|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:34 am
It was a new day, and Riley had a very clear plan for the day. It all started out so simple. She'd begun as she would have any normal one - with a long, calming run, followed immediately by a shower and the rest of her daily activities. However, it was only at this point that the plan deviated from normal, and the zen-like calm she'd received from her run had all but faded away in place of an unnerving anxiety. She found herself in front of a doorway, a very obvious doorway, and immediately rethought her plans for the day.
It was clear by the sign on the door, that this was a bad idea. So, she thought up a new plan. Instead of knocking on the door, as she had been about to do, she took out a pen, and ripped an advertisement for some kind of Fear Squad nonsense off of the billboard in the hall. On the back, she wrote a note.
Dear Malodore. I wish to speak with you when you have a moment. Please contact me at your leisure.
-Riley.
She looked at the note for a moment, making sure it wouldn't betray her with frivolities, before reaching up to stick it somewhere on it's door. She managed to get it wedged just underneath the eraserboard, when the board shifted dangerously and fell with a clatter to the floor.
She cursed inwardly and picked up the board, sticking it and the note back where it belonged. The first thing her eyes caught when she did so was the word silence on the paper below the board - it almost taunted her, as if to say 'Way to break the only rule'.
She knew she should have just stayed home and studied.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:47 am
Malodore was actually sleeping - somewhat of a rarity, given that sleep wasn't exactly required for the undead, but after all the stresses of the school trip the plague doctor was more than ready to indulge.
The clattering of the board outside, however, drew attention... from Luce, who jumped off of Malodore's bed and paced towards the door, her hackles up. She growled, a low, dangerous sound. What was outside her door? She sniffed suspiciously at the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. Scent... familiar...
Luce barked, and that woke Malodore up. "Quello che รจ, tresorina?" it said, shaking its head slowly to clear the fog of sleep from its head. "Pink elephants again?"
The pup barked again, this time putting her front paws on the door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:05 pm
Riley froze, wincing as she heard Luce barking. That meant that Malodore was home, and it also meant that it would be alerted to her presence. Maybe she still had time.. maybe she could fix this!
She bent down to one knee, and placed her hand on the door where she could hear Luce's paws scraping against the door. Shhh, it's okay Luce. It's just me. She murmured to the puppy quietly, hoping the soft, familiar sounds of her thoughts would lull it back to being quiet. Don't wake up Malodore, he needs rest.
She waited, hoping that although Luce wouldn't understand her, she'd get the hint. At least the sound of Malodore's name might spurn some understanding, and get her to quiet down. Riley continued to send calming, quieting thoughts, to try and calm the puppy. The last thing she needed was to be the reason for disturbing Malodore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:41 pm
Luce's bark trailed off into a quizzical awr? and she sat down with a thump, tilting her head to one side and shaking it slightly.
"Luce...?" Malodore slipped out of bed, automatically smoothing its clothing and plucking its hat off the hatstand as it passed. It padded over to her, putting its hat on before scooping her up.
The pup shook her head again, tilting it the other direction this time.
Definitely strange. Perhaps some of the dorm pranksters had finally gotten bold. Grimly, the plague doctor put its hand on the knob, listened...
"-got you!" it hissed, snapping the door open.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:07 pm
Riley clenched a fist victoriously. She couldn't tell if Luce had really stopped barking because she understood, or because she didn't understand, but it didn't really matter. All that did matter, was that she'd stopped. Good girl. Riley whispered out to her affectionately, and pushed to stand up. She checked once more to make sure her note was affixed firmly underneath the board, before turning to walk away.
She'd completed an entire step when she heard a spine tingling hiss behind her, claiming it's capture. It made her freeze, and one hand covered her face in embarrassment. Following the hiss, she heard the clatter of the board - apparently, it really didn't like having papers stuck under it, and Malodore's quick movement had the board falling to the floor once more.
Riley swiveled on her heel slowly, facing her captor. She held both hands up in mock defeat, trying to make light of the situation. You did. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I really didn't. Even though she tried to sound light and easy, her face was flushed with embarrassment. Really, this couldn't have gone much worse.
I was going to leave you a note, it just.. it wouldn't stay, and then your board fell, and.. she trailed off, dropping her hands to her sides. She felt mortified. I really didn't want to disturb you. She felt the statement needed repeating.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:34 pm
"-Riley?" Malodore stared at her for a moment; Luce, finally figuring out who it was, squirmed free of its grip and slid to the ground, running over to beg up on Riley for pettings. "I thought it was one of the less... mature... snot-goblins. Zombies aren't ones for clever pranks, you see. Fumbling at a door is- ah..." It stopped, realizing it didn't want to compare Riley to a mush-brained zombie!
"You could have knocked?" it said, after a moment, though there was no sarcasm in its tone. "You can come in, if you like."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:53 pm
Riley tried to remain hard-hearted in the face of the little white ball of adorable that came sliding towards her, but her hardened facade cracked instantly. Luce would be the end of her. She reached down and scooped her up, holding her affectionately against her chest. At least the little pup made her forget her embarrassment for a moment.
No, I understand. She murmured a little sadly. I knew I'd startle you when the board fell. I should have just slipped my note under the door. She glared venomously at the board on the floor as if it were her worst enemy, before bending to pick it up. She held it out to Malodore, but her eyes blinked in a small measure of surprise. She didn't expect to be invited in, after disturbing him. In fact, she was well prepared to be turned away quite brusquely. It was nothing but what she deserved.
Are you certain? I wouldn't be surprised if you'd rather I leave, after the terrible way I seem to have caught your notice. Though her voice remained a little sad, there was a spark of amusement in her words. She was used to always doing, or saying, the right thing. Around Malodore however, she quickly discovered she had a knack for bumbling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:58 pm
Now it was Malodore's turn to tilt its head at Riley. "Terrible? I was opening my door expecting to find a rot-brained teppista, and instead I find... you. Far better than what I had supposed." It opened its door and inclined its head, gesturing her inside. "Por favore. I still have those samples from Christmas Town, if you're interested, and this saves me the trouble of standing outside your demonic dormitories. They don't much care for admitting the undead."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:17 pm
Riley's eyes crinkled around the corners and her chest rose and fell in a quick, silent sigh of relief. That sounds wonderful. I actually came looking for you, as I have a favor to ask of you, but I am quite partial to multitasking. Perhaps we can discuss my situation while we work on your samples?
She took a step towards the door, feeling a strange hesitance that was unnatural for her. What was it Tahki once said.. shy? Preposterous. She pushed the hesitance inside and slipped into Malodore's room, giving it the space to close the door and lead her on.
You know, you're right. And yet, you'd be surprised how many undead are actually wandering those halls this very moment. One of them even has a room there. You know Sammy, don't you? Riley chuckled, and scritched her hand fondly against Luce's head, before letting him go - she was sure something with that much energy didn't want to be locked up in her arms all day long.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:31 pm
"Sammy? Yes... but her room is downstairs, I've been there...?" Malodore's tone was quizzical as it closed the door behind Riley.
The plague doctor's dormitory was one larger room with high ceilings, with only one small nook curtained off from the greater whole. Bookshelves and plants were everywhere, though the focus of the room was definitely on the large desk - which doubled as a table for experiments. It was heavy, and covered with test tubes and equipment. Covered, but not messily so. "What favor would that be?"
Luce hopped down and bounced over to her pillow, perching on it and watching the 'big people' move about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:44 pm
If Riley had a mouth, it would be wide in a cheshire grin. Ah, then you haven't heard. She's been given Braum's room, for a bit. I don't know the details of why, but she's made her presence well known while she's here. I find it rather refreshing. She chuckled softly, and took a long look around, circling slowly as she did so. Her eyes captured every inch, committing it to internal memory. She was sure she could spend the entire day just sitting in it's room, asking 'what's that?' and 'what do you use this for?' and 'is that alive?'. But curiosity about it's room was not her goal for the day, as much as it itched her to find out everything about it. She had a set agenda, and she was determined to keep it.
Her eyes rested on the table filled with experimental tools for a moment, just barely managing to pull her attention away long enough to answer it's question. Ah. Well. I was just wondering, if it wasn't too much trouble.. She wrapped her long fingers around the back of her neck, and her words came softer and more hesitant. Well, you see, we only have a limited knowledge of the latin based languages, and only partial wording at that. You seem to be so.. She didn't realize her skin had turned a darker shade of purple, because she had no reason to think it would. .. So well versed in your native language. I was wondering if you.. would.. teach me? Oh, the submissive action of asking someone to teach her.. that would certainly bring up a blush. That must be it, surely.
I certainly wouldn't be asking you to train me in the entire knowledge of the language, of course. I would never try to monopolize your time like that so selfishly. Just.. perhaps a little? She looked back to the table, because it was easier to look at for the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:19 pm
"We? Who is 'we'?" it asked, curiously, putting down the test tube it had grabbed from the table, intending to transfer the first of its JOY-ful samples into. "It would be my honor, surely - pardon my curiosity. I tend to pay particular attention to pronouns," it added, a touch of dry humor evident in its tone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:33 pm
Riley followed, looking quite content that it seemed to have no problem with the idea of teaching her. She would have much to share tonight, she was sure. We. She tapped the side of her head softly with a single digit. The hivemind. She found herself explaining her kind without any hesitation, which was.. odd. The collection of information that each of the kind in my clan have experienced, or learned, in their lifetime. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, telling her she shouldn't be sharing this information, but she ignored it. She further ignored the tiny voice that completely forbade her next action, which was to open her mind to both the hivemind, and Malodore, fully - but only for a second. It was enough to hear thousands of voices muttering quietly, sounding like a cacaphony of data being transmitted at a constant rate. She shut it off instantly, if only because it was something a normal mind should never have to listen to for long.
It's where I get much of my information from. Anything I learn, I store, and transmit.. and I can recall the information, along with any information my clan has made public, if I so choose. Unfortunately, we aren't typically welcome in the human world, as you can imagine.. she chuckled softly. So we're very limited. Which is why I'm thrilled to learn a bit of your language, Malodore. Everything about you, really. The last bit had slipped out thoughtlessly, and her voiced died off there, but she didn't react further. That was a little.. too revealing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 3:00 pm
Malodore stopped moving entirely as a sudden hail of... voices... cascaded through its mind. For an instant the plague doctor felt as if it were floating in a vast sea of knowledge, anything, anything it wanted to know right there-
And then, before it could sample anything, the knowledge was gone.
Malodore shook its head, slowly. "You live like that? Constantly? You... there is a you, isn't there?" It focused on her abruptly. "Riley isn't just a name for a... sensory input/output device? One among thousands?" That sounded very weird, but it couldn't think of another way to word it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 3:32 pm
Riley was quick to shake her head. No. It's not always like that. Right now, all I hear is you and me - I'm not connected to the hivemind. There are some of my kind, the elders, who remain constantly open.. She shuddered. I don't like to think about it. Their entire lives are spent inputting and extracting information. They never actually move. I'm much more content being a worker bee, if you get my reference. She matched it's intense focus with her own, careful not to look away - she didn't want to reveal how unsure she was about sharing this information with it.
But enough about me. I'm not as interesting as you'd think. Her eyes showed a twinkle of mirth. I'd really rather hear all about you, if you're willing to share. She'd feel pretty foolish having just exposed her race so easily if it declined, but the offer was still politely requested. I feel like I know nothing about you. I'd really like to rectify that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
