bobert778

The Dust

4:32pm

Ivan grumbled, peering down the muddied alleyway to see a pair of dirt caked boots up against a wall, a familiar plastic flower adorning the side of each. Ivan had come here after having run out of options, unable to find any other dealers out on the street no doubt due to the sky water. Unfortunately this left him with 'Lily' as she liked to call herself, the only dealer in Russell who Ivan personally knew. Knowing her, Ivan had been right to guess that she'd be stubborn enough to be outside still trying to sell in this weather.

She sold Mary J., and her boss, Noah, was the sole provider of it in Russell City since it was hard for anyone to grow the stuff outside of Gaen territory. While Lily herself wasn't that bad a person she was very loyal to her boss, Noah, and Noah wasn't too fond of Ivan considering what had happened last time he'd been in Russell. It had been a stupid set of circumstances, and it had ended with Ivan being practically robbed; left without bullets or herb. Not to be made a fool of, Ivan managed to find the bastard's home and blow a hole in one of his walls. Then he'd simply stolen what he believed he was entitled to, and disappeared from Russell for a few years. While the idea of his bullets eventually going into Noah's pocket made him regret needing to buy from here, Ivan wanted to have something other than that fungus he'd picked up in Isolone for the purpose of mixing things up. It had also been a long while since he'd had the herb, and seeing Lily again would be a bit of a bonus.

"Oy, Lily," Ivan called out, walking down the alley towards the pair of boots. Silently he prayed it was her, and not some random person who was hanging out in the same alley she'd always occupied.

"Rag-man?" was the response Ivan got back, the still familiar but now older voice sounding somewhat startled as Ivan watched her boots shift slightly.

So it is her, Ivan thought to himself, recalling the nickname she'd given him the first time they'd met. "Yeah, it's me," Ivan replied, drawing closer to find she was standing underneath some sort of overhang to keep dry. Feeling somewhat nostalgic, Ivan gave an amused huff as he let himself fall into the side of the building, leaning only a short distance away from Lily. Now that he was closer, Ivan could see that her clothing still had a fair amount of dust and dirt on it indicating that she was relatively dry, though her head was completely invisible meaning she'd either gotten better at keeping clean, or she'd been caught out in the sky water for long enough to wash away what was on her face. She was still fairly young, and though now was probably in her early twenties she hadn't visibly grown or changed much. She was incredibly thin, almost unhealthily so, and hardly had any curves which she always tried to cover up with baggier clothing. Sure she was a bit taller now, but that wasn't saying much considering Ivan still had to look down a fair bit to meet where he assumed her face was.

"Rag-man, s'been too long," Lily laughed, the faint outline of her arm lifting up so that Ivan could meet her with a fist bump. "Man, last I 'eard of you Noah was screamin' 'is 'ead off 'bout wannin' ta put 'is boot up yer ass- that was years ago, I 'aven't 'eard from ya since. Yu just up an' disappeared," she then went on to say, near the end sounding like she was trying to scold Ivan almost as if he were a misbehaved child. The two of them were what you could have called friends, one of few Ivan held in this world, but their friendship was almost wholly centered on getting too high to speak which made things a little hollow.

"It's nice to see you too Lily," Ivan replied, chuckling a little before continuing. "And yeah, I know Noah is probably still mad but one of his boy practically mugged me- I wasn't gonna take that. He probably just told you I robbed 'im though," he then remarked, sounding somewhat grim.

"Rings a bell," Lily told him, sounding somewhat thoughtful as the two of them were left in a somewhat awkward silence.

Clearing his throat, Ivan broke the quiet before he reached into the pocket on his vest to retrieve all the bullets he had left. "Hey, uh, how much will this get me?" he asked, holding out the fistful of bullets towards Lily. There were only three of them left, each one a different size with the largest belonging to what must have been a fairly heavy caliber gun. How much they were worth Ivan didn't really know, but he trusted Lily enough to give him a fair deal.

Lily let out a short puff of air from her nose, something she always did when cracking a smile, before she grabbed the bullets from Ivan's palm and examined each before putting them in her pocket. "'S'at the real reason ye came ta see me?" she asked, her words sounding heavier compared to before.

"When it eventually crossed my mind, I'd have come by to say hello regardless. You're the only person out in this weather still selling shit though so it's a two birds, one stone kinda thing," Ivan explained, trying to sound as sincere as he could. While it was for the most part true, he'd all but forgotten Lily up until he'd remembered her as his last option. She didn't say anything, being silent as she reached inside her jacket and pulled out a somewhat dirty clump of plastic that no doubt contained a gram or two of weed. Ivan sighed, not yet accepting the little package as he crossed his arms somewhat sternly. "Lily, I know you're not lookin' at me. I can't see yer head right now but I know you ain't lookin'. I want you to know that at any other time, this would have been a better reunion but believe it or not for once I have somewhere I have to go," Ivan stated, his voice having adopted a far more serious tone. This caused Lily to stir, her body shifting to better face Ivan indicating that'd he had her attention.

"I know what happened to make the sky cry like it is- I saw it, and I know the man who said he knows where the person responsible is. Things get a bit complicated, and I'm not sure I want to get mixed up into it but it has to do with the immortals. I need to know more; I feel like it's a responsibility I need to take care of, ya know?" Ivan explained, his words very stern as he felt almost like he were giving a lecture.

Lily laughed, it sounding genuine enough even though it still carried a dampened undertone. "Jus' take yer weed 'nd go, Rag-man. The desert's callin' yer name," she sighed, clenching the clump of plastic in her hand so she could give Ivan a light punch in the arm. When her fist connected she opened her palm, and Ivan unfolded his arms to catch the little nugget before it could hit the ground.

"If we're both still alive, I'll see you in another time. Stay safe," Ivan told Lily, lifting a muddied arm to give her a quick pat on the shoulder before removing his backpack so he could put away his newest ray of sunshine. It felt even more unpleasant than normal now that he was wet, and Ivan shuddered as he put his pack back on. Unhappily he rolled his shoulders a few times, trying to rid of the sensation that removing his pack always brought about.

"Enjoy the sky water," Ivan huffed, breathing deeply as he turned away with one final wave of his hand. As he left the alleyway, Ivan took another look around the street he'd emerged onto before retrieving his compass again. After having direction once more, the lone man began trudging through the muddied streets towards the southern exit of the city. On his way, Ivan began to notice the streets beginning to become more active: people shouting, throwing bottles, and a few times Ivan had needed to rush off the street to avoid an oncoming vehicle. There was an air of panic in the voices he heard, and Ivan muttered a short prayer in hopes that whatever was happening people would be alright.

Eventually, Ivan reached the outskirts of the city and pocketed his compass, standing tall as he felt the water begin working it's chill into his bones. "I better get somewhere dry before nightfall," he breathed, speaking to himself as he slowly raised his arms. Ivan began walking, the mud around him bubbling in protest as it began to get dragged along behind him. Slowly Ivan picked up his pace, lifting his arms further as the ground beneath him shifted and began to try climbing up his legs each time they touched the ground. Then, with the built up momentum Ivan gave a short leap, snapping his arms upward as a surge of mud rose up to envelope his lower body. His legs completely encased, Ivan leaned forward as the rolling mound carried him away from Russell city. Underneath his hood Ivan gave a smirk, feeling quite proud of himself as his focused his efforts on keeping a steady pace. Traveling like this in no way hid his immortal status, but it was far faster than walking or gliding and Ivan had enough practice that he could keep it up all night if he had to. Once more, Ivan retrieved his compass, adjusting his course to a more South-west direction as he referenced the map he held in his head. "Isolone," he huffed, a smirk on his face as once more his focus fell on the shifting earth beneath him.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Void

I'll work on it once I kinda know what I can contribute. I've caught up in IC but I need to go back and think about how much of it is important that I react on, etc.

The Dust

@bobert778 Welcome back sir. Also wheree is that gif from? That looks dope as shit.

@Aeonumbra

Looks like Sunset Overdrive to me.

@TheMadAsshatter

There is is.

Also, Hi there new human @Lightning Fast:D. You need an avatar

Betwixt the Eternal Light

I'm back :D. I'll read up on what I missed I guess, then look at the google doc if nothing's been posted yet? Idk, NewSun, can you tell me anything about what's going on :)?

The Dust

Aaaaaaaaaaand, I return. I'm fairly sure I got past my deadlines alright and I feel pretty good about it so that's a thing :). Time to read up on what's happened and probably get working on a post.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Void

I'm back :). I need to read up on stuff I missed on this and other RPs but if it's appropriate to post you can expect one from me soonish ;P

The Dust

Alright I got it up. Sorry if there's any rough edges on the post near the end but I had to finish it and get it out there. I hope to be back again soon guys :). See you all later.

The Dust

On the journey to Russell City, Ivan followed the constant sputtering of the motorcycle's engine as he glided across the swampy and warm earth. The ground hadn't taken very well to the water, and was only now beginning to absorb the liquid to create a soupy quagmire from what had once been dusty and rocky earth. Low to the ground as he was, the mud began seeping underneath Ivan's clothing and splashing all across his front as the mound of earth he slid upon constantly needed to be reshaped. As the small group neared the fringes of Russell City, Ivan heard the motorcycle's engine begin to give out and not long after actually entering the city they had stopped all together.

James abandoned the bike, speaking briefly with Vladimira and leaving it for her to deal with since it had belonged to the corpse she carried with her. James then left in search of the woman that had fled from the fight, the one that had appeared hollow, requesting he go alone which left Ivan somewhat downtrodden as he watched James' muddied silhouette move away. He'd suggested they 'regroup' later, and so Ivan nodded at his departure before turning to face Vladimira. She didn't sound all to overjoyed at being left with everything, though in fairness James had been correct in deciding it best to leave the corpses possessions with the corpse.

It was true that she'd need to haul about the sled she rode, and the motorcycle, but Ivan felt it wasn't really his place to start getting involved in this stranger's business. “The road’s wet enough that everything slips,” Ivan laughed, proving his point by raising the mud beneath him slightly so that he could slide off the mound. “Should be easy enough to move things about," he then commented, hoping to make her task easier without needing to stick around and bother her.

"Anyways, it’s been nice meeting you, Mrs. Kovalik, but I feel it’s none of my business following you about. Enjoy the sky water,” Ivan bid, departing soon as he gave Vladimira a friendly pat on the shoulder, which left a large and dirty hand print. Half stumbling, half sliding, Ivan quickly found the nearest wall and began walking down the street, keeping one hand on the nearby buildings as he hummed a tuneless melody. It had been at least a year since he'd visited Russell City, and the last time he'd ventured this way had been simply to run an errand for someone. There was good value to be found in smuggling things, and Ivan was unpredictable in his routes which a man in Locke City had learned to greatly appreciate. There was no business to attend here though, and Ivan was fully stocked on supplies from his visit to Isolone.

Feeling somewhat lost, the man turned his head up slowly to feel the water falling down upon his face. He'd become drenched by now, and this finally brought his attention to the dryness he felt inside. The feeling churned the uncertainty within him, and as the dryness began to give way to a gnawing sense of emptiness Ivan knew he needed to find a place to think. He'd walked at least a few blocks by now, and looked about as he tried to get his bearings. Before too long he realized such efforts were wasted though, and decided simply to duck into the nearest alleyway as he felt up the buildings on either side.

Above him, he saw faded pools of swirling dust stacked upon invisible platforms which he could recognize as the building's fire escape. In an effort to reach the top of the building, Ivan pushed up a mound of mud to reach for where he could only assume the ladder would be. He didn't know where he was, or if anyone would mind his presence, but knew he needed to get somewhere high up as what felt like a void in his chest began to expand. He cursed as his wrist smashed against the metal bottom of the ladder, muttering unhappily as he yanked down on the rungs so he'd be sure he could climb it. Then from there he hauled himself up the side of the building, groping about and leaving trails of mud as he touched everything he could.

Upon reaching the top of the final platform, Ivan slowly hauled himself up the ladder that had been bolted into the side of the building. Every rung he climbed, he'd lift his hand in the air and feel for what he hoped would be a flat roof to climb onto. If it turned out he couldn't sit at the top of the building he'd need to climb back down and find another tower to scale, this thought causing him to frown as his hand pawed about again. Another rung, and again Ivan felt about for the rooftop but still finding only the wall of the building. Three more rungs later, and Ivan breathed a sigh of relief as he finally had found the top of the ladder. Knowing how far he should expect to reach now, he hastily climbed the remainder of the ladder and began crawling about the rooftop to try and absorb what he could about it.

The building itself was made from something that had started out as stone, or at least a good portion of it was constructed from the material since Ivan could still see the faint outline of the building's insides. Long ago he'd given up on trying to learn why he could and couldn't see certain things, accepting the fact that it seemed he could only truly recognize any natural or pure material. Concrete always came in kind of smudged and off, glass visually just rung hollow, and brick was just a block of floating flakes which would easily change depending on the brick's composition. It didn't mater much, not now at least, as all Ivan needed to know was that the roof was solid and he could sit upon it. The traces of the building's insides were easily ignored, and Ivan instead focused on bringing himself into that same sitting position he always took up; legs crossed, hands in his lap, and head down.

He forced himself to slow his breathing, realizing it had become a little heavier than normal. He never embraced thinking, but liked it all the same as it reminded him of his humanity. That's what he'd come up here to do: think. So he let his thoughts flow freely, contemplating the emptiness he felt as his head fell back and he began to drink from the sky. It had been a long time since he'd felt this way; known the sensations that feeling lost always brought. His mind wheeled towards the man he'd met today; James. He had been kind, and a young soul that had yet to see the truth ahead. Many people never saw what it all meant, but James maybe would figure it out in time. This thought brought a smile to the corner of Ivan's lips, and he gulped as enough water had filled his open mouth to swallow. Where James had gone, Ivan didn't know but he felt he'd like for them to meet again. Who Vladimira was hadn't really stirred much interest, despite Ivan wanting to reflect on her briefly. His mind soon moved on to other things though, like the water falling atop his head, and the unusual hollow incident earlier today. Reviewing his day like this always brought him a sort of comfort, as it gave him a second chance to analyze his thoughts which he always viewed as important. If everyone asked every question twice, there would be more knowledge with less answers. Less regret in the world, and more purpose. Amusing himself with those reflections, Ivan snorted, feeling lost in his own mind but no longer lost with his thoughts. It was a slight change but it made a world of difference, and Ivan took another deep breath as the existentialist within him took over.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ivan didn't know for certain how long he'd been atop the roof, but it had been long enough that someone had found him up there and roused him from his meditation. He felt content now, and at peace with the fact that he might never see James again. The man had good intent with wishing they could 'regroup', but in a city as big as Russell and how easily lost Ivan would get the chances they'd run into each other again were slim. He'd seemed like an interesting character, Vladimira too, but they both had their own agendas just as Ivan did. He'd been heading up this way to reach the northern coast, and look again upon the silt coated and shifting dunes that lay beneath the waves. Perhaps even he might plan to stay there for a while; find joy in meditating by the coast and playing his flute to the wind. For now though, he'd wait out the sky water and planned to do so by getting a drink. He had ammo; just enough left to get him a cheap meal, a drink of the fermented kind, and perhaps some something-something if the bartender would send him in the direction of a dealer.

Still, Ivan ran his hand along the sides of the various buildings as he trudged through the muddied streets of Russell. Most people that were still outside were busy collecting the water as it fell, with some children having escaped their parents to run and splash about. A large truck had been parked in the middle of one street, with enough mud still on it's sides for Ivan to recognize that it was meant for hauling liquids. The presumed owner of said truck was arguing quite loudly with two men regarding the truck's placement. Ivan made sure to duck out of their way, being able to assume from the way the two men talked down to the first that they were Wings. Up ahead the outline of mud covered boots revealed a group of two or three people, hopefully individuals who wouldn't give him a second thought, who stood out in the street with muddy buckets and jugs in hand.

"Excuse me," Ivan called to them, his voice louder than usual after having quenched his thirst earlier, "would any of you know where I could find a tavern or somethin' like it?" For a short while there was silence, and Ivan only stood and watched as he waited for a response. He wished for a moment that he could see their faces, and know maybe what expressions they held.

"The uh, Bitch's Brew is a few blocks that way," one of them said, no doubt raising their hand which remained invisible to Ivan. Sky water. I never really realized how dirty everything normally is, Ivan scoffed mentally, grabbing at one of the pockets on his vest and retrieving his compass. The thing was dirty from the inside out, and even as the rain splashed against the trinket to try and cleanse it the needle and disc within were still caked in dust and grime.

"Sorry, which direction is 'that way?" Ivan questioned, looking down at the compass and orienting himself on which way was North.

"Excuse me?" the man replied, the splash of boots drawing Ivan's attention as the man walked closer.

"Which direction? You know: North, South, East, West," Ivan explained, walking forward to meet the man and show him the compass.

"Uh... a few blocks, East, I guess," the man replied, sounding concerned as Ivan clicked the compass shut and returned it to it's pocket.

"Thank you," was all Ivan had to say to that, walking back to the wall and moving along it until he could turn a corner to go Eastward. Carefully, after walking past one crossroad Ivan began to listen for the slightest sound of music as it would be his only real way of finding the bar in this weather unless they had a sign. Chances are the sign would have been washed clean by now though, and with a sigh Ivan continued with tracing his hand along the walls of buildings. Another block and still the only sound was the drumming of the sky water, and Ivan was beginning to feel it's chill work into his finger tips. It was a chill like that which was brought on by night, something Ivan was no stranger too but still, the cold combined with the wet made him feel worse. He smelled like a wet dog too, but he himself hardly noticed the stench as the water thoroughly worked it's way into every space it could find.

When Ivan did finally hear music he pressed his head up against the next door he found and pushed it open, the sight of him noisily stumbling through the door of The Bitch's Brew causing a few people inside to look in his direction. He was breathing heavily, his clothing weighing twice as much as it usually did on top of the fact that he was cold. Uneasily he looked around, the music having stopped momentarily with his entrance but soon started up again which prompted Ivan to move towards the bar. The man at the counter seemed ready to protest as Ivan lugged himself across the room and into the nearest stool, fairly unhappy with how this stranger had just tracked a large portion of mud into the establishment. The bartender held his tongue for the moment though, Ivan's exhaustion being misperceived for a poor temperament as he threw his arms onto the counter with a wet thud. "I'd like something to eat, and drink. Whatever's cheap," Ivan requested, his tone lacking hostility which let the bartender relax a little.

"Do you know the mess you just made?" was the response he got, causing Ivan to look back towards the door at the practical trail of mud he'd created. Next his eyes moved downward, examining the puddle of dirty, brown water that had formed beneath his stool before he returned his attention to the bartender.

"I'll take care of it on my way out. Dirt likes me," Ivan explained, smirking underneath his hood before he let out a sigh. Even if he couldn't see the mans face, Ivan knew he probably didn't look too happy. In hopes of distracting the man's attention to something else, Ivan pawed at his vest for the pocket he kept stray bullets in. He found it quickly enough, and reached inside to grab the first two bullets his fingers brushed against before he placed them on the counter in front of him. "Something to eat, and drink please," he repeated, trying to make his words sound apologetic in tone.

The bartender replied with an unhappy sigh, plucking the two metal cylinders out of the dirty puddle they rested in. "Sure thing, but I want you out of here soon as you finish," he instructed, Ivan giving him a thumbs up in response. Ivan watched as the bartender moved about behind the counter, after a minute coming back to place a plate and a mug onto the counter somewhat carelessly. Ivan nodded in appreciation before he lifted the bottom of his hood, freeing his mouth and nose from it's confines but nothing else. In a very stiff and practiced motion, Ivan rose his hand and placed it on top of what he quickly figured out was some fairly stale tasting bread. It didn't have any flavour either, but it didn't matter much since all Ivan could taste was the dirty water all over his hands. Between tearing chunks off the brittle loaf, Ivan would reach over to the mug that had been placed near him and take a drink, noting that the beer was kind of watered down. Must not have paid him much, he thought, shrugging as he decided to be grateful the bartender had even served him something.

"Hey uh," Ivan heard the bartender begin, returning from somewhere on the other end of the bar, "your name wouldn't happen to be 'Ivan', would it?" he asked, sounding more curious than accusative.

Ivan stopped eating and looked around himself briefly, not expecting this man to know anything about him. "Why?" was what the bartender got as a response, Ivan quickly biting into the last bit of bread he'd been given.

"I have a note someone gave me earlier today, and they asked me to pass on a message should I see any of the two people he was looking for. Does the name 'James' mean anything to you?" the bartender asked, causing Ivan to stop chewing.

"What's the message?" Ivan asked, trying to sound disinterested as he finished his meal.

"Well I have the note right he-"

"I can't read."

"Oh, well maybe for a bit of lead I can read it to you," the bartender smirked, holding out his hand. "That and I'll forgive you for the mess," he then added, his tune having changed to make him sound quite pleased.

Ivan grumbled, finishing his drink with a few swift chugs before he reached inside his vest pocket again and pulled out another random bullet. He only had a few left now, and was hoping they'd be enough to get him something after this. "Here," he grunted, dropping the ammunition onto the counter top before he moved to wipe his mouth and replace his hood again.

The bartender again plucked the bullet from the muddy puddle before unfolding what sounded like paper, and just loud enough for Ivan to hear read what was on it.

"Vladimira, Ivan, whichever of you get this, I found out where she's going. I don't know why exactly, something about gathering Immortals, but she's heading to Isolone. I'm going to try to head her off and make sure it isn't a trap or something. Somehow I doubt it; she doesn't seem too dangerous right now, but there's no telling when she might go hollow again. Whether you follow me or not, stay safe. The Wings are looking for you two. I'd keep my head down if I were you.

PS. Her name is Alex.

-James"

Ivan laughed, slamming his fist on the table as he pushed himself to stand. "I get to see him again. That's grand!" Ivan chuckled, adjusting his clothing a little before he turned towards the door. "Thanks for the meal, eh," Ivan quickly said to the man behind the counter, walking towards the front door of the bar. As he left, Ivan lifted his arm, calling to him the puddles of mud and sludge as he opened the door to leave. "Have a good night, everyone!" he shouted back inside the building, the mud swirling around his legs as he stepped outside and shut the door behind him. "Isolone," Ivan breathed, inhaling deeply as he walked out into the street and pulled out his compass. "Isolone," he repeated, orienting himself in a southern direction so he could begin walking. It'd be a long trip, but maybe if he rushed himself he could get there some time tomorrow.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Void

Hey guys; I'm posting this on all the RPs I'm part of just so you all know what's happening.

Simply put, the next week is going to be very demanding of my time and just so I'll have one less thing to distract me I'm going to need to avoid posting until I pass my upcoming deadline for some important stuff. I should be back on the 18th if everything goes well. Sorry to do this, and whomever thinks it's appropriate can control Xeno until I get back so nobody is waiting for me. I hope to see all of you again soon :)

Betwixt the Eternal Light

Hey guys; I'm posting this on all the RPs I'm part of just so you all know what's happening.

Simply put, the next week is going to be very demanding of my time and just so I'll have one less thing to distract me I'm going to need to avoid posting until I pass my upcoming deadline for some important stuff. I should be back on the 18th if everything goes well. I've decided if NewSun and Goodmorrow want, than they can sort of control Pick until I get back so you aren't all waiting for me. Hope to see you all again soon :)