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 Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 11:05 pm
She lowered herself further, now sitting on the ground as her hands fidgeted with her hair. She wanted to stay out of it, and so she was quiet. When addressed, she would give a noncommittal “Hm” or grunt in reply, and duck her head so as to avoid any further conversation.
But even throughout her half-listening to the conversation, she kept her attention plastered on the man, waiting for some sign that she had to say something. Instantly, he demanded more of her, glowering down on her as if she were some sort of bug. Normally Tepin might feel inclined to be offended by such a motion-- but she was in the presence of a God. Even if not explicitly stated, the man just felt unnatural, looming over her like a hawk.
“Aa-h.” Her hands reached out hesitantly, hovering to pick up the objects but terrified that the shadows might bite at her, “Thank you.” Her voice was quiet, as if programmed by mere habit to thank the man for his gift as her eyes took in as much detail as they could while trying to avoid the darkness that coated the bow.
She took the bow and arrows, her hands deftly avoiding the shadows as best they could.
What… What was she supposed to do now?
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 11:23 pm
As soon as she took the gift, the shadows withdrew as pleasedly as shadows could convey, writhing the rest of the way up the god's body - and then falling apart, down back to the ground and dissipated under the sunlight, with no god left behind. Valeriu let an unexpectedly tense, quiet breath escape from where he'd been waiting stiffly, walking over to Tepin and inspecting her gift.
"He gave you his bow and arrows," he commented. Not just any set - Tezcatlipoca's personal, punish-humanity set. Even from here there was something strange and powerful about the carved wood she held. Divine, even. He sat down next to her. "He never gave me anything useful for the jungle," he frowned, poking at the mirror in his chest.
Bug repellent. That's all that it was.
"Sorry about that," he added, ruffling her hair reassuringly. "Tezcatlipoca is a strange, lonely, bored, bored god," he explained to her, trying to justify why exactly his god was so overdramatic and intimidating.
The man just liked to show off.
"But at least he likes you. I think." Maybe. "That's good." Probably not.
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 11:34 pm
She dared another look to the weapon planted in her hands, a large breath finally escaping her mouth. Somehow, without noticing, she had held it in from the moment that Tezcatlipoca had closed in on her, and only once the relief of his leaving washed over did she understand that strange and quiet fear.
“It’s okay.” She let out another sigh, though her eyes never left the wood in her hands, “Mixcoatl is the same, only not so…”
Flashy.
Terrifying.
Evil.
Sadistic.
“Well, everything in the world but strange, lonely, and bored. He’s pretty normal compared to that guy.”
Her eyes looked to the spot where the God had been standing mere moments ago, and the ground looked innocently up at her.
She looked back to the bow and arrows that now sat in her lap. If he hadn’t have left those, they might never have known that he was there.
“That was really your God?” It seemed so… Well…
She felt so small. It felt completely unfitting that a God should go out of their way to personally meet with her. What was she? Nothing. She really was the bug that he made her feel like. There was no reason to go out of his way to talk to something so lowly.
To say the least… To meet a God in person was… Humbling.
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 11:51 pm
"Yes, that v'as Tezcatlipoca himself," Valeriu confirmed. "Strange. He does not usually like showing his true form to others."
Usually the god popped up as a mass of terrifying shadows, accompanied by visions of blood and destruction. Other times as a large, black jaguar with strange markings. Very rarely did he even appear in front of Valeriu in a more humanoid form.
It didn't bode well, that's what he felt. This was some sort of statement; there was some sort of purpose, there always was.
Divine design.
He rubbed her back, one hand sneakily inching over to take the dangerous weapons out of her hands.
"Who knows v'hy he v'ould give you these?" he wondered. "I tell you, he has the oddest motives sometimes."
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 12:01 am
“I’ve never seen my God,” She confessed quietly, her fingers now following the grain of the wood in it’s strange patterns, “He just talks sometimes.”
Valeriu’s hand on her back felt so warm compared to the feelings she had before. Even with what he was, Varu seemed so different from his God. As if they were some sort of ying and yang, Varu being the warmth and that man the death.
Tepin’s eyes followed his movements for a moment before she clutched the weapon to her chest defensively. This was one thing that she would not budge on. A present from a God. A God! This was something that God had decided for her to own, and there was no way that he would be able to take it from her, like he had done with every other dangerous item that she managed to get her hands on.
“Hey!” Her glare said it all, “This is mine. If he gave it to me, that means he wants me to have it.”
The wheel of thought was set into motion-- just why would Valeriu’s evil God want her to have that?
“He’s probably plotting something.” Her look became less hostile and more concerned, “What am I supposed to do?”
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 12:14 am
He didn't pout. He didn't. Pouting was not manly - no, he frowned.
He really wanted to the bow. All his attempts at making such a contraption had failed miserably - he'd been stuck with spears and knives.
Long-distance weapon. He wanted it. He scooted closer, ready to make another go for the weapon on the sly.
"Nothing," he advised blithely, perusing the blue sky up ahead. "He is a god. Inevitably, you are going to do vhat he vants you to do, v'hether you actively fight it or not. Divine v'ill, da?"
He paused, thought, squinting his eyes contemplatively. "Plus, I suspect he can see into the future. So really, mortals are twice as likely to fail against his plots." He rubbed her back reassuringly again - launching his second, sneaky attack to relieve her of the set.
"But do not v'orry - half the time he changes his mind about v'hat he v'anted in the first place."
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 12:23 am
She didn’t like the power that Gods had over her. Not one bit. She pulled the bow from her chest, her eyes gleaning over it’s many details with a pain skepticism. There was not a single good reason why another God should want her to become more powerful.
Unless she was meant to be a sort of training sacrifice.
“I don’t like this.” She looked at him more sincerely now, worry overtaking the angry feelings that she held against the boy. “I’m worried about it.”
The thought was enough to make her falter, failing to catch the boy in his act of thievery.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 12:34 am
"Don't v'orry," he gently took the bow and arrows from her, setting them aside, playfulness forgotten. "Don't v'orry about it. I v'ill not let you come to harm. And Tezcatlipoca..." His brows furrowed, carefully threading his hands through her hair. "I do not think he v'ants you gone either. He approves of you, in his own v'ay. He has not once told me to be rid of you, like he did v'ith--" He cut himself off.
"So do not v'orry. The jungle is dangerous, yes, but I v'ill protect you."
Of this, he had no doubts. And there was nothing here that he could not handle. From poisons to predators, mudslides and monsoons - he knew how to deal with it all.
He kissed her forehead, before abruptly standing up and tugging her up along with him, swinging her easily into his arms.
"Now, to the butterflies," he decreed all-too-seriously, a glad grin on his face. "I have alv'ays v'anted to show these places to someone else."
On a second thought, he reached down and picked the weapons back up, just as gently giving them back to her.
"As for these, if Tezcatlipoca gave them to you, you are meant to have them. Just...don't hurt yourself, da?"
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 12:47 am
She found herself leaning in towards him, all too comforted by his kind words. Even if it didn’t really hold much water… She could trust him. If he said it’d be okay, then it’d be okay.
This warm thought was interrupted as she was suddenly airborne, yelping like a puppy at this displacement. She had been too distracted by the kiss, her mind filled with incoherent and warm thoughts. It was disarming, too disarming, to be switched from feeling to feeling by this strange boy.
They were going to go out, away from camp? Even if he had said the word ‘butterflies’, the idea of leaving camp seemed particularly dangerous after what had just transpired-- but--
Anywhere in this forest would be dangerous; it was that man’s realm, after all.
Her thoughts were only reaffirmed by Valeriu the moment he handed the bow back into her hands. She looked at it, knowing that in any situation where she would need it, she would be far too panicked to use it. Ultimately, it would be better for Varu to be the equipped one.
But Tezcatlipoca had given it to her; it meant that there was a reason for her to have the bow.
“I’ll be careful,” It was easy to say when she didn’t even have to stand on her own two feet, “But..”
There was no need to tell him to keep his eye out. She knew he’d be on guard no matter what.
“Don’t let go.”
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 1:01 am
"Never," he promised sincerely. And then he grinned - that playful grin again that said he was about to do something very mischievous and potentially dangerous, as he switched her from front to back in a flurry, hands wrapped around her wrists to keep her from falling off his back.
"So don't you let go either," he reminded her needlessly, switching his grip to her legs once he knew she could keep a hold of his neck. "And hang on."
With that, he took off at a steady, fast clip, loping in long strides across the wood-and-rope bridge towards the other side of the river. Towards the darker side of the forest, that seemed too quiet and somber compared to the side they'd come from. Few birds sung here, and even the insects hummed softly. No leaves rustled animatedly from some startled animal, and the light barely broke through the cover - leaving them in dappled shade as he carried them over winding, twisty roots.
It was difficult to comprehend what glorious thing may have been found in this particular forest; there was life, but it was reserved and slow. There was certainly danger, as Valeriu's sharp eyes and ears endlessly took note of their surroundings. But all in all, it was a colorless sort of place.
The twins probably would have commented on how perfectly Valeriu fit in, had he not already planned to kill them both.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 7:15 pm
The bow pressed against her sternum uncomfortably as she clung to him, her tan arms wrapped carefully around his neck so as not to strangle him. Her head was pushed to the side; her bright eyes taking in as many details as she could at the speed that her ride was going.
She was absorbing far more than she thought she would; was this an effect of being in the jungle? The bow….? Or were her powers really awakening, as her God had mentioned?
The light continued to pass over and away, only to be repeated once more. She looked behind them for a moment, amazed at the amount of area that they had covered in such a short amount of time. Tepin wanted to praise him… But it’d only be a hassle to the boy carrying her through the forest.
She’d tell him later, once they had gotten to these…. Butterflies.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 7:32 pm
She definitely weighed more, now, despite her relatively unchanged height. He found himself shifting his grip on her legs every so often, so as to not tire his arms out, and he could feel his muscles stretching just a bit more than normal to keep up a pace he'd easily been able to do when she was smaller.
It was strange, coming once again to this realization. But not quite unwelcome.
They had finally reached the part where the jungle truly changed; Tezcatlipoca, being the god he was, would not be content with faithfully recreating a jungle based upon memories of long past.
He liked to add his own spin to things. A little more danger, a little more strangeness. Here, the trees were larger - far larger. Easily comparable to buildings. And not just the trees; the bushes, the grass, every little bit of flora seemed like it fed off the darkness of the area to increase several times in size.
He knew the fauna had their fare share of growth as well. Too well. Here, he stepped carefully, slowed down, emphasized silence of movement rather than speed. If the shadows of where they'd just come from had seemed dark, it was like nighttime in this area of the valley.
He reached his destination. A large tree, covered in moss and gargantuan mushrooms that circled up its trunk like stairs up a building. He smiled, and lo - was insane enough to treat them as just that.
They ascended, him walking and hopping the short distance from one mushroom to another, up towards the branches above. A firefly drifted by, then another, then another - helpfully lighting the way in a soft glow as they drifted high up near the branches.
An evil man Tezcatlipoca may be, but he knew how to create beautiful things.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 7:57 pm
Her arms wrapped more tightly around him as her head swerved from side to side. She could see the details of this strange world more clearly now… And it terrified her.
She had felt so small when compared to Texcatlipoca. This almost seemed as if he were rubbing it in her face. She knew-- she knew she was a simple human, and she knew that as a player she was useless. But…
Even as small and useless as she might be, she was trying.
So when Valeriu began to ascend their alien staircase, she squirmed. She knew that her body would be unable to get from each mushroom to the next; she knew that she would be unable to do these things on her own. The pangs of self-loathing washed over her in waves. She wanted to be able to keep up with Varu, to stand as an equal to him.
If it were not for Valeriu, she would have never been able to see this world, or even the worlds inside this world.
“Thank you.”
Even if he didn’t understand why… She hoped that her feelings would reach him.
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 8:07 pm
An ear tilted in bemused curiosity, but nonetheless, he smiled.
"You're v'elcome," he hummed back, considering the mass of leaves and branches before them. "Keep your head down for this part," he advised, before pushing through the mass of black-green. It was even slower going - he stopped, frequently, to navigate his way, and made sure no branches scratched at her.
But finally, finally - he reached his lookout. His true Tower. As their heads popped out of the branches, the sun shone brightly down upon them in an abrupt shift from dark to light.
And Valeriu hadn't lied. Above the dark and silent jungle was life - tons of it. Hundreds of butterflies fluttered above the tree-tops, and birds winged across the sky. In the distance was the temple they'd first arrived at, and the waters where their camp was located.
With the utmost care, he set her down to sit on a wide branch that offered a clear view, grinning wildly in the face of the fresh, clear breeze and panorama of beauty around them.
"Here v'e are! It is a bit difficult to get to, but v'orth it, I think." He disappeared back down into the branches momentarily, reappearing to sit down next to her, arms filled with strange looking fruits. He offered one with a teasing smirk.
"I noticed Mrs. Stan did not exactly fill you up," he explained. "Try these. They are sweet."
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 8:34 pm
She pressed even tighter against him, the wood of the bow carefully pressed between the two and the arrows gripped tightly in her hands. Her head was in the small nook between his neck and his shoulder, her arms carefully wrapped around him.
Her head lifted once she felt the feeling of wind teasing her hair. The sight was unexplainable. Up here was yet another world inside this realm, completely and utterly different from the last two. It was gorgeous.
But her thoughts were torn from her and she almost panicked when he disappeared below the canopy, looking down at every angle she could manage in an attempt to keep her eyes on him. It proved difficult; after a few moments he was completely out of her sight.
But he reappeared only a fraction of a second later, bearing food.
“Thanks, “ Her tan hands took the fruit from him, smiling weakly, “But it was Mr. Stan that I had, wasn’t it?”
He fruit was sweet. Delicious even. It alone could be used as a dessert, and that was very strange considering how fruit was supposed to be good for you. She gaped at it for a moment, before popping the fruit into her mouth with a wide smile and gesturing for another,
“Stuff tastes different here,” Her announcement must have been obvious to the boy, who had long since acclimated to this strange land, “It’s healthy, but it’s good.” As if it were impossible to do both.
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