Difference between revisions of "Darkness in the Desert"

Latest revision as of 00:45, 18 December 2012

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
It was night in the desert, the best time for traveling. Infact, the safest (relitively) for doing this, so that you don't do things like /die from the heat/. Of course, it's also very cold now, but it's better than /dying from heat/. Riku might have come across some strange footprints in the desert, relitively close to a large outcropping of stones. This place looked like it would be great for shelter, should he spend the day there, and from there he could see a shoreline, which would make things even easier for travel.

However, coming over one of the dunes he heard...something. It wasn't a pleasent sound, the sound of something messily eating something else. Looking down would reveal a large and imposing figure...easily seven and a half feet tall, eating a basalask who had apparently gotten the bad end of a random encounter. The figure was human...like, and every once in a while, the only light Riku could see were two bright yellow eyes.

But heartless don't...actually eat people, right?

Riku has posed:
Riku wouldn't actually know. He's pretty sure that eating people had all too recently been on his own menu. He came out here to be alone and also to expend some recovered dark energy on whalloping something that tried to sneak up on him and add him to its own menu. It had realized pretty quickly that magic makes ALL sorts of difference to what it says on the tin.

He's still sort of confused and angry and --all sorts of emotions about the confluence of practically everybody he knew (and didn't know) at Traverse Town. He should have figured it however. Traverse Town was were lost people found their way again.

Riku walked over the top of the dune, walking somewhat sideways to keep himself from sinking into the shifting sand. He raised his eyebrows and watched them eat the basilisk. This? This was a new one. The sane thing would be to just step backwards and then step backwards again and be someqwhere else. Several miles or so up or down the coastline. Instead he simply started to walk in a wide arc around them, walking down the other side of the dune.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The beast freezes...

Did he hear you Riku? He doesn't seem to be turning his head, instead the hulking thing is completely still, as if waiting for something...

Riku has to blink, in that moment that he does, that one singluar moment that his eye needs to be hydrated...

The beast was gone. Something that large shouldn't be that fast. Something that large...

Shouldn't be directly infront of you, staring down at you with those yellow eyes. There is a dark growl, something gutteral and inhuman...before it abruptly stops. Instead, it turns it's head to the right, as if studdying Riku for a moment. It is like coming out of a fog, there is some intelligence in those eyes...not just some, it seems sentient.

"You..." it says, it's voice whispy and distorted... "From the beach." he takes a breath, "So you survived the fall of Manhattan after all."

Riku has posed:
Something that large could have killed him instantly by being that fast. Riku looks up into the wreathing fog and decides to quell his internal urge to lash out and defend himself.

See above statement. It might still want to hurt him, but it could have done that too. So instead of making any threathening movement or heroic posturing, Riku relaxes his shoulders and shifts his weight to the other foot. Okay-- yeah. He was very startled, but if he spooked at every little thing he wouldn't have gotten up off the ground for practically three months of startling spookiness. Or-- A week, at least. Or Riku tilts his head slightly to the side as the mental gears thrash and smoke.

Nevermind. Right. Big scary thing. Heartless? No? No-- not really -- wait. Riku furrows his brow for a moment, prodding experimentally at what he was getting. Riku raises his eyebrows in surprise, getting that tipsy moment of creepy, terrifying vertigo as the strange darkness just seems to go on-- and on-- forever.

This seems very vaguely familiar, but he can't really place it.

"Apparantly." he remarks with a sigh. "And-- I think I would remember. But I don't. Who are you?"

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The darkness that seemed to go on and on...but Riku can see something went wrong. It's devouring him, slowly...ever so slowly. Something changed, the balance that was there was inverted somehow...something inside the man is feeding on the darkness, in turn feeding it...and in turn it is changing him. It isn't pleasent, no matter how you slice it.

"We did not meet in Manhattan, we met before that." he says, rumbling. "On a beach. We fought, you nearly died...Jasmine saved you from what I gathered...she never did tell me how she found you." he says, "Angantyr Vespar, is my name..." that same tone. "My appearance, is...disturbing, I admit. A lot has happened sense the aftermath of the city, and I'll not bore you with the details."

Riku has posed:
"Oh. I'm never bored by an interesting story, believe me." Riku continues to frown at Angatyr, and something about the way the darkness was disturbed and out of balance makes him angry. Not in a hot blooded and furious lashing way that he is usually accustomed to going to as a handy hammer to smash things with. No. It's a cold and almost unpleasant sensation.

A cold slab of something like outrage crossed with-- something unrelenting. Wrath in an ashen way rather than a way of fire. Riku has to look down at the ground, blocking the sensation-- completely shielding himself from sensing what is wrong with that darkness or he's not sure what he will do. He's not even certain who he is angry at. Just that he can't look anymore or he will completely fly off the handle-- or something worse.

Riku coughs, shaking his head. He takes a step back or two to take Angantyr entirely in. "Well. heh.. I don't think they make soapboxes that large." he chuckles. "Look. I'm sorry about what happened before. You caught me-- right on the knife edge. I was more than half crazy by the time everything with Manhattan started."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"It's alright." Angantyr says, "I don't hold it against you...I sensed something there, that was influcing you." he says, and turns away. "It is going to be day soon. There is a shelter near here, Unless you plan on taking the shoreline north or south...which might be your best bet. It'll keep you from dying, at least." he says, and considers something...

"You seem to have control of it now. That's good." he says, turning back towards Riku.

"I'm on the other side of this now...it seems. Before you ask, it is artificial..." he says, "A...important person in my life was infected with something that changed her...put darkness into her heart and made her body change. For the cure to it...I took her place in the sick experiment the man behind it was doing." he says, looking at himself.

"It is not even that interesting of a story. It is just sad...pathetic really. I did it all for love, and now I won't ever get to hold her...tell her how I feel. It is only a matter of time before it gets worse. Before I lose something really important in my head."

Riku has posed:
Riku knows exactly what he wants to do now. The cold feeling of alien outrage passes into the more familiar territory of God Damnit, stop being a Moron. That he would switch over to this so quickly makes the inside of his head hurt.

Riku looks up at the monstrous Angantyr, rubbing the bridge of his nose and pressing two knuckles into one eye as he tries not to follow through with the action. He had no idea how the stranger would react. He takes in a steadying breath and lets it out through his teeth, faintly grit against the impulse, suicidal as it was, to just reach up and whack them over the head.

Riku turns away, looking up and down the shoreline. "Let's move towards the shelter."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr shrugs, "This way then." he rumbles, and walks towards it. He walks, it is still rather normal...he doesn't hunch or anything, he still manages to walk on two legs. Occasionally, he would turn, in a completely odd direction, and then correct his path after a few moments of walking. If Riku looked out, he would see some Monster in the dark, or something else waiting for an ambush. Or just Monsters in general...

At the outcropping of rocks, there was a tunnel that went into the bowels of the earth. It was a bit of a tight fit for Ang, but after some walking, he manages to be able to straighten. He turns, leading into a side cavern...the cave underground seems to go down for quite aways still.

The stream was fresh and cool, clean too...of course, Riku might see bones here and there, indicating old meals. They weren't human, though.

"Here. It's humble, but it's home."

Riku has posed:
Riku takes a seat near the stream, letting his fingers drift across the surface of the water. He clears a few bones away and some loose rocks, and is as comfortable as he is going to get right now. "You told me a story." 'Even though you suck at it' is the thought that he repressed quite firmly as he continues.

"Why don't I tell you one in turn, as payment for the one you gave. And-- for allowing me shelter. It's nice to be away from most people right now. Most of them are-- very confusing."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"Despite the fact that I suck at it?" Angantyr says, "I wasn't much for the arts growing up...Rellius was more into these things..." he comments.

"Catagrophy...I guess I really just wanted to be an explorer...ship captain. Something like that, I always had a love of the ocean." he comments, looking to Riku as he takes a spot near the entry way.

"Well, I'll listen...I am not good at them, but I do like a good one...and yes. People are not as confusing as you think, Riku. Most are rather simple...some have a lot of simple motivations that may lead to complicated personalities...but when you get down to it...aren't that bad."

"The selfish merchant, might have been a poor child...the selfless hero might be afraid of being alone. We are the sum of our parts..."

Riku has posed:
"The big monster with lots of teeth actually is a guy who loves so fiercely that he would sacrifice himself in order to save her."

Riku points out, looking somewhat chagrined to be caught out so easily. "Listen-- I just spent a very long time, in a land far away, with a guy who didn't know very much about himself. He struggled and fought for understanding, and although he didn't LIKE the answers he got, he at least earned them." he looks around at this cave. "What are you doing out here? Consigning yourself to your fate? There's something wrong with you. It's so wrong-- it makes the back of my head hurt and it's not because of the darkness. Why aren't you trying to save yourself?

You say people have simple motivations, but I can't figure you out. You are out here, kind of-- wasting away."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"It is because I am so pretty that I would feel sorry if someone in a city killed themselves out of jealousy for how pretty I look." Angantyr grunts towards Riku.

"I know what is happening to me, I know why it is happening to me. There is no cure, because LEXUS is making sure only one exists, and that is going to the person I did this for." he continues, "And I am out here because of...well lets face it. I am seven and a half feet of pure nightmare. What do you think will happen if I walk into a town? Do you think they would welcome me with open arms? Give me a big old glass of mead and slap me on the back?" he laughs, it is not pleasent.

"Oh, and lets not forget the...URGES. It takes all of my will power sometimes to not degrade into a slavering beast. Every...single...moment I am awake is a struggle to remember what I am...who I am. And sometimes...I lose that. Some part of it slips away..."

Riku has posed:
Riku laughs at the 'pretty' comment, but the rest makes him knock the back of his head slightly against the wall in pure, unadulterated frustration. "Okay. But I wasn't talking about just walking into a town and ignoring the whole 7 foot nightmare thing. I--" he thinks about it.

"What will you do if I can get you another cure? I'll talk to LEXUS." he smiles self-depreciatingly. "I helped destroy Manhattan. That should at least get me an audience. And you NEED it, Ang. You may not believe me-- but I almost lost myself to the dark. If you are going to sit here and snipe, and not figure out some way to be with the person you love, then I am not going to sit here and let it happen to someone else."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr was right ontop of Riku in seconds, snarling.

"Don't you DARE you little idiot. Don't even /think/ about it. How do you think /I/ got into this mess?! He'll want you to take MY place...and I can sense what's in you...he'd take you in a heartbeat!" he calms down, retreating again. "Sorry..." he breaths, "Don't throw your damn life away. You're young." he comments. "If I had any ideas on how to be there with her...I would in a heartbeat. The best I could do is...this. Free her from this nightmare, and instead take her place."

Angantyr sits down again, rubbing his head. "Don't even think about it. I am serious."

Riku has posed:
Riku's sword flashes across the space where Ang had just been and he leaps up to his feet. Instead of attacking though, the sword evaporates. He's rattled and he yells. "It was practically the first thing out of your mouth! If you didn't want help then WHY SAY anything? You--"

and then the fear hits like a siege train, leaving him gasping for air for a moment -- then the anger at not being fast enough to protect himself. His head spins with the torrent of emotions that slam into him at delayed speed reaction.

"You have GOT to stop doing that." Riku mutters sourly, rubbing his head. "Look. I want to help you. I have a PLAN that doesn't involve throwing myself on the mercy of shadow lords, which you did well and spectacularly I might add. Don't insult my youth or my intelligence again because when I come back, and I have the cure for you, you are going to owe me. You and Avira are going to owe me BIG TIME."

Yes. He has indeed made that connection. He steps backwards, summoning a darkness portal to wrench him away from this sheltered cave.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"It was the first words out of my mouth so you didn't think I just beca-" he pauses.. "Don't you do it. Do not enter that porta-goddamn i-..."

Angantyr slides against the back of the cave...goddamn it! He cries out, punching the side of the cave wall. That idiot just...ugh...