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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 21, 2009 19:12:44 GMT -5
For one reason or another, the Shaman Ruins seemed an unusually popular location for visitors, especially those in Talisman form. Many a birdwatcher had become horribly confused by the rather exotic birdcalls that had no business being in North America (was that a kookaburra?) drifting among the ancient stones every so often. Subtlety was not exactly a strong point among many of the shape-shifters.
It was easy for Aras to ignore the signs of misplaced wildlife - he belonged to their dynamic world, after all. Though he knew he was never quite alone at the ruins, they still possessed a peaceful air, as if some protective charm worked to dispel any lingering malevolence. This was, however, purely on the spiritual level; any living being who wished to do another physical harm were left unhindered in their attempts.
Even as he ran his fingers along the moss-grown pillars of the temple, seemingly absorbed in his thoughts, some part of him remained alert to his surroundings. He'd acquired numerous enemies the recent years, a fact he didn't let himself forget in spite of the deceptively tranquil surroundings.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 21, 2009 19:38:58 GMT -5
Reyes sat in a small niche that had formed in a section of the ceiling at the Shaman Ruins over its numerous years of rough and abuse. He was crumpled over, his head between his knees and arms wrapped around himself. The recess was in the ceiling, going directly up and then a slight slant to the side to create sitting space. The young man sat there quietly, eyes closed, listening to the absolute and utter serenity of the place. Ah, the sound of stillness, how striking it was. Then, there was a sound. A slight sound, but a sound none the less.
Reyes opened his eyes and raised his head, only to strike it against the stone ceiling. ”Aw Fff-“ He hissed between his teeth, but bit his lip. His curse was silent, nothing but the sharpest of ears could hear it. He rubbed his scalp through his thick brown hair and, when he recovered, gently slid out of the little alcove and landed, crouched, on the moss and bark covered ground with the faintest of taps. Some can say like a cat, or others say like a Ninja, but he preferred like himself. He straightened up and took a glance around; nothing. But he could hear the faint sliding noise that in itself was nearly noiseless. There was somebody coming towards him.
He listened for a few more moments before sliding away like a silhouette and promptly getting himself up on top of a half wall, reaching up and sliding himself in among the wooden and stone beams along the ceiling. He was almost invisible from here, and only able to be spotted when he wanted to be seen. Reyes had come here before, multiple times, and knew every single recess and stone there was in the ruins. He watched through a small crack and waited… Waited.
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 21, 2009 23:20:58 GMT -5
Aras paused, hand still resting lightly on the worn wall, polished smooth from centuries of visitors grazing their fingers over the surface just as he was doing. From somewhere further within the temple had come a faint noise. He would not have paid it any mind had it not had a distinctly human quality to it. The thought that he was being a bit paranoid crossed his mind - after all, which Hunter wasn't to some degree? - but that was not the sort of innocuous sound the wind would make. Whoever it was was likely aware of Aras' presence if he or she went through the trouble of going unnoticed.
Stepping across a threshold, Aras let his eyes adjust to the ill-lit interior. The insufficient light from the overcast afternoon sky left the far walls and corners obscured in shadows, to the advantage of whoever was hidden here. And there almost certainly was someone in the room with him - animals knew when they were being watched. Accustomed to being the watcher and not the watched, his Talisman ruffled its feathers uneasily. Aras found himself reaching for a weapon.
Paranoia. Definitely. The room's other occupant probably had more reason to be nervous than he. Dropping his hand at his side, Aras forced himself to adopt a more relaxed posture. In his mind's eye, the vulture had fixed him with a beady-eyed glare. Many of his Talisman's suspicions proved to be well-founded, but its constant mistrust became tiring after a while. Besides, it wasn't as if he were entirely empty-handed.
"Hello?" he called evenly, eyes searching fruitlessly for some sign of life in the shadows. It wasn't really a question; the listener would be able to tell that he wasn't inquiring whether or not there was another presence nearby.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 22, 2009 7:09:58 GMT -5
Reyes stayed in that laying position up just underneath the ceiling for what seemed like hours, but in reality was a few minutes. His breathing became shallow as he watched the entrance; it was probably just the nerves getting to him. The room was dim so whoever it is probably wouldn’t see him up in the ceiling. Jeez, this was getting uncomfortable. The small space was cramped and he himself was freakishly tall, standing at 6'2.
Then he saw him; a young man with brown hair and neat-looking attire, as if he’d come from some meeting. Reyes watched him reach for something in his coat, stop, and then took on a more relaxed posture. Then he called out a “hello”, but while his tone inquired that it was a question, Reyes knew that the other man wasn’t asking.
Reyes froze for a few seconds, contemplating what to do next. One; since the other man was directly underneath him he could just drop out of the ceiling and pin him down. And then there was two; do the above then ask him out to lunch. Well, number two sounded a whole lot better, or friendlier… Or something. Hey, throw in a tour of the place while he’s at it. Reyes couldn’t help but smile at that thought, almost laughing and giving himself away. Okay, he’ll just go with it then.
He watched and waited until the other was under him but a little off to the back and then made his move. Shoving aside a few of the wooden beams, he slid through the broken space and jumped down on top of the other, aiming to land on his shoulders and fell him, or knock him over and land on his chest or something. Whatever. He just went along with it, cause that was the way he did things.
And please, no broken bones this time.
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 22, 2009 17:53:09 GMT -5
Silence. Nothing so much as a tap or shuffle to indicate that anyone else besides he stood within the temple.
The creaking of wood from somewhere above his head was the only warning Aras received before something struck his shoulders, driving him to the ground.
The vulture voiced its indignation with an exasperated croak that spoke of its disapproval more than any number of 'I told you so's' ever could. However, it did not try to take control; raptors were not built for close-quarters combat. Or, more accurately, any sort of earthbound combat at all. Besides, Aras didn't really need its help at the moment, even if it were less reluctant to give it.
A considerable weight had him pinned, but his arms were still free-- and that was what counted. In an instant, Aras had a pistol pointed between his assailant's eyes even as he continued to try and catch his breath.
"What was that?" he demanded, struggling to get a good look at the other in the poor light.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 22, 2009 18:39:48 GMT -5
Reyes literally heard the thud as he landed on the other man’s shoulders and another blunt noise as he they hit the ground; Reyes sitting on the other’s chest which no doubt had knocked the wind out of him. He actually found himself laughing; that was fun. He hoped he didn’t break anything though, or else he would have to get the other young man something other then lunch. The last time he pulled this stunt was in…South Korea, or at least his memory pinned it somewhere in East Asia. It was during a hike at a national park and he had pulled it from a tree.
“Hey, that was fun. You-“ He stopped there though as a pistol cocked and pointed between his eyes. ”Oh, so that’s what he was reaching for…” He thought, raising an eyebrow. But then he smiled again, oh Reyes and his smiles and go-lucky attitude. It made people uncomfortable, it made people happy; so what?
Reyes quickly switched from Modern English to Shakespearean English; almost purring the words out as he spoke, “Thou strike quickly, being so moved. But… Thou are not quickly moved to strike. Then ‘tis all one, I shall show myself a tyrant, take it in what sense thou wilt.” As he spoke he began to actually tilt into the pistol, pressing it against his forehead. He leaned forward until he was almost nose-to-nose with the other; the pistol still pointed at his head. Then he switched back to Modern English just as quickly. “Or, if you prefer, we could just go out to eat?”
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 22, 2009 19:42:34 GMT -5
When he managed to bring everything into focus again, with only a few black spots trailing at the edges of his vision, he noticed that his attacker was... grinning? Aras blinked a couple of times to clear his sight, but no; the cheeky grin remained in place.
As unusual as the man's reaction to having a gun leveled to his skull was, it could have been normal, even mundane, when compared to his sudden outpouring of Elizabethan language. Shakespeare, at such a time? Had he not been focused on keeping an eye on the stranger, Aras would have shaken his head in disbelief at the sheer eccentricity.
The man leaned forward, undaunted by the weapon aimed at his forehead, until his face was mere centimeters away. “Or, if you prefer, we could just go out to eat?”
'Eccentric' was probably an understatement.
"I'd prefer if you'd let me breathe correctly again," Aras ventured, his voice understandably strained, "unless you want me to bite my thumb at you." Couldn't let him have all the fun now, could he? Especially when the pressure on his chest was beginning to make it somewhat difficult to inhale.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 23, 2009 7:29:46 GMT -5
Reyes almost laughed out loud again at the look on the other man’s face, oh what fun this was! He could smell the other’s breath as he spoke, “I’d prefer if you let be breathe correctly again, unless you want me to bite my thumb at you.”
“Ha!” Reyes laughed and rolled to the side, but somehow landed in a nice crouching position as he leaned over the other’s head. He decided not to go back to Shakespearean right now, maybe later. “So, let’s have you name, new arrival. I’m Satoshi Ando, but if you can’t pronounce that, I’d prefer Reyes.”
He got up as he waited for an answer, still smiling as he looked around the room they were in. It was old, duh, with symbols and prints scribed into the stone walls over many generations. There was moss growing too, no doubt, and sometimes he found himself wondering what this room was used for. He leaned down to pick up his hat that had fallen when he jumped down; it was a ragged looking olive-green cap and fit perfectly over his brown hair. His hair was streaked with… Well, what do you know; green, today.
“So,” he turned back to the other. “Where do you want to go?”
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 23, 2009 15:49:57 GMT -5
Aras took several deep breaths, relieved. Nearly bumping heads with the man leaning over him, he pushed himself into a sitting position, pistol still in hand but no longer aimed in the other man's general direction. Damn, his shoulders were going to ache for a couple of days, at the very least. Nothing was broken, though--at least, he didn't think so.
Satoshi Ando. Japanese, no doubt. Now that his face wasn't completely backlit, Aras could get a better look at his still-grinning visage. This was just a grand joke to him, wasn't it? His eyes and smile contained no malice, only an open enthusiasm. (The vulture huffed; even so, that was no reason to trust this 'Reyes' character, it insisted.)
"Aras Duval." Re-holstering the pistol, he got to his feet so they stood eye-to-eye--or nearly, since Reyes was a couple of inches taller. "So," Aras said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "is that how you typically greet strangers?" If his goal were to create an unforgettable first impression, he had been wildly successful.
Still visibly amused, Aras considered Reyes' latest inquiry. "I actually came here for a bit of solitude, but..." He punctuated the sentence with a slight shrug. He should probably abandon any notions of peace and quiet with this guy around. Company wasn't exactly unwelcome, anyway; it wasn't often that he spent time with other people when off-duty.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 23, 2009 16:35:03 GMT -5
Reyes heard the other take several deep breaths and stand up before telling him that the other was ‘Aras Duval’. “So, is that how you typically greet strangers?”
“Eh… No, but I do try to make it creative.” Reyes skipped, yes, skipped over to Aras. It was a pleasant name, though he couldn’t tell where it was from. It sounded English… Or not. He could see over the other young man’s head so he stepped half a pace back and leaned down a bit. Aras was beginning to grin, just a modest grin, but it’ll do. He noticed he had holstered his pistol, which was good since he didn’t need to have it go off and riddle him with holes.
Reyes felt giddy, cheerful, upbeat and, believe it or not, vivacious… Almost. Actually, no, he wouldn’t go that far. He felt those feelings dampened a bit when Aras said that he had actually come here for some privacy, accented with a shrug. “Oh, I see…” His hands behind him, he leaned back and rocked softly on his heels. “Well then… I hope there are no broken bones.” He couldn’t help but poke the other gentleman in the ribs, just to ensure nothing was up. “If you want, I will leave you alone.”
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 23, 2009 18:01:55 GMT -5
“Well then… I hope there are no broken bones.”
Aras suppressed a wince at the jab to his ribs. It stung, but at least it didn't feel like anything was actually fractured. "I don't think so, but gravity definitely gave you a hand..."
At Reyes' somewhat dejected air and offer to leave, Aras shook his head. "No, I wouldn't mind the company. I just have to get away sometimes."
Well, not so much 'sometimes' as 'frequently.' It depended on the individuals, but as a whole, the Hunters were a difficult group to work with. The ones who knew Aras wasn't working for them willingly - the very ones who, unfortunately, gave him orders - didn't exactly go out of their way to make life easy for him. After all, they had little cause to send a sharpshooter after a target they wanted alive.
Despite Reyes' happy-go-lucky attitude, Aras was quite certain he understood. Perhaps his reasons were not nearly as dramatic, but people didn't frequent the ruins alone merely to admire the architecture. Especially not people as gregarious as Reyes seemed to be.
"What's your reason for being here?" he asked, evidently curious.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 23, 2009 21:15:45 GMT -5
Reyes smiled at his comment about gravity; he may have been the right weight for somebody his height but when landing that on top of somebody else’s shoulders… But he was content that Aras hadn’t just sent him away, it was good to talk to somebody other then the foliage. He knew well that others gathered here, either in groups or all alone, and sometimes he would spot an ‘out of place’ animal, like a polar bear or, once, even a camel.
“What’s your reason for being here?” Aras questioned, inquisitiveness no doubt.
Reyes took a breath, staring vacantly just beyond the other’s head, thinking to himself. Yeah, he knew why he was here in Noatak, but not the basis behind that why, if that even made any sense. “I came to these remains to… Think, I presume.” He paused again for a while. “To think about something I did a long while ago.” There was an atmosphere of melancholy to his tone when he said this; it wasn’t something he liked to speak about. He didn’t like to speak about his kin that he tried to not recall he had until he could return to Japan or what happened in Aokigahara that had distorted him forever. Or that thing that seemed to be the other half of his soul.
Reyes shook his head; that was enough heartache for the next week or so. He smiled at Aras again, and leaned on the rock that was a little to his right, arms folded on it with one hand propping up his head. It was a rather girlish stand, admittedly.
Aurelia had told him more then just the once that he was sometimes girlier then she was herself, but he would always answer with a ‘so?’ or some other look that would make her smirk.
“So then, what’re you doing here?”
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 23, 2009 23:00:20 GMT -5
“I came to these remains to… Think, I presume. To think about something I did a long while ago.”
A vague - but valid - response. Reyes delivered it with more despondency than one would expect from such an upbeat nature, but Aras supposed that everyone had some topic they would much rather avoid. For his sake, Aras hoped that Reyes' actions would not haunt him indefinitely; the Hunter knew well that the shadow of the past was an onerous weight to bear.
The painfully egregious cackle of what he now was certain was a kookaburra induced him to wonder whether the man standing before him possessed a Talisman. Those who belonged to their world knew that the temple served as a surprisingly common meeting-place for the animal spirits. For reasons unknown, the ruins held a mystical allure for the Talismans to which normal humans seemed immune. Innocent, Hunter, and Seeker alike roamed the grounds. If Reyes did indeed have a Talisman, where did his allegiances lie?
Aras resisted the urge to sigh. Again with the suspicion--this was clearly the vulture's influence. It was difficult, sometimes, to differentiate between his own thoughts and his Talisman's. How he had ended up with such a mistrustful spirit was beyond him; nearly everyone he met was subject to the same scrutiny with which the vulture inspected Reyes--who was currently leaning casually on a weathered stone, still watching him with the same open friendliness.
“So then, what’re you doing here?"
"Escaping." A moment's pause, after which he added: "Temporarily." He kept his answer deliberately ambiguous. Reyes probably had enough sense not to pry.
Tilting his head backwards to peer up at the rafters, Aras tried to determine where Reyes had lain in wait before his ambush. "How did you get up there?" he wondered, bemused.
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Post by DesperateDark on Apr 24, 2009 15:14:20 GMT -5
”Escaping.” There was a pause. ”Temporarily.”
Temporarily escaping? Reyes felt that touch of inquisitiveness in his chest, and he mused if he should or should not inquire more of it. For him, there was no such thing as a temporary escape, he knew that personally. If Aras had anything in his precedent like he did himself… He’d rather not try to speak any more of it. But temporarily?
He was slapped out of his thoughts when Aras asked him how he got up in the rafters. He looked up at the slight hole where he shoved the wooden beams aside and slid through; beyond that he could see the low grey stone of the ceiling. He turned to the partial wall; it had some rotten wood stuck to it and it was overgrown with moss. Underneath there was carvings in the stone in a language he did not know. “Over there; I climbed it and got up into the rafters.”
“So tell me,” Reyes came over the Aras again and leaned on his shoulder with a strong arm. He could smell the other man, not so bad, kind of like fruit, though he wasn’t certain which one. At least he didn’t reek of sweat; he’d gone through that before. “What’s your talisman?”
Reyes knew it was a blunt question, but he had a feeling Aras had a talisman. Usual people didn’t come to the Shaman Ruins. It was something about these ruins, the miraculous quality to it, that drew the talismans near. He heard the Caribou grunt in exasperation and he couldn’t help the smile that appeared. He kind of liked to aggravate his Caribou side; it was annoying towards him so why not? He picked at his nails, getting out the little bits of dirt and moss out, while he waited for Aras to answer. Reyes was a patient man.
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Post by Aras|Ofelia on Apr 24, 2009 16:19:08 GMT -5
Aras' gaze followed Reyes' line of sight to the overgrown half-wall. It didn't appear too difficult to scale; with some practice, one could probably make reach the rafters in a few seconds. A useful bit of information, if he ever needed a place to hide.
He visibly winced this time when Reyes leaned on his shoulder. The man didn't really think before he acted, did he? Reyes just did whatever he felt like doing at the moment, never mind the consequences; he'd deal with those later. His following words only further proved this analysis correct.
"What's your talisman?"
Had Aras been the talkative type, he would have been stunned into silence. As it was, he cast another disbelieving look at Reyes, who acted as if he had said absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. (The vulture had tilted its head to the side, as if calling the other man's mental soundness into question.) Granted, he probably suspected that Aras had a talisman for the very same reasons Aras had considered earlier. There was no reason to feign ignorance.
Slipping out from underneath Reyes' arm - his shoulder was protesting, and the vulture had given a pointed look that plainly meant it would like to fly again sometime soon - Aras turned to face him. "A vulture, who, unfortunately, doesn't seem particularly fond of you at the moment." A good-natured grin accompanied his words, clearly showing that he and his talisman weren't quite of the same opinion.
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