[OPEN] i get the feeling that it's two against one

[deadelfwalking]

Date & Time: Jan 7 - 11
Location: Across the icy wilderness
Characters: Koltira, perhaps you
Summary: Maddened elf seeks large supply of blood, suffering
Warnings: gore; sadistic grossness


[There's something howling in the wilderness lately, and it's distinct from the wolves, from the yeti, from any other predator stalking the area around the city. This sound is a bestial keening, agonized and ragged, echoing and tortured. It's a sound of helpless madness, of uncontrollable rage, and its force lingers in the winter wind. Anyone who follows the howl, whether purposely or by accident, might come across a trail. Initially, they'll find animal corpses killed cleanly, with a single, precise cut. Caribou, at first, partially and purposefully skinned, as though harvested by a mindful hunter.

But the kills become progressively grisly as the trail continues -- mutilated bears, gutted arctic wolves. There's no sense of care in these later kills; the entrails are shredded, wrenched and twisted like wet rags. Blood spatters the snow in random, violent arcs. The animals' bodies are in strangely advanced stages of decay, and their semi-rotted flesh glows faintly green.

Or you may find no trail at all. You may find an animal's foreleg, snapped at each joint. You may find a crushed eyeball, smeared like jelly across the snow.

Or you may find no trace whatsoever. You may simply find someone near you, crouching, his white hair streaked red, his mouth dark and shining and wet. Grinding his teeth. Standing up. Advancing towards you, as the snow hisses, as the earth turns black and dead under his boots.]

Comments

[deadelfwalking]

[That's TMI, son. Koltira makes a noise of disbelieving disgust.]

You are indiscriminate, then.

[stonefaith]

Hardly. [ Maybe a little. Bariyan takes long strides to catch up with Koltira, though he maintains a bit of a distance. He shoves his hands into his pockets, shivers, frowns harder. ] I don't care about death-- about you being dead. You're still quite handsome. You putting your hands over your ears and yelling 'no' isn't going to change my opinion.

[ He sighs. ] But I'll stop expressing it, if it makes you so uncomfortable.

[deadelfwalking]

[Maybe a LOT.

But Koltira doesn't like that answer, either.]

Say what you want, if you mean it in truth. I don't aim to control you.

[stonefaith]

I do mean it in truth. But I certainly don't aim to provoke you. [ Bariyan smiles. ] I'd rather not be responsible for your next frenzy.

[deadelfwalking]

Remarks have nothing to do with whether or not I go into that state.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan takes his hands out of his pockets to make a vague gesture in the air. ]

Outburst. Attack. You know, you did jump me back there! Did-- [ He has second thoughts about ribbing Koltira any further, and bites his tongue. ]

[deadelfwalking]

I did not hurt you.

[He stops; frowns; turns.]

Finish your thought.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan grins to himself and mutters. ] I bumped my head hard against all that snow there, I don't know....

[ He leaves it hanging there, for a while, chewing over Koltira's request. Then he shrugs. ]

If you demand. [ Bariyan takes precautions by shuffling a little further to the side, away from Koltira. Then he whistles. ] Did you like pinning me down?

[deadelfwalking]

[FROWN. FROWN.]

You struggled. Yes.

[stonefaith]

Ah. I thought so. [ Bariyan rubs his chin, thoughtfully.

Then he edges back up to Koltira and pats him on the arm. ]

Well! If you'd like another struggle, you know where to find me. [ Actually, he's fairly certain Koltira doesn't, but that's besides the point. ] I'm free mornings and nights and by appointment.

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira shrugs him off.]

I am not interested in casual encounters.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan heaves a dramatic sigh. ]

Alas. You're missing out. I've gotten very good testimonials, but I suppose those won't change your mind.

[deadelfwalking]

[His ears twitch.]

You will find plenty of willing partners in the city, I am sure.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan doesn't miss the twitch, but doesn't think much of it beyond how charming it is. He whistles again. ]

You'd be surprised.

[ He chews on Koltira's words for a while. He also spends that time readjusting his jacket, his axe, and shaking snow out of his hair. He gives Koltira a sidelong look. ]

What are you interested in?

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira doesn't think he would be, but he feels uneasy at the question. He had been in love with the Bariyan he knew before, and he had loved Ashraf, too. Nothing had come of any of it; logically, he should want nothing. Logically, he deserved nothing.

But.

He mutters, turning away, starting to walk again.]

Connection.

[stonefaith]

[ He nods to show acknowledgement of the answer, and then falls into silence. That gives Bariyan something to think over for the next few minutes.

He's good at casual encounters. He's not good at love. And he's not good at reading death knights; he can't tell if Koltira is speaking on general terms, or about them, the two of them, specifically. There's evidence stacked against that latter option. They hardly know one another.

Bariyan feels, suddenly, that this conversation has veered off in a direction that he never meant it to. He clicks his tongue. ]

Well, you aren't going to find that out in the snow, clawing your eyes out.

[deadelfwalking]

I am unlikely to ever find it.

[Evidence has suggested that pretty powerfully. He makes a dismissive motion with his hand.]

Go on. Your job here is finished.

[stonefaith]

You aren't going to find it with an attitude like that, either. [ Bariyan shakes his head. Koltira has such a terrible attitude towards so many things. Love. And the Light. And well-meaning compliments.

He matches Koltira's dismissive motion with his own. ]

No, no, we're having a good conversation here, I'm enjoying myself. You're hardly just a job to me, besides.

[ Also, after days of following Koltira's trail, Bariyan's completely lost. He has no idea how to get back to Exsilium. But that's a problem for later. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[Bariyan's in trouble, because Koltira isn't going back to the city -- he's headed towards his cabin, which is in the exact opposite direction.]

I have nothing more to say.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan brightens up. ]

I have plenty! I haven't spoken to anyone in days, you know. Nearly a whole week. [ Slight exaggeration. ] It's been killing me.

[ And, finding his chance to chatter on endlessly, Bariyan gets right to it. Stars. The first thing he wants to talk about are the stars. And how they're, strangely enough, not at all the stars he's used to. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[GOD THIS MAN NEVER SHUTS UP. Koltira makes non-committal responses as he trudges through the snow; he's listening, and he's not wholly detached, but he's not exactly invested, either. He wants to get back to the cabin while there's still light out -- while he still has time to work.

Once he arrives, and realizes that Bariyan's still there, he turns and frowns.]

I don't think you meant to come this way.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan shuts up then, and leans to the side to look at the cabin. He makes a show of looking around, too. Noting the neighbors. Which mostly seem to consist of ice and snow.

There is a distinct lack of Exsilium. ]

Hmmm. You know, I don't think I did? [ He puts his hands on his hips. ] Is this where you're living?

[deadelfwalking]

[The cabin isn't entirely finished yet -- there's a whole section of rooms on the eastern side that still need quite a bit of work -- but it's looking to be in decent shape. The facade is finished, at least, and looks sturdy; attractive, even, with hand-carved lanterns hanging beside a small, rough-hewn door.]

Yes. I built it. Am building it.

[He jabs his thumb into the air behind him.]

The city is that way.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan looks back. He's greeted by a good deal of cold, empty wilderness. He rubs his chin. He looks at the sky. The sun seems quite intent on setting. ]

Ah. I see. [ He pauses. Now that he's here, he's not sure what he expected. Of course Koltira wouldn't live in the city. Bariyan laughs, and turns his most charming smile on Koltira. ] Would you mind if I stayed the night?

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira's not especially moved by that smile, but he's not the kind to set a man out into the dark wilderness, either. He exhales and opens the door.]

I have a spare room. Off to the left. There's a bed.