The Spirit of Things

[Hadrian]

69th Summer, 512 A.V. For the time being, the ghost Noaru was his guest, and so the rules of hospitality applied. His mouth was chock full of half-masticated meat, bread, cheese, and fruit, and so he could not speak, but his eyes were half-lidded with concentration as he attempted to alchemize the various foodstuffs into proper soulmist to feed the ghost who had agreed to keep tabs on his cottage while he was away. The ghost would have a place to haunt, food for the dead, and the occasional company of Hadrian himself, and all he had to do was watch. There was little else for a ghost to do, Hadrian imagined. But he hurried at his work, chewing, moving the mush around with his tongue so as to get more of the less masticated bits between his molars. All the while his will worked upon it, his aura infusing it with what kept a ghost on this plane, pulling the same out of the food itself. The addition of his own blood had ceased to make him squeamish in the least. Finally, he felt the shift, and when it was complete, he let it pour out of his mouth into a bowl of the faintly glowing stuff, hopefully enough for Noaru's appetites, such as they were. He set the bowl upon the table and sat down. "I feel like a mother bird," he said with a vague smile; his sense of humor was odd and erratic. "At least I don't have to regurgitate directly into your mouth, though."

[Noaru]

''Noaru simply appears inside the room, he became familiar with the ability of manifestation and slowly but progressively began to experiment in using his own soulmist; though, the task is difficult, moving objects without manifesting, it has its perks. ''

Noaru: Try to explain that to a guest, if you actually had to do it and they caught you in the act, awkward!''

''He had a sense of humor as well and probably the most corniest of them all! Noaru sat at the table, staring the bowl down, he was somewhat amusing to see as he stared at the bowl trying to wrap his soulmist around the bowl, he fails eventually and he just attracts the soulmist towards him, allowing it to feed his power. ''

[Hadrian]

"I would tell you to be patient with expenditures of power until you have recuperated, but if something is keeping you here after death in order to find closure, I'm assuming patience isn't easy." He sat back to watch, though, fascinated by the ghost's doings. Idly he wondered what it would be like to die and stay on as a ghost in order to keep teaching at the University. It would be an ironic thing to learn the spirit-born arts from an incorporeal spirit. The thought made him smile one of his little smiles. But he didn't know if perhaps Noaru was embarrassed by his state or its limitations, so he picked up a book and began to read, some new publication by a Ravokian scholar purporting to prove the superiority of the human species over other forms of sentient life. It made his brow furrow with disagreement and distaste, but the man's mind worked in interesting ways.

[Noaru]

Noaru: What happened to my manors, eating in such a hurry; it will be sometime before I'm capable of doing anything besides manifesting and using my soulmist. ''

'' He sits silently in the chair, wondering--pondering about his existence as a ghost, it takes one with incredible willpower to exist as long as he did; though, he had ''slept'' for a long period of time, avoiding the ''unacceptable reality of being dead phase'' and since then the world has changed so much and his current self, to him, seemed so distant and new just like the world around him.

Noaru quietly listens to the bustling life outside and then glances towards Hadrian and then back outside and then him again; he then tries to sneak in a simple thought of persuasion. ''

Noaru: So, why don't we go for a waltz in sunlight, or do something! I may have all eternity but a spirit has to do something.''

[Hadrian]

"We could go for a walk," Hadrian said gamely, "but you should finish the soulmist, and don't worry about manners. You're home now." And just like that there was a flash of nobility, of generosity. Some thought him cold and aloof, and indeed, he often was. Others thought him morally suspect, and certainly his own code of honor was not the same as most, but he did have one. "Did you... did you mean to come with me or was that a roundabout way of asking to use my legs?"

[Noaru]

'' He averts his attention on the bowl before him, closing his eyes as he did so, he could sense the soulmist much clearer this way than with his eyes open. The soulmist from the bowl floats towards him shortly afterwards, it swirling around him as more was attracted from the bowl. The rooms temperature dropped slightly and became slightly darker; Noaru finally opens his eyes as the last bit of soulmist was absorbed into his body and fixes them back onto Hadrian. ''

Noaru: Both... ''

'' He answered while grinning, and squinting his eyes ''

[Hadrian]

"Should I trust you with my legs?" he asked, eyeing the spirit with a slanted smile. He believed he was strong enough to exorcise Noaru from his body if the need arose, though it would likely weaken them both, and Hadrian did not want to experience overgiving again. But Noaru was finished with his meal, and Hadrian stretched out in his chair before standing up. "I do like to walk, though. It helps me think. Very well. Come, borrow my legs."

[Noaru]

'' Noaru was feeling a tad bit odd about the whole possession process, possessing a living being was a kind of deed that would have many ghosts hunted down and trapped by humans! He was hesitant about the ordeal that was unfolding.''


Noaru:Alright, here it goes...''


'' He disappears from sight and gracefully walks through the table, he focuses and continues to step forward; eventually he disappears again and this time within Hadrian's body. ''


Noaru: ......''

'' He keeps quiet uncertain if the whole possession process was a success, he thinks for a little while before calling Hadrian's name unsure if his ''host'' was aware that he was sharing a body with another soul.''

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was not a very accomplished necromancer or medium, but he was highly attuned to djed and knew what was coming, so he could feel the chill of the grave sneak into his body, could sense the other within places that were normally entirely his havens of inner solitude. Of course, the ghost could no more read his thoughts than he could read the ghost's, but it seemed they could communicate with thought now they were so closely aligned. I am here, he averred. Please focus on standing up. I don't want bruises. He meant it in earnest despite the humor in his thought. If it came down to it, he was certain he could seize control of his body back, but he would rather it didn't come to that. The relationship they were building had so far been equitable, respectful, and gentle. He wanted to learn from Noaru even as he fostered him and fed him, with the hopes that he could defend himself and others from less friendly haunts in future.

[Noaru]

'' He stands to his feet with a slight wobble as he pushes the chair back under the table. Noaru looks to the palms of Hadrian's hands, it felt rather odd, having a body in all but his intentions are pure for Hadrian to allow him to control his body; he certainly had Noaru's respect and cooperation! ''


Noaru: We can communicate through sheer thought? This is interesting! But there's one thing, where should we go? Since we are going for a walk, it should be in a place that's relatively fun or peaceful.''


'' Noaru took baby steps, carefully walking so that he wouldn't trip. He was use to feeling the floor and the environment with his soulmist but this, this was different! '' It's like manifestation but you are truly '' solid! '' He said. While reaching for the door nob and turning it; being able to open doors without the fear of ripping the nob from the socket was something truly amazing to Noaru.''


Noaru: The world has changed so much since my time! Much of the land was covered in wilderness and monsters and massive wild beasts. I lived alone amongst them just as wild and untamed! I was truly free and felt so alive! It was when I died that I realized how good I had it then. How simple yet chaotic the world was I'm glad that during these times its been so peaceful!''