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Post by REVENANT on May 15, 2015 16:11:01 GMT -6
❝ i was born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone ❞
What am I doing here?
It wasn’t the first time he asked himself that. It wouldn’t be the last. He understood the growing threat of cyber-criminals, of hackers, and the ease they had with maliciously attacking perfectly innocent, unaware individuals. He knew that this game, being all the rage it was, would attract such perps and quickly. But all the same, he felt very much out of his element in this place. No, not place, not really – it was just code, all of it. There were no trees here – it was just a matrix of objects created with software. It only felt real. He couldn’t say that he was miserable here, but certainly this was not something he could easily get used to. Still though, he was not Inspector Eden right now – he was Charles Rosewood, a psych student looking to become a professional psychologist…who happened to have an interest, as most young people, in gaming.
He couldn’t look stern and cold with this guise. So, Charles simply sat back in the sunlight, humming lightly to himself as the warm rays of…code beat against his jacket. For obvious reasons he logged into the game in his civvies….and even then he dressed down from his usual attire. It felt strange on him, wearing….jeans and a jacket. It just didn’t feel like Charles…..Eden. But Rosewood wore them. He wasn’t unkempt, certainly – just lacked the same finesse and style of Eden. Instead of a navy suit and pale blue cravat, Rosewood wore jeans, a pink polo top and a soft white jacket zipped up halfway. His hair was combed, sticking back against his head tidily, where Eden’s was a little more on the wavy, loose side. Rosewood also had violet eyes as opposed to his own natural blue. Altogether with the light attire and soft smile upon his face, Charles could pass for someone just reaching their twenties.
The rest was just a waiting game. There were thousands of people connected to this interface; he would have to pick out the ones who were good, who needed to be protected….and those who needed to be cuffed and taken to justice. ….Although that, in itself, posed quite an interesting question; just how would they be brought to justice in this place…..? The news that they couldn't leave meant that any possible perps that were caught....well, they couldn't really go anywhere. That, though, was a secondary issue at the moment; there were still people in a state of unrest thanks to the strangeness of it all, who just wanted to go back home. He...if he could, he would love to try to help. But first he needed to start blending in....and that meant not being alone.
Rosewood stood, pulling at his sleeves. It looked like someone else was coming this way.....this was as good a chance as any to try getting into character. He looked at the approaching individual, smiled, and gave a friendly wave.
OOC Charles be learnin to roleplay :| || @open |
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Post by SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ on May 17, 2015 23:43:57 GMT -6
 No, he was not happy about this. Why did he have to go to the market with Mamam? A frown tugged at the corner of his lips as he trudged alone, dragging his feet, with Jussi loping next to him, wagging his tail all while his feet were being playfully nipped. Why did she just had to go and command Jussi to follow him? Some people didn’t like giant slobbering lousy dogs… even if he was adorable with his tongue lolling as he pounced about without a care in the world. Okay, so Jussi wasn’t so bad, but it was the principle of it… that the old herder was literally herding him around town. Like he didn’t know his way around or rather, that he apparently always needed a chaperone. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. And it wasn’t as if he’d ever really run away from doing work, he would always manage it… it was just after work that he didn’t see the need to stick around. Vertti stomped the ground hard as biting his lip as Jussi accidentally bit too hard on one of his ankles, knock it off! With that he glared at the dog before Jussi dropped to the ground, paws on the cold cobblestone with his head down, ears tucked in. It was a battle of wills, he wasn’t going to cave, nuh huh, he was made of stronger stuff and he wasn’t going to be done by a pair of bright blinking eyes, framed by soft black fuzz and… and… floppy ears. No, he was stronger than this and kept his eyes level… but, when Jussi tucked his tail under his legs, and looked away, he aaaaah. No, you are supposed to be old and grouchy, not adorable… and so he walked over and looked around for a second, before petting the old herder’s head, and scratching his chin.
The tail started again, and Jussi pranced next to him, happy, looking up with that lolling tongue of his and panting, eyes following Vertti’s hand.
Hahaaa, no, no more pets right now, and so Vertti withdrew his hand, but it didn’t stop the dog from hoping…. Anyway, it was time to get back to work, ughhhhh. Usually one of his sisters would scamper about town and he would be on the farm doing well real work, instead of holding a very nice sign that read, “Fresh dairy products, vegetables and more! ~Kettujalku Farms, Find us at the Marketplace ~”. It was only a nice sign, because if he was going to play messenger boy, he was going to make sure at least he had a sign he could be somewhat proud of hanging around his neck. Vertti hefted the sign and straightened his back, one hand resting on Jussi’s head, which was affectionately nudging his leg. Alright, well he was still a Mainio, and if his sisters could manage to attract a crowd, he had to at least try to outdo them. Hey, he was already ahead there was only one of him, and there were two of them being dragged around for shopping by his well father. Jussi trotted alongside him as he waited patiently, trying to look… inviting, with a small smile as he kept his distance. A respectful distance, he was really tempted to start pulling on people’s clothes, but that wasn’t professional… and besides he didn’t want to be written at that he had driven off some customers just because he was a bit impatient. Even if they didn’t turn around, even though he wasn’t sure if they even noticed him… or his board. He made that board, and he was proud of it a bit, not really, mean he could have done better, they could at least spare a glance. As he walked between the people and pushed the sign up at them, it was really irritating. Because he had no idea if they even saw it. He gritted his teeth as one of the bakers accidentally stepped out in front of him, and made him take an awkward step back, causing him to fall right on his butt. Yeah, right on his butt.
At least he didn’t fall on Jussi, as much as he wasn’t liking the idea of being monitored by Mamam’s old hound dog, he didn’t want Jussi to be hurt just because the baker woman couldn’t keep her head around her and watch where she was in relationship to everyone else.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught a wave. Vertti blinked for a few seconds and rubbed his other eye mostly because that was cool, just making sure he actually saw that wave, right? Not because he fell wrong, or you know might have been bounced to the ground or anything… his eyes weren’t watering a bit, no. Yeah, no he didn’t recognize this man, which was strange considering how small the town was, but it was that friendly sort of wave. Hey, he might have an actual customer, and you know what, he was willing to take the chance, because he could take care of himself… and wandered over to the purple eyed stranger and shoved the sign in his face for good measure. It wasn’t like he could see it far away. Jussi opened his mouth, whining at being deprived at the continual affection he was receiving, but of course Vertti couldn’t hear it. He tried giving a smile, and pointed to the words on the board, even though he couldn’t exactly see them from this position. No duh.
Come on bite. He wasn’t going back empty handed. Poor choice of words, but same difference. Nuh huh.
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Post by REVENANT on May 18, 2015 12:20:48 GMT -6
❝ i was born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone ❞
There seemed to be quite enough folks milling about....though most, by the lack of an indicator above them, seemed to be computers. The proper word was non-player characters...NPCs....but was there really a need to distinguish them in that way? They were just computer-generated figures. Although perhaps to the gaming world it was more important....after all there were also enemy computers. For the sake of keeping at least some semblance of character he would refer to them by the acronym.
One, a boy by the look of it, had just fallen backward as some young woman stepped out in front of him, completely unawares. By the look on the child's face, it seemed to draw injury...which in turn brought up a new concern, physical harm. Interestingly, it looked as though the villager felt pain, though that could be something they programmed in. How one would accomplish that, he wasn't entirely sure. But what about actual players? Would the players feel injury as if it was real? That very thought sent an instantaneous ripple of anxiety down his spine as a certain player crossed his mind. Knowing son fils....well, all the more reason to push forward and try to shut this game down. Hopefully there was some kind of safety setting...although if they were stuck here, most likely the perps responsible shut that down too.
Putting on a sparkling smile, Rosewood relaxed into a slight slouch - not enough to appear nonchalant exactly, but just....comfortable. The NPC from before had stood up and was now making an approach, having apparently....noticed him. Ah, was that characteristic of an NPC, to respond to waving? From what little he knew, a computer's AI had no way to register that kind of movement. It was more of a...proximity thing. ...Was this an NPC? Charles tried not to let the confusion show on Rosewood's face as the child....NPC....stood before him, pushing a sign in his face and gesturing to....the blank space just below the caption, and just to the left of the signature. Ah, the boy was hawking his family farm. Then indeed it was an NPC.
Well, perhaps visiting this farm would be a way to seem more involved in the game. If he was lucky, maybe he would find some other players there to talk to. He looked at the NPC, noting the tag above his head. ...That was odd or NPCs...right? Sis....sisuhaastja.obj ...Was it possible there was some sort of a computer error with this one? Ah, well. Not that it mattered. But perhaps that was its name. Sisu Haastaja. Rosewood tugged at the collar of his shirt, loosening it a little as he addressed the NPC. "Sisu, is it? It's nice to meet you. I'd be happy to take a look at what you have to offer."
OOC That moment when Charles just thinks of Vertti as an it. ;_; || SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ |
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Post by SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ on May 19, 2015 15:07:29 GMT -6
 After a bit, he pulled down the sign after he was thoroughly sure that the man read it through hand through. Honestly he had no idea when to pull it back and out of the other’s face on the account that really he had never done this before. He seemed to be paying attention to it for an extraordinary long time… at least in comparison to how fast he read. Did he not know how to read? Mean, it might be possible, he hadn’t seen such clothing to his knowledge before so it would be a logical assumption that his customer might be a foreigner. Had the sign smudged? Or was he blocking some of the letters…? The possibilities were endless, but he felt something was off, in general. Now he didn’t know what, but he was starting to get the idea that perhaps he should just back off, there were so many other potential customers. Probably he could just back off, there was something, just something that felt off here. It might be his imagination, but it was more of a gut feeling than anything else. The possible… foreigner’s eyes seemed to linger too much and he puffed up his cheeks a bit in response ever so slightly. Yeah, that is right stare at him, he didn’t care. Take a good look at his white marks, his weird white hair and his unnaturally icy blue eyes, go ahead, don’t even try to hide it. It wasn’t polite anyway, so might as well be full on rude. Vertti hugged the sign a bit more tightly, as he looked up at the man all while Jussi wagged his tail and looked at the stranger with bright brown eyes.
Jussi didn’t seemed all that worried, perhaps he shouldn’t, but then again his companion was literally man’s best friend, and not necessarily the best judge of character.
He just about to start back away, with his sign before he saw the man’s lips move. At least he could speak the language… probably? He understood the movements, but they were far, very far from how he had seen anyone else ‘speak’… in fact he got a headache from trying to look at the for too long, because something felt really off now. Despite the movements being all wrong, he could understand, and that… was really baffling, and kind of disturbing. Even though he was probably foreign, well… how could he explain this? He never had seen an accent this thick before where it looked like… well… he though… he didn’t really know. His grip loosened on the board for a second, as he began to process the fact that he despite everything understood this man clearly. There were people here that had something like an accent he had been told, but he managed to understand them in time. This here was recorded time, and he took a mental double take. This was… wholly unnerving. Now he was tempted to start back peddling, that sense of there being something wrong overwhelmed his slight indignation at being stared at for the umpteenth time. No, he did not want to take this man to Mamam, not to the markets, not anywhere, but what chilled him was that the man had. Well the man hadn’t done anything yet, nothing at all really, just his gut was clenching worse and worse. Vertti shifted his weight, nearly stepping on Jussi’s tail by accident without even realizing it.
The worse part was that… the stranger mistook him for someone else?
Well that was what he was hoping for at this point, because it sounded like the man knew him or thought he knew him. He didn’t know many other kids that even looked like him… or was it just some foreign word from a foreigner? The former was harmless, the latter was both infuriating and a bit scary. Why? Because he had no idea what that meant… was it a compliment or was it more jeering? And it really seemed like he meant whatever it was that he said. It was the phrasing. The phrasing was off and if he was really out from town, it probably should be, but everything else came in line perfectly…. No, he hadn’t even introduced himself either… and it looked like he had with the wrong name. It as just weird and he was shaking slightly… not out of fear, but really there was a cool winter draft that must have just passed by. And maybe this was stupid, but he pulled out the mundane form of communication, vellum and charcoal and wrote one single question after staring straight back at the larger man, 'Sisu? What do you mean by Sisu?' He underlined Sisu, and then proceeded to write, 'You’re not from around here are you, I suppose I could show you the way to the market place.' He stepped backwards to the side, tapping his leg so that Jussi would heel next to him. With every step he took towards the market place, he never had his back fully towards the stranger, and looked back almost more often then he looked forward. What should had been easy made him stupidly tense, these were all what ifs. Why were they bothering him so much? Were his worries even valid?
Mamam would know what to do, besides… he could turn and run, but the last thing he wanted to do was to turn his back on this man. The last thing.
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Post by REVENANT on May 20, 2015 15:23:50 GMT -6
❝ i was born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone ❞
There was something off about this NPC. To Charles’ admittedly minimal knowledge, an NPC had a set range of responses it could give, with a set range of emotions to go with them, often in a binary pair – yes or no being the input, and the output being either to attend his request or leave him alone. The first oddity he noticed was when it....lingered on him. He thought at first that might just be part of the code – that this was supposed to be a character who stared weirdly at you. But then it puffed out its chest in defiance of all things, or daring, and seemed to be trying to goad him in some way. In a way that he shouldn’t be, Charles was definitely detecting....attitude. And anxiety. The NPC was...wary of him, unsure of him, where it simply should have listened to his request. ...He might have accepted that programming just got more complex along the way, but the fact that he could genuinely sense wariness, concern, from the character....something was most definitely off about him. ...It. Especially when the dog just seemed to act normally, like nothing was wrong at all. Hell, the NPC only got worse with time, more anxious. It was wholly disconcerting.
Rosewood tilted his head, raising his hands slowly. ”H-hey, hey it’s okay, did I scare you?” ...Part of that was not even Rosewood, but Eden...genuinely bewildered by this reaction he was getting from the character. He couldn’t show that though. He had to look more concerned than confused....wait was he concerned? To a point, he supposed he was. ...Actually he definitely was concerned....if there was something wrong with the non-player characters, what else could be wrong with this game? Still he kept a casual smile on his face, trying to seem nonthreatening to the AI. He watched as the other started to write something....write something? Well, all right, he could understand if a character was programmed not to be able to speak. That made for an interesting character. He let that one slide. But what the child wrote was starting to...worry him, because it almost seemed like the other was....aware. H...it was genuinely confused by the use of ‘Sisu’, where another NPC....probably.....would just go on with what it was saying or doing. He wouldn’t have been bothered by that, either, if not for the fact that the NPC asked what Sisu was. That was an open ended question, not something he could pick an option from and get a result from the character. And the character’s growing and ever evident uncertainty about him as a singular individual was bothersome.
At this point he wasn’t sure what to...call the other. Too aware to be an NPC, but clearly not human.
Rosewood combed his fingers through his hair and thought about it. ”I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else. I thought you were Sisu.” he chirped apologetically. He lowered his hand, clasping both in front of himself. ”And...yes, I am not from around here. If you could show me the way to the market, that would be much appreciated, thank you.” Rosewood gave a bright smile. ”And you can call me Revenant.” ...Rosewood was much more open than Eden, and he wasn’t sure if the NPC could see his tag or not. He started to follow the boy – he would call him a boy until he could think of something more suitable to something that seemed to be exhibiting patterns of sentience – as he led Charles along some path...somewhere. Actually was this wise? The character was clearly beyond his programming right now...was he really going to lead the stranger to the marketplace? Rosewood cleared his throat. ”Sorry, if you are not who I thought you are...what do I call you instead?”
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Post by SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ on May 20, 2015 17:19:08 GMT -6
Scared? Oh, no, he wasn’t scared, just he didn’t know what to do… at all. Cautious and unnerved yes, but never scared. What a funny joke. Didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to ignore all the warning signs, just on the account the creepo man was being nice. Hell, if anything he wasn’t sure if that was to lull him into a sense of security… or something equally sinister. Alright maybe that was going a bit too far, but he was getting some weird vibes that not even he could really ignore. Mean how could he? Vertti placed his arms over the sign, his hand neatly fitting into the crooks of his arms and stood up as straight as he could to shake a stern no. Besides… even if might be a bit, nervous, yes, nervous around this man who was setting off so many alarm bells, he wasn’t going to openly admit weakness so easily. That would be like sticking another sign onto him saying, oh here look, vulnerable child. You never let them see your fear, let alone your tears, then they know that they’ve beaten you, that they have power over you. At least he tried to project some sort of confidence, to otherwise disabuse the notion that he was in fact scared. If he was being honest… he was afraid of the man, though not entirely because of him, everything he did just seemed off and wrong. Or something was wrong with him because as far as he could tell, no one else seemed to be reacting at all. Then again why should they? Why would they really care? In fact, why did this stranger seem to care at all? That he scared him. Couldn’t he see? Didn’t he know?
It wasn’t like he was hiding it or anything, he was clearly mute since he wrote on paper instead of speaking out loud and his coloring spoke for itself or so the rumors said.
He stared at the man, though he was still moving his weight back and forth between his two legs, almost stabbing his foot at the cobblestone beneath, his eyebrows raised slightly as he was trying to discern or rather divine the man’s intentions. Jussi, playfully ignored his charge’s agitation and clear lack of comfort, opting to once again whine at him for more pats, not realizing that his charge could never hear the verbalization of the request and pouted when he realized that the boy was ignoring him. Well Vertti wasn’t ignoring him, but he was on edge and still very much ill at ease. For one reason. Logically he should be glad that he was just mistaken for another person, but then… well… if that was the case then this foreigner must know what he was. Or what he was rumored to be and was being friendly. He was still creeped out by… the weirdness from before, but now he felt, both uncomfortable, weird, and a bit agitated. Agitated, because that had to be a lie. That just had to be a lie, how many people looked like him with his splotched white skin, his white streaked hair, and his bright piercing blue eyes. It was uncanny, and an unfortunate thought. The agitation came from the fact that he wasn’t stupid… if this man thought he could be played for a fool then he was dead wrong. So wrong. Or else it meant something else equally disturbing, that this Sisu of his was run out of home… mean he was a foreigner… and considering what the people here believed about him, well it wasn’t too farfetched. Something didn’t feel right for that logic, something was just off. There were many ways he could poke holes into it, but he didn’t feel like it.
Why?
That was one thought he really didn’t want to dwell on, that dreaded what if…. That one day.
No, just stop mind, this was why he’d just have to show them all, show them all that he was more than just some weird freak. And more than just something to be pitied or even, even, put… no. Just stop.
Or else he was being strung along, maybe some concern for the cursed child and he’d be in like slick with his family or something. Everything was just rubbing him the wrong way. And it wasn’t like adults hadn’t tried to manipulate him before similarly, trying to get slightly better prices out of this friendliness towards him from his family. Ha, yeah, no, if he was trying that old route, it wasn’t going to work. For now, he was willing to accept that this man was a foreigner, but beyond that… he had no idea what to make of him other than he was kind of weirding him out in all the wrong ways. Jussi did not respond much to it except that he began to leap around more, as if stamping a foot into the ground was some sort of new stupid game he invented. After a period of time, he unfolded his arms, and carefully once more took out his notepad, writing slowly without taking his eyes off of the other, “I’m not Sisu. Glad we got that cleared up. ” The period was stabbed, and stabbed again, as he debating something, “Yeah, you’re clearly foreign, unless of course your parents thought you were a corpse with that sort of name.” once again he stabbed the period… not as harshly, but once more as if he was debating something, “As for my name, not sure why I’d give it to a stranger of all people….” The dots continued, ahh… well he doubted he get a straight answer from this man, “…. What happened to Sisu?” At this, Vertti looked down for a second, his shoulders falling a bit as he wrote very slowly, “You can call it my fee, if you want me to show you around town.”
Mamam, sorry this probably wasn’t the brightest idea, but he wanted to know what happened. Because something had to have happened, if the man was telling the truth which he doubted. If she were here she’d probably tell him that the more time he spent with this man, the more he was in danger… or something. Now, he knew this wasn’t the smartest idea and that he probably shouldn’t have stopped moving, but he wanted to know. He wanted to know what happened to a child like him, if a foreigner thought he was another person entirely. If it was a lie… he’d know and so he looked up, his mouth frowning.
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Post by REVENANT on May 21, 2015 15:03:42 GMT -6
❝ i was born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone ❞
There was no denying that genuine emotion was felt by this....this....boy. Charles knew what fear looked like, knew very well. He worked around it so often, experienced it himself many years ago and many times in this past year. Now if the fear was general, such as the character just being a scaredy-cat, then he wouldn’t be so confused right now. But as it was the fear was directed. It had a specific source – him. And no matter how hard he tried to think of something.....the character was supposed to react fearfully to a player character initially, the code was faulty and gave the wrong response to his input.....he just couldn’t wrap his head around what he was seeing. Computers could emulate. They could mimic real feelings. But there was a difference here, right in front of him; the dog, he could tell was not really feeling but emulating. It was showing characteristics that a happy dog might show, wagging its tail, panting happily as it trotted next to its owner. But Charles wasn’t really getting any emotional read off it, nothing that set it apart. With the boy....not-Sisu....he was seeing a lot of things at once. Confusion, annoyance, fear, defiance. Alone, perhaps a computer could emulate those, but he was seeing them all at once, at varying strengths each passing moment. That was real emotion. And it...worried him.
And he could see thought, too, still. Real thought. The boy was trying to reason something, probably based on what Rosewood had thus far said. Were this a real child, Charles might have called this wariness an understanding of the dangers that a stranger may pose, especially a friendly one. .....That in and of itself, if true, made him feel a bit uncomfortable himself. Glad that the child did not simply open up to him, but uncomfortable that he would be thought of as a common thug or child snatcher. He waited patiently for the boy to continue, for he once more was writing now...and Charles was starting to catch himself....not it, so much, not any more, but he. He. It was a he because...at this point he had no argument to make against his apparent sentience. And he would just confuse himself if he kept using the object pronoun.
He gave a small smile at the first sentence the boy wrote, nodding as he continued writing. The smile twitched a bit at the comment on his name. So he couldn’t see Charles’ tag then. And....well, his obvious confusion at the name Revenant was, if none of the previous evidence could be stated as such, most certainly definitive of awareness. As a non-player character he shouldn’t be making comments on the strangeness of the player name. Charles pursed his lips. ”It’s a nickname, not the name I was given.” ...Ah and then....with the next statement, Charles’ earlier suspicion of the boy’s anxiety towards him were confirmed. He gave a slow nod. ”I suppose that makes sense. “ he breathed, both to himself and the boy, for differing reasons. Charles found himself scratching his neck at the last sentence.....a question.....how was he supposed to answer that? I thought it was you, because the name above your head says so. Somehow, he didn’t think that would go over so well. So...what, did he lie? Or did he backpedal, lie about the truth, and formulate another lie? Goddamn. This was a strange situation indeed.
”I’m actually not sure. Sisu isn’t someone I know...I just saw the name and face before, and thought it was you. Though to be honest, I don’t even know if it was their name. I just assumed so.” ...That was....probably the closest to honesty he could get without breaking the boy’s mind. He didn’t know a Sisu...and indeed he did literally see both the name and face, his face, before speaking. Rosewood scratched his head awkwardly. ”I’m sorry if I confused you.” He looked down at the boy, taking note of his obvious and only increasing discomfort. Maybe he should..... ”....Are you all right? You look worried.” Charles took a few steps back, placing his hands in front of himself, so the boy could see them. ”I’m sure I seem scary, but I don’t want to hurt you. If you’d prefer, we can stay here – there are plenty of people nearby. Can you send your dog to fetch your mother or father or another guardian? Would that make you more comfortable?” He wanted to think that it was all Rosewood, but to be truly honest it...wasn’t. Not all of it, anyway. The smiling and the voice were but Eden....well he supposed it was in part his son that he was thinking of. If he could put the other at ease then he would feel certainly a lot better.
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Post by SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ on May 22, 2015 21:15:05 GMT -6
 Why was the creep giving him a sheepish smile? No, seriously why? Not that he wasn’t already uneasy with the entire situation and on high alert, but this baffled him. The man was compounding friendliness with more friendliness and that was weird. Alright it was weird in relation to him and the townsfolk, it was even weirder that the other continued this façade. There had to be something he was after, something, mean he had an idea of what that might be, but he found the small smile chilling. Which was quickly dismissed by a flash of annoyance when the older man admitted that it was his nickname, rather than his actual name. That raised so many questions and answered absolutely none at the same time. Annoyed simply because the creep wanted his name and he would have been cheated out of an actual name in returned… and chilled by the same prospect. He needed to get to Mamam now, really, badly. He tried to continue his sharp stare and his frown, but the truth was he was both unnerved and … even though there were townsfolk around, he did not feel safe at all. Alright he was worried, but it went beyond worried at this point, he was starting to get scared for his own safety. A stranger was acting far too friendly with him… more so than a lot of the other residents of the town, suggested sending off his only protection, and then admitted that he was giving out a nickname… which no one in this town would know. He was starting to think this was less about his family name and more about him, though the why baffled him. If he was being truthful to himself, while he might be able to struggle against a full grown adult, he had no voice. Anything he did could be hand waved because he was a child and the other, although weird was an adult. He tried to keep a straight back, but his will to stand his ground was wavering.
Mostly everything he had seen was telling him to run away in the exact opposite direction of this man, that this was a bad situation, but his logic managed to prevail as he grounded his teeth together.
Because while he could delude himself into thinking that he might be able to some degree handle some butt trying to cozy up to his parents, nothing had ever been so disconcerting and nothing had ever had to do with him physically. Yes, he could run, but, the older was faster or at least could cover more ground than he could. Obviously he couldn’t overpower the older man, though he could show him a few reasons why not to mess with him and so yes, he was worried, more than worried. He was showing it, but he had to pretend that he was ignorant, strong. Mostly ignorant, it wasn’t like he projected physical strength well. So, he shook his head vigorously at the very thought he was worried forcing his mouth into a deeper frown, almost a smirk, though he couldn’t quite manage it. Confidence, he had to portray confidence even though he felt like someone has frozen his spine into a column of ice as he looked like an easy target. Jussi remained ignorant of his charge’s current plight, as he lolled his tongue looking up at the foreigner with no fear… in a very dog like pout. He’d admit that he had some very shoddy protection here if Jussi looked like he was about to roll over for the strange man and demand belly rubs. And he didn’t believe one bit about Sisu. His mind was treading down dark paths again, and he did not need those thoughts at the moment. All he knew was that it was a paper thin lie. Saw the name and face before? He didn’t buy it, why should he?
Yet, he didn’t comment on it, because frankily, he didn’t want to know. Sisu meant something. Or someone.
Anyone who’s sane doesn’t go around assuming people’s names, especially when they apparently barely recognize the original person in question. It just made no sense… and he glared at the older man, both in fear and… well disgust, anger. Instead of prolonging this any further, he began to write. Nu huh, he wasn’t going to show anymore weaknesses, so he tried to focus on that disgust, that… sense of anger, of being wronged, trying to make his tone as cocky as he physically could, ‘You’re a bit cheap aren’t you? You give me a nickname and you expect an actual name from me? A rook much?’ Keep it light, ‘I’m not the one who is confused, clearly you are.’ He huffed a bit, blowing out his cheeks again while staring right at the other’s eyes, waving a hand, ‘After all you mistook me for someone you don’t even in reality know.’ Alright he couldn’t help that one… even though he really wished he could. All for the sake of appearing strong, at the very least he couldn’t seem like he was even more worried than he was. He didn’t even comment on the bit about hurting him, or the apology… or anything like that. There was no point, and he could even figure out how to … respond without sounding weak. Accepting it or denying it would be admittance and he would not do that of all things. With a nod towards the market he finished up with, ‘Let’s just get to the marketplace.’ With that he snapped his book shut and tucked it away, almost glaring at the older man. Glaring not because he was angry, but rather to disguise his unease and his fears. Conversation over.
With that he patted his leg, signaling Jussi to heel to his side and he quickened his pace to the point where he was almost running, yet, he did not leave his back unguarded, no, he threw a glance back frequently, making sure the older man kept his distance.
He had never been so relieved than when he finally broke into a run towards his Mamam who was tending a stall. Never been so relieved to grip her skirt and pull on it, never been so relieved to feel her hand on his head, running through his braids, and never been so relieved to fell the coarse, yet heavy fabric between his fingers. Even though he was with Mamam, the fear didn’t fade, but for the moment he felt safe. There was something important he had to tell her, had to let her know so she could handle the man. Yet, she wouldn’t look down, instead she was already looking at the person he brought with her. Even though he tugged on her skirt, she would not look down. He hoped… she knew. Whatever safety his mother’s skirt had affording him was gone when she untwined his fingers from the fabric… kindly, but almost as a reminder of how unseemly it was. Yet, she still did not look down.
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Post by REVENANT on May 23, 2015 5:55:33 GMT -6
❝ i was born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone ❞
Unease, palpable unease. It was not something he needed to look for to see; however he did wish that he could better read the boy's thoughts....what he was interpreting the words to mean. Because clearly, he was going about this entirely wrong. He wondered if perhaps it would have, in this situation, been better to outright lie. Sisu is my X relative by my sister. Anything. He took another several steps back, away from the boy, giving him a little more distance. If he wanted to go now, to flee, that was fine. Though he doubted he would...of what little he could read, the boy was cautious, extremely suspicious, even perhaps a bit paranoid; turning his back on Charles would be the last thing he would want to do.
Though it did bring to mind a question for the cop, the question of why. Certainly, stranger danger was first and foremost a concern to be aware of. But even then that couldn't be all. Charles' initial interaction with the boy had not been unusual...admittedly yes, he called him by a name that clearly wasn't his, but misconception was commonplace. The boy was suspicious even then. ....Actually no there were two questions. The second.....why was no one else doing, saying anything? It wasn't as though Charles was making himself subtle - and based on his little understanding of games....would it not make sense that the other townsfolk would take notice? ...Unless they were not standing within the radius of the....noticing range. But that wasn't entirely it either, because some of them smiled and waved....at him, specifically, not so much as a glance at the boy. Clearly, they didn't notice...or know, at all, what was going on. Which just further drove home the reality of this child's uniqueness.
The boy started writing again and Charles watched his hands attentively, eyes flicking every now and again to the boy's. A couple times he could feel the twitch of a frown try to tug at his lips, but that was not....he was not Eden, right now. He managed to keep the downward curve at bay, a neutral, though concerned, expression taking its place instead. He blinked slowly. The boy was of course right....and this, this was what he got for treating him like the rest of the AI he presumed to find in this game. He sort of shot himself in the foot here. "I suppose I am, but it's what most people call me out of town. If it would appease....make you feel better, my name is Charles." He wanted to smile, but felt that would be....the wrong thing to do. He sighed heavily. "And, you never had to give me your real name you know. I asked, what do I call you -- because, really, anything outside of 'boy' would be just fine." At that he broke a squinty half-smile for...the briefest moment.
He cocked a brow at the snide little remark about this Sisu. Didn't.....say anything, just cocked a brow and gave a shrug of the shoulder. What was there to say? Nothing that would win him any points here. The boy was finally done though, closing his book....a forcible end to the conversation, well, that was all right. He turned one quarter away from the boy, letting him start along the path to...the marketplace he presumed. He didn't want to follow close...and the boy most likely wouldn't let him. He walked slow enough to keep a certain distance from the boy, decidedly ignoring the constant looking back he did. He could meet the boy's eyes or smile or...but it would just make him more suspicious. He just followed quietly and let the other lead, until suddenly he broke at a run, heading towards a woman with a long skirt. His mother. A small amount of heaviness he felt in his chest dissipated....good, his mother, he perhaps would feel a bit more at ease.
Charles kept at his steady, slow pace as he approached, the woman looking at him with an expression he wasn't sure he could read....for one of two reasons. He smiled at her, bowing his head. "Hello, miss. I'm sorry, I believe I've spooked your son..." He decided to start....conversationally, in case she was just like him, unique.
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Post by SISUHAASTAJA.OBJ on May 23, 2015 21:28:12 GMT -6
 His mother’s locks shifted to the side as she tilted her head at the strange man. That is after he took a step back, having been forcibly reminded of how unseemly it was to cling to his Mamam’s skirts. At the age of thirteen. He fumbled with his fingers, blushing slightly as yes… he was thirteen and even though he was terrified, he should have been more dignified as after all he was supposed to carry the family name one day. Well he was supposed to, whether or not he did was another matter entirely. Quickly though he shook his head, trying to recompose himself as he faced this creep for the second time, his mouth set heavily in a frown as his fingers found purchase in the crooks of his arm. As he remembered that oh right, Charles… Charles the creep was right in front of him. Probably a fake name or something. Yes, he was still worried, but his Mamam’s presence assuaged his fears slightly, as she seemed to take the stranger’s presence in stride… and she… she probably understood that he was worried. Probably. He… knew that it wasn’t always easy for her… on the account of his… condition to understand him. She was strong. He knew this, but in all honesty, he wanted his Papa here, because she was his Mamam and he didn’t want her to be hurt. Or fall into the sweet trap that he was sure that the other one could lay. Although his heart calmed a bit, he was still on his toes because he could not tell his Mamam, or rather she was transfixed on the stranger. Did she know? Could she tell by his expression? She knew right? She had to know, right?
Or would she find his fears unfounded?
As the creep came closer, he scooted closer to his mother, his gaze flickering from her face to his although he could not read her lips. Not quite behind her, but rather a bit in front of her, biting his lips as he bore holes into the other with his eyes. Yet, when he looked up, he saw her slightly tired, if not flushed face, give a weary smile to the foreigner… and she waved back him before running her long thin pale fingers through his head. An action he would normally find reassuring, but instead left him hollow. While he would never admit it, as she weaved through his locks and pulled slightly up on them, it felt physically good, but he gained little reassurance from it. He could not tell from his Mamam’s expression… could not see her words and would never know the tone that she spoke to the stranger with. Perhaps she did not wished to let the creep know what she had ascertained. Yes, her lips moved, but he did not know. In truth he was afraid that his mother was ignorant to the all the little wrongs, the things that weren’t right as she did not hesitate to respond back. Unbeknownst to Vertti, his jaw opened a bit in shock as she fluently responded to the stranger’s apologizes even though his mouth moved in such a strange manner that despite him understanding the other’s pitiful words, he could not comprehend how he knew. Did she not see it? His cause for concern, not hear it as she must? Was he merely imagining things? Despite the gentle touch, he did not know, nor could he know that his Mamam had responded thusly, “Greetings good sir, I see that you have met my son, thank you for returning him to me I was wondering where he had gone off to.” Her hand shift and rested on his head. She had a gentle smile on her face as she brought a hand to her face almost sighing in relief.
He almost stumbled forward when she gently shoved him towards the man, an almost laughing, knowing smile on her face as he craned his neck backwards to catch a glimpse of her words. His arms pin wheeled as he was forced towards the creep, unbelieving of the words that came out of her mouth next, “I hope that he has not caused you trouble now…” Yet, he did not see the final part, “He may look and sometimes act strange, but please do not judge him for it.” She ignored his blinking eyes, and tapped him again towards the man. While he had managed to maintain his balance, his eyes widened as he felt like he was just thrown to the wolves… did his mother really not see it? Did she not understand, did she not see his fears. Mamam! No, Mamam, he did not want to be near this man. Rapidly he glanced between his mother and the man before him, feeling both very small and dare he even think it? Betrayed? Hurt? Was this a test he had to pass, by his lonesome? This was too cruel a test and so he took a few fumbling steps back, against the gentle hand of his Mamam, tugging on her skirt hard. Trying to get her attention, but her eyes were locked on the stranger and she once more unwound his fingers from her rough heavy skirt. Why wasn’t she looking, this… this was important. He didn’t care if he caused a scene, Mamam, look, please look. For the third time, his fingers were unhooked from her skirt and he felt his will fading and he closed his finger around thin air instead, reluctantly turning around to face the stranger and creep. Why? The only answer that he received was a gentle tapping on his shoulders once he mustered a much weaker glare at the older man. It was simply reactionary to look up, and he saw the words mouthed, “Now introduce yourself to the good sir, it is only polite.”
Looking down at the cobblestone, he felt defeated as he pulled out his book and slowly wrote down his first name… only to be followed by his second. ‘Vertti Mainio.’ It was less even then before, he barely put any effort into it. He could not understand his Mamam’s mind as she then patted him on his head… yet he did not look up as she gave the stranger a smile and placed her free hand on her chest, “Seija Mainio, the mistress of Kettujalku Farms. Is there anything in particular you are looking for good sir?” Why, Mamam? Why? Lost in thought, he also did not see the last part as his mother appraised the man before her, “We are also hiring new hands for the Spring season, though you would have to speak to my husband. That is if you happen to be looking for work.” She pats her unresponsive son’s head. He barely noticed as he stared at his own name on the page….
Mamam, why can't you see it? It was hard at times. There was always some form of miscommunication, but Mamam, please listen? Or was it something that he simply could not see himself? He... didn't know.
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