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Post by Jo on Aug 2, 2008 20:03:14 GMT -5
She stared at him for several moments. A small breeze latched onto her hair whisping it, flowing almost like it was in water. For the most part her face was fairly neutral but it had a subtle image of sorrow. The songstress turned away and sighed. Men so undoubtably stubborn.
Harle walked back to their encampment.
' Funny that his father and much of the country used to hunt wolves, many of the creatures threatened animal stock' she thought wryly.
She was half way to the camp before turning around to stare at the dim landscape.
"It is all that is left unsaid upon which tragedies are built".
She whispered these words into the dying winds and returned to meet her other two companions.
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Post by B on Aug 2, 2008 22:48:50 GMT -5
Atton sat back down quietly looking at the stream. When about 20 minutes passed Atton returned to the others who seemed to be finished now. "Alright, we don't have a long way now. Lets make haste." he said and mounted his horse. He had the same personality as yesterday, the eager and respectful personality. When everyone was ready they set off.
They didn't speak much on the way. Before long they came to a cracked gate, behind it the remains of a carcass what was known as a town. The sun was about mid way now. "So it's true. Amose is as dead as the dirt." Atton road cautiously in, a dead body was to his left, it was rotton and the stench of the whole town was unbearable. "It's hard to believe this whole town is vacant, there must be someone here." Atton said, almost to himself.
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Post by D on Aug 3, 2008 0:17:03 GMT -5
"Well..." Innvas suddenly said from behind the group. He took his hood off and nodded his head when they turned. "Well..." He repeated and then he approached them. "Well...Hello, hello! Nice group of you thinking of going through this village!" He looked at them once and then he counted with his gloved fingers. "Four and three...and the thing that man over there..." Innvas pointed to Dario and then looked back at his hands. "...is sitting on. So that makes...one, two, four, five, seven, eight! Ah, yes...Eight! Turn it side ways and that makes the sign of infinity! Like the laughing demons of this village, but I don't think you'd be able to hear them..."
Innvas clapped his hands and walked passed the prince's horse. He stopped in front of them and then he turned to the village. "Oh! They laugh and laugh and laugh. You know... after they die, the dead never cease their laughter." He looked over his shoulder and then he turned to face them again. "Unless you've been near Blood Red Laughter and survived, I don't think you'd understand it. But...Well,well,well...I suppose I can give you a few rules if you are to get through this god awful place."
"Numero uno! Do not chuckle. Two. Do not smile. And the last, and most important, do not laugh. They say that if you laugh...you shall die." Innvas picked up a stick and then poked the body. "Hold on!" He held out a finger and then poked the body hard enough so it would roll over and show the face. "See? He's smiling the same crazed smile as all the other dead people...Oh! I have another rule! If you hear something along the lines of laugh ha, ha. He, he, he. Come on and get silly. And laugh with me... Don't listen to them. Don't laugh and you'll be just fine!"
He nodded his head and then turned around again. "Well..." He crossed his arms and looked out at the remains of Amose. "Well..." Innvas repeated it. "Well...I'm off then. Those small pieces of information should be enough for your princeliness," He nodded his head. "...your beautiful-ness," Another nod. "...your soldier-ness," He saluted the soldier. "and your..." Innvas paused and tilted his head. "Well...Well...Well, I'm not sure what to call you, but I do smell something other than the smell of death!" He took sniff of the air and raised his finger. "I smell cooked wolf! Aha! I know what to call you! Your wolf eater-ness!" He paused and then clapped his hands together. "And your wolf eater-ness..." At Dario, he rubbed his stomach. "I've never tried wolf before. Was it good? I never tried killing one of those... great animals they are...and my companion is against the killing of them."
The man stopped speaking for a while, but then he looked down at his wrist. "Shoot." He said. "Well I ought to be going now... I might be late for the Titanic's flight around the world..." Innvas pointed up to the skies. "Titanic's the big airship that just finished being built... Oh how great its voyage shall be... It's suppose to be an escape from the sickness, but I'm only going to see it for a bit. Oh, I can't wait! It shall be wonderful!" He stopped and noticed that he was going off again. The man sighed and tapped his wrist. "Well...Well...Well, it was nice meeting you four, and you other three, and you thing under his wolf eater-ness, but unfortunately, I have go. Be careful, do not laugh, and do not die!" Innvas waved his hand and then he walked into an alley. He checked over his shoulder and then he opened his mouth to say a spell. "Hope those four, and the three, and the thing do not come...Nice group indeed..." He paused and listened to something. "I'd rather travel with you Auvyon. Nice group, but I am not one for traveling in a large group..." He paused again. "Eight things. 4 people, three horses, and one thing. That makes eight... Grr...Shut up Auvyon."
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Post by Turn 360 and walk away on Aug 3, 2008 4:33:46 GMT -5
"...Be careful, do not laugh, and do not die!" Dario looked towards the speaker as he walked off, rambling about an airship and counting them, again. The stench within the gates was putrid, smelling of copper and bile. The further he rode in, the worse it grew. No more than five steps in, he took a swath of cloth and covered his nose and mouth. A man in a great bird's mask lay on the ground, a sac of bloody mess. the herbs and spices inside his "beak" were spilled across the ground and spotty. Splotches of wine-colored jelly clung to every wall and window. Here and there were townspeople who chose to take their own life instead of risking it to infection. fastened to a door fluttered a piece of paper longing for freedom. Dario took hold of it and read. It was prayers scrawled out and hung up to ward away the sickness. A lot of damn help that was. Echoing through the streets and valleys was nothing but the sound of hooves trampling cobblestone, and occasionally, a small guffaw, or a chuckle, or, even rarer, the sound of a living man's voice. Dario looked around at his party. The songstress still in her elegant wear, and the Prince, still not making eye contact with him. The newcomer, also far overdressed for the occasion, rode along, seemingly unaware of how you can't ever remove blood stains. As he neared the heart of the village, the coagulated remains began to form a single, wafer-thin sheet across the street, and Kinrii had trouble standing, let alone walking in the slick, gelatinous ooze. In the center was a stone alter under a small, though still impressively shiny, bell. Dario hopped off the horse and slowly shuffled to the place of worship, and started studying the inscriptions.
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Post by B on Aug 15, 2008 21:55:06 GMT -5
Atton listened to this new person's ramble. A few times Atton opened his mouth to say something but no interruption to this newcomer came. When Atton thought the person was nearing the end he opened his mouth to speak but the person turned. "Wait." Atton demanded but the person didn't seem to listen. Atton wouldn't follow after rather stay with the group. The road to about mid-town where Dario stopped to inspect something. The others seemed to be interested in what Dario was interested in but Atton paid no mind, he wanted to search around while they inspected that so he did. A minute or two passed and he was alone. He descended from his horse and continued on foot, pulling the mare along. He could hear laughing, not physical laughing, it was coming from his head in the form of a child. The laughing was loud and hysterical, that of a little girl. He didn't know why he was thinking of this, it just popped into his head at random as he was walking. This was an eerie place indeed and Atton was nowhere close to a smile, let alone a laugh.
(Trying to keep this going...)
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Post by D on Aug 15, 2008 23:35:45 GMT -5
Once again, the man opened his mouth to say the spell again, but then it struck him. He closed his mouth and turned to the direction he had just come from. Innvas placed a finger on his chin and frowned. He had forgotten something, but what was it? He thought for a moment and when he realized what it was, he raised his finger into the air. “Yes, yes! I know it now!” His wolf eater-ness never answered his question about wolf meat. “Unbelievable!” Innvas shook his head. “What if I eat the meat on the Titanic and make a disgusted face while in front of those ‘high class’ people… Oh… Well, well, well, that would be terrible! I can just imagine my embarrassment now!”
Innvas shook his head again and retraced his steps back to where he had met the group, but when he got there, he noticed that they were all gone. “The Gods! They can’t even stay put! What a group…” He sighed and decided that he would search for one of them. “Well… if his wolf eater-ness ate some wolf meat, I’m sure that the others could have eaten some as well…” Innvas then began his walk around.
At first, he found nothing, but after a little bit more walking, he finally found someone. “Ah, your princeliness!” He called out to the man dragging his horse. “I have a question, relating to wolves… and their meat.” He mentally grinned and then approached the prince, but stopped when he noticed the prince’s expression. “Ah… so you hear them now? I never thought that someone like you would be able to hear one of them laughing…”
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Post by B on Aug 15, 2008 23:56:59 GMT -5
The prince stood there for a few and looked around him. The laughing continued but in no general direction. It was as he thought, it wasn't real but in his head. Suddenly someone spoke, breaking through the laughs. The prince turned to see that man they met not long ago. "You." He said casually. The man went on to ask about wolves and the prince's expression changed into disdain for a mere second. The laughing broke through again and Atton's eyes wandered past the man as if he were looking for something that isn't there. The man went on to say that he could hear the laughing. Atton nodded. "It's like it's not physical. I can sense it, not really hear it but think it. The departed must be attempting to intimidate me." Atton turned to the guy trying to put past the subject. "Before you ask any questions or leave, I want to talk to you." He said and took a step forward. "First of all, what do you mean by 'someone like you'? Also you seem to know a lot about what this is, I want your cooperation in telling me why you're here and what you know." Atton demanded.
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Post by D on Aug 16, 2008 0:26:22 GMT -5
“I prefer Innvas over ‘you,’ or even Doctor…” He paused. "Oh! Even better! Doctor Tornique! Ah! That’s sounds absolutely good!” Then the prince talked about the laughter and at first Innvas nodded, but as the prince continued, he shook his head. “It’s almost real… You can hear it and such, but it isn’t there, correct? Well, well, well, your princeliness, they aren’t trying to intimidate you. They are trying to spread the laughter…” He paused and watched the prince turn around. “…Trying to spread the death. Do not laugh, smile, giggle, chuckle…Why? You’ll get sick of it…”
Innvas scratched the cloth over his chin sighed. “This cloth gets in my way sometimes… It tingles… Ah, probably not the word to use, but I always loved that word. Ah, tingles… tingling tingly tingles… Aha, such a wonderful word.” He stopped scratching. “Aha! Almost as wonderful as the Titanic! Have I ever told you about how beautiful that airship shall be? It shall be gorgeous! The biggest airship there is! Flying nicely through the skies… Oh… dear… I might miss my flight…”
He turned to leave again, but then the prince stopped him. “Talk to me? Now why would you talk to me? Of all the people, you could be talking to his wolf eater-ness, her beautiful-ness, or her soldier-ness… What could I--” Innvas was suddenly interrupted by the prince and he frowned. “You, sir… You are quite rude…Oh, just like my father. He’s rude and not ginger. That old man isn’t very nice…not at all. Ah, and his hair isn’t ginger. You see, uh…Hmm.. Nevermind…”
The prince looked at Innvas and he nodded at the prince. “Oh yes…and what were you saying?” He listened to the prince’s questions and placed his finger on his chin as he thought. “Well… It could mean a lot of things or nothing at all… Just depends…And for the second part… That you could have easily asked in questions… I am here trying to figure out more of this sickness and if you would like more…” Innvas turned away from the prince and began to walk away. “I’ll tell you more later. I don’t feel like doing so right now… This place might turn you crazy if you’re in it for too long…”
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Post by Jo on Aug 21, 2008 19:33:46 GMT -5
The so called "beautiful-ness" walked away from her other two companions. She could barely breathe, the unbelievable smell of rotting flesh invaded her senses. God it was.... it was too dreadful to speak about. This sickness was most likely un-natural in cause. If so then it had to have been leased by someone.... she doubted something on such a scale could have been by an accident.
Harle walked closer to other two men wondering what they were speaking about; its as if life here gave up on its own accord. Like desperately trying to find a cure but knew that there was no such thing.
' I feel as we get closer to our answer we'll regret what will transpire'.
" Excuse me sir..." she spoke to the strange man from before. She had seen him before. The maiden was certain of that. Although it was highly probable that she had seen someone with the same face. Now she couldn't find the right words to say.
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Post by D on Aug 22, 2008 20:13:19 GMT -5
"So what do you say, your princliness?! Give me a date and a time and I'll write you up in my planner... Wait...I don't have a planner! No matter! Just give me a date when you are available and a time. Then we'll be able to set up a appointment." Innvas moved over to the prince to give him a pat on the back, but then he stopped. "Oh, of course. Your type do not like being touched by the likes of people like me. I almost forgot my place..." He scratched his chin and turned around.
"Place... Hmm... I should be going somewhere. The park, the woods, the town..." He began to pace around. "...the lake, the house, the cave, the mountains..." Innvas continued to name places, but then he paused. "Nooo....No, no, no! The sky!" His finger came up. "An airship!" He paused and allowed a look of confusion into his face. "Godzilla...? Parallel Dementia...? Phoenix Requiem...?" Another pause and another raise of his finger. Innvas took a deep breath in and then opened his mouth. "Capricorn-Starcruiser-Zero-Eighty-Seventy-One-Zero-Ten-Thirty-seven-Eight-Three-Sixty-One-POINT-Three-Three-Three-Seventeen-Twenty-Twelve-dash-dash-Three-hundred-One-Two-Three-Five-Eighty-Seven-Eight-Nine-Model-of-superb-flying abilities-allowing-it-to-do-things-normal-airships-can-not-because-it-is-a-luxury-ship,-called-the-amazing-and-lovely..." His took in another deep breath. "...the Titanic!" Innvas turned away from the prince and caught his breath. "...and I'll be late! I should be head to the NessonDroma Aerodrome! The Gods! Always chatting away and never remembering things." He slapped his forehead and shook his head. "Well, I'm off! Au revoir!"
The man looked up at the sky and walked away from the prince again. "People these days. Why can't they just leave a poor man alone... The gods. I'd rather stay away from people who just chat away the life..." He continued to walk, but he suddenly turned around when he heard a voice. Innvas walked in the other direction and then he looked back in front of him. "Hmm?" And in front of him, he saw one of the women from earlier. "Oh? Well, well, well, it's your beautiful-ness!" He scratched at the cloth around his head and then gave her a nod. "Yes? What is it?" He asked as he fixed the mask he wore around his face. "I'm sure it shall be good." He smiled. "Ah, but what is it that you may need?"
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Post by Jo on Sept 22, 2008 17:58:37 GMT -5
" Hmm?", the young woman stood infront of the man named Innvas. " Oh? Well, well, well, it's your beautiful-ness!" he exclaimed, the man scratched the cloth that hung around his head then gave her a small nod of indulgence. " Yes? What is it?" he asked, he was also fiddling with the mask he wore.
" I'm sure it shall be good" he smiled kindly. " Ah, but what is it that you may need?".
" I'm sorry to interrupt you but if I may ask. Why did you come here?". Harle momentarily looked about, the light of the sun was muffled by the death; as if a fog of gloom forever cloaked this forsaken site. " Was it to find something that never was or..?". The songstress cut herself off, contemplating what she would say next.
She was mesmerized, his eyes. They were filled with. What were they filled with? Joy, compassion for life, were they sinister?
" Or.. . were you hoping to find someone?".
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Post by Turn 360 and walk away on Sept 22, 2008 21:50:52 GMT -5
Dario bit at his lip, trying to decipher the cryptic texts. The newcomer had strayed closer, but the other two continued looking through houses and alleyways. The laughing grew louder as he read on, glyph by glyph, until it became so hysteric, so filled with so many voices, they forced him to turn around sharply and shout "quiet!" to no one. Realizing that there was no better time to grab everyone's attention than now, with the Prince done talking, and the songstress standing bemused, with every bird in the town startled and blacking out the sky, Dario called to them, keeping his eyes off the text, for fear of awaking the calming voices again (longest... run-on... sentance... EVAH! But I'm far too lazy to figure out where a period should go.). "Ahai! I may have found something!" Dario took faith that his party was coming closer, and turned back to the texts. "This is old, ancient, even. Some... sort of..." he struggled over some of the characters, "Some sort of folk religion... only in this village, most likely." He gritted his teeth as the voices reacted to his delving into the books again. "I... I can't read some... some of it, but... it mentions an effigy." Dario pointed to a character that looked like a small figure, holding something in its hand. "Over, and over, and over again." his finger slid down the text, stopping at each of the occurrences. "It could be worth looking at, 's far as I can..." He pressed his fingers against his temples, to ward off the roaring laughter, "...can tell."
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Post by D on Sept 25, 2008 22:30:39 GMT -5
"Sure, sure, go ahead..." He waited for her question and when he heard it, a look of surprise found its way onto his face for a moment, but the expression disappeared and the kind smile he wore returned. "What ever do you mean? One cannot come here just for the sake of coming here?" It didn't make too much sense to him either, but that was how things went with him. "Never was...or...? Well, your beautiful-ness, please do continue...Ah continue...Continuation! Which reminds me, I need to continue with this book I'm reading! It's about spells and magicks. That book is filled with so much hate...Oh no... Hate is such a strong word...but 'twasn't hate that killed the people in this village...'twas laughter! Pure, unstoppable laugh-"
Innvas stopped and looked at her eyes. Was she staring at him? For a brief moment, his eyes caught her's, but then, he quickly looked away. Her eyes. He didn't like something about them. No, actually he did like them, but they reminded him too much. Too much of something, but what? He scratched at his mask again as he thought, but no answer satisfied him, so he gave up.
"Or..."
"Well, go on then...Life is ticking away, your beautiful-ness." Innvas didn't say it in an impatient way. He made it sound like it was just something to say. Something to break the silence. He was never the fan of quiet things and preferred to be in louder places, but he never liked it too loud. Oh, how extremely loud and quiet places annoyed him.
But just as he wanted, the woman continued on and when she finished, he simply smiled. "Everything." He grinned and clapped his hands together. "Something that never was, someone." He made a box in the air and poked through it to show the 'something that never was' part and then pointed to Harle as an exampled for 'someone. "Nothing." For 'nothing', he shrugged and then continued on. "Knowledge, useless information." Innvas scratched his chin for 'knowledge' and shook his head for 'useless information.' "Death, life, laughter, sadness! Ohhh...Can't spell slaughter without laughter...Oh, oh, I'm getting off track again. But, but...like I said..absolutely and positively everything. I came here for everything...At least, I think I did...Hmm..." He tapped his chin and then fiddled with his mask a bit more. "Is that so? I suppose it is so! Everything...How'zat work..."
"Well a question for a question, love, and an answer for an answer..." He paused. "Why did you come here? No, don't answer that. I can come up with a plenty of answers for that." Innvas crossed his arms. "Why do you ask? I'm sure your beautiful-ness has much more better to do than talk to man who cannot keep a proper conversation..." He admitted that to her as a little hint, but to what...she'd need to figure that out. There were reasons to why he did the things he did, but rather than tell others why, he preferred to watch them figure it out on their own...
But the answer never came. Someone called out about something and in response to that, he sniffed the air. Ah, the cook wolf's scent was near and before even going over to see who had called, he already knew who it was. "That man with that accent..." He said. Innvas sounded like a little boy desperately waiting to be called on to tell the answer. "Oo, oo, oo! I know! I know!" He began to walk toward the voice and when he found the voice's owner, he stopped. "It is his wolf eater-ness!" He announced. "But where..." Innvas looked around with a frown. "Where did that thing that you were sitting go? That was the biggest and fattest thing I've ever seen. Poor thing if you ask me."
Dario seemingly ignored him and Innvas gave a look of butthurtness. "Am I really that unnoticeable? First, you do not answer my question about wolf meat and now this...You are just as bad as that...thing of your's." Again, the man seemingly ignored him, so Innvas simply sighed and listened to the man. Dario spoke about the texts and pointed out a character, but Innvas wasn't interested in what the man was saying. No, he noticed that the man was having some sort of trouble speaking. "Oh dear..." He bit his lip as he continued to listen. "Don't. Don't do that. Please stop reading." The frown returned. "You can hear them... Do not laugh..."
Innvas turned back to see the others. "We should leave this place at once. You all... I believe that you've gone too far...too far for this day. Any more and this thing..." He pointed at Dario. "...might laugh...and sadly, that is against the rules. Hurry along, you and your kind...Wouldn't want an unnecessary mess to clean up...Nooo...not at all.." Innvas slapped his forehead. "Time..." He growled. "That would take time and I don't have the time. I need to get to the Aerodrome. Agh..."
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Post by B on Sept 25, 2008 23:03:58 GMT -5
Atton continued his movement through the lost town after the stranger left. This place was hell, nothing but bodies and destruction, what could they hope to learn? Laughing started up in his mind again, but it felt like it was right next to him. The feeling was so sure that he took a glance to his right and saw a face. He jumped back but nothing was there, the laughing ceased. Atton put his hand on his sword as his eyes glanced right then left. The laughing started and he unsheathed his sword and turned with a horizontal strike, he felt his blade cut through something but when he looked there was nothing but the laughing stopped. Atton suddenly got the feeling that they should leave, soon. Laughing came behind him again but this time a little further out and he saw something dark coming towards him, he struck and felt himself cut something but after he struck the vision faded. With that he wasn't going to waste anymore time, he thought he heard someone call something but he wasn't sure if it were words or laughs. Atton mounted his horse and shot off in the direction of where he left the others. Minutes passed and he saw them and the curious man who seemed to finish up a sentence. "We have to leave. Immediately." Atton urgently stated as the horse skidded to a halt. He could hear the laughing again but it was further out.
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Post by V on Sept 28, 2008 0:20:44 GMT -5
Amelia had missed much of what was said. She heard of laughter, and needing to go. True, she knew how the sickness worked, but this village looked like it was ravaged more by a marauding band of barbarians than a disease. Innvas himself also made her...well feel strange. He was the first to want them to go. Granted it seemed like the group disregarded him. When the Prince said they should leave however, she felt a bit uneasy. "Why should we leave?" She suddenly said. She disliked more Innvas every time he opened his mouth. "The laughter, huh? It sounds as quiet as an empty bottle." Scanning the village, she shook her head. "I can say as a soldier that I know when something has been sacked by marauders. This is one of them. Even Kaa here could tell you that." She directed to her horse, then stared back.
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