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.
no subject
[No matter what anyone tells him or what he sees, Kariya won't– can't– believe that their worlds are gone. He personally doesn't care what body he's in, as long as he can fight in the War, although he doesn't know how to feel about the possibility that they'd recreated the worms, too.]
no subject
Right. Of course, you're right. How do we know he's telling the truth any more than the administrators?
[But deep down, a sick feeling churns in Diarmuid's stomach. They have no reason to believe he's telling the truth, but they have no idea if he is lying either...]
no subject
[Kariya can't quite smile himself. He doesn't know exactly what's going on. It's a bit hard for him to get his head around, and in some ways, he's glad of that.]
Berser– I mean, Lancelot, came to me, and how could that happen if our world was destroyed? I know everyone's all right. [By "everyone", he mainly means Rin, Sakura, and Aoi.]
no subject
[Diarmuid looks away from Kariya for a moment, unable to tell the man that Lancelot had told him himself that he wasn't sure if Kariya was from the same world as him, but that it didn't really matter.
However, hearing Kariya use Lancelot's given name makes Diarmuid smile slightly despite all that is going on.]
So you two have talked? He was able to find you...
no subject
[It just can't be true, that's all.
It's still strange to call him Lancelot, though it would also be strange to call him Berserker when he's not under Mad Enhancement.]
We met in the meadow. We've talked. It's strange... He's so different.
no subject
[Diarmuid probably shouldn't be letting himself be distracted from current events, but he can't help but worry about his friend.]
We talked for a bit. He seemed to want to help you. I'm sure he does seem quite different now that he's not so maddened by the Enhancement.
no subject
He wasn't pleased with me. But he hasn't been unkind. It's fine.
[Maybe he did deserve to be yelled at, somewhat. He's also still embarrassed about having been carried back to his room.]
I told him about Sakura, and he says he'll serve me here. The drain on me isn't so bad, without the enhancement. I'll just have to see the healers more often. I found someone else who can heal me.
no subject
[The words come easy since it is what they have both believed--that Kariya will be able to go back--but Diarmuid can't help but grimace slightly since it has the ring of a lie now after all they have learned.]
But why was he displeased?
And I am glad to hear he is less taxing to you without the Enhancement active. Who is the new healer you speak of? A new arrival?
no subject
[He still believes he can go back. He can't not believe it.]
I'd done something that he didn't like. Something I don't remember doing, so I must not have done it yet... [These time discrepancies could be confusing.] And he didn't like that I'd used the Mad Enhancement. And some other things.
[Kariya grows deliberately vague at the end. He knows he hasn't been a good Master, maybe as bad in his way as Diarmuid's Master. He'd only used Berserker as a tool, not thinking anything of him, only of his own goals. But then, he does tend to blame himself for things.]
No, I don't think so. Just someone I hadn't met before. He says he's an angel. [Kariya is still skeptical about God and angels, in spite of having been healed by one.]
no subject
[Then again, which all the different kinds of people he's seen in the tower so far, he isn't actually surprised.
Diarmuid brings his hand to his chin and rubs it.]
So he is from a different point in the timeline than you? That would explain why he mentioned a few things when we talked that I knew you would have mentioned if you knew of them. Hopefully, now that you know of these things you might be able to stop them. I really hope your experiences here will lead you to being a better team once you return to your world.