something that could free itself any time it wanted into a trap that kept it eternally bound instead, never to be reborn. He had seen his mother do that one time, after exhausting every other option. She had been more haunted by this than the ghost had been when they'd arrived in that town those many years ago. But his reverie was pointless and he knew it. It was his Spiritist experiences that made it so easy for him to gauge the approach to calm a rampant ghost, or make one feel that they'd done all that could be expected in life, and had not failed in whatever capacity they were grieving or angry about. Because of this, he had no real apprehension about approaching ghosts. He could imagine how easy it was for the inexperienced to assume that all ghosts were mad with some aggressive obsession, and just looking for a target to drape the responsibility upon. This of course DID happen from time to time. But he'd always been prepared fr that as well. Though he had to admit, right now, with his clothes drenched or lost, and no gear or soul mist at hand, he was about as vulnerable as he could be. But again, he did not have any fear of Shalita. She apparently did not know what a Dhani was. She may well be familiar with the Rajor family, and their ability to shift between forms, but she may have never heard the term "Dhani" applied to them. At the back of his mind, there was a small creeping concern that she may have never seen the shift at all. If this was the case, he did not know how she might react. But it looked like it was now his only option to make her realize he WAS Goneszh, and Goneszh was NOT dead. She was still watching him as he guided his tail back into the split leggings. He took a deep breath. Though he shook his head at most people's instinctive fear of ghosts, it served him right now by keeping people away while he underwent a shift back to human form. He felt his body expand, felt the cool rush of water curl around newly forming limbs as they broke from the single long snake torso. The water would conceal him as he shifted, further preventing the likelihood of discovery by any humans. When he was about halfway through the transformation, he tilted his scaly but human-shaped head back to see, through his reptilian slit-shaped pupils, what Shalita was doing in response.

[Shalita Farlay]

Her pale blue gaze watched as the snake swam off to some point within the ocean and she turned her gaze away, to look along the beach, taking note of the places where the water lapped against the glass pebbled shore. Goneszh’s body wasn’t there and she began to wonder as to how the snake could be Goneszh. He had to be dead, other-wise why had he not appeared to her. A snake couldn’t be Goneszh… Could it? Back in her human life in Zeltiva, she had heard that there were people that could shift into animals like wolves, tigers and even birds. Never had she heard about snakes. She angled her head as she pondered this thought, how could someone turn into an animal anyway? How did it all occur and why? The snake, was it a shape shifter as well, just like those that shifted into wolves and tigers? No, it had pointed out to a word that it had taken the time to lay out. Dhani. It was a Dhani, but were the Dhani’s the shape-shifting race that could shift into any animal? She pressed her lips together as she pondered about this, her gaze returning to view the sea where the snake had disappeared to.

It was at this point that she spotted the snake, does it have clothes with it? She silently questioned as she frowned and slowly edged forwards. Were they Goneszh’s clothes? A frown creased her forehead even more as she began to puzzle out these things. Was the Dhani snake really Goneszh? She lifted her hands to press to her head, shaking her head and even squeezing her eyes closed. How was this even possible? She can’t remember him even telling her that he was Dhani, a shape shifter of some kind. Even when she had possessed him, she hadn’t seen anything that indicated that he was what this snake had said he was. Wait, was the snake being controlled by Goneszh and it wrote that message to tell her that he was Dhani? No, the snake had clearly pointed to itself with its tail and therefore the snake was Dhani. However, what was a Dhani? Was it the shape shifter that she had originally thought? Which begged the question, was Goneszh a shape shifter? This was all confusing to her and the questions kept spinning around inside of her mind in a ruthless circle. Finally she came to a different question. Was Goneszh still alive?

Suddenly, hope took root within and she lifted her hands to clasp together and she rose them to press to her chest, hope filling her eyes as her form changed once again. Her white hair began to darken to grey and then to a black. Her eyes took on a deeper blue. Her white dress shortened so then the hem fell to just underneath her knees and it’s colour also changed to a blue, a blue much like the colour of her eyes. Her head lifted as she watched the snake, until it dipped under the surface. Why had it dipped underwater? She leaned forwards, her form floating closer towards the water’s edge. If Goneszh really wasn’t dead, then she hadn’t lost the new found friend. It meant that she hadn’t killed him by accident. That was of course if he had somehow managed to survive, she could have sworn that she had seen him go under and not resurface, but maybe… Just maybe he had somehow survived and she was willing to hold onto that small hope.
.

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh felt the water begin to define a human shape once again. The coolness of the water outlining legs and arms, instead of the extended tail, which he could feel shorten as the cool touch of the water drew closer and closer to where his legs formed. Even the wash of his ears was changed, growing out to feel the water as they formed. The perspective of his vision changed subtly as his eyes altered position on his face, from a more wide, sidelong field to the straightaway view of a human. In truth, it was not something he enjoyed, becoming human. His field of vision being only one of many senses that diminished with the transformation. But he needed to show Shalita that he was unharmed by her possessed swim. He lay now in only knee-deep water, his legs thrust through his leggings, though they were torn the entire length of the inseam. Still, they remained sufficiently in place to allow him to stand without being lewd. The weight of the water necessitated him grabbing the waist band to keep them in place as he rose to face Shalita. "Javeya, I'm terribly s-sorry if I alarmed you. My thoughts-s were on another topic and I did not even think how it might s-scare you...umm...Would you be terribly bothered if I made a change to the way I do es-ses-s, to avoid my...affliction? If I shay them like sho, I do not shtutter. Shushing them pullzh back my tongue from my teeth and that sheemzh to be enough to shtop it. I shound a bit shilly, I know, but I get s-s-so tired of s-s-sounding like this-ss-ss-s and having to keep claiming I s-ss-s-stutter. I need the practice-ss-ss." he exaggerated his sibilance even beyond the norm for his race. "S-so...er...Sho, now you know. I am a Dhani, one of the shnake people, though of a shubrache not sho well known. I am an Iyvesh, and I can hold my breath under water for a long time. The miserable conshtrictorzh of the Rajor family would likely not bother to enshlave me before killing me. There izh much feuding between the different branches of our little "family". In turn, I find them repugnant in their brutal shelf-importanche and air of shuperiority. They think themshelvezh the "true" children of S-Siku, and all others-s are beneath them." He turned and looked in the direction of the Rajor Plantation, Smokesend, on the Uvic Lake, at the far, inland end of the same river which formed the delta around which Kenash was built. "I know that shome of my people have been taken azh shlavezh here." even with his browned complexion, anyone observing would have probably seen it color with anger. " They came in peache, having shtayed hidden up until now, and the moment they revealed themshelvezh, thozhe petching Rajor s-s-slapped them in chains-s." He turned back to her, his modified pronunciation forgotten in his anger. "This-s is-s not s-s...Shome cashe of gambling debts-s to earn an indentured s-state to pay the debt. That would be undershtandable. This-s izh shimply grabbing them azh they show their faces-s, and throwing them in chainzh..." He paced slowly, his thoughts lost in past years, his pronunciation fluctuating. "There is-s a plache called Ravok. A powerful family there threw my Mother and I in chainzh there the s-same way. They made ush fight in a pit, uzhing ghoshts-s to pos-ses-s us-s, azh they bet on the outcome. We were not made to fight each other right off, but eventually, it came to that. She gave her life s-so I could es-scape." He turned now and looked around, there was still no one willing to come too close to a ghost. If they thought him mad to do so, he gave it no mind. "Lis-s-s...Lishten, I only trusht shaying thish becauzhe no one izh near. I mean to shee my Iyvesh brotherzh freed. I need to shecure shome backing, by getting work for one of the familiezh, azh a shpiritisht no doubt. I am not sure which family might provide me thish advantage, but I doubt the Rajor would indulge in shuch a shpiritual thing. I will need a friend on your shide of the veil. The employer will no doubt have a shpirit shervant of hizh own. But I will not be able to trusht them with thish. I am already trushting you with my Dhani shecret. I would love to have s-someone I can talk to without thish shtupid shounding shush. I can make life pleas-sant for you a number of ways-s." He smiled, "Even occasional s-swims-s. I aim to shake this-s c-city up. What do you think? Will you work with me? Be my partner?"

[Shalita Farlay]

Javeya waited with patience, her deep blue gaze looking on with hope that maybe, just maybe that she hadn’t killed him. So, she waited for the snake to make his rise from the water. However, it wasn’t a snake that had come up from the water, it was Goneszh and he was half naked, his body only being covered by a pair of pants. He was even holding the waist band of the pants as he rose and she bit down upon her bottom lip as her eyes widened. She really had not killed him and it gave her joy. So much joy in fact, that she thought that she might explode. He was alive! It was the only thought that kept going through her mind at that point in time, before he began to speak. He asked her if he could make a change to the way he spoke to avoid the stutter. honestly Javeya had sort of come to believe that it was some kind of accent. It kind of suited him, made him uniquely different to the humans that she observed on a daily basis. However, now she did know that he was a part of this race called the Dhani that were made up of snake people.

Goneszh spoke about feuding between sub-races and she got slightly confused. Wouldn’t snakes stick up for snakes? She had seen how some people were treated in Kenash, especially if they were different and were not a part of the dynasty families. They mostly got enslaved, well from what she had seen. This instantly made her look around the beach to make sure that no one was really watching the two, but then she realized that she was a ghost and that most people tended to avoid her like the plague anyway, so they should be fine. Should be. He would then begin to present some new questions, much like, how many sub-races were there? Who was Siku? Her gaze continued to silently watch Goneszh while he talked and occasionally a frown would crease her forehead. His kind was placed in chains by the Rajor? Slavery was very common within Kenash and so she could see how and why his race would be put into the chains of slavery, but if they could shift into snakes, then why didn’t they just shift into a snake and then escape? Her gaze followed Goneszh as he began to pace and she realized then that he felt very passionate about this issue.

She clasped her hands in front of her as he began to say that he trusted her with what he was telling her. In a way, it made her feel honoured, but she also worried that if the local spiritist found out that she was causing trouble for the dynasty families, then she would be forced to break her promise with Nickolai. She pressed her lips firmly together as she held back the urge to try and attempt to hug him, after all, she did feel tired and she really couldn’t draw on soul mist to materialize her body to give him a hug. Finally she gave him a nod, a smile curving her lips, ”I will work with you; I will be your partner on this. I myself do not appreciate slavery and while I wished that I could have helped sooner, I wouldn’t know where to begin on my own. Although, I’m sure that you have some kind of plan as to how we should proceed, so I shall trust you on that part.” She slowly floated closer to him, before she stopped a couple of paces away from him. ”Although I am just a new ghost at all of this still, so I hope you don’t expect me to do anything complex just yet.”
.

[Viszragoneszh]

Goneszh clapped his hands and started his rain dance move instinctively, but cut it off after a few whirls and bobs, lest his pants fall down. "Wonderful! I have to s-say though, that I am not fooling mys-self into thinking I am going to s-succ-ceed in completely eliminating s-slavery from this-s culture. I am not sure ex-zactly what opportunities-s will pres-sent thems-selves-s to gain freedom for my brothers-s, but it s-starts-s with me es-stablishing mys-self as-s a s-skilled s-spiritis-st, and s-setting s-some of thes-se powerful families-s at odds-s with each other." He looked around, being sure there were no hostile ears. "S-so, I will have times-s where I will want you to s-simply be a ghos-st that I appear to chas-se off. This-s will be at locations-s where there is-s not actually a ghos-st pres-sent. I will make them think there is-s, they will come to the shop for aid, and I will come and go through s-some routine, and you can act as-s though I am forc-cing you to leave. Everyone is-s happy." He studied her for any sign that she objected to what amounted to fraud. He was unsure either way. "Do not think that this-s is-s proof that I am not a genuinely able s-spiritis-st. Nor that the treats-s I give you are a bribe to commit dis-shones-st acts-s agains-st the innoc-cent. I fully and freely admit that I look to manipulate their fear. But thes-se are not 'innoc-cent' people. They embrac-ce this-s culture of s-slavery, even the s-so-called 'Freeborn'." He looked toward the city and spat in disgust,"Why the very term s-sugges-sts the counter s-status-s of being 'S-slaveborn'! And I have no doubt many are. And anyway, how truly free is-s a vis-sitor that mus-st endure a branding within thirty days-s, or be ens-slaved?...'Freeborn' indeed!" He turned back to Shalita, his eyes direct. "S-so, there you are. I do not claim to hope for s-succ-ess-s beyond my own kind. If I have the chanc-ce to help a few human-s that truly s-seem to have been completely victimiz-zed, I will take it. But hones-stly, I feel thes-se humans-s have brought it on thems-selves-s for the mos-st part. I hear rumor of s-some rebel group that wants-s to fight this-s authority. I can res-spect that. I would like to contact them. If any of this-s makes-s you feel less-s like working with me, I will not press-s you about it. Nor will I cons-sider you less-s a friend. I would only as-sk that you do not s-speak of my intent or my s-secrets-s to anyone els-se." Now he smiled warmly, "Now, if you want to take a few days-s to think about it, that is-s fine. I s-still have much to arrange for my own s-status-s here. I need to get my hous-sing arranged. I need to find that S-spiritis-st shop and s-see if I can get a job there." He scowled, "I still need to get my 'Freeborn' brand...I will be more s-secure in my pos-sition here in a few days-s. I will look for you and let you know where I live. You may vis-sit me there any time, though I s-suppos-se you ought to make your arrival as-s dis-screet as-s pos-sible." he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it has-s been a pleas-sure to meet you. I hope you will come and vis-sit, if nothing els-se. My door is-s always-s open, though you will not need to us-se it. Now I s-suppos-se I should go retrieve the res-st of my clothes-s." He winked and turned to go back into the water.

[Mayhem1]

You're an excited PC roaming around a thread.

You're not paying attention that the story's over.

Then...BAM! You're hit with a Grade.

I'm Mayhem, the ever-present Junior ST of Cyphrus. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this grade, please don't hesitate to shoot me a PM! And please, please remove or edit your grading request once you see this. Thank you!

 

Viszragoneszh

XP

• Spiritism - 4
• Observation - 3
• Hypnotism - 1
• Persuasion - 1
• Socialization - 1

LORES

• Shalita Farlay: Ghost
• Shalita Farlay: Now Also Known as Javeya
• Being Possessed by Shalita
• Ghosts on Dry Island Plaza
• Shalita Farlay: Childhood in Zeltiva
• Shalita Farlay: New Partner

Notes: I have to say, I've never read someone get possessed before. Nice job!

With Regards,
- Mayhem