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Post by K on May 25, 2009 8:36:28 GMT -5
æOk, this place is getting pretty devoid of life but it appears that people are still coming so I am going to start a new 'play. There are requirements for the character to join though. First of all, the character has to be willing to travel a lot, through the universe to different planets. Second, needs to be willing to go along with it.
Joshua was traveling silently down the cobble paved road in between the tall trees. There was a look of extreme lonelieness in his eyes. Even though he looked about twenty one, in reality he was about thirty, and still had a long life ahead of him. He brushed a hand through his raven black hair and straightened his clothes, black leather with unnecesary buckles and rivets and chains, surprisingly somehow comfortable even in the warm weather. He sneezed, he hated spring but spring had started it. On his shoulder was a raven, with one golden feather, on the wing, and it appeared that he was speaking to her. Even stranger, that she was listening, maybe even speaking back. There was a clearing in the trees, manmade, and in the middle was an bar. Joshua Quickening entered, hoping to find some company before his next inevitable jump.
I beg you people, join, write, do stuff.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on May 26, 2009 3:33:29 GMT -5
The eagle glided a bit before settling lightly in a branch on a tree on the edge of the clearing. He looked over everything, his sharp eyes making everything sharper than a human's eyes could. His wing twitched, and he preened it, shaping the feathers back into line. Then he looked to the new man in the clearing, and the raven on his shoulder. The golden feather looked out of place against the bird's black feathers, but Athral had seen stranger.
Kerel ran, then ran faster, not even glancing behind to see if they were there. He knew they were there. They were always there. And they always ran faster, always quicker, always in the shadows. A bullet passed by Kerel, but it wasn't the bullets he was worried about. His armor would protect him from those. It was the thirty foot beast they owned that he was afraid of. He had seen enough good men die at the hands of that beast, and he would not go back. Pulling his facemask down over his face, Kerel stopped in the dark, endless corridor, sword drawn. He listened, slowing his breathing, waiting for them to come. A faint scuffle. A claw on stone. Skin on cement. Kerel saw the energy burst, but there was nowhere to hide from it, nothing to block the inevitable shock. It wouldn't touch his skin, but the impact would knock him out cold. Then the world turned black. The last thing Kerel saw, much to his surprise, was a bright blue sky and trees.
Athral clicked his beak and ruffled his wings when the man suddenly appeared in the clearing, but again, he had seen stranger. He returned to preening hi wings, one eye on the unconcious man, the other on the strange raven.
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K
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Post by K on May 26, 2009 5:04:31 GMT -5
Joshua had taken precisely two steps before he felt it, before he heard it. The universe, screaming, like it always did, bitching and moaning about a cheater. Somone cheated the universe, somone broke through, like he did. It was a silent scream, something only Joshua and his family could hear. It was accompanied with a sickened shiver, shuddering through the weave and folds of space, again, feeling that was a family quirk. Even though it left Joshua sickened to hear the universe's complaints, Joshua was very happy. It meant that somone had jumped. It meant that there was family around, somone else, cursed like he was. Not only that, but it was close. Very close. The raven shuffled on her perch, preened down a feather, and whispered so silently that only her human could hear. "Carefully. Do you think only Quickenings can jump?" Joshua walked out, and saw the man. There was disapointment that he was definantly a humanoid, there was much more interesting family to meet. But something was wrong, he wasn't concious nor, to Joshua it seemed, was he a Quickening. When Joshua got about two feet away, Aviana, the raven, flew down beside the man, examining. It was a good thing there weren't many people around, otherwise there ould have been trouble. He was dressed very strangely and of course appeared out of nowhere. The raven flew back to Joshua's shoulder as he bent down to feel the man's pulse.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on May 29, 2009 2:35:12 GMT -5
Athral's beak clicked, and he watched the strange beings with interest. Not wanting to be left out if the pair and the raven jumped again, Athral took his perch beside the unconcious man, watching him, examining him. The man looked about twenty, twenty two maybe, but Athral saw that under the thick stubble and the dirt and grime on the man's face. From his training in Scotland as a warrior's eagle, Athral could tell by the man's stiff knees (as signified by their popping when the man's legs twitched) that he had been crouching a lot. His clothing had a shimmer of camoflauge, now dirtied and unrecognizable. He was hiding from something, or he had been. But from what?
Everything was dark again, but he wasn't in a hallway, everything around him was just black. Kerel stood, his feet touching the solid black ground. He looked around at the nothingness that surrounded him. Then a whisper. Kerel spun, then another whisper. They were coming from everywhere, all around him. Kerel could hear the sound of scraping claws, talons ready for the hunt. Kerel ran, away from the sounds, the nightmares that had surrounded him. He could hear the claws, they were running now, following, chasing, and Kerel ran faster, but his legs wouldn't move, and he was falling, there wasn't any solid ground, he was falling through air, then he hit the bottom.
Athral screeched and his wings fluttered as he flew back from the man as he suddenly bolted upright, screaming.
Kerel looked around, his breathing heavy. All of his muscles simultaneously protested his movement. Wide-eyed, he gazed at the man and the raven before him. "Where-where am I? Who are you?" He stood suddenly, looking around at the clearing, then at the silent golden eagle. "Where are they?"
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K
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Post by K on May 30, 2009 5:33:58 GMT -5
Joshua watched the golden eagle examine the man. Was it sentient? Was it the man's...? "No, it's not." Whispered the raven, watching the eagle carefully. "He's coming around." She stated observantly. Both man and raven didn't so much as quiver at the man's violent awakening, they were prepared. Joshua walked over to the man bending to one knee to bring there faces at the same level. Joshua reached out with his mind, trying to calm the man down, to bring his breathing level. "What were you doing before you got here?" Joshua's dæmon fluttered off his shoulder, to fly in cirlces around them.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on May 30, 2009 5:49:19 GMT -5
Athral glanced at the raven when it spoke. He couldn't quite hear what it had said, but it spoke. Athral hopped closer to the man.
Kerel's breathing calmed, his heart ceasing it's fluttering pace to return to a normal pulse. He sat on the ground, knowing he was in no danger here. "I was on Earth, a scientist turned militant. I was on an ambush mission, but it failed, so I hid for days, but they found me." Kerel forced himself to stay calm. He was in no danger here. "I tried fighting them. I should have beat them, but there were too many, they never stopped coming, so I ran. I ran until my feet bled. But they never stopped. They almost caught me, but I came here. I-It could't have been Keena, there was no blue. It wasn't Anor, there was no green. So I don't know how I got here. I've teleported before, but this isn't Earth, the gravity's different. Where are we?" He looked the man in the eyes. "And why is Athral here?"
Athral looked at the man at the mention of his name. Damn humans wouldn't understand him, but the bird would, but it was flying around them. Athral hopped closer, looking at Kerel. He clicked his beak impatiently. "What?" Kerel asked, looking down. Athral held his right wing out. Then he held his left wing out with his right. Then he closed his right. "I know." Kerel said. Athral opened both wings, then clicked his beak. Kerel looked up at the raven, then nodded at Athral. "Your raven, can it translate Athral's words?" Kerel asked the man.
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K
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Post by K on May 30, 2009 7:33:35 GMT -5
Joshua listened calmly, withdrawing his mind when the man began to calm. He let the man tell his story although he had no clue what a Keena or an Anor was. Then he watched the bird, it was obviously sentient, in fact, it knew the man. How strange. Even stranger, they could communicate. The raven flew back down to Joshua after the question was asked. He knew the answer would be no. She wouldn't touch the eagle any more than she would touch the man, it would be wrong. It was a very unusual circumstance becuase normally she could interact with animals, but this one was sentient. It would be wrong. Luckily, there was another answer. "No, she can't translate him, but I can." Joshua opened the mental connection again, this time to the bird, to Athral. /You can speak to me and to Avia through your mind and if you would like, I will allow it to be possible for you to speak this to the man too/
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on May 30, 2009 8:06:41 GMT -5
Athral never flinched at the man's presence in his head. He had had more rattling around in there. But he looked up at the other man. /That sounds reasonable./ Athral said in his Scottish accented voice. /Now,/ Athral turned to Kerel, /stop blabbering on about your nightmare, I can feel it from here. And I'm here for the same reason you are. Sha'laki wants us to do something or other, and he knows you have whatever power to do it, so listen to this man. The damned Ceros aren't chasing you any more, so calm your ass down, for the Gods' sake./ Athral calmed himself, finished. He then turned to the other man. /I am content./ He said. /Now, this is Kerel, and my name is Athral. Yours?/
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K
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Post by K on May 31, 2009 11:54:21 GMT -5
As Joshua watched bemusedly as the eagle berated the man, he grimaced and flinched and Avia shuffled on her human perch. It was getting time to jump again as the curse dictated. He could hold it off much longer but the curse would begin to demand attention. Joshua and the raven made a collective sigh as the pull died down for now. "I am Joshua." He said, assuming the bird would understand him. "Please, I have to ask. Are you Quickenings?"
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Jun 1, 2009 3:22:29 GMT -5
Athral gave the man a curious look. /No, I'm not a Quickening, and neither is he. You're the cursed family, right? Even the Scots know about you./ Athral said to him. "How are you cursed?" Kerel asked, knowing full well about curses himself.
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Post by K on Jun 2, 2009 5:20:33 GMT -5
"I am cursed too never be in a familiar place. To never stay still. In about a month I will not be able to fight it's pull and I will have to leave this world and go to a new one. The only way to break the curse is tofind true love. Thats the only way any of my family has been able to stay still long enough to have children. That's why I asked if you where part of my family, I know of no other ways of jumping." Joshua sighed, he just wanted to find some family. Something he could relate to.He had over a hundred years more of lonelieness to look forward to. At least he could take Avia with him. "you have no idea how you got here? how are you going to get back?"
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Itsaki
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There is a time and a place for everything, my love, and let no one tell you different.
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Post by Itsaki on Jun 2, 2009 14:13:24 GMT -5
"I have no idea how I got here, or how I'm getting back. Maybe when you jump whatever power pulls my strings will send me off with you. I know of men who play with the destinies of others, and maybe my destiny was to be with you in your quest of restlessness." /Yes, well, beware. He has Demon DNA and he's prone to growing wings and suddenly teleporting and inhabiting inanimate objects./ Athral added. Kerel gave him a curious look. "I what?" /Oh deary. Well, I was there for that, but maybe he sent you backwards, eh?/ the bird said. /The Gods can be like that./ Athral faced Joshua. /Well, it seems as though you're going to be stuck with us for a while. I'm best as scout, he's best at stealth attacks, though he's just as well at open combat, if the need ever arises. But of course, after the Hells we've had, peace would be a reasonable thing to ask for./
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Post by K on Jun 3, 2009 21:02:08 GMT -5
Joshua luaghed. "Quest of restlessness? I want nothing more in the world than to stay still, not to move around so I think it would be the quest of love. Only true love can break the curse like most old curses. To bad it will still be passed down to my children. I doubt we will need to fight anything though. I don't stay in place long enough to get enemies so peace is likely what you'll get. Anyways, we can't do anything sitting around all day can we." joshua said with a friendly smile and he extended a hand down to help Kerel up.
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Itsaki
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Post by Itsaki on Jun 4, 2009 10:20:45 GMT -5
Kerel smiled. "Quests of love are always the best. I've never really known love, not in the traditional sense, at least." His eyes went blank for a moment, then his focus returned, and he reached out and took Joshua's hand. He lifted himself up, and Athral took the oppurtunity to land on his shoulder. Kerel looked at the eagle. "You're too big to be on my shoulder." he said. Athral mentally sighed, then fluttered a bit and landed on Kerel's head. /Better?/ Athral asked. Kerel sighed and held his arm out. Athral landed on it, and Kerel was thankful that his bracers protected him from Athral's talons. "Better." Kerel said. "So, where to?" Kerel asked the other man.
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Post by K on Jun 6, 2009 20:46:22 GMT -5
Joshua was taken aback. Where to? He had never had a destination before! Where would he go if he could choose? What would he do now that he had traveling companions? He brushed a nervous hand through his hair as the raven preened unnecesarily some. If he could go anywhere in the world he would go back home but that was impossible. Might as well just pick a random place like usual. Joshua grabbed Kerel's arm quickly and then snap the two men and the two birds vanished off of that world.
Snap, they arrived in a bustling city. Tall grey building where everywhere, some that seemed to touch the sky. There was a cacophany of sound. A mixture of mechanical sounds, occasional horns, and hundreds of people. People were everywhere, walking next to buildings on grey slabs of what seemed like rock. In the middle of the buildings was a lower black rock that the machines moved on. Vehicles with frusterated drivers.Their movement seemed entirely dependant upon lights at the corners of each line of grey slabs. The day was overcast, blocking out the sun and making the day murky. It smelled sharp, chemicals and smoke hung in the cool air. The travelers made it there without drawing too much attention to themselves, if Joshua didn't want to be seen then people would ignore him for the most part, and it worked out for his companions too. "How is this?" he asked as people complacently walked around them.
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