Animus NPCs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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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
Are you suggesting it happened as I was transitioning back and since there was nothing to stop it, we just rejoined with no filter?
[He's not sure at the moment what terrifies him more. The fact that explanation would be another piece of proof that their worlds are gone or that he might actually be the real Diarmuid.
The real thing...he couldn't be this much of a failure. Could he?]
no subject
I don't know. I never transitioned. But it could have happened. Something like trying to pull out a Servant, but pulling the actual soul along with the copy's form. And since the real soul doesn't have any memories for that period of time, it just joined back in with the Servant's memories.
[There's a thousand thoughts about his world being gone and him being a failure and Ayaka being dead...but he's in too much shock to feel any sort of grief over them.]
no subject
I don't know if I can handle thinking about this right now. I can't be him! I'm too much of a failure!
[His voice suddenly becomes very small and very soft.]
Can it be I was such a flawed copy that merging with him messed him up this badly?
[There are tears in his eyes at the thought of having destroyed such a noble soul.]
no subject
[Lancer's voice is just as soft.]
Not any more than I did. Remember what I told you about my Master? About how she died because of my mistakes?
[Even more than that, she had died at his hands.]
no subject
[Diarmuid nods, closing his eyes for a moment to try and find his center--his focus. Finally, after a few moments, he speaks.]
But...we can't focus on those things, can we? If we do, we'll completely break down. That is what they want...
no subject
Sure...let's forget it for now. Hey, you wanna go check out the bar floor or something?
[Because the best way to deal with all this is to drink yourself silly, right?]
no subject
Now he needs to do something before his mind just breaks.]
Yeah, lets do it. I don't want to think for a little while.
no subject
[
Alcohol poisoning and hangovers optional]