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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 7, 2014 4:52:10 GMT -5
"H-Hey, what the hell?!"
The woman standing beside Joe was initially taken aback when she lost her grip of him.
"That's... nice, to hear. I thought... I was the only one of us... who loved the other."
Joe's words brought a faint smile to Solaine. She heard what he said, but she didn't exactly register entirely what he said. The kind of trauma she had suffered, only parts got through to her, but what he said was an anchor. His voice, was like a lighthouse in a sea of white. Whether she was going to die remained unclear, but it seemed at least that Joe's continued presence ever so slightly restored some semblance of clarity to her.
"I don't care if you're a fantasy... your life has value to me. The most value... that's why I want you to... need you to run. Anywhere from here... back to the coast if you have to... just go."
"Sorry, but he's not going anywhere, and neither are you."
Losing grip of his hand was one thing, but the woman didn't see how it would happen again if she managed to get a grip of his torso. With the others approaching from the tower entrance, she seemed pretty confident.
"Right then, now let's see what Jack has to say abou- GAH!"
With her attention on the approach of her comrades, she didn't see Solaine, with just barely enough strength to prop herself up on one arm. With the other, she brought it forcefully around to clip the woman's knee. The punch didn't seem like much, but it caused her leg to buckle. A petty distraction, but a distraction nonetheless, as the woman fell and let go of Joe to catch herself upon hitting the ground.
"Go... NOW!"
To emphasize what she wanted, she even pushed Joe's leg with considerably less force than she used to knock down the other woman. Of course, whether or not Joe actually did was up to him, but the logical way out was clear; the gates to the complex, not a hundred feet away. And of course, right beyond that, the bustling streets and people in them. Still blissfully unaware of what was going on. As good a place as any to loose followers, though if he remained with Solaine, the other woman's friends would be on them in a matter of seconds.
Whatever their plan was didn't look good though, since they had picked up pace when Solaine knocked down their comrade.
---
"I am finished here, but as part of my obligations to the World Government, I must remain on the island. I assume your friend Jack must be busy now, but when he's available, I would like to speak to him again, if at all possible."
"Oh only just wrapping up with the hostages, that whole formal gala thing. I'm sure he'd be able to make time for you though, you are our guest after all. Only if you wish to go however, My Lord. Another short walk, it's not far from here."
Jumping to her feet to greet the warlord, his guide seemed as eager to please as ever. She realized that the cat still had not an idea as to what was going on when he assumed Jack to be busy. Of course it wasn't her place to explain to him the overall situation, but if he needed to get somewhere she could more than oblige. Of course he might have a thing or two to say, or write, but let Jack handle that.
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Post by CJ on May 8, 2014 22:37:33 GMT -5
"Do you really mean that?" Joe asked, wiping away more tears. "Solaine, you don't know how scared I've been about telling you. I..."
Was he talking about his confession about his love for her or his true nature? It could have been both. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by the woman of Vengeance, who tried to grab onto him.
In the confusion, Solaine probably wouldn't notice that Joe's leg didn't feel right. It wasn't his anymore, but a slimmer one in the same clothes.
It belonged to what appeared to be exact duplicate or twin of Solaine, though made entirely of what appeared to be mirrored glass. Her form was hard to look at directly as it constantly reflected the world around her. She wore Joe's clothes, which hung off her form and made her look drab, but she otherwise appeared beautiful, like an ice sculpture in honor of Solaine. The strands of her hair shimmered, like dew on a spider's web. Every couture of her body was replicated perfectly. But as pretty of a sight that she was, her eyes were completely dull, like a statue's. She had no irises or pupils.
She moved like Solaine, but didn't speak. Her mouth seemed closed shut. She wasn't breathing either. Crouching down, she attempted to move her hands underneath the real Solaine and lift her from the rumble. Not only did she appear like Solaine. She seemed to have her strength too. But being equal in strength to Solaine meant that Solaine herself or someone else could likely stop her. If she was successful, she'd carry her toward the gates and out to the town, intending to run to the coast.
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Post by Kyubey on May 12, 2014 1:19:50 GMT -5
Morrison flicked his tail and blinked, accepting that he may have to wait before speaking to Jack, and would probably have to wait even longer before speaking to him in private. No matter, he wasn't pressed for time. As a Warlord, he would have to stay for a while yet. May as well pace things out.
"I do not mind," he meowed. "Jack may take as much time as he pleases. For the time being, it is enough just to be able to talk with someone without using paper. It's been far too long, since I last held a real conversation. It would be over two years now, I guess."
Out of necessity, he was very good at writing, but there were nuances to spoken language that he learned to understand, but he could not convey himself, which sometimes frustrated him. Text, by itself, was not as efficient a means for subtle meanings as talking directly was. The last time he had spoken to someone who could even approach his level of intelligence was Takai of the Phantom Hawks, and even then, he had to admit that they didn't have all that much in common. As for the guide, however, there was much he wanted to learn.
"This is a good country. I can see that Sam's efforts were not wasted. And I am pleased, very pleased, to see that she is well-remembered. If only certain others I knew could have thought so highly of her... but it's nothing. While the people I've met, you included, have been helpful, I see that still I have my work cut out for me as the World Government's representative. Jack does a fine job at controlling this country, but still I will see if I can push forward some improvements. For the sake of a better quality of life for all the people in this nation."
There were many questions he wanted answers to, like the definition of a Superion, and many wrongs he wanted answered, like the changes that took place after Sam left, but all that would come in good time. For now, choosing his words seemed to be for the best, if he was to be remaining on the island for any amount of time. He knew that if he said too much, he may incriminate those who helped him, which he wouldn't dream of doing as long as it wouldn't further his own needs. Nevertheless, he hoped that he was able to convey his true intentions to the guide with the words he used. It was up in the air, for he was out of practice in speaking.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 12, 2014 2:35:28 GMT -5
A fair point, that attempting to restrain Joe or whatever it was that Joe had become, wasn't working. But the young lady wasn't a fool, and so instead, she went to restrain something she could without a doubt.
"No, Joe... what are you- EAAAUGH!"
At first Solaine was a mix of surprised and worried about what Joe was doing, and why he wasn't running. Instead though, she had any thoughts pushed from her mind by an immense pain. She was in no condition to be moved in the first place, but now she was being pulled in two different directions; towards the gates by Joe, and back towards the tower by the young woman who was much stronger than she looked. Joe could keep trying, and he may well eventually wrest control from the woman's grasp, but Solaine was hurting dearly for it.
"Oh no you don't. You're not going anywhere, silver freak. I don't know what you are, but keep pulling if you want to see how much it takes before she gets ripped in half."
All the while, her comrades were now on the scene, and would soon join in the tug of war. Some of them at least. Others took a side approach and went for Joe. Not to grab him, but she slowly neared with their arms raised, and some of their fingers started to glow.
---
"Well I am a good listener My Lord, probably why Jack keeps me around. I'm glad to be able to relieve you of any language barriers."
Talking while she walked, the guide figured that by the time she answered any questions Morrison may have had, they'd have found Jack and then the cat could take it from there. When they exited the comfy guest room which led to the princess' cell however, there was a painful pressure difference and shortness of air. At least enough that the guide collapsed to the ground in pain for a few moments till she adjusted.
"What the-"
Thankfully some fellow citizens were running about on some kind of duty, and seeing her and the cat, one stopped by to help her up again. Similar to Jack or the guide, he bore bonds of the past, broken restraining straps across his limbs and torso.
"Wh-What's going on?"
"One of the guests tried to escape, knocked out the windows of some of the floors, knocked out the pressure gradient."
This came as a bit of a shock to the guide, but her expression was indiscernible beneath her confinement mask.
"Well, they won't get far by that. Thanks anyway though."
Nodding in affirmation, the fellow caught up to the others he had been with before, the broken straps trailing behind him as he went. Knowing the situation now, the guide didn't pay much mind to all the commotion going on, and merely continued leading Morrison to where he wanted to go.
"Oh Jack doesn't control the country, he doesn't really control anything. He's more of a figurehead, the whole, Leader of the Revolution thing." with her arms bound, it was impossible to perform air quotations at his title, "People do what he asks out of respect, but he doesn't actually pull any strings. Probably a good thing he's not in charge as well, if Jack had his way, the revolution would still be going on." the guide laughed in a somewhat hollow manner at this, and the disappointment was clear to tell in her voice. It was pretty obvious that she didn't care for Jack's true colors. "As a representative from the Government of your... stature, however, we are only happy to receive you. I'm certain the governing body will welcome any and all advice you care to give, and you'll certainly be offered a position."
Hooking a corner, they entered a more main corridor, to which Morrison might recognize now. It really wasn't far, maybe just another corridor or two and a flight of stairs and they'd be there.
"I'm not stupid, My Lord. I don't know what you talked about, but you've spent enough time here I'm sure to realize that Sam isn't really celebrated in Vengeance. Not anymore at least. At the bare minimum however, if there's anything that's been held over since her passing, it's her care for the people. It may not seem apparent to you now, but the quality of life and needs of the people are about the only thing that hasn't changed in Vengeance. We just went through a revolution is all, so not everything in this country is entirely caught up, and having foreign wisdom is a great asset to the people."
At this she looked back to the cat, though as usual, whatever she was expressing was lost.
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Post by CJ on May 13, 2014 23:52:33 GMT -5
The mirror being in Joe's clothes stopped immediately, seeing she was getting nowhere without hurting or killing Solaine. She paused for a moment, keeping the same dull expression. After looking at Solaine's face with her lifeless eyes for one moment, she turned to face the authoritative woman.
In as quick as a blink of an eye, she warped and shifted from Solaine's shape to the shape of the woman standing across from her. Depending on her body type and height, her form might have fit Joe's clothing better than Solaine's did.
Stepping forward, the being aimed to place the battered Solaine in her arms. It appeared she had given up, aiming to hand over Solaine, rather than kill her in an attempt to escape with her. Idly she continued to stand by, looking as still as a statue. Her face did not move, her emotion appearing closer to a porcelain doll than anything human.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, the being's form kept shifting, taking on the appearance of several of the woman's comrades. It never was a hybrid of the two. It always took the shape of one individual person. Eventually, it settled on one form, that of Solaine's. It kept looking at her, but its thoughts were unknown.
Prospects were looking dim. If Joe had only listened to Solaine before, she would have still been captured, but he would have escaped. Now the creature he had become had no means of making it out of Vengeance and Solaine's life was at even more risk.
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Post by Kyubey on May 14, 2014 21:02:41 GMT -5
When the pressure changed, Morrison, due to being a cat, felt it, and it did have an effect on him, but due to being a Warlord, he managed to hide its effects. He observed and memorized the encounter between the guide and the other citizen, but did not comment on it. The nation of Vengeance had too many secrets already. If he focused on each of them at once, then he'd never get anywhere.
"You could have fooled me regarding Jack," he said, after the guide had finished speaking. "He may not be the one in control, but it seems to be that way from how everyone speaks of him. That's just a result of his charisma, I imagine?"
When the guide responded to the second half of Morrison's earlier statement, the cat looked directly up at her, making eye contact for the first time since they began interacting. He wasn't about to comment on the way Sam seemed to be a forbidden subject, but since the guide herself brought it up, he couldn't help but respond.
"Yes, I realized that you seem to prefer ignoring what my friend did for this nation, if it was indeed a positive change. I won't make you tell me anything you cannot say, but I do intend to find out why Sam isn't being given the acknowledgement she deserves. Out of the improvements I plan on making here, the first will be to ensure this becomes a place more fitting to what I imagine her intentions were... the living conditions of your prisoners, being amongst the adjustments."
He looked forward again, and twitched his ears.
"Forgive me if that was too forward. My own history may make me a bit biased on the subject of Vengeance, but at the same time that makes me all those more inclined to help the people here. A teacher of mine once said, that no matter how much titles change names and pass hands, no matter the number of uprisings and wars, the only true change comes when the hearts of the ordinary people are opened to it. Otherwise, no matter what name you give it, justice is still the same justice, and cruelty always goes unchanged. Being an outsider, I cannot promise the sort of change I believe you need, but I will try. But enough about that for now. You wouldn't happen to need help with the situation regarding your guests, would you? Given how hospitable you've been so far, I'd be happy to return the favor."
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 17, 2014 0:43:25 GMT -5
"That's it? This might be easier than it seemed at first."
"Still creepy as hell though, why does it keep doing that?"
"Hey guys?"
The lady and her comrades gathered round once the struggle had stopped. Some checked to see the state Solaine was in, now unconscious from the tug of war, while others examined the mirror being and other still merely conversed amongst themselves.
"Well, get a stretcher out here for this one at least."
"You think maybe if we pulled on this one, it would just follow after us?"
"Hey guys?"
Since they didn't understand the reflective person, their guess was as good as any on how to handle it. At least with Solaine, getting her to a medical ward until she was well enough to be questioned, was straightforward enough. That said though, none of them seemed particularly keen on actually touching the mirror being.
"Hey guys?"
"What?!"
"Think fast."
In all the commotion they hadn't really noticed, but one amongst them was wearing goggles. A packages dropped to the ground, and with a blinding burst of light, smoke filled the area. As of yet the effect of the smoke was unclear, but the painful flash certainly did the trick of disorienting the lot. Blindly they all tried to shout and coordinate with one another while the reason for all the mess, faring well with the goggles, darted through the group of comrades and to the mirrored individual. Reaching for a hand, they seemed intent to lead them away form the area.
"Hurry, this way!"
Whether or not anything happened as a result, they tried nonetheless.
---
"I think we treat our prisoners very well here, repeat criminals are almost unheard of in Vengeance. Unless, you mean the Princess. But you'll have an easier time of bringing Sam back to life than you will of getting Jack to change his mind on that matter. I suppose though if you convinced enough people to speak against it he wouldn't be able to stop it..."
The cat seemed to have his wits about him, or at least he wasn't a fool, that much was apparent. For all he had seen though, the guide though him to lack as much wisdom as would befit someone in his position. Then again, maybe she was underestimating him and he would bring about great change. Vengeance was the place to do it after all, and with Jack preoccupied with his plans, it was entirely possible that Morrison could do as he wished.
"To which guest situation are you referring? Because if you mean the one on everyone's mind, well... you have eyes."
By the time Morrison had finished voicing his intentions, they were walking down the corridor they had begun this whole trek in, and the left wall had large windows running its length and looking down upon the great hall. If he cared to look, Morrison would be able to see that the big formal event had all but concluded, in a not entirely amicable fashion. It looked like the guests had been rounded up, restrained, and were being corralled to who knows where by the sort of fellows that Solaine and Joe were already familiar with. Even the Celestial Dragon guests, what few of them there were, didn't seem exempt from the process. Though not tied up like the others, the various guards and soldiers brought with them had been themselves restrained or struck down, and the nobles themselves while kept separate were still being forced against their will to vacate the hall.
"Talk about perfect timing though, eh?"
Visible as well at the top of the staircase, was Jack, busy sorting out the situation with a couple of citizens like those leading the hostages. One nodded and jogged down the stairs to follow through the orders, while the other talked his ear off. This was exactly where the guide was headed though, and taking the corner, a few more seconds walk and she emerged through the doorway to the top of the staircase with Morrison in tow. They stood behind Jack and his comrade, but their arrival had not gone unnoticed.
"Have a nice tour did we? Nihil novi sub sole."
With half a smile Jack looked over his shoulder, and turned his attention to the new arrivals, the cat in particular. The fellow with him saw he had business, and as with the one before him, also made his departure down the stairs. As massive as they were, even up here, cries of anguish and shouts of anger from the captive guests could be heard as they were marched out. Jack didn't seem to mind though, and was interested in why it was that the cat returned.
"Something you need, my friend? The party has quieted down, so I can spare some time aside for our most esteemed guest."
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Post by CJ on May 18, 2014 0:35:00 GMT -5
The mirror being remained cold and still. It waited for the others to take action. Unfortunately for Solaine, it wouldn't listen to her plea. Whatever happened, it planned to follow these people wherever they went, if only to stay closer to her.
But then a bright light erupted, breaking the being's focus. The shape of it became less detailed, losing the image of Solaine before it. As soon as a hand took it, it assumed a new form: the one of the person who took them away.
As they ran, the goggle wearer would notice that the being tried to match their pace. They aimed to follow alongside them side by side, as though they was really looking into a perfect, reflective image, though marred by Joe's tattered clothing.
If the person had any distinctive features, they would likely notice the being was a reversed image, truly a mirrored copy. For now, it continued to follow them, perhaps thinking the person had also found a way to save Solaine. In the confusion, the being didn't notice whether or not she was left behind.
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Post by Kyubey on May 20, 2014 1:56:47 GMT -5
"Well, the man from before had said that one of your guests had escaped. I was merely asking if you wanted me to... oh."
Looking out at the situation that was unfolding before his eyes, Morrison understood the necessity of his being there. Jack's intentions went far beyond the borders of Vengeance itself, and it was clear that he was not about to make any friends with the higher-ups in the World Government. He was planning something, and, whether he liked it or not, now Morrison was in the center. His first thought, upon seeing the hostages, was how Sam would have felt, had she seen all this unfolding. In a sense, that did not matter, for now the situation extended far beyond Sam, but that was never true for Morrison. He knew he had to do something. Standing still was not a question, nor was the choice of being a mere observer in the affairs of the country now. But until he knew why this was happening, he could not yet take any lasting action.
Fortunately for him, now he was once again in the presence of Jack. If there was one thing that Morrison had learned from speaking with the air marshal, the princess, and the guide, it was that, undoubtedly, Jack was the man behind everything wrong with Vengeance. Having seen Celestial Dragons in captivity, Morrison knew that it was just as likely that a Warlord of the Sea could just as well be another addition to the list of hostages. That is, if he could be caught. But there was another way. Morrison was not in irons yet. That had to mean something.
I spoke to the princess and the air marshal, as you suggested, he wrote. "I will not mince any words with you. You must have known what I would learn from them, and you must have realized how that would reflect on yourself. If it wasn't for that little tour, I may have believed anything you could have told me, done anything you would have said, and never thought anything of it. Why did you want me to know? What are you planning, and why are you doing all this? I demand an explanation.
When Morrison was not writing, he was pacing about the space, looking back and forth between Jack and the area at large, as though he was looking for something. His tail was lifted high, as were his ears, a sign of alertness. Even Jack would have been able to see how wary the cat was.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 23, 2014 4:24:45 GMT -5
Pulling through the crowd, the individual led the mirrored being through the plaza before the tower and out the front gate to the masses of people beyond. It seemed the workers from back at the tower though weren't about to let them go so easily, and by the time the guide had made it across the street and led what was once Joe as well, already the people whom had captured Solaine were exiting the front gates as well and were after them.
"Whup, here they come. Quick, this way."
Rounding a corner, the guide made for an alleyway that was less crowded, and more importantly contained some sort of service hatch. Immediately she let go of the mirror entity and began the arduous task of unfastening the seal on the hatch, during which time the workers managed to locate the alleyway in question. With lots of shouting and pushing, they tried to clear the alleyway of people as they neared. Still though, the guide managed to wrest the hatch open, leading into a dark below.
"In, in quickly! Just jum- agh!"
While holding the seal open for the mirror being and gesturing towards the chasm, a beam of light scorched the air around them. It was only for a brief second, and there were screams from the people in the crowd, but the guide looked to have suffered the worst of it and looked to be in a fair amount of pain.
"Go, GO!"
Struggling to hold the hatch open, the guide more or less grabbed for the mirror entity and pushed towards the chasm. Whether or not they actually went though, several more beams ripped through the air as the workers drew nearer, and the guide was hit enough times that she was unable to hold the hatch open any longer and fell through.
---
Jack's look of curiosity turned to a smile when he read Morrison's note. Unlike the personage of Roderick before though, he didn't make an effort to stoop down to the cat's level as though they were communicating face to face. He remained standing, resolute.
"But I only suggested you talk to them about Sam, that's why you were here, no? I thought we weren't going to get any trouble from you, but you went and did some digging it looks like."
In truth there was always a risk having a warlord around, but Jack made the mistake of thinking the cat was honestly here about his friend. Tricked it would seem, and as he should have expected, Morrison only cared about discerning plots and finding information the Government wanted him to. Loyalty over friendship, as it were.
"Exitus acta probat. I can't expect you to understand what we strive to accomplish here, you haven't shared our history. Maybe if you stay awhile and watch though, you'll come to know it. We already have an audience of Kings, a Warlord is a welcome addition."
Gesturing down the vast stairs to the remnants of nobility and other important figures being marched out of the hall, Jack paused a moment to marvel at the sight for himself, almost like he had a hard time believing it was actually happening. Once he let it sink in though, he chuckled to himself, and began walking away.
"Those you talked to though, you must have gleaned something from them. Now that will not do. Every chain has its weak links though, I'll see about mending these ones post haste."
He had made it down a few steps before halting himself, looking back over his shoulder as he spoke.
"Oh, and Huxley, I've no further patience for reading and waiting for him to write everything. Act as translator if he has anything further to say. Now, enjoy your stay in Vengeance, Warlord Morrison. The celebrations have only just begun!"
With a confident smile and two fingered salute, Jake returned to his intent to see about the Air Marshall and the Princess. He hadn't gotten far yet though, so it was completely viable for Morrison to seek answers further. Jack was just busy enough, or delusional enough, that he thought what he said would satisfy what the cat wanted to know.
---
"Ugh... you there?"
It was fairly dark, the only light source being some dim amber service lights running through the service access and byways down here. The fall hadn't been far, but it seemed the guide had led the way to some sort of sub access level beneath the streets of Vengeance. Whether these tunnels led through or beneath the buildings as well remained to be seen, but at least they seemed safe. The workers had not followed them, either because they were unwilling or because they had lost track of the guide.
"I think we lost them..."
In the dim light, the guide lifted her goggles to try and see if she could make out whether or not the mirror entity had gone with her.
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Post by CJ on May 25, 2014 15:55:51 GMT -5
Just like back in the hotel, the mirror being felt like it was going through a trance. It all was happening so quickly. First they were running to the streets. Then they ended up in some alleyway. The guide was shot and just as it realized Solaine wasn't with them, it was too late. He was pushed through a dark chasm, falling to who knew where.
The place was dark and cold. To the being, it didn't matter. No situation was worse than losing Solaine. It could have been the end of the world for all it cared.
"I'm here," a voice called out. If any one were to listen nearby, it would sound like only the guide was talking.
The guide might have been surprised to see what the being had turned into in the dim light. The mirror metal was slipping away, appearing to uncover flesh and skin underneath. The mirror being was transforming into a copy of the guide. Joe's tattered suit covered the copy, saving it some embarrassment.
"Are you OK?" the being asked. "Why did you hurt yourself to save from those people? Why not Solaine? If only I hadn't tried to help her. I think I did something awful to her."
Sitting on the floor, it covered its face in ripped gloved hands. Depending what it turned into, the guide might have heard sobbing.
"The last thing I heard of her was her screams."
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 25, 2014 18:16:32 GMT -5
"Ah that's... that's good. Rarely go topside anymore, didn't want to come back empty handed."
The guide landed pretty hard but seemed much more perturbed but the injuries sustained from the laser shots. She was bleeding all over the place making quite the mess of her clothes, and her breathing was strained as she clutched at her torso. Still though she seemed at least somewhat capable of functioning and hadn't just passed out or died yet, which was probably for the best
"Nevermind me, are you alright? I'm sorry about th- whoah..."
Hearing the bombardment of questions, taking a deep breath the guide turned on her side to get a better look at the person with her. When she got a clear glimpse though she was quite startled and backed up against the wall, righting herself in the process but also causing herself some pain.
"Agh... am I seeing things? You looked all shiny a minute ago."
Slowly crawling forward, she moved closer to the double, reaching out to touch it and see if it was real. She felt skin and hair, and saw it living and breathing. In particular she tried to look at the hands, and even lifted the shirt a little as if looking for something. It might have seemed rather callous giving the double's actions and feelings, but the guide was genuinely surprised and perhaps a little disturbed. It wasn't every day that something even remotely like this happened.
"Wow, it's all there... how are you doing that, some kind of power?"
Pausing in disbelief for a moment, she moved to sit next to the double, thinking for a bit about how to properly respond. At least they were afforded the chance at a moment's peace down here, in the dim amber glow. Compared to the streets above, the tunnel was a jarring but (at least for the guide) welcome transition. Why, even the sounds of the celebrations above were drowned out by the mass of concrete and stone above them. The only sound to break the silence was the soft hum of the service lights and of course the lament of the double.
"I'm not sure how, but your friend survived a fall like that, and didn't die. The inferions got her, that's why I saved you instead, I wouldn't have been able to get her from them. Besides, you can walk just fine. But if she didn't die, then they'll take care of her. If you came from the tower, then she's important and they'll do whatever they can to save her. We can even try to get her back later, if you want..."
The guide put her arm around the double and explained the situation a little, to help them deal with the loss of their friend. Temporary loss that is, if the guide was to be believed. It took some effort at first to get over the barrier of creepiness that the guide still perceived, but rather than looking at it like some strange imitation, she tried to see it as herself having a tough time. With that in mind, she was able to act without hesitation, and tried to comfort what in many ways seemed to be herself.
"We can figure that out later, for now though we're safe down here. What's your name? Do you have a name? Mine's Sam. If you come with me, we can try and figure out what's going on."
In the dim light, the double might be able to make out a strained, but soft smile. Or the closest equivalent, with a mouthful of shark-like teeth.
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Post by CJ on May 26, 2014 1:14:28 GMT -5
(OOC: To make it easier quoting characters, I'm going to make my version's font color a different shade.)
Looking up, the being was horrified to see how injured the guide really was. How was she not screaming in agony? She reminded him of Solaine. She too was strong despite her terrible injuries. Neither of them cried, not like the being, who was barely hurt.
The guide's double blinked in confusion at the sudden question. She didn't seemed to quite get what was going on either.
"I'm not shiny anymore?" she asked, holding out her hands.
She took off one glove and her face fell to see a webbed hand form underneath it. It was long and slender, much like the guide's before her. It didn't take long for her to guess what had happened.
"Oh gosh..."
She squirmed and squeaked as the guide began to inspect her. Despite being uncomfortable with her actions, she couldn't blame the guide. After all, the being herself had committed a huge violation of the guide's privacy. It had copied everything, right when she had taken its hand in hers. Thankfully, it didn't retain any of her new injuries, but it was still a problem.
The guide asked if the transformation was some kind of power. It reminded her of what happened just moments before, when Solaine asked about Joe's abilities back in the hotel. She knew she hiding what she really was would only hurt more people. Like Solaine, the guide had made the horrible mistake of helping the being. She felt were plenty of real people worth much more worthy of rescue than her, especially since death was never a permanent consequence.
"You could say I'm the Mira- Mira- no Mi or the Mirror Mirror Fruit," she explained as she pressed her fingers together, avoiding the guide's gaze. "Whoever consumes me can order me to change into whatever they want me to be, so long as its within the ability of the user I copy. If I die, my essence is sent back to the user to be summoned forth again. According to some Grand Line encyclopedias, I've been used primarily to foil assassination attempts and prevent loneliness, though I only remember glimpses of the users I've had before my current user, Nathan. To be honest, I don't know if I am the Devil Fruit or simply a product of it. Whatever I am, I only look and feel like a real person, though I'm sure you've guessed that by now.
"Nathan gave me the prime directive to be his "brother" and pursue whatever goal I wished. That's how I ended up here, as a guest of my friend. But being so far away from him has caused some problems. I wasn't able to maintain his form in the chaos back there, so I must have latched onto whoever I could. I remember him and everything that happened before I met you though, so I'm probably still a part of him. Still, this has never happened to me. I don't know what to make of it."
The being lifted her arms and went to slap hands arms against the ground before her in frustration. However, they smacked against her chest unexpectedly, causing her face to blush bright red.
"I'm so sorry!" she squeaked. "I promise I won't take my clothes off without closing my eyes first. If there's anything you don't want me to see, please let me know. This is so awful..."
Upon hearing that Solaine would be physically safe and later possibly rescued, the being became overtly emotional. The guide's arm around her shoulder was a small comfort, but it felt like it was so much more in the weight of everything that had happened. The being went to throw her arms around her, so caught up in her relief, but she stopped and pulled away, remembering the guide's wounds. Her face continued to flush in embarrassment.
"Sam," she repeated. "That's a nice name. Nathan gave me the name, Joe. I hope you don't mind calling me that with this body. I bet this is really awkward for you. I'm sorry."
Joe's eyes went wide, seeing Sam's sharp teeth in her smile. She couldn't help but reach into her own mouth and feel the razor-like edges. She almost bit her hand in surprise from picking her finger against one. Just then, she again recalled the guide's awful injuries.
"Is there any way we can get you help? You're very strong, but I can only imagine that doesn't feel good. I still don't know why you would risk your life like that for me, but thank you for saving me."
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Post by Kyubey on May 26, 2014 19:44:42 GMT -5
Morrison stopped pacing once Jack ordered Huxley to translate for him, and remained next to the guide, to make the interpreting easier. It seemed that Jack was intent on controlling the situation. Given his position, and the number of cards he kept close to his chest, it seemed like things would stay that way for a while. Morrison didn't like it, but that didn't mean he couldn't keep playing along, not regarding his recent blunder.
"Oh, but you must understand, Jack," he called out, "It was quite hard to keep things limited to just asking about Sam, when they weren't at full liberty to talk about her. With how much they could say, they were rather helpful. You should be commending them, for I was impressed with their loyalty to you. I learned what I needed to know, nothing more."
He stayed put where he was, and innocently cocked his head to the side. He had underestimated Jack once, but that did not mean he would make the mistake again. It also did not mean that he was discouraged, or that he wouldn't continue to search until he got to the bottom of things.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on May 31, 2014 2:26:36 GMT -5
A devil power then, guess that makes more sense than not.
Sam figured there could have been worse explanations. She had never been to familiar with devil powers, but she had known people who utilized them, and she knew they were capable of strange feats. Maybe not as strange as this, but... She saw the copy become embarrassed, though she wasn't at all bothered by it, as perhaps in the past she may have been.
"It's alright, you don't have to apologize. Don't worry about it, I wouldn't want you to feel trapped in your own body. If this is who you are until you get back to... wherever you came from, then it's as much your body as it is mine. Only... you could have picked a better person to mirror."
These were strange circumstances, but Sam honestly didn't care about politeness, since she had nothing to hide. However she may have felt, she knew it was worse for the copy and that they had a lot on their mind. She didn't want to burden them any more with worries about decency, and if this was who they were stuck as (possibly indefinitely) then she didn't want them to feel like they were always tiptoeing on glass. Better they get used to it, than feel like a prisoner to their skin. There was something they did deserve to know however, and Sam reached for their side to lift up their shirt a little to explain.
"This. I don't know if you know what this is, but don't go showing it to people. Less for my sake and more for yours."
If the copy cared to look, they would see a prominent slave marking, branded into their side. Sam pointed it out, but didn't seem perturbed by it, speaking matter-of-factly. There were plenty of details about her own body which she had personal hang-ups over, but this was the only one which could bring her external harm. For that, the copy needed to know for safety's sake. Anything else it wanted to know about Sam's form, it could ask her.
"Joe you say? Well, at least there's something different about us, people will have a hard time getting 'Sam' and 'Joe' mixed up." So the copy had a name, easy to remember as well, that would be helpful. "Ah! Don't mess with them too much, they come out pretty easy. Most of the time they just fall out on their own." She had to stop herself from laughing when Joe went to mess with his teeth. Not so much out of safety concern, but if he persisted, he would end up toothless before tomorrow.
Something else she noticed, though it was hard to tell in the dim light, was that there might be more a difference to them than just names. Already it seemed clear that Joe had been exempted from the injuries she had just sustained, but his body also seemed sturdier. That is to say at least, he didn't look to have trouble breathing and he didn't have the shakes, which she did have even when she hadn't recently been shot.
"Oh I'm not strong, not at all. The Inferions, those ones after us up there, those beams they have will shoot a hole clean through you but they also burn it shut pretty well. Something to do with the lasers, they're super hot, so they cauterize the wounds just as easily as they go through. Makes a big mess at first," she pulled at her jacket to show the amount of blood, and that the stains were not getting any bigger, "but as long as they don't hit any vitals, you're good to go... I guess I got lucky."
Grabbing onto the protective bar covering of one of the service lights, Sam pulled herself to her feet, and after getting used to standing offered Joe a hand. They had lost their pursuers for now, but it would be best not to stick around so close to one of the service entrances. They wouldn't follow them down here, but they could go and get a service crew to do it in their stead. Fortunately, Sam was well familiar with the underground of Vengeance.
"Don't thank me yet, wait till we get your friend back. That's not why I saved you, but it can be what our main focus is. I've been wanting to get inside the tower for awhile now, and this is a good reason."
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"He said they weren't supposed to talk about it, but he learned what he wanted to, and said they were really loyal."
The guide relayed what the cat said, or at least the gist of it. Jack heard this and stopped for a moment, feeling his suspicions confirmed. If he found out whatever he was after, and it didn't have to do with Sam, then it was quite obvious what his intentions were.
"Well then, if you got what you wanted, I suppose you'll want to be heading back to your Government masters to give them the good news? They'll find out sooner rather than later, better they hear the full details from you I imagine. Huxley will take you to a ship then whenever you're ready to go."
Jack scratched at his neck a bit, staring at nothing in particular and lost in thought as he chuckled to himself a little. The cat was really quite clever, at least as much as any warlord might be a threat in terms of strength.
"To think though, you used Sam as an excuse to do the digging for your masters. Maybe you knew I'd respond and work to help you, but you really had me believing you cared about her. I must say I made quite the mistake underestimating you."
The cat hadn't earned Jack's respect, but he had definitely impressed the man in irons. It had been a long while since someone had outsmarted him, and he really should have seen this coming. He made the mistake though of giving the benefit of doubt to a cat.
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It had been a fairly long walk through dim access tunnels, and down service shafts. They had gone past masses of surging power cables and veritable underground rivers falling into shafts of which the bottom could not nearly be seen. All the while though Sam seemed to know her way well enough, perhaps due in part to checking the walls every so often, and pointing out subtle markings to Joe. Direction markers perhaps, but they didn't stand out enough that just anyone would notice them.
Eventually though she led the way to what appeared to be an abandoned station of an old subway line. The place was fairly dilapidated, but it still looked more liveable than anything else seen down here so far. Climbing up onto the platform, she kept low and looked around, before whispering to Joe.
"We're pretty much here, but I have to ask beforehand, how do you feel about birds?"
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