Peaceful Reprise| Open

[helel]

Eternal nightfall rested on the woods as the silence filled the air. Only a rustling could be heard as Vanitas sat against a tree. A cloth laid over him like always as he traced his finger over the rough bark. 'To smooth the edges out' he thought as his thought as lost. It was peaceful here, a peaceful tranquility much like his own world. The grass provided softness against his bare skin. The feeling of nature was great. The feeling of peace you could even say. Vanitas looked up towards the sky. The beautiful nighttime sky. This for ever and ever. Never ending, he could get used to that. It was a gift, a gift that many took for granted. He wanted to give that gift to as many people as possible.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area, no life. He was complete alone for now. One of his hands moved into his pocket pulling out a large crystal piece of glass. It was his mirror. It became more beautiful when it transformed into this world. His eyes darted over seeing his reflection. His pale skin, his long blonde hair. He was the epitome of his own self-perfection and yet he felt incomplete. It caused him many hours spending wondering what was incomplete. His emotionless shell was perfection was it not? Did he need companionship? Was he hungry? Or was it something more.

He shook his head not understanding any of it. "Why does this mirror mock me so? he said as the words left his lips almost poetically. Vanitas looked around thinking he heard something. He let his arms drop by his sides. 'Who is there' he thought trying to find the person. Could it have just been the wind. He wasn't sure.

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[SOPHIA FLYNN]

Sophia shifted lightly in the perpetual night of the woods. She came here with one goal, she wanted to Relax. The past couple days were loaded full with hunting and fighting. After the virus nest assault, she savored the tranquility. Soon, her ears twitched, someone was here. Someone broke the tranquility.

'Why does this mirror mock me so?'

She slid slowly from the branch she was on. Moving through the trees as silently as the darkness in which she dwelled. When she slid from the last branch, and onto the ground, she cursed herself inwardly. How could she be so careless to step on a twig? Pah, maybe he didn't hear.

She sighed, knowing her 'Prey' had heard her. She slid from the bushes, eyeing the boy. Her lithe frame was hidden by her rawhide duster. She kept her face shaded by her wide brimmed hat as best she could. "What is your name?" she asked finally, her voice rough and in a low growl. Not out of anger or displeasure, it's just how she was.

[hoffman]

The Willow Woods were not as silent that day as they usually were. Something - or someone - had disturbed the natural and silent state of the forest. Two somethings or someones, as a matter of fact, that loomed separately and ominously amongst the flora and fauna, but had only recently converged to meet at a clearing.

Perhaps one was more responsible than the other for the breaking of silence, but it hardly mattered. A third would soon join them, from when and where it wasn't known, but soon.

A silver-haired and androgynous boy - a claw, to be specific - had entered the clearing opposite the two beings, not quietly, not loudly, nor conspicuously. Without warning, without care or attention to two of its other inhabitants, almost as if blind to their presence. He simply searched around, his eyes finding a worn-down and suitably-large tree stump.

He walked over. He sat down, grooving himself in, seeing if he could find it at least remotely comfortable. Judging by the satisfied expression on his pale, effeminate face, it seemed as if he didn't mind it too much.

Then one of his leather-gloved hands reached downward for a book attached to his pant waist's belt by chain. Carefully lifting it towards him and patiently undoing the strap on the cover, he then unfolded the book. The boy began to read.

Sebastian Olweus was looking for a bit more study time as usual. His meager workshop provided that solitary sort of environment, though it was cramped at best. Something about the scenic, vast landscapes of the virtual world left him relaxed. He had to travel a fair bit to reach the woods, but it had paid off.

Then he had glanced up, wondering why he had picked this clearing of all places. It wasn't vacant.

"Oh well," he thought, silently groping the smooth surface of his delicate chin with a free hand. "If they don't want me here, they'll just have to be forceful about it. They don't own this forest."

[helel]

Vanitas focused on the newly discovered beast in front of him. She had disturbed him, probably with the intent to kill him. His body was ready, he was relax and prepared to kill. "My name? he said giving a fake scoff. "It's customary to give your own name before asking for someone else or where manners lost on you?" he asked brushing his hair aside. Her low voice and growl as if she was trying to scare him, territorial beasts. He eyed her, trying to see what she would do next. However this was not the only other disturbance to him this time. Another creature, a claw, entered the forest. Boy or girl, he didn't know and he didn't care. He was emotionless he wasn't expected to care about anything. He wondered in like there was nothing going on and sat on a tree stump. The boy or girl took out what appeared to be a book and started to go about his time reading it like he didn't just wander in here.

The silence was broken and disturbed by two 'intruders' why couldn't people leave him alone. If he had any emotions, it would probably be annoyance or anger. "Does everybody have to come in here like it's some party? he said mocking the emotion of slight anger. If he could pull it off right, usually people believed he was a siren and made assumptions about him. Giving him the upperhand in battle. It seemed like the beast was the only threat to him. If a fight broke out, the claw's action would decide whether the beast would be defeated or if Vanitas would need to retreat. Maybe if Vanitas could gain upperhands in the fight, he could take care of the beast and eliminate the claw quickly. However this was all speculation. Their next move depended on them alone.

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[SOPHIA FLYNN]

Sophia tilted her head at the Hollow. "You sometimes lose track of manners when you have to live like I do." She said with a disdainful look. "My name is Sophia. Now. What is your name." She said once again, turning and looking at the Claw. She turned back when the Hollow mentioned a party. She chuckled at this shaking her head softly. "Well, I wouldn't be here talking to you if you didn't break the silence." She flashed a toothy grin at him.

She thought for a few minutes, looking between the two. She hadn't come here for a fight, just relaxation, but she was ready to fight if she needed. She was quick enough to fend off both of the attackers, plus in the perpetual darkness of the forest, her control of shadows would be extremely useful here. She shook her head slightly, and figured the Hollow was probably running through the same though process as herself. "Don't worry. I won't kill you, unless I have reason to." She said with a wink, reaching into her pocket and pulling four chips from her pocket and showing the other. "I have absolutely no reason to."

[helel]

Vanitas looked onward at the two lowering his guard. They weren't going to hurt him. As the ebast showed four chips, while it was a notice to her having enough energy, but it was also to her strength and brutality. She had enough to survive for a while. While he did't show it so did Vanitas. The fear of that Leech before as well as several anger from virus emotions filled him. He burhsed off the slight bit of dirts from his pants. It seemed she was thinking exactly what he was thinking as she flashed him a grin. She was trying to scare him a little bit, he was sure of it. He could only respond in the same he responded. Grinning ever so slightly not as much as her more of a devious grin. "I'm not sure you could. HE said standing his ground while she revealed her name he could only try and be 'kind'. A useless emotion that people posessed. "My name is Vanitas. She seemed to be relaxing then why did she stumble onto here. "Wanting company? he said raising an eyebrow as his eyes drifted slightly to the boy sitting on the tree stump

"And you boy or girl? What are you doing here? reading obviously was his own mental response to his own question. "What are you reading? he said keeping both of them in his sights. He was more relaxed but nevertheless they could turn on him and he would have a tasty meal tonight. It was no secret he was a bit dissapointed of their arrival while he tried to show pure annoyance. He hated to be disturbed. Maybe they needed his gift? He decided agaisnt it, he had to lay low gain momentum before he created more Hollows. The younger Claw was already pretty silent he wodnered how many emotions he needed to eat before he was an empty glorious shell.

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[SOPHIA FLYNN]

"Heh. I could probably kill you, if I needed too, but hey, that's a story for another day. I came here to get some peace and quiet. I heard you coming through and wanted to make sure you weren't a no-good virus." She said, turning and looking at the Claw. "Yeah, what's your story?" She asked simply, moving over and sitting under a tree. She picked up a somewhat small branch and pulled her hunting knife from her belt. She started carving the piece of wood, only half listening to the other two. She didn't really care about the two that much, as long as they weren't interrupting her relaxation, and as long as they weren't attacking her. Every few seconds she looked up across the brim of her hat to make sure the other two werent plotting anything too nefarious.


)Sorry. Very very little muuussseeeeee 153 words... I made enough for it to count, but hey... It sucks. (

[hoffman]

And now the spotlight suddenly dawned on Sebastian, which anyone might have seen coming after the youth entered the middle of such a situation in the first place.

Questions were flung at him like they fired from catapults, the ejected ammunition nearly phasing the boy's mental defenses as they hit left, right and center. Fortunately, he was as every bit as prepared to deliver the four statements he quickly formulated in response to the four quickest questions he had ever received in succession.

"Boy," he briefly quipped as he ran a gloved hand through his thick, silver hair. He divided his attention from the book to look at these other two individuals. "I'm reading, as you can see."

He held the book cover up, pointing not too impressively at the cover...

"Quantum Mechanics applied in the field of Mechanical Engineering. Enrichment, really. It's a bit of a chore. Working my way through this one."

...before closing it and taking the time to fold up the straps securing it to his leather pant leg. It was already chained to his belt, but it seemed that other straps were in place so that it wouldn't be thrown around and damaged by excessive movement. A novel idea.

The boy cleared his throat, wrapping his arms tightly over his midriff - which had been exposed shirt he had been wearing. Not such a novel idea - he had his taste in fashion, it seemed...?

"Oh, I don't know. There's not a whole lot to my story, miss. Just that I'm a lonely soul trapped in a lonely world, much like you and your acquaintance over here. But, thankfully, I'm not virtual fodder. I'm a bit of some use to you folks. No, wait - a lot of use."

He said this quite confidently. The hollow in their midst might have noticed that very few emotions leaked from the boy (confidence being one of the few, as a matter of fact). Not because he had little to speak of, but rather because he did a relatively good job of keeping them under wraps. He was very much in control of himself.

"I plan to find a solution, at least in part, to our energy crisis."

[helel]

Vanitas looked onward at the beast with disbelief. Still she believed she could kill him, it's was truly a contest of 1-upping comments. "Keep thinking that." was all he said as he leaned against the tree trunk gazing into his mirror slightly. Resuming his internal conflict with it. The abundance of confidence was growing in here. Even from the newly recognized boy, as he boasted about his quantum physics and his knowledge finding it's end with a statement to find a solution to the energy crisis. He was planning on saving the world however not like Vanitas. Everyone becoming hollows probably did not fit in his little plan. But other than confidence no emotion seemed to leak. He was almost hollowfied, it would take no more than a couple minutes to bring him over. He licked his lips absently-minded in to a reaction in the confidence in the air. He had eatened not to long ago and this creatures were already making him hungry. What a bother. "As I could be a virus? Such nonsense. They are nothing more than an abomination on the food chain. Then again boy, some people don't want the energy crisis to go away.

He gave a smile tucking his knees up to his chin as he rested his chin on them. His blonde hair hanging slightly in his face. He was still analyzing the two people in front of him. But he relaxed slightly. He wondered how easy it would be to hook them on the power of perfection. He was an angel sent to this data world for one mission to create other angels. These beasts and claws, sirens and leeches, even viruses would become perfection one day if he had anything to say about it. Although he was not strong enough yet. He needed something to unlock the powers of his angel heritable. He needed to find that book, that language translated for him. "Tell me boy, do you happen to know many languages? Perhaps own books or knowledge of certain rare books?" He couldn't help putting on his false smile.

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[SOPHIA FLYNN]

Sophia slid her knife back into the sheath, tossing the stick aside and looking between the two.

"Quantum Mechanics applied in the field of Mechanical Engineering. Enrichment, really. It's a bit of a chore. Working my way through this one."

Sophia tilted her head as the boy spoke. "I don't think I'd be able to get through the title, honestly..." She said with a chuckle. She looked around, realizing that what she had just said made her sound stupid, maybe the other two wouldnt catch on...

She stood back up, and stretched. "A solution to the energy thing, Eh? Well, legend has it that when people die they go back to the real world, right?" She started with a grin. "Killing people sends them back to the real world, where if they want to come back, they can, if not, they go back to their normal lives." Sophia nodded, she climbed back up into the tree and laid down on the branch, still watching the two.

[hoffman]

A debate would start sooner or later. The lightning claw was entirely removed from his studies now in favor of talking to these esteemed individuals.

The boy didn't seem to care about this distraction, though, he likely embraced it: he did choose to sit here of all places, after all, and he could have chosen anywhere else in the forest to relax. Was there a specific reason why it had to be this particular area at this time?

"As I could be a virus? Such nonsense... they are nothing more than an abomination on the food chain. Then again boy, some people don't want the energy crisis to go away."

"Well, I do," the boy retorted quite immediately. The muscles around his face contorted sternly in reaction, causing him to appear somewhat annoyed... although in all honesty, one could say it wasn't much different from looking pouty. "You should know that it's in your best interests to look towards such a goal, too. What's going to happen when you run out of people who deserve to be drained? You're going to have to start looking at the people you love. Two years into this, even, and that's already started happening."

Sebastian was obviously opposed to the status quo.

"And - and! I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that the energy is leaving the system. This fickle, virtual existence is going to keep taking everything from us until we are extinct."

He was about to say something further before the beast girl debriefed him on the decade-old legend that perhaps death lead to reawakening in the real world.

And right before he could begin to elaborate on what he thought, the blonde-haired man inquired into how cultured Sebastian was: whether or not he knew how to speak other languages, if the boy owned more books, or if he even knew anything about certain rare books.

It was an odd question. Sebastian nearly facepalmed, having a tough moment deciding who he would entertain first. He ultimately decided that he would deride them before commenting on the girl's citation of the myth.

"One at a time, please. There simply aren't enough of me to address everything that you want to say," he sighed, somewhat exasperated at the wealth of responses they had to give.

"There's no way to know that's true, miss. It is, as you've said, just a legend. Unless strapping an active camera to a dude's forehead and wishing him well on the way to yonder as you impale him on a picket fence was a proven method, I'm not so sure it's a good thing to try at home."

Sebastian paused, resting his leather-gloved hands on his soft, supple cheeks. His tail, meanwhile, descended slowly to the ground, becoming limp. It mimiced his exact feelings, it seemed, which would indicate that he was visibly upset.

"Oh, and then there's the all-important question. If they do continue to live on in the real world, why won't they come back to tell us? Are they incapable of doing that us service...?"

Sighing once more in deep, deep thought, he had finally arrived at the last thing on his to-do-list which was, of course, to answer the man's inquiry which... was a bit personal, really. He wasn't so sure if giving a truthful response was such a good idea.

Little did he know or assume that this man in question could probably sense his insecurity. Under different circumstances, Sebastian might have uncovered the true identity of the man quickly, but he had no need to be cunning. As far as he knew, he was probably a siren.

"Ten years isn't a lot of time for learning more than one language, but I understand a few different languages... I just don't speak them well enough at all. As for books, I have quite a lot of them. If it's language books you're after, though, I have at least fifty or sixty of those. If you could tell me what you're looking for in particular, though, I might be able to help you find it. ...s'long as it isn't something along the lines of the Necronomicon. This world doesn't have a Bruce Campbell to deal with those kind of things."

He wondered for a moment if the reference was lost on them. Knowing the unfamiliarity of popular 20th century fiction with most of his acquaintances in the modern world, though, he guessed that... yeah, they probably didn't get it.

[helel]

As Vanitas listened he chuckled slightly at the joke the boy had told, although he did not understand it. He decided to humor the boy for now. His knowledge was something he needed, although he wasn't looking for the book of the dead. He was looking for something in that nature. The ancient text. He grinned slightly. This other beast, the female belived in the old myth that when we perished here that we returned to the real world. Vanitas didn't care he knew it was merely something people clinged onto to avoid dripping into madness. "Hmph... Merely fairy tales to keep people from crying over the supposed into this world. We are data now, and we will return to data in this world. We are not humans anymore death is a concept not applied to us. If we have the power we will be recycled." He pushed his blonde bangs out of his face revealing his determined face. He chuckled at both of them.

"And for your information the book I'm looking for is an ancient lexicon. I won't say more though, if you haven't even heard of it. I'm obviously wasting my time to talking to you about it" He pondered what the boy had said. He obviously was a do-gooder looking to save the world from an energy crisis. "I have my own solutions for my energy needs. And if it comes down to it, I will drain people depending on if they can stop me or not. It is survival of the fittest in this world. We are a mob blaming on the species. Virus are first, what happens if they disappear. Beasts will probably come to be persecuted. Then Claws, then Sirens, finally with no emotion left Hollows will disappear too. We will kill ourselves. And for that do we deserve to be saved?" He stood tall as his white cloth draped over his body Looking as the darkness settled in nice and comfy.

"You like to believe 'Sophia' that killing sends them to a better place. But tell me is that to help you sleep a night?" he asked leaning against the tree. He had came to rest and ended up in a conversation about energy crisis. Today was a day not predicted and it annoyed him because of that. Although the claw had good theories and the beast herself seemed adamant on destroying her guilt. There confidence and somewhat guilt were slightly pouring off. He had tasted guilt, a bitter flavor yet oddly satisfying.

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[SOPHIA FLYNN]

She shifted slightly as the pair tossed their responses to the legend back. She sighed, looking back down at the two, a glimmer of loathing in her eyes. She looked back up into the tree. The other two were definitely more booksmart than she was. She didn't know anything that she didn't hear people on the streets say... She was more of a fighter than a thinker... She was a beast, she NEEDED to be a fighter... She sat up and rotated in the branch, leaning against the trunk and looking down at them.

"Look." She said, a growl deeply apparent in her voice. "I just told you what I heard, and what I thought about it. I'd kill to survive even if it did mean killing someone permanently. The moment I came to this world, I had to kill the ones I loved, or it meant getting killed myself. I don't care if everyone in this world dies... I just don't care." She said, looking at Vanitas. "I wouldn't lose any sleep killing anyone either way..." She watched the two with contempt. She hated these two, but wasn't about to admit defeat and leave. That wasn't her style. If they pissed her off too much, she could always just kill them and feed off their chips.

[hoffman]

Sebastian remained entirely silent, letting the hollow and beast exchange their remarks without a single interjection. When all was said and done, he responded with a hint of weariness in his voice.

"I'm stating what I've gathered through rational thought. Let me be clear that while I honor the tale and would very much like for it to be true, 'Sophia', it just doesn't seem like it. Don't be offended."

He looked at the hollow, now fully aware that this was no siren. He had, after all, given his identity away.

"I know exactly what's going to happen when the crisis comes to a crunch. You needn't explain to me. It isn't necessary," he explained. He went to say further without much delay, "How exactly am I supposed to know that you're looking for some kind of an ancient lexicon when you haven't given me the context or slightest clue to defer that from? I'm a claw. Not a mind reader."

The boy couldn't help it - emotions now rode on his voice. Little by little, the hollow was drawing them out through his bold affirmations. Anyone who retained their humanity probably would have done the same.

"But... you've roused my curiosity. Tell me what you're looking for. If I've heard the name, I could probably find it. If you don't know the name, tough luck, unless you can describe the contents of the book to me. Tell me."

[helel]

Vanitas noticed how the situation was slowly turning sour and into a high-tension argument. He could feel the hate simmering off the beast. Hatred, a horrible taste but the most abundance in most people. But he couldn't help but giving a false laugh for his Hollow self. he had become so well at mimicking emotions sometimes they slipped like real emotions. He tussled with his hair, as he felt the softness between his fingers. "Good you think that way, we're all monsters inside. It would pointless to justify it all. We are predators, and everything that can will become our prey. How many beasts have killed and taken chips, how Sirens have stolen love, how many Hollows had drained emotions, How many claws have reaped energy? How many viruses have murdered out of hate? How many leeches have siphoned away life? It's the basis of this new world. We are made to consume energy, it is our basic way of life. It is our duty to do such things. Ignoring it otherwise would be criminal."

He now looked towards the other one. The emotions of the claw were slowly seeping out, curiosity. A nice flavor he rarely got to taste. "Alright I'm searching for a legendary ancient Lexicon, but I know it exists. The Alpha-Omega Lexicon..." he stopped himself not wanting to give too much away but if this boy knew something about it, he would need to be interrogated for details. One way or another. The conversation was getting interesting and he didn't want to draw blood right now. But it seemed he might have too. He surveyed both people who may become his opponents. If he goaded the beast into striking first with blind fury. He could end her life in one strike. The claw seemed more reserved and controlling of his emotions. He would be a harder one to trick. Although the claw seemed weaker than the beast. But that was underestimating appearances. He was sure one of them knew he was a Hollow, while his false identity of being a Siren would probably hold against the beast. She didn't seem to pick up things.

This night was about to turn interesting. He could feel it in his gut.

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