Apr 25 8:08:42 106 PA
From Chronicles
Ahriman's Room Apr 25 08:08:42 106 PA
The doorknob of your door begins to melt suddenly, a shimmering blade of energy taking its place for a moment before a small beam of light projects on the carpet. Moments later, the door is pushed open from outside, Emayns figure, clad in a light black body armour enters the room, her feet making no sounds as she enters your apartment, energy blade projecting from her left fist, a mace of some kind in the other. She takes just a few steps at first, her body still illuminated from the lit hallway behind her before she speaks "We've got to talk." she says, her voice cold and emotionless.
As the door swings open the muted, indirect lighting from the hallway intrudes into he darkened abode. To the right a flare of magic, elevated, powerful. The creature himself. Before her a grey slab with rough sides and smooth top is broken by her looming shadow, small veins of red quartz running through it to shimmer back and give a faint crimson glow. The chair is an indistinct mass in shadow beyond the slab, while to her left a roll of scrolls and something hooded makes a faint sound, indistinct and soon overtaken by a hissing from Ahriman. The noise isn't language as much as what seems to be four loud whispers overlapping, with an undercurrent of slither. It isn't a noise a human tongue could ever hope to make.
Emayn flips a switch on her mace, a blue crackling emits from its head as she stands their, looking at the shadow-being. A second passes and she makes a descion, her heel catching the door, pushing it closed as much as it current condition will allow. She takes a few steps forward, the dark no obstacle for her now, "Lets not make this any harder than it's gotta be, huh, freak show? If we're both gonna be living here, we're going to have to come to some sort of arrangement." he voice still cool, her eyes on you.
A pair of legs sweep over the edge of that hammock, and the black creature manages a minor miracle. He looks graceful slipping from the woven confines of his bed, landing in a half-crouch beneath the swaying brown fibers above. He's wrapped in what looks like a cape, a thick collar bound wit ha silver stud at his neck holding it together while weights at the bottom keep the thick garment pooled about his feet. A thin line of dark skin, visible to Emayn's nightvision, is unbroken beneath the sleeping clothes as the cape sways. Well, she did catch him in bed. His silver eyes stare up at the armored assailant, wondering in that deep, rumbling voice, "Would knocking on the door have been impossible?"
"No more impossible than asking me nicely about my tattoo," she spits back, eyes narrowed as her mace spins effortlessly in her hand, "Its just these sort of misunderstandings that I've come to chat about." another step forward, eyes darting around, taking in the room around her, "But lets start at the beginning, shall we? What the fuck made you think attacking me in the hallway was gonna end well for you?"
Ahriman folds his arms across his chest, apparently not terribly worried. But then aqain, who knows what's under that cape? He does snug the ends a little tighter, the overlapping ends shrouding his features in a tall white mass whose weighted tails oscillate gently below. "As I recall you were uncooperative at the time," the dark being rumbles, falling motionless yet again. "You humans have become complacent in your superiority of this globe. When Ohrmazd created the world and its peoples, I was given ten thousand years' sovereignty over its inhabitants. I remember when humans discovered how to hammer copper so as to edge weapons better than flint. The revelation of tinning it to make entire weapons of bronze. Such amusing tribes had no recourse but to do as I asked." The dark being falls silent then, a small wistful noise escaping his lips. "You people were more interesting before you discovered useful weapons."
Another movement of her thumb causes her mace to deactivate, the item slipping into its holster on her thigh, her Psi-blade remaining, "Yeah, i'm sure we were alot more fun when we were afraid of the dark, huh." she scowls in the darkness, moving slowly to keep the marble block between you and her, "Uncooperative is unfortunet for you, but not justification for an attack. Why shouldn't I make this very very personal, Hmm?"
That comment earns a rare smile from Ahriman, as the minute light seeping in from outside the door dims, and fades to a yellow bar barely brighter than the absolute black of the room. "Human," he rumbles softly, almost warmly, "why is it you think your kind is afraid of the dark?" His unblinking silvered stare matches the bright white of his perfect teeth as he grins.
"You'd have to ask another of my kind for an answer to that, I love the dark" a feral grin on her lips, "But you're sorta dodging the question here, and I gotta say, that makes me nervous," finger tips brush the hilt of her mace and she licks her lower lip, "I was hoping we could maybe work something out, but I guess there's no reasoning with a D-bee, huh."
Ahriman shifts then, walking slowly across the room. No sudden movements, and with his pupiless eyes, who can know if he's still watching her or not? He's approaching that velvet-covered orb, which is making a low moaning sound. Somewhat eerie in the darkened room. "You asked what I could do so as to not make this extremely personal," Ahriman notes. "This implies you are ready to fight; and I presume by your preparations, win." He reaches for that velvet covering, the tone of that noise increasing sharply in pitch but not volume. "What is it that you want from me?"
Ema's eyes on you, moving down to the glowly thing your hand reaches for, her own free hand moving quickly to reach for her pistol, "Lets not touch that, shall we?" she hisses, "I'm jumpy enough as is, and you better believe i'm more than a little curious to see what you look like on the inside." she motions with the sleek wilks laser pistol for you to move away, not knowing if it is seen, she continues, "I want to know if you're going to be a threat, and i'm trying to decide if it'll be easier in the long run to eliminate you now." her eyes narrow, lips still curved, "Can I expect more belligerence from you? You going to be a problem for me if I were to walk out of here now?"
Ahriman's hand pauses there over the orb, stating mildly, "The wonder of the Eye of Darkness is that one never actually touches it." His fingers play six inches above the surface, and the high-pitched tone warbles at first, sounding something like a bird. And then moans, the long call of a humpback wail. Ticking to a beat, Ahriman cautiously reaches over the orb with the other hand, producing ... it sounds like something from the dance club, though the notes are slightly less distinct. Like a slide whistle, transitioning from one note to the next isn't instantaneous, but he's very, very good. "Though without removing the cloth, you get only half the show," he notes, eyes up to watch Emayn. "My name is Ahriman. I was sovereign of this world for ten thousand years. I shepherded humanity from the mud until industry chased away any vestiges of magic from this orb, and I assure you. Had I wanted you dead yesterday, all I would have needed would be to reach my hand through your soft chest to clutch your still-beating heart. I was curious about your markings. I still am. May I see them?"
"I'm going to go with no on that, for now" she says, face twitching a bit at the sounds, her eyes darting between the darkling and the object under his hand, "I'm not feelin the whole "turn my back" to you thing, surely you're ancient ass can understand why I might be hesitent." she grins a bit, head shaking in the dark, "Maybe you don't though, i'm beginning to think you're just another Insane d-bee, unable to cope with what's happened to you." her pistol lowers, just a tad, "Sad really, not nearly what I was hoping for." her voice echos her dissapointment.
Ahriman frowns, the orb making an odd sound as he turns away from it to peer over his shoulder. "My ass has very little to do with this request," he asserts, and tilts his head. "You call me insane because I do not understand nor appreciate all of your rules. Know that I could do the same for all of you not knowing mine. What you consider good -- bathing a room in bright light -- could kill me. And for you it is polite. You see?" The dark creature waves at the door, and turns back to his crystal. "So go."
Emayn remains where she is, "You've been around, so you say, longer than I have, yet I seem to know all the rules," her tone is teasing, challenging, "Are you just really old, but not overly intelligent?" her words meant provoke something as she continues, "Its nothing to be ashamed of, some speicies are just different than others, smarter, darker," she grins, "Help me to understand, and I can leave feeling a bit better, and not as threatened, not quite so twitchy."
"And this is the problem, Ahriman rumbles. "Your civilizations have all had different rules. And, for the majority of them, none applied to me." He takes a pair of steps towards the woman, bare feet slipping from beneath the bottom of that cape as he approaches. Black on white; striking, yet fleeting. "In eons past, humans begged my mercy, and celebrated when I did not annihilate them. Today I could crush you and chose quite plainly to not; yet you still feel threatened enough for this gross display. Things change quickly."
"Funny how threats induce one to feel threatened, isn't it." she almost growls her words, though her pistol slides back into its holster as she turns towards the door, "Are you and I going to have a problem, is all I want to know. If we're going to live here, in the same building, i think we'd both appreciate a little less to worry about, hmm?"
The dark being just stares several moments longer, and repeats, "I have no intent to harm you, human. I know of no way to say this more plainly in your tongue. I have no weapons nor armor here." He falls silent again then, watching her motionlessly. A beat passes, and two. A brief yet pregnant pause before he asks, "How is it your kind demonstrate the intent of non-violence? This would be a useful skill to know."
Emayn's lips curl, becoming a smirk as she turns to look at you over her shoulder, "I had a puppy once, that would roll over on his back and expose his soft belly, was a sign of trust and a submissive act." she chuckles, "But I almost think you're serious, and for now i'll take your word that you'll not lay a hand on me again..." she trails off, her body once again facing the exit, "Unless I give you permission." She stops at the door, finger hooking into the hole caused earlier, pulling it open just a tad as she pauses, looking once more over her shoulder, "Sound good, Ahriman? We're good now, me and you?"
Ahriman's chin dips, eyeing his cape briefly as her words are spoken, replying softly, "That could be problematic." He may not be wearing a whole lot more than that cape! The dark being's head rises again, that mane fanning behind his ears, standing just a little straighter now than it did before. "This is an equitable arrangement, for now," he agrees, and steps away from that crystal orb. Its moaning dies as he does, giving the room some quiet. Oddly, the light from the hall doesn't penetrate the apartment more than an inch or two now that the creature is awake.
Ema turns once before exiting, her eyes first on the light as it shies from the room, then moving back to you, and then you're orb, then back to you, an eyebrow arched in the darkness as she pauses, "I'll be seeing you, Ahriman." she says, pulling the door open and turning to walk back into the lit hallway, pulling the door closed behind her.
