The Darkness Is A Little Bit Poetic...Isn't It? [PRIVATE/Sofia]

As she talked to the boy, she had to admit there was a certain feeling of uneasiness about the situation, albeit quite frankly, in the best of ways. While it was far too early to say with utmost certainty, there was potential in the young man. There was no telling what said potential would lead to or rather what it could manifest into, but alas, he seemed to have a lot in store for his future, if he played his cards right. That was in it of itself a lot to ponder about an otherwise stranger she had barely just met, and whose names and pleasantries they had just started to share.

”Hmm, I’m sorry.” She added while shaking her head and retrieving a basket full of what seemed to be fresh bread, fresh cheese, and even a bottle of mildly aged grape wine. It wasn’t all that often that Sofia had the chance to congregate with a Shinigami, even if this one was enough of an enigma of uniqueness as to allow him as to skirt the very definition of a Shinigami. Not like she was one to be able to lay fault on him however as her more recent encounters had left her though more balanced in her views of light and darkness, certainly more apt and accepting of darker and more violent methods to achieve a desired result.

The rest of the night should have ideally gone without hiccup. The two would have had enough food to be satisfied, and should he have chosen to stay the night, he would have had a place with a sort of roof to sleep under. Rustic as it was, the alternative to it was sleeping outside in the open, under the treacherous cold of the silent night. Regardless, early that morning, very early actually, Sofia would be nowhere to be found. Had he chosen to stay he would have awaken alone, and had he chosen to leave, he wouldn’t be able to find her at the same location or elsewhere for a very long time.

Nearly a Year Later

For the greater part of a year, the Quincy prodigy had placed herself in a form of self-imposed and isolated exile. It wasn’t specifically to keep her from an area or a country however, but rather to keep her away from all that she was. She had taken a temporary leave of absence from the Wandenreich and even from the missions and tasks she was dedicated to back then. In essence, there had been quite a lot of motivational and a lot of quite not so motivational encounters that had led her to rethink her place. From the all-out battle against the giant Goliath Shell, the powerhouse and bringer of destruction for the Demon Queen, to the seemingly righteous Hollow in Yaksha, Sofia had been through quite a lot. The encounter with the Shell and her motivation to push on and to fight for the demonic scourge had certainly left its mark on her. On top of that, an interesting encounter with the demon Arianda resulted in much more than shared pleasantries and pleasures of the flesh. From that fateful meeting, Sofia had received the Seal of Eris.

Fortunately for the Quincy, the way her mentality and disposition had been prior to that occurrence had likely been her saving grace. For unfortunate souls that met with a fate akin to hers, and whose convictions and viewpoints had them stray into the gray areas of justice, and even to those with some levels insidiousness and of malice, the Seal would have been devastating. After all, it has the peculiar ability to enhance the darkness and evil within that to whom it marked, among many less detrimental and more favorable aspects. As for Sofia, the way she had been before, a stalwart advocate for justice, devout to the Quincy cause and with a strong dislike of certain spiritual races likely became her safety net. Instead of succumbing to the effects of the Seal and being drowned, she was strong enough to make a stand, and her personality enough to be of noticeable effect. However, the effects were still obvious. And the result turned out to be a new and improved Sofia with a newfound understanding of the world around her. She had a balance she believed she had been lacking for a long time. For instance, while she still believes in justice, in the Quincy, and in the advancement of power and success through strong and artistic endeavors, she’s much more likely to indulge in a bit of foul play. After all, the end results are the most important, and now she has come to terms with the fact that the end does indeed justify the means. And besides, there was nothing wrong with enjoying what she already did…

Eventually, Sofia had finally decided to come out of hiding. There was no reason to stow herself away in the darkness, when she could work from it, and thrive within it. On that very evening, as she walked through the once valleys of death, now simple woodlands almost waiting to be ravaged, her attire was not indicative of someone that was wanted to be found. The Quincy sported a long blue hooded robe that extended all the way down to her boots. It was closed at the front with the only visible traces of her appearance being the silky smooth look of her skin and the dark bangs of black hair. As she walked on, mingling the whistling noises of the uneasy forest and her own careful delicate whispers.

“It’s only just begun.”

Coding By: [THEFROST]