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Post by Gabby on Aug 4, 2010 8:36:25 GMT -8
[ Kallias – Baris Fortress ]
The dining hall was a large room with tall, colorful windows lining it, and in-between those windows various plush tapestries adorning the cold stone walls. From the ceiling – once beautifully painted, now peeling away – hung metal chandeliers whose candles burned brightly. Before Baris had been abandoned, this room had actually been a church of Tanriism, but since the Lonelies found their way to the fortress, it was converted for a more practical purpose. Where pews might have stood now sat long rows of tables. The altar had been replaced by a single row of tables that held the various plates of food for anyone to take – within reason, of course. In Baris, it had long been established that everyone was welcome, but courtesy and thoughtfulness were still very important ideas. In order to survive in such a confined place, the peace needed to be kept and rations needed to be carefully managed. So children were taught to take only as much as they knew they were going to eat. And if they were still hungry, they could go get more. But waste was frowned upon.
Dinner had only just been put out, so people were still filing into the dining hall steadily. Kallias knew the routine well and used his shoulder to carve a path through the crowd. Parisa followed in the gap he created, arms held close to her body, trying to compress herself as much as possible not only to fit between the multitudes of people, but also to feel somehow smaller than she was. It was stifling. She felt surrounded on all sides. And the one person she usually counted on for some sort of comfort and stability had eyes that knotted her stomach. Was nothing what it seemed?
They finally made it to the front of the hall. Picking up clean plates, they waited in line as the others slowly went down the line, picking up various meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts from the tables. Kallias balanced two plates in his hand. Rassus dictated rather harshly the things he wanted by pointing his skinny, clawed finger and chattering. Rassus was a greedy one, and at one point Kallias just stopped listening, knowing the stomach of the scrunt could not possibly hold all that it demanded. Rassus threw a mini-tantrum, pounding on the top of Kallias’ head and pulling his hair from time to time. The wanderer paid the animal no heed, instead focusing on his own plate. He gathered more vegetables than he did meats. Spending so many months in the desert had left him lacking in that area.
When they’d all fixed their plates, Kallias searched the room before heading in a specific direction. Eventually they came to a portion of tables dominated mostly by younger Lonley women, in and around Parisa’s age. A few of them wore interesting shirts or dresses with the backs completely missing as if to showcase their scars. In fact, that was the precise reason. Upon Kallias’ approach, their heads swiveled around and expressions brightened.
“Kallias!” one of them shouted, “Good to see you’ve returned!”
“Thank you,” he responded, quickly stepping to the side to reveal Parisa behind him. “Ladies, this is Parisa. If you would be so kind as to allow her a place at your table, I’d be most appreciative.”
“Of course, of course,” a few of them said simultaneously, taking only a moment to clear a space on the benches enough for Parisa to squeeze into. Parisa hesitated.
“Parisa,” Kallias began, sensing her reluctance, “this is Rhea, Luli, Oristea, Ethene, and Briahna.” When their names were called, they waved respectively. “They are good friends of mine. Please, have a seat and enjoy your meal.” He turned his attention to the women once again. “Thank you again, for all of you help.”
Ethene nodded. “And for yours.”
Kallias brushed the comment away modestly. He glanced to Parisa. “Rassus and I are always close, if you ever need us.”
Briahna patted the space next to her invitingly.
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Post by IceCoffin on Aug 4, 2010 19:10:35 GMT -8
~Elveda: Sam's Place~
Sam was ready to go about his merry way to wreak "vengeance", when suddenly, Dante asked him a question that stopped the mad Lonely cold in his tracks.
"Even though I may regret asking this, what do you mean Sam?"
Sam stared at Dante, wide-eyed and in shock. Did he just ask what Sam thought he asked? Sam's eyes nearly bulged from his skull, and he suddenly dropped his gun to the ground.
"You're asking," Sam practically screeched, "What do I mean?!"
His voice was high pitched, and not wholly unlike nails scratching a chalkboard. His dismay was apparent, and the suddenly tense atmosphere was almost palpable.
"What do you mean, 'What do I mean'?! I mean entirely what I say!"
Sam began to fidget nervously, his eyes quickly glancing left and right, as if he was being watched.
"Look, Dante... We're together, right? You're still..." Sam paused momentarily, and stared hard at Dante. He even leaned in a bit, and took a sniff from his companion, "You're still you, right?"
Sam slowly recoiled, pulling himself back upright.
"Or... or... I see now... I knew it! They got to you first, didn't They?!"
Sam gave Dante a hard glare, and then swung his gun back over his shoulder, "Well, then! Axsaminiz, poor traitor!"
And with that, Sam burst into the opposite direction, and leaped out of the window.
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Post by CO on Aug 5, 2010 8:31:40 GMT -8
~Elveda: Sam's Place~
"You're asking," Sam practically screeched, "What do I mean?! What do you mean, 'What do I mean'?! I mean entirely what I say!" Sam's voice was all high and screechy as he began to fidget in his seat.
"Ah crap," Dante muttered under his breath as his old friend began to lose it further.
"Look, Dante... We're together, right? You're still... You're still you, right?"
"Who else would I be Sam?" Dante asked, a final attempt at calming Sam down. But Dante figured it would be no use.
"Or... or... I see now... I knew it! They got to you first, didn't They?!" Sam asked. Oh look, it was no use... Yup.
Sam gave Dante a hard glare, and then swung his gun back over his shoulder, "Well, then! Axsaminiz, poor traitor!"
With that, Sam jumped out the open window at the opposite end of the room. Dante sighed before standing up. He ran his right hand through his hair and said "It's my fifteenth birthday all over again..." before going to the window to see if he could still see Sam. However, the fact that a man just jumped out of a builiding was a bit startling for most people, who now began to crowd around the base of the building.
"Great," Dante said, leaving the window. He exited Sam's apartment and stood in the street like the rest of the townspeople. Elveda had never been a town frequented by Dante so he didn't even know where to begin looking for Sam, not to mention that any clues that could've been left were now gone thanks to the large crowd that continued to form. So he did what any normal person would do in this situation: he picked a direction and walked.
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Post by Del on Aug 11, 2010 19:17:18 GMT -8
Parisa :: Baris Dining HallParisa watched as Kallias walked away, leaving her at the table. She almost followed, but then thought better of it. Turning to the five young women, Parisa smiled weakly as all of them beamed at her. It took her a few moments to get situated, but the young women soon resumed their previous conversation. They seemed to realize Parisa wasn't at the point where group settings were comfortable, so they let her respectfully be for the majority of the time. All throughout Baris (and at this table) was an imposing aura of camaraderie... Parisa found it hard to digest. She had not felt close to anyone since before her time in the Orphanage, and even that was hazy... The dinner went by with ease, and Parisa was soon led by the group to the kitchen where they deposited their trays. The six of them made their way to the exit, with Parisa trailing behind. Ethene, who seemed to be the leader of their circle, turned to Parisa and said: "It really was nice to meet you. If we're ever in the dining hall at the same time, please come eat with us again." Each girl sounded their agreement, and Parisa smiled and gave a slight nod in response. They really did seem nice... but her mind told her to keep her distance. The girls walked on ahead and down the road while Parisa purposely shuffled far behind. Baris was, for lack of a better word, enchanting. The snowy, cobblestone streets were well maintained, and the detail put into them alone was breathtaking. The cobblestones were a white, sandy color and jeweled bits of sea-blue and green decorated it with a mosaic of sorts. For the most part, the city followed this pallet, though there were a few deviations from the norm. The buildings followed the cycladic style of architecture, and the houses, though shared as apartments, were small and painted white with blue doors and windows, divided only by narrow streets. This style offered premium protection from the elements and gave Baris a warm and homey atmosphere... it seemed the people of Baris had had time to redecorate their city from its days as a fortress. Baris really was lovely; even Parisa could appreciate that. The girl wandered about, watching children play and mothers do laundry, for about an hour or so. It was beginning to darken, and Parisa decided it was time to stop avoiding her return home. Slowly, she made her way to Kallias' loft and came to rest on the steps of his apartment. Parisa didn't quite feel like going in just yet, though she was unsure if Kallias was presently inside. Still, she decided to wait for now in an attempt to prolong her time alone.
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Post by IceCoffin on Aug 12, 2010 11:17:52 GMT -8
~Elveda: Streets~
Normally, Sam was pretty easy to follow, even in crowds. People noticed his appearance immediately, and tended to chase him. It didn't help that Sam often ended up in these sorts of scuffles, and that he tended to break things while on the run.
All Sam had to do to be followed was to catch people's attention. He was, after all, a Lonely.
Jumping from a window? Well, that commanded attention. Sam had sprung from the second-story portal with a shout. People looked up, and squinted in the glare of the sunlight as They saw a bizarre black shape flying above Their heads.
And then, that shape quickly fell.
The squat, mustached man directly under Sam, just an average middle-aged Twin, fell down to the ground with a thud. Sam stood on the poor man's back, and balanced on his leg. The crowds, recognizing Sam for what he was, began to mob him, with little thought to the poor man just beneath the Lonely's feet.
Sam reacted by swinging his gun around in a full circle, knocking several people to the ground, and then charging down the streets, shoving bystanders out of the way.
The brother of the Twin Sam had landed on pushed his way through the crown shortly after and, seeing the crowd of people on top of his brother, did little to clear up the situation. Being a hot-blooded individualwho has had too much to drink, he slugged the person next to him, screaming, "My brother is get offa now!" Punch! Oof! Thwack!
At that, a brawl broke out, and any attention towards Sam was quickly lost.
Sam, meanwhile, was shoving his way through the confused crowds around him. He knew nothing of the fight just a few blocks behind him, and knew equally little of what lay ahead. All he could figure was that he couldn't trust anyone.
They were everywhere, and They were watching his every move. Adrenaline surged through Sam's body, as he passed one person to the next. Twins... Twins were certainly everywhere. And he didn't like any of Them at all. He pushed people down, and shoved others away. He aimed and shot bursts of steam, which caused people to suddenly scatter.
Sam needed to go. Go where? He didn't know where he was going- all he knew was that he had to escape. There was no other option but to run.
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Post by CO on Aug 12, 2010 14:15:36 GMT -8
~Elveda~
Dante removed his sandy cloak as he walked through the streets of Elveda and slung it over his shoulder. People stared at him, but he was used to it by now and paid it no attention. His eyes were constantly scanning the area for any signs of his old friend, but surprisingly there weren't any.
"I guess I picked the wrong direction," Dante said as he stopped short in the street. He gave a deep sigh and began to turn around, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Several twins clad in military attire were standing near an empty building. They were close together and seemed to be whispering something. Finally, a possible lead to where Sam could be.
Taking advantage of the current New Years crowd in Elveda, Dante managed to blend in and get a bit closer to the soldiers. Before he could get close enough to hear anything, however, a higher ranking military member walked up and led them away.
"Just my luck," Dante said under his breath.
Through the crowds of people Dante managed to follow the soliders to an entrance into the empty ruins. He quickly ditched stashed his cloak behind a pillar and continued on, blending into the shadows of the ruins, still unable to make out anything that they were saying.
After walking for awhile they finally came upon a group of tents, no doubt a military outpost hidden in the ruins. The group of man walked into a large tent, closing the flap behind them. Dante slowly made his way next to it, and finally was able to hear their discussion.
"Sir, how are the plans coming along?" someone asked.
"Everything seems to be going according to plan," the higher ranking official said. Realizing this was nothing but military duty and nothing to do with Sam, Dante began to slowly make his way away from the tent before hearing a particularly interesting bit of information.
"Soon we will have the location of the Qara Weather Machine and once we have it, the Lonely Ones in Baris will perish."
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Post by IceCoffin on Aug 14, 2010 14:39:41 GMT -8
~Elveda: Town Gate~
Sam continued his mad sprint until he reached one of the town's gates. Wait... gates? Elveda has no gates, Sam thought. He suddenly stopped, and paused to think. Then, the Lonely realized that he wasn't exactly headed towards a way out.
Once upon a time, this gate led the way into what you could call 'Elveda town proper', but the place had fallen into ruin long before anyone could remember. Most people lived around this walled ruin, and that was what most knew as 'Elveda' today.
However, the city's water generator was located somewhere beyond those ruined gates, and so the place was still used by Elvedan authorities. Naturally, the close proximity to the generator also nourished some of the most incredible plants Sam had ever seen!
Towering above the gated walls were the huge overgrown fronds of leafy vegetation. Though similar plants were common in the desert city, they weren't so common that one would gawk at them. Indeed, beyond this gate were trees of enormous height, and they bowed to the ground, distressed by the burden of their equally massive leaves.
The gate into this strange new area was closed, though it was also fragile and somewhat dilapidated. Sam could easily break into it, had he the will to do so. But the authorities who maintained the place had caught wind of Sam's presence some time ago.
BRRRRRR-IIIIIIIIIING...!
The sudden blare of an alarm system frightened Sam, and the shock caused him to stumble. The alarm wailed like a banshee, and its pitch wavered from high to low, repeating every three intervals.
As he struggled to pull himself together, Sam spied approaching Elvedan guardsmen from the corner of his eye. In response, the Lonely tensed up, knowing a fight would soon occur.
The guardsmen were decently armored, and moved in pairs, as it was convenient for Them to work alongside Their twin siblings. Leading this squad was a fraternal pair, male and female, though the man's sister was clearly the dominant one in this relationship.
Armed with a pike, this woman stood out, especially when compared to her brother. She was tall, much taller than he, and had a rather fierce appearance. It was obvious that she entered the militia by her own will; her poor brother was the unlucky tag-along, acting as a safeguard against insanity. Unfortunately, the range between these Twins was rather short.
"By Benovseyi!" the Guard Captain cried, "Those idiots from Oh-Seven couldn't catch one damned Lonely? Well, whatever! Hands up, bucko!"
Sam wouldn't dare listen: not even in hell could a Twin compel him to do anything! He just stared at her blankly, when his eyes regained a familiar, crazed, glimmer.
The Lonely One relaxed, and laughed out loud. "The Twinnies from Sevvie could never catch me," he boasted in a sing-song voice. Sam swung his gun up to his chest, and stroked it lovingly, "I didn't even have my cleaning materials with me, and here I am, wild and free~!"
The Captain stared at Sam incredulously, and tensely directed a series of short hand motions to her unit. Sam rocked his body in place, and closed his eyes. Then his voice suddenly grew poisonous, "I caught them, instead!"
Sam let out a wild shout, and ran towards the guard Captain. She raised her pike defensively as he prepared to grab her by the shoulder. Sam's chest slammed into the shaft of the Captain's pole-arm, his right hand grasping at thin air. The woman gave a shout, and shoved Sam backwards, and her squad mates sprung into action.
This group was well-trained, and moved as one. They quickly surrounded Sam, and one of Them grabbed the Lonely by his arm, and forced him down to the ground.
Though he lay wounded only days ago, Sam somehow behaved as if he was still in prime condition. And in a way, to him, this sort of thing wasn't odd at all.
Even pinned down, Sam couldn't stop smiling. The Twins began to kick and beat him, but it didn't matter. Sam had a way out. These guys were hardly mages, and that was just the sort of lucky break he desired...
And so, Sam allowed Them to beat him down, manipulating his gun with his free arm to carefully guard his more vital areas.
I'll give Them maybe half a minute more... Magic eyes, these are not! Oh, how my luck has turned!
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Post by CO on Aug 14, 2010 15:41:51 GMT -8
~Elveda: Ruins: Military Camp~
"Qara Weather Machine?" Dante thought to himself. "What on Yasil could they be planning with something like that? And how could it possibly affect Baris?"
Dante's mental questions were quickly answered as he crept closer to the tent once more. The military members began talking once more about their plans. "According to our intel, the machine is located in one of the dried up oceanbeds around here." It was obvious that the commander was pointing to some sort of map. Once we secure it, we can turn it on and heat up Baris so quickly that all the Lonely Ones will quickly die."
Fear and shock grew on Dante's face as he heard the plans. Not only were these people planning genocide in this tent, but they were planning it on Dante's home town, where his family and friends lived, unknowing what could possibly be happening. He had to stop this now that he knew.
He slowly began creeping away from the tent once more when the city's alarm began to sound. The soldiers in the tent quickly ran out, weapons drawn, catching Dante as he straightened himself up.
"Hey, who're you?!" one of them called out. Rather than answer, Dante quickly took off sprinting towards the direction he entered the ruins. The soldiers followed after him, calling for him to stop and whatnot.
As he ran past the pillar, Dante quickly scooped up his cloak he stashed away, reducing his lead a bit. He burst into the main area of the city, still sprinting as fast as he could, which wasn't easy given the amount of sand everywhere, but he was still able to keep away from the soliders because he was much lighter and quicker.
"This alarm must've been triggered by Sam. Now where could he be?!" Dante asked as he snaked his way through the streets. "Better lose these guys first though..."
Dante slid to a stop in the sand, turning to face the soldiers in the middle of the street. They stopped running, leaving a few feet between them. The soldiers had their weapons drawn, pointed straight at Dante. With a grin, Dante raised his right hand, pointing his palm at the soldiers infront of him. The next thing anyone knew, a bright light filled the street, blinding everyone. The soldiers dropped their weapons, clutching their eyes in pain, just as the citizens around him did. The perfect opportunity for Dante to make his escape...
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Post by IceCoffin on Aug 16, 2010 8:53:08 GMT -8
~Elveda: Ruined Gate~
After allowing himself to get beat up for a while, Sam suddenly couldn't take it anymore. Though he was pinned under several people, and his right arm was held down, Sam still didn't feel as helpless as he should have. His gun rested upon his chest, protecting his abdomen from some of the blows, and his left arm was wrapped tightly around it.
The chance was there, but They didn't even think of breaking Sam's right arm- it wasn't very practical to Them. The thinking here was that Sam would be bound, then sent to Orphanage VII to do hard labor, and a broken arm was no asset to the staff at the Orphanage. The Guards also weren't nearly frustrated enough to want to pulverize the Lonely.
And it was this sort of thinking that brought joy to Sam- They couldn't possibly damage him too much, since They expected the Orphanage to take care of him.
Sam chuckled lightly, though the Guards couldn't hear him. One of the men pulled Sam upright, and knocked the gun from Sam's arms.
"Prepare him for arrest and transport," stated the Captain coldly, "Hands behind his back! Silas! the handcuffs, if you would please?" Her Twin brother walked over to her unsteadily, and handed her a pair of thick, metal cuffs. Sam's arms were then thrust behind his back, but Sam's deranged smile remained unchanged.
Silas looked at Sam concernedly, and leaned in towards the Captain's ear, "Something's not right, here..."
The woman paused, and Sam licked his lips. Suddenly, Sam's left foot stomped on part of the gun which lay at his feet, and a trail of steam suddenly shot out! The sudden release of pressure caused the gun to spin, and steam scalded the ankles of the Guards holding Sam back. They leaped back, and accidentally released the Lonely.
Sam's legs were less affected by the steam, for he simply danced out of the way, with hardly a jump. Such a reaction was the result of years spent handling the gun, combined with Sam's already abnormally high threshold for pain.
The Captain had honed similar hair-trigger reflexes herself, and she let out a shout as she lunged towards Sam with the pike. But her reflexes were concentrated on attack and defense, and she was still unprepared for what came next: The spinning 'steamarm' ran low on pressure, and the now-hot weapon slammed into her shins as it blew the last of its vapors. The Captain thus fell to the ground, shocked by a flash of pain caused by the gun's hot barrel.
Sam, meanwhile, ran back towards the Guardsmen, and then swung a swift spinning kick at Their already-sore legs. The Guards toppled against each other, though one had the sense to thrust his arms back and soften his fall to the ground. This Guard knocked away the falling body of one of his comrades, and moved out of the way.
Sam spotted this Guard, and had moved towards him. The Lonely reared his right arm back, as if to punch the Guard. The Guard reacted by pulling his gauntlet up to his chest, but Sam wasn't going for such a strike. Instead, the Lonely swung his right leg up instead, the kick moving inwards like a crescent.
Sam's foot made contact with the Guard's elbow, and swept the defender's arm towards the ground, snapping the joint in the process. The Guard howled in pain, and once Sam's foot was planted on the ground, the Lonely kneed the Guard in the face with his left leg.
The other Guards had unscrambled Themselves by now, and Their Captain was struggling to stand, leaning onto her pike to support her weight. She glared at Sam with a dangerous glare, but the Lonely never caught it, as he was turned away from her.
Silas, the Captain's Twin brother meanwhile, was quivering behind his sister. He didn't like the look of this Lonely one bit.
Sam jerked around to face the other Guards and Their Captain, "Come on, Twinnies! One down, and, let's see... One, two, three, four, five... Seven more to go!"
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Post by Gabby on Aug 16, 2010 10:08:54 GMT -8
[ Kallias – Baris Fortress ]
Kallias and Rassus spent their dinners not in the dining hall but rather secluded near the outer walls. They sat on the cold stone and looked out at the vast mountain range before them. Well, Kallias did. Rassus was too focused on devouring his meal in the most animalistic way possible. The sun had just disappeared below the snowy peaks, the horizon made jagged by their rocky presences. The indigo that invaded on the red and orange below began to see its first speckles of stars. Despite the air that threatened to cool his warm meal, Kallias took his time, each fork-full of mashed potatoes slow and deliberate. Just as his stomach took in the food, though, his lungs just as eagerly took in the clean, crisp, light air. It was so nice to be able to walk around without a mask on, to be able to breathe without hindrance of the smallest dust particles. Kallias knew he’d eventually retire up here; maybe not in Baris specifically, but in the mountains where silence became an entity more than just a circumstance.
The wind whistled around them. Kallias exhaled, watching the clouds of his breath ride the breeze. A shadowed figure a distance down the wall spotted him and froze, but with a genial wave, the night guard realized who it was and waved back accordingly. Not wanting to cause anymore displaced anxiety, Kallias hopped off his ledge, clean plate – thanks to Rassus who insisted on licking it entirely of leftover gravy – in hand.
He and Rassus quickly slipped into the kitchen to drop off their dishes and nab a little bit of dessert as well. Kallias popped an éclair into his mouth; Rassus got the cream all of his muzzle. When they stepped outside, though, two children waited under a leafless tree.
“Hi Kallias,” they chimed simultaneously, their high-pitched voices combining to sound almost sorrowful. Their mitten-covered hands waved shyly. The wanderer smiled and approached.
“Teevan,” he nodded towards the small boy. “Marise,” he nodded towards the girl. “What are you doing in the dark?”
They were Twins. Baris wasn’t just for the Lonelies.
“Waiting for you!” Teevan exclaimed, a little taken aback by his enthusiasm after he said it.
“Your grandparents are probably worried, you know,” he scolded lightly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
“We haven’t been waiting long,” Marise clarified. “Some of us were wondering if maybe… we could… come visit tomorrow.”
“You know,” the boy piped, “to see your treasures!”
“Did you find any more?”
“Did you make anything else?”
Chuckling, Kallias squatted down to their level. “I don’t get a break, do I? Of course you can stop by tomorrow. How about just before lunch?”
“That sounds great!” they said, once more in-sync with one another.
“Now I know you two have a reputation for being a bit talkative,” he joked, “so don’t tell too many others. I’ll have to funnel them in slowly.”
“We won’t!” Happily, the Twins ran towards their home hand-in-hand. Kallias watched them fade into the darkness, an unsuspected frown pulling at the edges of his mouth, a sinking feeling pooling in his stomach. When he’d stood still for quite too long, Rassus tugged Kallias’s hair and also tugged him from his daze. The scrunt was getting cold.
Kallias once again found Parisa waiting outside his quarters.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” he said, a bit of guilt mixed into his already peculiar tone. He jogged to his doors, opened them, and gestured inside. “Come in, come in.” Gradually Parisa got to her feet and entered. He closed the door behind them.
It was dark. Kallias hurried forth into the shadows, the clacking of wood sounding as he threw logs into the fireplace, rushing to get it started for both warmth and light. He finally managed, and before long he was lighting various candles to further the illumination. Approaching the subdued Parisa, he swept his jacket free of any splinters or dust and grinned.
“They should have a place of your own for you very soon. So I hope you don’t mind staying here. You’re more than welcome to my bed; it’s not an inconvenience whatsoever. I’ll be in my workshop for the most part anyway.” He took a deep breath, surveyed the area another time, and turned back to the Lonely. “Let me give you a quick tour.”
And he did. He showed her the room where she’d be staying; the washroom branched off from the bedroom. Down a corridor lined with shelves of books and other artifacts was his workshop and study. “If you need me for anything and can’t seem to find me, I’ll probably be in here. Make yourself at home.”
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Post by CO on Aug 16, 2010 13:26:06 GMT -8
~Elveda~
Using everyone's momentary blindness to his advantage, which was the point afterall, Dante made his way through the streets, weaving in and out of buildings. As he ran he came upon a group of the town guards.
"C'mon, the Lonely causing trouble is just up ahead!" one of them yelled.
"That was way too easy," Dante thought. "Hey!" he said, stepping out from behind a house. The guards stopped running and faced Dante.
"Is he the one sir?" one of them asked.
"No, the Lonely apparently has a rather large gun. Get lost kid," the guard leader said.
"I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of my comrade, since you seem to know," Dante replied, ignoring the guards.
"I should've known that this Lonely would be in cahoots with that other one. Get him!" the guard leader yelled. The guards pulled out their weapons and began to charge at Dante.
"Fighting an unarmed opponent eh? That's not very nice of you. How about I teach you a lesson?" One of the guards swung his sword straight towards Dante's left side. Much to the guard's surprise, his sword was immobilized just inches away from Dante's skin. He looked down to see a bright light extending upwards from Dante's left hand.
"What the-?!" the guard began, but couldn't finish due to a bright blast of light energy pushing into him and sending him flying backwards.
"He's using magic!" the guard leader yelled out. "Be careful!"
Dante flashed a grin as three other guards charged forward. Dante struck forward, creating a sword of pure light magic as he did before, countering the three guards attacks and attacking back himself. He slashed one of the gaurds arms, who dropped his sword in pain. But now wasn't the time to celebrate. Off in the distance he could see a guard readying to shoot an arrow at him.
As he dodged and countered several more attacks, the arrow was launched. It flew through the air, aimed right at Dante's torso, but as it neared him it stopped moving and became suspended in the air.
"Stop cheating!" one of the guards yelled out in anger. "Cheating?" Dante asked. The chain link around Dante's left wrist began to glow brightly. The area around the guard began to grow darker, before finally solidifying into a snakelike mass around the guard's body. "How's this for cheating?" Dante asked. He extended his right arm towards the guard and a spike of pure light energy shot out, skewering the guard's immobile body.
Dante then looked over to the arrow which was still floating in midair, flipped it around, and launced it back at the archer, who was impaled in the throat. "Just one more left," Dante said walking over towards the guard leader, a cocky grin spread across his face.
"You won't get out of this city," the guard said.
"Watch me. Well don't, that'd be far too troublesome. Have fun." The chain links around Dante's left wrist began glowing again as the darkness surrounded the guard leader. This time, however, rather than binding him like the last guy, this guard would be encased in darkness, unable to find his way out no matter how hard he tried... Atleast until Dante and Sam were out of the city limits.
"Guess I'd better go find Sam before someone else shows up..."
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Post by Del on Aug 17, 2010 23:34:24 GMT -8
Parisa :: Kallias' Loft
“If you need me for anything and can’t seem to find me, I’ll probably be in here. Make yourself at home.”
At that Kallias headed for his workshop. There was something different about his gait now; it was heavier, sadder. It broke her... heart?
"Kallias," she started, her voice breaking slightly, "I..."
"Yes?" he said, coming to a stop. There was something Parisa wanted to say... but she didn't quite know what it was. Given some time, she may have even discovered what it had been. But, like always, she recoiled.
"Goodnight..." she said quietly.
"Goodnight, Parisa," he said even softer. After that, the two parted ways for the night, both safer than ever, yet worse for wear.
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Post by Gabby on Sept 20, 2010 6:31:32 GMT -8
[ Kallias – Baris Fortress ]
When Parisa had gone to bed, Kallias sat down at his work table and stared at the grain. He followed the curving, smooth lines embedded in the wood – the dry veins of a once living tree. He traced with his fingernail the swirls and circles, imagining where knots that were sanded down may have been. And he did this for a good while, a bit too long to be considered normal. But almost as sporadically as he began he stopped, jumping up from his seat and heading over to the corner where various tubes and rolled papers stood. Plucking one up in particular, Kallias threw it down and watched the edges unravel on their own, revealing sketches and notes. It was a rough outline of Dante’s bike.
Just like he did with the lines on the table, Kallias traced the penciled lines with his fingertip, solidifying an image already engraved in his consciousness. He recalled the damages and the ideas he’d had back at his underground observatory, with new concepts already springing up from the soil of his mind. He had all of it drawn out in his mind before he even considered picking up a pencil. The night was spent simply making a physical carbon copy of his thoughts. As he worked, pieces of his clothes found their way to the floor, as if they restricted any sort of growth or expansion of himself; though this was clearly an illusion of the brain. The more he thought and the more he planned, the more he lost touch. However, at the same time, the more he lost touch and the more he tried to feel – like with his bare feet against the cool stone floors or his bare back feeling the draft waft through the windowpane – the more in-tune he became with the mechanics of it all. Sometime he didn’t even know where all of it came from, the ideas and knowledge. It just seemed so spontaneous. He wasn’t complaining, though.
And even though they’d just arrived from a back-breaking journey across scorching sands and larger-than-life dangers, Kallias slept not a wink that night. The sun rising above the mountaintops shined its light through his workshop window, and it eclipsed the Lonely Twin as he stood, statuesque, with his fist to his chin, staring, contemplating, creating. If anyone were to see him at that moment, they’d notice his alert (yet inwardly staring) eyes moving back and forth, right and left, quickly, slightly, as if as he stood he dreamt. While he was awake he dreamed; dreamed things of growing grandeur and complexity. But what about when he slept?
Ironically, when his mind was set to rest, it dreamt nothing. Darkness filled his slumber. And though there were no images, there were feelings. Oftentimes they weren’t good feelings either.
And then, like a pin to a balloon, it all went away. Kallias’ head jerked with the metaphorical pop, eyes blinking away his daze. Looking around for a moment, Kallias gathered himself. Hands grasping the back of his chair, he squeezed as tightly as he could. He straightened up his work area, redressed (after shaking a slumbering Rassus from the folds of his jacket and after noticing only then how cold the night had made his loft), and began readying himself for the small visitors he expected in the next few hours.
Old mechanical, wind-up toys; fragile jewelry; aged and worn books; these things and more were laid out on display for the children. Of course they were free to just peruse as they pleased, but these picks had them specifically in mind.
And after all of this, he made another roaring fire and warmed his feet.
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Post by Del on Jan 25, 2011 23:10:08 GMT -8
Parisa :: Baris
The next day Parisa was woken by the soft light from outside which fell on her bed. She stirred slowly, taking her time to wake fully, leisurely rolling from side to side or submerging herself deeper under the covers. This (as so many other things) was first for her in a long time; it had been almost nine years since she had had her last peaceful morning. And although Parisa was rarely a ‘comfortable’ person, it seemed that her body and mind were finally allowing her a small moment of respite. She was, however, not used to the softness of a real bed.
Despite having slept a long night, it was still fairly early in the morning. After a time, Parisa got up and began preparing herself for the day. She washed her face and hands in a basin of hot water which Kallias must have left her only a short while ago, and then began putting on her clothes. Once the deed was done, Parisa looked forlornly round her room. Now that she had finished her morning ablutions, what was she going to do for the rest of the day? She wasn’t very hungry, and the thought of staying in the house with Kallias… she knew it wouldn’t work.
What had really changed between them? Yes, Kallias was a Twin, and he was clearly not a bad person; futhermore, Parisa detested the other Lonely because of their weakness. Why should she feel a preference for either? And yet, there was something there – a feeling – when she saw those wine colored eyes.
But…
What exactly was it?
She had looked into those same red eyes hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the Orphanage. So why now? Why Kallias? Parisa shuddered at the thought.
Contemplating all this, Parisa was quickly able to make a decision; she would take a walk for the latter part of the morning before heading to the dining hall for lunch. As quietly as possibly, Parisa emerged from the room and walked down the hall. A few rooms down, Kallias could be herd moving around in his den; this made her more cautious as she did not want him to know she was leaving. It was silly, really, yet it made perfect sense to her. In this way, Parisa managed to spend a good dealing of her morning getting better acquainted with the city, as well as the occasional terrifying mini-conversation every so often (people in Baris were unbearably friendly, it seemed).
Eventually, she began to notice a steady trickle of people heading in the direction of the dining hall. By now, her stomach was beginning to growl, so Parisa decided to join the other members of Baris in eating lunch. She gathered her portion of the food, and, as none of the girls from yesterday seemed to be present, Parisa ate alone (much to her relief). Once she had finished, she cleaned up and headed for home, but once she arrived a new surprise was waiting for her: Children.
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Post by IceCoffin on May 11, 2011 12:29:20 GMT -8
~Elveda: Town Gate~
Seven. Seven, seven, seven. Seven Twin Guardsmen stood against one Lonely.
One lay on the ground, bloody and incapacitated by Sam's swift kicks, compacted at the feet of his brother, who gaped at the Lonely in shock. What was this horrible creature? This... man-shaped Lonely thing?
A minute passed as Sam paused, for time seemed to stand still for him. Yet, the Guards didn't dare make a move.
In his own twisted mind's eye, Sam felt like he stood in the future, as if the world was too slow to catch up with him. That he knew every event before it happened... a crazed omniscience.
But he couldn't predict this.
Suddenly, from behind, the Captain tried to stab Sam in his back with her pike. Instead, her weapon dug into what was left of his straitjacket, scratched against his lower back, and knocked him over.
The woman was too dazed to properly rend him through!
But Sam, oh Sam. Despite the minor nature of his new wound, his past injuries were getting at him, and only now has he become aware of them once more.
His eyes widened, and then Sam suddenly crumpled to the ground as if with the shock of a man impaled.
The Guardsmen simply stood and stared. They were still afraid he might just pop up and surprise Them again.
The Captain looked down, "Ha!" and began to laugh, "S-So this is how the insane fall! Ha! Silas! Nothing to be afraid of, eh?"
Silas shook his head meekly, his trembling form crouched at her knees. He opened his mouth and ate at the air before finally answering, "No. I think this is more than we've bargained for, sister."
"WHAT?!" she barked, "He's just one Lonely!"
Silas shook his head again, "Negative. I think we just alerted the Army. I feel... do you feel that?"
He grabbed her hand, hoping she'd understand. Unlike her, Silas was always more aware of his surroundings...
"There's another one coming, I think. He couldn't have gone off alone, would he?"
The Captain just stared at her Twin, and then cruelly laughed in his face.
"You're too naive, Silas. Too silly, just like what Mother always said," she snorted.
Then, she turned to her Squad and ordered Them to tie Sam up, with little regard to her injuries, or those of Others.
But, Silas was right. Silas was definitely right. And somewhere, in his heart of hearts, he knew it wouldn't end well.
"I shouldn't have worn my new red shirt today", he mumbled.
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