Seeking The Answers - Part 2

Seeking The Answers - Part 2
Date of Scene:	11 May 2013
Location:	Wutai
Synopsis:	Continuation of Part 1 and things just get crazy! Seriously.
Cast of Characters:	Pumpkinhead, Maira, Angantyr Vespar, Percival, Rena Laradyne, Leon

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Maira has posed:
They arrive at the hotspring in the hills with a couple of bags of food and a few bottles of beer. They are not alone when they arrive, but people quickly start to make their way out, polite but obviously too reserved and xenophobic to soak with a bunch of foreigners.

Whatever, fine by Maira!

Maira sets down some of the stuff she carries, then sits to begin taking off her boots. Hopefully no Heartless would jump out at her this time...eek.

It is, indeed, story time. "Well, I'll start from the first meeting I guess....I was in Traverse Town, where I live mostly, down by the beach. The Dark Knight showed up out of..well...the darkness. Just took shape in the armor and almost immediately narrowed in on me, approaching. I could feel the darkness, it was oppressive. I knew I was in trouble. Luckily, I had some friends nearby who intervened. The Dark Knight said he had to....test my light. It was a brutal battle I thought I was fighting for my life and those of my friends...until you--he said something that gave me pause, about...would I beg to save my friends, or something. So...I did. I asked him to leave us alone--and he did. He called me Maiden of Light, said he'd be back to check on me, then disappeared through a portal," she explains. "It was puzzling, because he fought so hard, so brutally...he didn't seem to feel pain. Then suddenly, he left when asked. Oh! He left a piece of his armor behind...I kept it. I still have it."

Leon has posed:

Leon was not sure if getting into a hot spring with two women was a /smart/ idea. After all it could give the /wrong idea/. Not like he honestly care and he shows that actually as he listens to Maira explain stuff. So as he does, he wants more removes his weapon belt, takes a seat on a rock and starts to remove his boots.

"So.. I.. well.. the Dark Knight did not act like a human?" He raises an eye brow. Man-- what kinda thing could have Mateus done to for him to 'ignore' pain of all things. "..huh.. and he was out to test the light of people.. wonder why.."

Also the appearing out of Darkness was something interesting to note as well.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena obviously has /NO/ problem with this. She shrugs out of her jacket and puts it on the side as she sits down, placing her cloak next to her jacket and staring to worm out of her boots.

"In my culture, there are sorcerers who control shadows and men instead of the elements. Who bow to nobody. Not even the second gods." she sits herself on the edge of the pool, looking mildly uncomfortable as she puts her feet into the water.

"Mateus is one such sorceror.. and as to why he was sending you out to test the hearts of others? Well.. it is better to know your enemy before approaching them, I should expect."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Somewhere in Wutai a corridor opens.

Angantyr has only been here a handful of times, so he knows HOW to get to Wutai...not specifically the hotsprings.

He immediately grabs one of the people too afraid to say anything by the front of their shirt. "WHERE ARE THE <GOOSEHONK>ING HOT SPRINGS?!" he says, suddenly OUT of patience and extremely POed. The poor person, slowly, pointing their finger to the building labled Hotsprings.

"Oh well..." Angantyr says, with a slightly annoyed tone.

Angantyr turns immediately running into the Springs.

Maira has posed:
Maira is thoughtful. Rena is just undressing, she bets she won't be too shy to get into the hotsprings...Maira will just go in her underwear...she could quick dry them! (If that didn't go horribly awry and she ended up burning them to ashes instead). Always a hazard.

"I wouldn't say he wasn't human...I sensed there was a man behind it, but it wasn't.../you/. I don't know if maybe Mateus was..controlling you from where he was or...what," she replies. She looks to Rena then, frowning deeply. "He's very dangerous, I understand," she says quietly. Does Maira really even know what she's gotten into? Really, she'd have gotten into it even if she hadn't broken the spell or whatever it was on Leon. It would only have been a matter of time if what many of them thought, was true.

Maira bites her lip a moment, then slips out of her dress with the intention of very quickly sliding into the hotsprings before anyone has a chance to look at her much.

This is of course, the moment Angantyr comes charging in.

Plan of quickly slipping into the springs interrupted, Maira turns and gawks, her eyes wide with surprise. Is she hallucinating!?

Percival has posed:
Right, so being put to sleep as a Gargoyle sucked.

Their bodies were not accustomed to natural sleep. They only went to sleep if they were knocked unconscious or gravely injured to the verge of death.

So when Percival finally did start to wake up, he didn't actually feel refreshed, he felt like /death/.

The first thing he'd done, after talking to Maira... was to call Angantyr. There were several reasons for this. First, he was strong enough to protect her, far stronger than the Gargoyle was. Second, he'd be able to get there quickly enough. Last, and most of all.. he cared for Maira as much as Percival did, perhaps even moreso. He wasn't sure how far his affection lie. It wasn't a difficult choice. Leave her undefended until he could get there.. or trust it to Angantyr. He trusted the right person to the job, and didn't give it a second thought.

And so as he walked out of the inn, trying to shake off the lethargy, he stumbled into a column.

DAMNIT, the caffeine did NOTHING.

And so after he didn't feel like he was stumbling around like a drunk any longer, he finally started to take the slow route to the Hot Springs...

This could take a while.

Leon has posed:

Leon cuts a glance over to Rena as she explains her beliefs behind why Mateus would send him--we mean-- the Dark Knight to do such things. It makes sense. Send out your best to fight those and then report back any findings. Military smarts there. Even more if this world was still rather new.

"I suppose." He says softly, placing the boots to the side, before unzips the leather armored vest. He pulls it off and goes to lay it over his boost and the weapons belt.

He had a rather nice looking body, what you expect from someone who spent a good deal of training, running around, and doing outdoors type of heavy activities. Yet it was also obvious at this point that Leon had a few scars here and there, a nice 'puncture' like wound in his shoulder and the most obvious of scars was the largest of them all. As if someone took quiet the time to not only 'burn' it in, but make sure it couldn't go anywhere in the healing process of the skin.

It was a strange X pattern on his backside ((http://www.khwiki.net/Recusant's_Sigil)). It went from shoulder blade to lower back. Oh, Leon was aware of it, kinda. It was something he attributed to many of the battle scars he had gotten at random.

He glances over at his shoulders at Maira once she is slipped in. He has no idea if he is really going to just jump in or not. "...I am not sure on that either. By the means of how he was acting once you freed me. I doubt he was controlling me.. I think he.. just.. did something to me ment--." Then Angantyr charges in, "--aly?"

He stares at Angantyr, stares over at Maira and Rena, and he slides over his weapon belt and quickly pulls the scabbard and takes a hold of the hilt of the blade. After all, Angantyr was kinda a scary man. Those red eyes staring right at the dark armored man.

Man. Maybe it was a rule that if you wore pitch black armor, you were just-- creepy. "There is no trouble to be had here, so please don't create any." He narrows his eyes slightly. "..so who are you and why did you decide to come charging in like a wild bull?"

Rena Laradyne has posed:
The Shivan lets her feet acclimate to the warm water, shedding most of her outerwear except the maroon shirt while apparantly is larger than it seems when tucked into the armor and drifts almost past her waistline. It is still short sleeved for all of that and she reaches back to unbraid her hair carefully when they are abruptly interrupted.

Rena sluggishly kicks her feet in the water, splashing a little as she sits at the edge and looks over at the interrupting figure.

She whistles very lowly under her breath in appreciation, eyebrows raising. "From the rushed entrance.. I'm guessing you are the cavalry." she languidly stretched backwards to fetch one of the dumplings from the bag of food. Almost laying all the way on her back, she fetches the dumpling.

"Hey, would you like something Maira? I think you are going to be rescued before we get to the thing with hot stones." she shrugs one shoulder. "S'pity. We don't want any trouble." she takes a dainty bite from the dumpling.

She looks at Leon, then at Angantyr, and then back at Leon.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr growls...

His eyes are not very pleasant right now...not that they are ever very pleasant except under very specific circumstances.

Angantyr stares at Leon...the dark knight's ability to sense the darkness was very acute, being drenched and connected to it like he was... but he pauses. This wasn't the man that attacked him, that attacked Maira, something about his words, and the fact that he wasn't striking already gives him pause.

Angantyr gives no goosehonks that Maira is almost naked, instead he speaks to her abruptly, "Maira, away from the witch." he says, the mace immediately into his hands and points towards Rena.

"I don't know the game you are playing, woman, but I am not going to tolerate your <GOOSEHONK>ing with things." And then...wait was that..

He looks back towards Leon. No that...that isn't something that goes on minions. Not unless...

Percival must have been right...for once.

"You drugged a idiot gargolye by the name of Percival, to keep him from protecting Maira. You but all just admitted to it." he says, still pointing that mace at her, "And if you try anything witch, you'll find that I'm much harder to deal with than he was. MUCH harder."

"I don't know your deal either, Dark Knight or whatever it is you call yourself now, I don't have time for you to explain, but I suggest drawling the blade on her if you're actually on Maira's side."

Maira has posed:
Alright, despite all this madness and nonsense, Maira can't help a bright smile. It is short-lived, but it is there and it is pointed at Angantyr. He's alive. He's alright. He's not a complete slave to Garland. He's making threats and generally just being /him/.

Of course, that meant trouble too. He points his weapon at Rena and Maira blinks, stepping toward Angantyr, apparently also forgetting her state of undress. Conveniently. No one wants to be lit on fire now do they? "H-hey she used a sleep spell...Perci's alright, isn't he?" she asked, concerned. She wasn't pleased with Rena had done but really...Perci was making it impossible for them to have a civil conversation and she really thought she owed Leon that much...

Wait, so Perci called /Angantyr/!? This is so baffling she just doesn't know what to do with it. "Can we /please/ not fight? Angan?"

Leon has posed:

Leon holds his ground, he doesn't really move nor has he yet drawn out his blade, but he does move himself very slowly between Rena and Angantyr. Those red eyes still locked onto Angantyr's own and his foot steps very calm and moving easily across the ground.

"No." He said simply and gave a nod as Maira went to explain. "I came here seeking answers and Percival in his wisdom tried to start a fight. The only way to get any peace was to do what was needed to be done. Once I have my answers or see if Maira can repeat her ability, then I will be off again."

He then narrows his eyes, they started to glow ever so softly. There was almost a slight vain of gold in them for a moment. "So stand down, so we can continue and maybe you should get yourself a drink while we talk."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"Go with the nice man, Maira." Rena sighs and waves in the direction of Angantyr.

"I drugged your guardian because he mugged us in the street and started attacking my companion, who then had to run from the authorities. So.. really no actual answering of questions has taken place, which makes me curious. Very curious." she shakes her head.

"Leon, it's okay. If Maira wants to leave, we'll speak with her later when her guardians are not all but climbing the walls. Even if this gentlemen here lugs her across his shoulder like a potato sack and treats his charge like a child, this is a place of rest. No blades or.. blunt instruments.. should ever be drawn here."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr pauses...

Very confused. He is litterally /completely confused/.

He rubs his forehead, "Is this true Maira?" He asks, and then getting a comfirmation, places the mace back onto his back. "I AM GOING TO <GOOSEHONK>ING KILL THAT <GOOSEHONK>! SERIOUSLY, THAT <GOOSEHONK>ING <GOOSEHONK>! IT SEEMS LIKE <GOOSEHONK> LOVES TO <GOOSEHONK>ING MY LIFE LIKE A <GOOSEHONK>ING PIG!" Angantyr goes on a miniture verbal rampage as he rubs his forehead. "DOES THAT <GOOSEHONK> NOT KNOW WHAT THE <GOOSEHONK> IS ON THE <GOOSEHONK>ING LINE HERE?! IT'S LIKE HIS HEAD IS FULL OF <GOOSEHONK>ING <GOOSEHONK>S!" He pauses, and then the radiating PURE RAGE dies down, "Uh. Sorry. So wait, let me get this straight, for when I beat Percival within an inch of his <GOOSEHONK>ing life. He assaulted you.." he points at Leon, "For no reason, and then you.." pointing at Rena, "Drugged him to keep him from being a <GOOSEHONK>? So that Maira can help you.." pointing back at Leon, "With the <GOOSEHONK>ing darkness issue you seem to have going on?" Angantyr asks.

"Tell me this is what is happening, and that I've made a complete fool of myself because <GOOSEHONK>ing Percival?"

Percival has posed:
And it was about this time that the Gargoyle entered the hotsprings. Perfect timing, huh?

Right...

Unfortunately, he hadn't heard any of Rena's /explanation/ so he couldn't offer a single defense to his name.

All he states to Angantyr is one thing, "Then do it, if you don't care to listen to me explain myself. I won't even try to stop you."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr immedaitely turns around to KERSPLAT Percival right then and there.

"<GOOSEHONK>ING IDIOT!"

Leon has posed:

Leon continues to keep himself at ready, he raises a brow a bit. "That is kind of the gist of it yes. Maira is the one who freed me from Mateus' control, though he seemed rather sure that I would have to eventually come back to him. This could be true sense I am rather sure the only thing keep me from the darkness consuming me is... whatever he had done to my heart."

The former Dark Knight shrugs his shoulders. "..that is all I have gotten so far and I am still trying to understand what the hell is going on. She," He jabs his thumbs at Maira. "Apparently has some great source of--"

Then enters in Percival and suddenly the other dark knight goes smashing his ace right at the Gargoyle. He walks over to Rena and knees down to take one of her dumplings, before taking a bite out of it. "..bet on the armored guy." He says to her in a whisper. "..drinks for a whole week."

Percival has posed:
The Gargoyle just takes the hit, and collapses to the ground, coughing out blood. And then he'd snarl at Angantyr, "<GOOSEHONK> YOU! Do you know, that what's inside that man tried to STEAL MAIRA'S HEART? IT IS STILL <GOOSEHONK>ING THERE! And guess what.. the puppetmaster wants his property back... and the one who did it to him. So just do it then. Crush me. Just promise me that you'll take my <GOOSEHONK>ing place when you kill me."

Maira has posed:
Maira looks to Leon. She'd told him and Rena she couldn't just do that again, not on command! Then they would be disappointed, just like Souji, maybe insult her while they were at it...she'd hoped not. She'd just wanted to help a man she thought had been forced against his will to become something less than human. Made a puppet, his entire self locked away from him. Now all he wants is to see if she can do it again. To see if she can be a tool. Is that all she is?

Maira takes a deep breath, then winces as Angantyr promptly explodes in a cloud of profanity. When Angan has calmed slightly, she reaches out to touch his arm, eyes wide, hoping to calm him. "That...well I don't have too much trouble believing Perci attacked Leon, but not for no reason--he thinks he's still under Mateus' control. He wanted him to get 'checked out' by someone like Merlin or Sora before he came to meet with me..." she begins to explain.

Then Percival shows up and Angantyr turns and slugs him. Maira screams. "No! Angan he's just trying to protect me! He really thought I was in danger! I'm sorry! PLEASE don't do this!"

Of course Perci wouldn't try to stop Angan. Of course. He thought he deserved everything and more.

Quietly, Maira then utters her own strand of profanity.

Pumpkinhead has posed:
A giant muscular Wutaian gentleman wearing nothing but a loincloth slides the doors open and sternly takes note of the proceedings. He seems to have been kissed slightly above the nipple because there's some lipstick markings right there. He achems, coughing into his fist.

"...This way Lady Abramson." He says, and steps off to the side.

"AHhhhhhhhhhhhh! After all that science, a massage and a nice dip in the hotsprings is what I've needed!" A brown-haired woman wearing swirly glasses steps inside. She is wearing nothing but a towel and a labcoat. "Hmm? So busy, I see!" She adjusts her spectacles up and down. "Well!" She says. "Well well, a gargoyle! What an interesting specimen ... for science! ... that would be. I would love to experiment on him all night. I wonder if it's true they're rock hard--"

Angantyr plows into him. "Hmm. Looks like he's getting jackhammered, uwee hee hee!"

She walks on over to the springs and slowly slides inside. "Ahhhhh~~<3."

"I do love it when men are fighting each other, it reminds me of the labs when we'd hire two interns to fight to the death by the lava pits. It's so nice to see little glimpses here and there of civilization."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"What did I say about no weapons?" Rena murmurs to herself and then shrugs. She takes another dumpling and whispers.

"That's a sucker bet though." Rena unbraids the rest of her hair. She smiles at the other lady and then over at Leon."Meanwhile. Come here." she drags at his arm, trying to pull him into the hot springs one step at a time.

"Let them settle this out themselves."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr is just glaring at Percival.

"Oh my god, you maytrwanabe.." Angantyr says, throwing his hands up, sheathing the mace and just walking out. Throwing his helmet down in disgust.

"I am getting a message and then a dip. IF YOU ARE HERE WHEN I AM DONE, WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE WHEN I AM DONE, I MIGHT ACTUALLY KILL YOU!" he says, walking off. "PS, YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE WHEN I AM DONE."

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Feige takes a dumpling herself.

"I suggest Chao Wang over there. Muscles are but as clay in his hands." She is wearing lipstick today that appears to approximate the mark on Chao Wang's chest.

Leon has posed:

Leon just munches on the dumpling watching the activity. He had a choice here, he could stop this, since he can see this upsetting Maira and--he has a weakness for young girls being upset. Damn you Maria -- and why do their names have to be so similar!?

He whispers to Rena something, as he gives a deep inhale and then watches the very strange woman slink into the hot springs where Rena was already in. In some ways, he is glad he isn't in the hot springs now. He just takes another bite of a dumpling.

Leon then goes to stand up, reaching for his scabbard, but instead Rena apparently has other things in mind. Such as the fact he wasn't going to stop this, which is what he was about ready to go do. "But-- they--" He then gets pulled in by the woman who is only a inch taller. "--Maira.."

Then suddenly there is a slip and a loud *SPLASH* as Leon falls right into the hot springs water, then surfaces with a gasp for air. His hair hanging down slightly over his face. Those denim pants now soaking wet and him staring right at Rena with this 'I am not amused look', before he shakes his head a few times.

"Yeah. Maybe I am sucker which is why I make crappy bets." he murmurs before lugging himself to sit down and just half sinking in with his nose above the water. Which he exhales a huff of air out from his nostrils. He-- was going to have to try and ignore this now.

Maira has posed:
Maira is about ready to snap and just start Holy'ing things.

This is stupid and ridiculous and uuuuuugh.

Gods save her from the men trying to protect her!

As Perci was savagely mauled by Angantyr, Maira rushes over to Perci and immediately casts a few cure spells, her light flaring, flowing into Perci to re-knit his wounds at least partially. A night's sleep would do the rest, gargoyle and all.

Maira puts her hands on Perci's shoulders and looks him in the eye. "You have to trust me a little. I'm not helpless, okay? You swore to protect me and I appreciate that, you know that I do...but you have to know I'm not helpless and I have to make decisions. If you....keep going behind my back Perci...I'm just...I'm going to walk away," she says. "I don't want to do that....so please, be reasonable. If you want me to stay with Angan while Leon and Rena were here, I'll do so."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena laughs, her maroon shirt sopping as she sends a wave of warm water towards Leon. "Mmhm." she stares right into his eyes and smiles. "Yes. You make some really crappy choices sometimes." she chuckles.

"Helping was a good one though.. but not neccessary. See? It's already sorted out." She reaches out to trail her fingers along his hairline. "Although I need to buy that armored guy a drink for his trouble." she looks over Leon's shoulder at the retreating figure going for a massage. "..a lot of drinks."

Then with a very playful grin on her face, she then attempts very earnestly to dunk him under the surface.

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Feige is disappointed that two men aren't wrestling anymore. "And thus civilization falls once more." She remarks remorsefully.

Percival has posed:
The Gargoyle shut his eyes as she healed him, opening them as she speaks to him. He listens to the entirety of the rebuke. And then he just looks her right in the eyes, "You are dealing with a man who nullified your most powerful magic with a wave of his staff. You're not helpless.. but you need all the help you can get against that."

And then he'd cant his head in Angantyr's direction, "He's wrong, by the way. I'm not trying to martyr myself for you."

He'd finally begin to stand up. "Stay with him then, while you're here with this pair."

And then he'd glance back over his shoulder at Rena, "I would ask, when you are ever going to stop being such a giant <GOOSEHONK>. But I don't think it's possible for you."

And then he'd just walk away.

Maira has posed:
Before Perci can go, she gives him a quick hug. No matter if she's angry and confused, she still cares. "I'll be back soon," she says, then would finally get in the darn hot springs.

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Feige makes slurping noises, as if to taste Percival's unhappiness in her mouth.

Leon has posed:

"Wait-- what?" Leon asks and is then dunked. No time to really register anything else. He was suddenly under water and garbling at the water in annoyance. He then pulls himself free and then goes to rest his arms on the edge of the hot springs.

He glances over at the strange, creepy lady. "Oh don't worry." He wipes his face off, before shaking his hand a bit of some of the water. "I am sure civilization will start over again. Hard to keep a good thing down." He was like a cat in this sense. Apparently not happy about being wet unless he wanted to be.

He shook his head again and then pushed himself out once more. His eyes glancing over to Maira. "..Will he be ok?" He asks. Leon does sound concerned enough in all honesty. He taps his fingers against his wet pant leg.

Suddenly it was like a crashing wave over him, after all who was he kidding. He couldn't control the darkness that has been unleashed. He had none of his family left and beyond Rena-- no one really trusted him.. and if it all crashes back down, which it could at any time, he couldn't even trust himself.

The former Dark Knight grit his teeth as he glances off to the side. He then suddenly walks up to Percival as he starts to walk away, once he has taken his stuff and stops him mid way. Mostly with the scabbard out. His red eyes glance over to him. "..Stay with her. I am done." he says with an almost eerie calm voice, but a hint of sadness in it. "Take her back under your protective little wings. Back under your cloak and dagger, hiding her from the world. Leave her to her innocence and her lack of world knowledge." He then narrows his eyes.

"Cause if he doesn't come for her, someone else may. If I took /such/ interest in her as a the Dark Knight-- and I am sure there are bigger dogs out there-- what makes you think they wont /come/ for her. She will /never/ be safe." He then lowers the scabbard. "..so continue to be the white knight on your white steed, but you will soon be wishing you made alliances with someone who had seen Mateus in action. Who watched his men rip bodies in half with a clean swipe of their swords and clashed his own steel against theirs before he was forced to his knees."

Leon then started to walk out. "You know how to contact me, but next time.. may be to late." He then looks over to Rena, "When your done. I will be out in the forest. I think I am going to go practice a few of my forms." As he walked out, darkness seem to wisp out from each step. Though it was very light, it was there. The Darkness-- was always there.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena very slowly slams a hand into her forehead. The smack is all but audible as she pulls herself from the hot water.

Her expression is bitter and absolutely thunderous, looking at Maira for a moment and then shaking her head. She wrings out her hair, wrapping a towel around her waist.

"By all the second gods, I need a drink." she grumbles with a faint snarl, moving towards the building and leaving Maira and Percival alone without further comment.

Maira has posed:
Maira is too far to hear what Leon says to Perci as he walks off, merely frowning. The air has changed--she knows they are not friendly parting words. Maira doesn't know what to do. Most of the advice she was given was to follow her heart, but she doesn't know where her heart wants to go. She can't just split it in all the different directions.

Funny, she'd been in this situation before, hadn't she? Everyone walks off in different directions. Last time, she's just sat down and stayed there. This time she was a hot spring and that really wouldn't work.

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Feige Abramson writes in a notebook.

THE KIDNAP THAT MAIRA KID PLAN

A) Full Frontal Assault! They shall bow before your mechanical superiority!
B) Fake a dentist's appointment, lure to lair
C) Build a robotic perfect boyfriend implied to have a pure soul with a dark past. Seduce Maira with robot, lure to lair.

She closes her notebook and asides to her, "Men. You have a dentistry checkup lately? I could handle it."

Percival has posed:
The Gargoyle would just stare right at Leon's back. "You pretentious, long-suffering little jack<GOOSEHONK>. All I asked was that you get yourself checked out. To make certain that Mateus isn't just listening in on whatever you do. That he doesn't have a back door, in your soul. After that, I would have been /happy/ for you to see her alone at any time. To have your answers. To let her learn whatever it is she can about herself from you. Do you think I don't see that you're just trying to live your own life, as best as you can in the wake of this tragedy? Do you think I'm an idiot? You're a victim of circumstance. So no, I didn't want to /hide/ her from you forever. I just wanted to make sure what is inside of you isn't going to burst forth and require a dozen or so adventurers to put it down again. So yeah, I didn't want that to happen."

The Gargoyle would just growl at him, "I could care less about who protects her while she learns what she needs to learn. Do you think I wouldn't summon /ANGANTYR/, if I wanted to depict myself as some sort of white knight, and the only person capable of caring for her? I, /hate/, the man. There is nothing about him I don't despise, except that he cares for Maira."

The Gargoyle would growl, and turn away, "In reality, I'm the person least capable of taking care of her. I'm the first to admit my own limitations. But you know what? I'm the only one who seems to be willing to do it until these alliances are made, until she learns what it is inside her that allows her to care for herself. She doesn't need /me/. She just needs /anyone/. So go ahead, walk away. I would have even let you do all that you needed to do without any further interference, had that witch with you not decided to drug me. Because in the end, I do trust her."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"<GOOSEHONK> YOU TOO YOU STUPID <GOOSEHONK>ING SELF RICHOUS MARTYR FETISH LOVING <GOOSEHONK>! YOU PUT MAIRA IN MORE DANGER GETTING ME <GOOSEHONK>ING INVOLVED YOU STUPID PRETENTIOUS <GOOSEHONK>!" Angantyr shouts from his massage bed. Then a loud CRACK is heard. "Oh man, yeah, right there."

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Chao Wang says, "Your stress levels, off the charts! We have oils, they will ease your joints. Mmyes."

Maira has posed:
She doesn't hear what Perci says either. La la la hot springs la la la.

Maira looks to the weird person asking her if she's been to the dentist lately. "Uh...I might be due..." she comments.

Then, well, she hears Angantyr screaming, wincing visibly.

Alright. Done times.

Maira gets out of the hotsprings, grabs a towel and dries. Then she puts her dress back on and walks away while everyone else is arguing. Where is she going? Who knows but if you try to follow you you are probably going to get set on fire.

Leon has posed:

Leon was going to go out to the woods. He was going to go out there and fend off his anger on helpless trees. Yet as Percival keeps talking the darkness around his feet just grows and grows. His hands starts to stream with darkness as he then starts to laugh very softly.

"You.. hehe.. just don't know when.. hahha.. to SHUT UP!" he suddenly spins around those red eyes glowing brightly as suddenly his whole body is swarmed by darkness, almost making his skin look dark gray and those eyes seeming to glow out from the darkness.

He drops all the gear he hand in his hands beyond the sword, which he pulls from the scabbard, the darkness swarming along the pristine blade that had yet to seen combat. A smile appearing on his face and that walk is very much like the Dark Knight from before.

He drops the scabbard on the ground which clatters as he then twirls the blade simply in his hands. His voice almost carries an echo in it. "Your first mistake.. is you don't know when to not taunt a mad dog.." he says as that smile starts to vanish and he gets a far more serious look on his face. "..your next is you don't know when to take a very quiet hint.." He then stands there, the darkness swarming around him.

"And Rena stays with me.. because she is the only person out here that can keep this in check... but right now.. I don't think it cares.. because I stopped caring the moment you opened your mouth again."

His stance changes into one of combat. "..you wanted a fight when I arrived, now is your chance..." He then snarls his teeth before he suddenly comes right at him. The darkness on the blade nearly engulfing it like a flame. "Stand ready!" He then swings the blade in a wide arc.

Percival has posed:
"No." He simply, takes a step back as the wide slash draws a line against his chest, and then he jumps, spinning around, to aim a roundhouse kick to the man's chest, with talons' extended. Striking just to drive holes in his armor if it bit, and to knock him back.

And then he'd just stand still for a moment, making no threatening gestures, "What I wanted was a fight, to make certain that what was still inside you...was still there. And I found that out. There's nothing more that you can teach me of yourself. Nothing worth learning."

And then he'd just walk right on by Leon without drawing his blade, "Because you know what Leon? I know all there is to know about mad dogs. And so no. I won't be giving you the satisfaction. You won't be getting what you want from me. Go back to her, if you care about her. Learn to control what is within you.. for her sake, and if not her, then whoever else you might care about in this world."

And then he'd just keep on walking.

Leon has posed:

Percival just keeps talking and he just keeps provoking. The claws shred not into armor, but into flesh. It spins Leon around but the darkness is used like many times before as the Dark knight has used to correct himself as he lands.

His teeth bare, they almost look like fangs, before he roars out with his rage. Then like many times the Dark Knight has done before, that very darkness suddenly whips out to draw Percival right back to him. To look him dead in the eyes. "Oh no, we are not done." Leon says very, very calmly. "Because you know /nothing/ about me and the hell I have seen." The darkness nearly snakes around, those red eyes glowing like bright orbs, the pupils almost missing.

"You know /nothing/!" Then those same tendrils that perhaps got a hold of him, suddenly go to throw him one way, before they go to throw him another way. Leon mean while was starting to walk in that very direction that Percival may end up. "Or no..better.. why don't you /educate/ me on what you /know/, oh so /wise/ one?" His hands lift out to the side. "Tell me what wisdom time has brought upon you. /COME ON/! Amuse /me/!"

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr growls from the other room.

There is another source of GROWING darkness...but right now it hasn't come out.

Angantyr's patience is being tested quite serverely.

Percival has posed:
As the tendrils of darkness reach out at him, the Gargoyle drops down low, sweeping Leon's feet out from him. He's lifted up, he's tossed into a wall. The Gargoyle rubs the back of his neck, just staring at him. "That's where you're wrong. Do you think you're the only one who has stared into the abyss, and had it stare back at you?"

The Gargoyle gets up, still not drawing his sword. "Fine. You want to know what wisdom time has brought me? Do you really want to know?"

He'd just stand, beginning to circle around Leon at a distance, measuring him, "It's that's it's always a choice, Leon."

He'd toss down a scabbard containing a runeblade, first. Then another with an ornate rapier. "I can say that I have blackouts.. That I don't remember what I've done. That I stand at the precipice, and there's no control over it. Or I can take responsibility, and say that I'm the one that was originally at fault, that what took control of me was by /choice/. And try to take some measure of control in my life..."

He'd just stare at Leon, "I've lived so many years on guilt, shame, and regret.. none of those can change my nature. Maybe it's just time I find out whatever it is that can."

And then he'd start to walk away again. "My apologies. In a way I feel you're a kindred spirit, and because of that, I was frightened of what you might do to her, but I have no answers on how this journey ends.. just on how it begins. All I can say is that I pray you find the answers I have not, before it's too late."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena sits in the other room. She has a bottle, in fact several bottles in hand as she sits in a room full of swirling steam.

The Shivan drinks in the sweltering warmth and the liquor in quick succession. The sound of yelling carries over her dire thoughts and she blinks, brow furrowing. "In Siren's name, what /now/?" she snaps testily to herself as she takes another drink and re-wraps the towel.

She strides back into the open air and stops. Not immediately but slowly, as if being pushed back by the feeling the clearing and slowly coming to a staggering stop with the bottle forgotten in her hand. She takes in the situation, staring at Percival and then at Leon.

Her focus fixes on Leon, her lips pursing and obscure pain flashing across her eyes because his back is turned towards her and all she can see is the dark grey skin and the streamers of darkness.

Rena swallows her frustration and resentment as they crystallize and turn into bitterness and almost painful fear. So little time.. she had had so very little time.. not enough. "Leon?" she asked very softly, trying to will her voice not to sound small and scared. Stop it. Do not sound like prey.

She looks at Percival and snarls in a hard voice. "Get out of here, you fool.. please. Just go. You've done.." she shakes her head, sodden hair limp across her back.

"You've done enough."

Leon has posed:

Leon stands there once he corrects himself once again. His hand tightening around the blade even as Percival drops his own. Those red eyes watching him once again just walk away. Yet words are continued to be spoken and even one with an apology at the end.

The former Dark Knight glances off to the distance for a moment. Like a cat trying to ignore its pray. Kindred spirit he says. Blackouts were different from being completely blocked. When you /know/ you done something versus being forced to do something.

There is nothing about them that are the same. Yet where Percival lays down words, Leon has none to say back, only the cold stare. A cold stare of calculation. He could continue to press this little dance, but he can feel it starting to gnaw on him. Trying to tear at the seal. He could for once in his life feel it.

This very thing-- is what Mateus warned him about. His eyes almost felt like they were pulsing, he could almost see the dim light in Percival's heart. He stood his ground though. He stood his ground until he could no longer see Percival or the flicker of light.

Until they were both gone. It was a struggle, he could feel it in his body. He wanted to chase. Pursue. It was wasted energy he told himself. There was better places for this. Bigger places. This was not over. No, but at this location it was.

Now a more pressing problem was at stake. A far darker problem which Rena has become very aware of. Only when Percival is truly gone. Leon closes his eyes and whispers softly, "..I am sorry Maria.." His hand dropping the sword as he suddenly falls down to his knee.

The darkness almost exploding around him, trying to dig at the ground like dark chains. "..I am.. losing.." He then grits his teeth before his head lowers. "..Rena.." he at last says her name. "...help.." He whispers out on a soft breath from his lips.

He can't control it and he can feel it. He can't stop it.

Percival has posed:
And what Rena would see is the Gargoyle with his back turned, both blades on the ground. And then he'd just glance over his shoulder at Rena. "My apologies, Rena. What I said to you was wrong. If indeed you are the only one that can soothe him..." He'd look down at his hands, "...then I wish you all the best. I wronged you both."

He didn't try to explain himself to Rena, to describe what happened, to make excuses, to cast blame. Instead he just heaved in a sigh, "Yes, it seems I have.."

And then Leon... would start to lose it. The Gargoyle would close his eyes. He'd caused this, and he didn't think he'd be able to fix it.. but he had to try. And then he would just say to Leon in a mild tone, trying to remain calm, "Focus on /her/." He didn't say which one, whether it be Maria, or Rena. "You are stronger than this. Don't let him win. Just... /remember/. Remember /her/. Let her fight with you."

"I believe in you. I know that you are better than /him/."

Maybe in the end, he wasn't even talking to Leon. Maybe he was talking to himself.

Rena Laradyne has posed:
Rena turns her face away slightly, wincing at the lash of darkness as it explodes away from Leon. The sane person would cut her losses and run. She examined the implications of that, her eyes calculating for a moment what it would cost her to walk away. What it would cost her to try and salvage this situation, already spun out of control by the hand of Maira's guardian.

No. She had everything to lose from that. There may still be time. Rena pushes her way into the open air and across the stones. She doesn't have the time to waste on Percival. They would have to wait. It would all have to wait.

The song that spills out of her lips is different than the soothing, repetitious melody or the winter melody from not so long ago. She didn't have the hollow harp so only her voice would have to be enough. The song is dangerous because it's a sliding, echoing challenge. A teasing, cajoling sound rather than a balm that is directed at the darkness itself.

Rena knelt down beside Leon, running a hand along his arm to the shoulder. Dangerous because the song was willing it to pay attention to her. Attempting to draw it away from Leon so that he had space to breathe, a handful of heartbeats in which to collect himself.

Trying to absorb some of it into the darkened shell of ice that was the emperor's own gift to her, like calling to like, the same in type if not the same in ultimate degree. "Sshh.. " she soothes quietly, kissing him on the temple.

"Don't struggle. Don't act like prey." she tells him in the silence of a pause in the melody which seems to echo and reverberate. " And don't run. Just remember. There's more than this. There is hope for so much more." She then continues to sing that dark song, the tones almost shuddering through her throat as if reverberating from the bottom of a dark and icy well.

Leon has posed:

Leonhart can hear her song, but he just wants to close his eyes and just fall to sleep. The darkness moving, sliding back with the words of the song and even some gently wisping toward her. When she comes near, the man nearly goes limp in her hold. Just resting against her.

So tired..

It is no wondering Mateus won a hold on him. He was tired. So very tired.

Rena's siren song is slowly doing the trick and the darkness is slowly calming itself. Slowly seeming to bit by bit fade away. His heart though was hurting, aching. He just wanted to give in, but that would mean to surrender. Completely surrender and give up.

He couldn't do that so easily, not yet. He couldn't go back. Not yet. Not until he understood what Mateus was after, what that mad man was really after.

He then opens his eyes to look at Rena, before trying to smile. Though it was very meek at best. "..You know.. maybe I should start wearing the dress and you can wear the denim pants.." He says trying to joke, before cringing a little. "...but one thing I learned.. that... was a big mistake.."

Percival has posed:
The Gargoyle would just listen to them for a moment, then he'd carefully retrieve one of his blades, as the other had already returned to his side... he could never truly rid himself of it.

And then he'd start to walk away. The only two words that came out of his mouth were barely more than a faint whisper. "I'm sorry."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"Well, I don't know about you." Rena says, leaning her forehead against his. "But I look good in anything." she smirks wearly, pain etched on her face as she took in a few extremely shallow breathes and tried not to feel like she was drowning.

The ghosts swam in front of her vision and she's not holding Leon, but holding her side. Holding her side as the fragment embedded there leaks blood on the ground. The silohuette of a figure is standing over her and he is smiling.. a truely.. terrible smile..

They lean down and whisper into her ear. Rena smiles even though she feels like screaming. She tightens her grip on Leon, intertwining her fingers and squeezing.

She would not give up.

There was still a chance. Somewhere.

It was just voices. Just voices and shadows.

"Come on." she giggles hysterically for a moment. "I... I think that's enough 'fun' for one day. Remind me the next time you write a sweet and endearing letter and a charming invitation to stuff it down your throat."

Leon has posed:

Leon feels her grip tighten. His brows furrow for a moment with some concern that nearly replaces his own pain. He then goes to pull her into a hug for a moment, before he forces himself to painfully stand up, and then assist her to her feet.

"Well.. hopefully next time I write a sweet, endearing letter with promises of good times, I can.. indeed keep it and it wont involve meeting insane people." Leon remarks with a half, painful smirk. "..I think we two are crazy enough for the rest of the community."

Rena Laradyne has posed:
"I'll agree to that." Rena says with a snort, pulled up to her feet and going scrounging for her clothing. "I will.. certainly.. in front of all of the gods.. agree to that." she chuckles very, very softly.