Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Advantageous Twist: Where His Loyalties Lie

He unlocked the dungeon door to see the pale, skinny, blonde man inside lying on his back, legs up against the wall so that it looked like he was sitting in a way that defied gravity, or would if his back wasn't on the floor anyway. The pale man craned his neck to see through the open door and smiled.
"Mr Motionless, get up."
Motionless rolled onto his side and picked himself up, beaming. "Hello Mr Twist. I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been? How are the others? Haven't seen them in a while either."
Twist's phone dinged as a text came through. He read it then groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mr Vehemence is dead. As are Miss True and Mr Shadow."
Motionless frowned. "Oh...that sucks..."
Twist continued to read. "...A man named McMooney wants you to...ah...McMooney..."
"Who? What does he want?"
"McMooney is my brother. He works for the sanctuary. Apparently now that the Grand Mage is out of there, they want to send in some vampires...he knows about you..."
"Oh, Zeus McMooney?"
Twist glared at him and gave a slow nod. "You've met him?"
"He was the one who turned me."
The smaller man sighed and looked up at the vampire curiously. "How come people always hide the fact they're vampires from me so well? I never knew Zeus was. I didn't know you were until I saw you tear your own bloody skin off less than a goddamn year ago..."
Motionless shrugged. "Now that the Grand Mage is out of where?"
"What?"
"You said 'now that the Grand Mage is out of there, they want to send in some vampires.'"
"Oh...yeah...Mevolent's castle."
"He's back then, is he?"
Twist nodded. Motionless continued. "Is it a suicide mission?"
"I don't know. I just know it means killing Abby and Esra...and that I haven't trusted McMooney for a long time, Erin. You shouldn't trust him either."
"I don't. I've met him, remember?...Didn't know you had a brother...where're your glasses, Mr Twist? Rachel asked me out last week..."
This made Advantageous stop. "You said no, right?"
"Yeah, I said no. Then I told her I was a vampire and she went to hide in her room. You can go lecture her about it if you want."
"I sure as hell will..." They petered out into silence as they walked. Twist was thinking and Erin Hades Motionless was fiddling with something. The thoughts turned to a crisis. Help Zeus and the Sanctuary knowing that Mevolent planned to destroy the world or stay loyal to his closest friend? His friend didn't want the Faceless Ones back, even if Abla did, but Zeus' plan would mean possibly the death of all three of his remaining friends. He couldn't give Erin to that cause. Erin followed Advantageous like a loyal puppy, it was all up to him to decide what happened. If he agreed to let Erin go destroy Mevolent's castle, he would be signing his death warrant, not to mention the fact that any stray vampires would mean utter disaster...

-----

Arachne settled down in her bed, trying to stop herself from crying. Her little girl was being taken to God knows where. For all she knew, the ruthless Lilia had killed her. Esra had purposely done a poor job on healing her and she would get him for that later. As she drifted off to sleep, a happy thought arrived. She would not need to complete Daemon's task now that Scaroe was a basic prisoner.

A man waited for her atop a hill. The grass was brown and dry. She walked towards him, barefoot. She caught her reflection in a lake. Her glasses were gone and she was in a long, white cotton nightdress. NOT what she had gone to bed in. The man smiled as she approached. He was blonde, tan, his face dusted with freckles, his eyes blue. His grin showed his braces glinting in the dim sun. "Hello, Arachne." He was Australian.
"...Dearth?"
"Dearth Damon-Dacey at your service."
"Ew...why would I dream about you?"
"You know what they say; when someone appears in your dreams, it means they're thinking about you."
"I'm surprised you could remember that."
"...remember what?"
"That's better."
"Hang on...I need a moment to remember why I'm here..." Arachne sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. You're thinking there's no point in completing Daemon's...challenge."
"There isn't. I have no beef with Vile, Serpine or Vengeous."
"Oh?" He scuffed his foot on the floor and his grin widened. "What if I told you...that one of them ordered whatsherface to stop whatshisface giving you your kid back?" The words seemed to echo.
"Which one?"
"I...I don't know...can't remember...uh...I know this is important..." then he began to fade away and she was awake again.

-----

Amadeus waited outside the operating theatre back at the Sanctuary. The fighting was over now, but he had been here since he had dragged Memphis in. He refused to move from that spot. Memphis and Bernard were pretty much the only people he still had in his life, except his mother. He also refused to be the one to talk to River if she turned up, which she did.

Bernard was sort of throwing a tantrum. He was in the main reception area and his most recent actions as administrator had been to scatter all papers from the desk to the floor with a scream and to knock the computer monitor to the floor. He started tipping desks and chairs until someone came up behind him and pinned him to the floor. He thrashed and lashed out kick after kick, and some of them made contact, but the other man didn't let him up. Finally he calmed down and the man stood. It was the blonde made who had been at Isaac's funeral. Edsel or something. "If the elders see you behaving like that, you'll get your stupid ass fired."
"I don't care."
Ed shook his head. "You're an idiot, Sult." He helped him up and set to work cleaning up the mess he'd made. "I think there's a chance we can blame this on Mevolent's lot."
"Get lost."
"Screw you. Cleaning things is my job, remember?"
Someone cleared their throat. Bernard left the janitor alone and cursed himself inside. River was standing there, Jaime in his buggy behind her. "I'm looking for Memphis..."
"...Uh..."
"He said he would ring before he came back, but...I had to leave the house...it got too dangerous..."
"Uh...um..."
She frowned. "Bernard? Where is he?" Her voice shook. She was terrified.
"Medical bay."
"He...he's alive?"
"...for now..." He met her eyes and instantly wished he hadn't. "Oh, River no! Don't cry!" He went over and hesitated slightly before hugging her. Someone else's arms joined the hug and Mel joined Bernard's attempts to calm their friend.

-----

He had managed to get out of the Sanctuary with a cry of 'I know where the Grand Mage is' after he had received the call from Mist and Ravel. Somehow he had talked and barged his way out of the Sanctuary and into his van. Unfortunately, this left the building unguarded and the country without governing. He didn't care.

The journey took longer than expected. He got lost twice. Finally he pulled up outside the right hotel and activated his façade. He could see a young couple alone in the lobby. They were kissing quite passionately. He looked away before thinking he had seen something familiar in one of those two. He looked back and realised he was looking at Ravel and Mist. "...Oh my God...they've lost their minds..."

Aoife returned to her post at reception and watched the two enviously. They broke apart and 'Anne' apologised while 'Niall' began hunting for the money to pay for their stay. A bald man walked in and waited by the doors, leaning against the wall and watching the two with a frown. 'Niall' acknowledged his presence with a polite nod before handing over payment and they left with the man.

Ghastly was quiet during the walk up to the van, helping to support Erskine. Both his fellow elders were put in the back of the van where they would not be seen, just in case. "Mist is asleep." Ravel mumbled after a while.
"You two haven't been kissing back there, have you?"
"...No...whatever gave you that im-"
"Nothing, nothing...just, if you're together, don't bother trying to hide it, I saw you two in the hotel before the receptionist came back..."
"Oh...yeah...I like her."
"So I've seen."
"I'm tired."
"You look pretty worse for wear."
"That's what happens when you get tortured."

-----

Lilia opened the doors to the Midnight Hotel and took a deep breath, as though savouring the air in the lobby. Reckless was asleep and Lilia sat her against the reception desk and waited. When Anton arrived, he was not happy to see her. "You didn't have to be so sneaky last time you stayed."
"I was worried my previous stunt had gotten me in trouble."
"I'm willing to give second chances."
"That's goo. I need a favour."
"I don't do favours for you."
"Not just for me. For Mandy and the Grand Mage, because he used to be your friend, and..." He frowned and began drumming his fingers on the desk. "Uh...I was instructed to bring this here..." She picked Reckless back up and Shudder's eyes widened.
"Is she yours?"
"No...taken from Mevolent's castle...her name is Reckless Erratic...or Faine..."
"This is a hotel, not a daycare."
"It'll only be temporary...for a very short time, I swear." She lied. Anton thought about it, looking like he was coming round but still hated the idea.
"Okay, but don't make it too long. I'm not a babysitter."
"Okay, thanks! I'm told she can dress herself. I've left a case of stuff that should fit her by the front door and you should really only worry about keeping her fed. She's quite independent as far as six-year-olds go. Oh, she'll probably be quite hungry when she wakes up." She walked out without another word, humming to herself. Anton groaned internally and looked down at the sleeping child now lying across the desk.

-----

Dearth's eyes flickered open and a serene smile crossed his features.
"Did'ja do it?" Harrison asked almost immediately.
"Do what?"
Scaramouch rolled his eyes. "The thing...the thing with Arachne..."
"Yeah, that really helps." Kitty moaned.
Dearth thought for a moment. "Oh, that thing! Yes, yes I did."

Hibernia sighed. She hadn't slept in her own bed for a long time. She was either at the bunker or what currently served as Scaramouch's home all the time. Either way she was always at Fred's pub. Today she wasn't at the pub. Today she was walking by the seaside. She wasn't by herself. Van Dreg was beside her, his podgy hand doing an amazingly good job at keeping her hand warm. "I like it here at night." She stated suddenly. "The moon always looks so big and the way it shines on the water is just so..."
"You've been acting a little odd recently." He mused.
"I'm late." She stated simply, pulling her hand away and quickening her pace. He tried to match it.
"Late for what? Bernie, late for what?" She stayed silent and it dawned on him. "...Oh jeez..."
"I could be wrong...but what if I'm not?"
He shrugged. "We can work something out, I guess..."
"No we can't. If I'm right, I'm screwed. We're screwed!"
He came up behind her and hugged her, trying to calm her down before she could start screaming.

((...for once I didn't finish it before dinner...*shockhorror*...I don't think I'm very good with Ghastly's personality yet, it'll take a little more research...Scaramouch I can't do much about and there is a lot open to imagination...I can work with characters left to imagination...I think I captured Anton's personality well...What do you guys think? How'd I do this time round?))

4 comments:

  1. Oooooo I wonder why she's about to scream?
    *grabes B-J and shakes her* I MUST READ MORE!!!
    *coughts* sorry I just want to know what's she's so worked up about! And if vampires do come into Mevolent's castle can I kill them? I really nead a good fight scean and I have no real ideas! So yeah.
    But yes do keep writing!!!

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    Replies
    1. If that happens, I'll let you kill Erin Motionless...Zeus McMooney is currently reserved for Jasmin and co...man, I seem to be killing off Sunshine's crew pretty quickly...if Motionless goes, that'll make three of the 7(?) left...

      ...Last I checked, Mistical was going after Ghastly, wasn't she? Unless I'm getting confused with someone else's piece or I misread/misinterpreted it...

      Don't shake me, that can cause brain damageamageamage.

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    2. Yea she was sort of going after him I just havn't gotten around to writing the next part.

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  2. Oh and I think you did a good job of Ghastly!

    ReplyDelete