Friendly Neighborhood Lich
The Washington -> Railway St East (Oswald, Nemaforte, and the psychic college students)
When Oswald asked about Amanda's ability being problematic, Vicky slammed her hands on the table and rose in her seat, glaring at the scrawny teen girl with too much eye makeup. "Of course it is! I was worried about it ever since you got it!" She looked around at the others. "As you know, she's only in our class because she's Dr. Savant's pet or something."
Amanda pointed her wand at Vicky. "I'd watch what you say if I were you," she spoke with a calm playfulness, before folding her arms. "At least I have had the courtesy to not use my powers on any of my classmates," she said to Oswald. "I know better than to turn against my team."
"That is no excuse!" Gon shouted. "Intentional or not, you could still hurt someone with that! ...Though, I wouldn't mind if you used it on some thug." He rubbed the back of his head, as he was wont to do. Next to him, Ari snickered.
"I do find it a bit disturbing," said Merlin, "but yet, I do not detect any genuine malicious intent in your aura. Though you may deny it, I still see some good in you." Zuri nodded in agreement.
"I actually find your ability quite fascinating," said Yamiko. "I don't mind it in the least - and I actually liked being able to use it for a while. Though don't listen to me; I've been known to believe all sorts of morally questionable things. There is a reason my name means 'child of darkness', after all." Next to her, Lupin nodded in agreement. Then she looked at Oswald. "And actually, thus far, my curse has not affected anyone else. I don't think curses in general do unless they are meant as such. But mine was specifically on my family, so if your last name is not Murakage, you are safe."
Lupin nodded, and looking around, he could see that everyone had finished their drinks. Including himself, as he just then took the last sip of his wine. "Well then, shall we leave? I'm sure many of you would want to return before it gets dark, and I personally would not want to miss one minute of night."
Merlin grinned and patted Lupin on the back. "You would. But... your arm..."
Lupin nodded and put on a slight smirk. "People will pay more attention to it, yes. Not so much my good arm. Why, I would not even need cloaking."
Gon eyed Lupin with curiosity as he left his seat. Why do I feel like I know what he's talking about? "Yeah, I agree. I may not have been up for long... but I sure am tired."
"I hope you will not be too tired to help plan Zuri's funeral," Ari said to him, standing up herself. "I think we should get on that as soon as possible before her body begins to rot. And Amanda, that does not mean re-animation practice." She had just noticed Amanda coaxing the body into rising in her seat a slight bit. Amanda promptly pushed Zuri's body along the seat instead, where her ghost helped it out of the booth with Amanda following.
Once everyone was out of their seat and while they were headed out the door, Nemaforte looked up at Amanda. Through all this, despite the extra drink, she managed to walk perfectly straight, though she appeared in a sort of daze while doing so. "Psychic torture - between us, used it I have too. Only on animals - primarily pests. Is a fun way to punish them for disrupting my herb garden. Use on people is forbidden on Orenya," she added while looking more at everyone, Oswald included. "Already I am on close watch by the Oradamin, which is a group of fighting crime - and if they discovered me to do this, yes they would straight-way send me to prison."
While saying this, she felt dizzy, such that she bumped her shoulder on the door frame and caused several of the bottles in her bag to clink around. Promptly, Vicky took her hand and walked her along, even though she was walking in a sloppier fashion than usual herself. A middle-aged man walking by stopped to stare at them, shaking his head. "Bloody kids. What are ye, trick-or-treatin'?"note Of course, the two were too drunk to pay any attention to him.
Meanwhile, Merlin walked by Oswald's side, smiling at him. "Yes, perhaps we will meet again sometime. Perhaps in another dimension like this, perhaps even in dreams. My classmates and I have done a lot of dream-walking lately, so if you pay attention in your sleep, you just might see us."
"When I was alive, I did have the power of astral projection," Zuri contributed, floating slightly outside her body as a transparent head, "so I can in fact travel freely. You are correct in that most ghosts are confined to a location, which they then haunt. That was true of my parents, who died in the seance room of our house, after astral projecting for too long themselves. Ghosts, after all, need a physical tether in order to remain attached to the mortal realm. However, I died out in the open, so when I returned, I could tether myself to anything." She retrieved the dagger from Vicky. "I chose my athame, as it was precious to me. It used to belong to my mother, and she used it in all her magic rituals. And I can take it anywhere I like."
"It is sad indeed that people fear what they do not understand," Zuri went on. "It is why society hated witches throughout most of history, as magic - which operates outside the physical laws of reality - is poorly understood by its very nature. I do hope that the people of Nova Scotia come to realize that supernatural forces are neither contagious nor malicious, at least most of the time. There are malicious spirits out there, but the madness you speak of, I imagine being more often caused by the person's own fears."
Merlin smiled and nudged Zuri's shoulder, then helped Amanda and Zuri herself with her body. By now Zuri seemed to get the hang of pushing her body around from the inside, using the same force she had employed to touch physical objects and even walk on the ground. In this fashion, the group began to cross Railway Street, headed in the direction of the train station.
Ryuhza, you may have the group reach the train station in your next post if you feel ready to have the group leave the Frontier soon - I don't mind either way.
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Amy, Maya)
Connie reclined in her chair slightly, letting out a small yawn as Amy began. When it was over less than a minute later, she sat there for several seconds, blinking with a dull look on her face as she glanced between the two other teens.
When it became apparent that Amy had nothing else to add and that now it was time for her to respond, Connie crossed her arms and shrugged.
"Okay," she said, the word sounding more like a question than a statement. Her confusion was just as apparent in her tight-knit brow. "So you gussied it up a bit; you bluffed to make yourselves look better. I mean... whatever. Am I supposed to be upset?" She rolled her eyes up to stare at the ceiling. "I guess I'd probably say no to any extended plane trips, but I don't really see what the big deal is here. I'm not going to scold you every time you tell a fib. I mean, if it's not hurting anyone..."
She shrugged again, throwing her arms up in a more exaggerated manner, almost like she was praising the sky. They flopped back down over her chair's armrests, and hung there as she stared very candidly at Amy.
"Sorry," she said, "I guess I was expecting a story, not a, uh... a clarification."
[Town ~ The Washington](Oswald, Nemaforte, Psychic College Students)
Oswald reflexively shot back in his seat when Vicky responded quite an animated fashion to his question. He even found himself reaching back for his hood in a panicked moment, while his tail brushed against the side of his leg, where he sometimes kept one of his "deterrence" blades. The moment passed, of course, and he settle back into a more comfortable position, releasing the tension within him through a breezy sigh.
He spent a while observing each of his tablemates, greeting their thoughts on the matter with a variety of expressions— those of pleased agreement, of looming unease, of concern and confusion. When they had all said their bits, he joined his hands together and laid them against the tabletop.
"I won't say too much on the matter," Oswald began, turning his attention to Amanda, "Obviously your classmates know you much better than I do. But, if you'll permit me to propose a question: have you ever experienced the same agony that you—pardon my assumption—seem willing to inflict on others? And what about at its worst? The worst pain you've ever instilled?" He paused for a brief moment, closing his eyes. "To be more succinct, do you understand what you wield? The idea of the ends justifying the means is not one to be considered lightly. I see torture as an almost entirely unnecessary tactic, one that breeds bitterness and hatred more than results. Hurting people for hurting's sake. Breaking people. It's dehumanizing. The right hands don't make the wrong tool any less reprehensible. Good intentions are not acts."
Oswald didn't say very much for a while after that, nor did he meet anyone else's eye except when directly addressed. He seemed very much lost in his own thoughts as he stood up from the table and followed the others outside. However, he brightened up again when Merlin and Zuri walked alongside and talked to him.
"I hope so Merlin," he said with a grin, "I do. And perhaps in a better state, if the future wills it. I'll see to my part."
When Zuri explained more about how she was able to move around so exceptionally freely, he looked to her and said, "Well, that doesn't sound like such an awful way to be, as far as existences go. Your presence certainly goes a fair bit further than 'always with us in our hearts', doesn't it? And you have your friends..." he paused for a moment, another warm smile appearing on his boxy muzzle. "I hope this works out for you Zuri. Past those ubiquitous ups and downs, I think it will."
From there, Oswald fell silent again, though it was clearly a contented silence, not one intruded upon by bothersome thoughts. He gazed at the other side of the street, at the rows of buildings that lined it, and at the few others still outside, wandering up and down, on their own paths, following their own lines, a stone's throw away from intersecting.
Before long, they had reached the foot of the train station.
this place needs me here
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Train Station (Oswald, Nemaforte, and the psychic college students)
When Oswald spoke to Amanda, especially when he asked her the question about experiencing such intense agony herself, Amanda grinned. A grin that grew more maniacally excited as he went on. By the time he got to mentioning dehumanization, she was positively brimming with excitement, bouncing on her toes a slight bit and anxiously tapping her wand against her free palm.
"Of course I have experienced it myself! Your assumption is correct indeed! Do you think I self-harm to release angst like some emo kid? Why, I have even used this ability on myself by looking in a mirror! This power is by no means a means to an end. It's a passion. I understand well what I wield, and I love it." It was clear from her tone of voice that she was not concerned at all with what the others thought of what she was saying - in fact, if they were apprehensive about it, as well they should be, that would be even more amusing for her. She pondered, rotating the top of her wand such that the tiny bat wings spun around. "Hmm, now what is the worst pain I have ever experienced? I will have to think about that, as I consider every experience that was not a lame excuse equally delightful."
Actually, she knew exactly what the answer to that was, but in her excitement she did not feel like she could come up with the words to describe it, especially given Oswald's relative lack of experience with the supernatural. But she certainly remembered it. The dark twisted space, the loss of any and all physical sensation, the utter ravaging of sanity, like dipping one's very soul in a vat of acid such that not even death would be an escape... Thinking about it did notably calm her down a bit, though the lingering burning sensation in every joint in her body seemed like it could invigorate that excitement at any given moment. So she ended with, "I do agree with torture in general being dehumanizing. Given that definition, that would make me more demon than human, would it not?" Here she sounded more amused. "The notion of being broken like that... it is kind of beautiful, in a sense." And here, finally, some might think, there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
Gon, who had looked notably disturbed throughout all this, gazed at her in bewilderment. "How can you even say things like that!? Man, I don't think I would enjoy hurting people with my flames, not even to you..." Surprisingly, Amanda seemed to ignore this remark.
"I do quite agree with the part about good intentions," said Lupin, who also looked visibly uncomfortable, such that Yamiko was giving him a look of concern. "It is tragic, then, how some people end up with such dark talents and passions and cannot shake them." The look he gave Oswald was also notably sorrowful.
Merlin and Zuri, on the other hand, had decided to ignore Amanda's rant completely; instead they were facing away from the group. Zuri had left her body for the time being, but manifested in such an opaque and tangible form that it looked very much like her body, except for the tiny wisps of smoke that flitted about her in the orange glow of the late afternoon sunlight. The two were sitting on a bench at the train statin, holding hands, and gazing sometimes back over the town, and sometimes at each other. Except for one point, when Merlin noticed that Amanda was done talking and that there were some definite auras of distress in the group - including from Amanda herself, to which Merlin had to raise an eyebrow.
"I do hate to change the subject," he called out to the group, "but might I direct your attention to this beautiful view."
He gestured behind at the far end of Railway Street, where the sun was now close to the horizon, sinking partly into a distant cloud of dust, illuminating the receding clouds in vibrant pinks and purples, and casting long shadows past the town buildings. Sitting back down on the bench, he then said to Zuri, "But this beautiful view is, at least for now, mine to enjoy."
Zuri smiled. "Perhaps after the funeral..." Her smile faded as she cut herself off.
Merlin blinked. "There is embarrassment in your aura, but also a hidden joy." Deep inside he knew what that feeling was, but he dared not say it for now.
Behind them, Gon, Ari, and Vicky stood in awe at the sunset, while Yamiko and Lupin huddled together in the shadow under the station roof. "I cannot wait to get out of this place," said the former wistfully to the latter as she leaned against his shoulder. "And I can tell that you feel the same." To this Lupin put on a faint smile.
Through all this, Nemaforte was looking back over the vast landscape of the wilderness, where the sky was darkening and the moon was just starting to rise. It was a feeling of deja vu for her, as she had first arrived her gazing up at the moon in complete dark of night, before those two goofballs Annie and Gregory stumbled out of a random portal next to her. She had to wonder whatever became of them... but it was only a fleeting concern. Instead, she turned to Oswald, suddenly remembering something. "Once the train arrives, depart I will be for a place where the sun is ever still, but before it does, there is something I wish to give you, a token of our meeting. And alter your consciousness it will not, not directly at least."
After flashing him a mirthless grin, she rummaged around in her bag and took out a tiny spherical glass bottle on a string, as well as a couple of different herbs, one of which bore slender bluish leaves, the other of which was the "vampiric bristle" herb she had used in the ritual to restore Oswald's sight. After taking one of the white bristly leaves of the latter and infusing it with a drop of some unknown tincture from her bag, she placed the leaf into the bottle along with a few of the bluish ones, as well as a pinch of what looked like crystal dust. Cupping the bottle in her hands, she closed her eyes and spoke to it. "Sio nai sundira arina ri yai. Nen kra kusa lai-ya."translation With those words, a little bit of steam (or was it smoke?) rose out of the vampiric bristle leaf and swirled around the bottle, while the blue leaves dried up and the tiny crystals glowed faintly and briefly. When all was done, she handed the sealed bottle to Oswald.
"This is an amulet that will help ward off feelings of negative. The blue leaves are from the simlora herb which invites calmness. You may tie it up and wear it around your neck to help keep away a curse, or have it with you when you sleep to help keep away nightmares. Like a battery it is, it will be recharged by the light of a moon that is as full as possible. Be sure that sunlight not shines on it - it will break the enchantment. Seeming this may help in the face of a world not kind to magic."
Meanwhile, Amanda was leaning against a wall, also in shadow, with an almost empty look in her eyes and an overall weary feel.
edited 20th May '17 2:12:41 AM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
Much to her relief, Connie wasn't mad; mostly disappointed that she didn't actually give her a story.
"Well," Amy said, "Clarifications can be stories! Everything can be a story! But, you want something a little more exciting! Hmm..." She turned to Maya, "Hey, Maya, what else can we tell? I want to be a little more honest this time."
There's always the story of when we got tangled up in the forest on our second flight. Maya signed, That one's pretty funny.
"...It's a little embarrassing, though..." Amy muttered, before clearing her throat, "Ok! So, I was fourteen and Maya was fifteen at the time. My uncle was still weary of us flying after that crash I had when I was eleven, but I managed to convinced him! We decided to fly to another state just so we can explore!"
Maya smirked. Problem is, when we got there, she had the bright of idea of parking in the forest. This is before she became more experience with adventuring.
Amy shot a quick glare at Maya, "You're so mean!"
Thank you.
Attitude is prohibited
[Old Mine]
Rin gave a small sigh. "I suppose it can't hurt to be optimistic..." she muttered. Omar's absence was rather suspicious but, reluctantly, she supposed that there wasn't much use in worrying about it while there was nothing they could do. "Right then. Lets get started."
Getting into position, she put her hands up against one the boulders and started to push. After a brief stalemate, she braced her shoulder up against it, dug in her heels, gritted her teeth and pushed. For a few seconds, she seemed bound for another stalemate, when a grinding noise began to sound; the rock had begun to move. With a final burst of effort, Rin gave the boulder a shove, the scraping noise echoing throughout the room as several tons of solid stone yielded to the strength of one turquoise-haired young woman.
"Phew!" she said, stepping away from the now-widened crevice, just barely out of breath. "Well, that was a workout." She took a moment to shake out her arms and clap the dust off her hands. "So... Cynthia, why don't you go in first? Joseph, you go in after her. I'll be right behind you. Sound good?"
Not entirely dead.
Southern Desert ~ Old Mine (Cynthia; Joseph; Rin)
Cynthia stood in mild awe of Rin's ability to move such a large rock. Now, a more accessible means getting through the blockade had opened up. Double checking her barriers to make sure dropping them wouldn't result in the tunnel collapsing on top of them, the young knight smiled and nodded.
With the geometric panels dissipating into sparks of aether, the one-eyed girl carefully tossed her sword and scabbard first, before cautiously working her way through the crevice. Moments later, she called for Joseph to come through.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Amy, Maya)
Connie laid her hands atop her lap, settling in and getting attentive for another story—a proper one this time, she hoped. However, between the two of them, it was more of a quick anecdote than a built up story.
"Wow, Amy, that is... um, incredible," she said, trying not to sound too dry about it. "Tell me you at least found a clearing or something, because otherwise..." she shook her head, "yeah, nope, you'd have been strung up like a treehouse."
Connie paused for a second, glancing up the stairs at what she thought was the sound of a doorknob twisting. A moment passed, and nothing came from the supposed sound, so she turned her attention back to her present company.
"So did your uncle okay the out-of-state trip, or was that another spur-of-the-moment, to-hell-with-the-consequences kind of thing?" She asked. Internally, she also wondered why her uncle wouldn't at least act as a chaperone, especially considering how their first flight had turned out. There was probably a reason, she reasoned, something lost in the uninteresting, ancillary details.
A little while later, the doorknob sound returned. This time it was followed by a very distinct door opening sound, a series of footstep sounds, a pause, a groaning and sighing sound, and then another series of footstep sounds, accompanied by the creaks and squeaks of old wood. By the end of all this, Rip was sitting on the bottom few steps of the staircase, running his hand through his jacket pocket.
Connie leaned forward in her chair and stared at him. He fished out a small, half empty and half squished pack of what looked like it might be gum, then slid one out. Connie continued her intent staring until she finally caught his eye.
"Oh, yeah," Rip said, shooting a brief glance back up the stairs. "He'll be down in a moment."
Connie held her hands up slightly and shook her head. Rip—who was in the middle of unwrapping the contents of his little gumlike treat—blinked, then flashed a very quick and exceptionally large grin, giving her the 'ok' sign for good measure. Without having spared a word, Connie turned back to the other two girls, folded her arms, and shrugged.
[Town ~ Train Station] (Oswald, Nemaforte, Psychic College Students)
Oswald continued to be quietly disturbed as Amanda went on obsessively about how she quite liked being able to psychically torture people. However, as she went on, the look on Oswald's face shifted, the apprehension in his eyes being overcome by something more thoughtful and deductive, as though he could finally see the puzzle through its pieces.
A short while later, he found himself following Merlin's instruction with a glad smile. "Mmm... it's dazzling," he said, setting his hands above his hips and breathing a low sigh. "Despite the hardships my way of life brings, I count myself lucky to get to spend so much time gazing at this aged world's tireless beauty. Or these aged worlds', I should say." He faced the vanishing sun, squinting less and less as it continued its descent. "Dazzling," he repeated. "Marvelous. Resplendent and much much more than I could ever think to say."
Nemaforte approached in the middle of Oswald's inadequate-word-thinking session, sparing him from having it go on any longer. Instead, she produced a very small bottle and some unusual looking herbs, mixing them together and presenting it as a sort of parting gift. Oswald observed with eager interest, as though he was actually learning something from each step Nemaforte took.
"Nemaforte you are far too kind," he said as he accepted it, giving her another look, "has anyone ever told you that? It's a serious concern, you should know." He peered closely at the bottle in his fingers, turning it over and repeating Nemaforte's words in a ponderous way. "Ward off feelings of negative... I do like the sound of that. I suppose I'll take it out at night and keep it beneath my shirt during the day then." He brought the ends of the string around his neck and began to tie them together. "You have my most humbled thanks, Nemaforte. To you too, I owe more than I can say."
[Southern Desert ~ Old Mine] (Joseph, Cynthia, Rin)
Joseph's big lizard mouth fell slightly open at the sight of the immense feat of strength playing out before him. For a moment he thought that Rin might end up having to step off the plate and admit that the pile was too heavy, even for her, but to his sustained amazement, the boulder shifted, and she manage to move it a substantial amount.
"...sounds good," he answered a little absentmindedly, eyes still fixed on the crevice that was now almost big enough for one to make it through just by crouching. And Cynthia's fancy magic barriers had prevented any of the rock shifting from causing an untimely collapse. Even though he hadn't contributed anything besides the suggestion, Joseph felt a little bit proud of how well it had all worked.
Once Cynthia was through, he stepped up to the crevice, muttered, "All right, here goes," then dropped to his belly and shimmied through, looking uncannily lizardlike—minus all the clothing, raggedy though it was—in the process. As he crawled along, the reddish light that had been shining dimly through the gaps in the rubble grew brighter. Whatever the source, it was nearby.
Joseph was halfway out on the other side of the crevice when a distinct sound broke through into the mine; a sound that had been expected for long enough that it now arrived as a surprise. It was Omar's voice, calling from a distance.
"Rin, Cynthia! I need your assistance at once. Please drop everything and don't dawdle. There's not a second to waste." There was a short pause, before he added a particularly deliberate sounding, "I can't properly express how little time you have."
The sound of Omar's voice had halted Joe in mid-exit. He even managed to turn himself over so he could look back in its general direction (although his view amounted to a faceful of boulders). Once Omar had said all—it seemed—that he was going to, Joseph glanced up at Cynthia, his face wrought with unease. He scooted himself backwards, pulling his legs and tail out and away from the crevice, then climbed to his feet.
"That doesn't sound good," he said, dusting himself off and giving the area a quick look around. It was much the same as the tunnel on the opposite side of the cave-in, much to know one's surprise, but before returning his attention to Cynthia, he did note an old looking gas lantern burning with a dim and unusually red light. "Why... uh-" he pried his eyes away, "why do you think he's asked for both of you? And the time stuff... I mean, I know we're running low, but why not just tell us like, 'hey, 3 minutes until happy hour is over'?"
He frowned and shook his head, then dropped back down to his knees and looked through to the other side of the rock pile. "So," he asked, "are you gonna go?"
[Southern Desert ~ Subterranean Shelter] (Omar)
Omar tried to hold a cool, uninvolved expression as he stared into the gaping black hole in the wall, but his confidence was draining by the moment, and every jab at his back or ribs or even his head kept his brow feeling sweaty, despite the cool cave air.
"Tick tock," murmured the man behind him, giving Omar's lower back another jab with the barrel of his rifle. "They'll come." Omar said, clenching his teeth to keep his voice from shaking.
"Oh I hope so," said a woman who was leaning next to the hole in the wall. "But, to be frank, I'm getting bored. Really bored. My interest in prolonging this is plummeting at record pace, so tell them to chop-chop."
She had a lit cigarette in her mouth that she spat out, before fishing another one out from Omar's purloined pack. She stuck it in her mouth, lit it, took a drag, breathed the smoke out, then tossed that one aside as well. Above her hip there was a rifle hanging from a strap. It looked very similar to certain Earth-made automatic rifles, but wasn't quite a match to any of them. The rifle held by the man behind Omar was much the same, long, lean, and crafted from a dark metal. The man had a dead gaze and a large, dark, caterpillar-like mustache covering the entirety of his upper lip.
"Tick tock," he repeated with another jab.
There was a fourth person in the room as well, standing in the corner on the opposite side of the hole in the wall from the woman. He was another man, younger looking than the first, even younger looking than Omar himself. In fact, he bore a unsettling similarity to the gunbound man, with very light slicked back blonde hair that made his forehead look larger than usual. He didn't say much at all, but when he looked at Omar, he snickered as if someone had just told a childish joke. He was toying with Omar's confiscated handgun, though this time it had been loaded properly.
The woman lit another cigarette. Omar stared into the gaping black hole in the wall, silently grinding his teeth.
edited 25th May '17 7:49:40 AM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
"We did," Amy said, "But I spent most of my time getting chased by wild animals. It's not fun being chased by bears. Or stepping in animal poo. Or getting your hair and clothes messy!"
Maya smirked.
"Eventually, I had enough; I was ready to go home!" Amy continued, "Sorry that this story is shorter and less exciting than my fake story; I wanted to save all the big moments when Rip and Davey come back."
When she asked about her uncle, she smiled. "It took a bit for me to convince him to let me go. He was still super nervous about me flying my plane since the crash I had when I was eleven, but I told him that now that I was older, I had more experience!" She stood up, "I said that all great pilots had their mishaps before, but eventually, they were soaring in the skies like there's no tomorrow! Now what good would that be to deny me the chance to learn?" She put her hands on her hips. "My speech worked! Sort of...he wanted Maya to come with me because he didn't let me go by myself."
Soon, Rip came down and announced that Davey was coming down soon, much to her excitement. "Yay! More company!"
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Rip, Maya, Amy)
"Oh, I know," Connie said, raising her eyebrows and glancing down at her own dusty attire. "Anyway, that's why you're supposed to land on a runway strip near a nice town and then go to a diner or something, not bushwhack aimlessly through a forest. But, y'know, whatever," she threw her hands up in a conceding sort-of shrug, "live and learn."
Rip had finished unwrapping his gum-looking whatever-it-was, and slipped it into his mouth. He didn't chew, however, he just closed his eyes, holding his mouth shut for several long seconds. When his eyes opened again, they took a moment to find their focus, but all-in-all, he looked a little more at ease with the world.
"So what's all this you three are chatting about?" he asked, facing Connie and the others.
"Amy and Maya's second time flying," Connie replied, before adding an uncertain, "or, their second time all by themselves, at least."
"Flying?" Rip repeated incredulously. He ran his finger and thumb across his mustache and cockrd his head a bit, looking the teens over carefully. "Where are you hiding the wings?"
Connie paused, blinked, then rolled her eyes about as slow and deliberately as she could. Turning back to face Maya and Amy, she said, "That there is an example of what Rip would call a joke." Knowing full well that Rip could hear her, she continued, "Best just to be nice about it. You know, smile and nod." She turned her head back to the man and demonstrated, adding in an uncomfortable laugh for good measure.
Rip returned her smile, though his was much more enthusiastic, even a little impish. He seemed amused that his joke bothered her, if only superficially.
Before anything else could be said, the door to the upstairs room could be heard opening again, followed immediately by the sound of a familiar voice, humming a familiar tune. When Davey appeared at the top of the stairs, Connie squinted, searching for any signs of lingering distress in his face. But his fur was neat and his eyes were dry, and he seemed much less woeful by and large than he had when he'd departed. She supposed that was good, although the sheer difference in his mood was a little disconcerting, as if someone had slipped him happy-pills. But she'd said it herself, Rip knew Davey better than anyone. Maybe he just had the magic touch that was needed.
"Here he is," Rip said, glancing up the stairs, "man of the hour. And look," he gestured at the others, "you've kept everyone waiting so anxiously." "I take full responsibility," Davey said, nodding, "and I'd like to clear the air."
He stepped around Rip as he reached the bottom of the stairs, then wasted no time in walking over to the girls. "Amy. Maya. Connie," he said, turning his dark brown eyes to each of them in turn. "I'm sorry." He let the statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "I let these outside problems and bottle up feelings get the better of my emotions, and then I loosed it on you three. You didn't deserve that. Of course you didn't deserve that— it was harmless curiosity and I took it too personally."
His gaze drifted away for a moment, wherein he was completely still. Not so much as a whisker twitched before he spoke again. "It's hard to explain exactly what came over me," he said, then looked back at Connie and clasped his hands, "but I promise you, it will not happen again. From this moment to all beyond, I promise. So don't be afraid to ask me about... anything."
Connie nodded slowly as it seemed he had finished. Rip, meanwhile, offered a muffled clap of his hands and a, "Well apologized Davey." Then he raised his hand slightly and added, "Now, if I could offer a suggestion..."
Davey glanced back at him and nodded, "Of course."
"Why not tell them about yourself? Whatever it was had you antsin' up before, tell 'em that. Tell them about the person that you are and how he came to be. You'll see," he gestured at the three teenagers, "no one here is going to think any different of you, or shower you with any of that pity that you don't want. And think, it'll defuse that whole minefield you two will no doubt be stepping around any time you talk to one another."
"O-oh..." Davey half-murmured, turning back to face Connie and the others. He looked a little dizzy, and, for a moment, even a little mortified. Connie hated to push him again, but when she looked at Rip, the man nodded encouragingly.
Do it, his eyes said. Go ahead, push.
Connie wasn't sure of how to ask Davey to tell her something like that. She wasn't sure if she was even willing to ask. So, in desperation, she glaced at the other two girls, hoping that one of them would take the initiative.
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
Amy giggled. "No wings, here! Instead, we fly by plane! If you want, I can give you a lift!"
At that moment, Davey finally came down the steps and apologized to everyone, even allowing them to ask him anything they wanted. Still, it looked like he needed some encouragement, so Amy and Maya quickly stepped up to the plate.
"It's ok, Davey." Amy said gently, "I promise you we will not judge you or give you any sort of bad attention. If there's anything you want to get off your chest, spill."
Maya nodded.
We're willing to lend an ear, Davey, but we need you to be willing to open up to us. Maya said, Tell us what's been going on. You can trust us.
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
Train Station (Oswald, Nemaforte, psychic college students)
"Happy you have accept it," said Nemaforte of the amulet she gave Oswald. "To you I gave it for sort of a duty of me, to help raise awarity of magic in a world where there is fear of it. In the town of Theani where on Orenya I am from, hospitality is truly virtuous, especially to those who are not as fortunate. It is a least I can do , for with my mind broken, I give off a little of a bad aura to potential customers. Many of my customers give off a similar aura or worse - but money is money... and between you and me, con the nastier ones into a higher price I often do." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes, which were looking straight into Oswald's.
Yamiko and Lupin had been gazing out into the horizon all this time, but after a while, the elegantly-dressed telepath walked back to announce to the others. "I see the train!" Indeed, a train emerged from behind a near-distant rock formation, making its way to the station.
Merlin and Zuri's ghost promptly stood up. While the latter got back inside her body and tried to make it stand up once more, the former noticed Amanda leaning against a wall, her head bent towards her bony chest. Giving her a look of concern, he said to her, "You look empty. Damaged. I do wish I did not have to say it, but black magic taints the soul, and your abilities would certainly qualify as such. I can see it in your aura - it is weakening your will and dissociating your sense of identity, and the influence of Nightfright may be making it worse. Once we return home, if you like, I can help you work on that."
"There will not be time," said Yamiko as she passed, not waiting for a reply from Merlin. Even Merlin didn't say anything afterward, opting instead to watch the train pull into the station.
Zuri walked clumsily with her body up to Oswald, though as before, she had to float her ghostly head out in front of her face to speak. "Well, soon after we board that train, it will be goodbye. Though misfortune befell us, I am glad to have helped. Do not worry about me; with my spirit permanently outside my body, I will have little to lose, besides maybe my athame of course." She looked over to Merlin, who was holding onto the old ritual dagger.
"She still has us!" said Vicky, who placed a hand on Zuri's shoulder - but immediately retracted it when she remembered that her body was dead. "...Well, I... it has been a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oswald, even though the meeting was short. I imagine you would not want to shake Zuri's hand, so you may shake mine in its place." Why am I so fond of hand-shaking all of a sudden? she wondered as she shook Oswald's hand and waved goodbye. I did that to Scents as well... but hey, furries!
Following behind were Gon and Ari, who were mostly just relieved to be finally going back home. Then Yamiko, with Lupin in one hand and Amanda in the other. "I am not looking forward to going back..." she said, mainly to herself, "but I cannot any longer. I will have to visit my family's house once I do." Lupin turned to her and replied, "Indeed you do... though I have a strange feeling that you have done so before." To which Yamiko nodded, just as lost as he was.
And last to board were Merlin and Nemaforte. "Do you think maybe I can be your final customer once we are on the train?" he asked her, to which she replied, "Already your friends have my Cosmic Potion. But thinking of else maybe I can."
And, saying their final goodbyes to Oswald, they boarded the train. Nemaforte was headed back to Orenya to sell more herbs, and the psychic college students were headed back to Boston to plan a funeral for Zuri. And all the while, the train rode off into the sunset, away from this desert town.
edited 30th May '17 7:51:08 PM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
Attitude is prohibited
[Old Mine >>> Subterranean Shelter]
Rin hadn't even reached the exit yet when Omar's voice sounded trough the mine. Poking her head out the end of their makeshift tunnel, she gave an exasperated sigh. "What's with this guy?" she grumbled. Stepping out and brushing herself off, a few issues occurred to her as she gave Omar's message some thought. "Why did he call for Cynthia and I, but not you?" she wondered, glancing over at Joseph. "We're all here for you, after all." She put a hand to her chin. "And you raise a good point; why didn't he just tell us how much time we've got left?" She shook her head. "Hopefully it's nothing, but... I have a bad feeling about this." She looked down at her hands for a moment, then clenched her fists. "If this is a trap," she said. "I'm gonna be really upset."
"Cynthia, you stick with me. Joseph... well, we're not just going to leave you here, so come too, but... hang back a bit. And try to be quiet. Okay?" She looked between the two of them, and if there were no pressing objections, would take off sprinting towards where they'd heard Omar's voice come from.
Not entirely dead.
Southern Desert ~ Old Mine —> Underground Bunker (Cynthia; Joseph, Omar, Los Tres Chiflados; Rin)
Cynthia shot Joseph a concerned glance, "I agree, it sounds awfully suspicious... I'm gonna come with and see what all the fuss is about," she told the lizard man. She then tapped her chin for a brief moment, "I did come along as a bodyguard, so maybe..." Her eye twinkled slightly as she raised her head, a determined smile on her face.
"I'll take the lead," she told Rin, conjuring up another semi-translucent shield before adding; "I can protect us from anything dangerous." The young knight then proceeded to crawl back through the tunnel. On the other side, Cynthia waited for the others to crawl through before taking off hastily down the tunnel, a sizable magic shield, akin to an oversized riot shield, out in front of her.
It didn't take her long to dash through the mine and return to the bunker that they were originally told to stay in before their brief little excursion to the cave-in. She saw Omar first, and opened her mouth to speak, before noticing the man behind him with the gun. Yay, more people with guns, Cynthia thought as she pursed her lips before gulping softly.
"Oh, hai. Who's your friend there?" she asked loudly, slowly raising her seemingly nervously fidgety hands, completely unaware of the other two people in the room.
[Town ~ Train Station] (Oswald, Nemaforte, Psychic College Students)
"I don't know much about auras," Oswald admitted, meeting Nemaforte's gaze with a smile, "but I'm certain I can think of many worse crimes than charging a bad seed a higher price." He secured the knot of his new amulet and raised the small bottle again—though now it was a little trickier to get it out from under his muzzle and into his viewing space.
"No one has ever left me with a keepsake before." He said, shifting his focus from the bottle to Nemaforte. "I believe this means I'll be thinking of you all the more often. A reminder." He brought it back down to his collar, and fixed the elfin witch with one more affectionate stare. "I hope we meet again, Nemaforte."
Upon being greeted by Zuri's walking corpse, there was a trace flicker of alarm in Oswald's eyes, but aside from that he kept himself fairly well composed.
"And I am eternally grateful for your help," he said with a bow of his head. When she implored him not to worry about her—a fair point to address, given that she was, in fact, dead—he shook his head. "On the contrary, I hope you find you have all the world to gain. If feel that this, being a ghost, suits you better, then let it free you. Take comfort in the support of your friends, and find peace with yourself. I wish you nothing but the best, Zuri."
To Vicky's offer, he grinned, "How very thoughtful." He shook her hand and nodded, "I wish—as most do—for more time. Time to get to know each of you better, but alas."
Stepping back, he noticed the short, colorfully clothed man boarding the train without a proper goodbye. "Merlin, my wizardly friend," Oswald called out, a slight sternness in his voice, "Be well, and mind your manners."
He winked, then took another step back. "And to you all, thank you for accomodating me into what turned out to be a lovelier evening than any I've had in months. Good night, and safe journey. May we one day meet again." He muted any lingering soreness, and stepped forward into a great sweeping bow, just before the train pulled away.
Oswald stood at the empty station and sighed, as though he'd been relieved of a burden, but a burden he'd become quite fond of. Still, it did little do dampen his renewed spirits, so high they were as to keep him humming brightly as he left the train station, waving his pointed tail as he moseyed down the street, and sparing not a thought to wonder where he was supposed to sleep without any money.
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Davey, Rip, Amy, Maya)
Davey's mouth pulled back into a wide sort-of frown as he looked between the girls. A thoughtful frown, maybe, or a frown for weighing options.
"I... suppose I owe you something a little more in the way of an explanation, don't I?" he said. "And I suppose I can understand why you'd be curious. I can't imagine how erratic my behavior must seem to someone who doesn't know what drives it. Maybe if I tell you this, you'll understand me better, my perspective, or..." he had begun pacing back and forth a small distance, his words increasing in speed with every lap, "maybe I'll sound like a loony. Maybe I am a loony, and this will lead to a sorely needed wakeup call. I sure hope that isn't the case, but if it's to be, then it's to be."
Rip eyed Davey warily as the short, otter-looking man went on and on. Wrinkles of concern developed and quickly deepened on his forehead.
"You'll have to excuse my resistance—or disinclination—towards talking about this," Davey continued, quickening his pace, "it's something that I have by and large sworn off discussing with others. I find that when people know about it, it creates a lense, and it's through that lense that they view me."
"I disagree," Rip interjected, waving his finger with a half-hearted raise of his hand. The interruption seemed to catch Davey by surprise; he looked around confusedly before spotting its source. With a slight smile, Rip continued, "Or, hold on, let me redo that." He closed his eyes for a moment, setting his features back into a very neutral position, then gave Davey a very skeptical look. "Is that entirely true?"
Davey sighed, then picked up at almost the same pace he'd been speaking at before. "It's a different situation with you, Rip; a unique situation. You were there for all of it, you knew me before, you knew me after— you were never in the dark about anything, so you never had any preconceived notions about me."
"Well, ain't that all the more reason to open up to other people? To clear up all that hubdrub garblenash before it becomes your whole... you know, your whole foundation?"
"It's not that easy." Davey said.
"Plenty'a worthwhile things aren't." Rip replied.
"Okay, it's not that simple."
Rip frowned, shrugged, and shook his head as though to ask, is there a difference?
With another sigh, Davey tried, "What would you have me do? Introduce myself with a 'Hello, my name is David, and I was-' " he stopped himself a moment short, shooting a quick, cautious glance towards the three girls, "well, you get my drift. Not everyone wants to be defined by their deficiencies. I am made of so much more than that."
"And that's what you'll get to show them, Davey. You're looking at this backwards; you wouldn't be defining yourself by it. Just the opposite. By putting it out there at the forefront you get to address it head-on, and then move it out of the way. From there on out it's all about the rest of your wonderful self. Isn't that what you want?"
Davey said nothing, scratching his head slightly and glancing away.
Sensing that there was more convincing to do, Rip continued, "On the other hand, by sitting on this thing, avoiding it and keeping it a secret, you're gonna make people think, oh, now what's the deal here? They're gonna tiptoe around it like it's some kind of emotional timebomb waiting to go off, but Davey, they're always gonna be wondering about it. Thinking about it. And that, my friend, is letting it define you. More than define, you're letting it control you. Do you really want to be constantly worried about if and when it's going to spring up in a conversation? Or when someone asks you about it smack dab to your face, what are you gonna do?"
He paused for a moment, then pointed past Davey, at the three others, "Consider what happened when Connie and her friends started asking questions. That there could've been avoided if you had just opened up about yourself from the get."
Davey's gaze slowly slipped away from Rip down to the floor, his eyes finding themselves studying the wooden floorboards while he ruminated on the man's advice. As if the voice in Davey's head wasn't enough, the Rip of the here-and-now spoke up again, eager to move things along.
"You'll feel much better when all is said and done, trust me. Now, why don't you find yourself a seat and tell these terribly patient young women your story?"
Letting his small shoulders fall slack, Davey appeared to concede. As he looked around for a nearby chair, he said, "Of course, Rip doesn't mean for me to tell any old story. I have dozens of stories. Most I'd tell gladly."
He turned away for a moment, though he didn't look nervous. His whiskered face read nearly blank, only the subtle traces of a frown and the distance in his eyes to show a resigned dread for what was to come next.
"I'll say this," he continued, turning to face Amy, Maya, and Connie, "my one request. Please don't feel sorry for me."
"You can't ask that of them, Davey." Rip said, shaking his head. "Or, you can ask, but you can't honestly expect them to shut down their feelings on a whim like a couple'a robots."
"Fine," Davey said with a quiet sigh, "then at least try not to dwell on it. I've spent so much time feeling sorry for myself, and let me tell you, it's not worth the strain on your brow. I want to move forward. I want to put this behind me. It was four years ago. Almost five. Five years and here I... here I'm-"
"David." Connie finally spoke up. She'd been quiet enough, content to watch as the two men went back and forth. She still didn't like having to put Davey on the spot about something he was very clearly uncomfortable with, but Rip had—in her mind—made some good points, and she wanted Davey to feel that he could trust her with anything. To that end, she was about to say more to encourage him, but it seemed that his name wound up being enough.
"Of course," he said, nodding slowly, "no more stalling." With that, he stepped purposefully over to the nearest free chair, lifted himself up onto it, smoothed the wrinkles in his pants, rubbed at the corners of his eyes, ran his hands along the length of his whiskers, blinked twice, then began.
"To cleanse the air of any further ambiguity, let me start by saying..." Davey hesitated for only a moment, "when I was sixteen, when I left home, when I met Rip, I was..." his gut clenched. He closed his eyes, and for a brief second, all of his features became tense. The second passed, and the tension dissipated. He opened his eyes again, continuing as smoothly as he could, "I was an ordinary human being. Like you three- four," he added, glancing back at Rip, "completely ordinary. My only claim to anything but was the means by which I left, and even that—though extraordinary—had nothing to do with me; I just happened to be the lucky, dimwitted, city-slicker who found it."
He shook his head slowly, "No, I was very ordinary. For most of my life. This," he moved a sleeve and pinched a bit of the fur on the back of his arm," happened only four years ago. Nine after I'd uprooted myself from home and planet Earth, after I'd met Rip. I was twenty-five."
"And didn't he know it." Rip added with a wistful smile, "You were riding a mighty high wave back then."
"I suppose I was," Davey said, almost smiling himself, "I was young... hot-blooded, invincible. I could butter up our business associates in the morning and have a date by the evening. I could do it seven days a week. It was all so easy. For the longest time, it was so easy." He sighed quietly, his dark nose twitching slightly. "They warn you about hubris. Maybe I was gathering some unseen cloud of bad energy, or bad luck. Or maybe it just makes me feel better to find meaning where there is none."
His gaze lost focus for a moment, but before it could go on for too long, he took a quick, deep breath and set his hands firmly on each arm of his chair, as though to stabilize himself. "Okay, to set the scene, Rip and I had been hired on as extra security for a festival in Poglean, which is a municipality a fair ways north of our Bellwater Basin— part of the Greater Northern Valley region. Quite the drive, to say the least. Quite the drive..." Davey didn't look over to Rip, though his eyes flickered momentarily in his direction. "It was early spring. The snow was starting to melt but the air was still early-morning frigid. Maybe I subconsciously wished for a warmer coat."
He flashed his teeth in an unhappy smile, then waved the joke off and continued, "So, Poglean, festival, it was quite a big deal in the area; lots of people. All sorts of food, entertainment, and a general sense of camaraderie was abound. I thought we were due for a good time, and best of all, we were getting paid to be there. And I suppose we did have a good time while it lasted. Rip and I got to yak it up with some of the more outgoing locals. We tried some new cuisine, strange but sometimes tasty. I met a girl. But it didn't last. That much concentrated human harmony? It was bound to draw the attention of a bad element, and so it did, of the worst kind. A will-warper— you might call them a wizard or a sorcerer of sorts. Channels for the mystic, untamed energy of The Will of the World. They always seem to be a little unhinged. I suppose it takes a certain type of person..."
Davey frowned thoughtfully for a moment, before glancing at the three teens across from him, making sure he still had their attention. "Ours went by the name of Yekkel Albor." He paused just after saying it, his jaw twitching as though the name itself was enough to send his insides squirming. "Albor was notorious through the region. A wanted criminal. More of a menace, actually. He would appear long enough to instill his special brand of chaos, but elude those who actually had the capacity to bring him in."
Another pause, this one a little longer than before. "We were in a local theater, guarding the sides of the stage while they put on a performance of The Princess of Quarrels. It was..." his weaselly brow knitted slightly over the wide bridge of his nose, "It was funny, I think. The theater was packed— one of those circular Elizabethan types, open to the air and weather. They had just started a scene where the princess fights off a band of thieves with a stale loaf of bread. That's when Albor appeared."
There was a subtle shift in Davey's posture, everything becoming a tad more tense, and Davey himself almost looking smaller. He took a breath, and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, just another shivering breath. His hands gripped the arms of his chair more tightly, and he pulled himself together. "He came out of the audience, booing and slinging insults at the production. He went up the other side of the stage from where Rip and I were stationed. From what I remember seeing, nobody made a move to stop him. I remember being confused. I thought he was just a guy— just some loony who had somehow made it all the way up to the stage. Well, he was that. He was that and a whole lot more. See, in my nine years in Ianus, I had never once encountered an actual will-warper. I had heard of them of course, but only second-hand or more often third and fourth-hand accounts. I didn't understand who the man on stage was. I didn't understand what he could do.
"Albor claimed that he'd seen the play before, and that this production was terrible. He berated the members of the cast—the ones who hadn't scattered when he took to the stage. He said they lacked emotional umph and didn't have any connection to the characters they were playing. He kept going on about a character called 'Rendlestick', complaining that that they didn't have anyone playing him. I I recall him declaring that he was going to make a better production—evidently he meant on the spot. He started barking at the nearby actors and actresses, demanding them to come to him, but at that point, my mind had started to wander."
He ran his hands across the top of his head, like one might do to sweep back their hair, though Davey only had more fur and his ears to brush across. "I started imagining," he continued. "I saw the crowded theater, the maniac up on stage harassing the cast. I saw no one else trying to stop him, and I saw myself, there at the side of the stage. I felt so energized, like I had been placed there— set up by some divine intelligence to climb up onto that stage and save the day. Rip, would've tried to stop me. He knew who Yekkel Albor was, and had slipped away to send someone to go alert the nearest enforcement agency that was actually equipped to deal with the likes of Albor. But..." his eyes lowered slightly, then he glanced back at Rip, "even if he had been there to try and keep me from getting up on that stage, I don't think I would've listened. I saw a chance to shine in the spotlight, and I was taking it."
Davey closed his eyes for a few seconds, looking utterly drained. "I got up there, chest puffed out, ready to take care of him mano-a-mano. I said something like," he opened his eyes, " 'listen you freak, you're getting off this stage one way or another.' Albor was grabbing one of the thieves from the scene he'd interrupted, and was yelling in the man's face. When I got his attention he let the actor go, then stared at me with these creepy little eyes, and smiled a big open-mouthed smile." Davey pulled off a remarkably good imitation despite the obvious differences between the face he was describing and his own. "The kind of demented smile that could clamp shut and take your arm off. He never blinked. When he spoke to me, his voice changed. It got shaky and cold, like wind cutting through grass, but so loud."
"What's your name? he asked." "I was smiling. 'David Jeffrey Harkness', I said, then something like, 'now let me introduce you to my friend.' Then I tried to deck him right in the jaw. But my fist never made contact. It barely left my side. It was like someone had tied it up; tied it to the very air surrounding, if you can imagine."
Davey wrinkled his features into a sort of grimacing sneer. "He told me, Your acting is terrible— the foulest thing here! Who let you onto this stage?" his features softened and his eyes closed again. "He said I didn't sound heroic, that it came off as chintzy and cute. And then that horrible grin came back... and he said, I know!"
Davey paused, his closed eyes tightening. His breathing became more intense, and when he finally spoke, his voice sounded strained and choked. "He said- he said I would play the princess's beloved pet Rendlestick. And then he... he turned to the audience, he said- he said, '...wave goodbye to David.' And he... my- my head, my-"
Suddenly, Davey jumped out of his chair, hands seized to his head. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "I can't. I need a moment. Rip... Rip can tell you the rest." He looked back at his friend, all of his weaselly features contorted in pain. He gave the man a solitary nod, then walked briskly to the front door and let himself out.
Rip only looked a little better. The whites of his eyes had reddened, and the rest of his face had been sapped of life. He stared at the door for several long seconds before letting his eyes drift back to the three teens.
"Yeah... I was... was back by the side of the stage by then. I saw it happen. Yekkel took my friend and turned him into that. Smaller than he is now, if you can believe it. Down on all fours, and..." Rip rubbed a hand across his face and swallowed. "The Will'a the World doesn't usually mess with a person's mind; not directly. But the creature that Yekkel made on that stage was barely sentient. There was no trace of Davey Harkness left in him. Rendlestick, that sick lunatic kept calling him. You know, I've seen The Princess of Quarrels before, and there was never any 'Rendlestick'. As near as I can tell, Yekkel Albor invented him up."
Rip shook his head, frowning tightly, "I rushed the stage. I don't know what I was gonna do. Tackle him. Beat the shit out of him. Of course, it didn't work. Same as Davey says, it was like being tied up all of a sudden. He made some shit joke about there not being a casting call, and he might've done more, but the cavalry arrived. Lucky for us they were stationed pretty nearby; ol' Yekkel got too gutsy for his own good."
He smiled bitterly for a brief moment. "They got me freed up and prevented him from doing any worse, but they had Yekkel out of there before I could explain what had happened to Davey. Sylvia, the girl he met, stuck around, but it took us two days of wrangling their damn bureaucracy before we could get them to have Yekkel turn Davey back to normal. Two days, you understand? It was damn petrifying. I can't imagine what it was for Davey." He raised his eyes to the front door, a cold feeling running through him.
Rip was silent then, though it seemed there had to be more to the story.
[Southern Desert ~ Old Mine] (Joseph, Cynthia, Rin)
Joseph, feeling unable to offer any worthwhile speculation on their questions, simply kept his mouth shut and nodded at Rin's instructions. He waited, patient, if a little uneasy, while the other two crawled back through the tunnel, then followed suit. There was a sea of dreadful thoughts ready to overtake his mind, but he did his best to keep himself focused. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It will be whatever it will be. He climbed out the other end of the tunnel feeling a little alleviated, a little less hopeful, and a little unsure of where he had goofed up.
Shortly thereafter, they reached the T intersection that hooked back into the survival shelter. Once they rounded that corner, their questions—at least some of them—would be answered. With his companions already ahead of him, Joe pattered over to the corner's edge, deciding to hold position there. He could still poke his head out from around the corner, but without some kind of high beam flashlight or advanced night-vision, it would be almost impossible for anyone in the shelter to see him. And considering the shelter's current occupants, that was very much for the best.
[Subterranean Shelter] (Omar & Guests, Cynthia, Rin)
Soon, the echoes of footsteps sounding from within the hole in the wall gave way to the footsteps themselves. The laughing Omar look-alike and the bored, rapid-fire chain smoker both became very still and very quiet. The former's eyes widened, and he bore an ugly teeth-baring grimace of a smile. The latter clung onto her last cigarette, held her breath, and readied her weapon.
When the footsteps gave way to Cynthia's voice, the tension in the room grew to palpable levels. Omar opened his mouth to speak, but barely got out a, "There's-" before the barrel of the mustached man's gun was swiftly reintroduced to his lower back.
"Not a word out of you," the man hissed. "On your knees. Slowly."
While Omar—red in the face from wincing alone—complied, the man with the gun lifted his eyes to the hole in the wall and raised his voice. "Come on out of there. I just want to talk. Where's the other one?"
Below him, down on his knees, Omar slowly shook his head and tapped his wristwatch.
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
As promised, both Amy and Maya listened to Davey and Rip's story. But the whole time they listened, they were getting increasingly more horrified. A will-warper—while neither of them knew what that meant, there were enough hints and clues in the story for them to get an idea.
Jesus Fuck.... Maya signed.
Now Amy knew why Davey hated being called cute and being coddled; because all it did was remind him of what that monster did to him. It made her feel even more terrible than she did when he yelled at her. Had she known, she would've never done something like that to her friend.
She did her very best not to look pitying, just as she promised Davey. There was still more to this story—she could feel it—but she couldn't deflate Davey's trust like this.
"...What happened after that?" she asked, "Do any of you know what happened to Albor? Is he still in custody?"
edited 7th Jun '17 2:15:09 PM by Masterofchaos
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Rip, Amy, Maya)
Connie said nothing. She'd been quiet at first so as to be polite, but as Davey's story went on, and as she watched him slowly descend into a corner of his memory that he'd left alone for clearly some time, and as it broke him down until he couldn't bear to tell any more, Connie's quietness became a stunned silence. He was right. She really did have no idea what she was asking for. Knowing it all now, and seeing the way he told it, she was surprised he had agreed to tell her at all, even if he'd intended to save the story for another day.
To Amy, Rip nodded, "Yes indeed. Yekkel Albor's case was cut-and-dry. We got an audience, and the agency forced him to change Davey back to his human self. A week later, he was executed, and the world was, on the whole, a whole lot better for it."
A few seconds passed and Rip, aside from a frown and some troubled shifting in his jaw, seemed content to end the story there.
"But... that... can't be it," Connie said, finally speaking up.
Rip looked at her for a moment, then let out his breath and shook his head, "No, of course not. Fact is, I could probably come up with a story about how Yekkel's curse affected us for every month since it happened. Even more for the first few. But that's more bad memories than anyone could stomach. This is going to be hard enough." His frown tightened for a moment, then fell wide, before giving way to words again.
"I should have picked up on it much earlier. After Yekkel turned Davey back, he seemed entirely too pleased with himself. I thought it was just the way he was, always giddy like a lunatic when he wasn't tearing someone apart for some imagined crime. But he parted with a wave and a," Rip mimicked the wave and the man's eerie voice, "goodbye David, just like on the stage. And Davey, well... he didn't say much for a while after coming back. Too much for him to speak of it, I imagine. Too much for words. But..."
Rip's eyes fell, and he took another deep breath. "When he did speak, he would often mention that something didn't feel right. That something was bothering him, though he couldn't elaborate on what it was. I told him it was probably just a side-effect of going through what he'd just gone through. Just a post-return phase that he'd get over. He said I was probably right. We were paid by our employer and we left Poglean. I did most of the driving and Davey, he uh... he spent a lot of time looking in the mirrors, checkin' and touchin' his face."
The man tilted his head to the side and pointed at his neck. "He'd ask me, 'do you remember the freckle I had here?' Or," Rip touched a finger to his arm,"'this mole used to be more pronounced.' That's when I started to worry a bit. See, it's said that when people have their bodies changed and then restored, sometimes the restoration is... different. In the details mostly. Features missed, or lost to memory. The shape of a chin, not quite right. They say those inaccuracies can drive a person insane. Obsessing over these differences, then trying to 'correct' them, or reject them, or losing touch entirely with one's own self-image."
He shook his head, wearing a bitter smile, "But no, it was none of that. Something was off, Davey wasn't mistaken, but it took us a week to figure out what it was. You see, Davey never had much of a face for hair— not like yours truly," Rip gave his sideburns a quick rundown with his thumbs. "Hell, he barely even had to shave. But by the end of the week, he had a weird little bristly mustache to mind. Now, my first thought was that it was going to look awful and very uneven if he didn't trim it up, but Davey... he was the one who pointed out that his new whiskers were whiskers."
Rip shook his head again, slower this time, "That was just the start. He shaved 'em off, but they kept coming back day after day, a little quicker each time. And more things started to change; thing he couldn't just shave off. Things about his face, about his body. He started waking up shorter. His clothes stopped fitting right. His nose started to change its shape— his whole head started to change its shape. It didn't look like it was going to stop until he was turned all the way back into that little critter on the stage. A simple-minded animal with no memory—not the faintest, flimsiest idea—of who David Harkness ever was."
Running a hand back through his hair, Rip tried to relax his expression, which had grown very tense. "We traveled a lot," he continued, sounding a little short on breath, "visiting shamans, healers, stealers and dealers of any sort of mystical art. Time and time again they couldn't produce results. Every day he had me ask him questions; challenges to see if his mind and his memories were still intact. He never failed, but we couldn't shake the feeling that it was just a matter of time. Yekkel was dead, but his curse lived on, dragging us each day deeper into a pit of despair."
"But it stopped, didn't it?" Connie asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I mean, you guys got it to stop, right?"
"Well, that's up for debate," Rip said, tipping his head from side to side. "It did stop, yeah, leaving Davey the way you know him today— though a bit shorter, but that's different story. But it's hard to say why, exactly. I suppose the whole process was about a month and a half, and during that time—until we realized that Davey's changes had finally halted—we never quit trying methods to halt them ourselves. Any one of them could have done the trick. Or there's always the off-chance that the curse was only meant to go that far in the first place. But I don't think Davey's ever quite accepted either of those answers. He's afraid that Yekkel let it linger to torment him, and that one day the other shoe will drop. He's afraid that the curse is only dormant. That something might trigger it, and then it will finish the job."
Rip found himself staring at the door again with his sad, dark eyes. "He used to be so assured, you know? So confident. Sure in many ways he still is, and boy doesn't he like to act it? But I mean through-and-through confident. Not a falter, not a worry, and then this happens. This one encounter. This Yekkel Albor is faced with a brave young man, brimming with life, brimming with spirit. In one fell swoop he fills his mind with fear. In two, he seals it."
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
When Rip finished, Amy was completely lost for words. In honesty, she did feel very bad for Davey, and it was getting increasingly harder for her not to show that. To think all of this had happened just because Davey tried to do the right thing and stop a criminal.
Maya was the first person to speak—or, rather, sign.
I know that none of this was easy for either you. she signed to Rip, But...thank you for trusting us with this. she smiled warmly, If you want my honest thoughts...I think he was very brave.
Amy nodded in agreement.
"He stood up to that monster when no one else could. I think he's a hero!" She looked at the front the door and then stood up, "I'll be back!"
With that, she left the room. Without her translator in the room, Maya instead pulled out her phone and began to type.
You know, I expected something was up...but it wasn't that. she typed, Poor bastard. At least the shit-head who did it won't hurt anyone else. she looked at Rip again, Is there anything we can do to help you two? If you want, we can take you and Davey with us. We're not mages or anything like that, but we have scientists that can help.
edited 9th Jun '17 5:07:23 PM by Masterofchaos
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Rip, Amy, Maya)
Rip, with a slow nod and a sorry smile, said, "Well, you aren't the only ones who think so. I used to wish that he'd never climbed onto that stage, and Davey himself will readily admit that it was just as much his own cocksure ignorance as it was bravery that led him up there." He paused, slowly drawing in his breath, holding it for a few moments, then releasing with a sigh, "But, I've come to accept the fact that if Davey hadn't gone up there, it would've been some other poor soul on that chopping block. Maybe several. Maybe with fates worse than his own. Whatever the motivation, he did a good thing."
His smile broadened slightly, bringing a small light to his eyes. "Those in the crowd were of a like mind. The sovereign head of the region contacted us a few months after we left, and for his sacrifice in Poglean, Davey was made an honorary knight of Rondeau du Pinson. There was a ceremony, and from then on it was Sir David Harkness. I have to admit, I was a little jealous"
Connie managed to smile for a moment, though it was barely enough to mask her sadness-fraught face. The whole thing was nothing like she'd ever imagined. She was ashamed to admit it, even to herself, but somewhere, deep down, she had always assumed that Davey's sensitivity was an overreaction.
She pictured him, by himself in the bathroom, crying. She tried to recall the conversation they had shared after— to recall any stupid things she might have said, neither knowing nor understanding the fullness of why he had been upset. Why wouldn't he be upset? He seemed to have a veritable Jenga stack of bad memories to deal with each day.
Connie thought of him outside at that moment. She wanted to go talk to him, but Amy beat her to the punch. But she wasn't unhappy about it. It was very typical Amy move, in a very good way.
Rip glanced at Amy as she began heading for the door. "Amy," he called after her, "don't worry about not showing pity. Give Davey whatever you've got. It ain't natural for humans to be that callous."
He turned his eyes back to the others, then frowned slightly as he read Maya's message. When he finished, he knitted his brow and shook his head. "It's not a problem of science, and it's not one science can fix. And pardon my language— Davey wouldn't appreciate me calling it a problem. See, it's been four years, nearly five. Davey has been trying to move forward for a long time, and it doesn't help to have this idea that there's something yet unresolved looming over him. This," he spread his hands out like he was wiping a window, "is the status quo. And there isn't going to be any solution; not like you're imagining. That option died with Yekkel Albor, if it ever existed in the first place."
He glanced between Maya and Connie again before adding, "Don't worry, even if standing up to that monster wasn't pure bravery, the way Davey has handled himself since then, up to this very day... it's enough to prove to me that he's one of the bravest souls alive."
[Town ~ Railway Street (Bed & Breakfast Porch)] (Davey)
It had taken several minutes, head massaging, and long, abstract, mesmerizing thoughts about the nature of life, but Davey had managed to calm himself down. It had been a very long time since he'd told the story, and perhaps never in such detail. It was surprising in a way, how much of it was still in him— how much he could recall with clarity. The details... people, faces, and feelings, lying just beneath the surface, each word carrying him a step closer. Closer and closer to that anguish. That horrible feeling he could barely describe. That he could barely remember aside from the misery it elicited. It felt almost primal.
His thoughts were interrupted by a jolly humming coming from somewhere nearby. Davey looked across the street at the railway station, watching in silence as a person, dressed in ratty clothing and bearing a very strangely bovine visage, stepped out of the station and began walking towards Main Street. Davey watched for a while, but the curious stranger made no show of noticing him in return, content to hum on his merry way. Davey smiled just the same.
edited 13th Jun '17 11:57:55 PM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
Maya frowned. It was odd; she only known Davey for—at the most—several hours. Yet here she was, feeling incredibly guilty for not being able to help him with his condition. He didn't deserve this. Not for doing the right thing. Not for stopping a man who was going to hurt more people.
It was just like her father told her: the world was just that cruel and unfair.
I see. she typed, Well...I can only wish you two the best. You guys are still more than welcomed to come with us if you change your mind.
She started to feel sappy again. She rubbed her cheek, Anyway, that was an incredible story. Does anyone else know about it? Besides us, of course.
She glanced at door, feeling a bit uncertain. She only hoped Amy would reel herself in and not shower Davey with hug and kisses; that went over badly last time.
[Bed and Breakfast (Porch)]
It wasn't long before Amy found Davey.
She thought about how she should approach him. What would be the right way? She didn't want to look uncaring—that'd be too cruel and completely out of character for her. On the other hand, she didn't want to look too pitying either, even though she felt super sorry for Davey. Gah, this was way too hard...
Eventually, she thought Screw it! and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his forehead.
"Rip told us what happened." she said softly, "You're a hero, did you know that?"
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Rip, Maya)
Rip shrugged, "A couple people. Close acquaintances. Some of Davey's lady friends, at least in the first few years. I'm not sure if we ever told anyone in quite as much detail as just now, so you can take that there home with you."
Connie—who had gone silent for some time again—nodded, her distant gaze slowly finding its way back to the entrance hall of the bed and breakfast.
"Well, I really... really appreciate you sharing that with us," she said, looking at Rip, who smiled sadly in return. "It wasn't anything like I expected—I mean, besides Dave going, you know, from point A to point B—but I'm glad I got to hear it in full. Or mostly full."
Rip frowned, though not in an unhappy way, bobbing his head slightly, "Well good. I'm sure it's given you two a solid bit to think about."
"Yeah, yeah," Connie nodded, "and I hope this goes without saying, but I'm not going to start acting weird around David or anything like that. Anything to make you two regret having shared this, I mean."
Rip paused, studying Connie's face for a moment or two, before nodding once. "...Good."
Connie glanced over at Maya, meeting the other girl's gaze for a moment before they both looked towards the front door, probably wondering the same thing.
[Town ~ Railway Street (Bed & Breakfast Porch)] (Davey, Amy)
Davey's ears flicked at the sound of footsteps behind him, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing, and then footsteps again, louder this time. His mind went to work trying to figure out who it was based on their sound and the probability of who would want to see him first. But before he could open his mouth, he was already being hugged.
He didn't bristle or pull away from her touch, however. He just tipped his head slightly upward, turning his eyes to see his visitor, greeting her with a plain smile and an unaffected, "Hello, Amy."
Lowering his gaze slightly, he shifted his focus back to the street beyond their little porch. It was dark and blue, illuminated only by the the fading, skyborne glow of the sun, and by the light reflecting off of the forthcoming moon. When he squinted, it almost looked like a still river.
"Mmm, drink in that night air," he said, inhaling deeply. "It's cool, full of the world, and left in such abundance." He drew in another long breath, then let it out in something of a sigh, before answering, "And yes, I know. It took me a long while to figure it out— I didn't feel like much of a hero at the time. But I suppose my intervention turned out a net good, even if it was just by luck that Albor didn't swat me aside and continue terrorizing the theater troupe. But if we're not splitting hairs, then sure, I'm a hero."
Davey stepped away then, turning to face Amy directly, then nodding towards a nearby bench set atop the porch. "Come on, have a seat," he said, before seating himself on the bench. He shifted his tail out of the way to make room for Amy, then leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Now I hope you aren't all in there worrying your dear little hearts to pieces about me. I know my departure may have seemed a little extreme, but I was simply reliving an unexpectedly powerful memory." He looked Amy in the eye. "But I'm all right. I'll live. I'll flourish. And soon enough, I'll go back to paying that day little mind at all."
this place needs me here
Attitude is prohibited
[Subterranean Shelter]
Rin and Cynthia (presumably) began to step forwards. "If things go bad," Rin whispered. "Just focus on keeping yourself and Joseph safe. And Omar, too. I can handle myself." In the meantime, though, she planned to stay behind her companion and the "magic" shield she'd conjured up.
"Hello there," she called out, slowly raising her hands to about shoulder-height. "Now, there's no need for all these guns if we're just going to talk, right?" She scanned the room with her eyes, mentally getting a fix on everyone's positions. "Lets all just take a second to really think about what we hope to get out of this little encounter..."
She'd heard the man ask about 'the other one' but didn't intend to answer him. Hopefully, she and Cynthia would prove to be distracting enough to steer the conversation away from Joseph.
Not entirely dead.
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
Seeing that nothing was happening (as far she knew) outside, Maya returned her attention to Rip and Connie.
I'm not the huggy type either, Maya typed, So don't worry about me.
She then glanced at Connie, noticing her expression. Hey, you ok? Since we're here telling the truth about one another, mind opening up a bit? You seriously look like something's wrong.
[Bed and Breakfast (Porch)]
Amy quickly let go of Davey, then took a seat next to him.
"Don't worry!" she said, "I won't dwell! But I do want to make sure my friends are ok. After you left, I did get concerned. The whole story concerned me...and it made me realize just how awful I was earlier coddling you like that." She sighed, "But now I know better; and I promise that if we ever run into each other again, I won't bombard you with all that!"
She looked up at the night.
"You know, flying at night is really nice. You really get to feel the cool, crisp air blowing in your face." she looked back at Davey, "If you can, you should try it sometime! If I don't get to fly you, maybe you can try going to another pilot! Everyone deserves to feel the cool night air!"
Sorry for the wait! I'm still in the moving process! Hopefully it won't be like this again!
[Town ~ Bed and Breakfast (Main Hall)] (Connie, Rip, Maya)
Connie raised an eyebrow as she read Maya's message. "What's there to open up about?" she asked. "I'm just wor- ...concerned for my friend." She gestured at the door, then crossed her arms close to her chest. "There you go: open-and-shut."
"You're allowed to be worried Con," Rip said, frowning, "but Davey will be fine. Trust me, we've been through much, much worse than tonight. If anything, things will be a fair bit better after this."
Connie nodded quickly. "Cool, thanks. All right, that settles that." Her eyes jumped around, looking from place to place, anywhere but at Rip or Maya.
"...Connie."
But her lips were sealed.
[Town ~ Railway Street (Bed & Breakfast Porch)] (Davey, Amy)
Davey's whiskers waved around a bit as he shook his head. "Don't worry about that. It's behind us; it doesn't matter anymore." He reached a paw-like hand up and touched Amy's shoulder, his face livening with a reassuring smile. "I know you meant well."
When talk turned back to the night and flying within it, Davey flashed his teeth in a quick grin. "Maybe I'll have to take it up myself," he said. From his smile, it was hard to tell how much his words were a joke, and how much they were the voicing of an actual inspired thought.
He fell silent for a few seconds, his cheerfulness resigning into sober thought as he looked down the street that went beyond the town. After a little while, he glanced back at Amy, studying her face with his dark brown eyes for a moment.
"You do believe me, don't you?" he asked. "That I'm all right? Maya and Connie, I'm sure they can let this go, but you," he wagged his finger at her, "you I'm worried about. I don't want my worldly woes bothering you after we've parted ways. I don't want my sob story to be your big takeaway from this time— this day-and-a-penny since you met me. There has to be something better."
this place needs me here
Southern Desert ~ Underground Bunker (Cynthia; Joseph, Omar, Los Tres Chiflados; Rin)
"Right," Cynthia whispered back, nodding faintly. A brief precursory glance told her that there was another man off to one side of the room. With Rin taking taking initiative and opening communications with these, less than friendly individuals, the one-eyed knight took the time to steel herself for whatever would come next, either a simple resolution or a fight, all the while maintaining her shield.
[Bed and Breakfast (Lobby)]
Amy tilted her head. "Already....? Hmm...let me think..."
She tapped her chin. Considering that she already told Davey the true story about her plane, it was only fair that she told Connie as well. After all, as she said herself, holding things like this wasn't good.
"I guess I can start with the truth." she finally said, "That story I told you at breakfast—about me and Maya flying in a storm—you probably already guessed, but...we made up the part where Maya fixed the plane in mid flight."
Maya nodded.
Truth is, that thing crashed. she signed, I carried Amy to the hospital—she got most of the injuries. We always agreed to tell the exaggerated version, mostly for Amy's sake. She really likes you guys.
Amy rubbed her arm. "...If you're mad at me, I understand. I'm sorry for not telling the truth."
edited 13th May '17 9:21:55 AM by Masterofchaos