(Collab 2: The Immortal Door)

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[center][img]http://t08.deviantart.net/vtqZDeQeQeOA0KgQBnmxg-dIS_U=/300x200/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre14/ab16/th/pre/f/2011/211/f/3/simple_divider_by_thesilvermist-d426gt7.png[/img][img]http://t08.deviantart.net/vtqZDeQeQeOA0KgQBnmxg-dIS_U=/300x200/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre14/ab16/th/pre/f/2011/211/f/3/simple_divider_by_thesilvermist-d426gt7.png[/img][/center]

[sub]Collab with [@The 42nd Gecko] [@jasonwolf] [@Dervish] [@Captain Jenno][/sub]

[color=BE31F7]"I hope whoever designed this place had to find their way out when it was finished being built."[/color] Veitaru glared at the obstacle, as she was wont to do.

Noi was the last in the new room. He hadn't been nearly as concerned as the others, and his power remained strained to keep up. The metal man stumbled into the room before falling on his side. Groaning into the floor Noi began to rattle off information at a very high pace. He mostly 
repeated numbers occasionaly adding in a word before going right back into another string.

Glancing at the rather unsettling robot for a few moments, Lev huffed, searching the walls for seams, false panels, or even more unpleasant surprises like they'd just survived. [color=teal]"We're in an undead nightmare tomb. Nothing about this is going to make much sense, take it from the ghost. I'm kind of an authority on undeadness."[/color] he replied, still feeling rather guilty for not being able to stop the wallmaster that snatched Felicia. Since he wasn't exactly familiar with how one dies and becomes a Poe, since Hyrule would be overrun with them if everyone became one, he'd rather not tempt fate that his new friend was on her way to becoming a Poe, or worse. She wouldn't retain any of her memories, anyways. It wouldn't be Felicia that came back, and that was just downright depressing.

[color=teal][I]And who was I? Probably some kind of rude idiot, like a town cryer.[/I][/color] Lev thought, giving up his search momentarily before turning to the group. 

[color=teal]"I'm really down for ideas, here. How do we get Felicia back and find the others? What about that stone thing Lethe sent us after?"[/color] he asked, mulling over their options. 

[color=4DE474]"I do not suppose you can just float your hand through the lock and open it from the inside, eh?"[/color]

[color=BE31F7]"Yeah, I'm sure whoever built the tomb for dead things didn't expect any ghosts in their dungeon."[/color] 

Noi suddenly stopped talking. Then the consant whirl that eminated from his body stopped. Finally the robot fell flat on the floor making a loud clunk. It was entirely still lying there like a corpse. then it jerked back to life. The whirl began again, and Noi's voice came back in the empty monotone.

[color=00FFFF]"System Failure: Number Four Hundred and Seven. Log file created. Movement systems 98%, Combat systems 50%, Energy systems 78%, Cognitive systems unknown. Estimated memory damage 10%."[/color]

He began to get up onto his feet and survayed the area. It was vaguely familiar. He had no clue where the rusty shield had come from or why he was getting high thermal readings from down the hall. Other things were hazy and fragmented. He knew he traveled here for a reason, and he mostly recognized the organisms around him. He remembered his core memories, but even then some old memories were completely missing now. He wasn't programmed to know how to handle this. Memories were there one second and gone the next. His combat systems began to switch on linked in some way as a response. He grabbed his hammer and charged at the door. He wasn't even sure why he wanted the door gone, but he raised his hammer and bashed it against the door over and over a constant cadence to his swings.

It fell from the ceiling, after the first strike. A cacophonous, clattering collection of ivory, beating sour notes arrhythmically into the ground, a couple dozen all at once. White blurs fell into the party’s view, out of it, and then bounced back up into it again, bones ricocheting back from the floor, spinning gracelessly and then landing with heavy, empty [i]thunks.[/i] 

There was a long, still silence. 

Then, one by one, the bones began to shudder, quaking on the spot and slowly rattling themselves about the place, growing closer as though drawn by invisible threads. Fibulas to tibias, femurs to hips, one by one building themselves up, leaping into one another, parts to build a monstrous whole. Over the course of about fifteen seconds, its true design was to revealed: a skeleton, woven out of cracked old bone. 

But this one was different, from those another team elsewhere were facing. For every bone was thick and sturdy, and comprised part of an altogether taller figure. An intimidating figure. A…
Headless figure.
It raised a steady hand, digits folded- impossibly- to form a claw. It raked the space about its neck, and across its shoulder blades. Then, it mimed panic. Threw its arms up into the air impotently, screamed inaudibly towards the ceiling, and then lowered its non-existent face into its hands before it crumpled to its knees, and began pounding at the stone beneath them with its quivering fist.

[i]Bonk![/i]
Down came its head, a near minute late, bouncing around, tuneless and hollow. The body scrambled to chase it, and then hooked it with its foot, and kicked it up onto its welcoming spinal column. It opened a pair of low, green lights, in the space within its sockets. Then it laughed: a dry, rattling laugh. One which shook the ribs in lieu of the lungs. It pushed its bosom out, and took a heroic stance, the backs of its wrists angled stylishly against its hipbones. Then, it raised a hand. 
“[color=#088A4B]Halt! No further, foolish mortals![/color]”, he forbade, in entirely the wrong direction. He was making eye contact, of course, in suitably intimidating fashion. The only issue was that his head was on [i]backwards, [/i] and his arm was stretched out at his hind, uselessly. 
“[color=#088A4B]… Er. Give me a second. I… hm.[/color]”

Lev approached, enough to appear to be social, but not enough that the skeleton could reach him. It would be hard pressed to reach something that was well above it. [color=teal]"Oh, don't worry, take your time. You're the first person in this place that is willing to chat, so let's start off with that!"[/color] the Poe replied enthusiastically. [color=teal]"See... well, maybe not while you're head's on the wrong way, but I'm Lev, a Poe, and the big machine over there is Noi. Neither of us could really be considered mortals, think of us as aspiring tourists to your, uh, humble abode!"[/color] he gestured to Veitaru and Jaege to go scurry off somewhere out of sight before the skeleton figured out his head situation. Maybe it just detected they were there without actually seeing? [color=teal]"So, c'mon, no need for that tone. We're all friends here! What Poe do you know that actually tolerates the stench of living flesh and the nasty bodily functions they perform? Abhorrent, I say.

"Oh, listen to me prattle on! I forgot to ask your name, sir...?"[/color]

Noi halted his hammer and turned around. This one he didn’t recognize as anything but a skeleton a moving skeleton. That didnt add up. Frustrated he grabbed the skeleton by the scapula and pulled him close.

[color=00FFFF]"The ragged one may have patience, but I do not. My time may seem unlimited, but I won't have it wasted. Hylia demands my service, and woe be to those who meet my zeal!"[/color]

Noi pushed the skeleton back and made a stronger grip on his hammer. While some memories faded it made other move to the forefront. Memories of loss and pain that only pushed Noi further.

Veitaru did not need to be motioned to move away from the scary spooky skeleton, having taken cover behind Jaege.

Jaege on the other hand had some difficulty understanding Lev's gestures. [color=4DE474]"I do not think sweeping the floor will help, my friend. Also, it is not very nice to insult friends while they are standing next to you. Or at all, I must say. And whoa, Noi, if skeleton friend meant harm, he would have made with the surprise attacking upon us."[/color]

Lev buried his face in his hand, shaking his head in disbelief, or perhaps more accurately that he felt he shouldn't have been surprised at how this all was proceeding and was hoping against all odds. [color=teal]"I was trying to see if this guy was willing to help a fellow undead out in finding the stone and tell you two fleshies to hide away so he wouldn't see you. Now we get to watch our zealous robot manhandle our only lead for getting out of here."[/color]

Jaege nodded in appreciation of Lev's clarification, [color=4DE474]"Ah, that is what you intending. I was wondering about the sweeping of the floor.. This makes sense, and explains the insults, I see now the mistake was with me, my friend. I apologize."[/color]

"[color=#088A4B]Well I mean,[/color]" the Stalfos had began, lowering its guard somewhat, "[color=#088A4B]That hardly seems [i]fair,[/i] does it? We were all alive once! I think. I don't quite remember. Must have been, though, to have bones! And I- [i]we-[/i] overcame that handicap, didn't we? Maybe they could-- hey![/color]"
As Noi shoved him back, the Stalfos stumbled into a cartwheel, with a sort of drunkards grace: not quite an acrobatic prowess, but an impressive degree of tumbling. He rolled back up onto his feet, and dusted his scapula off.
"[color=#088A4B]First of all, [i]rude,[/i][/color]" he snarked dryly, squinting at Noi with a bitter skepticism, body still angled the wrong way. He took a few moments to lift his head up, turn it, and screw it on the right way, before turning around to face him with indignant body language, but a permanent skull's smile.
"[color=#088A4B]Secondly, I wasn't even looking for a fight! I was trying to warn you. Can't fight you without my sword! I don't even know what sword I'm thinking of, but I know I had one, once![/color]"

[color=00FFFF]"Who needs a sword."[/color] There was a undertone as thought Noi was grinning after his words.

He dropped the hammer to one hand and slammed his free hand back into the door making an explosive boom.

"[color=#088A4B]Oooh,[/color]" the Stalfos threw his arms up in faux fright, "[color=#088A4B]My bones are quaking! I'm already [i]dead,[/i] you don't have to [i]bore[/i] me, too. I wasn't even talking to you, I was warning the mortals! If I was looking to pick a fight, I would have come down on your head![/color]"

[color=teal]"And we are so happy that you didn't, you look  to be rather fierce, doesn't he?"[/color] Lev interjected quickly, shooting the others a stare so they'd behave. [color=teal]"Noi, could you please release the gentleman here so he can arrange himself properly? Now, I apologize for how my friends here have reacted, but in our defense, you're the first person or creature we've encountered that hasn't been immediately hostile so everyone is a bit on edge. One of those hands took another one of us, a young Hylian girl. Do you know where she went? And what's this danger you speak of?"[/color]

Noi was not amused by the skeleton, but it was right. If it was already dead it probably didn't care if it died. He tried to think and process a better plan, but most of them came down to grinding the thing to dust.

Jaege figured Noi was handling things pretty well and just nodded agreeably in the background. Veitaru continued hiding.

He puffed out his sternum proudly, and if he could have grinned, he would have.
"[color=#088A4B]Why, it's me, of course! Dungeon keeper, human slayer! Servant of all things dark and deadly![/color]", he declared in a tone of glowing pride. A quiet second passed, and then he wilted with a sigh.
"[color=#088A4B]At least, that's the script. But if I'm real honest I don't have the energy. Fighting you guys seems like a real hastle, and I just want to do other things with my unlife, y'know? I've only been awake for a few seconds and I'm tired of all this dreariness. I don't know my own name, or who I was before, but I know one thing. I wasn't meant for a dungeon![/color]"
He posed flamboyantly, one arm outstretched towards an implied sun, the other across his chest, his hand hovering about where his heart might once have been.
"[color=#088A4B]I was meant... to be a star! ... as for your Hylian friend, if the Wallmasters got her, she's probably... no, [i]dead[/i] isn't the right word... in the dungeon! Probably. But then, aren't we all?[/color]"

[color=00FFFF]"I believe I mentioned not wanting time wasted."[/color] Noi grumbled at the skeletons  theatrics.

The thing liked to talk more with its hands than head. It did give Noi a new tactical option. The robot lunged forward grabbing the skeletons skull and pulling it off the rest. He held the body at bay with one hand while holding the skull high.

[color=00FFFF]"Get to the point."[/color] 
Noi cared mostly for his task, but he saw no reason to risk his allies, [color=00FFFF]"Why must the mortals beware?"[/color]

[color=4DE474]"Noi, is very rude to rip off new friend's head while having conversation. Boy, have never had to say that before."[/color]
 
The skull closed the narrow pinpricks of green it had for eyes. 
"[color=#088A4B]I don't negotiate with bullies. You're as bad as Ganondorf and half as likeable, do you know that?[/color]"
The body didn't fight. Just folded its arms, stubbornly. 
"[color=#088A4B]From this point on, I'm only going to talk to the Poe and the big fellow, they seem friendly gents! At least until I get an apology.[/color]"

[color=teal]"I'm terribly sorry for his poor manners! Noi here's been allegedly asleep, or whichever it is that robots do, for thousands of years so he's a bit..."[/color] Lev suppressed a bemused snort. [color=teal]"Rusty. As I have mentioned, it has been a very trying day for us all, so Noi, you apologize to this nice fellow and replace his head. I suspect we'll all get what we want much faster if our new friend here deems us worthy of assistance. Isn't that right... hm. What do we call you? Take it from me, pal, one of the perks of being undead is you get to decide what you call yourself and not being saddled with whatever some irresponsible parent calls you. Like, what kind of sociopath names their kid 'Link'? Imagine all the torment in school."[/color]

The skull's eyes lit up again, and there was some spark of thought in their verdant shimmer. 
"[color=#088A4B]Hm, what [i]do[/i] you call me? It's hard to say! There are so many to pick from, and [i]none[/i] of them ring any bells! Do you have a recommendation?[/color]"


[center][b]Name ?  [________][/b][/center]

Frustrated as ever Noi pulled the skull close to his helm and growled, [color=00FFFF]"Yorick. Your name is Yorick. We're done. Now stop wasting time or I'm keeping your skull."[/color]

The eyes died out again. Not a peep, not a shine.

[color=teal]"I don't think he took to that one. I'm partial to Mufasa."[/color] Lev interjected.

[center][b]Name ?  [Mufasa][/b][/center]

Noi shook the skull.

[color=00FFFF]"Not like he was telling us anything useful anyway."[/color]
Noi shrugged and put the skull away in his hidden compartment.

Silence ensued. Loud, passive-aggressive silence.