Where the Lines Overlap

by **Gale Austin McCenry** on December 14th, 2014, 10:51 pm

Gale ignored Kendhl first cold call, managing to make it out the door. But as it swung closed, the female spirit stopped in front of him, making him stop in his tracks. With a scowl on his face and eyebrows creased, he listened to her defense, which ended up boiling inside him.

With a loud scoff as she spat in his face, he replied bitterly,"I didn't say I have it worse than you!" What a manipulative vagik! She can't twist his words like that! "This isn't some sort of competition!" He took a few steps after her, his voice bellowing,"Do you think I don't realize that you're dead?!" That's the whole petching reason why his life was screwed up right now! The reason why he was mad! "You're acting like as if the world revolves around you and that you're the only who knows how bad your life is and 'woe is me'!" His hands curled up in fists. "Do you honestly think that everyone wants to hear about how horrible it is to be you and how terrible you feel?!"

She continued to float on her way, Gale deciding to run after her, running until he was in front of the ghost.

He couldn't believe this. Somehow he was the bad guy for not wanting to hear someone complain, and somehow that meant that his life was harder? That didn't make any sense. Not wanting to listen to something doesn't mean you're competing for who's life was more petched up. It simply is not wanting to hear someone complain and moan about their problems. Apparently that was wrong?

How could she make him out to be the bad guy? Acting as if everyone had to agree with her and listen to everything she said as if it was law. Who does she think she is? Just because she was dead doesn't mean that she had the right to downplay everyone else's problems as if they didn't matter anymore. Being dead doesn't mean you can just throw away someone's worries as if they would get over it so they can go ahead and get involved in your problems. It doesn't work like that.

"Don't be so selfish Kendhl." He would walk backwards in front of her if she tried to continue on. "Your death doesn't just affect you, and complaining about it isn't helping anyone so would you just calm down?!"

The blonde stopped walking in hopes she would as well.

by **Kendhl Pilkvist** on December 14th, 2014, 11:59 pm

Selfish? Selfish? Of all the things he could call her, he had to pick selfish!? Kendhl watched the living man walk backwards. Ohh, if only she could trip him. He stopped walking before she could push him, though.

"Selfish!? Freaking out about my own gods-damn death is selfish!? Funny how you think it doesn't just affect me. It's almost like I'm the one who died! Huh, how about that? Interesting that the person who died seems to focus on their damn death, isn't it?"

She paused to regain her composure -- and failed. Kendhl's hand came flying out of nowhere, drawing strength from her Soulmist and funneling it down her arm. Her palm collided with Gale's cheek with a loud, satisfying smack. "You're telling me to petchin' calm down when you're calling me selfish!? Petch you, Gale! Petch you, you gods-damn whore-child!"

The ghost's teeth were bared and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. She stared up at her bondmate and a low rumbling noise began in her throat. "It isn't my petchin' fault that I died! It isn't my petchin' fault that I came back! You say I'm tormenting you? Then just tell me to petchin' leave! How's that sound, huh? Probably like a blessing from the gods!"

Kendhl walked around Gale. It was clear she was furious from how fast her Soulmist twisted and coiled. She turned a corner and headed toward Mirahil Pass, intent on leaving him behind. Calm down indeed. Ha. Like there was any chance of that happening.

Common - Fratava

by **Gale Austin McCenry** on December 15th, 2014, 2:00 am

"Of course it doesn't affect just you! Do you think that as soon as you're dead that the people who cared for you, the people loved you would just all of a sudden not care? Go about their lives willy nilly as is nothing happened?!"

No, he wasn't blaming her for freaking out about her death. He wasn't saying it's not okay to be scared or upset. All he was trying to say is that you can't make your problem someone else's problem and force them to drop theirs as if it doesn't matter.

And he wasn't saying her death was her fault. Of course it wasn't her fault! It was his fault, but it didn't matter! That wasn't what this was about! Of course she was entitled to think and worry about her own death!

And cursing him wasn't going to do anything to change ! She could curse him all she want, she could bring the wrath of Ssena on him if she would like, she could call him a-

SMACK

The cold palm of her hand stung like like Morwen's throne, the frozen flesh instantly turning a bright red. Pins and needles started pricking at his skin, his eyes trying to quickly focus after the sudden blur of movement. Gale found his hand covering the temporary red scar, his mouth hanging open. He had also, at some point, looked away from her, in which he promptly looked back at her with a look of pure revulsion.

What did she say?

Gale's shoulders lowered slightly, relaxing the tension within them, and his scowl turned into a distant frown. Ho- how did she know about his- he never talked about his mother wit- no. She didn't know. She had no clue. She was just spitting angrily now.

Gale let out an angered chuckle, though it was cut short when she passed by him like a chill down his spin. The hair on his arms rose and he fastened his cloak around him tighter before chasing after the dead. It was obvious as to where her destination was.

He followed her around a corner, instinctively reach elongated for her arm, only to find he has gone through her. "But I don't want you to leave!" He couldn't make her stop. His eyes widened. "Kendhl wait!"

by **Kendhl Pilkvist** on December 15th, 2014, 2:29 am

The ghost stopped in her tracks. Her hands balled up into fists again and she spun to face Gale. "Oh yeah? You don't want me to leave? Well that's too bad. I'm going to leave you, just like everyone else did. Just like you left Ricky to bury me. Did you even come to visit my grave afterwards? Did you even think of me? Probably not. No, you were too focused on trying to die. You try to tell me that's not selfish, now."

Kendhl was at war with herself. She wanted to leave, to go back to where she died, but he didn't want her to leave. Gale still cared, if only a little bit. She figured that was a good thing, except he was blaming her for 'tormenting' him. "And, let me get this straight: You don't want me to leave, even though I'm tormenting you? Apparently? Did I torment you less when I was only a nightmare, or did you even have those?"

People were poking their heads out of doorways now. It was certainly a curious sight, to see a human and a ghost arguing. She shot a silver-eyed glare at them in a very obvious manner to say 'stop staring or I'll haunt your sorry ass'.

Kendhl turned back to Gale. "I'll bet you just forgot all about me. You're the most insensitive petchin' prick I've ever met. You're a bloody whore-son. You tell me to calm down, then say I 'torment' you, and then you say you don't want me to leave? Make up your gods-damn mind. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get some petchin' peace and quiet. You can leave me -- again -- and go back to your home. Petch you."

The ghost's Soulmist was in absolute chaos; there was no mistaking her quiet rage. She kept walking -- although a more accurate term would be stomping.

Common - Fratava

by **Gale Austin McCenry** on December 15th, 2014, 3:40 am

Gale's eyebrows rose with disbelief. His raging heart rose into his throat, making the blonde want to puke at the ghost's words. She wanted to leave him? He could feel his throat starting to close, his chest tightening painfully. She meant it. No- no she couldn't mean it. She was just angry!

And it just kept getting better, didn't it? He didn't think about her? How could she dare say such a thing? How could she even think about saying something like that? "That's a lie, and you know it!" His voice almost squeaked as holler wheezed out of his throat. He breathed deeply, the plumes of fog rushing out of his mouth. "Every thought I had since you were gone was about you." He coughed softly into the fold of his arm, taking a step towards the spirit. "As I passed out in Ricky's arms while he took me to the Infirmary I was thinking of you! As I jumped off the docks and let Laviku's blood rushed into my lungs I thought about you. Even in my sleep I couldn't stop thinking about you." He took an extra large breath, allowing his lungs to get the cold, crisp air they needed. "Even today I couldn't stop thinking of you. How I had failed to protect you, how it was my fault that you were taken away from me and killed." He gave a single cough and a slight gasp of a breath. "You cannot stand here and tell me that I didn't think of you."

She went on however, questioning his obviously poor choice of words. Yes, he felt tormented when he finally found her by her grave, found her there subjected to a horribly lonesome state. Of course he felt tormented when she grew her scars and gargled in front of him. "Of course I'm tormented by you!" He said with a short of breath type of tone. "It's torture to me to see you like this! To see you dead and forced to be like this!" He took another step towards her. "But Kendhl, you have to understand that I need time to adjust." He sounded as if begging rather than stating. "Ever since I've met you you have been my world. I would have done anything for you. But when I couldn't do anything, you were gone, and it was just me again. In a moment of weakness I thought that maybe drowning myself would make up for my mistake. That maybe it was what you would have wanted or maybe it was my way of saying that I would have died for you, I don't know." His rage started to diminish, but not his heavy breathing. "But when you came back I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to think and I didn't know what to do, and I still don't for Ssena's sake!" He coughed some again. "I still don't know what to do, but Kendhl, forgetting about you was the only thing I couldn't do, and I don't think I can stand losing you again."

She had already turned around to walk away, telling him to leave her again and go home.

Gale called out again, "Kendhl!!" His voice bounced off the walls of the pathway and into his ears. He ran after the stamping girl "Kendhl, please!" He said almost frantically, huffing a few times as his chest still refused to loosen. "Okay, fine. If you want to go then go." He slowed to a halt, watching as she continued. "But I won't forget." He hoped she knew that.

by **Kendhl Pilkvist** on December 15th, 2014, 9:27 pm

Kendhl's pace slowed to a stop. Her shoulders were hunched up. She pivoted on her heel to walk back to Gale and stopped, with barely six inches between the two. She stared up into his face. "Leave me alone, McCenry. Leave me. Alone. You keep chasing after me, trying to get me to come back, saying all these things that aren't true. Just leave me alone. Let me go. Maybe I'll come back. Maybe I'll feel bad enough to apologize. But for now? Just let me go."

Her voice was like cold steel. She materialized and pressed her palm against Gale's cheek, holding it there for about ten ticks. She then faded and took her hand away. "If you want to remember me from now on, remember that. Because that's all you'll ever be able to feel from me."

Kendhl watched his face for another moment, then turned and ran. She offered up a silent prayer to Laviku. Gods help me with this impossible man, she thought, and entered the Mirahil Pass. The ghost half-hoped Gale would follow her, but also despised the idea. She didn't want to have anything to do with him for a little while.

Perhaps she'd come back, but she needed time to think. A week would give her enough.

Common - Fratava

by **Gale Austin McCenry** on December 16th, 2014, 3:37 am

Aren't true? Aren't petching true?! Why would there be any reason for him to forget her? Does he think he's stupid or something?! How do you petching tell this vagik anything! There is simply no convincing this girl of anything! He could probably tell her that the sun rose everyday for Ssena's sake and she still wouldn't believe him!

Augh, why was she being so stubborn?

Feeling the coolness of her being, and the frost in her tone, it was clear to Gale that he likely wouldn't see her again. As he took the deepest breathes he could, he tried not to take her demands to heart, but it was evident to him that as she spoke she was already slipping away from him. As if to seal her words and etch them in stone, her frozen hand almost burned his already cold and red cheek.

Remember that...

Of all things. She wanted him to remember that? Remember her telling him to let her go as she toyed with him? She couldn't do this to him! She can't just die and and then come back only to tell him to let go and then leave again! What sort of cruel person was she?! Who would do that to someone?! Taunt them like that as if they were some type of toy and then tell them to let go.

She couldn't do that.

As Kendhl walked out of few and into the dreaded pass, Gale shook his head looking at the ground. Self-centered, egotistical ghosts. She can go off and stomp around if she wanted, he didn't care. She was dead after all.

He didn't need her.

Turning around on his heels, Gale, with his shoulders tense and his slouch prominent, turned around the corner back onto the main path. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, taking deep breathes as his chest slowly returned to normal. He was going home.