Animus NPCs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
animusnpcs) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
animus_network2013-02-27 10:06 pm
animusnpcs) wrote in animus_network2013-02-27 10:06 pm
[video]
The network comes on painfully--the terminals crackle with energy like there was some sort of wild power surge going through the Tower. Every terminal turns on at once. The display is broken at first, but slowly it stabilizes, the display just behind Zo's shoulder. White-hot energy pulses from him--it looks like he’s forced the display on somehow. Monitors flicker in and out of view in the room; it seems to be some sort of control center composed of floating screens and input devices. The room is large, making it hard to see the ends from the display, but aside from Zo there are two others in the room.
Riki looks a bit worse for wear and, as opposed to his usual stoic demeanor, has an expression approaching furious. Most of Zo's energy seems concentrated around him like a barrier, and the monitors whirl around behind RIki now, following some sort of unspoken command. The world shifts abruptly, providing a different angle on the confusing situation.
The laughter that echoes around the chamber is deep, dark and somehow primordial. There’s another figure looking exactly like Riki, but the features are twisted, the indifferent disposition morphed into a terrible smirk. From his hand a wave of dark energy smashes into the room, sending whatever was still standing flying over.
"Come now! Is this the best defense system this place has to offer to one of its grand administrators? Cowering behind a child? Well, I do suppose considering everything about this world, it should not be the least bit surprising."
He took another step.
"So tell me, how did your little ants enjoy their trip into the central throne?"
The various scattered objects freeze in place as Riki draws in his screens; the screens seem to be made of the air itself, or something similar, and he alters and pulls at them as easily as if they were tied to him by a thousand strings. "Not your business," he growls. Another swipe of his screens and the objects morph, shifting into swords that fly at the false Riki. "Stop wearing my face."
Zo shrinks back against the wall. His barriers don’t fall, but he obviously doesn't enjoy the violence taking place.
"Not my business? I am darkness that makes up the Collective Unconsciousness! My primary sources of power, the three poisons that make up life, Anger, Ignorance and Vengeance are ripe in this world!"
Nyarlathotep raises his other hand and catches the swords, looking almost bored.
"Humans are strange...I came here because of the despair that fills every orifice of this tower...the desire for all of you to put an end to this, and now you would try to whisk me away?"
The swords melt into a puddle of metal on the floor, and suddenly he is besides Zo, trying to violently push him away.
Zo shrieks, clearly terrified, but his barriers cover him as they cover Riki, and they crackle with raw energy in their owner’s defense. Riki alters something on his screens and the metal rises up, forming itself into some sort of great mercurial beast that lunges at Nyarlathotep. "Leave the kid out've it, you attacked me first."
"Hahaha! What’s this? Feeling sentimental about another?" Nyarlathotep had barely even flinched from touching the other. "But is not your personal interest simply tied to the tower itself? I suppose even a monkey will brand its tools when backed in a corner..."
At his turn, the giant creature is lit aflame, crying out as the fire causes the skin to bubble, crack and expand. Soon it has enlarged into strands of burned mercury before a slap from the other Riki makes it fall into dust.
"Ha ha ha! Do you not know where the term, 'mad as a hatter' comes from? I've given humanity much fun with that element!"
At his turn, he summons forth a demon, as it moves forward, casting a spell in an attempt to poison both of the tower residents.
Zo flinches at the monster, but steps forward nonetheless--or rather leaps in a burst of childish energy. "Stop--stop it! Stop it!"
The screen turns white and crackles--it’s barely possible to make out the figures, let alone what’s going on, but whatever Zo's done tears the demon into six or seven pieces. Then the light gets brighter--there’s a different sort of crackle. It sounds like the monitor itself is breaking, because it is. The screen warps and fills with static before the video cuts out completely.
They can hear the battle still going on, however, Nyarlathotep speaking for one final time.
"Hmph! Regardless of how much you struggle, the end will be the same! Just like the worlds of the disembodied souls you siphon into recycled bodies over and over, this one will also meet its end! Now the question is, how much are you willing to risk?"
Another explosion cracks apart what sound remains. The feed cuts out.
Riki looks a bit worse for wear and, as opposed to his usual stoic demeanor, has an expression approaching furious. Most of Zo's energy seems concentrated around him like a barrier, and the monitors whirl around behind RIki now, following some sort of unspoken command. The world shifts abruptly, providing a different angle on the confusing situation.
The laughter that echoes around the chamber is deep, dark and somehow primordial. There’s another figure looking exactly like Riki, but the features are twisted, the indifferent disposition morphed into a terrible smirk. From his hand a wave of dark energy smashes into the room, sending whatever was still standing flying over.
"Come now! Is this the best defense system this place has to offer to one of its grand administrators? Cowering behind a child? Well, I do suppose considering everything about this world, it should not be the least bit surprising."
He took another step.
"So tell me, how did your little ants enjoy their trip into the central throne?"
The various scattered objects freeze in place as Riki draws in his screens; the screens seem to be made of the air itself, or something similar, and he alters and pulls at them as easily as if they were tied to him by a thousand strings. "Not your business," he growls. Another swipe of his screens and the objects morph, shifting into swords that fly at the false Riki. "Stop wearing my face."
Zo shrinks back against the wall. His barriers don’t fall, but he obviously doesn't enjoy the violence taking place.
"Not my business? I am darkness that makes up the Collective Unconsciousness! My primary sources of power, the three poisons that make up life, Anger, Ignorance and Vengeance are ripe in this world!"
Nyarlathotep raises his other hand and catches the swords, looking almost bored.
"Humans are strange...I came here because of the despair that fills every orifice of this tower...the desire for all of you to put an end to this, and now you would try to whisk me away?"
The swords melt into a puddle of metal on the floor, and suddenly he is besides Zo, trying to violently push him away.
Zo shrieks, clearly terrified, but his barriers cover him as they cover Riki, and they crackle with raw energy in their owner’s defense. Riki alters something on his screens and the metal rises up, forming itself into some sort of great mercurial beast that lunges at Nyarlathotep. "Leave the kid out've it, you attacked me first."
"Hahaha! What’s this? Feeling sentimental about another?" Nyarlathotep had barely even flinched from touching the other. "But is not your personal interest simply tied to the tower itself? I suppose even a monkey will brand its tools when backed in a corner..."
At his turn, the giant creature is lit aflame, crying out as the fire causes the skin to bubble, crack and expand. Soon it has enlarged into strands of burned mercury before a slap from the other Riki makes it fall into dust.
"Ha ha ha! Do you not know where the term, 'mad as a hatter' comes from? I've given humanity much fun with that element!"
At his turn, he summons forth a demon, as it moves forward, casting a spell in an attempt to poison both of the tower residents.
Zo flinches at the monster, but steps forward nonetheless--or rather leaps in a burst of childish energy. "Stop--stop it! Stop it!"
The screen turns white and crackles--it’s barely possible to make out the figures, let alone what’s going on, but whatever Zo's done tears the demon into six or seven pieces. Then the light gets brighter--there’s a different sort of crackle. It sounds like the monitor itself is breaking, because it is. The screen warps and fills with static before the video cuts out completely.
They can hear the battle still going on, however, Nyarlathotep speaking for one final time.
"Hmph! Regardless of how much you struggle, the end will be the same! Just like the worlds of the disembodied souls you siphon into recycled bodies over and over, this one will also meet its end! Now the question is, how much are you willing to risk?"
Another explosion cracks apart what sound remains. The feed cuts out.
[perma-action!]
Sure, Zo was dangerous - or at least he seemed to be to her. But he was a child... Sheba finds herself in front of the admin elevator not too long after Enoch's fallen to his knees. She looks a little surprised to see him, but shakes her head and lets a determined expression settle on her face.]
There has to be some way to get in there...
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If it was as easy as trying to follow retrieval units in, everyone would have done it... If only they had the capacity to understand it if we told them we wanted to help...
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I don't think I've ever really seen them speak... or do anything other than... [Her voice trails off. She is not going there.] Maybe if there were a way for us to play dead? They'd take us down and - no, that would never work. If we showed signs of life down there they'd just...
[She scowls and crosses her arms over her chest.]
This is frustrating! There has to be something we can do.
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*Enoch sighs and feebly tries wedging the doors open again, but it's clear he knows it won't work.*
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[She frowns and narrows her eyes at the elevator doors, very clearly displeased. Why wouldn't they open? Something was happening to the Administrators - the needed help...
Though she couldn't blame them, not really. If she were in their place, she'd be more inclined to think the residents of the Tower would only take the elevator down to help Nyarlathotep finish them off, not to assist them.]
What are we supposed to do...? We can't just sit here while something's...! [She makes a noise of aggravation in the back of her throat. None of the spells she knows would be any good for trying to force open that door...]
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*He grabs a worker unit's arm as it passes them from replacing some sheets in the bedrooms.*
We need to get down there and help them!
*He gets a standard "entry to this elevator is prohibited for residents" response, naturally, and Enoch lets the worker unit go with an irritated sigh, slamming his palm into the elevator door in frustration.*
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[Sheba grumbles as the worker unit wanders away, having been released by Enoch. Her expression is clearly one of irritation - if Enoch hadn't already hit the door, she might have done it herself. Instead, she crosses her arms and glares at the door.]
Why is there only an elevator that goes down? Why aren't there stairs, too? If something happened to it they'd be trapped down there... Aren't they supposed to be a little too smart to leave themselves in that situation?
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*But that reliance on their powers is exactly what's keeping them from helping out...*
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[Argh! Why couldn't they just bust down there and - but no. They'd probably end up getting themselves killed, too...
There had to be something they could do...]
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*The only way he can think of to get down there is through death - but it's as he already noticed. It would take too long to be fighting fit. It would put him down there, but in no condition to fight...*
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[Protecting the tower... that could be it. Jason was cruel, but Riki? Zo? She hadn't gotten anything outwardly threatening from them, except for Zo's mental defenses that had incapacitated her... but she'd started that.
This past month had been a "Ruana month," from what she'd heard. Riki and Zo, who were the ones they'd seen fighting Nyarlathotep, hadn't been the ones in charge of the games...]
That's so stupid of them! There's so many people in the Tower that if we all worked together with them, that thing wouldn't stand a chance! What if they get seriously hurt by that thing?! What are we supposed to do then?
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no subject