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 Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:02 pm
"It still seems like a foolish thing to do, going to stick your nose into further danger out of some sick sense of curiosity." Even at his obvious disdain for the situation, 'Mali dutifully followed behind the civilian, careful not to get his shoes too wet. How awful would it be to have actually done something kind for once, only to have it repaid with a sudden and awful drop into the wet waters below? He shuddered at the thought.
"It is, isn't it? Hence you have been granted permission to call me 'Mali' instead." While he had considered explaining the usefulness of having that nick name used, especially given the fact that his twin had a horribly similar name, he kept that information to himself. No need for this stranger to know.
"... Yes. Because just how people in this world worship some god they cannot see, our so card 'grand leader' is much the same. Calling it a cult isn't far off, from my opinion. One such minor leader, a General in this case, happened to save my life from a stalker, and then demanded me to hand over my life as payment for not dying, then without a moment to respond, here I am, powered up looking like a doll for the sick pleasure of some alleged 'space goddess queen', who I am simply assuming looks like a flying spaghetti monster, since I have no proof whether or not she exists."
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:21 pm
"Sssssick," Nataniel hissed, the word trailing slowly off his tongue as though he wouldn't know quite what to do with it once it was free. And essentially, he didn't, beyond being aware that it displeased him on a level that felt almost irrational. Inexplicable. That there would be something not-quite-right with him to be called 'sick.' It felt almost personal, yet Mali knew next to nothing about him, and so how could it be? There was nothing wrong with seeking information.
He kept walking, staying several paces in front of the other man if only to keep distance between them. Though really, there seemed to be little in the cave besides darkness. There were no sounds to indicate other life, no stale smell as though the caves might be used as a den.
There was only the soft 'plip' of water droplets as they fell, accompanied now by whatever sounds the two boys made as they walked- And very faintly, a dim glow ahead.
"If you follow no god, what do you attribute your abilities to?" Perhaps Mali thought all people were sick. He'd used the word twice. "You believed you were human- or are you still? Forgive me. This narrative is difficult to follow and perhaps even moreso to grasp."
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:19 am
'Mali chose to currently ignore Nataniel's obvious displeasure at him, opting instead to hurry along. How he hated the damp... Maybe he should simply drain the man, as intended, and then go about his way after dumping his body somewhere safe. Like in a boat in the middle of the lake.
Ah, but that too was effort.
"I would say some giant cosmic battery is where I get my power from. Ultimately, yes, I am human. The only thing that makes me different than you is that I can put on an outfit, such as the one I am wearing, and gain powers. The clothes make the man, as they say."
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Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:28 am
Nataniel paused, his cave-darkened gaze trailing up toward the the dim glow which had manifested overhead, first in scattered speckles, and then, as they'd walked deeper, in more obvious patches. Writhing patches. Insects, Nat noted, as he adjusted his glasses against the bridge of his nose. Herds of caterpillars inching across the ceiling, their bodies faintly shimmering in the darkness.
'The only thing that makes me different than you..'
Nataniel hummed softly as he reached. Despite never quite managing to breech the six foot mark, which his arms extended, he could still brush his fingertips against the low-hanging ceiling of the cave, and as he did, a caterpillar scooted toward his fingertip.
What a marvel... Tiny and unique, in this oddly absurd world they lived in. This were peculiar times. He turned the thing over in his hand, watching it crawl. Nataniel did not think he was much like anyone else in a multitude of ways. People were rash, acting on feelings and assumptions and spurred by pleasure and survival. He glanced back at Mali and expected he was similar, here in this cave at all only because Nat had goaded him to be.
He sighed. "There are no men like me."
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:41 am
Each step 'Mali took was light, step by step he moved forward on tiptoe, avoiding puddles and slick rocks as best he could. He saw the bug crawling about Nataniel's fingers and flinched.
Disgusting creatures... And Disgusting man for letting them crawl all over him.
"I could say the same thing. But break you down to your base components of what makes you human, then we are one in the same. I am just as human as you are. And besides the obvious difference in skin tone, height, weight, age, most likely, and general.. that," he waved his hands to suggest the man an his need to touch bugs, "our genetic materials are the same. Don't think too deeply about it, you'll only hurt yourself."
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Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:06 am
Oh. Base components. Perhaps Nataniel had initially misunderstood. "Ah. I see. When speaking in terms of basic elements, then we are hardly different than any other creature we may come across. Like this one." He extended the hand holding the caterpillar in Mali's direction. Expecting that the other man would be less than thrilled to have the insect so close to him, Nat drew it back to himself after only a moment, then raised his hand to let it inch back toward the ceiling, watching it with curious intensity the entire time. "I have to wonder if that monster you vanished is the same... You hardly told me what it was." But it hadn't bled as far as Nataniel could tell, even after Mali's explosion.
The caterpillar scooted off the tip of his finger and back toward its brethren as Nataniel's arms fell to his sides. The point was, anyway, that despite being some 'reborn alien,' he was in a human body.
Nataniel's nose crinkled in distaste. "You mentioned 'reborn' as if it is something spiritual."
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Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:02 am
This time, Mali took a proper step back from the offending bug, glaring at this insane man who seemed to feel some sort of need to keep handling such disgusting creatures.
"No, I change my mind, there's something far different between us. I can't fathom in the least why you feel the compulsion to touch something so vile." There was no way in all versions of Hell he was going to take another step deeper into this cave. If that man wanted to keep going, let him, he was done.
"I'll tell you more about your questions if you stop prodding at those glowing worms and head back out of this cave."
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Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:04 pm
Vile? Under what circumstances? Nataniel tipped his head inquisitively up at the cavern's ceiling, where a myriad of the caterpillars created a glowing, writhing rooftop above them. The creature hadn't done anything to him, even as he'd held it. It hadn't been sticky or slimy or bitey. Why would it be perceived as vile? "I doubt it would hurt you, if that is your concern," Nataniel retorted, now watching Mali with the same perplexed look he'd given the caterpillars. "If it tried, I can only imagine it would sting for little more than a moment."
Though perhaps it could be as devastating as certain spiders, for all Nataniel knew about it. Just because it hadn't hurt him said little for what something so unknown might do to someone else... He'd never known a species to glow like that...
As he turned back toward the entrance, he gave a flippant wave over his shoulder. "But very well. If you are frightened, we will leave. It is just difficult to imagine you would be, considering the other monsters in your association."
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Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 1:20 pm
"It's not a matter of whether or not it can hurt me, it is a matter of whether or not it can touch me, and clearly given the evidence of them squirming above my head, that chance if much more likely than I am comfortable with. Such small things cannot avoid the eventual pull of gravity and I would not be pleased in the least it it managed to touch me in any way, shape, or form." Even now he was making a beeline towards the opening of the cave, wanting to put distance between him and the creatures as soon as possible.
"I am not frightened, just uncomfortable. I'm certain there are situations you find yourself uncomfortable with too, wouldn't you agree?" Mali didn't bother to wait for a response. He kept walking, picking up the speed as the other finally agreed they could retreat.
"About your.. Question. I cannot say if it's spiritual or not. Only that I was once born on another planet, and according to this nonsense, when I died back then, this.... Soul bit inside of me called a "Starseed", which quite frankly makes no sense, was returned to a vast void, until somehow it appeared within my body as I was born. Utter nonsense, really, but you cannot deny the fact that I have magic, so... Who knows how much of that is actually true."
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Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 10:22 am
"But why?" Nataniel queried, frowning at the ground as they moved from the cave. "Even if it does manage to touch you, it can do little more beyond that, and touching you poses no known adverse effect." As far as Nat knew, anyway. The caterpillar had been oddly glowing, though, so perhaps it was radioactive? But glowing or not, it didn't seem any more disgusting than Mali's monster friend. Or any other monster roaming about.
"When I am uncomfortable, I can typically at least put a reason to it," he argued thoughtfully. "...And I am not likely to flee, as you are now..." Though he could certainly think of a great many things that displeased him that he was forced to partake in, regardless.
It just seemed like, for someone like Mali, there ought to be... less to be concerned about, when dealing with simple insects.
How anything dealing with a 'soul bit' could not be spiritual, Nataniel didn't understand.It did sound a bit like nonsense, and there was no way for Nat to validate any of it... But there really were strange beasts running around and people, like Mali, who could do things suspiciously close to magic, so, really... "I suppose there was something to those religions that touted rebirth."
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Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:59 am
"There are some things that cannot be explained thoroughly. Some people have an aversion to certain foods, some to smells, and others, like me, are rather adverse to the touch of a bug. Rather than suffer in a situation that you don't want to be in, doesn't it make sense to leave the situation before you find yourself facing an even more unpleasant situation?" Why was he even bothering to explain this? This man, Nataniel, was just some stranger, someone of little importance, and one he'd surely forget once the night was over.
Yet there was something somewhat amusing at the constant questions, as long as he could remove himself from the presence of these bugs.
"Ahem. Regardless of what you think, I don't like bugs, particularly ones with dozens of legs." Spiders were pretty alright, in that sense. "I have no basis on whether or not my power is the foundation of religion or not. I also have little care of it's history. Ultimately I am here, in the now, and that's what matters. Satisfied?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:59 am
Nataniel could scarcely fathom even the thought of acting on something without explanation. 'Why' and 'how' were what fueled him. It didn't have to be a complex explanation, as many things weren't (like how he preferred to be at home because it was just more enjoyable to the alternative, and there were no consequences to not), but it needed to be reasonable. And oftentimes, it seemed like fear, or 'aversions' as Mali put it, simply weren't sound. "But why should a situation be unpleasant if there is no reason for it to be? I... do not understand," he admitted, brows knitting together.
It felt like there wasn't much he understood of the conversation, at all.
So when asked if he was 'satisfied,' his answer could only be, "Not really... But that is neither your fault nor your problem, I think. It will just be something for me to consider the reality of, as things keep... happening, as they do."
He eyed Mali for a second longer. Now that they were out of the cave and there was once again more space available to them... "You summoned some kind of explosive to send that monstrous creature away. Before I set you free to return to your business, could you do it again?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:21 pm
"I assure you, there's no reason to think too hard about any of this. My complexities and reasoning between what I do and do not like shouldn't be of any matter to you. After all, I am certain this is a one-off encounter, and I am likely to never see you again." He was blunt in his response, clearly finished with the explanations of his personal opinions.
There was something to be said about Nataniel's admittance to it not being his concern. Good.
He had no time for such formalities.
"... You wish to see my magic? Why?" Even with the questioning, 'Mali summoned the doll with ease, offering it to Nat with little concern. "It won't explode, if you are worried about it. The trigger seems to be my will, and for now, I have no reason to wish ill on you."
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Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 5:04 am
Nataniel flicked his fingers dismissively. "You can cut inferring that I am so far beneath you that I have no hope of understanding your complexities. If there is no reasoning with which to understand, then there is no 'complexity.' It is only basic nonsense and feelings. There is no logic in feelings. And fear-" He would be hard-pressed to say that it was anything else that led Mali to reject the caterpillars so incessantly. "-so often leads people to act without reason. You should better temper your impulses."
As Mali summoned his doll, Nataniel tipped his head at it. "Or how would you learn of anything that frightens you?" He hated new. And all of this was... certainly very foreign to him. It would be so easy to reject it based on any preconceived knowledge that magic was impossible, but... that would be foolish, wouldn't it?
How could he so easily dismiss something that appeared right before his eyes?
He took the doll with a tiny frown, flipping it around in his hands. Nataniel didn't know what he expected to find, but just on appearance there didn't seem to be much of significance about it besides that it was an explosive that appeared out of thin air. "...I see."
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2019 9:15 am
"I most certainly did not imply you were beneath me. It was simply the stating of fact that I don't want to talk further about it because I have no interest at all in this conversation. I am simply.... entertaining your curiosities, for the sake of someone else." Rather than continue with that train of thought, he snapped his fingers, and watched as the doll vanished from Nataniel's grasp.
"Are you done? Will you go home now? No, wait, I am done here, regardless if you are or not." 'Mali would not wait. He continued walking out into the light of day... Damn not being able to teleport just yet.
He'd have to find somewhere to power down properly, then make his way home.
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