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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 5, 2015 2:33:08 GMT -8
Santi took a security guard by surprise, and drank from him in the stairwell. Oops, guess he had a little fall. He'd be fine though, Santi only needed a little. Just enough to seal his forearms completely. Kind of poetic really. He'd cut himself with Father's silver letter opener, let the blood gush out onto the floor, intermingling with the old. It'd already dried on the corners, drawing an outline of itself. There Father was, drooping in his chair, his own arms flayed. That vision, Santi had heard that story before and it was odd to see it again. He could see the things his imagination had twisted, or the way Dominic had embellished. Of course, somewhere in his mind was a firsthand account, too.
He'd stayed there, sitting on a foot stool, looking at the body. He'd just get up, and complain about the mess. But there wasn't any recovering from that open hole in his chest. Theodore returned, and the two of them wrapped Dominic's body in an old set of linens. Theodore promised to take care of the body, and hoisted it over his shoulder. It was so much larger than he was. And he disappeared, zipping away with some unknown ability. Santi shoved the desk over, and threw chairs around the room. Books came tumbling off shelves and a window shattered as the settee was shoved through. Santi leapt into the shadow at the base of the ceiling fan, and slid away as the clamor of guards approached.
Now here he was, sitting at a disused desk in a disused office. He wore one of Theodore's shirts, and he'd bathed as best he could with an office sink and rough brown paper towels. Blood still ringed his fingernails. The night's events were a fever dream of images, and even in the silent office in the quiet night his mind buzzed with nothing in particular. His cell phone sat in front of him, blank. The SIM card was on the bottom of the bay somewhere. They'd never get away with this. Death was coming, probably torture too. This wasn't the kind of crime Tomasz would take lightly.
Tomasz... strange flickers of someone else's memories. Horrible memories. He put his head in his hands, drummed fingers on his forehead. His wet hair dripped on the desk. Remember, remember something real... Theodore told him to do this. Do it every time the nightmares come. He had a sister. How old was she? She was a baby... maybe she'd gotten older before he was taken away. A baby in wicker crib. A window with a ratty curtain that rippled in the breeze. It was in front of his bed. Smoking a cigarette for the first time, it burned all the way down.
Santi took a breath, held the air, how strange it must've been to have those things moving all the time. Now they were just deflated balloons he could use to ape human speech. A bird fluttered in front of the window, wings flapping hard to stay in place. Santi jumped to his feet and unfastened the window wide enough for the bird to slip through. He stepped back and the starkly colored bird transformed into a boy. Santi- "You did it? God..."
Theodore- "I did, but it didn't go as smoothly as I would have hoped..."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 5, 2015 2:44:39 GMT -8
Santi- "Dare I ask? ...I dare. What happened?" Theodore sat on the edge of a desk. The back half of him wasn't bloody, but was blackened with soot. Theodore- "Well, I got the witch but... I believe there were other casualties... I was too hasty." Santi- "I'm sorry, but could you be more specific?" Theodore- "Well, I'm not absolutely certain that they're dead but it seems likely. I used an incendiary, and the place was a little more flammable than I'd intended... Two of the Sombreta children... I'm sorry.
Santi- "...A shame, they were so youn--" Santi- "Hang on, you call people my age children, don't you? Was one of them a blonde man? Sport casual?" Theodore- "Eh, yes I would say that. A green jacket. I hadn't meant to, I just heard the woman inside and I got too excited."
Santi- "... That is a tragedy. He was a holy fool, a naif who thought he could curb the excesses of the progenitors. But he was a good person."
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 5, 2015 3:15:21 GMT -8
Theodore- "Yes, it's too bad really. I think he was trying to protect her. I don't understand that..." He got up from the desk, and moved toward the office kitchen with the sink where he began to wash up. He scrubbed at the sticky blood on his hands. Theodore- "If someone had asked me, I would have done anything to get rid of Kellgren! I wish someone had..."
Santi- (from the room where he remained) "Nothing is real. I don't know if I feel it yet... Damn it I can remember abusing him, as Dominic."
Theodore peeled his bloody shirt off and used it to scrub his face. Theodore- "Ahh that's the worst. It's always helped me to imagine those things as complete fabrications. Like you're just imagining the same thing from a different perspective. Helps it seem less real." He returned, drying his hands on the cleanest parts of the shirt. Theodore- "Of course, you'd have many more of those memories than I would, it was only a few years I was with her. I'm sorry."
Santi- "Mm. Yes. I remember him meeting Kellgren a few times, but not you..."
Santi- "He knew about her death."
Santi- "...Not much though. He had been in Koromo at the time. What happened with you?"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 5, 2015 3:51:23 GMT -8
Theodore- "How funny! I was there too, in fact, that box of soil over there is Koroman grown. A shame we never met then. My man is out there fetching you your own soil. We're all mixed up, a Koroman in Glenland and a Glen in Koromo." Theodore- "What happened with me? It's a dreadful tale really, but the short version is that I have both my favorite, and least favorite persons memories in my head forever. I can remember being fond of Theodore, hating Theodore, abusing Theodore, murdering Theodore and being murdered by Theodore. Not to mention all those 'myselves' that are not actually me. I have more familiar memories of that terrible Dragomir than I'd wish on my worst enemy."
Santi- "I can hardly imagine. You'll need to tell me the whole thing some time. For now... I'd like to feel more assured of what we're doing, where we're going. I feel terribly unsafe." Theodore- "Don't fret! You are 'dead' as far as anyone is concerned, and I think the grand inferno will have captured everyone's imagination. I know this building isn't the safest fortress imaginable, but it is decent, and difficult to be invited into. I have a wide arsenal of weapons, oh I will give you the grand tour later! I have this fantastic flame thrower that was just delivered, I haven't even had the chance to try it out yet!" Theodore- "The last three elders are going to be very difficult, I expected that. I feel just a bit stronger tonight, as you can imagine. If only that witch's black magic came along with her. C'est la Vie! I'd really love to go for Tomasz next, imagine how crippled they'd be without him! I'd prefer to do something tomorrow, but honestly I hadn't dreamed I'd get almost half of them in a single night!" Santi- "Imagine if you had gotten half of five." Theodore- "..But that's only two and a half--" Theodore- "Oh! Because the little woman is so tiny? That's funny!" Santi- "...Yeah, that's right. Not a morbid joke at all..."
Theodore- "I'm glad you are in such high spirits! I was feeling a bit disheartened in light of the recent events, but your company has done wonders."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 5, 2015 4:54:40 GMT -8
A guy came in. Blockhead- "Got your dirt. You want it served up on plates?" Theodore- "Thank you Blockhead, you may set it next to the other. Say, have you gotten that telephone for me?"
Blockhead- "This ain't a ham on rye."
Santi- "I wonder that the potting soil will work. Knowing humans, they import across the ocean at great expense for no reason."
Blockhead- "Man's gotta make a livin'." Theodore- "Fantastic! Blockhead, you may retire for the evening." He rifled in his pocket and pulled out a blood stained scrap of paper. Theodore- "Now, I just need to get the lady's telephone number... Wait, oh! Dear, it wasn't a number at all...!" He rushed around to find a fresh shirt. Theodore- "Santi, I have one more errand for the night. You may ask Blockhead if you need anything."
Blockhead- "Hey. Retired." Santi- "Be careful."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 19, 2015 15:01:16 GMT -8
Santi tried to rest in Theodore's absence, but everything was Dominic no matter where he looked. He held onto Santi things, but they were all Santi things in a sea of Dominic. There were centuries of thirst and self-indulgence, rote acts of penitence, and an indefatiguable sense that god would forgive him for anything. He couldn't feel bothered by the hypocrisy, as it felt like his own thoughts, but he could feel bothered by that.
He flew about the room in frustration, charging across the walls, slamming into the drop ceiling knocking tiles askew, hovering and spiraling madly, crashing into this and that. The human kept its distance. Santi dropped to the floor and watched his hands melt into black acetone oil and then snap back again. They flexed and throbbed, sprouting black hairs and claws, the flesh turning a pebbly salmon-pink and back again. He punched the floor then threw his head back, stifling a roar. He flexed his wings and lashed his tail.
Then his shirt cuffs returned, the dead old Koroman skin smoothed, and he fell on the floor. He let himself float across the thin stubble carpet slowly as the rage flickered away into nothing.
Theodore returned to find a bit of a mess, and Santi laying on the floor.
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 19, 2015 15:17:22 GMT -8
Theodore crawled in the gap in the window, casting about the room for an intruder. But that was impossible. Theodore- "Santi! What's the matter, friend? Did something happen?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 19, 2015 15:24:41 GMT -8
Blockhead poked in from across the room.
Blockhead- "He went ape-shit. I hope you don't want me to scoop up this mess." Santi- "A little emotional turbulence. Think nothing of it." Santi- "What have you been about?"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 19, 2015 15:43:59 GMT -8
Theodore- "Oh, I see. Yes that's understandable. I'm sorry I had to leave you, I'd completely forgotten something..."
Theodore- "Ahem, Blockhead, perhaps you can find some human foods downstairs..." He sat on a cheap wheelie desk chair, and kicked off his bloody shoes. Theodore- "Ahhhh I can't feel like tonight was a complete success, as much as I want to. I may have upset a lovely young lady. She claimed to understand, but you know how women can be, so mysterious..."
Theodore- "But you don't need to hear about my silly woes, how are you feeling now? I took my first heart as a baby, it's been so long now. I have coached others through this experience, but the visceral feeling of it escapes me."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 19, 2015 16:09:02 GMT -8
Blockhead- "Ya don't need ta tell me twice." Santi- "Mysterious? Sure..."
Santi- "I have to confess, I'm a little concerned it's not going to get much easier. How long will I feel outnumbered and surrounded by his shadows?"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 19, 2015 16:41:50 GMT -8
Theodore- "It will fade eventually, like any terrible memory. You may never forget, but it will recede to the back of your mind."
Theodore- "Would it help you to speak with me? Perhaps tell me more about yourself, it could help to remind you who you really are. Or we could focus on our upcoming goals, our night dwindles and the next is soon to come."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 19, 2015 18:29:52 GMT -8
Santi- "I think... I don't want to talk about myself just now." Santi- "Strategy then?"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 19, 2015 19:01:14 GMT -8
Theodore- "Yes, well I must admit I am somewhat taken for a loop by tonight! I'd planned on doing a bit more reconnaissance, but I feel that striking Dragomir as soon as possible is imperative! What do you think would be the best route? Knowing that old goat he'll be 'taking it easy' at home, without a care in the world. His thralls on the other hand... As you know, I have ways of spying, but it's a bit fiddly. Should we bother, and how should we focus those efforts?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Mar 19, 2015 19:12:26 GMT -8
Santi- "I'm glad you asked. Crushing the Circle may be within our grasp, but they are still not to be trifled with."
Santi- "So. Spying is essential. We'll enumerate the possible scenarios that will be uncovered during spying, and plan on what to do for each of those contingencies. Dragomir next, you think?"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 19, 2015 19:22:02 GMT -8
Theodore- "Definitely. If we can take him out, the Circle is nothing and we can get the rest with the dust pan. "
Theodore- "What do you imagine they'll do? I suppose this was a rather splashy introduction, so I can't imagine surprise is still on our side. Tomasz is a indolent cur, but what of his children? And Lepopo?"
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