(Death is certain, its hour uncertain)
.: Jan 20th, 2012 - Late Evening :.
She was supposed to be hankered down and healing up after being sliced down by Brian. That had been damned close! If it had not been for Race's quick thinking, placing her in stasis, and Edward's knowledge in how her blood work....
Since that day she had been stuck in a room in attempts to give the assumption, she was really dead. She needed the time to heal and soon as she was able she would be shadowing over Fio in order to protect her. An ace up the 'good guys sleeve' as it was put. If Brian could be taken down....
Edward thought she and Race were crazy but they all knew that for some reason she was a thorn in Brian's side. Maybe that was why he decided to cut her down...
She had drained the blood that Edward had 'acquired' for her but even now her wounds had yet to fully heal. Standing before the mirror in the low dimmed room, her shirt partly opened to show the wound that crisscrossed the center of her chest. It hurt to breathe deep so she took even, short breaths. The lacerations were jagged and the edges were an angry red mingled with veins of blackness that branched out under her flesh, bulging veins beneath. It had healed to a degree but it simply seemed to refuse to heal completely. It was still as tender as the day she received it. The rest of her was pale. A milky white that barely clung to color. Even her lips were barely a blush of pink. It concerned her but only minimally.
She tried to contact Leo to talk with him. Edward had enough on his plate and she was almost sure that Leo would be able to do something to help. That and she wanted to see him. Wanted to know if he was angry with her. She had heard he had gotten pretty smashed when she went off with Kain. It worried her that he might be upset with her.
But he didn't answer.
Probably was as busy as Edward getting things ready to speak with Fio, if they hadn't already. Plans needed to be made. She needed to heal up better..faster..if she was going to shadow Fio. She would be in no condition like this to protect the Governor and friend.
Ugh. As much as she needed to heal up she was going stark raving mad! Being cooped up as she was gave her way too much time to think...
The Bon Bon destroyed. In a way, this was okay to her. Sure she mourned her business but she had planned on expanding anyways. This just meant she could start from scratch and build anew. Better than ever..
The people who didn't know she was okay. Vera was probably throwing gypsy curses at Brian left and right. She was highly grateful that Sergei was out of the city and with his mother. She had hurt him enough. He was one of the few she cared about and one of the fewer still that she trusted deeply. He would always be her friend. They just..weren't meant to be a couple.
After getting dressed she carefully snuck her way out of the Batten building and made her way for a familiar place. She had only been there once or twice but going there would mean someone to talk to who understood. And possibly it meant ...comfort food.
She was hungry. That had to be a good sign right?
Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
Moderators: Katt Batten, Edward Batten
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
Few hours later...
Tappity tap tap. She probably should of called or something first but she wasn't exactly thinking straight. Besides..the whole..staying in the shadows and not talking to anyone was rather lonely..
A muffled "Intrude!" came from the other side of the door just moments before a soft -click- of the deadbolt as the wooden portal was unlocked.
She croaked out a laugh at hearing that and she tested the doorknob. The door went open while the other hand settled against her upper chest. Stupid wound was still aching..still healing. "Mwha..hahah.." She managed to get out.
The inside of his abode was jumbled with floating, yes floating, maps of different points of the city and places. Many of them targets of Brian. Using his hands to switch them around he kept coming back to a 3-D image of the Abbey of Marfa.
She blinked as she stepped inside and closed the door. Sorta reminded her of when Diana was up on her panel just..there was no panel. She passed a few of the floating maps, her milky pale skin echoing some of the colors from the maps. "What is going on?"
"I know where Brian has been hiding out, but we still need to figure out what created Raven. So three groups are being formed. One is going to the Abbey of Marfa, which I know he's there. Man's been less active since attacking it. The other is going to investigate Brian's entire history." He looked up at Katt with a fond smile. "You look good, for a dead woman."
"I feel like hell. My wounds are still hurting and are taking time to heal." She shifted on her feet, her expression empty of any emotions when he brought up Brian..Raven..whatever. Movement was becoming harder and harder as the hours passed by. She should of probably just stayed in bed. "How are things with..everything? Is that what is going on? A plan to inf..infiltrate the Abbey?"
"Myself, Leo, and it seems Matt Simon will be going to investigate, but there's another problem. Jenai, Raven's ex and her people appear to be mobilizing...with the Marfites. Can't be a good sign.." Exhaling he shook his head and glanced at Katt. "Though your plan has worked. A lot have rallied now."
Her hands slowly began to find their way into her pockets. "I hate lying.." Which was why she wasn't going out in public..watching in the shadows. She'd want to say something to someone. Her head rocked and she peered at Race. "Race...I.." She paused a moment, her face twisting up. "I'm a bad person.."
He gave her a quizzical look. "Perhaps once, from the pieces you've let slip. But everything I've seen of you since we met tells me the opposite." He turned to look at Katt fully. "What makes you think you're a bad person?"
And with that question came the tears and the words spilled from her in a burst. "I broke up with Sergei."
This is what made being one of the good guys suck. Silently he stepped up and went to put his arms around Katt. He knew she didn't care for this sort of thing and often flinched, but he'd pin her if he had to! Tears called for hugs god-blessit!
Well, she'd be flinching but more due to the wounds. Her face twisted up even more and she broke down, her arms going around him in return and her face lost somewhere among his shoulder. "I hurt him. I hurt...I didn't want to..I just.." And it sort of flooded down into a mumbling mess.
He murmured several nonsensical sounds of comfort as she cried, slowly pulling her in, but careful of the wound as she let it all go. He really was at a loss on what to say to her though he had an idea. "When this whole mess is over, you can return to him Katt. If he truly cared for you, he can forgive the hurt. If it means getting you back, I think he'd forgive."
She shook her head and clenched tightly onto Race's shirt. "(s) No. I didn't break up with him because of all of this..I mean it was part of the reason..but only part..He..He is never around. And..And I....I want to support him. He doesn't need a girlfriend right now. He needs a friend. He has no time for..anything else but work and his flying..and racing..and .." She tugged on his shirt and laughed. It was a pitiful sound. "I'm a horrible person."
"Katt. A horrible person wouldn't be crying as you are now. You care...no, I think you love Sergei. That's why doing this to him is killing you." he continued to hold her close, one hand running up and down her back soothingly. Though from her tears, the Mogul knew a new shirt would be in order.
Love. Love. She shook her head gently. "N-No..I care about him. I care about him a great deal. He is important to me. I ..I don't like the idea of hurting him and I hurt him. I did..He was..he was crying..and I hate that.."
A few more shushing sounds as he kept rubbing her back. He knew she was in a vulnerable state but he didn't want to placate her with things she really didn't need to hear. "Tell you what Katt, I have chocolate-covered peanutbutter balls, no-bake cookies, and white-chocolate covered pretzels in the fridge. And a gallon of Delux Moose Tracks in the fridge. I'll get some "chick' flicks and we'll have a feel good movie night. Maybe for dessert I'll make some chili-cheese fries..."
He lost her at Deluxe Moose Tracks. Haha. Her nose wrinkled at the idea of chick flicks and she shook her head a bit. "Nh..Can we ju..." She winced and pressed her forehead into his shoulder. "Just..s..skip to the chili cheese fries...?" The pressing eased off along with the rest of her. She dipped as her knees buckled, her fingers easing from the cloth she was clinging onto. "R..Race..."
"All right...just go straight to the chili and cheese fries.." blinking as his hands went to catch her weight not sure if she could stand or not. "I'm here Katt..."
She had panic attacks before. Normally came when horses were around or small spaces. This was not one of those times. Her eyes rounded as she gasped, almost sounding like she had hiccups when, in this case, she was trying to catch a breath. "Cahh..Can't..br..breath.." One hand left him to slap against her chest, dead center against her wound where she'd clench weakly.
Quickly laying her down as she started convulsing he noted her actions. "In light..I'm sure you'll forgive me Katt..." as a very sharp looking knife formed in his hands, the Mogul went to start cutting open her top. He's rich, could buy her a new one.
She would have hit him if she had the strength! Not only because he was cutting her clothes but because..well..duh. Especially considering she didn't wear anything under her shirts! The wound that was attempting to heal didn't look all that healthy. The edges had yet to heal fully and even had a sickly black and green stretching out like a tree branch system along her pale skin. She gasped, head rocking back as she stared at the ceiling. It hurt enough that tears began to seep from the corner of her eyes.
Saving her life came first before a cheap thrill. Putting his ear to her breast, he listened not to her heart beat but her lungs. If she were having trouble breathing then he knew opening a vein wouldn't help this situation, even though he'd gladly bleed to save.
What he would find would sound as if her lungs simply were not taking in air. As if they had ceased. Not only that but her heart erratically beating was slowing rapidly. Fight. That was what she was supposed to be doing and yet her body was slumping to the floor.
"F*ck a duck..." Rising quickly he moved to his kitchen and grabbed a steak knife, a ziplock bag, and a jumbo bendy-straw from the drawer by the sink. "You are so lucky I was an Eagle Scout, Katt." Disappearing from sight he came back holding a blood pressure pump "Stay with me Katt, Stay with me.." he snapped his fingers across her eyes to give her something to focus on as he wrung the bendy straw in his hands.
The snapping across her eyes got nothing. She was just staring up blankly.
It hurt. That was all she knew.
She heard him....Sorta.
Lips barely parted it was hard as heck to tell she was even, by measure, breathing.
Putting the tube of the pump through a corner of the ziplock baggie he round the bendy straw through another. Working quickly, and as such situations go forgetting about his phenomenal cosmic powers, he took up the steak knife and started to hold it up to her trachea before blinking.. "What the deuce...her lungs aren't working, its not with her esophagus..."
Tossing the knife he formed a ventricular mask with his rings. "I always get stupid in a crisis...Elizabeth!" He yelled out. "Call Edward, Katt's in trouble. Not breathing. Cause unknown."
He didn't even wait to see if the AI had acknowledge. Squeezing the clear green bottle to at least get some oxygen into her system he started to lift Katt up. "Should have paid more attention on how to construct oxygen tanks."
She was nothing but a rag doll when raised, her entire being just about empty of any life. Even her eyes seemed to be losing the luster that gave them that doll-like appearance. If she was breathing she didn't show it.
"Run diagnostic.." the hues of his eyes turn a brilliant green as he began to look over her bared chest, still squeezing the bottle to push air into her lungs hoping it might kick-start ..something.
He noticed that the funk that coated the edge of her wounds didn't just stop there. The branching went under flesh and it seemed to even following bloodstream. Her heart was barely beating and the rest of her vitals barely marking signs of life.
By now the tears had dried up.
"Run comparison to any known poisons.." he commanded the ring, following the spread through her veins as he did something he never thought he'd have to do, he actually did shed blood for a friend.
Holding her gently, he cut open the palm of his hand and began smearing his blood across her wound. While he was human, it was a hope the increased levels caused by his ring would make the regenerative agents react to her own.
Tappity tap tap. She probably should of called or something first but she wasn't exactly thinking straight. Besides..the whole..staying in the shadows and not talking to anyone was rather lonely..
A muffled "Intrude!" came from the other side of the door just moments before a soft -click- of the deadbolt as the wooden portal was unlocked.
She croaked out a laugh at hearing that and she tested the doorknob. The door went open while the other hand settled against her upper chest. Stupid wound was still aching..still healing. "Mwha..hahah.." She managed to get out.
The inside of his abode was jumbled with floating, yes floating, maps of different points of the city and places. Many of them targets of Brian. Using his hands to switch them around he kept coming back to a 3-D image of the Abbey of Marfa.
She blinked as she stepped inside and closed the door. Sorta reminded her of when Diana was up on her panel just..there was no panel. She passed a few of the floating maps, her milky pale skin echoing some of the colors from the maps. "What is going on?"
"I know where Brian has been hiding out, but we still need to figure out what created Raven. So three groups are being formed. One is going to the Abbey of Marfa, which I know he's there. Man's been less active since attacking it. The other is going to investigate Brian's entire history." He looked up at Katt with a fond smile. "You look good, for a dead woman."
"I feel like hell. My wounds are still hurting and are taking time to heal." She shifted on her feet, her expression empty of any emotions when he brought up Brian..Raven..whatever. Movement was becoming harder and harder as the hours passed by. She should of probably just stayed in bed. "How are things with..everything? Is that what is going on? A plan to inf..infiltrate the Abbey?"
"Myself, Leo, and it seems Matt Simon will be going to investigate, but there's another problem. Jenai, Raven's ex and her people appear to be mobilizing...with the Marfites. Can't be a good sign.." Exhaling he shook his head and glanced at Katt. "Though your plan has worked. A lot have rallied now."
Her hands slowly began to find their way into her pockets. "I hate lying.." Which was why she wasn't going out in public..watching in the shadows. She'd want to say something to someone. Her head rocked and she peered at Race. "Race...I.." She paused a moment, her face twisting up. "I'm a bad person.."
He gave her a quizzical look. "Perhaps once, from the pieces you've let slip. But everything I've seen of you since we met tells me the opposite." He turned to look at Katt fully. "What makes you think you're a bad person?"
And with that question came the tears and the words spilled from her in a burst. "I broke up with Sergei."
This is what made being one of the good guys suck. Silently he stepped up and went to put his arms around Katt. He knew she didn't care for this sort of thing and often flinched, but he'd pin her if he had to! Tears called for hugs god-blessit!
Well, she'd be flinching but more due to the wounds. Her face twisted up even more and she broke down, her arms going around him in return and her face lost somewhere among his shoulder. "I hurt him. I hurt...I didn't want to..I just.." And it sort of flooded down into a mumbling mess.
He murmured several nonsensical sounds of comfort as she cried, slowly pulling her in, but careful of the wound as she let it all go. He really was at a loss on what to say to her though he had an idea. "When this whole mess is over, you can return to him Katt. If he truly cared for you, he can forgive the hurt. If it means getting you back, I think he'd forgive."
She shook her head and clenched tightly onto Race's shirt. "(s) No. I didn't break up with him because of all of this..I mean it was part of the reason..but only part..He..He is never around. And..And I....I want to support him. He doesn't need a girlfriend right now. He needs a friend. He has no time for..anything else but work and his flying..and racing..and .." She tugged on his shirt and laughed. It was a pitiful sound. "I'm a horrible person."
"Katt. A horrible person wouldn't be crying as you are now. You care...no, I think you love Sergei. That's why doing this to him is killing you." he continued to hold her close, one hand running up and down her back soothingly. Though from her tears, the Mogul knew a new shirt would be in order.
Love. Love. She shook her head gently. "N-No..I care about him. I care about him a great deal. He is important to me. I ..I don't like the idea of hurting him and I hurt him. I did..He was..he was crying..and I hate that.."
A few more shushing sounds as he kept rubbing her back. He knew she was in a vulnerable state but he didn't want to placate her with things she really didn't need to hear. "Tell you what Katt, I have chocolate-covered peanutbutter balls, no-bake cookies, and white-chocolate covered pretzels in the fridge. And a gallon of Delux Moose Tracks in the fridge. I'll get some "chick' flicks and we'll have a feel good movie night. Maybe for dessert I'll make some chili-cheese fries..."
He lost her at Deluxe Moose Tracks. Haha. Her nose wrinkled at the idea of chick flicks and she shook her head a bit. "Nh..Can we ju..." She winced and pressed her forehead into his shoulder. "Just..s..skip to the chili cheese fries...?" The pressing eased off along with the rest of her. She dipped as her knees buckled, her fingers easing from the cloth she was clinging onto. "R..Race..."
"All right...just go straight to the chili and cheese fries.." blinking as his hands went to catch her weight not sure if she could stand or not. "I'm here Katt..."
She had panic attacks before. Normally came when horses were around or small spaces. This was not one of those times. Her eyes rounded as she gasped, almost sounding like she had hiccups when, in this case, she was trying to catch a breath. "Cahh..Can't..br..breath.." One hand left him to slap against her chest, dead center against her wound where she'd clench weakly.
Quickly laying her down as she started convulsing he noted her actions. "In light..I'm sure you'll forgive me Katt..." as a very sharp looking knife formed in his hands, the Mogul went to start cutting open her top. He's rich, could buy her a new one.
She would have hit him if she had the strength! Not only because he was cutting her clothes but because..well..duh. Especially considering she didn't wear anything under her shirts! The wound that was attempting to heal didn't look all that healthy. The edges had yet to heal fully and even had a sickly black and green stretching out like a tree branch system along her pale skin. She gasped, head rocking back as she stared at the ceiling. It hurt enough that tears began to seep from the corner of her eyes.
Saving her life came first before a cheap thrill. Putting his ear to her breast, he listened not to her heart beat but her lungs. If she were having trouble breathing then he knew opening a vein wouldn't help this situation, even though he'd gladly bleed to save.
What he would find would sound as if her lungs simply were not taking in air. As if they had ceased. Not only that but her heart erratically beating was slowing rapidly. Fight. That was what she was supposed to be doing and yet her body was slumping to the floor.
"F*ck a duck..." Rising quickly he moved to his kitchen and grabbed a steak knife, a ziplock bag, and a jumbo bendy-straw from the drawer by the sink. "You are so lucky I was an Eagle Scout, Katt." Disappearing from sight he came back holding a blood pressure pump "Stay with me Katt, Stay with me.." he snapped his fingers across her eyes to give her something to focus on as he wrung the bendy straw in his hands.
The snapping across her eyes got nothing. She was just staring up blankly.
It hurt. That was all she knew.
She heard him....Sorta.
Lips barely parted it was hard as heck to tell she was even, by measure, breathing.
Putting the tube of the pump through a corner of the ziplock baggie he round the bendy straw through another. Working quickly, and as such situations go forgetting about his phenomenal cosmic powers, he took up the steak knife and started to hold it up to her trachea before blinking.. "What the deuce...her lungs aren't working, its not with her esophagus..."
Tossing the knife he formed a ventricular mask with his rings. "I always get stupid in a crisis...Elizabeth!" He yelled out. "Call Edward, Katt's in trouble. Not breathing. Cause unknown."
He didn't even wait to see if the AI had acknowledge. Squeezing the clear green bottle to at least get some oxygen into her system he started to lift Katt up. "Should have paid more attention on how to construct oxygen tanks."
She was nothing but a rag doll when raised, her entire being just about empty of any life. Even her eyes seemed to be losing the luster that gave them that doll-like appearance. If she was breathing she didn't show it.
"Run diagnostic.." the hues of his eyes turn a brilliant green as he began to look over her bared chest, still squeezing the bottle to push air into her lungs hoping it might kick-start ..something.
He noticed that the funk that coated the edge of her wounds didn't just stop there. The branching went under flesh and it seemed to even following bloodstream. Her heart was barely beating and the rest of her vitals barely marking signs of life.
By now the tears had dried up.
"Run comparison to any known poisons.." he commanded the ring, following the spread through her veins as he did something he never thought he'd have to do, he actually did shed blood for a friend.
Holding her gently, he cut open the palm of his hand and began smearing his blood across her wound. While he was human, it was a hope the increased levels caused by his ring would make the regenerative agents react to her own.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: The Between - Limbo :.
How many times now had she been clenched at Death's bosom? Really she wondered if she was a mouse dangling before a cat sometimes. Something jarred and briefly, in the midst of being swallowed by the Abyss..She felt light. Tap. Bare feet touched at a surface that should have been cold. She felt nothing. Saw nothing. An empty abyss with pin lights above. The lights ..seemed familiar. Flickering here and there like light bulbs that were having trouble remaining on.
Bbzzt. Flick. The lights above flickered on. Dingy yellow spilled to her surroundings. Things looked ever so familiar and for a moment she stood baffled. How did she get here of all places? Stand on the second floor of the dojo that had been given to her so long ago, she was utterly baffled on how she got there.
Pain vibrated in her, through her, even around her. It was nearly maddening but she managed to dismiss it to the side. What was more important would be why this place. Why was this place..her purgatory? Her own steps echoed as she moved along the hall and to the stairs leading to the main floor below. By the top step, she noticed a beam of light. The center was almost blinding.
"(s) Crap... Great..personal hell.." that so explained everything. This place... It held such better sweet memories. Memories she didn't want to think of.
The light near the stairs was beckoning but she didn't want to enter it. Didn't want to give up...
Not yet...
Starting her way down the stairs she heard a voice.
"I know this place.."
She nearly staggered down the steps. She recognized the voice and it caused the pain in her chest to scream.
"But--how? I know this can't be here. I can't be here.. But I am?"
"Yep..personal hell.." She murmured quietly. But why was Brian there? He wasn't a regret.. She expected someone else really. Or maybe that was just some part of her hoping to see that person. Even if it was for one last time.
From the corner of her vision, she could see him rushing closer, stopping sharply in the center of the main floor. It didn't stop her from continuing down the stairs.
"You..Is it really you?"
She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear his voice...never again. Her head jerked sharply away, disturbing the short black hair. She knew how she was glaring at him; Baneful and full of hate. "Go away!" The words left her before she even had a chance to think of it.
"Is it you? How long have you been here!? Tell me!? I tho-- I thought I was the only one! Don't leave!"
By the time the words had reached her ears she had turned only to find herself with the light hovering behind her. It caused a cold shiver to snake down her spine. Turning back to Brian she attempted not to sneer. It was so hard to do. "Go screw yourself, Bastard! You killed me!" The words left her lips with venom. She hated him. Oh, she hated him deeply.
"Wait.. What do you mean? I tried? I've been here wandering this whole time--- wait, you can't be her! What kind of trick is this!? I'd never want to kill you, you can't be her then!"
She wanted so badly to jump over to him and do some sort of bodily harm to the man. "Oh stop with the mind tricks already Brian..Raven..Whatever!" She clarified for him soon after by pointing to her chest that didn't bear the horrifying X-shaped wound. "Are you sh*tting me!? You cut me, point blank! Right here!?" It surprised her the wound wasn't there but it was the truth nonetheless.
"Rav-- Brian? What are those? And why are we here? I gave this to you? Only to have it handed back to me?"
She watched as he collapsed down to his rear. She didn't understand him nor did she care. A growl erupted from her throat even as she took to leaning into the railing. She felt so weak. So tired.. "Still trying to twist my emotions, Raven. Even now? You are so--- cruel!"
"Rave-- I've not--- that name hasn't been used for years-- right? Since Darkenwood? Wa-- Darkenwood. I know that name. Right?"
He was shi tting her right? Before she knew what to think she felt herself slid down the steps and not exactly in a graceful manner. "Nhh.."
"Why you? Why here? What are we doing here?"
"Don't know why you are here. If it is even you..could just be a figment of my mind playing with me now that I am dead.." The idea of being in this hell with him present? Made her want to high tail it to the light. Maybe there would be peace past it.
"Or you could be one of mine you know? Now that I'm-- wait dead? Am I dead too? Is that what I felt?"
She blinked, wanting to snort at the idea. "Why the hell would I be yours? You don't give a rat's ass about me and don't you normally see people you are close to when dying or something like that..?"
"How the hell would I know... All I know it's that it's been dark, and I'm in pain constantly. I felt so heavy, and lost.. But I did see someone once. A brother? Yes, a brother. He came to me.. Carried me. Told me things, and left once more.. But I remember more, because of him.. I felt it."
She was mildly confused by this. "A..brother? I thought your brothers were dead.."
"Well, he called me brother, and helped me."
"What did he say?" Her head rocked and her eyes tilted up to the light. The only reason she hadn't gone to it yet, despite her want to run from this situation, was that she wasn't ready to go. She wasn't supposed to want to die. Wasn't supposed to give up.
"Said I wasn't along, and others were waiting for me.. Not to keep them waiting, he did."
An eye-rolled closed and she raised a hand to the sudden ache in her chest that thumped harder than the rest of her pain. "Others waiting for you..heh.." She inhaled slowly then relaxed out the breath. "Your little ghoul army, or that dragon thing? I swear if that thing ate more people, I'll---" She'd figure something out in the afterlife damn it!
"You weren't like this the last time, we were here Katt. Katt?"
Her eyes shifted to him when he said her name. She found he looked utterly confused.
"You're Katt? Yes.. Katt!"
Was he serious?! He didn't even remember her?! What the fuck! Did she matter so little that..that he couldn't even remember her name?! Even as they talked the taste in her mouth was foul. She wanted to just.. "Duh..who else do you think you just carved up. Geez ...was just trying to stop Moon from hurting you.."
"Carve? You're the first person I saw since Dyarhk, what the hell do you mea-- Dyarhk! That's another! He was the one!"
"Dyarhk.." She sat up and snarled at him. A new rage filled her almost the instant he said that name. "You have no right to speak his name!!" Oh, she regretted that. Things were spinning forward now.
"Why-- why would you say that! He's been with me as long as Jenai, has an-- Jen!? Jenai! Wait.. You.. Dyarhk, Jenai.. This is-- Fuck there has to be a reason!"
"Jenai.." The thought of Brian's wife gave her pause but soon enough she was sneering at him. "You killed me you son of a b*tch!" As much as she wanted to call him it she just couldn't. Turning her head she started to wibble wobble her way to the ring.
"Killed you? How the he-- you look alive to me? I mean we are both here right? But wait.. Where is everyone else? I remember Public Works.. Trav's forces.. Jenai trying to kill me.. Epona, and Dyarhk.. And Public Works exploding with me inside."
What..the hell? He was talking of something that.. "What the fuck that was a year or something ago---yeah, a long time."
"Look I'm telling ya.. I was there! Under that place, and Dyarhk came for me.. And something took him. I was left there, alone.. Then there was a dwarf and an elf.. Told me, they had a time piecing me together.. Said something else.. I dunno."
How many times now had she been clenched at Death's bosom? Really she wondered if she was a mouse dangling before a cat sometimes. Something jarred and briefly, in the midst of being swallowed by the Abyss..She felt light. Tap. Bare feet touched at a surface that should have been cold. She felt nothing. Saw nothing. An empty abyss with pin lights above. The lights ..seemed familiar. Flickering here and there like light bulbs that were having trouble remaining on.
Bbzzt. Flick. The lights above flickered on. Dingy yellow spilled to her surroundings. Things looked ever so familiar and for a moment she stood baffled. How did she get here of all places? Stand on the second floor of the dojo that had been given to her so long ago, she was utterly baffled on how she got there.
Pain vibrated in her, through her, even around her. It was nearly maddening but she managed to dismiss it to the side. What was more important would be why this place. Why was this place..her purgatory? Her own steps echoed as she moved along the hall and to the stairs leading to the main floor below. By the top step, she noticed a beam of light. The center was almost blinding.
"(s) Crap... Great..personal hell.." that so explained everything. This place... It held such better sweet memories. Memories she didn't want to think of.
The light near the stairs was beckoning but she didn't want to enter it. Didn't want to give up...
Not yet...
Starting her way down the stairs she heard a voice.
"I know this place.."
She nearly staggered down the steps. She recognized the voice and it caused the pain in her chest to scream.
"But--how? I know this can't be here. I can't be here.. But I am?"
"Yep..personal hell.." She murmured quietly. But why was Brian there? He wasn't a regret.. She expected someone else really. Or maybe that was just some part of her hoping to see that person. Even if it was for one last time.
From the corner of her vision, she could see him rushing closer, stopping sharply in the center of the main floor. It didn't stop her from continuing down the stairs.
"You..Is it really you?"
She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear his voice...never again. Her head jerked sharply away, disturbing the short black hair. She knew how she was glaring at him; Baneful and full of hate. "Go away!" The words left her before she even had a chance to think of it.
"Is it you? How long have you been here!? Tell me!? I tho-- I thought I was the only one! Don't leave!"
By the time the words had reached her ears she had turned only to find herself with the light hovering behind her. It caused a cold shiver to snake down her spine. Turning back to Brian she attempted not to sneer. It was so hard to do. "Go screw yourself, Bastard! You killed me!" The words left her lips with venom. She hated him. Oh, she hated him deeply.
"Wait.. What do you mean? I tried? I've been here wandering this whole time--- wait, you can't be her! What kind of trick is this!? I'd never want to kill you, you can't be her then!"
She wanted so badly to jump over to him and do some sort of bodily harm to the man. "Oh stop with the mind tricks already Brian..Raven..Whatever!" She clarified for him soon after by pointing to her chest that didn't bear the horrifying X-shaped wound. "Are you sh*tting me!? You cut me, point blank! Right here!?" It surprised her the wound wasn't there but it was the truth nonetheless.
"Rav-- Brian? What are those? And why are we here? I gave this to you? Only to have it handed back to me?"
She watched as he collapsed down to his rear. She didn't understand him nor did she care. A growl erupted from her throat even as she took to leaning into the railing. She felt so weak. So tired.. "Still trying to twist my emotions, Raven. Even now? You are so--- cruel!"
"Rave-- I've not--- that name hasn't been used for years-- right? Since Darkenwood? Wa-- Darkenwood. I know that name. Right?"
He was shi tting her right? Before she knew what to think she felt herself slid down the steps and not exactly in a graceful manner. "Nhh.."
"Why you? Why here? What are we doing here?"
"Don't know why you are here. If it is even you..could just be a figment of my mind playing with me now that I am dead.." The idea of being in this hell with him present? Made her want to high tail it to the light. Maybe there would be peace past it.
"Or you could be one of mine you know? Now that I'm-- wait dead? Am I dead too? Is that what I felt?"
She blinked, wanting to snort at the idea. "Why the hell would I be yours? You don't give a rat's ass about me and don't you normally see people you are close to when dying or something like that..?"
"How the hell would I know... All I know it's that it's been dark, and I'm in pain constantly. I felt so heavy, and lost.. But I did see someone once. A brother? Yes, a brother. He came to me.. Carried me. Told me things, and left once more.. But I remember more, because of him.. I felt it."
She was mildly confused by this. "A..brother? I thought your brothers were dead.."
"Well, he called me brother, and helped me."
"What did he say?" Her head rocked and her eyes tilted up to the light. The only reason she hadn't gone to it yet, despite her want to run from this situation, was that she wasn't ready to go. She wasn't supposed to want to die. Wasn't supposed to give up.
"Said I wasn't along, and others were waiting for me.. Not to keep them waiting, he did."
An eye-rolled closed and she raised a hand to the sudden ache in her chest that thumped harder than the rest of her pain. "Others waiting for you..heh.." She inhaled slowly then relaxed out the breath. "Your little ghoul army, or that dragon thing? I swear if that thing ate more people, I'll---" She'd figure something out in the afterlife damn it!
"You weren't like this the last time, we were here Katt. Katt?"
Her eyes shifted to him when he said her name. She found he looked utterly confused.
"You're Katt? Yes.. Katt!"
Was he serious?! He didn't even remember her?! What the fuck! Did she matter so little that..that he couldn't even remember her name?! Even as they talked the taste in her mouth was foul. She wanted to just.. "Duh..who else do you think you just carved up. Geez ...was just trying to stop Moon from hurting you.."
"Carve? You're the first person I saw since Dyarhk, what the hell do you mea-- Dyarhk! That's another! He was the one!"
"Dyarhk.." She sat up and snarled at him. A new rage filled her almost the instant he said that name. "You have no right to speak his name!!" Oh, she regretted that. Things were spinning forward now.
"Why-- why would you say that! He's been with me as long as Jenai, has an-- Jen!? Jenai! Wait.. You.. Dyarhk, Jenai.. This is-- Fuck there has to be a reason!"
"Jenai.." The thought of Brian's wife gave her pause but soon enough she was sneering at him. "You killed me you son of a b*tch!" As much as she wanted to call him it she just couldn't. Turning her head she started to wibble wobble her way to the ring.
"Killed you? How the he-- you look alive to me? I mean we are both here right? But wait.. Where is everyone else? I remember Public Works.. Trav's forces.. Jenai trying to kill me.. Epona, and Dyarhk.. And Public Works exploding with me inside."
What..the hell? He was talking of something that.. "What the fuck that was a year or something ago---yeah, a long time."
"Look I'm telling ya.. I was there! Under that place, and Dyarhk came for me.. And something took him. I was left there, alone.. Then there was a dwarf and an elf.. Told me, they had a time piecing me together.. Said something else.. I dunno."
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
"Full of it! You've been taking lives and destroying things for months now!" She barked at him while grabbing the edge of the ring to steady herself. "You killed me" and then there were tears. "I trusted you! I cared about you! I was the only person who thought you could be brought back!"
"Killed?! YOU!? Are you f*ucking daft!? I haven't seen you since in months!"
She bared her canines at him but suddenly began to sink down, laughing as she buried her face into the side of the ring. "You really think I am naive.."
"I've done a lot.. But killing you is something I'd never do."
"I should know..It happened." She marked a giant X across her chest.
"Your screwing with me! This is some mind f*ck, it has to be! I love you! How the hell could I KILL you!?"
"Stop it! STOP IT! OKAY!" She shrieked at him even though she was still clinging to the edge of the ring. She sounded like she might of started crying but there were no tears. "I'm tired of you f*cking with me! I'm tired of people screwing with my emotions! I'm..just tired..So let me die in peace.."
"If you are dead, am I dead with you? I didn't kill you.. Did I?"
She noticed the confusion in his voice but she couldn't really care. Her hand went up and she thumbed at the light. "If that is what I think it is? Then yeah..you killed me."
"Pretty.. But why here? An why not?"
"No f*cking clue." she said as she sneered at him. She wanted to leap over, and shove him.. Choke the life from him even, "You are... dead too?"
"Maybe? I think--- I might have been dead before this. Maybe I am now? Maybe-- we are dreaming? I don't know. What I do know, is I do not feel the pain anymore and the darkness is gone."
"I feel pain. Tons of it. What is more..? I hate you..There are only a handful of people I hate and you just..You rank up there with my real father!" He, of all people, knew about her father. She knew how deep those words would cut. She hoped they sliced him in half.
"I thou-- well it felt like we were.. or maybe I wanted us to be? I don't know... I just felt it."
"You were..You were like a father to me...You may not of been my birth father but.." Her hands clenched hard. "I trusted you. Why ...why...Why Raven?! What is so..important that you throw everything..everyone away.." It wasn't just about her. Never was. She was probably not even a drop of concern..
"That name again-- It's been so long. Is it really mine?"
She rubbed her head while he talked. "What are you talking about. Yes..you ..Raven..the f*cker who has been killing people..attacking friends..destroying the city and families..doing who knows what with Renna.." Ugh..she didn't even wanna know.
"Renna? I haven't seen Ren in--- what year-- I dunno, it's been years. Killing-- you know you're not making sense? Why would I kill people, and attack friends?"
"You said you blame the government for what happened with Trav. You have been killing the old government and aiming for the new. Course I guess I wouldn't know. You have been nothing but manipulating me. I should of known.." She laughed and rubbed at her face. "I honestly thought you meant those things at Winterfest. Damn I really am a fool.."
"Winter-- Wint-- The Yu--le? The Yule! Wait!! We talked didn't we? Yes... Yes, we did. Told you.. Not to believe him? The man in red, weakened him.."
She blinked and lowered her hand. Was he really trying to fool her? Even now?! "Believe..him? You mean you don't you?"
"No.. him.. him, I told you, not to bel-- he would do things, and I had no time... Yes, and I had to go.. They pulled me, but we did talk you and I.. You were my daughter? Are?" His words soft, almost wistful.
"Him? HIM who?! You are ..You are making no sense! Why am I even talking to you! You are just going to..just use me again.." She pushed from her place and started to him. She wanted to..to..
"Cake.. Would you like some cake? I dare say we bought one too many, and cannot eat two by ourselves? Would you like it? I'd hate for it to go to waste on such a cold night.." He looked as if he were speaking to someone, and even went through the motions as well.. As if he were giving something. "My name is Brian, and this is Bashara.."
You would swear that someone had just slapped her. Him bringing that up made her face twist like she was ready to snarl. "I ..remember that.."
"Katt... That's a pretty name.. Are you new to Rhy'din? I was gone for a while myelf, but I recently returned."
There was that twist again. It felt like someone was twisting a knife in her chest. And yes..she knew how that felt. She had trusted him for so long.. "How long..Since then? How long have you been using me, Raven?"
"You remind me of my own girls you know.. Maybe some other time, or some other place.. I might have been a father to you.."
She didn't even feel the tears fill her eyes as she stared at the man. Those memories stung. How dare he bring them up. How dare he.. Had it always been a lie? She had really believed he had met that.
"Cake... From Yotsuba's cake shoppe.. I like cake.."
"Why..Why are you.." She choked back a cry. "Why are you bringing that up."
"Hmmm, bring what up? Hey, are you alright?"
"That is the Brian I remember. Not the..jerk who has been using me..has been lying..killing. That.." She slumped down to her knees.
"You remember? I remember sometimes, do you remember all the time, or some of the times?"
"I remember everything. I have a really good memory remember?" She slumped a bit. "Was..That can't be the last time you remember."
"No.. I remember being buried.. That wasn't nice tho, you know? And then I was pulled. But I never saw who. It comes and goes you know.. Not like the pain. That's always."
"B-Buried.." Some part of her hoped her daggers had ripped him apart and that when he left with Epona that he died..buried..It would of been a small victory she could die to..She could give up then..
"Dyarhk was with me.. Then he left, and I was buried."
"Did you kill Dyarhk too?"
"What-- kill Dyarhk? Why would I do that?"
"Don't know. Why would you kill someone who you considered a daughter?! Cause you are nuts, Raven." It sounded like something followed it but she was mumbling.
"Why do you keep calling me that? Is that my name now?"
She blinked and tilted her eyes up to him. "You..really don't remember? This past year or so? You've.." Did he have black outs like herself? "You've been nothing but evil..like everything I've told you already."
"Year? Has it been that long? It's been hard to tell, you know.. Really hard."
Her lips parted faintly and she stared at him. He was..serious?! "You..You are kidding..You don't remember any of- Wait. Brian..Who is he you kept talking about before?" It sort of slipped her calling him that.
"He? Oh you mean him? That I don't know, but ya know-- he seems like something I know.. or should know of. And no, I do not remember a lot it seems."
"You don't..even remember killing me. Heh..figures. Not like you care right.." She glanced over to the light. "At least I took you with me."
"Or did I take you with me? Maybe we were taken by someone else?" She noticed his eyes darting around the room. "Huh? did you feel that??"
She sneered at the idea that he took her with him. "Can't even let me die in-" She blinked. "Feel..what?"
She felt a tremor before he even before he told her.
"That!"
"What are you doing now?!"
"I didn-- I'm telling you-- no that was NOT me!"
"Who..is Raven? That is you..right?"
"I haven't been called that in years! Listen--- this isn't--" His eyes looked down, as he noted--- "The hell!? NO! I don't-- Don't send me back! Jen, where are you? Girls? YOU! Did he send you!?" His eyes were on her once more, his hand took hold of what looked to be a rope tethered about his ankle. "Did HE send you!?"
She blinked. Baffled that he called out for..Jenai? "Who..WHO?! You keep saying He! He WHO!"
He tried to stand, and fell flat to the floor as his eyes widened ever the more so! "NO!" It looked as if he were being pulled.. Hands began to grasp for whatever he could
She blinked and before she could stop herself she reached out to try and grab his hands. "Brian!!" She had a bewildered look. What the heck was going on?!
His hands--- they became faint along with the rest of him for a brief moment. Long enough for her hands to just..go through him. Suddenly, he was solid once more! "Katt! Katt, I remember now! They're gonna take me back! They're--- KATT don't let them! An tell Jenai, I love her!!"
"Wh..What? Who?! Brian..N-No don't go!" Was Jenai dead too?
"I-- I have no choice, I've got to go back! He can't be allo-- f*ck, Katt! Just tell them I'm sorry!!"
"I'm dead you dork. Who am I going to tell." She frowned as she leaned back and watched him. He was going back? To the living..? This..sucked. So much for that small victory.
"You're not dead! You're too strong! WAKE UP! He'll find you! Do-- Wake up, Katt! Wake Up!"
"I am ..not strong.." She mumbled and glanced away. Wake up..
"Shut UP! You're strong! I know-- I felt it, and he does too! He needs you, too! He needs a lot more! DONT let him have it! I-- No, fuck! Listen, tell Jenai! I'm sorry, and tell Juletta, I'm sorry I lied!! I'm sorry I lied!"
He kept saying he. He..who? Did Brian really have a separate ...persona? A superego? An id? Whatever they called it. Was that.. "I..I will.."
"I love you too! Don't forget that! It's true! And he knows it! He can't fight it! Now wake up and FIGHT!"
She shuddered sharply. Hearing him say that all but hurt. Her face twisted and she looked after him. "Don't give up BRIAN!"
"Giving up is what started this! So YOU don't give up!! Somewhere, I'll find you all! Tell Jenai that, please!"
What started this? She didn't understand. Her eyes drooped and she leaned against the rings. Giving up would be so easy. So very easy. She was so tired. "I'll..try.."
"Don't f*cking try! DO IT!" And suddenly, he was yanked harder and being pulled towards the door.
She blinked when she was yelled at and suddenly..she felt very alone...
The tremors ceased.. The portal was gone, and so was he..
And she was left alone ever so..
So alone...
...
...
'Wake up Katt!'
"Killed?! YOU!? Are you f*ucking daft!? I haven't seen you since in months!"
She bared her canines at him but suddenly began to sink down, laughing as she buried her face into the side of the ring. "You really think I am naive.."
"I've done a lot.. But killing you is something I'd never do."
"I should know..It happened." She marked a giant X across her chest.
"Your screwing with me! This is some mind f*ck, it has to be! I love you! How the hell could I KILL you!?"
"Stop it! STOP IT! OKAY!" She shrieked at him even though she was still clinging to the edge of the ring. She sounded like she might of started crying but there were no tears. "I'm tired of you f*cking with me! I'm tired of people screwing with my emotions! I'm..just tired..So let me die in peace.."
"If you are dead, am I dead with you? I didn't kill you.. Did I?"
She noticed the confusion in his voice but she couldn't really care. Her hand went up and she thumbed at the light. "If that is what I think it is? Then yeah..you killed me."
"Pretty.. But why here? An why not?"
"No f*cking clue." she said as she sneered at him. She wanted to leap over, and shove him.. Choke the life from him even, "You are... dead too?"
"Maybe? I think--- I might have been dead before this. Maybe I am now? Maybe-- we are dreaming? I don't know. What I do know, is I do not feel the pain anymore and the darkness is gone."
"I feel pain. Tons of it. What is more..? I hate you..There are only a handful of people I hate and you just..You rank up there with my real father!" He, of all people, knew about her father. She knew how deep those words would cut. She hoped they sliced him in half.
"I thou-- well it felt like we were.. or maybe I wanted us to be? I don't know... I just felt it."
"You were..You were like a father to me...You may not of been my birth father but.." Her hands clenched hard. "I trusted you. Why ...why...Why Raven?! What is so..important that you throw everything..everyone away.." It wasn't just about her. Never was. She was probably not even a drop of concern..
"That name again-- It's been so long. Is it really mine?"
She rubbed her head while he talked. "What are you talking about. Yes..you ..Raven..the f*cker who has been killing people..attacking friends..destroying the city and families..doing who knows what with Renna.." Ugh..she didn't even wanna know.
"Renna? I haven't seen Ren in--- what year-- I dunno, it's been years. Killing-- you know you're not making sense? Why would I kill people, and attack friends?"
"You said you blame the government for what happened with Trav. You have been killing the old government and aiming for the new. Course I guess I wouldn't know. You have been nothing but manipulating me. I should of known.." She laughed and rubbed at her face. "I honestly thought you meant those things at Winterfest. Damn I really am a fool.."
"Winter-- Wint-- The Yu--le? The Yule! Wait!! We talked didn't we? Yes... Yes, we did. Told you.. Not to believe him? The man in red, weakened him.."
She blinked and lowered her hand. Was he really trying to fool her? Even now?! "Believe..him? You mean you don't you?"
"No.. him.. him, I told you, not to bel-- he would do things, and I had no time... Yes, and I had to go.. They pulled me, but we did talk you and I.. You were my daughter? Are?" His words soft, almost wistful.
"Him? HIM who?! You are ..You are making no sense! Why am I even talking to you! You are just going to..just use me again.." She pushed from her place and started to him. She wanted to..to..
"Cake.. Would you like some cake? I dare say we bought one too many, and cannot eat two by ourselves? Would you like it? I'd hate for it to go to waste on such a cold night.." He looked as if he were speaking to someone, and even went through the motions as well.. As if he were giving something. "My name is Brian, and this is Bashara.."
You would swear that someone had just slapped her. Him bringing that up made her face twist like she was ready to snarl. "I ..remember that.."
"Katt... That's a pretty name.. Are you new to Rhy'din? I was gone for a while myelf, but I recently returned."
There was that twist again. It felt like someone was twisting a knife in her chest. And yes..she knew how that felt. She had trusted him for so long.. "How long..Since then? How long have you been using me, Raven?"
"You remind me of my own girls you know.. Maybe some other time, or some other place.. I might have been a father to you.."
She didn't even feel the tears fill her eyes as she stared at the man. Those memories stung. How dare he bring them up. How dare he.. Had it always been a lie? She had really believed he had met that.
"Cake... From Yotsuba's cake shoppe.. I like cake.."
"Why..Why are you.." She choked back a cry. "Why are you bringing that up."
"Hmmm, bring what up? Hey, are you alright?"
"That is the Brian I remember. Not the..jerk who has been using me..has been lying..killing. That.." She slumped down to her knees.
"You remember? I remember sometimes, do you remember all the time, or some of the times?"
"I remember everything. I have a really good memory remember?" She slumped a bit. "Was..That can't be the last time you remember."
"No.. I remember being buried.. That wasn't nice tho, you know? And then I was pulled. But I never saw who. It comes and goes you know.. Not like the pain. That's always."
"B-Buried.." Some part of her hoped her daggers had ripped him apart and that when he left with Epona that he died..buried..It would of been a small victory she could die to..She could give up then..
"Dyarhk was with me.. Then he left, and I was buried."
"Did you kill Dyarhk too?"
"What-- kill Dyarhk? Why would I do that?"
"Don't know. Why would you kill someone who you considered a daughter?! Cause you are nuts, Raven." It sounded like something followed it but she was mumbling.
"Why do you keep calling me that? Is that my name now?"
She blinked and tilted her eyes up to him. "You..really don't remember? This past year or so? You've.." Did he have black outs like herself? "You've been nothing but evil..like everything I've told you already."
"Year? Has it been that long? It's been hard to tell, you know.. Really hard."
Her lips parted faintly and she stared at him. He was..serious?! "You..You are kidding..You don't remember any of- Wait. Brian..Who is he you kept talking about before?" It sort of slipped her calling him that.
"He? Oh you mean him? That I don't know, but ya know-- he seems like something I know.. or should know of. And no, I do not remember a lot it seems."
"You don't..even remember killing me. Heh..figures. Not like you care right.." She glanced over to the light. "At least I took you with me."
"Or did I take you with me? Maybe we were taken by someone else?" She noticed his eyes darting around the room. "Huh? did you feel that??"
She sneered at the idea that he took her with him. "Can't even let me die in-" She blinked. "Feel..what?"
She felt a tremor before he even before he told her.
"That!"
"What are you doing now?!"
"I didn-- I'm telling you-- no that was NOT me!"
"Who..is Raven? That is you..right?"
"I haven't been called that in years! Listen--- this isn't--" His eyes looked down, as he noted--- "The hell!? NO! I don't-- Don't send me back! Jen, where are you? Girls? YOU! Did he send you!?" His eyes were on her once more, his hand took hold of what looked to be a rope tethered about his ankle. "Did HE send you!?"
She blinked. Baffled that he called out for..Jenai? "Who..WHO?! You keep saying He! He WHO!"
He tried to stand, and fell flat to the floor as his eyes widened ever the more so! "NO!" It looked as if he were being pulled.. Hands began to grasp for whatever he could
She blinked and before she could stop herself she reached out to try and grab his hands. "Brian!!" She had a bewildered look. What the heck was going on?!
His hands--- they became faint along with the rest of him for a brief moment. Long enough for her hands to just..go through him. Suddenly, he was solid once more! "Katt! Katt, I remember now! They're gonna take me back! They're--- KATT don't let them! An tell Jenai, I love her!!"
"Wh..What? Who?! Brian..N-No don't go!" Was Jenai dead too?
"I-- I have no choice, I've got to go back! He can't be allo-- f*ck, Katt! Just tell them I'm sorry!!"
"I'm dead you dork. Who am I going to tell." She frowned as she leaned back and watched him. He was going back? To the living..? This..sucked. So much for that small victory.
"You're not dead! You're too strong! WAKE UP! He'll find you! Do-- Wake up, Katt! Wake Up!"
"I am ..not strong.." She mumbled and glanced away. Wake up..
"Shut UP! You're strong! I know-- I felt it, and he does too! He needs you, too! He needs a lot more! DONT let him have it! I-- No, fuck! Listen, tell Jenai! I'm sorry, and tell Juletta, I'm sorry I lied!! I'm sorry I lied!"
He kept saying he. He..who? Did Brian really have a separate ...persona? A superego? An id? Whatever they called it. Was that.. "I..I will.."
"I love you too! Don't forget that! It's true! And he knows it! He can't fight it! Now wake up and FIGHT!"
She shuddered sharply. Hearing him say that all but hurt. Her face twisted and she looked after him. "Don't give up BRIAN!"
"Giving up is what started this! So YOU don't give up!! Somewhere, I'll find you all! Tell Jenai that, please!"
What started this? She didn't understand. Her eyes drooped and she leaned against the rings. Giving up would be so easy. So very easy. She was so tired. "I'll..try.."
"Don't f*cking try! DO IT!" And suddenly, he was yanked harder and being pulled towards the door.
She blinked when she was yelled at and suddenly..she felt very alone...
The tremors ceased.. The portal was gone, and so was he..
And she was left alone ever so..
So alone...
...
...
'Wake up Katt!'
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
"Wake up Katt!" Her name a thunderous bellow straight from the diaphragm as he scooped her into his arms. Phasing through the wall of his one-bedroom apartment they bolted above buildings towards the one person the Mogul knew might have an idea on what plagued Katt. Like a low-flying comet, he came straight for Batten Industries.
"Ed, it's Race. Katt's unresponsive and her lungs have shut down. Taking her to Batten Industries by air, please advise." He looped the message into not only the pin received from Belial but also straight into the digital media on its way to his inbox. The hope of not being too late weighing heavily at his shoulders. Race had just been joking about picking out floral arrangements for her funeral...doing the real thing was not funny at all.
Constantly checking her vitals and making sure air was at least getting into her lugs, the Mogul was at his wits end. Whatever had a grip on the vampiric-non-vampire baker was vastly removed from anything in his experiences, which in themselves were numerous. "Wake up Katt, you're not dying on me. Not tonight!"
The pins that Belial had given out at that meeting hadn't been attended that night by the Playboy, and so he did not have one - the only one in Batten Industries' possession, in fact, was currently residing in the office of it's chief of security.
Fortunately, though, Race believed in redundancies, an attitude that the CEO could appreciate.
Whether by luck, coincidence or fate, this time found him in his offices at the industrial complex, and as the message came to him - relayed by Diana, the resident AI - he sat up straighter, frowning. When he had last seen her, she had been alive, albeit weak from her injuries, and he had thought his raiding of a blood bank just on the other side of his company's portal would have been enough to get her healed enough that she would be able to recover.
Apparently, he had missed something.
He stood from his desk, heading for the exit, speaking to the AI as he went. "Di, give Race de location of de rooftop entrance t'my office an' see 'im inside. Ah'll be back by de time he gets here an' settled." And with a push through the door he was gone, heading for his R&D labs. Hopefully, what he had been working on for Katt was complete enough...
And just as he left his office the AI was broadcasting a signal to Race to show him the way to the secret hatch, under which was a vertical sort of corridor that led down to Ed's office, wide enough to accommodate both Race and Katt easily, opening the rooftop access first, and then the entrance at the bottom to the office itself, to allow the pair entrance.
It didn't take him long to get back from the lab, and as he stepped through the double doors into his office, he saw that Race had already cleared off his desk (with a sweep of his arm, or something similar, if the papers scattered around it on the floor were any indication) and laid Katt on it.
The Playboy approached it, speaking to the AI as he did. "Diana, begin monitoring."
The AI's cool, sultry voice came back right away. "Yes, sir. Life signs are barely discernible." At the same time a holographic panel popped up near the desk, over the prone female form, with numerous readouts - pulse, blood oxygen level, EEG readouts. All showed minimal levels.
He already knew that, and didn't bother deigning to respond as he stopped by the desk, looking down at the frail form laid upon it. In one hand he held a jet injector, with a glass vial screwed into it filled with an opaque substance that glowed a faint cerulean color. He could feel Race's eyes on him as he adjusted the settings on the gun.
"Is that going to save her?"
He looked from Katt over to the Mogul. He wasn't a doctor, and this stuff hadn't been tested, though the substance that he had injected into himself in stages was similar, if only at a basic level. But that had been programmed to alter human DNA, which was something that had been mapped out to the last molecule where he was from - Katt's DNA was strikingly different, not human at all, and so he had no way of knowing for certain of it would have the desired effect.
But he couldn't lie to the man, either. "Ah'll tell ya hones'ly, mon ami...Ah've got no idea. It could jus' as well end up killin' her as curin' her...but it's all Ah've got at de moment."
Race seemed to think that over for a moment, then nodded. "Do what you can, Batten. And please, keep me informed. I'd stay, but..."
The Playboy waved him off. "Ah know. Ya got somet'in' ya gotta do...Leo already filled me in." He tapped a couple of controls on the gun as he spoke, looking down at it for a moment.
He could feel the Mogul's eyes on him for a moment before the man turned away and headed for the entrance he came in by silently, stopping near it. "Take good care of her, Batten...whatever happens."
The Playboy just nodded, though by the time he looked over at where Race was, the Mogul was already gone.
Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Katt, pressed the jet injector gun against the side of the neck, and pulled the trigger.
There was a prolonged hiss! of compressed air escaping, and immediately the substance in the vial drained, pushed by a high-pressure jet of air through Katt's skin and into her bloodstream.
Instantaneously, inside her body, the glowing, liquid-like substance, which wasn't a liquid at all, but instead millions of nanomolecular machines, began to disperse into her bloodstream, faster than her blood was pumping as they followed their exactingly precise programming - seek out anything in the system that did not match the programmed pattern and expel it, then repair the damage. But with the poison that had spread throughout her body, he was afraid that there might be more damage than could be fixed in time to save her...because in order for the nanomolecular 'treatment' to work, everything damaged had to be shut down, repaired, and restarted. And if the damage was too extensive, by the time it was repaired, the body might not be able to be resuscitated.
Setting the gun down, he stepped back, interlacing his fingers and folding his hands in front of him. There was nothing more to do but wait, and his eyes settled upon the holographic monitor, watching the signals there.
They continued at that precariously low level for a moment...and then the signals flatlined.
The blue-grey eyes watched the monitors unblinkingly as precious time passed.
Seconds.
Then a minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
When the readouts twitched again - faintly at first, sporadically for a moment, and then with increasing strength, he let out a breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding.
"Ed, it's Race. Katt's unresponsive and her lungs have shut down. Taking her to Batten Industries by air, please advise." He looped the message into not only the pin received from Belial but also straight into the digital media on its way to his inbox. The hope of not being too late weighing heavily at his shoulders. Race had just been joking about picking out floral arrangements for her funeral...doing the real thing was not funny at all.
Constantly checking her vitals and making sure air was at least getting into her lugs, the Mogul was at his wits end. Whatever had a grip on the vampiric-non-vampire baker was vastly removed from anything in his experiences, which in themselves were numerous. "Wake up Katt, you're not dying on me. Not tonight!"
The pins that Belial had given out at that meeting hadn't been attended that night by the Playboy, and so he did not have one - the only one in Batten Industries' possession, in fact, was currently residing in the office of it's chief of security.
Fortunately, though, Race believed in redundancies, an attitude that the CEO could appreciate.
Whether by luck, coincidence or fate, this time found him in his offices at the industrial complex, and as the message came to him - relayed by Diana, the resident AI - he sat up straighter, frowning. When he had last seen her, she had been alive, albeit weak from her injuries, and he had thought his raiding of a blood bank just on the other side of his company's portal would have been enough to get her healed enough that she would be able to recover.
Apparently, he had missed something.
He stood from his desk, heading for the exit, speaking to the AI as he went. "Di, give Race de location of de rooftop entrance t'my office an' see 'im inside. Ah'll be back by de time he gets here an' settled." And with a push through the door he was gone, heading for his R&D labs. Hopefully, what he had been working on for Katt was complete enough...
And just as he left his office the AI was broadcasting a signal to Race to show him the way to the secret hatch, under which was a vertical sort of corridor that led down to Ed's office, wide enough to accommodate both Race and Katt easily, opening the rooftop access first, and then the entrance at the bottom to the office itself, to allow the pair entrance.
It didn't take him long to get back from the lab, and as he stepped through the double doors into his office, he saw that Race had already cleared off his desk (with a sweep of his arm, or something similar, if the papers scattered around it on the floor were any indication) and laid Katt on it.
The Playboy approached it, speaking to the AI as he did. "Diana, begin monitoring."
The AI's cool, sultry voice came back right away. "Yes, sir. Life signs are barely discernible." At the same time a holographic panel popped up near the desk, over the prone female form, with numerous readouts - pulse, blood oxygen level, EEG readouts. All showed minimal levels.
He already knew that, and didn't bother deigning to respond as he stopped by the desk, looking down at the frail form laid upon it. In one hand he held a jet injector, with a glass vial screwed into it filled with an opaque substance that glowed a faint cerulean color. He could feel Race's eyes on him as he adjusted the settings on the gun.
"Is that going to save her?"
He looked from Katt over to the Mogul. He wasn't a doctor, and this stuff hadn't been tested, though the substance that he had injected into himself in stages was similar, if only at a basic level. But that had been programmed to alter human DNA, which was something that had been mapped out to the last molecule where he was from - Katt's DNA was strikingly different, not human at all, and so he had no way of knowing for certain of it would have the desired effect.
But he couldn't lie to the man, either. "Ah'll tell ya hones'ly, mon ami...Ah've got no idea. It could jus' as well end up killin' her as curin' her...but it's all Ah've got at de moment."
Race seemed to think that over for a moment, then nodded. "Do what you can, Batten. And please, keep me informed. I'd stay, but..."
The Playboy waved him off. "Ah know. Ya got somet'in' ya gotta do...Leo already filled me in." He tapped a couple of controls on the gun as he spoke, looking down at it for a moment.
He could feel the Mogul's eyes on him for a moment before the man turned away and headed for the entrance he came in by silently, stopping near it. "Take good care of her, Batten...whatever happens."
The Playboy just nodded, though by the time he looked over at where Race was, the Mogul was already gone.
Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Katt, pressed the jet injector gun against the side of the neck, and pulled the trigger.
There was a prolonged hiss! of compressed air escaping, and immediately the substance in the vial drained, pushed by a high-pressure jet of air through Katt's skin and into her bloodstream.
Instantaneously, inside her body, the glowing, liquid-like substance, which wasn't a liquid at all, but instead millions of nanomolecular machines, began to disperse into her bloodstream, faster than her blood was pumping as they followed their exactingly precise programming - seek out anything in the system that did not match the programmed pattern and expel it, then repair the damage. But with the poison that had spread throughout her body, he was afraid that there might be more damage than could be fixed in time to save her...because in order for the nanomolecular 'treatment' to work, everything damaged had to be shut down, repaired, and restarted. And if the damage was too extensive, by the time it was repaired, the body might not be able to be resuscitated.
Setting the gun down, he stepped back, interlacing his fingers and folding his hands in front of him. There was nothing more to do but wait, and his eyes settled upon the holographic monitor, watching the signals there.
They continued at that precariously low level for a moment...and then the signals flatlined.
The blue-grey eyes watched the monitors unblinkingly as precious time passed.
Seconds.
Then a minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
When the readouts twitched again - faintly at first, sporadically for a moment, and then with increasing strength, he let out a breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding.
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: Feb. 15th, 2012 -The Between: Limbo :.
What was days of time there was weeks to the world. It couldn't have been more than a week at best or so she thought. That was how it felt. A week since she died and her soul left her body. Since her 'bump' with Brian in Limbo. It felt like a week. She didn't realize how long it really had been...
Here things were set to a familiar setting. The Dojo that Brian Ravenlock had given to her some time ago. She hated it there. What it represented and bittersweet memories only offered an ache. She didn't want to remember..
And yet she couldn't help it. Seconds ticked by and she was surrounded by nothing but those memories. It aided in a want to not go back. It aided in turning to the light and just giving in. And that pillar of white light was a constant beckoning. She had noticed at one point that it had grown, wisps of pillowy clouds flooding at foot.
Giving up is what started this! So YOU don't give up!!
Wake up and FIGHT!
At one time Dean had asked her what she really wanted. He had been shocked by the answer. When he had asked her the one thing she wanted was easy to answer. Death. This was what she had wanted.
That was back then...
Now was different. Now she fought to live. She wanted to live. It wasn't easy but as she once heard it was easier to die than to live. She still had things she wanted to do and she had people that she wanted to protect. Friends. Family...
She needed to go back...
"So why don't you go back?"
The soft, silk voice that shattered the silence sent a shiver down her spine. Turning to the source she blinked as a figure stepped from the light. A tall, lanky woman garbed in a flowing white gown. Her white hair collected over a shoulder in a near perfect curl.
She knew this woman...
..sort of...
She fell still as the woman gracefully drew closer, a pair of angelic wings stretched from her shoulder blades in a lovely display of white fine feathers and spine. It was the woman's full green eyes that held her attention the most.
She knew this woman..
"Stay...stay away.." she managed to splutter out as the woman reached out. She wanted to move but found that she couldn't. It was as if she were rooted in place. Fingers twitched at her sides as the woman's long arms slipped over her shoulders and she was pulled close.
"Shhh.."
She stood silent as the woman cradled her close. This woman ... "You..aren't real."
A melodious chuckle left the woman that vibrated her chest. Her hand was soon caressing at the dark strains of unruly hair that crowned Katt's head. "Calm yourself, my child. I am not here to cause you any harm."
She melted in the woman's arms against her will. Some things never changed. "You aren't-"
"Shh. I am but that doesn't matter right now. Why are you still lingering here? It isn't your time. Go back." the woman's gentle voice implored.
She found herself leaning into the woman without even realizing it. Soothing motions of the woman's hand was hard to deny. A warmth she never knew was there, comforting and protective. Why would she want to go back when she could stay right there? Going back would be just going back to being a monster... "Why.."
"You would not abandon them. You would not abandon the ones you call friends nor the one you call family."
Her attention snapped at the thought of Edward. The woman was right. She wouldn't abandon him just as she knew he would never abandon her. At least this was the trust she had. He had been there when nobody else was. He was there to pull her back from the darkness that Renna had tried to plunge her into. Guiding yet not demanding. He had her back and she most definitely had his.
Her friends. She had them. She had lots of them in fact. She hadn't really thought someone like her could possibly have so many. People she knew she could trust and without a doubt know that they were there for her. People she cared for and wanted to protect.
"It is time you stop shackling yourself to your dark past and see what your future holds.." The woman whispered against glossy black hair. Words that were quiet and reminding. Encouraging her to push from this. "They are calling you back to them and you still have things you need to do. Things you want to do."
Her face dipped against the woman. There were many things she wanted to do. People she wanted to see..make sure they were okay..
Before she could answer a cold breath of wind echoed past her and she suddenly felt the ground pulled out from her. The warmth that was the woman was gone. Hands quickly fished forward, attempting to make at something..anything. She grabbed nothing but air. She was surrounded by nothing more than a field of blackness. "N-No!"
"Shori shi sharol oleasea o tia torji." the words echoed after her as the darkness swallowed her up.
What was days of time there was weeks to the world. It couldn't have been more than a week at best or so she thought. That was how it felt. A week since she died and her soul left her body. Since her 'bump' with Brian in Limbo. It felt like a week. She didn't realize how long it really had been...
Here things were set to a familiar setting. The Dojo that Brian Ravenlock had given to her some time ago. She hated it there. What it represented and bittersweet memories only offered an ache. She didn't want to remember..
And yet she couldn't help it. Seconds ticked by and she was surrounded by nothing but those memories. It aided in a want to not go back. It aided in turning to the light and just giving in. And that pillar of white light was a constant beckoning. She had noticed at one point that it had grown, wisps of pillowy clouds flooding at foot.
Giving up is what started this! So YOU don't give up!!
Wake up and FIGHT!
At one time Dean had asked her what she really wanted. He had been shocked by the answer. When he had asked her the one thing she wanted was easy to answer. Death. This was what she had wanted.
That was back then...
Now was different. Now she fought to live. She wanted to live. It wasn't easy but as she once heard it was easier to die than to live. She still had things she wanted to do and she had people that she wanted to protect. Friends. Family...
She needed to go back...
"So why don't you go back?"
The soft, silk voice that shattered the silence sent a shiver down her spine. Turning to the source she blinked as a figure stepped from the light. A tall, lanky woman garbed in a flowing white gown. Her white hair collected over a shoulder in a near perfect curl.
She knew this woman...
..sort of...
She fell still as the woman gracefully drew closer, a pair of angelic wings stretched from her shoulder blades in a lovely display of white fine feathers and spine. It was the woman's full green eyes that held her attention the most.
She knew this woman..
"Stay...stay away.." she managed to splutter out as the woman reached out. She wanted to move but found that she couldn't. It was as if she were rooted in place. Fingers twitched at her sides as the woman's long arms slipped over her shoulders and she was pulled close.
"Shhh.."
She stood silent as the woman cradled her close. This woman ... "You..aren't real."
A melodious chuckle left the woman that vibrated her chest. Her hand was soon caressing at the dark strains of unruly hair that crowned Katt's head. "Calm yourself, my child. I am not here to cause you any harm."
She melted in the woman's arms against her will. Some things never changed. "You aren't-"
"Shh. I am but that doesn't matter right now. Why are you still lingering here? It isn't your time. Go back." the woman's gentle voice implored.
She found herself leaning into the woman without even realizing it. Soothing motions of the woman's hand was hard to deny. A warmth she never knew was there, comforting and protective. Why would she want to go back when she could stay right there? Going back would be just going back to being a monster... "Why.."
"You would not abandon them. You would not abandon the ones you call friends nor the one you call family."
Her attention snapped at the thought of Edward. The woman was right. She wouldn't abandon him just as she knew he would never abandon her. At least this was the trust she had. He had been there when nobody else was. He was there to pull her back from the darkness that Renna had tried to plunge her into. Guiding yet not demanding. He had her back and she most definitely had his.
Her friends. She had them. She had lots of them in fact. She hadn't really thought someone like her could possibly have so many. People she knew she could trust and without a doubt know that they were there for her. People she cared for and wanted to protect.
"It is time you stop shackling yourself to your dark past and see what your future holds.." The woman whispered against glossy black hair. Words that were quiet and reminding. Encouraging her to push from this. "They are calling you back to them and you still have things you need to do. Things you want to do."
Her face dipped against the woman. There were many things she wanted to do. People she wanted to see..make sure they were okay..
Before she could answer a cold breath of wind echoed past her and she suddenly felt the ground pulled out from her. The warmth that was the woman was gone. Hands quickly fished forward, attempting to make at something..anything. She grabbed nothing but air. She was surrounded by nothing more than a field of blackness. "N-No!"
"Shori shi sharol oleasea o tia torji." the words echoed after her as the darkness swallowed her up.
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: Feb 28th, 2012 :.
It had been a month and some days since her body collapsed on itself right in front of Race. Poor, poor Race. Much like herself, and everyone else save one, he was unaware of the death rune's poison creeping its way through her body. Slowly paralyzing and eventually leaving her dead in his arms.
Weeks since she was rushed to Batten Inc and Edward took it upon himself to inject her with the concoction he had been working on. To take the chance that the months of his research and efforts that produced the swirl of glowing 'treatment' would bring her back from the brink or however far she was pushed into death. Or would it plunge her forever into the depths of darkness?
Time was different when you were forced to watch and wait.
A lifetime in a matter of seconds.
The quiet beep that finally came gave indication that the nano-molecular machines seemed to of been doing exactly as they were programmed and yet there was showing no signs that she was waking.
Still, progress was progress, and the holographic monitor was showing strong, steady readouts.
After an hour or so of keeping an eye on the monitor her body was removed from the desk and carried to his penthouse so she could recover in much more cushioned comforts. Also a place he could keep an eye on her just in case. Diana was given strict instruction to keep constant monitoring and give word of any and all changes.
All this time and she was not awaken from the coma-like state yet he kept watch over her like the vigilant brother he was.
His work, however, was not in vain.
Early morning a breath shuddered heavily from lungs that had, up until that point, held a steady rhythm. It was followed by a single sharp jerk of the whole body that was beneath fine satin sheets. Limbs hadn't even settled back down before lashes started to flutter, rising up to open the eyes that had not opened in over a month's time. Instantly her eyes snapped shut, the morning's light stung.
"Nhhh.." she croaked out, her own voice sounding foreign to her. Several makes of swallowing was made. Her throat was scratchy...
Several minutes of attempting she finally forced herself into sitting position in the plush bed, eyes once again forced open to squint at her surroundings. The first thing she did notice was monitors stationed around her bed. Not a clue in hell what they were.
"Good Morning, Miss Rhysata. It is good to see you are finally awake."
She knew that voice. "Nhh..D..Dian..ana..?" She was going to need something to drink and soon.
"Correct! I will inform Mr. Batten that you are awake. How do you feel? Are you in need of anything?"
Diana. That meant she had to be somewhere that Edward would know. That was comforting. "Wh...where am..I?"
"Toujours le Vert." Diana informed her instantly.
"Do...does Edward know..Know where I am?" She murmured as she pushed the blankets to the side. She was dressed in something not hers that much was for sure. Legs draped over the edge of the bed as she looked up to one of the panels.
"Of course. He is the reason you are here. Miss Rhysata. I wish to know how you feel. I am sure Mr. Batten will wish the information as well."
"Mrm..?" She blinked and tilted her head a bit. "Really..really thirsty..and hungry. A bit..sluggish like I've been sleeping a day or two but otherwise I feel..great."
"Thirty-eight days to be exact."
She blinked up at the ceiling. What..the hell? "A..Are..Are you ...saying I've been asleep for..that long?"
"That is correct."
"Ghh..you are shiting me.."
"No, I am not shiting you, Miss Rhysata."
She tried not to roll her eyes at the response. Well, that surely explained why she felt sluggish. "What happened?" She murmured the question while pushing out of the bed. Oh, such a mistake. She stumbled a step and went face-first to the floor with a sounding thud. Apparently, it seemed her legs needed reminding that walking was a good thing. Drawing her legs from under her she finally pushed herself up. Listening to the entire time as Diana explained what had happened.
38 days...
Had she really died?
She made her way to the bathroom. "Diana..When..When you tell Edward I am awake..Tell him...I need clothes.."
And the door shut. She felt like she really needed a shower.
The rest could come later.
It had been a month and some days since her body collapsed on itself right in front of Race. Poor, poor Race. Much like herself, and everyone else save one, he was unaware of the death rune's poison creeping its way through her body. Slowly paralyzing and eventually leaving her dead in his arms.
Weeks since she was rushed to Batten Inc and Edward took it upon himself to inject her with the concoction he had been working on. To take the chance that the months of his research and efforts that produced the swirl of glowing 'treatment' would bring her back from the brink or however far she was pushed into death. Or would it plunge her forever into the depths of darkness?
Time was different when you were forced to watch and wait.
A lifetime in a matter of seconds.
The quiet beep that finally came gave indication that the nano-molecular machines seemed to of been doing exactly as they were programmed and yet there was showing no signs that she was waking.
Still, progress was progress, and the holographic monitor was showing strong, steady readouts.
After an hour or so of keeping an eye on the monitor her body was removed from the desk and carried to his penthouse so she could recover in much more cushioned comforts. Also a place he could keep an eye on her just in case. Diana was given strict instruction to keep constant monitoring and give word of any and all changes.
All this time and she was not awaken from the coma-like state yet he kept watch over her like the vigilant brother he was.
His work, however, was not in vain.
Early morning a breath shuddered heavily from lungs that had, up until that point, held a steady rhythm. It was followed by a single sharp jerk of the whole body that was beneath fine satin sheets. Limbs hadn't even settled back down before lashes started to flutter, rising up to open the eyes that had not opened in over a month's time. Instantly her eyes snapped shut, the morning's light stung.
"Nhhh.." she croaked out, her own voice sounding foreign to her. Several makes of swallowing was made. Her throat was scratchy...
Several minutes of attempting she finally forced herself into sitting position in the plush bed, eyes once again forced open to squint at her surroundings. The first thing she did notice was monitors stationed around her bed. Not a clue in hell what they were.
"Good Morning, Miss Rhysata. It is good to see you are finally awake."
She knew that voice. "Nhh..D..Dian..ana..?" She was going to need something to drink and soon.
"Correct! I will inform Mr. Batten that you are awake. How do you feel? Are you in need of anything?"
Diana. That meant she had to be somewhere that Edward would know. That was comforting. "Wh...where am..I?"
"Toujours le Vert." Diana informed her instantly.
"Do...does Edward know..Know where I am?" She murmured as she pushed the blankets to the side. She was dressed in something not hers that much was for sure. Legs draped over the edge of the bed as she looked up to one of the panels.
"Of course. He is the reason you are here. Miss Rhysata. I wish to know how you feel. I am sure Mr. Batten will wish the information as well."
"Mrm..?" She blinked and tilted her head a bit. "Really..really thirsty..and hungry. A bit..sluggish like I've been sleeping a day or two but otherwise I feel..great."
"Thirty-eight days to be exact."
She blinked up at the ceiling. What..the hell? "A..Are..Are you ...saying I've been asleep for..that long?"
"That is correct."
"Ghh..you are shiting me.."
"No, I am not shiting you, Miss Rhysata."
She tried not to roll her eyes at the response. Well, that surely explained why she felt sluggish. "What happened?" She murmured the question while pushing out of the bed. Oh, such a mistake. She stumbled a step and went face-first to the floor with a sounding thud. Apparently, it seemed her legs needed reminding that walking was a good thing. Drawing her legs from under her she finally pushed herself up. Listening to the entire time as Diana explained what had happened.
38 days...
Had she really died?
She made her way to the bathroom. "Diana..When..When you tell Edward I am awake..Tell him...I need clothes.."
And the door shut. She felt like she really needed a shower.
The rest could come later.
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: March 15th, 2012 :.
Two weeks and some days after waking she had stayed in the room she had woken in. Sluggish was an understatement of the feeling that she had. Her body needed reminding on how to work so things during the two weeks were interesting.
A little walk around the penthouse here..
..because taking it slow was important. Getting to tip-top shape was her goal.
A little baking there..
..because Edward was totally having relapses from not having his daily beignets or so she would tease him by saying.
..If she was a cat how many lives has she lost by now?
No doubt if it had not been for Edward's quick thinking, and the experimental serum he had been working on for her, he would be having to find his beignets elsewhere. Raven would have succeeded putting her in her grave.
Well, technically Brian had succeeded just not as permanently as he would have liked.
Standing before the mirror in the bathroom she scratched lazily at her belly. The yoga set she was wearing showed off the markings that X-ed along her chest and upper left arm. She didn't know what caused them but she had a very good idea. They crawled along where she had been wounded by Raven. Whatever he had done was meant to kill her.
He failed.
Well not really. He had succeeded to a degree. She had been physically dead for minutes and brain dead for weeks. She was damn lucky that Edward was so intelligent and had so much at his disposal. Damn lucky, indeed.
Grunting to herself she flattened her hand against her torso. Despite her lack of exercise her body still remained trim if not more. The serum? She didn't know and quite frankly she wasn't sure she was ready to ask him if there had been any changes in her since he injected her with it. By now he had to know if something was going to go wrong, right? Ever since she woke he had been keeping her under constant watch of the scans.
She wasn't sure if it was because he was curious or because he was that good of a brother. Maybe both!
Either way..
Her hair was patted back, still short and still just as wild. Another difference, she did notice, was how her eyes looked. They had lost their glossy doll-like quality. They still had that heavy, unnatural stare but were now sharp and vivid. Much like glass of green that could pierce and destroy with a single glance. She wasn't even narrowing them!
Sighing she moved out of the bathroom and headed into the bedroom area, collapsing on her rump on the floor in the center of the room of the penthouse. Today she decided she was going to get caught up on all the stuff that had been going on. The new earbuds were pulled, tucked into her ears, connected to her PCUI, and a smoothie within reach...she was ready for deep studies.
The first thing she did was access the files of people that she was going to have to meet when her 'medical leave' was over, which wasn't planning on until the time was right. These people..these who were assembled...The Avengers. Some of the alias' were familiar. In fact, she knew a majority of the ones who were shown. Then ones who were not she took the time in waggling her finger along the screen and bringing up the small bits of information on them. It was limited information but enough to where she would know face to name and a little of them.
The one named Johnny looked simply like trouble. His cocky smile reminded her of someone. Why did she have the feeling she was going to end up thumping this guy on the head?
Some she was mildly surprised to see. Issy and Ebon.
Sergei...
Her lips thinned as she stared at the Rocketeer's profile a little longer than others. She did not like the idea of him being in the Avengers. Then again he was sorta already doing exactly what they would be doing just on his own. At least with others he would have people would watch his back. Maybe it was just guilt that had her frowning.
She seemed to carry a lot of guilt...
Just maybe she would pay him a visit before she was made public again.
Maybe...
There were others she had thought about visiting but not yet. If certain parties found out she was alive? They'd try to 'fix that'.
For now, she'd remain dead to the world...
Two weeks and some days after waking she had stayed in the room she had woken in. Sluggish was an understatement of the feeling that she had. Her body needed reminding on how to work so things during the two weeks were interesting.
A little walk around the penthouse here..
..because taking it slow was important. Getting to tip-top shape was her goal.
A little baking there..
..because Edward was totally having relapses from not having his daily beignets or so she would tease him by saying.
..If she was a cat how many lives has she lost by now?
No doubt if it had not been for Edward's quick thinking, and the experimental serum he had been working on for her, he would be having to find his beignets elsewhere. Raven would have succeeded putting her in her grave.
Well, technically Brian had succeeded just not as permanently as he would have liked.
Standing before the mirror in the bathroom she scratched lazily at her belly. The yoga set she was wearing showed off the markings that X-ed along her chest and upper left arm. She didn't know what caused them but she had a very good idea. They crawled along where she had been wounded by Raven. Whatever he had done was meant to kill her.
He failed.
Well not really. He had succeeded to a degree. She had been physically dead for minutes and brain dead for weeks. She was damn lucky that Edward was so intelligent and had so much at his disposal. Damn lucky, indeed.
Grunting to herself she flattened her hand against her torso. Despite her lack of exercise her body still remained trim if not more. The serum? She didn't know and quite frankly she wasn't sure she was ready to ask him if there had been any changes in her since he injected her with it. By now he had to know if something was going to go wrong, right? Ever since she woke he had been keeping her under constant watch of the scans.
She wasn't sure if it was because he was curious or because he was that good of a brother. Maybe both!
Either way..
Her hair was patted back, still short and still just as wild. Another difference, she did notice, was how her eyes looked. They had lost their glossy doll-like quality. They still had that heavy, unnatural stare but were now sharp and vivid. Much like glass of green that could pierce and destroy with a single glance. She wasn't even narrowing them!
Sighing she moved out of the bathroom and headed into the bedroom area, collapsing on her rump on the floor in the center of the room of the penthouse. Today she decided she was going to get caught up on all the stuff that had been going on. The new earbuds were pulled, tucked into her ears, connected to her PCUI, and a smoothie within reach...she was ready for deep studies.
The first thing she did was access the files of people that she was going to have to meet when her 'medical leave' was over, which wasn't planning on until the time was right. These people..these who were assembled...The Avengers. Some of the alias' were familiar. In fact, she knew a majority of the ones who were shown. Then ones who were not she took the time in waggling her finger along the screen and bringing up the small bits of information on them. It was limited information but enough to where she would know face to name and a little of them.
The one named Johnny looked simply like trouble. His cocky smile reminded her of someone. Why did she have the feeling she was going to end up thumping this guy on the head?
Some she was mildly surprised to see. Issy and Ebon.
Sergei...
Her lips thinned as she stared at the Rocketeer's profile a little longer than others. She did not like the idea of him being in the Avengers. Then again he was sorta already doing exactly what they would be doing just on his own. At least with others he would have people would watch his back. Maybe it was just guilt that had her frowning.
She seemed to carry a lot of guilt...
Just maybe she would pay him a visit before she was made public again.
Maybe...
There were others she had thought about visiting but not yet. If certain parties found out she was alive? They'd try to 'fix that'.
For now, she'd remain dead to the world...
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
"I have completed my diagnostics, sir. The armor system's adaptive programming is evolving much more rapidly than was originally projected."
The Playboy sighed as he looked in the mirror at himself. He looked a mess, which was hardly surprising. Lately, sleep had gotten more difficult. The dreams he'd been having were strange - dreams of drowning, of fending off some nameless, faceless shadow that tried to drag him down into murky, miring depths.
He knew why, of course. He'd made a mistake.
Genius though he was, he wasn't infallible...but this one was a doozy. The nanomachine treatment he'd injected himself with, months ago, was perfect. Once Renna had given him the crystal seedling, and he'd had time to analyze it, he'd been able to solve so many problems with a project he'd been working on for years. Simply put...evolution.
The next logical step, from human to something more, something greater. Half of the key, he'd found in his own OmniPower material, the energy-generating crystalline lattice with its triple-helical structure, so similar to a DNA strand, and yet radically different in its construction.
The seed had been the key, a crystalline structure similar to the OmniPower lattice, and yet organic rather than artificial. His in-depth analysis had given him the answers he needed...and even more importantly, while he couldn't use the crystal itself, the patterns of growth it exhibited, the crystalline structures, could be duplicated artificially by him and interwoven into his DNA to accommodate the differences between his genetic makeup and the OmniPower's crystalline structure, bridging the gap between the artificial and the organic.
Unfortunately, he had duplicated it a little too well.
Finally, he spoke back to the AI. "So? What're ya tryin' t'tell me, Di?"
The cool female voice came back to him immediately. "Sir, it is only a matter of time before it evolves sufficiently to be able to override the biological component of your body, effectively taking your body over and eliminating the host component...you."
He absorbed this news calmly, nodding. "Any idea how long?"
"No, sir. I have tried to calculate the amount of time, but there is no way to accurately predict such things with a life form such as this. The primary factor affecting the armor system's growth seems to be your consciousness, which is capable of commanding it while you retain control of your mind."
He nodded again and sighed. "Den Ah guess Ah better keep m'self under control."
"Yes, sir." There was a pause, then the AI spoke again. "Miss Rhysata is awake in the next room. Might I suggest that you inform her of the sit-"
He waved the suggestion away before the AI could finish the sentence. "No. Katt's got 'nuff on her plate...Ah don' wanna worry her wit' dis. 'Sides, dis is my problem...Ah can handle it. Fer now, we're gonna keep dis t'ing a secret. Got it, Di?"
There was a pause before the AI responded. "Yes, sir."
He nodded, looking at himself one more time in the mirror. Then, taking a deep breath, he stepped away from it and headed for the kitchen.
The Playboy sighed as he looked in the mirror at himself. He looked a mess, which was hardly surprising. Lately, sleep had gotten more difficult. The dreams he'd been having were strange - dreams of drowning, of fending off some nameless, faceless shadow that tried to drag him down into murky, miring depths.
He knew why, of course. He'd made a mistake.
Genius though he was, he wasn't infallible...but this one was a doozy. The nanomachine treatment he'd injected himself with, months ago, was perfect. Once Renna had given him the crystal seedling, and he'd had time to analyze it, he'd been able to solve so many problems with a project he'd been working on for years. Simply put...evolution.
The next logical step, from human to something more, something greater. Half of the key, he'd found in his own OmniPower material, the energy-generating crystalline lattice with its triple-helical structure, so similar to a DNA strand, and yet radically different in its construction.
The seed had been the key, a crystalline structure similar to the OmniPower lattice, and yet organic rather than artificial. His in-depth analysis had given him the answers he needed...and even more importantly, while he couldn't use the crystal itself, the patterns of growth it exhibited, the crystalline structures, could be duplicated artificially by him and interwoven into his DNA to accommodate the differences between his genetic makeup and the OmniPower's crystalline structure, bridging the gap between the artificial and the organic.
Unfortunately, he had duplicated it a little too well.
Finally, he spoke back to the AI. "So? What're ya tryin' t'tell me, Di?"
The cool female voice came back to him immediately. "Sir, it is only a matter of time before it evolves sufficiently to be able to override the biological component of your body, effectively taking your body over and eliminating the host component...you."
He absorbed this news calmly, nodding. "Any idea how long?"
"No, sir. I have tried to calculate the amount of time, but there is no way to accurately predict such things with a life form such as this. The primary factor affecting the armor system's growth seems to be your consciousness, which is capable of commanding it while you retain control of your mind."
He nodded again and sighed. "Den Ah guess Ah better keep m'self under control."
"Yes, sir." There was a pause, then the AI spoke again. "Miss Rhysata is awake in the next room. Might I suggest that you inform her of the sit-"
He waved the suggestion away before the AI could finish the sentence. "No. Katt's got 'nuff on her plate...Ah don' wanna worry her wit' dis. 'Sides, dis is my problem...Ah can handle it. Fer now, we're gonna keep dis t'ing a secret. Got it, Di?"
There was a pause before the AI responded. "Yes, sir."
He nodded, looking at himself one more time in the mirror. Then, taking a deep breath, he stepped away from it and headed for the kitchen.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: March 28th, 2012 - Early Morning :.
Waking was one of those things that she didn't want to do and yet needed to do. Since her return to the world of the living, she had yet to have one of her nightmares. It was a mystery as to why. After so many years of nightmares that had her waking night after night in a cold sweat and screams it was very strange to sleep without anything disturbing her. There had only been a handful of times that she had slept without nightmares but these last few weeks were different. Far different.
She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the simple fact that she felt...safe?
She didn't want to think too hard on it. Why bother? Feeling safe was rare for her and never remained. Something always pulls it out from under her.
The feeling of safety. That she belonged. That it was okay to be herself. Edward gave her a lot more than he realized. She was thankful for the man who came into her life unannounced. Who took her up as kin and actually treated her as such.
She wouldn't let him down.
With this in mind, she left her 'studies' spilled over the floor and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. It was done in record time and while she towel-dried her hair she worked way into the armor that was supposed to be worn under her normal clothes. The vest and shorts were tugged on and the towel left around her shoulders. They could of almost pass for clothes! She wasn't that daring, however. A T-shirt was pulled over the vest and yoga pants shimmied into over the shorts. She swore to Edward she would start wearing them when she went out. After all, if she had been wearing them Brian might not have killed her...
Combing her hair forward she released a sigh and left the bathroom, soon the room all together. She did pause long enough to grab her PCUI and earbuds. They, she took as a gift from Edward, were almost always on her person now.
Tucking one of the earbuds into her ears she glanced over when she spied movement. It was by chance that had witnessed Edward walking to the kitchen in what looked to be just waking. She had to admit he was cute with the bed hair and all rumply from slumber.
She would have sworn in the past that Edward never slept.
How did the old saying go?
No rest for the wicked?
She swallowed down a giggle. He was probably getting some coffee and expecting beignets. There was, of course, a plate of fresh ones for him to find. Maybe an hour or two old. Before he did, however, his 'roommate' slipped way to the door. "I'll be at the facilities if you need me." She called after Edward as the door started to close.
With permission to use the combat facilities she figured she could work herself out of the funk feeling without anyone knowing.
For now, only Edward knew she was alive. Kyle had to know. Leo.. maybe knew.
Leo...
She wanted to ask Edward about Leo. How was he? Was he mad at her? She had never got to ask. Things happened so quickly after the incident with Kain. Oh yes..she had heard that Leo had slammed down a number of drinks after she stole off with Kain. Was it because she stole his target? Or was it because he feared she turned sides? Or..
There was a lot of 'ors'
She'd spare Edward the extra questions for now. There was still much to be done. He had his testing to make sure nothing went wrong and she had to make sure to get herself back into full function. She'd keep out of the eyes of the public until she was ready.
Until both of them were sure she was ready.
Waking was one of those things that she didn't want to do and yet needed to do. Since her return to the world of the living, she had yet to have one of her nightmares. It was a mystery as to why. After so many years of nightmares that had her waking night after night in a cold sweat and screams it was very strange to sleep without anything disturbing her. There had only been a handful of times that she had slept without nightmares but these last few weeks were different. Far different.
She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the simple fact that she felt...safe?
She didn't want to think too hard on it. Why bother? Feeling safe was rare for her and never remained. Something always pulls it out from under her.
The feeling of safety. That she belonged. That it was okay to be herself. Edward gave her a lot more than he realized. She was thankful for the man who came into her life unannounced. Who took her up as kin and actually treated her as such.
She wouldn't let him down.
With this in mind, she left her 'studies' spilled over the floor and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. It was done in record time and while she towel-dried her hair she worked way into the armor that was supposed to be worn under her normal clothes. The vest and shorts were tugged on and the towel left around her shoulders. They could of almost pass for clothes! She wasn't that daring, however. A T-shirt was pulled over the vest and yoga pants shimmied into over the shorts. She swore to Edward she would start wearing them when she went out. After all, if she had been wearing them Brian might not have killed her...
Combing her hair forward she released a sigh and left the bathroom, soon the room all together. She did pause long enough to grab her PCUI and earbuds. They, she took as a gift from Edward, were almost always on her person now.
Tucking one of the earbuds into her ears she glanced over when she spied movement. It was by chance that had witnessed Edward walking to the kitchen in what looked to be just waking. She had to admit he was cute with the bed hair and all rumply from slumber.
She would have sworn in the past that Edward never slept.
How did the old saying go?
No rest for the wicked?
She swallowed down a giggle. He was probably getting some coffee and expecting beignets. There was, of course, a plate of fresh ones for him to find. Maybe an hour or two old. Before he did, however, his 'roommate' slipped way to the door. "I'll be at the facilities if you need me." She called after Edward as the door started to close.
With permission to use the combat facilities she figured she could work herself out of the funk feeling without anyone knowing.
For now, only Edward knew she was alive. Kyle had to know. Leo.. maybe knew.
Leo...
She wanted to ask Edward about Leo. How was he? Was he mad at her? She had never got to ask. Things happened so quickly after the incident with Kain. Oh yes..she had heard that Leo had slammed down a number of drinks after she stole off with Kain. Was it because she stole his target? Or was it because he feared she turned sides? Or..
There was a lot of 'ors'
She'd spare Edward the extra questions for now. There was still much to be done. He had his testing to make sure nothing went wrong and she had to make sure to get herself back into full function. She'd keep out of the eyes of the public until she was ready.
Until both of them were sure she was ready.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: April 9th, 2012 - Shortly after Lunch :.
Lunch had been taken in her room and what was left of it was scattered on the floor along with piles of balled up papers, a blanket, and a few odds and ends. Now normally she was the sort of kept her living area clean but when she was simply too tired to clean up after being out all night doing who knows what. She wasn't quite sure that Edward knew of her doings in the marketplace quite yet. If he was having her watched...
Cleaning would have to simply come later...
The sketchbook in front of her was balanced on her ankles, legs bowed out. The longer she looked at this one project of hers the more she got annoyed. Why was this so hard? It shouldn't be this hard. It wasn't this hard the first time!
Hell forging wasn't even this hard...
"Diana? Can you pull up a map of the city?"
"Of course, Miss Rhysata." came that cool, sultry voice of the A.I.
It was sort of funny. She had grown quite use to having Diana around. Maybe even a little spoiled to it. Technology. It was another thing that Edward had brought into her life. And while she wasn't exactly a tech-genius like her he, she did seem to catch on quickly enough to where several explanations weren't needed.
Indeed she had grown so use to it that there was no reaction to the map came into view out of thin air. Tilting her head she poked at a few spots. "Um..Hmm.."
Grabbing up her sketchbook she started scribbling down a few notes and continued to view over the map. She stopped only because she heard some movement. The sketchbook was abandoned and she crawled across the floor, poking the door open enough to peer through the crack at the tired Edward attempting to make from his room to the kitchen. He looked so very tired.
It worried her.
She figured he had some project he was working on day and night to finish. She knew how that was but still she felt the urge to go fuss at him. Tell him to get his hide in bed and at least take a nap...
Sighing she closed the door as quietly as possible and crawled back to her collected mess. Grabbing up her PCUI, earbuds, and her sketchbook, she started stuffing them into her bag. "Thank you for the map, Diana."
Before the AI could respond she leaned forward, sliding into the shadows.
Until nightfall she shadow-leaped around the city, tearing between to and from the shadow plane to make the trip around the city that much quicker. Locations taken in and notes taken about each.
Come late afternoon she found herself at the hall. There was supposed to be a meeting tonight. She missed being at the meetings.
So while she waited for the meeting she took to the shadows, willing them to her like a cloak that blended her near well with the rest of the shadows.
Patient.
She was ever so...
And when the meeting came to be she found her patience being tested. Listening to things going on was enough to have her climb the walls. It wasn't only that but witnessing Edward's exhaustion even in public..and being unable to do anything. It was testing. To do absolutely nothing but listen and witness. Not a word. No two cents to speak of. And she had lots to speak on.
It was an odd torture.
She wanted to let them know she was okay. Specially Fio and Issy. Granted she had a feeling Issy would crush her! Which was probably why when Edward made his leave she shortly followed.
She followed in his wake like the shadow she was.
It wasn't that hard to follow Edward. That is until she realized where he was heading. Did she even have access to his basement?
There was a number of things on her mind and watching the meeting? It did nothing to calm the feeling that had been building. In fact the meeting did nothing more than send a want to scale the walls. Recovery sucked on a massive scale.
Somewhere along the line she murmured from the shadows to let him know of her presence. She didn't quite hate the fact that she might be pulling him from his thoughts and whatever had him rushing. "Edward. A moment?"
Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. Like a shark, he had to keep moving. He'd been so close to falling asleep in that meeting, but had managed to hang on to that thread of consciousness like a drowning man grabbing for a lifeline. Now he had to keep moving, like a shark; if he stopped, he might drown.
Now, though, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Katt's voice cut into his thoughts as he walked, and he turned to greet her. "Hey, Katt...sure, if you can walk and talk at the same time."
The shadows shuddered around her, reforming out of the cloak like drape to simple second-like skin. It slowly, but surely, inked away until she was left in her casual wear which at the moment was a t-shirt and jeans. She was following in his tracks with quick stride with no beat to be missed.
"Of course. I have a few things I want to ask of you but first..Are you okay?" If the tone of her voice didn't tell him the lack of sharpness in the greens would. She was concerned.
He could feel the fatigue, trying to drag him down, but there was no time. No time at all, not if he wanted this to work. Almost three weeks of no sleep, of constantly trying to solve a problem that he had created himself...one that he had created as a permanent solution, something never intended to be taken apart.
Now, he had to break it, and the cost was going to be high...but the other choice was unpalatable. Still...he couldn't let her worry about that, so he did the only thing he could.
He lied.
"Yeah, Ah'm all right...Ah just finally found de answer to somet'in' Ah've been workin' on for de past couple weeks. What's up?"
Her hands found the front pockets of her jeans while he spoke. She seemed to take his answer at face value. As far as she was concerned why would he lie to her? "You need to stop and get some rest before you crash." This spoken by someone who had done it more times than she'd like to admit.
Well.. On to business she supposed.
"Well I was wondering who you have told that I am ..well..You know.. Still in one piece. Also.." She was mumbling as those hands left her pockets and went to the lip of her bag. Digging out her sketchbook. Bouncing a few steps forward to place her at his side she flipped quickly through the pages so he couldn't see a number of them. Embarrassed about her work? Maybe.
It's a good thing he's had a lot of practice at the lying game. In his line of work - both of them - it became a necessity. Her first question gets her an arched eyebrow.
"Well...Ah hope ya don' mind, but...Ah told Leo an' Kyle. Couldn' keep dem in de dark on dis...too many t'ings could go wrong if Ah did. Dey won' let yer secret slip, t'ough...dat Ah can promise."
The sketchbook gets a curious look as she starts flipping through it. "Whatcha got dere?"
"Actually I prefer that they know. I mean can you imagine them not knowing? And me going to the training facilities? The idea of those two coming after me in their armor terrifies me!"
And yet she snorted a quiet laugh. Oh. Right! The sketchbook. The page she was looking for was found and she pointed out to him. "Well I don't know what the difference is between heavy and light armor. Yours might vary from my ..definition. But maybe a suit of armor like what you made for me before. A bodysuit with detachable parts so I can wear it under casual clothes but also ..you know..as my outfit when I become 'active' for the Avengers?"
The sketch was nothing special. In fact it looked more like a simple neck to ankle bodysuit with a zipper running from collar to pelvic. Pointers here and there showed where detachable parts would be, hidden mostly under the design and seams.
He looks the sketch over as they walk along, no tiredness in his features at all now - his mind is clicking along like the Ed of old, the fatigue still there but mostly ignored as he considers.
"The chief differences between the light armor - like the stuff I gave you - and the heavier stuff is the amount of impact it can absorb. The lighter weight armor, you can take a hit up to and including a shot from a 30 millimeter cannon and survive, though you're not going to enjoy it. If, for something like this, we added some heavier plating...the weight will be a little more, it'll be stiffer, but you can walk through heavy suppressive fire from multiple guns and it'll feel like you're being shot at by peashooters...just don't stand in the way of someone firing something like a cannon at you."
Yeah and they knew how she tended to get shot at. A lot. The idea of wearing something stiff under her casual clothes made her nose wrinkle though. Simply didn't sound comfy. "You mean like Leo when I was talking with Kain."
This brought on that nagging question that she had been wanting to ask him and she started chewing at her bottom lip frantically. Must..not ask.. Instead, she nodded and tore out the page in order to offer it to him. "I know you are busy and all but if you don't mind?"
The next page in the sketchbook was some detailing on what looked to be her attempt at scribbling out details for the new Bon Bon. If only he'd see the pile of papers she had crumpled up in her room. A mess that was.
She didin't have to ask - he could see it written all over her face when she mentioned Kain and he glanced at her, and her expression got a chuckle.
"Yer still worried about dat? Ya shouldn' be...Leo's gotten over it, once he understood what ya were up to. He jus'...didn' understand at de time. He's de kinda guy dat loyalty's important to...he didn' understand dat ya were actin' in ever'one's best int'rest at de time. Ah gotta say, yer li'l act had me fooled fer a second dere...to've fooled Leo, ya should feel proud. Dat man's got a gift fer sniffin' out an act, an' he dodn' have even de slightest clue."
Turning his attention back to the sketchbook again, he looked over the building designs, arching an eyebrow and grinning a bit wider. "Ah...is dis gonna be de new BonBon?"
"(s) I don't like the idea of Leo mad at me." Her lips thinned in an attempt to stop herself from frowning. "I.." She shook her head, stopping herself from saying something she knew she shouldn't. "I am proud that I was able to stop Kain if only for a while. It wasn't my intentions to 'steal' Kain away from him or anything like that. Just..Kain had information and people..People just won't listen. I mean really? If people had listened to me about Br-...Raven in the past we could of saved lives."
That man was not Brian. She was still not sure how she was going to explain that to Edward. She needed to find the red-headed Jenai. They needed to have words to clear up a few things before she could even start to share with Edward what had happened.
Blink. The question pulled her attention and she gave a sheepish grin. "Uh huh. Or trying to be the new Bon Bon. However..I am sorta considering a new location for a few personal reasons."
The sketchbook was once more tilted to him. Unlike the old Bon Bon this one would be at least two floors dedicated to the customers with the idea of a garden 'sitting' area. This Bon Bon, by the looks of it, would not have a living area. "What do you think? It will be a while before I have the funds again and I can uh..bake at the hall for a while I guess."
He takes the sketchbook, looking the designs over. For a moment, at least, it was nice not to have to worry about his own problems. "Ah like it...and Ah agree. Yer old location would have t'be torn down and a new buildin' put in its place t'do dis."
Her last remark gets an incredulous look as he holds the sketchbook back out to her, sighing and rolling his eyes. "Ya know, Ah love ya, li'l sis, but ya can be unbelievably dense sometimes." He chuckles. "If ya t'ink Ah'm gonna let ya go an' use de Hall fer a place t'run yer business out of, yer insane. Ah c'n pay fer de new location...Lord knows Ah got 'nuff t'cover dat. An' Toujours le Vert's got facilities ya can use while it's bein' built."
He snorts softly, shaking his head. "Ya c'n use de Hall...ya must be outta yer mind."
The expression she held was the one she normally carried when something went swoosh..over her head. This was the look he got when he sighed and rolled his eyes. The sketchbook was taken with a light touch and she snorted as if mimicking him. "I am not! I'm sorry if I do not view you as a source of money." Which he'd earn a playful pinch to his upper arm for. "Where do you think I was baking before I had the Bon Bon?" Duh!
He did get a soft little chuckle out of her. "I .." Her lips twitched in and out of a smile. "I'd..like the help, Edward. I would appreciate it." And with that the smile faded and her attention focused on the sketch maybe a bit too heavy.
Blinking she shook her head, refocusing herself. "Mrmm.." Her eyes slowly ticked over to him, that unsure sound vibrating her throat. While they continued to walk she asked him about the transport 'discussion' they had some time ago. Not exactly reminding him but wondering if he had any idea on the direction of that. She was clueless and he was so very good with creating toys.
They talked for hours on end about things and about nothing all that important. She didn't realize she was helping him stay awake! She was simply enjoying the 'quality time' with her brother.
Lunch had been taken in her room and what was left of it was scattered on the floor along with piles of balled up papers, a blanket, and a few odds and ends. Now normally she was the sort of kept her living area clean but when she was simply too tired to clean up after being out all night doing who knows what. She wasn't quite sure that Edward knew of her doings in the marketplace quite yet. If he was having her watched...
Cleaning would have to simply come later...
The sketchbook in front of her was balanced on her ankles, legs bowed out. The longer she looked at this one project of hers the more she got annoyed. Why was this so hard? It shouldn't be this hard. It wasn't this hard the first time!
Hell forging wasn't even this hard...
"Diana? Can you pull up a map of the city?"
"Of course, Miss Rhysata." came that cool, sultry voice of the A.I.
It was sort of funny. She had grown quite use to having Diana around. Maybe even a little spoiled to it. Technology. It was another thing that Edward had brought into her life. And while she wasn't exactly a tech-genius like her he, she did seem to catch on quickly enough to where several explanations weren't needed.
Indeed she had grown so use to it that there was no reaction to the map came into view out of thin air. Tilting her head she poked at a few spots. "Um..Hmm.."
Grabbing up her sketchbook she started scribbling down a few notes and continued to view over the map. She stopped only because she heard some movement. The sketchbook was abandoned and she crawled across the floor, poking the door open enough to peer through the crack at the tired Edward attempting to make from his room to the kitchen. He looked so very tired.
It worried her.
She figured he had some project he was working on day and night to finish. She knew how that was but still she felt the urge to go fuss at him. Tell him to get his hide in bed and at least take a nap...
Sighing she closed the door as quietly as possible and crawled back to her collected mess. Grabbing up her PCUI, earbuds, and her sketchbook, she started stuffing them into her bag. "Thank you for the map, Diana."
Before the AI could respond she leaned forward, sliding into the shadows.
Until nightfall she shadow-leaped around the city, tearing between to and from the shadow plane to make the trip around the city that much quicker. Locations taken in and notes taken about each.
Come late afternoon she found herself at the hall. There was supposed to be a meeting tonight. She missed being at the meetings.
So while she waited for the meeting she took to the shadows, willing them to her like a cloak that blended her near well with the rest of the shadows.
Patient.
She was ever so...
And when the meeting came to be she found her patience being tested. Listening to things going on was enough to have her climb the walls. It wasn't only that but witnessing Edward's exhaustion even in public..and being unable to do anything. It was testing. To do absolutely nothing but listen and witness. Not a word. No two cents to speak of. And she had lots to speak on.
It was an odd torture.
She wanted to let them know she was okay. Specially Fio and Issy. Granted she had a feeling Issy would crush her! Which was probably why when Edward made his leave she shortly followed.
She followed in his wake like the shadow she was.
It wasn't that hard to follow Edward. That is until she realized where he was heading. Did she even have access to his basement?
There was a number of things on her mind and watching the meeting? It did nothing to calm the feeling that had been building. In fact the meeting did nothing more than send a want to scale the walls. Recovery sucked on a massive scale.
Somewhere along the line she murmured from the shadows to let him know of her presence. She didn't quite hate the fact that she might be pulling him from his thoughts and whatever had him rushing. "Edward. A moment?"
Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving. Like a shark, he had to keep moving. He'd been so close to falling asleep in that meeting, but had managed to hang on to that thread of consciousness like a drowning man grabbing for a lifeline. Now he had to keep moving, like a shark; if he stopped, he might drown.
Now, though, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Katt's voice cut into his thoughts as he walked, and he turned to greet her. "Hey, Katt...sure, if you can walk and talk at the same time."
The shadows shuddered around her, reforming out of the cloak like drape to simple second-like skin. It slowly, but surely, inked away until she was left in her casual wear which at the moment was a t-shirt and jeans. She was following in his tracks with quick stride with no beat to be missed.
"Of course. I have a few things I want to ask of you but first..Are you okay?" If the tone of her voice didn't tell him the lack of sharpness in the greens would. She was concerned.
He could feel the fatigue, trying to drag him down, but there was no time. No time at all, not if he wanted this to work. Almost three weeks of no sleep, of constantly trying to solve a problem that he had created himself...one that he had created as a permanent solution, something never intended to be taken apart.
Now, he had to break it, and the cost was going to be high...but the other choice was unpalatable. Still...he couldn't let her worry about that, so he did the only thing he could.
He lied.
"Yeah, Ah'm all right...Ah just finally found de answer to somet'in' Ah've been workin' on for de past couple weeks. What's up?"
Her hands found the front pockets of her jeans while he spoke. She seemed to take his answer at face value. As far as she was concerned why would he lie to her? "You need to stop and get some rest before you crash." This spoken by someone who had done it more times than she'd like to admit.
Well.. On to business she supposed.
"Well I was wondering who you have told that I am ..well..You know.. Still in one piece. Also.." She was mumbling as those hands left her pockets and went to the lip of her bag. Digging out her sketchbook. Bouncing a few steps forward to place her at his side she flipped quickly through the pages so he couldn't see a number of them. Embarrassed about her work? Maybe.
It's a good thing he's had a lot of practice at the lying game. In his line of work - both of them - it became a necessity. Her first question gets her an arched eyebrow.
"Well...Ah hope ya don' mind, but...Ah told Leo an' Kyle. Couldn' keep dem in de dark on dis...too many t'ings could go wrong if Ah did. Dey won' let yer secret slip, t'ough...dat Ah can promise."
The sketchbook gets a curious look as she starts flipping through it. "Whatcha got dere?"
"Actually I prefer that they know. I mean can you imagine them not knowing? And me going to the training facilities? The idea of those two coming after me in their armor terrifies me!"
And yet she snorted a quiet laugh. Oh. Right! The sketchbook. The page she was looking for was found and she pointed out to him. "Well I don't know what the difference is between heavy and light armor. Yours might vary from my ..definition. But maybe a suit of armor like what you made for me before. A bodysuit with detachable parts so I can wear it under casual clothes but also ..you know..as my outfit when I become 'active' for the Avengers?"
The sketch was nothing special. In fact it looked more like a simple neck to ankle bodysuit with a zipper running from collar to pelvic. Pointers here and there showed where detachable parts would be, hidden mostly under the design and seams.
He looks the sketch over as they walk along, no tiredness in his features at all now - his mind is clicking along like the Ed of old, the fatigue still there but mostly ignored as he considers.
"The chief differences between the light armor - like the stuff I gave you - and the heavier stuff is the amount of impact it can absorb. The lighter weight armor, you can take a hit up to and including a shot from a 30 millimeter cannon and survive, though you're not going to enjoy it. If, for something like this, we added some heavier plating...the weight will be a little more, it'll be stiffer, but you can walk through heavy suppressive fire from multiple guns and it'll feel like you're being shot at by peashooters...just don't stand in the way of someone firing something like a cannon at you."
Yeah and they knew how she tended to get shot at. A lot. The idea of wearing something stiff under her casual clothes made her nose wrinkle though. Simply didn't sound comfy. "You mean like Leo when I was talking with Kain."
This brought on that nagging question that she had been wanting to ask him and she started chewing at her bottom lip frantically. Must..not ask.. Instead, she nodded and tore out the page in order to offer it to him. "I know you are busy and all but if you don't mind?"
The next page in the sketchbook was some detailing on what looked to be her attempt at scribbling out details for the new Bon Bon. If only he'd see the pile of papers she had crumpled up in her room. A mess that was.
She didin't have to ask - he could see it written all over her face when she mentioned Kain and he glanced at her, and her expression got a chuckle.
"Yer still worried about dat? Ya shouldn' be...Leo's gotten over it, once he understood what ya were up to. He jus'...didn' understand at de time. He's de kinda guy dat loyalty's important to...he didn' understand dat ya were actin' in ever'one's best int'rest at de time. Ah gotta say, yer li'l act had me fooled fer a second dere...to've fooled Leo, ya should feel proud. Dat man's got a gift fer sniffin' out an act, an' he dodn' have even de slightest clue."
Turning his attention back to the sketchbook again, he looked over the building designs, arching an eyebrow and grinning a bit wider. "Ah...is dis gonna be de new BonBon?"
"(s) I don't like the idea of Leo mad at me." Her lips thinned in an attempt to stop herself from frowning. "I.." She shook her head, stopping herself from saying something she knew she shouldn't. "I am proud that I was able to stop Kain if only for a while. It wasn't my intentions to 'steal' Kain away from him or anything like that. Just..Kain had information and people..People just won't listen. I mean really? If people had listened to me about Br-...Raven in the past we could of saved lives."
That man was not Brian. She was still not sure how she was going to explain that to Edward. She needed to find the red-headed Jenai. They needed to have words to clear up a few things before she could even start to share with Edward what had happened.
Blink. The question pulled her attention and she gave a sheepish grin. "Uh huh. Or trying to be the new Bon Bon. However..I am sorta considering a new location for a few personal reasons."
The sketchbook was once more tilted to him. Unlike the old Bon Bon this one would be at least two floors dedicated to the customers with the idea of a garden 'sitting' area. This Bon Bon, by the looks of it, would not have a living area. "What do you think? It will be a while before I have the funds again and I can uh..bake at the hall for a while I guess."
He takes the sketchbook, looking the designs over. For a moment, at least, it was nice not to have to worry about his own problems. "Ah like it...and Ah agree. Yer old location would have t'be torn down and a new buildin' put in its place t'do dis."
Her last remark gets an incredulous look as he holds the sketchbook back out to her, sighing and rolling his eyes. "Ya know, Ah love ya, li'l sis, but ya can be unbelievably dense sometimes." He chuckles. "If ya t'ink Ah'm gonna let ya go an' use de Hall fer a place t'run yer business out of, yer insane. Ah c'n pay fer de new location...Lord knows Ah got 'nuff t'cover dat. An' Toujours le Vert's got facilities ya can use while it's bein' built."
He snorts softly, shaking his head. "Ya c'n use de Hall...ya must be outta yer mind."
The expression she held was the one she normally carried when something went swoosh..over her head. This was the look he got when he sighed and rolled his eyes. The sketchbook was taken with a light touch and she snorted as if mimicking him. "I am not! I'm sorry if I do not view you as a source of money." Which he'd earn a playful pinch to his upper arm for. "Where do you think I was baking before I had the Bon Bon?" Duh!
He did get a soft little chuckle out of her. "I .." Her lips twitched in and out of a smile. "I'd..like the help, Edward. I would appreciate it." And with that the smile faded and her attention focused on the sketch maybe a bit too heavy.
Blinking she shook her head, refocusing herself. "Mrmm.." Her eyes slowly ticked over to him, that unsure sound vibrating her throat. While they continued to walk she asked him about the transport 'discussion' they had some time ago. Not exactly reminding him but wondering if he had any idea on the direction of that. She was clueless and he was so very good with creating toys.
They talked for hours on end about things and about nothing all that important. She didn't realize she was helping him stay awake! She was simply enjoying the 'quality time' with her brother.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: April 12th, 2012 - After Dark :.
It had been three days since her talk with Edward and she had lots of time to think about things. Normally she'd hate that. She would of worked herself into a rut just to avoid thinking about certain..things. But it was hard to work yourself into complete and utter exhaustion when you are recovering.
Well okay, it wasn't that hard. She would spend endless hours at the training facilities if that was the case. However, she was not yet ready to push herself into such a state. Recovery was difficult enough as is and she did have things she wanted to think about these days. It didn't hurt to allow her mind to wander as much. It didn't depress her and now she didn't have to worry about triggering the blackouts.
Lots of things had changed.
Hadn't changed enough that she failed to notice that Edward locked himself down in the basement. She was tempted to ask Diana if he was alright. She was pretty sure if he wasn't Diana would have told her by now. He was probably nose deep in some project. Oh, she had not missed that look in his eyes while they had talked after the meeting. He had an itch he needed to scratch and there was very little that would get in his way.
As long as he was okay that was all that mattered to her. Itch away there buddy. Itch away.
Granted..She was curious what he was up to!
Maybe in another day or two she would ask Diana if he was okay. He had some sort of fridge in the basement right? Food, water, etc? One day..Oh one day she was going to get a sneak peek down there, damn it. Maybe she could talk Leo into sneaking her in there. Mwhahha.
Okay that was bad of her. She couldn't help but snicker at the thought as her hand nudged the door open to the penthouse. She was just returning from the facilities and doing some sneaky stuff around town so she was ready for a shower.
The smell hit as if she had walked straight into a wall. Heavy seasoning filled the air and she quickly stepped in, heeling the door closed loud enough to be heard. It was almost overpowering how strong the smell was and all it did was aid the want to know..what the heck it was!
Dufflebag and towel dropped at the side of the door she quickly made her way to the kitchen and what she found only made her blink. There hovered over the plastic draped island was Edward, twisting and pulling at the tail end of a mini lobster? Baby lobster? Whatever it was it seemed like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
"What..in the world..are you eating?" she managed out and was a bit offset by the grin he gave her. It was one of those grins you were not sure if you should grin back or take off running for your life.
The crimson crustaceans was presented to her then he went on explaining what it was. Crawfish. Crayfish. Crawdaddies. There seemed to be a number of names for these little guys. While he explained she inched closer and poked at one. They were heavily seasoned and she figured it was so that the seasoning made it past the shell to season the meat? Scattered among the pile of crimson was potatoes, small bits of corn on the cob, onions, lemon halves...
It was making HER hungry!
He demonstrated by pinching the tail and pulling it free from the upper end of the crawfish. Good thing the little guy was dead right?
Boiled. What a way to go...
Catching the meat between his teeth he pulled it free from the shell with ease and with the hunger of a man who hadn't eaten in days, he gobbled it down. To her, it seemed a bit more effort than filling but he was eating and that was all that mattered. The claws came next once the shell of the tail was discarded onto the plastic. Snap. Snap.
Then..Then he did something that just totally grossed her out. A finger went into the upper end of the carcass and ......please tell me he is not doing what I thought he is doing...
Withdrawing his finger showed a bunch of goop on his fingertip which he eagerly gobbled up.
"Edward you did not just-- EW!!" she was gawking at the man when he sucked the head of the crawfish for what he missed. "EW!!"
He grinned. Like the cat that ate the canary after stealing the cream. "C'mon, de bes' part is suckin' de brains out!"
"SICK!!" She spluttered the reply along with laughter as he chased her around the island with the crawfish head. Maybe Edward did become a zombie! That is why he was like that during the meeting. She'd have to keep an eye on him. Yes, she would!
When they settled he did end up explaining to her that some liked it..some didn't. She didn't thank you very much. Ew. He took the time to peel a tail for her to let her try. It wasn't all that bad. She liked the spice. Still..so much effort for so little meat..
While he taught her to properly peel a tail she eased into something she had been antsy to talk to him about. The Beltane was coming up and while nobody knew it was her who was setting everything up he would no doubt find out now that he was out and about. She explained everything..the sneaking out at night to set up the decorations, the planning..everything. It had not been easy but he didn't have to worry. Not even her scent was out there to be traced. It was like she was some unseen force throwing Beltane at the people. She needed this though. Despite still recouping it was driving her nuts just sitting around.
Now came the part she needed to get off her chest. Security. It would be needed, especially for children's day. She wanted the small ones to have a safe area to roam. To her delight, he was eager to offer the assistance of his security team. That was one less thing to worry about.
Once he had his fill of the crawdads they continued to peel away at the little suckers. He had explained to her the number of dishes that they could be used for so the extra would be stored. He seemed like his old self again. Rested and full of energy. It made her smile. He was darn lucky she wasn't going to grill him on his doings and that he should be sleeping more properly.
She sorta had no room to speak!
It had been three days since her talk with Edward and she had lots of time to think about things. Normally she'd hate that. She would of worked herself into a rut just to avoid thinking about certain..things. But it was hard to work yourself into complete and utter exhaustion when you are recovering.
Well okay, it wasn't that hard. She would spend endless hours at the training facilities if that was the case. However, she was not yet ready to push herself into such a state. Recovery was difficult enough as is and she did have things she wanted to think about these days. It didn't hurt to allow her mind to wander as much. It didn't depress her and now she didn't have to worry about triggering the blackouts.
Lots of things had changed.
Hadn't changed enough that she failed to notice that Edward locked himself down in the basement. She was tempted to ask Diana if he was alright. She was pretty sure if he wasn't Diana would have told her by now. He was probably nose deep in some project. Oh, she had not missed that look in his eyes while they had talked after the meeting. He had an itch he needed to scratch and there was very little that would get in his way.
As long as he was okay that was all that mattered to her. Itch away there buddy. Itch away.
Granted..She was curious what he was up to!
Maybe in another day or two she would ask Diana if he was okay. He had some sort of fridge in the basement right? Food, water, etc? One day..Oh one day she was going to get a sneak peek down there, damn it. Maybe she could talk Leo into sneaking her in there. Mwhahha.
Okay that was bad of her. She couldn't help but snicker at the thought as her hand nudged the door open to the penthouse. She was just returning from the facilities and doing some sneaky stuff around town so she was ready for a shower.
The smell hit as if she had walked straight into a wall. Heavy seasoning filled the air and she quickly stepped in, heeling the door closed loud enough to be heard. It was almost overpowering how strong the smell was and all it did was aid the want to know..what the heck it was!
Dufflebag and towel dropped at the side of the door she quickly made her way to the kitchen and what she found only made her blink. There hovered over the plastic draped island was Edward, twisting and pulling at the tail end of a mini lobster? Baby lobster? Whatever it was it seemed like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
"What..in the world..are you eating?" she managed out and was a bit offset by the grin he gave her. It was one of those grins you were not sure if you should grin back or take off running for your life.
The crimson crustaceans was presented to her then he went on explaining what it was. Crawfish. Crayfish. Crawdaddies. There seemed to be a number of names for these little guys. While he explained she inched closer and poked at one. They were heavily seasoned and she figured it was so that the seasoning made it past the shell to season the meat? Scattered among the pile of crimson was potatoes, small bits of corn on the cob, onions, lemon halves...
It was making HER hungry!
He demonstrated by pinching the tail and pulling it free from the upper end of the crawfish. Good thing the little guy was dead right?
Boiled. What a way to go...
Catching the meat between his teeth he pulled it free from the shell with ease and with the hunger of a man who hadn't eaten in days, he gobbled it down. To her, it seemed a bit more effort than filling but he was eating and that was all that mattered. The claws came next once the shell of the tail was discarded onto the plastic. Snap. Snap.
Then..Then he did something that just totally grossed her out. A finger went into the upper end of the carcass and ......please tell me he is not doing what I thought he is doing...
Withdrawing his finger showed a bunch of goop on his fingertip which he eagerly gobbled up.
"Edward you did not just-- EW!!" she was gawking at the man when he sucked the head of the crawfish for what he missed. "EW!!"
He grinned. Like the cat that ate the canary after stealing the cream. "C'mon, de bes' part is suckin' de brains out!"
"SICK!!" She spluttered the reply along with laughter as he chased her around the island with the crawfish head. Maybe Edward did become a zombie! That is why he was like that during the meeting. She'd have to keep an eye on him. Yes, she would!
When they settled he did end up explaining to her that some liked it..some didn't. She didn't thank you very much. Ew. He took the time to peel a tail for her to let her try. It wasn't all that bad. She liked the spice. Still..so much effort for so little meat..
While he taught her to properly peel a tail she eased into something she had been antsy to talk to him about. The Beltane was coming up and while nobody knew it was her who was setting everything up he would no doubt find out now that he was out and about. She explained everything..the sneaking out at night to set up the decorations, the planning..everything. It had not been easy but he didn't have to worry. Not even her scent was out there to be traced. It was like she was some unseen force throwing Beltane at the people. She needed this though. Despite still recouping it was driving her nuts just sitting around.
Now came the part she needed to get off her chest. Security. It would be needed, especially for children's day. She wanted the small ones to have a safe area to roam. To her delight, he was eager to offer the assistance of his security team. That was one less thing to worry about.
Once he had his fill of the crawdads they continued to peel away at the little suckers. He had explained to her the number of dishes that they could be used for so the extra would be stored. He seemed like his old self again. Rested and full of energy. It made her smile. He was darn lucky she wasn't going to grill him on his doings and that he should be sleeping more properly.
She sorta had no room to speak!
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: April 28th, 2012 :.
The ruins of what was once the Public Works building of Rhy'din... Which had not seen much activity since a certain armored person's 'visit' so to speak. The twilight had given way to a rather starless eve, as clouds settled lowly over the area, and for all purposes, this place seemed as vacant of people, as the sky was of stars.. But likened to the sky, looks can be deceiving on the ground indeed, and in this case, they were just that.. As he slipped from the shadows to stand before the wreck of a place..
The demon never slept. There were times that he rested, not because he was tired, but because it was good to rest, sometimes. There was no time for that now, however. Tailing a man like Ravenlock - the real Ravenlock, as the demon thought of him - demanded constant vigilance. The man had not earned his reputation for naught, the demon had discovered over the past weeks. If you took your eyes from him for a moment, the man could vanish into shadows, and his trail was difficult at best to follow, even for one of two millenia worth of experience in tracking such individuals. It was a lesson the demon had learned many times since he started following the man.
Now, as he came to pause in shadows some distance away, he looked over the ruins that his self-appointed ward had stopped before. He knew this place, had been here before it became the pile of rubble it was now. He had heard of the conflict that had caused this calamity, an event that some referred to as 'Scarred'. Would that he could have been here to come to their aid...but some otherworldly force had carried him to another place, the first home he had ever known. No time to reflect on that now, however...his self-imposed assignment demanded his complete attention.
She should be in bed after the Beltane. Her body about gave out during the ball and she spent the start of the week sleeping the days away. But..Come Wednesday morning she was damned determined to search the city for where the new Bon Bon might be.
It was only by luck that she happened by the Public Works. Her chin rose when she realized where she was. This was one of the places that was in the report. It looked....well..like the ruins of the Bon Bon. A complete and utter wreck! Frowning she tilted her chin down and tucked her notebook into her bag. "What a mess.."
The girl was a stranger to him, but her scent spoke of kindred, of a kind. Like, and yet not like. How odd. But there were many such in this city who walked about, dressed in the skin of man and yet hiding beneath the surface a monster. After all, was the demon not one of them? He kept his place, using the shadows as his cloak and cowl to keep watch. He was tempted to summon Angelis, but stayed his hand for the moment. She was not friend to the demon, but nor was she foe. Not yet.
Slowly steps were taken towards what would have been the entrance. A knee was taken slowly, as a hand stretched downward, allowing fingers to trace charred stone. A slow shake of head, coupled with a soft sigh, as he did so.
It wasn't the sigh she heard but rather the movement among the bend of shadows that pulled her attention. Shoulders squared when she saw the figure moving about. Crap. Pulling on the lip of the hood down she called out, "Hey! Shouldn't be around here. Get on home now before I call the Watch."
"You made it.. I knew you would." The words said without him, having to look up. "You slept too long though, what kept you?" Slowly he lifted to that full height of his, pulling down that half mask he used to be so fond of wearing at one time.
The first words shattered her attempt to be hidden about who she was in an instant but her guard flew up at top speed. Edward is going to kill me... It was her first thought but something said made her blink slowly. "So ..meeting you in the between really did happen.." Her hands shifted but remained in sight. "It wasn't exactly easy for me to return. There was a lot of damage done." Both to body and spirit.
With more than two thousand years of experience in the field of conflict, he had no trouble seeing the girl's guard come up. There was an instant where he moved forward, perhaps half a step, to the edge of the shadows. Were he going to summon the immortal blade, he might have done so then, but for her posture - defensive, rather than poised for attack. That and the way Ravenlock spoke to her - easy, familiar patterns in his speech. These two were friends, then. He relaxed once more, easing back deeper into shadow.
Her chin dipped and she glanced over her shoulder before looking to him. "You..are really him. Brian.."
"Damage has been rampant for a long time, dear.. As to who or what I really am, I admit to having some trouble with that, especially recently.. It's been very difficult, then again you know that first hand, hmm? So yes, I believe I am him. I want to be him, but then again.. The other possibility exists as well. So I figured while the heroes were busied in the city, I could retrace a tad, and try to figure some things out."
"The Heroes.." He meant the Avengers. Many of her friends and loved ones were part of that group. Her eyes swept the ground slowly before turning up to the man before her. "What happened to you? What happened that ..pulled you back into the living?"
"The heroes.. It's good to see them active again.. Always thought the city felt we weren't needed---they weren't needed.. Until, all of this.. Now they cry for them, they beg for them.. Much different when we took such losses in WestEnd, those years back." Turning, he faced her more so.. A hint of light catching that face.. The face looked quite likened to Raven, yet--was more weathered.. Streaks of soft silver lined that darkened hair that was cut shorter now. That head of his shook softly, as he answered. "Brought me back? I've no idea.. But I did change along the way, and you--- feels like you have too, dear? I felt death before, you know.. I've even a covenant with the Valkyrie Lenneth, and carry her plume. Something few I am told have done. This was from a far off place though, Darkenwood.. When I was taken from here. I should not have been able to come back. So either someone circumvented the rules, or I may not be who or what we think I am."
She shifted just a bit when he turned to her, feet settling to keep herself in a guarded stance. Her chin rose up just faintly when he asked if she changed. She didn't want to answer that! "I am me. I will always be me." Didn't matter if she changed or not. Her brows dipped low and she glanced to the building past him. "So you are here..trying to figure out who you are.." Her eyes turned back to the man. She was so tired of being see-sawed when it came to him..To Brian. She watched him, his movements, and the way he acted. Trying to figure him out probably just as much as he was attempting to. "What do you mean..not be who or what you ...we..think you are?"
The demon listened form the shadows to the pair as they talked, taking it all in. He knew Death, was on...intimate terms, one could say, though he had never tasted of it himself, just dealt it out when necessary. The heroes they talked about, he knew of. He might not be a part of the social strata in this place - he never had been on any world, really - but he still listened, and they made their presence known. His task, in truth, was simpler than the heroes Ravenlock and the girl spoke of. He was content with being the faceless watchman, the nameless guardian who swept in to help the helpless, only to be gone just as quickly when he was no longer needed.
He was certain of one thing - this man, whom the demon kept watch over like a guardian angel, was the genuine article, or so close that it did not make a difference. He knew what his senses - so keenly honed with practice and experience - told him...but more importantly, his instincts assured him that this was the man the old demon had once so respected.
"Hold on to that thought dear, and keep it close. Because you are of two worlds now, same as me.." He shifted stance, and took a step towards an opening that lead into what was left of the main warehouse.. As he did so, that left hand lifted towards the darkness within, as fingers extended. Soft runes of ice came forth, illuminating the path within that was still riddled with weapons, armor and the like.. It looks as if many of the bodies that were once there, had been taken care of, yet the evidence of their presence remained in the most obvious of ways. A frown took form, as he spoke.. "There was no chance here.. I sent them to their deaths you know. Trav's forces, had such an advantage and I was blinded to it.. But this place had to be held, it had to.. Because of what I foolishly kept here, below. And they all died, because of it."
Of two worlds now. Her mouth opened and slowly closed, swallowing down the question she wasn't sure she was ready to have an answer for. Cautioned but she still followed after the figure. Her head tilted to the remains, her lips parted faintly. "What is kept here?" As if she totally expected him to tell her. Assumptions were such a horrible thing. And yet..she was trying to still keep an open mind.
He knew..He knew of what happened in the between. She had so many questions that suddenly came to surface that she clung onto and waited for her answer.
"What was kept here, was an artifact.. Well a piece of one, the last known piece-- of Darkin's Gauntlet.. A terrible piece of work, that lead to a great deal of suffering for many, including those closest to me, since the day I 'took' it.. My sister, Jewell had sealed what we thought was the last of it away.. Until I found a talisman around the neck of Katharine DeMerwood, and took it when she began to show signs of turning. I hid it here, under lock and key, hoping to keep it here."
She had remembered hearing about Jewell. Lips pursed as she inched closer but still keeping a cautioned distance. "Is it still here? And turn? Turn into what?" She was already formulating thoughts on this information. Hands shook and slowly began to crawl way into the pockets of her hoodie.
"No, it was taken it seems. Wielded by the other, I am guessing. From the talk of what he's been able to do, it fits." He moved deeper, into the room, looking at the make shift barricade, and extensive damage.
"Such a waste.. What the hell was I thinking.."
Silently, he nodded. Were the demon to talk to Ravenlock, he would have told him that this was the way of battle - that mistakes were made, and people were lost. He had led men in battle, once, long ago - in a time that men only remembered in legends, a dream of a dream now - and had known that his men would die when he led them. Even now, after over two thousand years, he remembered their faces, their cries as they charged...their screams as they died. He had made that stand with men of legend, had believed they could prevail...but it had been for naught. That age had died in the thunder of battle and blood, and now the only remnant of that legendary time was an old demon who carried on the traditions of an age long since past. The demon, and five stone amulets, one of which was around the demon's neck. Yes...he understood how Ravenlock felt, all too well.
"The one that calls himself..Raven?" She blinked and her head jerked up. "The Gauntlet? Is it like the one that Renna wears..? Wore.." Something along those lines.
"A gift, if you will.. Something she and I shared, and she kept enough of to write her own chapter. I also lead to our daughter, Lucy. Ren and I were the last two, to wield it. That is until Raven.. Save in the case of Ren and I, the older bearer did not die.. You see, the Gauntlet-- was passed, by taking it from the wearer, by ending them. As was the case, when I took it."
"Wait..so if it is what I am thinking.." She moved closer and tilted her head. Okay ..yeah..she reached out to poke at his arm to make sure he wasn't some ghost. "Why does Raven look like you? Is he..a twin brother or something?"
"Raven is-- or was me.. In the field, that is what Jenai called me, and few others. Was my Avenger Code name as well. And it fit, because-- well because he and I are one in the same, I am guessing." Moving past the barricade, he came to the next room, and moved inside. It was the same place that Ranger had seen.. The place where Brian Ravenlock, seemingly died. And yet, there he is, and there Raven was somewhere else.
She'd poke him all day long so long as it meant that she knew he was alive. She followed, a surprised look given. "You..You were an ..Avenger?" Her brows dipped and she raised a hand in order to reach out, trying to stop him. "Were you split in two? Is that..Is that why ..I ..Is that why I seem to have some effect on him? Why he didn't want to hurt me at first?"
"Stop that.." He paused, and surveyed the area.. A kneel was taken next to the pile of debris, that had collapsed on him, so many months ago. His hand, the wrapped hand reached out, fingers caressing the rock, as he answered. "Yes, I was. One of the first, no less." A cant of head, as he looked about the room, "Split? I don't know-- Who's to say what happened. All I know is I am playing catch up, and have half the city wanting me captured or dead, and that doesn't include the Government. I am so far behind, I can barely keep my head above water.. Not hurt you? I dunno.. He seemed to want to hurt Jenai and the others, so I've no idea."
She sighed and slipped her hands back in her pocket. Turning her head she stared off to the side. "What..am I suppose to do? If..If he is you..and you are him.." Her brows dipped. "Does he know we are talking right now?"
"I don't even know how the hell to answer that.. Save, he is coming here, somehow.. And needs to be stopped."
Her eyes dipped to him. "The Avengers are already on the move. He will be stopped." She knew everyone was out doing their thing. Something ..she wasn't apart of. Frowning she stared down to the rubble and kicked a small piece of wood to the side.
As the girl looked in his direction, he kept very still, doing his best to remain a shadow among shadows. For a moment, he thought she had somehow sensed his presence, or seen him. He had been very careful not to use any of the powers granted to him by his amulet - doing so caused it to glimmer with that curious amethystine light, and would give him away as readily as if he had sparked a fire. But, no - it seemed she had not, because she turned her gaze back to Ravenlock without so much as a hint of tension in her small frame. He did not want Brian to know he was being followed - it was odd, but he thought that the man might welcome having an ally...but at the same time, he suspected that Ravenlock would be displeased, perhaps even feel insulted, to find he had a guardian demon standing watch over him.
Rising once more, he looked to her more so.. "He isn't done here, I promise that. I know if I wanted to take this city, there'd be a million ways to do it, and I gave the Avengers the obvious ones, but there are others as well, that still need to be looked into. He is using what I had.. Or have. That much is obvious. Until he is handled, this will never end."
She sighed and lifted her head. "They will take care of him.."
"I've said that, and heard that before."
"Heh.." Her eyes trailed to him. "Where ..would be the less obvious ones?"
"He was right though, about the Red Hand, the traitors.. They were, real. I intended to have them hunted down, and brought back for trial.. It seems he was faster..Less-- Well to start, Town Hall.. If I were honestly going to hit this city, the statement would have to be so grand, that no one would miss it.. Town Hall was a mess to begin with, but with everyone all over the city, it could be hit.. Another spot, would be Ravensheart.. Loads of collateral damage.. Lots of Children.. And the bridge that divides the city, too.
"Town Hall. You mean..after the Gov..After Fio?" She chewed on her inner cheek. These places he mentioned were not on the 'list' that Raven warned of.
"It's simple tactics. Cut off the head, and publicly no less.."
...and the body falls. A simple, deadly effective strategy. The old demon knew from experience - he had been an assassin for many decades before assuming the mantle of guardian. Of course, such a move had been known to have the opposite effect, as well - a push, so to speak, when a beloved figure fell and became a rallying cry that could bring an unexpected strength and ferocity to those fighting for their cause.
Her head jerked to the side and she frowned. She needed to make sure Edward heard this. The Avengers.. "I won't let him hurt her.." Her brows dipped and she looked over to him. "Is..there a way to stop the gauntlet? Stop him?"
"Yeah, kill him." That said he turned from her, "I'll see you before this is over. Till then, stay alive and whole." Steps were taken away from her, into that darkness once more. "Two bodies, one mind and one soul. Got it?"
"I.." She clenched her teeth. Didn't he say that the gauntlet passed on to whoever killed the owner? So if she did..didn't that mean she would end up with the damned thing? "If I kill him.. I would be killing you..wouldn't I?" She blinked as the darkness started to take him.
"I dunno, with any luck I'll do the killing. In any event, stay you.. Literally." And he was no more..
Her head tilted and she sighed. "Right.." Combing back her hair she turned, flicking her eyes to something or another before moving out of the rubble. Now..yes..she was going to be shadowing Fio.
As the girl left, he moved from shadow to shadow to the place Ravenlock had been standing when he vanished into the darkness. He had to be swift to stay on the man's trail, and by the time the girl had gotten far enough away that it was safe to follow, the trace was almost gone. One hand went to the amulet as he focused, and with a flicker of deep violet light, he too was gone.
The ruins of what was once the Public Works building of Rhy'din... Which had not seen much activity since a certain armored person's 'visit' so to speak. The twilight had given way to a rather starless eve, as clouds settled lowly over the area, and for all purposes, this place seemed as vacant of people, as the sky was of stars.. But likened to the sky, looks can be deceiving on the ground indeed, and in this case, they were just that.. As he slipped from the shadows to stand before the wreck of a place..
The demon never slept. There were times that he rested, not because he was tired, but because it was good to rest, sometimes. There was no time for that now, however. Tailing a man like Ravenlock - the real Ravenlock, as the demon thought of him - demanded constant vigilance. The man had not earned his reputation for naught, the demon had discovered over the past weeks. If you took your eyes from him for a moment, the man could vanish into shadows, and his trail was difficult at best to follow, even for one of two millenia worth of experience in tracking such individuals. It was a lesson the demon had learned many times since he started following the man.
Now, as he came to pause in shadows some distance away, he looked over the ruins that his self-appointed ward had stopped before. He knew this place, had been here before it became the pile of rubble it was now. He had heard of the conflict that had caused this calamity, an event that some referred to as 'Scarred'. Would that he could have been here to come to their aid...but some otherworldly force had carried him to another place, the first home he had ever known. No time to reflect on that now, however...his self-imposed assignment demanded his complete attention.
She should be in bed after the Beltane. Her body about gave out during the ball and she spent the start of the week sleeping the days away. But..Come Wednesday morning she was damned determined to search the city for where the new Bon Bon might be.
It was only by luck that she happened by the Public Works. Her chin rose when she realized where she was. This was one of the places that was in the report. It looked....well..like the ruins of the Bon Bon. A complete and utter wreck! Frowning she tilted her chin down and tucked her notebook into her bag. "What a mess.."
The girl was a stranger to him, but her scent spoke of kindred, of a kind. Like, and yet not like. How odd. But there were many such in this city who walked about, dressed in the skin of man and yet hiding beneath the surface a monster. After all, was the demon not one of them? He kept his place, using the shadows as his cloak and cowl to keep watch. He was tempted to summon Angelis, but stayed his hand for the moment. She was not friend to the demon, but nor was she foe. Not yet.
Slowly steps were taken towards what would have been the entrance. A knee was taken slowly, as a hand stretched downward, allowing fingers to trace charred stone. A slow shake of head, coupled with a soft sigh, as he did so.
It wasn't the sigh she heard but rather the movement among the bend of shadows that pulled her attention. Shoulders squared when she saw the figure moving about. Crap. Pulling on the lip of the hood down she called out, "Hey! Shouldn't be around here. Get on home now before I call the Watch."
"You made it.. I knew you would." The words said without him, having to look up. "You slept too long though, what kept you?" Slowly he lifted to that full height of his, pulling down that half mask he used to be so fond of wearing at one time.
The first words shattered her attempt to be hidden about who she was in an instant but her guard flew up at top speed. Edward is going to kill me... It was her first thought but something said made her blink slowly. "So ..meeting you in the between really did happen.." Her hands shifted but remained in sight. "It wasn't exactly easy for me to return. There was a lot of damage done." Both to body and spirit.
With more than two thousand years of experience in the field of conflict, he had no trouble seeing the girl's guard come up. There was an instant where he moved forward, perhaps half a step, to the edge of the shadows. Were he going to summon the immortal blade, he might have done so then, but for her posture - defensive, rather than poised for attack. That and the way Ravenlock spoke to her - easy, familiar patterns in his speech. These two were friends, then. He relaxed once more, easing back deeper into shadow.
Her chin dipped and she glanced over her shoulder before looking to him. "You..are really him. Brian.."
"Damage has been rampant for a long time, dear.. As to who or what I really am, I admit to having some trouble with that, especially recently.. It's been very difficult, then again you know that first hand, hmm? So yes, I believe I am him. I want to be him, but then again.. The other possibility exists as well. So I figured while the heroes were busied in the city, I could retrace a tad, and try to figure some things out."
"The Heroes.." He meant the Avengers. Many of her friends and loved ones were part of that group. Her eyes swept the ground slowly before turning up to the man before her. "What happened to you? What happened that ..pulled you back into the living?"
"The heroes.. It's good to see them active again.. Always thought the city felt we weren't needed---they weren't needed.. Until, all of this.. Now they cry for them, they beg for them.. Much different when we took such losses in WestEnd, those years back." Turning, he faced her more so.. A hint of light catching that face.. The face looked quite likened to Raven, yet--was more weathered.. Streaks of soft silver lined that darkened hair that was cut shorter now. That head of his shook softly, as he answered. "Brought me back? I've no idea.. But I did change along the way, and you--- feels like you have too, dear? I felt death before, you know.. I've even a covenant with the Valkyrie Lenneth, and carry her plume. Something few I am told have done. This was from a far off place though, Darkenwood.. When I was taken from here. I should not have been able to come back. So either someone circumvented the rules, or I may not be who or what we think I am."
She shifted just a bit when he turned to her, feet settling to keep herself in a guarded stance. Her chin rose up just faintly when he asked if she changed. She didn't want to answer that! "I am me. I will always be me." Didn't matter if she changed or not. Her brows dipped low and she glanced to the building past him. "So you are here..trying to figure out who you are.." Her eyes turned back to the man. She was so tired of being see-sawed when it came to him..To Brian. She watched him, his movements, and the way he acted. Trying to figure him out probably just as much as he was attempting to. "What do you mean..not be who or what you ...we..think you are?"
The demon listened form the shadows to the pair as they talked, taking it all in. He knew Death, was on...intimate terms, one could say, though he had never tasted of it himself, just dealt it out when necessary. The heroes they talked about, he knew of. He might not be a part of the social strata in this place - he never had been on any world, really - but he still listened, and they made their presence known. His task, in truth, was simpler than the heroes Ravenlock and the girl spoke of. He was content with being the faceless watchman, the nameless guardian who swept in to help the helpless, only to be gone just as quickly when he was no longer needed.
He was certain of one thing - this man, whom the demon kept watch over like a guardian angel, was the genuine article, or so close that it did not make a difference. He knew what his senses - so keenly honed with practice and experience - told him...but more importantly, his instincts assured him that this was the man the old demon had once so respected.
"Hold on to that thought dear, and keep it close. Because you are of two worlds now, same as me.." He shifted stance, and took a step towards an opening that lead into what was left of the main warehouse.. As he did so, that left hand lifted towards the darkness within, as fingers extended. Soft runes of ice came forth, illuminating the path within that was still riddled with weapons, armor and the like.. It looks as if many of the bodies that were once there, had been taken care of, yet the evidence of their presence remained in the most obvious of ways. A frown took form, as he spoke.. "There was no chance here.. I sent them to their deaths you know. Trav's forces, had such an advantage and I was blinded to it.. But this place had to be held, it had to.. Because of what I foolishly kept here, below. And they all died, because of it."
Of two worlds now. Her mouth opened and slowly closed, swallowing down the question she wasn't sure she was ready to have an answer for. Cautioned but she still followed after the figure. Her head tilted to the remains, her lips parted faintly. "What is kept here?" As if she totally expected him to tell her. Assumptions were such a horrible thing. And yet..she was trying to still keep an open mind.
He knew..He knew of what happened in the between. She had so many questions that suddenly came to surface that she clung onto and waited for her answer.
"What was kept here, was an artifact.. Well a piece of one, the last known piece-- of Darkin's Gauntlet.. A terrible piece of work, that lead to a great deal of suffering for many, including those closest to me, since the day I 'took' it.. My sister, Jewell had sealed what we thought was the last of it away.. Until I found a talisman around the neck of Katharine DeMerwood, and took it when she began to show signs of turning. I hid it here, under lock and key, hoping to keep it here."
She had remembered hearing about Jewell. Lips pursed as she inched closer but still keeping a cautioned distance. "Is it still here? And turn? Turn into what?" She was already formulating thoughts on this information. Hands shook and slowly began to crawl way into the pockets of her hoodie.
"No, it was taken it seems. Wielded by the other, I am guessing. From the talk of what he's been able to do, it fits." He moved deeper, into the room, looking at the make shift barricade, and extensive damage.
"Such a waste.. What the hell was I thinking.."
Silently, he nodded. Were the demon to talk to Ravenlock, he would have told him that this was the way of battle - that mistakes were made, and people were lost. He had led men in battle, once, long ago - in a time that men only remembered in legends, a dream of a dream now - and had known that his men would die when he led them. Even now, after over two thousand years, he remembered their faces, their cries as they charged...their screams as they died. He had made that stand with men of legend, had believed they could prevail...but it had been for naught. That age had died in the thunder of battle and blood, and now the only remnant of that legendary time was an old demon who carried on the traditions of an age long since past. The demon, and five stone amulets, one of which was around the demon's neck. Yes...he understood how Ravenlock felt, all too well.
"The one that calls himself..Raven?" She blinked and her head jerked up. "The Gauntlet? Is it like the one that Renna wears..? Wore.." Something along those lines.
"A gift, if you will.. Something she and I shared, and she kept enough of to write her own chapter. I also lead to our daughter, Lucy. Ren and I were the last two, to wield it. That is until Raven.. Save in the case of Ren and I, the older bearer did not die.. You see, the Gauntlet-- was passed, by taking it from the wearer, by ending them. As was the case, when I took it."
"Wait..so if it is what I am thinking.." She moved closer and tilted her head. Okay ..yeah..she reached out to poke at his arm to make sure he wasn't some ghost. "Why does Raven look like you? Is he..a twin brother or something?"
"Raven is-- or was me.. In the field, that is what Jenai called me, and few others. Was my Avenger Code name as well. And it fit, because-- well because he and I are one in the same, I am guessing." Moving past the barricade, he came to the next room, and moved inside. It was the same place that Ranger had seen.. The place where Brian Ravenlock, seemingly died. And yet, there he is, and there Raven was somewhere else.
She'd poke him all day long so long as it meant that she knew he was alive. She followed, a surprised look given. "You..You were an ..Avenger?" Her brows dipped and she raised a hand in order to reach out, trying to stop him. "Were you split in two? Is that..Is that why ..I ..Is that why I seem to have some effect on him? Why he didn't want to hurt me at first?"
"Stop that.." He paused, and surveyed the area.. A kneel was taken next to the pile of debris, that had collapsed on him, so many months ago. His hand, the wrapped hand reached out, fingers caressing the rock, as he answered. "Yes, I was. One of the first, no less." A cant of head, as he looked about the room, "Split? I don't know-- Who's to say what happened. All I know is I am playing catch up, and have half the city wanting me captured or dead, and that doesn't include the Government. I am so far behind, I can barely keep my head above water.. Not hurt you? I dunno.. He seemed to want to hurt Jenai and the others, so I've no idea."
She sighed and slipped her hands back in her pocket. Turning her head she stared off to the side. "What..am I suppose to do? If..If he is you..and you are him.." Her brows dipped. "Does he know we are talking right now?"
"I don't even know how the hell to answer that.. Save, he is coming here, somehow.. And needs to be stopped."
Her eyes dipped to him. "The Avengers are already on the move. He will be stopped." She knew everyone was out doing their thing. Something ..she wasn't apart of. Frowning she stared down to the rubble and kicked a small piece of wood to the side.
As the girl looked in his direction, he kept very still, doing his best to remain a shadow among shadows. For a moment, he thought she had somehow sensed his presence, or seen him. He had been very careful not to use any of the powers granted to him by his amulet - doing so caused it to glimmer with that curious amethystine light, and would give him away as readily as if he had sparked a fire. But, no - it seemed she had not, because she turned her gaze back to Ravenlock without so much as a hint of tension in her small frame. He did not want Brian to know he was being followed - it was odd, but he thought that the man might welcome having an ally...but at the same time, he suspected that Ravenlock would be displeased, perhaps even feel insulted, to find he had a guardian demon standing watch over him.
Rising once more, he looked to her more so.. "He isn't done here, I promise that. I know if I wanted to take this city, there'd be a million ways to do it, and I gave the Avengers the obvious ones, but there are others as well, that still need to be looked into. He is using what I had.. Or have. That much is obvious. Until he is handled, this will never end."
She sighed and lifted her head. "They will take care of him.."
"I've said that, and heard that before."
"Heh.." Her eyes trailed to him. "Where ..would be the less obvious ones?"
"He was right though, about the Red Hand, the traitors.. They were, real. I intended to have them hunted down, and brought back for trial.. It seems he was faster..Less-- Well to start, Town Hall.. If I were honestly going to hit this city, the statement would have to be so grand, that no one would miss it.. Town Hall was a mess to begin with, but with everyone all over the city, it could be hit.. Another spot, would be Ravensheart.. Loads of collateral damage.. Lots of Children.. And the bridge that divides the city, too.
"Town Hall. You mean..after the Gov..After Fio?" She chewed on her inner cheek. These places he mentioned were not on the 'list' that Raven warned of.
"It's simple tactics. Cut off the head, and publicly no less.."
...and the body falls. A simple, deadly effective strategy. The old demon knew from experience - he had been an assassin for many decades before assuming the mantle of guardian. Of course, such a move had been known to have the opposite effect, as well - a push, so to speak, when a beloved figure fell and became a rallying cry that could bring an unexpected strength and ferocity to those fighting for their cause.
Her head jerked to the side and she frowned. She needed to make sure Edward heard this. The Avengers.. "I won't let him hurt her.." Her brows dipped and she looked over to him. "Is..there a way to stop the gauntlet? Stop him?"
"Yeah, kill him." That said he turned from her, "I'll see you before this is over. Till then, stay alive and whole." Steps were taken away from her, into that darkness once more. "Two bodies, one mind and one soul. Got it?"
"I.." She clenched her teeth. Didn't he say that the gauntlet passed on to whoever killed the owner? So if she did..didn't that mean she would end up with the damned thing? "If I kill him.. I would be killing you..wouldn't I?" She blinked as the darkness started to take him.
"I dunno, with any luck I'll do the killing. In any event, stay you.. Literally." And he was no more..
Her head tilted and she sighed. "Right.." Combing back her hair she turned, flicking her eyes to something or another before moving out of the rubble. Now..yes..she was going to be shadowing Fio.
As the girl left, he moved from shadow to shadow to the place Ravenlock had been standing when he vanished into the darkness. He had to be swift to stay on the man's trail, and by the time the girl had gotten far enough away that it was safe to follow, the trace was almost gone. One hand went to the amulet as he focused, and with a flicker of deep violet light, he too was gone.
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
.: May 22, 2012 - late evening :.
So she couldn't be out fully just yet but she was still striving to make herself street-worthy..Fight worthy. She had already warned Edward of her intentions and planned on soon, very soon, making good on her word when it came to stalking the Gov.
Now? Now she was sitting on the edge of the clock tower, fedora tipped low over her eyes while she munched on..of all things...a pocky. That thin biscuit hung out of from between her lips like it was a cig rather than a tasty treat.
A clock tower.. How--- fitting no? Because time was so very much of the essence here.. If not the essence, then it was damned close, as it was literally, running out for a great many, and even more so for a select few..
He watched more so.. Almost as if looking through those eyes of hers, as a faint smile slowly took form. A darkened hand lifted, as if to reach for her, and yet--- not a f*cking thing.. So the next best thing was done..
"Look at you.. So-- grown now, hmmm?"
*Chomp* her teeth clamped on the pocky without catching of her lips. It spilled to the ground far below. Her attention was no longer for it but rather for the voice. Her eyes shot around as she shifted, curling a leg so a foot was fit under her. "Brian?"
That was..his voice.
"Could be... If you asked nicely enough, my dear... So they put you back together, hmm? But will you be stronger than that egg, that once fell? I wonder-- I truly do. You look strong enough. But does that strength run as deep as those nice lil scars I gave you back when?"
Not Brian.
She pushed herself quickly up to her feet. "I am not Humpty Dumpty. I am hardly fat enough to be." Ha! Yes she can joke at a time like this. In fact there was a coy lil smile that followed. It faded shortly after when she realized..sh*t..he found her. "What do you want?"
"To finish what I started of course.." A soft kiss of the wind would be felt along that cheek of hers, coupled with the presence of something-- next to her, yet.. Nothing was seen. "I told you, you were special to me, and oh how much more are you to that very fact.."
Her head jerked just enough to look where she had thought the presence would be but found..nothing?
This disturbed her.
The shadows around her shuddered as she touched the planar, making sure that he wasn't using the shadows to hide himself. "How you figure I am special or 'more' as you say. You killed me." Venomous her words became towards the end.
"Killed you? Or made you stronger? Broke you, or gave you resolve? Pushed you down, or drove you further? It's all perspective you know? Quite objective. In any event, you are here and I am very much a part of that, as well.. We are not done, you know.. Not by a long shot, daughter.."
"I am no child of yours." She spat out sharply. "And you give yourself way too much credit. You didn't make me stronger. I make myself stronger. You have done nothing for me." Her feet slipped along the cold marble, searching for the source of the voice. "The only thing you gave me is a reason to kill you."
"I haven't? Is that true? I've done nothing for you? Now who is giving themselves way too much credit? You were a lil baker before I came along.. You were a mockery of all that you were made to be, before I came along.. Before Renna came along, and we changed every bit of that, we did. We took you, and re-shaped you, and gave you such purpose! And now look at you? Such drive and resolve! Such a focus, and such---- darkness.."
A pain ripped across her chest at his words. She knew what he was speaking of and he was purposely stroking at her pains. "You are correct.." As much as she hated it..he was. "But I am not your darkness. I will never be your darkness. I will never be her darkness."
"I am not so selfish as to want you to be 'my' darkness.. i told you, I loved you far too much to want that, my dear.. Like a proud father, am I-- not a selfish one.." Oh that smile grew it did, as a hand lifted, seemingly to softly caress an errant lock or three..
Both hands went up, swatting at what should be a hand and yet not. No touchie! "You are not my father! You are well enough next to him in attempting to corrupt me though." So long as she had Edward..had the precious few she called friends..she would never be that darkness again. Never.. "You do not love me. That..is such a lie.."
"I don't? Hmmm, objective-- yes, that is. Have I left you? Have I walked away? No, I have not.. In fact my dear, I have been a part of you this whole time.. Closer than you can imagine."
"Whole time? What do you consider to be the whole time." She dared him to answer that, her eyes drifting half closed.
"Since before your stasis.. Even farther back in some instances."
That disturbed her. "Then you were never there for me when I needed you. Like a father would be." She grunted. "What do you want? Why are you here? To simply push my buttons?"
"I am not the hand holding type dear.. I am the type that drives you do more than you can ever imagine, and to that end, you succeeded oh so much so.. As to why am I here? Katt, love--- I have 'always' been here. The real question is, why are 'you' here with me?"
"I am not saying to hold my hand, you arse. But there were times- " She snorted loudly. "What do you mean..here with you?" He was the one invading her comfy spot!
"Your ears work, I see.. Well not as well as the rest of you, it seems.. As I said before, dear.. Always have I been here.. I never left you.. Ever.."
"Hey..there is nothing wrong with me." She huffed quietly. "I work just fine." Well..almost. "What do you want..?" She murmured, her brows slowly starting to dip. "You are in my head..?"
"Head, heart? Is there a difference? I wonder..."
"Of course there is a difference.." A hand flicked at the air. He wasn't in her heart. She refused to believe that. Suddenly her hand stopped in mid air and for a brief moment..she panicked. Two bodies..one soul. She wasn't..one of those bodies was she? Ah! No..refused to go there!
"What I mean more of..is you aren't here.. I'm..not ..I'm not talking to myself right?"
"Would you want to talk to yourself, dear? I wonder.. Well that would be rather--- not so sane? Then again what really has been sane about you, hmmm? Save your baking, but what a crutch that was, and more so--- a fragile one. I am very here, Katt.. I am very much a part of you, as you are of me.. Be it a lot or a litte, it matters little.. Unless you want me to bring up embarrassing moments with you and-- brother, or some of his little friends.. Or maybe, these daddy issues you have with---- Brian?"
A chill... Yes, a chill... Took over gently, as that name was spoken.. A soft kiss of breeze added to the measure..
She shook her head, not what she meant. Physically. She meant physically. However he did, to a degree, answer her question. She felt her stomach tighten up. "You stained yourself on me, didn't you? Does that mean you know what I am thinking?" The question was asked carefully, brows shooting up.
Embarrassing moments with brother? Mmmm..did she have those? "His little friends? And I do not have 'daddy issues' with you." Spat. "Him." Whatever! She tried to shake off the chill and tipped her hat down a bit to hide her face.
"Whatever it takes my dear.. To keep yourself--- warm.."
Then, it was felt.. The caress of a hand.. The back of a hand, upon that hidden cheek of hers.. Slow, and rather deliberate. Yet, nothing seen? "Stain myself? When you came along so-- willingly? Heh.. I wonder, Katt.. Had I done this back when, when you were offered that cake, would things have been different?"
It was starting to creep her out that she felt his touch and yet physically he didn't seem to be there. Her teeth clenched and she hissed low beneath her breath. "I want nothing to do with you Raven. You aren't the man who gave me the cake that day. You are nothing to me but a rabid dog that needs to be put down.."
"The same was said of you, and yet--- you live? Am I so different?"
Suddenly, a shift in wind.. And then--- there was someone next to her.. It was--- it was him.. Raven. His eyes were upon the city, yet there the hell he was..
"I am not a rabid dog. I am not going around killing people needlessly in the name of revenge.." Her head tilted and she raised her chin. So he had been there all this time? But how..? How... Her brows furrowed as she stared at the man standing aside her. "You never answered me. Are you able to tell what I am thinking?"
"You are wondering had I been here all this time.. And if so, how." said plainly, as day.. His eyes never meeting her own, as he watched the city.
"Yes but that is sorta of a given." It was alarming that he might know what was in her head.. Knowing that he was in the chaotic mess that was her mind was...
Oh, it was very frightening.
Not only that but.. Her eyes turned down to the city. If that was true then she was a danger to Edward..to everyone. How was she suppose to keep Fio safe if Raven knew what she would do..when she would do it? A frown started to form. "How are you here ..?"
"You brought me here, love.. And you ask yourself, 'Are you a danger to those close to you? Can you help them, and even protect them?' Then again you know that answer.. It is no, you cannot protect them.. You in fact are a danger to them--- Very much so.."
Her chin dipped at this. It seemed she was always a danger to those she loved and cared for. Her mind went to one particular and she frowned. "If you know what is in my head then you know what I am planning?"
"No I do not.."
"How do I know you aren't lying..? If you are in my head..then how can you not know..?"
"I've never lied.. It seems everyone else has, you know.. But despite all that has happened, I have not lied once.. I do not know because I chose not to know... I've no want, or need to know.. Because I know you cannot protect them.. Not from me, and not with what I know of each and every one of them.."
"That is a little arrogant, isn't it?" Her eyes remained focused forward as both hands slipped into the pockets of her jeans to fish something out. "Do..do you have control over me?"
"Arrogant? Hmm, well put.. Then again, everything I have said I'd do, I did.. And no, love.. No control over you.. Never you."
"I..I don't..care..how much you say I cannot protect them. I will still try. Even if it means destroying myself with you.." if it meant protecting the very few she loved.. the very few she held close...
"It is my sincere hope that you do try.."
The small red box was pulled out and she shook it between her hands. "Is that what you want? You want me to try? So you can show me how wrong I am?"
"Not at all.. I want to push you even further, and show you exactly what you are--- truly capable of."
"Until you break me?"
"Again, no."
"What are you hoping to accomplish by pushing me to this..whatever? What are you hoping to accomplish?" Was he like Renna? Hoping she would join him willingly?
"Perhaps I am sentimental.. Perhaps.."
"Sentimental? For me?" She laughed, shoving her knuckles against her lips. Between her fingers was a new pocky waiting to be nommed. The laughter died as she positioned the pocky to rest against her lips. "What..are you planning..Hm..Curious..curious.."
"It seems my time is up... By the way... Beneath Town Hall... Very beneath Town Hall.. There is a sealed off tunnel, filled with explosives and barrels of toxic waste, that was confiscated during the last administration.. Leave it there if you want, or watch the f*ckers glow.. Enjoy."
Her head jerked sharply and she looked over to him. So that was it! "Why are you telling me this..?"
"Did I say it?" And he was gone... "Or did you?" A shift of wind, as the voice faded to nothing..
Her hand swept down, nearly breaking the pocky. Did..she say it? Think it? But if that was the case..how would she know? If anything..she could check it out. She was going to town hall anyways.
The more she thought about Raven's words the more she realized..yeah..she was a danger to Edward. Frowning she chewed on the pocky. "(vs) Crap..if he is in my head..does that mean..."
Boy oh boy..this sucked..
So she couldn't be out fully just yet but she was still striving to make herself street-worthy..Fight worthy. She had already warned Edward of her intentions and planned on soon, very soon, making good on her word when it came to stalking the Gov.
Now? Now she was sitting on the edge of the clock tower, fedora tipped low over her eyes while she munched on..of all things...a pocky. That thin biscuit hung out of from between her lips like it was a cig rather than a tasty treat.
A clock tower.. How--- fitting no? Because time was so very much of the essence here.. If not the essence, then it was damned close, as it was literally, running out for a great many, and even more so for a select few..
He watched more so.. Almost as if looking through those eyes of hers, as a faint smile slowly took form. A darkened hand lifted, as if to reach for her, and yet--- not a f*cking thing.. So the next best thing was done..
"Look at you.. So-- grown now, hmmm?"
*Chomp* her teeth clamped on the pocky without catching of her lips. It spilled to the ground far below. Her attention was no longer for it but rather for the voice. Her eyes shot around as she shifted, curling a leg so a foot was fit under her. "Brian?"
That was..his voice.
"Could be... If you asked nicely enough, my dear... So they put you back together, hmm? But will you be stronger than that egg, that once fell? I wonder-- I truly do. You look strong enough. But does that strength run as deep as those nice lil scars I gave you back when?"
Not Brian.
She pushed herself quickly up to her feet. "I am not Humpty Dumpty. I am hardly fat enough to be." Ha! Yes she can joke at a time like this. In fact there was a coy lil smile that followed. It faded shortly after when she realized..sh*t..he found her. "What do you want?"
"To finish what I started of course.." A soft kiss of the wind would be felt along that cheek of hers, coupled with the presence of something-- next to her, yet.. Nothing was seen. "I told you, you were special to me, and oh how much more are you to that very fact.."
Her head jerked just enough to look where she had thought the presence would be but found..nothing?
This disturbed her.
The shadows around her shuddered as she touched the planar, making sure that he wasn't using the shadows to hide himself. "How you figure I am special or 'more' as you say. You killed me." Venomous her words became towards the end.
"Killed you? Or made you stronger? Broke you, or gave you resolve? Pushed you down, or drove you further? It's all perspective you know? Quite objective. In any event, you are here and I am very much a part of that, as well.. We are not done, you know.. Not by a long shot, daughter.."
"I am no child of yours." She spat out sharply. "And you give yourself way too much credit. You didn't make me stronger. I make myself stronger. You have done nothing for me." Her feet slipped along the cold marble, searching for the source of the voice. "The only thing you gave me is a reason to kill you."
"I haven't? Is that true? I've done nothing for you? Now who is giving themselves way too much credit? You were a lil baker before I came along.. You were a mockery of all that you were made to be, before I came along.. Before Renna came along, and we changed every bit of that, we did. We took you, and re-shaped you, and gave you such purpose! And now look at you? Such drive and resolve! Such a focus, and such---- darkness.."
A pain ripped across her chest at his words. She knew what he was speaking of and he was purposely stroking at her pains. "You are correct.." As much as she hated it..he was. "But I am not your darkness. I will never be your darkness. I will never be her darkness."
"I am not so selfish as to want you to be 'my' darkness.. i told you, I loved you far too much to want that, my dear.. Like a proud father, am I-- not a selfish one.." Oh that smile grew it did, as a hand lifted, seemingly to softly caress an errant lock or three..
Both hands went up, swatting at what should be a hand and yet not. No touchie! "You are not my father! You are well enough next to him in attempting to corrupt me though." So long as she had Edward..had the precious few she called friends..she would never be that darkness again. Never.. "You do not love me. That..is such a lie.."
"I don't? Hmmm, objective-- yes, that is. Have I left you? Have I walked away? No, I have not.. In fact my dear, I have been a part of you this whole time.. Closer than you can imagine."
"Whole time? What do you consider to be the whole time." She dared him to answer that, her eyes drifting half closed.
"Since before your stasis.. Even farther back in some instances."
That disturbed her. "Then you were never there for me when I needed you. Like a father would be." She grunted. "What do you want? Why are you here? To simply push my buttons?"
"I am not the hand holding type dear.. I am the type that drives you do more than you can ever imagine, and to that end, you succeeded oh so much so.. As to why am I here? Katt, love--- I have 'always' been here. The real question is, why are 'you' here with me?"
"I am not saying to hold my hand, you arse. But there were times- " She snorted loudly. "What do you mean..here with you?" He was the one invading her comfy spot!
"Your ears work, I see.. Well not as well as the rest of you, it seems.. As I said before, dear.. Always have I been here.. I never left you.. Ever.."
"Hey..there is nothing wrong with me." She huffed quietly. "I work just fine." Well..almost. "What do you want..?" She murmured, her brows slowly starting to dip. "You are in my head..?"
"Head, heart? Is there a difference? I wonder..."
"Of course there is a difference.." A hand flicked at the air. He wasn't in her heart. She refused to believe that. Suddenly her hand stopped in mid air and for a brief moment..she panicked. Two bodies..one soul. She wasn't..one of those bodies was she? Ah! No..refused to go there!
"What I mean more of..is you aren't here.. I'm..not ..I'm not talking to myself right?"
"Would you want to talk to yourself, dear? I wonder.. Well that would be rather--- not so sane? Then again what really has been sane about you, hmmm? Save your baking, but what a crutch that was, and more so--- a fragile one. I am very here, Katt.. I am very much a part of you, as you are of me.. Be it a lot or a litte, it matters little.. Unless you want me to bring up embarrassing moments with you and-- brother, or some of his little friends.. Or maybe, these daddy issues you have with---- Brian?"
A chill... Yes, a chill... Took over gently, as that name was spoken.. A soft kiss of breeze added to the measure..
She shook her head, not what she meant. Physically. She meant physically. However he did, to a degree, answer her question. She felt her stomach tighten up. "You stained yourself on me, didn't you? Does that mean you know what I am thinking?" The question was asked carefully, brows shooting up.
Embarrassing moments with brother? Mmmm..did she have those? "His little friends? And I do not have 'daddy issues' with you." Spat. "Him." Whatever! She tried to shake off the chill and tipped her hat down a bit to hide her face.
"Whatever it takes my dear.. To keep yourself--- warm.."
Then, it was felt.. The caress of a hand.. The back of a hand, upon that hidden cheek of hers.. Slow, and rather deliberate. Yet, nothing seen? "Stain myself? When you came along so-- willingly? Heh.. I wonder, Katt.. Had I done this back when, when you were offered that cake, would things have been different?"
It was starting to creep her out that she felt his touch and yet physically he didn't seem to be there. Her teeth clenched and she hissed low beneath her breath. "I want nothing to do with you Raven. You aren't the man who gave me the cake that day. You are nothing to me but a rabid dog that needs to be put down.."
"The same was said of you, and yet--- you live? Am I so different?"
Suddenly, a shift in wind.. And then--- there was someone next to her.. It was--- it was him.. Raven. His eyes were upon the city, yet there the hell he was..
"I am not a rabid dog. I am not going around killing people needlessly in the name of revenge.." Her head tilted and she raised her chin. So he had been there all this time? But how..? How... Her brows furrowed as she stared at the man standing aside her. "You never answered me. Are you able to tell what I am thinking?"
"You are wondering had I been here all this time.. And if so, how." said plainly, as day.. His eyes never meeting her own, as he watched the city.
"Yes but that is sorta of a given." It was alarming that he might know what was in her head.. Knowing that he was in the chaotic mess that was her mind was...
Oh, it was very frightening.
Not only that but.. Her eyes turned down to the city. If that was true then she was a danger to Edward..to everyone. How was she suppose to keep Fio safe if Raven knew what she would do..when she would do it? A frown started to form. "How are you here ..?"
"You brought me here, love.. And you ask yourself, 'Are you a danger to those close to you? Can you help them, and even protect them?' Then again you know that answer.. It is no, you cannot protect them.. You in fact are a danger to them--- Very much so.."
Her chin dipped at this. It seemed she was always a danger to those she loved and cared for. Her mind went to one particular and she frowned. "If you know what is in my head then you know what I am planning?"
"No I do not.."
"How do I know you aren't lying..? If you are in my head..then how can you not know..?"
"I've never lied.. It seems everyone else has, you know.. But despite all that has happened, I have not lied once.. I do not know because I chose not to know... I've no want, or need to know.. Because I know you cannot protect them.. Not from me, and not with what I know of each and every one of them.."
"That is a little arrogant, isn't it?" Her eyes remained focused forward as both hands slipped into the pockets of her jeans to fish something out. "Do..do you have control over me?"
"Arrogant? Hmm, well put.. Then again, everything I have said I'd do, I did.. And no, love.. No control over you.. Never you."
"I..I don't..care..how much you say I cannot protect them. I will still try. Even if it means destroying myself with you.." if it meant protecting the very few she loved.. the very few she held close...
"It is my sincere hope that you do try.."
The small red box was pulled out and she shook it between her hands. "Is that what you want? You want me to try? So you can show me how wrong I am?"
"Not at all.. I want to push you even further, and show you exactly what you are--- truly capable of."
"Until you break me?"
"Again, no."
"What are you hoping to accomplish by pushing me to this..whatever? What are you hoping to accomplish?" Was he like Renna? Hoping she would join him willingly?
"Perhaps I am sentimental.. Perhaps.."
"Sentimental? For me?" She laughed, shoving her knuckles against her lips. Between her fingers was a new pocky waiting to be nommed. The laughter died as she positioned the pocky to rest against her lips. "What..are you planning..Hm..Curious..curious.."
"It seems my time is up... By the way... Beneath Town Hall... Very beneath Town Hall.. There is a sealed off tunnel, filled with explosives and barrels of toxic waste, that was confiscated during the last administration.. Leave it there if you want, or watch the f*ckers glow.. Enjoy."
Her head jerked sharply and she looked over to him. So that was it! "Why are you telling me this..?"
"Did I say it?" And he was gone... "Or did you?" A shift of wind, as the voice faded to nothing..
Her hand swept down, nearly breaking the pocky. Did..she say it? Think it? But if that was the case..how would she know? If anything..she could check it out. She was going to town hall anyways.
The more she thought about Raven's words the more she realized..yeah..she was a danger to Edward. Frowning she chewed on the pocky. "(vs) Crap..if he is in my head..does that mean..."
Boy oh boy..this sucked..
-
Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Mors Certa, Hora Incerta
...an hour later...
A light thud sounded on the building near town hall. Shadows released her from the shadow jump, ejecting her out onto the roof and spilling from her like ink from water. Feet were already on the move by the time the shadows had settled into their natural state. Their job was done, hers was not.
Fishing out the PCUI from her hoodie she tucked in the earbuds. "Diana. Send word to Edward that Town Hall is not safe.. The people need to be evacuated. He said Finn was in the area, right? Have Finn evacuate the people..drag Fio out if he has to. It isn't safe."
Her feet found the end of the building and she lowered, toes balanced on the very edge. Scanning for guards and such she pursed her lips thin.
"Is that all Miss Rhysata?"
A frown tipped the corner of her lips as she dipped her chin. "Tell..Tell Edward that...that I am sorry. I am a danger to him and the others so anything important sho-- Scratch that. Scratch it all, Diana."
"Miss Rhysata?"
"Telling Edward and the others that there are explosives and toxins under the Hall may only speed Raven into speeding his plans up in order to stop the people from leaving."
Chewing on her inner cheek she glanced up along the building next to her. He was banking on her failing and thus a win-win for him. He said he didn't know her plan because he had no need to. She would fail...
Exhaling she leaned forward and pitched ground-ward unhindered by anything that might save her from going splat on the ground below. There was no intentions on that happening. A breath in time and her hand was out to grasp hold of some wire that threaded from one building to another. A kick of legs had her swinging forward and with the release of the wire she went forward to land on top of some sort of green and black crate. Dismounting the crate she moved to the edge of the building.
"Well..time to see what I got to deal with." was mumbled as she kicked a nearby pipe so that it tilted into her waiting hand. With it she popped the nearest manhole.
She found a moment of amusement in this. She had once been called a street rat. Did this mean she was about to be a sewer rat? Pushing the cover to the side her nose wrinkled up when she caught a whiff of the funk that was coming out of the tunnel. "Wooowhaaa..what crawled down there and died..?"
Wait..no ..she didn't want to know. Sitting down she dangled her legs just inside while pressing on the PCUI. The light from it should be enough.
"Diana? Can you display the sewer tunnels? Just for under Town Hall. Mark off any that would stray a block or more." Raven's target was Town Hall and the people within. "Actually if you could pinpoint me the biggest open spaces and rooms that would be great. I am thinking ..the closest that supports the Hall and quickly filter into the building."
"Of course, Miss Rhysata. Are you sure you do not wish me to inform Mr. Batten of your-"
"It is just a hunch, Diana. There might not even be anything down there."
It could have just been her mind playing with her. An after-effect of the serum. It could have really been Raven in her head. She wasn't sure. There were a lot of what ifs and not enough..substance. What did concern her was..what if two bodies..one soul did mean she was somehow apart of them. How deep did the connection go? Was it just their minds that were connected? If so..what was safe in there? What did he know?
You cannot protect them.. You in fact are a danger to them--- Very much so..
Exhaling she glanced into the dark abyss that was at her feet. She would avoiding all small spaces and should be okay. Swallowing down her fear she slipped her rear forward and dropped into the hole.
Before landed she drew on the reevi best she could. During her recuperating, she had been practicing at better controlling it, reshape it to her own want instead of it just taking her over. After the serum, she had noticed that the 'skin' was easier to control, easier to form and the darkness less consuming. She wanted to think it was the serum but there was that chance that it wasn't. Either way, the metal-like substance had crawled over her, reshaping into scale like armor. The facepiece and hood were a bit harder but still doable. By the time her feet met the floor of the sewer she was covered in shadows.
Squish.
Her feet landed in the water and something that..she didn't want to know what it was...
The glow of the PCUI kept her attention and once she had her bearings she began to follow the tunnel path that was marked on the clear panel. It was easy to memorize the blueprints that Diana offered to her. One thing she always had going for her was that photographic memory.
She didn't go straight to the biggest area. Raven would probably avoid the largest because it would be the first to look into. Instead, she'd search out the one nearest the center and work her way from there. She wanted to think it wasn't Raven's mind guiding her to her destination but was she really that cunning? Or did she know the darkness of the mind so well that her first guess would lead her to the appropriate chamber? Or was she and Raven really connected to where she was thinking like he?
A light thud sounded on the building near town hall. Shadows released her from the shadow jump, ejecting her out onto the roof and spilling from her like ink from water. Feet were already on the move by the time the shadows had settled into their natural state. Their job was done, hers was not.
Fishing out the PCUI from her hoodie she tucked in the earbuds. "Diana. Send word to Edward that Town Hall is not safe.. The people need to be evacuated. He said Finn was in the area, right? Have Finn evacuate the people..drag Fio out if he has to. It isn't safe."
Her feet found the end of the building and she lowered, toes balanced on the very edge. Scanning for guards and such she pursed her lips thin.
"Is that all Miss Rhysata?"
A frown tipped the corner of her lips as she dipped her chin. "Tell..Tell Edward that...that I am sorry. I am a danger to him and the others so anything important sho-- Scratch that. Scratch it all, Diana."
"Miss Rhysata?"
"Telling Edward and the others that there are explosives and toxins under the Hall may only speed Raven into speeding his plans up in order to stop the people from leaving."
Chewing on her inner cheek she glanced up along the building next to her. He was banking on her failing and thus a win-win for him. He said he didn't know her plan because he had no need to. She would fail...
Exhaling she leaned forward and pitched ground-ward unhindered by anything that might save her from going splat on the ground below. There was no intentions on that happening. A breath in time and her hand was out to grasp hold of some wire that threaded from one building to another. A kick of legs had her swinging forward and with the release of the wire she went forward to land on top of some sort of green and black crate. Dismounting the crate she moved to the edge of the building.
"Well..time to see what I got to deal with." was mumbled as she kicked a nearby pipe so that it tilted into her waiting hand. With it she popped the nearest manhole.
She found a moment of amusement in this. She had once been called a street rat. Did this mean she was about to be a sewer rat? Pushing the cover to the side her nose wrinkled up when she caught a whiff of the funk that was coming out of the tunnel. "Wooowhaaa..what crawled down there and died..?"
Wait..no ..she didn't want to know. Sitting down she dangled her legs just inside while pressing on the PCUI. The light from it should be enough.
"Diana? Can you display the sewer tunnels? Just for under Town Hall. Mark off any that would stray a block or more." Raven's target was Town Hall and the people within. "Actually if you could pinpoint me the biggest open spaces and rooms that would be great. I am thinking ..the closest that supports the Hall and quickly filter into the building."
"Of course, Miss Rhysata. Are you sure you do not wish me to inform Mr. Batten of your-"
"It is just a hunch, Diana. There might not even be anything down there."
It could have just been her mind playing with her. An after-effect of the serum. It could have really been Raven in her head. She wasn't sure. There were a lot of what ifs and not enough..substance. What did concern her was..what if two bodies..one soul did mean she was somehow apart of them. How deep did the connection go? Was it just their minds that were connected? If so..what was safe in there? What did he know?
You cannot protect them.. You in fact are a danger to them--- Very much so..
Exhaling she glanced into the dark abyss that was at her feet. She would avoiding all small spaces and should be okay. Swallowing down her fear she slipped her rear forward and dropped into the hole.
Before landed she drew on the reevi best she could. During her recuperating, she had been practicing at better controlling it, reshape it to her own want instead of it just taking her over. After the serum, she had noticed that the 'skin' was easier to control, easier to form and the darkness less consuming. She wanted to think it was the serum but there was that chance that it wasn't. Either way, the metal-like substance had crawled over her, reshaping into scale like armor. The facepiece and hood were a bit harder but still doable. By the time her feet met the floor of the sewer she was covered in shadows.
Squish.
Her feet landed in the water and something that..she didn't want to know what it was...
The glow of the PCUI kept her attention and once she had her bearings she began to follow the tunnel path that was marked on the clear panel. It was easy to memorize the blueprints that Diana offered to her. One thing she always had going for her was that photographic memory.
She didn't go straight to the biggest area. Raven would probably avoid the largest because it would be the first to look into. Instead, she'd search out the one nearest the center and work her way from there. She wanted to think it wasn't Raven's mind guiding her to her destination but was she really that cunning? Or did she know the darkness of the mind so well that her first guess would lead her to the appropriate chamber? Or was she and Raven really connected to where she was thinking like he?
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