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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 12:30 pm
"I can't bear to write anything on it." she admitted. "This is a tomb for someone, in my eyes. It is sacrilege to disturb the dead. It's cruel." especially something as blase and boring as 'Scylla was here.' She took back the rock, lifted her hand to the tomb again, in a small place near the bottom. The place where she'd written before wasn't marked, but now she actually tried.
"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." She read it aloud to Raite, and then pushed to her feet, vertigo making her head spin and knees quaking as she started up; down she went again, not willing to chance a tumble. She clutched the white stone of the base, taking a deep breath. Up she went, and up she stayed. She leaned against the black obelisk, and turned her attention to her companion.
"Do what we must, hmm?" she reached out for his hand, silently beseeching him for the comfort of another human's touch. "I suppose." Her eyes went to the horizon, looking. She didn't yet see the approaching dot.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 2:38 pm
He took her hand wordlessly, his silence more comforting then some well-meaning words, or any regrets whose depths couldn't possibly convey the situation that they were in. On the other hand, it was all he could offer. Raite wasn't one to comfort people.
Over Scylla's head, Raite caught the approach of something. It wasn't the best time to say it, but they needed to stay alert. "We have a few more guests." But it wasn't the sandworm from earlier. It was far too small. But Raite still didn't trust it.
As they neared the obelisk, it became clear that they weren't.. a variation of the desert, or the hallucinations they offered. Their presence was decidedly real. "They're humans." Raite said, as soon as he had discerned their race. He tilted his head, staring at the incoming visitors, before asking Scylla, "Are they riding on a carpet?" For the first time, he sounded .. blank. There were no words to describe it. A carpet. "Why don't we get a carpet?" Which brought Raite and Scylla to their prominent question of what they had. Maybe 'had' wasn't the best word.
"... Should we tell them about the sandworm?" He wasn't particularly inclined towards them at the moment, because of their carpet. He wanted a carpet.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 4:13 pm
More guests? She tried to see what he'd been the first to notice, purple eyes lighting on the approach of what... yes. It looked like a carpet. - on a cracker. "At least there aren't forty of them. Then I'd have to worry. Ali Baba and his thieves, just what we need when we're dead tired and trapped." She watched it coming closer, then said, "You know, if this person had 40 thieves, we might be able to catch the sandworm."
There were a few moments of pause. "Or it would eat them all and ask for dessert."
Positive thinking. Looking at all sides of the coin. Go Scylla.
"We should probably tell them. The worm might be able to jump up and grab them if they sink down too low. Then we'd lose our carpet and have more people on our obelisk." She waved her hand in the air. "WATCH OUT." she called when they got closer, hoping they were within earshot. "MONSTER IN THE SAND."
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 4:14 pm
The heat was overbearing on Boreas' skin once again. Or should it be said that it felt the best in the few places were there was just skin. The heat was once again taking its toll on him and not even the slight breeze that had initially helped Boreas cool off was providing any aid.
"What are you are talking about Howl?'
Howl's words caught him completely off guard. He didn't notice the tall obelisk that was getting closer and closer to the duo on the magic carpet.
"Oh.. What in the world is that?"
Boreas had never seen any kind of monument like it before and all he could think was that is may be something foreboding, similiar to the odd camel carcass they had encountered before. However, before he could inquire further, Nelumbo had come to a slow glide as they approached a group of travelers on a cliff.
"Looks like the joy ride is over Howl."
A slight smirk crossed the senshi's face.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 4:22 pm
They were close enough to be within shouting distance, now, but still headed straight ahead -- which meant they'd pass the obelisk by entirely, if they didn't turn course.
The sand remained undisturbed, the worm apparently unaware of the carpet floating above it.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 5:22 pm
"If they're not walking, they should probably be fine." Raite observed and commented to Scylla, remembering how the worm had tracked them by their movements on the sand. "Must be why they haven't encountered it so far." Otherwise, they wouldn't be leisurely floating around on a magic carpet that most often made a appearance in Aladdin. And that led to them staying in one piece.
Raite scanned the sand around them, as a precaution. He had his arms crossed over his chest, looking away, apparently not the friendly one out of the two. He scanned the horizon for any more of their visitors, but the rest of the desert seemed as peaceful as it had always been. Deceptively peaceful.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 5:49 pm
".... Oh. Right." Scylla looked guilty. She should have thought of that before shouting like a loon. Still, she consoled herself, it was the thought that counted. Ugh, she was dying from the heat. Her hands clenched in her skirt and she flapped it back and forth, using it to create a draft that whirled around her legs. "I should have thought of this earlier." Raite was at her side, impassive and stern, staring off into the distance. She looked up at him, and raised a brow. "Well, if they aren't a hallucination-" they looked like they were going to move straight by, "-then you might be scaring them off with that scowl."
She waved her hand again, whistling as loudly as she could. It sounded like Yankee Doodle Dandy, and it wasn't very loud at all. She'd never mastered that piercing whistle. She stuck two fingers in her mouth, trying valiantly anyway; it came out like a raspberry. So she stopped, instead waving her hand. Her throat was too sore and too dry to yell anymore.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:57 pm
Rather than wait too long for Sailor Boreas to note that the carpet still needed some guidance, without a word, the teal-haired lad reached across and tugged upon the tassel. He tugged as many times as was necessary until they were facing the obelisk. As if attempting to calm a horse down, he gently patted the carpet and offered in a soothing tone "Let us go in for a smooth landing, Nelumbo. There we go..."
He glanced up for a moment as a strange whistled tune made its way to his ears, but then redirected his glance to his riding companion. "I suspect we could have made the ride last longer. I do beg your pardon." At least Howl seemed aware that he had invaded the Senshi of Winter's personal space. Edging back slightly, he silently seemed to return the reins back to his companion.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:01 pm
Soon enough, and without incident, the carpet slid up to the side of the obelisk -- but it remained floating just as it was, heedless of any commands to come in for a "landing."
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:58 pm
The tall monument stood out like a sore thumb as the duo approached. It could literally have been seen from miles away, thanks to the bleak desert landscape and the perpetually rising sun. As Nelumbo held steady at the side of the obelisk, Boreas noted the strangle look it had and wondered immediately why someone would have built something like that in the middle of the desert.
"I wonder who built this thing? I also wonder what it was built for."
Though his eyes then focused the other pair of travelers. Their presence took him by surprise. He had honestly settled on the thought that he and Howl were the only people in the entire desert. Mostly since they had wondered it alone for what seemed like days.
"Hey Howl, check those people out."
He pointed up. He sincerely hoped they weren't a mirage or another strange trick of the desert.
"I'm going to yell up to them. HEY YOU TWO! DOWN HERE!"
Boreas once again demonstrated his elegance skills as a conversationalist.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 9:22 pm
The two characters from the obelisk were standing on a narrow white ledge, seven feet off the ground. One was taller and undeniably masculine with dark-hair and pale eyes; the other was a short young woman in what was undeniably a senshi fuku. She was waving at the two as they approached on their carpet, and when it pulled to a halt, she offered them both a beaming smile. "Don't get too close to the ground." she told them, when they pulled up to the obelisk. "There's some kind of worm-monster." One of the men was unfamiliar, but the other gave her a start, and she almost called him by name. But no, Sailor Scylla hadn't met Howl Wickham before. It would be unusual to call him by name. "We've both had one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."
She glanced back at the black obelisk, at her handwriting lightly scratching her own epitaph for the fallen stranger into the rock, the script done by the little chunk in her hand. Scylla paused, doing another sweep around the obelisk, making one last check to see if she had missed anything. Slowly, carefully, hand trailing over the pictures. It was silly that she was doing it. Maybe trying to imprint the sad and unknown story of the monument into her mind? Even she couldn't explain it. It was her inner curiosity. She'd have to get over the rampant curiosity.
The chunk of black rock was slid inside her glove, pressed against the bare skin of her arm.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 10:26 pm
In a lowered tone, the barefooted lad of the pair mentioned "Perhaps we should attempt to figure such trivial details later, when we are not in the middle of the desert, Mr. Boreas." Carefully, the teal-haired figure swiveled to glance to the two lingering at the strange structure. A young man and a young lady, both with dark hair. The female seemed to be a senshi.
The mention of a worm-monster managed to gain Howl's attention rather easily. Where as his friend's greeting was less than elegant, his own would be slightly more graceful.
"I thank you, Miss, for the very useful information." He glanced to Boreas and nodded. It was the perfect explanation for the dead camel they had located earlier. His eyes glanced back to the other pair. "I suspect neither of our days have been very pleasurable. Regardless, I suspect introductions are in order." His dried lips curled into a smile.
"My name is Howl Wickham, and my traveling companion is Sailor Boreas. It is a pleasure to meet you both." Even with the desert heat, he was still able to muster up some rather lovely manners. That was Howl for you.
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:47 am
"Sailor Boreas, Senshi of Winter! Pleased to meet the both of you!"
He gave the two dark-haired travelers a big smile and then waved for a few seconds. The girl's senshi outfit caught his eye immediately. Boreas had only met one other senshi, so this was exciting for him. The young man; however, appeared to be a Negaverse officer. Boreas made a mental note to be on his guard for not only himself, but also for Howl. He hadn't encountered the Negaverse before, but he suspected that even in a faraway desert, they would be up to no good.
"Oh wow, another senshi! Nice to meet you Miss! I think we are on the same team!"
Boreas was a little too excited. Enough so that he had taken to pointing out the obvious. Though a warm smile still remained on his face.
"Wait, there is a sandworm? What is a sandworm?"
Boreas puzzled over the idea for a few moments. The only thing he could think of was a tan colored earthworm. Certainly nothing too dangerous.
"Nelumbo, I think we need to land. Though not around that sandworm."
A look of apprehension crossed Boreas' face as he spoke. He didn't want to go through the roller coaster ride that was their last attempt to figure out Nelumbo.
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 1:01 pm
"Don't land on the sand." Scylla's voice was a firm reply to Boreas. Introductions could come later, after the whole 'landing' thing had been chopped into tiny pieces. "Please. And this beast is..." she looked at Boreas. "Move your carpet over here, if you would." And she moved around the obelisk, to the image of the man riding the beast. "Apparently, one of these." she rested her hand on the beast's body on the obelisk. "It also appears to eat people. My companion and I suspect it hunts through vibrations in the sand. Moving. Things touching the sand- like your... Nelumbo? here."
There, now all the information to be had... was had. "I'm Sailor Scylla." she introduced herself at last. "If you need help getting up to the ledge to see the carving more clearly, I can give you a hand. There is also a suicide note written on the bottom. It is depressing, I wouldn't read it."
Then she looked thoughtful. VERY thoughtful. If she threw her shoes into the sand, would it cause enough vibration for the worm- if it still lurked in the area- to leap up, and demonstrate to the carpet-riders just why they shouldn't actually land their carpet? And they weren't very high off the ground; if they were careful, they might even be able to retrieve her shoes. This wasn't... a right, place. Her powers didn't work, she wasn't faster, wasn't stronger; she couldn't power down and then back up to re-dress if she lost her shoes. Could she really handle going barefoot if the shoes were sacrificed? Did they have anything else to throw? "None of you happen to have anything heavy you'd be willing to sacrifice, would you?"
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 1:55 pm
Raite appeared to be listening to their introductions, but remained silent throughout the interactions. Instead, he observed the two. Howl Wickman, who seemed to take manners seriously, even in a desert. And Sailor Boreas, Senshi of Winter, an outgoing man. Did they have any more answers then they?
"Lt. Raite." The lieutenant offered shortly as a form of introduction confirming the senshi's suspicions. However, he did nothing beyond that. No star-seed grabbing, or even a different behavior towards the senshi. In fact, if one had to say, Raite was reserved and distrustful towards everybody, even Howl, who was a civilian.
When they pondered thoughts of landing, Raite left it up to Scylla to explain why exactly landing wouldn't be a good idea. The way Boreas talked about the sandworm indicated that he didn't think of it as a very large threat. Ignorance would be dangerous, especially in their situation.
Silence was the only answer from the male when Jada asked her question, trying to prove the existence of the sandworm to the other pair. Instead, he wordlessly held out the array of belts that had been situated at his waist in hand. There was a pause, Raite lifting his hand, and threw it a good distance away from the carpet and obelisk. If it showed, well. And if nothing emerged, there was no major loss on Raite's side. And they would know that the sandworm no longer remained in the area, although it still didn't mean that they were safe to travel by foot.
.. An expectant silence followed.
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