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 Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:52 pm
It was day; day was not the sort of thing that Ciro had previously liked… But… Something, some change had happened since he had become ‘acquainted’ with his God.
Even now, glinting off of his golden armband, did the sun feel warm and familiar.
The irony was, of course, that he was ostracized whenever he was seen in this sunlight. The night was far more his style.
Somewhere in his brain a jolt of pain passed; he was not to love the night. The night was a time of sin and Sin. Not for a child like him: a mighty child of the sun god.
Night… The night before he had met a strange, mysterious man who had given him the arm band. Even since, a queer feeling seemed to be in his mind. A kind of strange paranoia that one gets when they are being watched; the problem was, of course, that Ciro got this even while alone.
While this bothered him, he was still hesitant to go to the shop the man had told him about. His questions were supposed to be answered there… But how was he to be so sure it wasn’t a trap?
He pondered this, trying to think of all the possible scenario’s as he stood across the street from the peculiar shop… Something was off, most likely the fact that plants were in an overabundance.
It really was quite a nuisance, this game.
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:10 pm
The cool ocean place at the back of Fish's mind had been bubbling all day. Clearly, Poseidon was busy, as the stream-of-conciousness chatter indicated. He was perched on a fire hydrant outside Seasons, his ring in hand and a knuckle idly placed in his mouth, trying to get a better idea of what was going on.
Are you eavesdropping on me, child? asked Poseidon, emerging from the depths of Fish's subconscious. There was a low chuckle, like the rolling of ocean waves or the quivering of mountains. Do not worry, I will tell you when it concerns you.
Fish grumbled something unintelligible and bit down on his knuckle harder. The day was hot and dry and he longed to be back at the harbor, perhaps stripped down to a pair of swim trunks, and soaring through the air in a long dive into the cold water that the City's filtration system pumped in. And, of course, that gave Fish an idea. He tucked the ring back into his collar and hopped off the hydrant in hopes of figuring out how to turn it on so it would spray the street.
He had seen it done before, of course, and today was just the sort of day that it would be needed. He crouched by the hydrant and pawed at it with his webbed hands, trying to get it open.
Look over there, Poseidon instructed.
Fish glanced across the street to spy a boy with horns looking at the storefront.
Well, thought Fish, that was certainly out of the ordinary.
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:25 pm
Ciro stared back defiantly. What the hell did he think he was looking at!? Cheeky brat.
“Got enough, or do you want to keep gawking? Lord, you sheltered lit—“
Oh. He was ‘different’ too. A loud sigh blew up his bangs as he realized just what this game entailed: kids, actual children, just like him, fighting each other to the death.
And he had just insulted someone who probably took the same about of harassment that Ciro had. He was a ******** moron; he couldn’t even look this kid in the face after assuming so much about him.
“Sorry,” He apologized to the fire hydrant, trying to avert his eyes and yet still keep a sense of pride. Sorry was a very disgusting word; he wanted to use it as little as possible.
“So,”
Enough with being timid, he was just as much a player as this kid was.
“I guess you’re apart of this circus too, then. I’m not going to hold it against you…yet.”
And then he felt the equivalent of a good kick to the head. He was doing something wrong, and if he kept screwing up, Shamash was likely to take over.
“What’s your name, kid?”
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:37 am
Fish hesitated. So he was in on it? Well, since the other boy had brought up the Game, he guessed he could skip the questions. But, what were the threats for? This boy was different from the others he had met - meaner, colder somehow.
"Fish," he replied, gills flaring not in frustration with the boy but in frustration with the fire hydrant. He'd torn his eyes away from the boy when it had become apparent it frustrated him and gone back to the fire hydrant, but his webbed hands and short fingernails couldn't get a fix on the lip of the cap.
"What's yours?" he asked, and then added, "The fighting's begun, huh? I knew it would."
Yes, whispered Poseidon to him, But your goal is not to fight this boy.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:39 pm
“Of course it’s begun… That’s the point of the game; to beat everyone else and take your prize.”
He was talking quite matter of factly as he stepped over to the hydrant. From his pocket, the absent knife from the night before flipped out, doing a complete circle around the lid of the hydrant in order to loosen the seal. Then, with his NOT webbed hands, he went to tugging profusely on the cap with his hands.
It was not working.
So his feet decided they would step in and help, and with one leg braced against the hydrant, the little tyrant of a boy tugged once more.
This time, it moved.
Not nearly enough to cause any sort of splash of water, but enough to get a little trickle. And for a stranger who also played the game that was well enough.
“Oh…” Wiping off his brow, Ciro finally remembered that he was asked his name. “It’s Ciro. “
He was being lax, but he had his blade: that was good. It was good to be prepared.
“You guys are… really unprepared, aren’t you? I’ve messed with another kid, and he really didn’t want to fight. You’re in this too, and you’re being more or less pretty trusting.”
“Maybe I’m overestimating this game…. But isn’t this over the fate of the world? Why is everyone so laid back about it?”
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:42 am
"You're not my enemy today," Fish replied, blinking at the knife. Wasn't that what Poseidon had meant? Well, if he got knifed right here and now it was all Poseidon's fault.
"It's because..." Fish said, and slid his fingers under the ridge Ciro had made, "It's because..."
Poseidon had not in fact told him why he wasn't to fight this boy. Fish cast a wary look at his trident leaning against the vine-covered storefront and thought about retrieving it.
I have an alliance pact with his god for now, Poseidon trickled.
"It's because we're allies right now.," finished Fish. "If you don't believe me, ask your god."
Finally, the hydrant cap came free, sending a spout of water at least two stories up, arcing towards the summer sky.
"Haha!" Exclaimed Fish, gills flaring as he jumped about in the falling spray.
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:11 pm
Ciro recoiled from the water, scowling at the giant puddle that had formed and ripping off his over shirt to wring it out. Water, even if it was warm, would just make him soggy and grumpy. But at least this kid was happy.
And if they were allies, (Which really, Ciro had no idea, but he’d roll with it for a bit), then helping the guy out would really be helpful.
“I don’t talk to my God.” This statement was flat, almost bitter as it sounded out to the Fish child.
“So I’ll trust you for now… But I’m still on my toes.” In reality, he was sitting morosely on the curb, glaring at an ejaculating fire hydrant; but the point was made.
“Would it be weird if I asked just what has happened so far?”
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:30 pm
Fish paused and looked over at Ciro. "You don't talk to him? That's just making things way too hard. He's supposed to help you, keep you updated on who's trying to kill you... that kinda thing."
He crept closer to the older boy and caught the last question. "Uh.. sure. But really, you haven't missed much. It's just starting, you know? We were all born marked like ten years ago or so ago, I think. I found out about it a few months ago, but most other players I've met just got in in the last two weeks. No biggie."
He kneeled next to Ciro and dropped his voice a little, "But there are these government guys, Blacksuits? We've gotta watch out for them, because if anyone gets caught..."
He made a hand gesture akin to a knife across his throat.
"It's that for all of us. Or so I'm told."
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:14 pm
“My god…” Ciro looked up to the sky, little droplets of water splashing onto his face, “My god has done nothing to help me. I’m fine with that, and it seems he is too. Oh, he has his moments, though, trust me.”
So wait… Gods were supposed to help? GOD’S WERE THE HELPERS?! What the hell, man!? Why was Shamash so useless then?
The information sunk in slowly. Blacksuits. Men in black suits. They would harm them all? How? That seemed farfetched.
“How could it hurt us all? If the kid squealed?”
Really, the blacksuits could be used as some sort of… Well, threat. The problem would be that Ciro would need to somehow get a hold of them in order to use them to their best extent… And knowing he was their prey… that would be a little too risky. Maybe a decoy? No, no. Not now. Those plans could come later; now was more about the game.
“Anyone else you’d like to warn me about?”
If there were any actual threats, he’d like to know about them before hand. Being prepared, being informed, would be his greatest weapon.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:24 am
Fish was silent and focused on the bubbling at the back of his mind, trying to pick the words out of it. Poseidon, it seemed, was still deep in conversation with another presence, but he did manage to pick up something about a Cthulhu fellow declaring war on him and his new ally. Should Fish mention that?
Well, he reasoned, he and Ciro were allies. But then again, if Ciro would just talk...
"Some guy named Cthulhu wants us dead," Fish blurted, "But you might want to ask to be sure."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 3:35 pm
“Naturally.” Ciro stared at the fish-child as if he was brain dead.
“Everyone in the game wants us dead; that’s the way to win.”
Even throwing in a cynic’s common sense, the promptness of Ciro’s reply made it quite clear that he would really sooner go eat dirt than talk to his god.
The best idea… Would be the library! Cthulhu Cthulhu Cthulhu. Memorize it. Once he had a moment out of the game, he’d go to the library and research.
“This may be a bit… well, ignorant to ask.” A quizzical stare came from the older boy, trying to figure out just who the gills and hands might be tying in with.
“But who is your god, anyway?”
It could never hurt to research your ally’s strengths and weaknesses as well.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:23 pm
Fish's gills flared. All his questions could be answered if he'd just talk to his god. "Not everyone wants you dead. At least, not at the moment. I don't want you dead. Cthulu's out against both of us. We've got to take him down before we take each other down."
He stuck his webbed hands out over the spray of the hydrant and sent the water flying at odd angles, debating the question. He'd told everyone else, but somehow this seemed different.
"Poseidon," he answered, "But fair's fair. Now you've got to tell me who yours is!"
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:48 pm
With a noise of disapproval at the water, Ciro held us his arm in order to shield his face from the spray.
“Well, your’s is pretty… well know. I’d never heard of ‘Shamash’ until he came into contact with me.”
In fact, not many people probably would know about any gods that weren’t either Greek, Egyptian, or middle eastern, so Ciro felt he’d probably need to explain. Whooboy, that would not be fun. Subconsciously, the boy pulled in his legs to his chest, and looked up at the shining sun through the spray of water, watching as the little rainbows danced in the droplets.
“You know… He’s the guy that said ‘An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth.’ Apparently he’s the god of the sun… But he really seems to think he is the authority on justice as well. I had tried talking to him for a while…But it was all just black and white, good or bad. It’s annoying as hell, so I just started ignoring him.”
The sky beamed happily down on Ciro, who simply glared at its happy sunny might. “After a while he took the hint so now we’re good.”
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:16 pm
Fish frowned and pulled his hands out of the spray. "Well, if you think of it that way..."
He was having a bit of difficulty understanding where this boy was coming from. Poseidon, while seeming a bit focused on revenge, usually let him come to his own conclusions, or just gave him nudges in the right direction. Well, he decided, if Poseidon was as pushy as Ciro claimed Shamash to be, he might not like him as much as he did.
"Shamash, huh?"
He'd have to ask about him, find out if he was as bad as Ciro said.
"You gonna go in to the shop?" Fish asked, indicating Seasons and directing the spray at the vines.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:44 pm
He bit his lip once more, looking over to the shop. The vines were, to be blunt, very strange. The fact that they grew on the shop made it far clearer that it was not a normal place. Remembering the ‘blacksuits’ that were mentioned, Ciro wondered how they could pass by a place like this and not realize that something was up.
“It really depends… What do I have to gain from going in there, I wonder.”
Really, what was there to gain? Shamash was supposed to be giving him any information, Fish could answer his questions, Anubis had given him his talismans. Making himself well known would be dangerous.
“The woman who works there… She is an informant, right? Does she know things about the players?”
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