Haze Perci

It was a calm day like any other in Eastern Evanesce. The soft light seeped into Haze’s room, the early morning sun just beginning to warm the world with its shine. The sound of cockerels could be heard, slumbering livestock beginning to waken as the tiefling turned over in his bed. Eyes slowly opening, he’d groan, sitting up and stretching with a yawn. “Morning already, huh… Looks to be about six. Better get up and attem’, I got lots to do today.” He ran a hand through his hair before he began to get dressed, tugging on a pair of pants and slipping into an undershirt. The next hour and a half would be spent tending to his garden, milking his cows, and harvesting a few carrots for the bakery. After that, he packed some goods and began his way to the village, not noticing the unknown man slipping into his home.

When he got to the village gates, the children greeted him happily, a few playing with his tail as he made his way to the local library, which also had an extension as the town’s bakery. “Now, now, y’ little ones remember the rules I gave ya! Or else I’ll have to tell your parents again…” While it wasn’t common for a tiefling to live in a place as peaceful as this, the villagers were accustomed to his daily appearances, his parents having made a life for him here years before their departure on their “most grand adventure yet”. After dropping off the goods to Egil, the town’s librarian and occasionally baker (it’s majorly run by his partner), he proceeded to the blacksmith’s, where he’d work until the late afternoon. 

Returning home with his everyday pay and a meat tart from the bakery, he opened the door, pausing at the sight of a dark humanoid asleep in his chair. Quietly closing the door, he’d set his things aside and get a good look at the guy. “Uhm… Excuse me, you’re in my chair.” Haze said, waking the other with a start. 

“GAH! OH MY GOD YOU’RE HUGE, PLEASE DON’T KILL ME-!”

“Woah, woah, hey now! Calm it sir, I don’t kill unless I need to!” the tiefling stated frantically. “Thing is, what are YOU doing in my home?” he questioned. 

“Oh, thank goodness- Well! I am… I am a traveling writer! Y-Yes, and I would like- no, no, I need your help with my latest story. You see, I’ve found myself at a bit of a writer's block, and need inspiration for some new characters to bring back some of my flow!  …Please.” 

“I-I don’t even know who you are! I’m not much of a writer myself, I reckon… I don’t think I’d be fit for the job, Mister…?”

“Oh! Call me Arthur. Or Art. Not Artie though. People seem to be fond of that last one, but me? Not so much.”

“Well, uh, Mr. Arthur, I’m Haze Perci, and I’m not sure someone like you’d fancy a simpleton like me, really…” 

“Ohh, don’t be so modest! You’d be great, and the assistance I require shouldn’t take too much of your time! It should only take… A few chapters. Whaddya say, hmm?”

As much as Haze was suspicious about this author, he halfheartedly agreed, on the condition that his absence wouldn’t be too much of a burden. Arthur assured him that it’d be “like he never left!”, and so he’d decided. 

“Right then, suppose that settles that. So, when do I start?” 

“How about… n̸̢͎͖̺̤͛͊̇̓͗̾̊̀̌̈ͅǒ̷̧̪̘̤̫̼̥̮͎͈̿̐͆̌̃̉̓͑̀͜͝͠w̵̧͍͓̹̠͚̳͕̅̈́̊̉̌͊̅̓?̷̡̧̛̮̰̼̯͇̖̎̐̉̑̓̓̔́̍͘”

And with that, everything went dark.