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 Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:21 pm
Rivener sighed angrily at the humans' reaction. This was indeed going to be "getting harsh up in here" as they put it, but the Scorpion didn't think these people knew the hot water they'd gotten themselves in. Although when Ripley pointed out the obvious foolishness of their picking on clearly supernatural beings, the group of hooligans had the common sense to hesitate, glancing at one another like they'd find courage there.
"Don't be stupid," Rivener threatened lightly, angling his head to glower at the men. Perhaps a bit more intimidation would be enough to-
"Don't let them bluff you down, guys! Get em!" The leader bellowed, showing by example as he rushed ahead with his switchblade, swinging wildly in what was supposed to be a fear-inducing manner.
Too bad Rivener had seen better knife work from Aphi for sky's sake. As the stupid a*****e came close, Rivener lunged forward, slapped the knife-wielding hand with a wing, and whipped a clawed hand out as fast as a scorpion's tail-strike. Fingers closed around the human's throat and Rivener easily lifted the man off the ground, baring his fangs. He wound up as easily as if he'd been holding a baseball, and bodily threw the gang leader into the trashbin, the man's back slamming into the edge with a loud cacophony.
Wings spread wide, barely breathing any harder from the throw, Rivener glared at the other men. A corner of his lips curled up. "Well?" he asked, waiting to see what they'd do. Run? Fight?
The men stared at their leader's quick disposal, eyes wide, glances going back and forth between the groaning punk and the half-bodies they'd accosted. It took a moment for a common decision to be made: they frowned and screamed in tentative unison, carefully moving forward to attack...
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:20 pm
To be completely honest, Ripley was not ready for some humans to come screaming at him like little creatures doing some kind of off ritual. It took him slightly off-guard for what seemed like forever (though hardly a second or two), but the initial shock of being turned so uneasy so quickly was made visible to all the moment that the neon light flared to life before it shattered. A loud hiss was all that was left to indicate that it once had been powered, and thankfully for he Egyptian Frei the distraction was more than enough to cause at least one of the goons to turn their head in surprise and perhaps horror.
There we go.
The man lowered his hand just enough that if Ripley moved quickly enough (which he did) he could get a hold of the wrist that was attached to said blade-wielding hand, and his fingers tightened around as he bit his lower lip. The man was yanking his arm back and Ripley's grip wasn't nearly as strong against the pressure, so whatever he was going to do he had to do it quickly.
Think, think.
Hell, there really was no time for thinking as Ripley just tightened his grip again and quickly focused on that strange pulse that he'd always felt in his body, the one that made touching him an adventure for each individual person. He'd only attempted this little 'shock test' a few times on Rong Wei, nothing ever strong enough to do serious damage other than temporary numbing, but considering this freak of a human had a knife - limits needed passed.
With a deep breath he exhaled and pushed that pulse as hard as he could into the man hoping it did something and, when he saw the man's face turn white and his eyes start to roll into the back of his head, he knew whatever it was he'd done worked. The wrist went limp in his grasp and the body felt like he was holding a ton of bricks, prompting the Frei to let go unless he wanted to be pulled down alongside the man as he fainted. There, he'd done.
"Who's ne...nex..."
Okay, slight problem. Ripley's vision suddenly was swimming, his head surprisingly light. He didn't like this feeling at all, stemming from the rune in his chest and out to his fingertips. All color that had tried to leak back into his dark skin rushed out and left him pale and sallow, his who complexion nearing a ghastly white. If he could properly stagger on the ground he would have, if he'd had knees they'd be bent in an effort to keep himself balanced. Instead all he could do was float backwards a bit, looking uneasy and perhaps ill.
What happened?
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:32 pm
Rivener had expected them to run, really. They hadn't been all that courageous so far, and the removal of their leader should have been enough to sap the last of their morale, but it had backfired and sent the idiots into a frenzy. Of the three remaining goons, one bypassed Rivener entirely to head for Ripley, and the Scorpion tried to intercept... Only the other two cut in front of him, switchblade and bat at the ready.
Seeing a bat made Rivener flinch in fear for a second, until he told himself that if he could see the damn bat coming, it was no big deal. He'd been sucker-punched last time, this was going to be much easier... He needed to hurry and get to Ripley anyway, before the Frei got himself stabbed by the one mugger who'd gotten to him.
Growling, fangs bared and wings spread wide, Rivener didn't wait for the humans to take the initiative; he attacked them. The knife-wielding one went down ridiculously quick, one quick Sigel-strong punch to the stomach sending him to his knees, half-passed out and throwing up. The bat-toting punk, however, took a bit more working. He swung hard, that one, and Rivener was still too wary of that large, heavy wooden weapon to get close.
A light above exploded. There was an odd zapping sound, followed by a thud. Then Ripley's voice, weak and wavering... Riv flicked his eyes over: the hooligan was on the ground, Ripley having apparently taken care of business himself, but the Frei looked like it had taken such a toll!
The bat swung towards Riv's head and the Sigel realized just in time, ducking with a sharply inhaled gasp: he barely just avoided getting clocked in the skull, though one of his horns took the hit instead. It sent his head snapping sideways and something hurt in a very weird place, the hardened black bone throbbing with ache. "OW!" Rivener swore, bringing a hand up to his wounded horn, glaring daggers at the last remaining punk...
...who pretty much just realized he was the last one there. The previously vicious young man gasped and dropped the bat, eyes wide, hands up in defense. "L-listen, sorry, I just, just let me go man! I won't do nothin, I swea-AAARGH!"
In a fit of temper, Rivener struck out with a wing, sinking a stinger into the man's chest. Ahhhh, how satisfying! He hadn't poisoned anyone since the infection, but it felt just as relieving as he remembered. A slow smirk pulled Riv's face out of that uncomfortable, pained grimace he'd worn. The stupid punk fell, mouth frothing, and Riv turned his back so he could float over to Ripley, placing a hand on the Frei's arm to steady him. "Hey, you okay? ...I mean, obviously you're not, but you need to feed or something? You didn't get hit, did you? Here, let's get out of this alley so we can try and find you something to feed on." The Sigel gently tugged his companion along, finally emerging at the other end of this short-cut, into a wider, busier street. A few cars actually ran here, and traffic lights proved it would be very busy during the daytime. "...Are lights good for you to eat from? Or would you need, like, uh... an actual plug?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:25 pm
"I wasn't hit. I'm fine, he didn't lay a hand on me."
It took several moments for much of Ripley's brain to come back online as it were, his vision still swaying in and out through much of whatever Rivener had done to the third human male. The Frei could make out bits and pieces, something to do with the Sigel's amazing wings, and then it was all over and he was being held and spoken to. He hoped he wasn't slurring as badly as he sounded like he was, which was pretty bad.
A single hand was moved to his temple where an aching throb he'd never felt before was developing. His rune was pulsing as well with a faint rhythmic flicker, the color staying strong despite its odd little bits. This was all entirely new and very much upsetting, but Ripley couldn't really let that on yet.
"Feeding? What are you talking about?"
The way Ripley phrased his question back could have been a very bad sign meaning one of two things.
A - Rong Wei never fed him, so he was always starving or
B - His method of eating was something he'd never thought about so it was never a big deal
"I don't remember ever having to feed on anything in specific, if you're asking like that. Rong Wei says I drain batteries pretty easily if the pile of dead ones are any sign, but even before I started messing with those I was never hungry per say."
He paused, trying to think...which was hard enough to do with his head feeling like it was going to split open. Even though his shaky vision was gone it didn't help in the slightest, and he was sorely tempted to reach over and touch Rivener's hand to make sure that the Sigel actually was floating next to him and not at a distance. He couldn't even really tell they were moving.
"I think I feed indirectly from lights, never tried a plug before. I'm almost willing to do anything at this point, if it'll get rid of this headache."
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Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:08 pm
Rivener sighed to learn that Ripley hadn't been hit. So it was only exhaustion that gave the Frei that horrible countenance. That was something Rivener could try to take care of. He guided Ripley down the street even as he listened to the other talk, apparently startled at the concept of feeding... Rivener knew Ripley wouldn't be in such good shape usually if he wasn't feeding, so the idea that Rong Wei wasn't giving him food didn't even enter his mind. Most likely Ripley did it by reflex, without even knowing he did it.
Of course, Rivener was only guessing about the plug, but the stars had mentioned lightning and electricity when they spoke of Ripley, and with the admission that Ripley absorbed power from batteries, the Sigel was almost sure he was correct. A plug would probably work wonders, or failing that, he could open up some random car's hood and let Ripley feast on car battery. Whatever the case, there should be plenty for him to feed from around here.
"A plug, a plug... Ah, there's one!" Rivener spoke, spotting an outdoor outlet on the side of a building. He pulled Ripley that way and flipped open the plastic covering, pointing to the three holes. "Go on, give it a try, but be careful. Hopefully it'll get rid of your headache. Maybe you'll feel better than new!"
The Scorpion straightened then, keeping a watchful eye on his friend and reaching a hand up to his aching horn. That bat had beaned him good, and now the bony appendage was starting to throb in a way that was going to cause a headache for the Sigel... Though his couldn't be cured by feeding, probably. He'd need some painkillers and a good night's rest, most likely, then he'd be good as new.
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Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 7:54 pm
If Ripley were any more aware of himself at the moment, or any less in pain from the shaking in his head and the blurry images that swam before him, he likely would have not stooped to such a method of "feeding" (as Rivener had called it). He had said that he'd do almost anything anyway to get rid of the throbbing pain and since this was the only option he wasn't going to be picky. Beggars could not be choosers, if that phrase was remembered correctly. Without so much as a second doubt he lowered himself down and stuck his finger into the socket, his eyes closed and his body braced for the sudden surge.
It was....not unpleasant. At all. Despite what he may have though would happen, seeing as he'd read books on electricity, Ripley didn't feel any pain from the pulse that was rapidly moving itself through his body. Instead of wanting to scream he felt like laughing with delight, instead of growing weaker or developing another headache every since ounce of pain that he'd felt before seemed to be vanishing with each passing second. It wasn't much longer after he stuck his finger in that he pulled it back out, almost good as new. His headache was long gone, his rune no longer flickering; even the color of his skin had returned to its dark cinnamon shade of brown, all the ghastly white that once decorated his features long gone.
Without any of the same stiffness that had prevented him from lowering down he got back up, floating to his normal 'height' and almost looking Rivener in the eyes. He allowed the Sigel some height on him, that much was respectful considering he was older and had evolved into a more powerful being. With the thin smile that was his trademark, he extended one of his hands out with the palm up.
"Rivener, thank you. . . . but, are you alright? You got hit trying to get to me, didn't you?"
His face mirrored concern, but his eyes were steel, judging. Was this the limit for this Sigel? He'd been so amazing with his wings, but if a bat could faze him this much. . . .
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:33 pm
Rivener watched his cadet move to the plug and unabashedly stick a finger in, and like the Sigel had predicted the effect was far from detrimental. Ripley's color improved, his rune burned brighter, and when he stood it was clear to see the Frei felt much better. Rivener breathed a slight sigh of relief, smiling. That's good. Now it would be much easier to get the Egyptian back home.
Ripley turned to him then to ask about the hit, and Riv quirked an eyebrow. He was being judged, he could see that glint of hard-edged assessment in the other's eyes... The concern was faked, it was more curiosity than sympathy. This is what I thought I saw before, isn't it. What the stars were talking about. He's no friend, but it's probably best to keep him as an ally instead of an enemy. But I wonder why there are only the two? What's Ripley up to? Rivener's own eyes hardened despite the friendly smile.
"How kind of you to ask, Ripley. I got nicked on the horn a bit, nothing serious." He reached up to tap the horn he meant. It felt, which was odd, but it wasn't broken. Probably just sore for a few days at most. "Let's get you to the Lab so you can find your way back, then." Taking the lead once more, Rivener pointedly kept himself side-by-side with the Frei, not walking before or behind. Ripley seemed the type who could read between the lines, so he would understand the meaning.
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:50 pm
"Hmm. I guess you're built as strong as you look then. Good to know, I bet it comes in handy."
The judging look was gone almost as quickly as it had come on, Ripley apparently satisfied with the answer he was given. The Sigel was slowly but surely redeeming himself in the Frei's gray eyes, or at least bettering his position, and maybe before all this was over Rivener might move from the label of "meat shield" to something else. He'd have to think of that next label if it was reached. When they started floating off again and Rivener stayed at his side he smiled - only to catch himself quickly and try to wipe it from his face. The smile wasn't necessary, the Sigel hadn't really done anything of note to be praised for, yet his face had responded in such a manner. Perhaps it was because he was feeling downright fantastic from the electricity he'd just 'eaten', or perhaps it was because it was nice out. He wasn't honestly sure, and his cheeks flushed a darker shade of brown with embarrassment over the sudden smile.
Of course, blushing was even worse. He didn't want the Sigel to assume he was thinking of anything indecent, when in reality his mind was just kicking itself around for a smile about being happy. Or enjoying Rivener's company. There certainly weren't any feelings involved, nothing like 'oh, he's so kind so thankful and gentle~', so at least Ripley could settle himself about that.
"I'm wondering if I should call from the Lab as well, to let her know I'm back on my way. I'm sure she'd like the warning, or to know I didn't run away."
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:45 pm
Yeah, I BET it comes in handy, Rivener thought to himself with an amused smirk, knowing EXACTLY what Ripley had meant by that. This was getting easier to read, the more Riv spent time around the Egyptian.
As though to throw all Riv's assumptions out the window, Ripley then suddenly went through a very amusing and confusing gamut of emotions, which Riv had of course been watching out of the corner of his eye. A smile, then a slight blush and a determined look of neutrality. What was THAT all about now? Rivener knew better than to snicker about it, but the corner of his lips farthest from Ripley turned up slightly.
The Frei spoke up again to fill up the silence, and Rivener scoffed at this. "A warning, hm?" Riv repeated, wondering if that meant the electric Raevan was planning some kind of retaliation against his guardian for letting him get lost in the first place. The Scorpion, for one, thought she'd deserve it, but he wouldn't meddle. "I'm sure you can use the phone at the lab to call if you want to. It shouldn't be too much farther, at any rate. Another few blocks." With a clawed finger the Sigel pointed towards a sign they could barely see up ahead, denoting the Lab's location.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:19 pm
"Yes, a warning. I wouldn't want to get into the house and scare her if she were already asleep, you know? Lately she's been having this deal where she's not sleeping and I'd like to deal with her more on a level where sharp objects aren't being cleaved at me."
Well that was certainly different. There wasn't exactly a tone in Ripley's voice that indicated he was trying to actually be considerate towards Rong Wei, but there certainly also wasn't a sarcasm that leaked and bit at the edge of his words. his face was completely neutral as well, his poker play coming back around to replace the nervous jitters from before, and he turned his head to look at Rivener's arm as the Sigel mentioned something about the distance to their location. Part of him sank since he knew it meant their time together would be over shortly, but it wasn't a part that was full of disappointment because he'd be missing Rivener's company. In reality he didn't want to go back inside because the evening was feeling nice against his skin, the sky overhead wondrous to look at. It would have been better were there an evening storm (he loved the lightning for some reason or another).
"I'll have to see if I remember how to dial a phone since it's been a while since I've watched someone do it. Normally I have no problem picking something up if I've seen at least once or twice. A bit of a talent, I suppose, though not something I'd consider overly useful. Seeing people do things wouldn't have helped me tonight if you hadn't of been there."
He was very bad at compliments tonight even though his mind was far more clearer than it usually ever was. All that extra electricity he'd managed to eat was doing wonders for him, his entire being so alert. He inwardly wondered how much longer it would last, this sudden boost, but then the thought that he could do it as many times as he wanted crossed his mind. Excellent.
By this time the two of them were drawing closer to the Lab, enough that familiar landmarks came into view and he started to visual his floating steps home. A left here, a right there. . . cross two streets, then down an alley perhaps? No, that lead somewhere else, and Ripley's brow bent in thought.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:25 pm
Rivener actually did snicker then, his ruby-red gaze flicking towards Ripley for a moment. Sharp objects cleaved at him, hm? Surely if Rong Wei did that and meant it, Ripley wouldn't be making light of it. And she probably wouldn't repeat that if she knew what was good for her. The Egyptian didn't strike Riv as the type who'd take that kind of thing lying down. "Whatever you say, Ripley."
As they neared the Lab and Ripley continued talking, Rivener quietly guided them to a crosswalk and paused, watching for cars. He moved them across to the Lab's side of the street and smiled over at the Frei. "Don't mention it. Learning fast IS useful, and from now on I'm sure you'll know how to feed on plugs when you're hungry. So it was useful in that way, hm?"
They finally reached the Lab and the Sigel turned to his protege with a grin. "Well, here we are! You want to go make that call, or-... What's the matter?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at Ripley's thoughtful look.
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:57 am
"Nothing. Let's get to that phone."
. . . . .For some reason I keep getting my directions mixed up. I'm wondering if it's because I'm feeling too energetic
Ripley's word and his thoughts didn't match at all, and the pensive expression that remained on his face was a clear testimony of that. His hands raised up and the fingertips touched together before resting at his chin, a familiar post of thought that was so common anyone could recognize it. Her dark gray eyes stayed neutral however as he tried another route in his mind, and then another, only to find that the darkness was limiting much of his memories on landmarks. Hadn't he told himself (and Rivener) that he could find his way back home once he'd reached the Lab? The Egyptian refused to be marked as a liar, so he lowered his hands when he floated over to use the telephone. He dialed in the numbers that he recalled Rong Wei using, though he had to hang up at least twice and cycle through another set when the person he reached on the other line was not Rong Wei or one of her parents.
After a few rings he finally reached the woman and a brief conversation in Chinese occurred, Ripley's words a lot slower than whomever was shouting at him through the phone. About halfway into that yelling match the Frei switched to English and finished whatever it was he was going to say and hung up abruptly. With the conversation now over Ripley floated back over to Rivener's side, that same thinking look on his features. Even talking to Rong Wei had not settled the exact location, and above his head a soft peel of thunder rumbled in the distance.
"She's awake and not quite pleased with me, as you can imagine. Says it's my fault for wandering away and that she won't be coming to get me if I can't find my way home."
Ripely sort of paraphrased most of that, as much of it had been Rong Wei yelling at him and telling him to never come home if he was too stupid to find his way back. That had irked him enough as it was and he didn't feel the need to share that litle gem with Rivener. . . yet.
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:04 pm
Rivener couldn't talk Chinese (and was rather impressed that Ripley could), but he COULD talk Pissed-Off. And that was definitely the underlying language of that whole conversation. The Scorpion could hear the woman on the other end screaming into the receiver, and Ripley's answers didn't always seem all that composed.
When the Egyptian returned to his arms-crossed companion, Rivener frowned with tightly drawn brows, red eyes flashing. What a horrible guardian Rong Wei was. The Sigel sighed and once again wondered if he should mention anything to the Lab staff. Last time Ripley had claimed he could handle it, but really, what did he know? He was a young Frei. He just didn't know what life could be like with someone who actually respected you and treated you well.
"Well, DO you know how to get home? You said you could find your way, so why ask her to come get you then? Does this have to do with that pensive look earlier?" Rivener raised an eyebrow and drummed his fingers along an arm. "Do you at least know the address? I'll help you get back." And maybe he'd smash a damned window in the place to teach that horrible harpy a lesson or something.
Didn't she own a nail salon or something along those lines? Maybe Rivener would convince Felix to go extort the crap out of that business. Smirking, eyes flashing malevolently, Rivener put that little idea aside for now.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:50 am
Ripley was busy running more paths down his memory to not really hear much of what Rivener was saying, not that he was trying to listen. He likely was ignoring him because he didn't want to talk much about Rong Wei at this specific point in time, like he'd previously thought, but also because there was no need to keep pushing the Sigel further down his path of hate. Ripley knew where Rivener stood on his feelings for Rong Wei, there wasn't a point in testing the waters. There would be a specific time and place for Rivener, Ripley was most certain of that. In fact, he planned it that way.
"Our address is 5015 Pine Marten, or at least that's the address to the shop. The family and I live in a small house built onto the back of it."
Ripley could remember all the houses on the street, well - business houses. Most people in that area had their houses built on to family owned businesses, and the Hus were no different. They'd been in the area just as long as all the others and had put a fence around their "backyard", which was about the only thing that set them apart from everyone else.
"And as for asking her to come get me it's because I'm not thinking straight. I don't know if it's because of the approaching storm, or because of the shock from earlier, but I keep getting things mixed up. It's unsettling and I don't like it."
The Egyptian Raevan found himself admitting many more thing to Rivener than he would like to ever do, but what other option was there? Lying would serve him no purpose, and perhaps showing weakness would draw this other to him at a much steadier pace. Of course there was always the draw back that he could be pitied instead of whatever he was going for, but pity could always be easily replaced.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 3:19 pm
"Oh right, Pine Marten, you'd mentioned that name earlier. 5015 you say..." Rivener took out his cell once more and flipped it open, this time completing the task he'd tried to do earlier that night. He sighed lightly, a corner of his lips twisting up in annoyance. If he'd just done this from the get-go, they wouldn't have needed to come this far and get mobbed by some wanna-be street thugs. Oh well, there was no use whining about it. Pine Marten was on this side of town anyway (so the map Riv looked up said) so chances are they would have crossed that stupid alley anyway.
"Getting things mixed up, hm?" The Scorpion repeated, sounding neither pitying nor disgusted. He simply stated facts. "Well, you're still rather new at this whole existing thing. Some stuff you won't really figure out until later. Hell, I'm STILL learning about how my powers work sometimes! Just take a note of it, try to recall what was going on around you, and then see when it passes and when it happens again. By cross-referencing your experiences you can eventually figure out what's going on." That was pretty much how Rivener had discovered how his Star-speak power would come and go depending on the phase of the moon and, of course, cloud cover. He was looking forward to the first night of falling stars, to see what different things he'd hear then!
The cell flipped back closed after Rivener memorized a few landmarks. "Alright, let's get you home then. If thinking about things bothers you, just try not to think." The Scorpion smirked, knowing how impossible a chore that might be.
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