![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[it's late at night, and shess is still up. namely because he doesn't, well, sleep.
thankfully, even in the dark, the earth cave is lit by torches. it's here, as he looks around, that he spots a familiar figure. ah, looks like they've found a new hole to hide in.]
Hello, Cinnabar.
thankfully, even in the dark, the earth cave is lit by torches. it's here, as he looks around, that he spots a familiar figure. ah, looks like they've found a new hole to hide in.]
Hello, Cinnabar.
[ they're still awake, miraculously; the torchlight and the strong albedo from the mercury trailing in the air around them provide enough illumination for their inclusions to stay active, even in the cave at night. Shess is instantly recognizable before Cinnabar even sees him. ]
You again... [ a sigh. They turn halfway where they're standing (in front of a particularly large grouping of crystals that they were apparently looking at), giving him a sideways glance. ] Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?
You again... [ a sigh. They turn halfway where they're standing (in front of a particularly large grouping of crystals that they were apparently looking at), giving him a sideways glance. ] Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?
I was looking around the area, and I saw you. How have you been doing?
As we all are. And as we are all on equal ground, why would your state of mind be any less significant?
[die, probably
shess just continues writing.]
It's not necessarily about caring. If we're expected to work together, it doesn't do anyone any favours to pretend you don't exist.
shess just continues writing.]
It's not necessarily about caring. If we're expected to work together, it doesn't do anyone any favours to pretend you don't exist.
Have you actually seen any evidence of your poison here? If you're the exception to us all being on the same level, I'd be curious to know why.
[ Cinnabar shoots him a disparaging look, then gestures to one of the small blobs of quicksilver hovering in the air around them. ]
It hasn't gone anywhere.
[ ... they haven't checked to see if it's actually killing anything, because why would they do that? Little do they know that it's about as dangerous as silver paint at the moment. ]
It hasn't gone anywhere.
[ ... they haven't checked to see if it's actually killing anything, because why would they do that? Little do they know that it's about as dangerous as silver paint at the moment. ]
[...
well then. swiftly, taking off one of his gloves as he does so, he walks right towards cinnabar to touch one of the blobs.]
well then. swiftly, taking off one of his gloves as he does so, he walks right towards cinnabar to touch one of the blobs.]
What are you -- don't!!
[ they cry out, lurching forward to stop him only to stop themself in their tracks, too - because if they touch him, it'll be just as bad, even if they're wearing gloves. All they can do is watch helplessly in horror as he pokes one of the blobs...
It's mercury, at least in the way it behaves, so it feels... liquid-y, but with less give than water. The worst it will do to him is leave a dark stain on his finger. ]
[ they cry out, lurching forward to stop him only to stop themself in their tracks, too - because if they touch him, it'll be just as bad, even if they're wearing gloves. All they can do is watch helplessly in horror as he pokes one of the blobs...
It's mercury, at least in the way it behaves, so it feels... liquid-y, but with less give than water. The worst it will do to him is leave a dark stain on his finger. ]
[hm. he's just. going to wipe any residue off on a crystal or something, before he puts his gloves back on and gets out his tablet again.]
Are you afraid of hurting others?
Are you afraid of hurting others?
[ nope, they're too busy being frozen in fear to answer that question! Which is sort of an answer in itself. Cinnabar's eyes stay glued on his hand, even after he puts his glove back on. ]
H... How are you okay?
[ this literally does not compute. They've seen countless plants and animals wither and die after coming into contact with them; even the other gems who touch their poison are permanently contaminated with their toxin and need to have the infected parts scraped off and disposed of. How is it that a human is okay? ]
H... How are you okay?
[ this literally does not compute. They've seen countless plants and animals wither and die after coming into contact with them; even the other gems who touch their poison are permanently contaminated with their toxin and need to have the infected parts scraped off and disposed of. How is it that a human is okay? ]
[well, for starters:]
What harms humans does not necessarily affect my kind.
[regardless of whether cinnabar's poison is still active here or not, shess was counting on that resistance.]
I can't speak for others here, but I'm fine.
What harms humans does not necessarily affect my kind.
[regardless of whether cinnabar's poison is still active here or not, shess was counting on that resistance.]
I can't speak for others here, but I'm fine.
You're not human...?
[ this legitimately surprises them. They've gone and read all the scrolls, at this point, but nothing on his mentioned a species - the presence of horns isn't enough to tell Cinnabar he's not a human, considering how little knowledge they have of humanity. ]
[ this legitimately surprises them. They've gone and read all the scrolls, at this point, but nothing on his mentioned a species - the presence of horns isn't enough to tell Cinnabar he's not a human, considering how little knowledge they have of humanity. ]
[he smiles at that.]
You hadn't met many humans before being brought here, I take it.
You hadn't met many humans before being brought here, I take it.
[he blinks, surprised. ... well, that's unfortunate, but it doesn't really have anything to do with him, he supposes.
he removes his glove again to show cinnabar his hand.]
he removes his glove again to show cinnabar his hand.]
... I can't believe it...
[ they stare at the unblemished hand, stupefied. This is a miracle. One that shouldn't be possible. The mercury floating around them ripples.
It's still with them. But it doesn't destroy any more. It might be ugly and embarrassing, but it's not destructive. Cinnabar almost wants to try and take their glove off, too, and touch his hand, just to see what that would be like, but they're far too shy to try it. ]
... What are you?
[ they stare at the unblemished hand, stupefied. This is a miracle. One that shouldn't be possible. The mercury floating around them ripples.
It's still with them. But it doesn't destroy any more. It might be ugly and embarrassing, but it's not destructive. Cinnabar almost wants to try and take their glove off, too, and touch his hand, just to see what that would be like, but they're far too shy to try it. ]
... What are you?
[...]
A sura.
[a name they expect to mean nothing to cinnabar, though.]
A sura.
[a name they expect to mean nothing to cinnabar, though.]
Sura...
[ yeah, it means nothing. Still, they're curious. They're daring to hope. It's hard not to, with the hard proof directly in front of them. Even their negative mind is having difficulty coming up with something that could throw all of this into question. ]
... You must be a creature like no other. Even the land is ruined by my poison...
[ yeah, it means nothing. Still, they're curious. They're daring to hope. It's hard not to, with the hard proof directly in front of them. Even their negative mind is having difficulty coming up with something that could throw all of this into question. ]
... You must be a creature like no other. Even the land is ruined by my poison...
It wouldn't be my first exposure. The very realm we live in is poisonous.
[admittedly, certain clans suffer for it, but for most sura, it's negligible.]
[admittedly, certain clans suffer for it, but for most sura, it's negligible.]
Page 1 of 22