Definition Pending-- What? {Event} {Private}

"If I find the bastard who took me off one, I swear he'll rot in the sewers. Three of my best pears from the growers on Galleon". The man's excessive facial hair threw Coria off track. A tawdry kept beard mashed between middle aged dirty brown and elderly stress-induced gray, scraggly as if shaved from a brown cow's wool and stuck onto his face. It shuffled about with the man's indignation, but now Coria could only focus on cows. Portly, fluffy creatures that were birthed in a variety of hues. Some were spotted and white, others pure black and tanned with sunlight. Coria's personal favourite cows were those who were older and veteran. Such fluffy wool and heavy "Baaaaa---aaaaaa-aaaa" noise. Although only explored in literature, cows were so intriguing. Or were those goats..? Primary definition pending. Coria digressed as their thoughts came back into focus. The mission at hand far superseded a man's beard no matter how odd it truly was. After returning focus to the merchant man, Coria found him staring at them as if.. A hamster had just snarled at him. A little pipe from Coria's lips upon realization. The "Baaaaa---aaaaaa-aaaa" had been said out loud. A cold sweat broke out on Coria's body. It was such a misunderstanding.

"Cows" Coria stated, as if that explained everything. The man furrowed his brow. "Lad--"

"Or goats".

"Lad, erm. Are you right in the head?". Coria's hands shot up to the metal mask on their face and did a swift, thorough feel check, including the dark fabric to check for tears. "Yes" Coria responded dutifully. Coria rummaged through the loose, deep threaded pockets attached to the leggings that gripped Coria's legs beneath the plates. From the left pocket, Coria pulled a large, thick and visibly ripe pear. "Excuse me, my sir. How do I eat this? I am under the assumption it is edible after perusing your wears-- and pears".

Without missing a beat, the merchant man swiped at the pear with wide eyes. Coria pulled away. Was this some sort of game? "Cocky little guttershite, I'll snap your neck". Guttershite? Definition pending. His voice kept low and steady. At the lack of visible anger or explanation, Coria assumed this was a game indeed. With a turn on the heel, Coria turned their back to the man. "You will wear the face of despair, fool!" in perfect reciting of their favourite scripture from the book building. Coria promptly threw their body into a sprint, slender body weaving through a small mess of merchant-goers. The pear beard merchant man was left inquisitive.

--

The slums outside of the capital Xastristian city were wide enough to lose yourself in easily, stretched in a half-circle around the main city walls of Oak.. Owl.. Owlwood? Coria did not remember hearing a perfect definition. A variety of unfinished or poorly maintained steel, oakwood, and glass structures that formed a large forest of identical homes, all single story with two windows on the front and a door. Each house, some requisitioned as businesses, were virtually identical. Only small differences split them apart. Tagged walls on memorable corners dictated street names such as Galleon and Pint, bright yellow lights kept the slums illuminated during the night but fell quiet and dark during the day, leaving utilizing the sunlight and any other humane means of producing light as a primary daily focus. Right now, it was teetering on duskfall. About an hour and a half before the sun hides behind the horizon. It had been twenty-six minutes since the game with the pear beard merchant and Coria believed themself to be the winner. After pulling the pear out of their pocket, still in perfect condition, Coria bore a gaze into it fervently, as if attempting to consume it with their eyes.

Alex's brown eyes darted around as she walked through the slums. She wasn't really sure why she was here; she had ended up getting on a random bus (mainly because she didn't want to fly), paid its fees, and let the bus drop her off at wherever. Turns out it was the slums, right outside of the giant, towering walls of Oak Hollow. She glared suspiciously at the enclosed utopia. That place irked her, sent her predator instincts spiking like crazy. Wings tucked in so close that they were invisible, she seemed like a normal human to the naked eye. This would be a pretty good time to check out what the slums were like, and if she could help them any. They all seemed so poor and unfortunate, and Alex definitely wanted to help them. After all, her dad had drilled into her mind that it was good to help people. She just.... didn't know how.

The Avian scratched the back of her neck sheepishly as suspicious glances were thrown her way. Ah man, this was really nerve-wracking. While usually an extrovert around her group of friends, she was pretty socially awkward when it came to strangers.What is that higher class doing here? she could hear them whisper. She assumed they would call her a higher class because of the headphones around her neck, and her clothes-that-were-not-rags. Upper class? Please. That was what the politicians or lawyers were.

She was just a 14-year-old girl who inherited her family's money after they died, and was currently living in an apartment with a few other girls. It was a miracle how they were still able to pay its rent, but... they were working hard, so guess their hard work was paying off. It was kind of sad though. Out of all of them, only one of them was at a legal age to drive, but not even vote or drink yet. It was... a pretty bad situation, but they would have to make the best of it.

As the narrow street widened, she was immediately hit with the strong smell of manure. Her breath hitched, and she coughed, desperately trying to get the foul smell out of her system. Ugh. Nasty. She grimaced, squeezing her nose shut with one hand as she breathed in and out with her mouth. Were those cows? Yeah, definitely cows. She'd recognize those black and white spots and that heavyset build anywhere..

Walking on for a few more minutes, she passed a rather shady looking fellow who was holding some sort of object--was that a pear?--in his palm, and was staring at it intently. He was wearing common rogue or thief garb. It kind of reminded her of the assassins in Assassin's Creed. She could barely make out the glint of a mask covering the lower half of the face. Ok, red light red light avoid avoid avoidavoidavoidavoidgoddamnitavoidhim. She immediately tore her glance away from him and her walking sped up.

Pear.



The uncontrollable force within Coria's lower chest stirred, inflicting grievous pains as it let out some inhumane roar. Coria shoved their fist into their stomach in hopes of smiting whatever dark evil lie within.

Twelve minutes had past since the victory in the game against the cow pear merchant and Coria had spent the time analyzing the pear with great focus. The skyfire had fallen lower within such a short amount of time and staring at the blazing hues of red, orange, yellow, pips of violet and emerald, melding together into the orange ocean of sky.. Coria felt a twinge of...

Of...


What.. ?


An image, hazy and watered down flashed in within Coria's mind.


Coria shuddered in physical, grasping pain that snakes throughout h-.. their chest, holding the pear against them in wonder as the spasms passed. Shuffling their feet for just a moment, Coria straightened their back. A scuffle of feet a few feet away to the left where nobody should be. Coria's head turned to the source of sound at an almost impossibly far angle. It was a person. Due to the pain in their stomach and most recently, the harsh and unknown shudders caused by the skyfire, Coria took no heed to their appearance except a vague outline.

"Excuse me, my sir and or madam and or provincially other" they announced. Wasting no time, Coria closed the distance as the figure began walking faster. Coria's own legs were slender and long, each stride almost twice that of this stranger's. Coria made a motion to place their hand on the stranger's shoulder and stretch their head around to meet their view in synch.

"Would you teach me how to interact with the mighty pear?".

------

(OOC: Sorry for the late post! My college finals are this week and I stayed out all night studying with a bunch of strangers in the library! I only just got back! I don't expect you to post and abide by the daily post regulation. This was totally and utterly my fault. I apologize, my friend).

~Nah, it's fine, Dristan. Finals is obviously more important than answering back I literally just finished my finals~


Alex's instincts hammered on her head, like small little ogres who were yelling, run, run, run! while all the while jumping around like on a trampoline. She was about to break into a run, when a hand stopped her in her tracks. She jumped. She turned her head slowly, just in time to come face to face with the same shaded person that she had tried to avoid beforehand. She squeaked, and oh god that was embarrassing, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth. Ohmygod am I gonna die ohmygodkhdakjhtlnkehn, was the thought that ran through her mind at that time. Splat. Well there went her brain. Goodbye, brain.

And provincially other..? What, was he talking about transexuals or something? Or something that had both female and male reproduction systems? Oh, like that one episode in Gintama Alex watched, where Kyuubei and Katsura tried to become both male and fem-- Ok, whoa brain, off topic right there. Let's get back to the part where this guy is going to murder us and suck out our soul.


......



Hold on. Did he just say pear?

"I, um-uh......" her words trailed off. Her instincts had long died down. It didn't seem like the guy meant any harm. He was just asking how to interact with a pear? Who asked that kind of question?

"A pear?" she asked hesitantly. "You eat pears.... Please don't kill me!"

Alex flinched and shrank as the stranger stood even taller and loomed over her. He's trying to intimidate me! Her mind screamed internally. Of course she would automatically think that he was going to kill her! Who walked around dressed in all black like some kind of assassin or something and expected to still be treated kindly? The guy, apparently.

And who was he anyways? Who asked how to use a pear? Was he maybe not from Earth? Maybe an alien tourist? Or... Maybe even an alien whose head was wanted through multiple galaxies!?

Yikes.

She watched with confusion, and a bit of shock, as she watched the guy forcibly smash the fruit against his metal mask. Did he not have a mouth or something? This was unnerving to watch. Alex watched as the pear began leaking its juices, wincing as it caused a mess on both the mask and floor. Eww... The easily distinct smell of pear wafted through the air to her nose. She had to force herself to not breathe in deeply or she would seem like she was high on some kind of drug.

As the stranger beckoned her to get closer, she instead, scooter back a step. She pushed the pear away as it was placed even closer to her face.

"I-m positive.." She flinched as the tone of the voice dropped even lower, ominously. "You eat it with your mouth.."

Coria's left hand fidgeted in a manner as if playing an imaginary piano, each stroke delicate across the air that held the music that wasn't there. This stranger was not very helpful in this situation, but it did not stand to reason they were not telling the truth. Coria took a moment to ponder, moving their hand to their chin in a gesture accordingly.

It had been several months since Coria gained consciousness in this world and many of those months were spent adjusting to the puppet of a body they controlled. Each limb slowly grew tighter, more controlled and precise throughout the spanning time. As Coria's body developed, so did its needs for general upkeep. The act of consuming food appeared so menial and pointless in the beginning. If it is not required for sustenance, what is the purpose? However, now that Coria's own body roared and damaged itself at the lack of what Coria assumed to be a request for upkeep, they understood how it was such a necessity. Only once or twice had Coria investigated their growing body to understand it better, however.. There were still some key elements missing in an order that was not natural. Coria understood in that instance.

Raising their hand in an aggressive manner, Coria thew an open palm-- against their own face. "My stranger.. I have misunderstood you. I am.. Ashamed" Coria preached, choosing their words carefully. "In no variable order could you possibly understand the depth of the situation at hand!". They raised the hand with the half-pear. "I have presented to you a scenario in which there is no answer for you have no equation to manifest in your own mental prerogative. Please! Allow me to stimulate your mind".

Coria dropped the half-pear into their deep pocket without an aiming glance, and rose both hands to their mask and hood. Slowly, as if careful not to damage them, Coria moved to unravel the threads that tie them together. In a practiced effort, the mask fell and clattered to the ground, revealing Coria's bare.. skin.

It was glassy, hazy-- translucently payne silver and swimming with impossibly fuzzy, tiny sparkles. It was if their skin permeated and grew from a silver night sky, each tiny sparkle reminiscent of the starlight this world showed at the end of the skyfire. Coria's entire face was slender, giving off the impression it was sculpted whatever glistening fabric that shaped their skin. Eyes bright nearly white, only the irises were formed and everything else remain a practical night window through their body. The shape of a nose, gentle cheekbones, seemingly feminine by appearance but.. There was no mouth. The shape of a phantom face incomplete without lips. Coria lifted their chin just a little and attempted to open a mouth like so many humans are able to do-- and it opened. But not fully so. It was as if somebody put a silk sheet over their head as they made their  lips to part, but still barred out from itself. It was impossible to eat, but Coria's body demanded otherwise. It had been days and the physical deterioration was beginning to take its toll on them.

"Prayeth to thee!" Coria quoted from the wise scriptures found within the book building. "Might you understand my words?".As Coria spoke without the mask, it was clear their not-lips and not-mouth moved to shape the words, but it was almost muffled from behind the "sheet" that covered.

Alex was stil very thoroughly confused. Why was the guy making such a big deal out of eating a pear? She scratched a scab on her upper arm absentmindedly. Ah, she really should get rid of this habit; her sbas weren't healing properly. She glanced up at the setting sun, and then down at her watch. Already past 6? She probably should go back for dinner but this stranger interested her. Even if he was dangerous, which was pretty highly likely, she felt curious. That was probably going to be her death wish later on. Dinner could wait. She'd head back later. Buses we're always coming and going in this area, and she had money, so it'd be fine. Hopefully.

Was it also bad that she could barely understand what the stranger was saying? Everything that left his mouth was so formal, and there were all sorts of fancy words that she had a bit of trouble wrapping her mind around it. She understood snippets, and could piece together what he said, however. From what she got so far, he was basically telling her that she didn't understand the situation, and so he would show her. Ok, yeah. That'd definitely be helpful. She watched in fascination ad the stranger lifted his hands to his face to unravel the threads and take off the mask. As the mask clattered to the ground, Alex's jaw dropped open. It was... surprisingly sparkly. A translucent stretch of skin covered the expanse of his--her? She wasn't even sure anymore, she'd call him a they just in case--face. And... Bingo. There was the problem. There, in fact, was no mouth. No wonder he-they, were in such a bind. Their words were muffled, even without the mas, like their skin was mask itself. She had always thought the mask was the object that muffled the voice, but apparently not.

"Y-yeah.." she said carefully. "I get why you were having trouble now.." She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, there ARE certain people in this world that can't eat because of something wrong with their throat or mouth or something, so doctors eject stuff into their bloodstream, and let their body soak up the nutrients from there..."

She eyed the phantom-like creature. "What.. exactly are you anyways?"

Coria lowered the mask to their side and dropped it into their pocket alongside the pear. They would be safe there. It hadn't occurred to Coria how much time had past since the beginning of their day-- the sun was low enough by now to dictate it was nearly time to return to the concrete hovel they called a home lest the humans who roam the dark in search of crime find them. After six months in this village-esque environment, wrought with its own variations of strife that Coria had yet to wrap their head around. Men, clones of each other in dressing and similar in act from murder to theft and some things that left Coria dumbfounded. Women would trade their time for currency, taken into a single building for hours at a time, only to return minutes after their patron had left to repeat the pattern all over. Coria had a stray thought as to if all humans partook in this ritual of the night. Coria looked at the small stranger and tilted their head as they removed all facial covers spare their hood. They wondered if this small stranger did such things.

They stowed away the mask and clips that held their guise together to reveal their entire face. It was impossible to tell if they had hair due to the deep spine of the hood that fell in their face, but it was plain to see not just their head, but their slender neckline and and neck were also a part of this starlight silver silk that acted as skin. Their eyes were virtually absent-- acting only as windows through their body and into the endless abyss of their body. If one took a close look, little glowing blots could be seen where a human's irises would be. Their facial structure could be considered soft, with a small nose and thin cheek bones, eyes barely curved at their ends and full lips.

"Pardon my ignorance, small stranger. I understand the majority of this world is managed through currency and trade depending on the amount of labour required to procure such services. I apologize, but I do not believe I have the currency required to field human medical assistance with the insertion of nutrition into my body". An audible roar from Coria's far low chest, coupled with a sharp, biting pain and a hazy dizziness. Coria felt themself swoon for just a moment but quickly corrected their posture.

"It is difficult to figure out what I am to do.. But, small stranger, I must again apologize. What am I? I cannot tell you, for I do not have a name for it myself. I am not human, not male nor female from what I am capable of discerning, I do not believe myself to be a beast or some creature".

Coria's "eyes" lowered their lids and dipped their chin in a mock imitation of sorrow which is what felt like the correct feeling to imitate in order to correctly show their mindset.