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Post by The Storyteller on Sept 5, 2010 21:56:01 GMT -5
The group at the Acropolis is Hitomi, Jaymie, Rudeth, Aritha, Tristan, Doucan, Natsu, and Val
The sun beat down on the Acropolis and the tour groups milling around. The group from Dunehelden's wait for an available tour guide had just ended. Really convenient actually, the tour guide had just passed up several groups that had gotten there before. An odd expression passed over his face and was gone in an instant. He smiled brightly at the group. "English right?" He confirmed. He took the general lack of confusion to assume he was right. "Alright, well let's get started then, I think this tour will prove very special."
As he turned to lead the group away a couple joined with them. A young Greek woman and man. They were an odd mix, the woman was well dressed and looked excited to be there. The man was thin and pale,slouched over slightly with a grungy brown hoodie covering most of his face.
A brief smile flashed over the tour guides face as he saw them, he nodded and then motioned for the group to follow him. He led them into the temple right up to the statue of Athena. It was quiet, it seemed all of a sudden the crowd was gone. The whole Acropolis was empty save the tour guide and his group.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" He said gratefully looking up at the statue. The greatest Pantheon that has ever existed. And you want to destroy it just as it regains it's glory." His demeanor suddenly became harsh and dark. "Well, I won't let you."
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Natsuritcha Uerka
Vi
She of the Puppy Eyes
The world will turn if I see it or not.
Posts: 42
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Post by Natsuritcha Uerka on Sept 5, 2010 22:28:19 GMT -5
Natsu looked up at the magnificent structure, shielding her eyes with one of her hands. Her other hand was wrapped tightly around Doucan's. She was very grateful for having her best friend with her, it made her less nervous. Or, at least it usually did.
She wasn't exactly sure as to why but she felt uneasy. Maybe it was because she was in a new country far away from home, or maybe it was the strange look that their guide had given them. What had he meant by them wanting to destroy the Acropolis? Why would anyone want to tear down a building of such beauty?
Natsu tightened her grip on Doucan's hand. She looked up at her best friend and whispered, "Dou-chan, what does he mean?"
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Sept 6, 2010 0:47:09 GMT -5
Aritha glanced at the two strangers who joined the group, then ignored them for a moment. Though it confused her when everyone vanished, she was caught far more by the man's speech. Her hand, in Rudeth's, tightened quickly at his last words, and she straightened almost angrily. "What on earth do you mean 'we want to destroy it just as it regains its glory? Why would we ever want to destroy such a beautiful piece of architecture?"
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Valérian Mervielle-Dion
Kitty Kat
Hold me closer, tiny dancer~
'I am cute, wounded and unloved. Give me a hug and some hot chocolate.'
Posts: 191
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Post by Valérian Mervielle-Dion on Sept 6, 2010 0:54:59 GMT -5
Valérian sighed and covered his face with a palm. "Aritha, I don't think he means the building specifically. It's rather obvious we don't intend to do any harm to things of stone. Though I admit I don't know what he means, either."
He'd definitely noticed the two strangers join their group, as he was always paying attention to what was going on around him. Too many years of paranoia had left their mark, but apparently hadn't properly done their job. He'd not felt anything very suspicious about the man and woman until, alas, too late.
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Post by Jaymie Elderton on Sept 6, 2010 16:39:34 GMT -5
Jaymie took a step back, glancing at Rudeth and Professor Tristan- the only two whose ability to fight he was certain about- then at Hitomi, taking stock of his surroundings just in case. The crane god-thing, reasonably content after all the fish and ocean and spending time with his girlfriend he'd done the past week, opened one wary eye in the back of his mind and considered that this sounded like the sort of thing Jaymie might want to take care of on his own mortal terms.
"What the hell do gods have to do with this?" He glared at the tour guide.
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Post by Rudeth Volkova on Sept 6, 2010 17:02:23 GMT -5
Rudeth slipped his arm around Aritha's waist and pulled her closer to him, looking at her in concern. What did he mean, destroying the pantheon? And...what was that about it's return? The Greek pantheon had been dead for centuries. That didn't make any sense.
And he could feel the hair on the back of his neck prickling when the guy spoke, and he'd never wished so much in his life that he had his sword. He didn't like this. Could he... No, he couldn't possibly know who they were. They'd been perfectly discreet.
"Look, there's obviously been some sort of misunderstanding," Rudeth began calmly, speaking to the tour guide. "We're not here to destroy anything. We just want to see the Acro...er, the temple-thing." Rudeth tried to smile.
Yeah, really wished he had his sword.
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on Sept 6, 2010 17:30:29 GMT -5
From the moment they arrived at the Acropolis, Hitomi knew there was something wrong. The entire building seemed to shimmer with magic, and while she was fully prepared for the stale magic that still clung to the building from centuries past, there was something...fresh, and very alive in the air.
She hadn't quite noticed it, not at first, but the tour guide seemed...not quite right. There was some magic touching him, something that she almost missed, because there was another something nearby that was much, much stronger. It was like trying to see through fog.
She didn't have to look to see it now. She could feel it behind her, the source of the power rippling through the air. And she recognized it, though it wasn't identical: it was the very same feeling she got when Thrall was killed...and the night her mother died. Her hand clenched tightly in Jaymie's.
She wasn't sure what made her so bold, not exactly, but she was past the point of fear.
Hitomi turned, facing the strange couple that had joined their group. Her gaze flitted back and forth between them. "You," she breathed, her eyes wide. "What are you?"
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Post by Tristan Gilespi on Sept 6, 2010 17:47:31 GMT -5
Tristan tensed and shifted quietly toward the outside edge of the group, trying to move to a more advantageous angle. Something bad was about to happen, and when it did, Tristan had every intention of getting the upper hand.
They had numbers on their side, and even if this guy was something (whatever that something was), they had the advantage of numbers. Rudeth could fight, and if it came down to it, he knew Hitomi and Aritha knew enough to hold their own. And theoretically Jaymie could do something, with the magic bird powers and all, though Tristan wasn't sure how much faith to put in that. And as for Val...well, even froofy nobles had to learn some god damn sword play, didn't they?
He waited, tensed, and more than ready to fight, should the need arise.
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Post by The Storyteller on Sept 6, 2010 19:16:47 GMT -5
For a moment no one spoke, the tour guide considered them silently with disgust. Then he knelt down and gently placed his palm flat against the ground. Slowly a pulse of light extended from his hand across the floor, spreading out like a ripple in water. As it expanded the Acropolis began to change, new stone replaced old ruin. In just a matter of moments the Acropolis was new and whole around them.
The power source was in fact not coming from the tour guide but from the woman, but this was nearly impossible to tell. The woman in the back shifted slightly, this wasn't quite playing out the way she wanted. She was good, most modern day Mages wouldn't have been able to catch her without trying, certainly no one in this group should have been able... but the black haired girl knew without effort and that was annoying. The woman liked things to be completely under her control and a mortal of all people to mess that up was slightly insufferable.
The tour guide stood again as the Acropolis stood in glory around him as if just built. "It's only right that a warrior should know the name of their opponent, I'm Alexis." He stood proudly as he said this, looking at each of them in eye. He stopped at Aritha shaking his head "Stupid girl, the Pantheon are the Gods. Why would I care about you trying to destroy ruins? I'm tempted to just let you go on plea of insanity." He looked again at the rest. "But, what are your names? We're going to do this right."
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Sept 6, 2010 19:37:26 GMT -5
Aritha rubbed her ear with her hand not currently in Rudeth's. "Okay, so I'm deaf. It happens, particularly around the louder Americans. Which name were you looking for?"
She grinned. "Since we all know Alexis is only one of the names you'd go by, if you are what you seem to be implying."
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Post by Rudeth Volkova on Sept 6, 2010 20:03:20 GMT -5
Rudeth started to speak, then thought for a split second, blinking at the tour guide. He wasn't entirely sure what possessed him to say what he did, except that it was probably the stupidest thing he'd done that day.
"Wait," he said. "Isn't Alexis a girl's name?"
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on Sept 7, 2010 20:20:43 GMT -5
Hitomi's eyes went wide as she watched the woman. She was...was she controlling him? If not, then she was at least giving him power. And that meant she had to be very powerful indeed.
She whipped around to face the tour guide, her arm tightening on Jaymie's. "What do you want with our names? Why should we trust you?"
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Post by Jaymie Elderton on Sept 7, 2010 20:42:09 GMT -5
Jaymie wrapped his arm around Hitomi's waist and squeezed her; the other, he slipped into his handbag. There wasn't much in there, but one had to make do with what one has.
"I think we should leave," he said firmly.
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Natsuritcha Uerka
Vi
She of the Puppy Eyes
The world will turn if I see it or not.
Posts: 42
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Post by Natsuritcha Uerka on Sept 8, 2010 13:55:50 GMT -5
Natsu nodded her agreement. Her eyes did not waver from the strange group leader. There was a strange buzz in the air. Natsu assumed that it was magic. Since her own "power" was not very developed she had to focus really hard just to barely feel the tingling sensation around her.
Her grip tightened on Doucan's hand. "Can we leave?" she asked quietly to no one in particular.
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Doucan Abshire
Keme
If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.
Posts: 11
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Post by Doucan Abshire on Sept 12, 2010 15:54:20 GMT -5
Doucan pulled Natsu protectively behind her and stepped backward. Sure, the suggestion to leave was a good one. If she was going to be the first one to follow it, so be it.
Doucan met the tourguide's eye with a steady green glare and turned smoothly on her heel to leave.
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Post by The Storyteller on Oct 13, 2010 23:34:36 GMT -5
Alexis laughs at their response, shaking his head he looks to the couple in the back. The man and woman look at each other and begin to change shape at the same moment…
Hitomi hears the sound of glass, not glass breaking though. It was more like the sound of wind chimes made of glass. At first it started as soft a whisper but it grew louder by the second until it was ringing so loud it filled her senses. And then everything was black around her. She can’t tell where she is, but far off there is a light. She can’t tell whether she is being moved or if something is making her walk, but she is heading towards the light. She reaches the source much faster then it seems she should have. It’s a mirror, she’s looking at herself. Then she’s startled, she realizes that whether the image changed or she was mistaken from the beginning she is looking at Hitoshi’s image. His eyes are filled with hurt and rage. He only utters a few words but they spear through her for some reason. “How could you?”
Jaymie wakes with a starts, as if out of a daydream. He’s in a fairly run down forest that for some reason smells like LA. Something in the back of his mind turns at this but it can’t reach the front. He decides this is normal. For what seems like a few minutes he hears nothing and then a scurrying sound. He looks down and sees a raccoon. He reaches for it and it runs. He doesn’t know why other then the fact that his just is, but he runs after it. He chases it for what seems like a long while and then he runs into a wall, almost literally. An actual brick wall, it’s old and crumbling, on it are beautiful murals and obscene graffiti and multiple things in between. He realizes it’s all Spanish or Mexican themed. The raccoon has stopped in front of the wall, but the he realizes it’s not a raccoon after all, it’s Aura. She turns and looks at him with such sadness it almost actually hurts. “You don’t understand it do you?” Jaymie realizes he doesn’t. It feels like some part of his mind is locked. There’s some kind of barrier, he can’t connect to her at all.
Aritha has a bad feeling. It churned in her stomach and slowed her pace, she reached out for the door in front of her. And walked into Zephyros’ room. She was shaking but she wasn’t sure why, she only knew she was terrified. She almost stopped when she saw the bathroom door closed. She didn’t WANT to keep going, but she had to, she knew that much. She reached the bathroom door faster the she wanted to. Giving it a turn she found it was unlocked, Aritha really hadn’t wanted it to be unlocked. As she opened the door she heard the soft sound of breathing. Holding her breath to the wave of the scent of blood she pulled the door open all the way. Zephyros lay on the floor, breathing in slow calculated breaths. Deep red cuts ran up his arms as scarlet spilled in to the floor… wait up his arm.. that didn’t feel right for some reason… but here it was in the sight. He didn’t seem to notice her, he just stared at the ceiling with glazed eyes. Finally he spoke. “I don’t want to die, you have to help me.” Tristan smelled something; gasoline, burning rubber, other chemicals that should be inside the car. He opens his eyes and takes it all in. He struggles for a few moments with a seat belt and staggers out of the wreckage of the car. He looked around once more and then fell to his knees and threw up. He didn’t want to look at the car anymore, he already knew somehow.. the left side and all it had carried was gone. He hears someone calling his voice, first a man, then a woman, then another woman. It’s was like an odd sort of echo. The first two voices were foggy in his memory but he knew the last. Rivienne, he looked around for her horrified that’d she would be here. He spins to look at the car and she sits on top of the wreckage, there are tears in her eyes. “Why did you let this happen?”
Doucan feels the cold of the shrine floor. She slowly moves herself in a sitting position and finds she is all alone. She gets up and starts heading out of the shrine, she’s not sure why, she just feels that she’s supposed to. Doucan blinks in the sunlight and wanders off into the thin mountain forest. She walks until she finds a stream and then begins to follow it. She knows that whatever she’s supposed to find it’s along this path. Through the wood she sees a movement of blue, not the water. There’s a girl by the water. Natsu.. she thinks to herself. Natsu looks startled, her eyes are rimmed red like she had been crying. “You followed me out here?!”
Natsu is out of breath. She feels like she’s been chasing someone or chasing after them. She looks around the shrine but she knows what she’s looking for isn’t here. She feels horrible; hurt and sick and she can’t remember why. There is a memory trying to make its way to the surface of her mind but it won’t come up. She thinks there might have been a fight but she can’t remember. Taking a breath Natsu steps outside. It’s night and there are the orange glow of fireflies… another glow as well… a blue one. She thinks that’s what she’s looking for she runs up to, that’s right, Doucan. The glowing girl makes a sound of disgust, her eyes narrow in anger. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”
Val tastes that liquid metal taste in his mouth. Some small part of himself tells him he should feel horrible, that he just committed the worst possible sin. But a bigger part of him says he can worry about that later, when he feels like it. He sees his breath in the cold night made hot by blood. The snow below his feet is red, as stain that continues to blossom out from the body still warm enough to make water of snow. He wipes his mouth on his sleeve looking down once more on the sad lifeless figure below him. He straightens his clothes and starts to walk away. He turns suddenly at the sound of shifting snow. And there he stands blood smeared across all visible skin. Val looked over the form, small and sickly in life more so in death, Étienne. He looks at Val, emotionless and says. “You killed me brother.”
Rudeth feels like he’s been hit in the chest by something large and metallic. He shoots up in his bed at Dunehelden. Breathing hard he looks around the darkness. After he calms himself down he gets quietly out of bed. He knows exactly where he needs to go and he knows why. He heads for his brother’s grave, Thrall is waiting for him and he knows that. There is not another soul in the hallway and that’s odd, almost unsettling. He realizes as he reaches the courtyard and feels the cold wet grass on his feet that he doesn’t have shoes. He makes his way across the yard to the grave. Looking around Rudeth sees nothing, he feels idiotic. Of course there’s nothing out here, why would there be? Sighing he makes his way back to the castle, back to his room, back to his bed. But there’s a slight problem. Someone’s sitting in the bed. Pale as death, and seething silent resentment Thrall turns to his brother who had just slumped back into his room. “You let me die.”
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Natsuritcha Uerka
Vi
She of the Puppy Eyes
The world will turn if I see it or not.
Posts: 42
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Post by Natsuritcha Uerka on Oct 14, 2010 13:06:28 GMT -5
Natsu froze in disbelief. She had never seen that look on Doucan's face, or at least not directed at her.
A cold chill went up her spine, it was all she could do to remain standing. Something was NOT right. Natsu took a small step forward and narrowed her eyes.
What had been fear quickly turned to anger. "Y-YOU ARE NOT DOU-CHAN!!" she screamed her small voice cracking, "DOU-CHAN DOESN'T SPEAK LIKE THAT AND SHE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT TO ME!!" On the last few words Natsu choked. She fell to the ground, her weak knees had finally given in.
Natsu's breathing began to quicken and tears spilled forth from her eyes. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER??!!" she demanded, her voice straining. She gave into the sobs and she bent over onto the ground, her blue hair cascading over her shoulders.
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Post by Hitomi Gilespi on Oct 14, 2010 14:18:43 GMT -5
Hitomi flinched, almost like she'd been physically struck. Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Hitoshi, you...you can't..."
She blinked back the tears. Something definitely wasn't right. It was like there was something clouding her mind. The feeling of magic was pressing thick around her, overwhelming her. It was too much, and it was all wrong. None of it felt like her brother.
Hitomi clenched her eyes shut and clapped her hands over her ears, like simply blocking her senses could make it go away. "Stop it!" she pleaded. Her voice was desperate, cracking. "Get out of my head!"
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Post by Jaymie Elderton on Oct 14, 2010 20:13:43 GMT -5
"Gah-"
Jaymie backed up from the wall, mind whirling but slowly, like an egg beater through half-dry concrete. "Aura?" What did I forget? he thought to himself. What's going on?
He looked down at Aura with distress written all over his face, wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say.
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Doucan Abshire
Keme
If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.
Posts: 11
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Post by Doucan Abshire on Oct 16, 2010 11:43:38 GMT -5
Doucan opened her mouth and breathed in as if to speak. Natsu looked more upset than she had ever seen her-- and Doucan knew it could only be her fault.
But what had she done?
Several long strides brought her to Natsu's side. She crouched behind her and reached out, wanting to comfort her. She brushed her hair out of her face and froze, green eyes narrowing.
Something was... different.
"Natsu," she rasped.
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Valérian Mervielle-Dion
Kitty Kat
Hold me closer, tiny dancer~
'I am cute, wounded and unloved. Give me a hug and some hot chocolate.'
Posts: 191
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Post by Valérian Mervielle-Dion on Oct 16, 2010 14:03:27 GMT -5
((I’m going to be too lazy to try to write this in French. So, out comes one of my cheats. ))
Valérian’s breath hitched, and he felt ill. Part of his mind rebelled, knowing that there was something wrong. Unlike his own death, Étienne’s had been eternal. But that part was very small, and forced back but his guilt and remorse. “Étienne, <my brother, forgive me. I… I had no knowledge…>” he pled with his brother quietly.
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Post by Aritha Bianca Kairavi on Oct 16, 2010 14:12:03 GMT -5
Aritha’s hands flew to her mouth, as the smell of blood filled her nose. Kneeling at his side, she looked him over quickly.
“Oh gods Zeph, why did you do this?” she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. Tearing her skirt with a convulsive jerk, she pulled long strips from the hem and wrapped his arms up tightly. Hot tears poured down her face as she sat, biting her lip and wondering if she’d done any good at all.
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Post by Rudeth Volkova on Oct 17, 2010 17:44:45 GMT -5
Rudeth paled. He took a step back and found himself back against the wall. He felt his throat tighten, a pricking sensation behind his eyes.
"No," he breathed. "I didn't... I swear, if there was anything I could have done, I would have--" His voice broke slightly. "I wish I could have been there. If there was anything I could have done, or...just...something."
He swallowed the lump from his throat, his eyes never leaving his brother. He tried to stave off the guilt he felt, that he'd been sleeping peacefully in the auditorium, cloaked in sweet dreams of Bianca. The sudden, horrible bitterness he'd felt when he'd woken up...the feeling that he was no longer whole... It was the worst feeling in the world, and it had never gone away.
"If there's anything I could do, or...something..." he whispered.
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Post by Tristan Gilespi on Oct 18, 2010 22:49:11 GMT -5
Tristan fell to his knees, covering his mouth with his arm to block out the fumes. They were so overwhelming that his eyes stung from it. He shook slightly, curling his hands in fists.
He couldn't remember what happened, but even so, he knew. He had been too slow. He could have saved her, but he couldn't. Just like Cassandra. Just like his father.
He blinked back moisture from his eyes and stared at the car helplessly. No matter what he did, he would never be good enough to save them.
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