Bruce kicked up off the bench onto the back of the pew, balancing for just long enough to hop several rows back. Whether as an act of cheekiness or a more morbid curiosity, he left behind a small dirt pile that formed the shape of his right foot, placed directly in Shaidra's path on the bench he'd just been on.
Brucenorris007
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Sakki simpered.
'Sleep? I just woke up!'
Bruce hopped backward onto one of the pews, curious to see how long Shaidra would follow. He walked backward along the bench, never taking his eyes off her.
"Does it hurt? I've stopped noticing." Bruce said, though he had a feeling he was referring to something different than what Shaidra meant.
"If Ada's happy, then does that mean she understands?"
At this point he was just talking out of curiosity, though Shaidra's little stunt with her new claws held Sakki's attention.
'Sleep? I just woke up!'
Bruce hopped backward onto one of the pews, curious to see how long Shaidra would follow. He walked backward along the bench, never taking his eyes off her.
"Does it hurt? I've stopped noticing." Bruce said, though he had a feeling he was referring to something different than what Shaidra meant.
"If Ada's happy, then does that mean she understands?"
At this point he was just talking out of curiosity, though Shaidra's little stunt with her new claws held Sakki's attention.
Sakki twitched in sleep.
Bruce chuckled, never turning to face Shaidra despite the sensation of malicious intent approaching.
"I'm hardly lost, I'm a wanderer." Bruce said, still fondly cradling the photographs in his hand.
Sakki sniffed the air, lips coiling back into a snarl.
"Careful what you say about throats. I might get excited." Bruce let Sakki slip in a whisper-quiet rasp. "If you want honesty, all I want out of you is a way out of here and onward. I wouldn't manipulate you or try telling you how to live for that." He continued, his voice steady and normal again.
Bruce waved the photographs above his head for a moment before sliding them into his robe.
"Thank you for these. Sincerely. I had feared I'd forgotten what their faces looked like."
Sakki's eyes opened.
"It's true, whoever told you that. I might be the last person you want to seek guidance from," Bruce tapped his head with his forefinger. "I have my own struggles and crises that make me ill-suited for the position. And I'm too lazy to give you a reason to be happy."
Sakki seeped into Bruce's Ki, emanating in undulating, growing waves.
"Still," Bruce finally turned to face Shaidra, his smile widened, but not at all matching his eyes. His pupils contracted, brow furrowed and chin titled inward such that a slight shadow cast down his face. Even so, he had not drawn his weapon, though his skin had taken on the darkened tone of his Sage form.
"You want to talk about rage and turmoil in the middle of smiles the world doesn't want you to have?"
Sakki tittered.
"I can help you with that."
Bruce chuckled, never turning to face Shaidra despite the sensation of malicious intent approaching.
"I'm hardly lost, I'm a wanderer." Bruce said, still fondly cradling the photographs in his hand.
Sakki sniffed the air, lips coiling back into a snarl.
"Careful what you say about throats. I might get excited." Bruce let Sakki slip in a whisper-quiet rasp. "If you want honesty, all I want out of you is a way out of here and onward. I wouldn't manipulate you or try telling you how to live for that." He continued, his voice steady and normal again.
Bruce waved the photographs above his head for a moment before sliding them into his robe.
"Thank you for these. Sincerely. I had feared I'd forgotten what their faces looked like."
Sakki's eyes opened.
"It's true, whoever told you that. I might be the last person you want to seek guidance from," Bruce tapped his head with his forefinger. "I have my own struggles and crises that make me ill-suited for the position. And I'm too lazy to give you a reason to be happy."
Sakki seeped into Bruce's Ki, emanating in undulating, growing waves.
"Still," Bruce finally turned to face Shaidra, his smile widened, but not at all matching his eyes. His pupils contracted, brow furrowed and chin titled inward such that a slight shadow cast down his face. Even so, he had not drawn his weapon, though his skin had taken on the darkened tone of his Sage form.
"You want to talk about rage and turmoil in the middle of smiles the world doesn't want you to have?"
Sakki tittered.
"I can help you with that."
Bruce didn't wait for the second photograph, instead catching it on it's way to the floor. Just seeing the boy's face again, without the contortions of pain, tugged the corners of Bruce's mouth upwards.
Bruce forced his eyes closed. It was too easy to tune out what Shaidra said with their likenesses in hand.
He realized that, random or not, nothing that came out of her mouth was an original thought. The line about what she wanted, the knowledge of every dimension, reminded him too much of Yzeira. Her voice changed just a little, gaining the slightest bit of life, before she returned to being a soundboard.
He looked at her, finally, after she'd moved to the pews and regarded her hands.
"Even if it is pointless, there's nothing inherently wrong with futility," Bruce said. "Even if your search is futile, to do so is to make your own meaning. Whether or not you find it shouldn't stop you. I've never really liked the meaning of giving up. And Shaidra-"
Bruce didn't fight the upturn of his lips when he looked at the photograph again, tracing the edge of it with his thumb.
"The best time to smile is when someone tells you to stop."
Bruce forced his eyes closed. It was too easy to tune out what Shaidra said with their likenesses in hand.
He realized that, random or not, nothing that came out of her mouth was an original thought. The line about what she wanted, the knowledge of every dimension, reminded him too much of Yzeira. Her voice changed just a little, gaining the slightest bit of life, before she returned to being a soundboard.
He looked at her, finally, after she'd moved to the pews and regarded her hands.
"Even if it is pointless, there's nothing inherently wrong with futility," Bruce said. "Even if your search is futile, to do so is to make your own meaning. Whether or not you find it shouldn't stop you. I've never really liked the meaning of giving up. And Shaidra-"
Bruce didn't fight the upturn of his lips when he looked at the photograph again, tracing the edge of it with his thumb.
"The best time to smile is when someone tells you to stop."
Bruce paused his advances to let the photograph settle at his feet. He knelt briefly to pick it up by one corner, careful with the image, afraid the blood might damage the integrity of the photo.
Were the image not so tame, Bruce might have entertained the idea that this was not actually one of Shaidra's dimensions but one of his nightmares. As it was, he stepped forward again, slower than before, distracted by the picture.
"My origin story," he said, speaking less with measured planning now and nearer stream-of-consciousness. "How long have you been trying to piece yours together?"
Were the image not so tame, Bruce might have entertained the idea that this was not actually one of Shaidra's dimensions but one of his nightmares. As it was, he stepped forward again, slower than before, distracted by the picture.
"My origin story," he said, speaking less with measured planning now and nearer stream-of-consciousness. "How long have you been trying to piece yours together?"
If Bruce was at all surprised by the turn of events, he gave no sign of it. He glanced about the church once, taking in the finer details, of which there seemed to be quite a few for how empty the place was.
He walked forward at an almost leisurely pace past the lines of pews, his footsteps echoing back at him with the full volume of reverent silence.
'She's no fun,' Sakki pouted. 'Nap time.'
Even that brief line of thought struck him as too loud and blunt for this place. Still, for all that he could appreciate the atmosphere, the universe was sort of on crunch time. Shaidra clearly knew he was there, the sound in the room made stealth nearly impossible.
"Something troubling you, Shaidra?" Bruce asked, speaking slowly and with earnest interest. He reserved what little wit he thought he had for those he found more distasteful. "Or do you have something to show me?"
He walked forward at an almost leisurely pace past the lines of pews, his footsteps echoing back at him with the full volume of reverent silence.
'She's no fun,' Sakki pouted. 'Nap time.'
Even that brief line of thought struck him as too loud and blunt for this place. Still, for all that he could appreciate the atmosphere, the universe was sort of on crunch time. Shaidra clearly knew he was there, the sound in the room made stealth nearly impossible.
"Something troubling you, Shaidra?" Bruce asked, speaking slowly and with earnest interest. He reserved what little wit he thought he had for those he found more distasteful. "Or do you have something to show me?"
Bruce noted Alvios' logic and sighed. He wasn't terribly pleased with the facts, but he couldn't change them. Remembering the bag Jenso had given him, Bruce called upon the material he'd stored inside, crafting a stone replica of his sheath, mimicking every detail. He had little in the way of actual items he could leave behind, and thus found this the only acceptable substitute.
Bruce lay the sheath in front of the door nearest the center, turning back toward his companions.
"I can't say I like it, but time isn't in our favor." Bruce said, giving what he could in agreement with Alvios' proposed plan. Bruce wished there could be a contingency in case communications failed, but none came to mind, so he kept quiet.
Bruce lay the sheath in front of the door nearest the center, turning back toward his companions.
"I can't say I like it, but time isn't in our favor." Bruce said, giving what he could in agreement with Alvios' proposed plan. Bruce wished there could be a contingency in case communications failed, but none came to mind, so he kept quiet.
Bruce kept pace with Alvios and Jenso, though he retained a zero-Ki output. His nerves were alight with anticipation, but he kept focused on the conversation to check himself.
That Jenso's most reliably powerful form had been robbed of him only resolved Bruce further that his idea for Ki transference needed to be not only seriously considered, but performed. He knew he couldn't possibly achieve the concentration and sheer density that Alvios could, let alone within the time frame they had before an imminent final confrontation. But he had no doubt he could make it work.
The primary concern from Bruce's end was determining what the truest form of his Ki actually looked like. Did the red streak of Sakki in his blades mark a tainting of what was once golden, or was that his Ki at its most pure?
Bruce tightened his lip, placing the quandary in the back of his mind.
"Becoming separated was, to some extent, virtually inevitable," Bruce said. "Apart from losing precious time, it's impossible to say what other consequences there might be for waiting for the others to catch up. We certainly don't have the element of surprise any longer, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't press on while there's no apparent resistance in front of us."
Bruce's inclinations partially came from his own poorly-disguised eagerness for action, though he did shoot Jenso a brief, if significant, glare.
"It is critical that we don't split up any more than we already have, of course."
That Jenso's most reliably powerful form had been robbed of him only resolved Bruce further that his idea for Ki transference needed to be not only seriously considered, but performed. He knew he couldn't possibly achieve the concentration and sheer density that Alvios could, let alone within the time frame they had before an imminent final confrontation. But he had no doubt he could make it work.
The primary concern from Bruce's end was determining what the truest form of his Ki actually looked like. Did the red streak of Sakki in his blades mark a tainting of what was once golden, or was that his Ki at its most pure?
Bruce tightened his lip, placing the quandary in the back of his mind.
"Becoming separated was, to some extent, virtually inevitable," Bruce said. "Apart from losing precious time, it's impossible to say what other consequences there might be for waiting for the others to catch up. We certainly don't have the element of surprise any longer, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't press on while there's no apparent resistance in front of us."
Bruce's inclinations partially came from his own poorly-disguised eagerness for action, though he did shoot Jenso a brief, if significant, glare.
"It is critical that we don't split up any more than we already have, of course."
Bruce nodded in Jenso's direction when the golden warrior entered. He was still waiting for Alvios' advice.
Upon hearing Jenso's inference of how Vale passed, he sighed. Although he held little, if any, love for the vampire in life, Jenso deserved to know the whole truth.
"I cannot speak for the dead, Jenso," Bruce said. "So I do not know who he truly blamed. But regardless of all that he did, every act that seemed hostile towards us, ultimately, he was not our enemy."
Bruce recounted Vale's final moments succinctly to Jenso.
Upon hearing Jenso's inference of how Vale passed, he sighed. Although he held little, if any, love for the vampire in life, Jenso deserved to know the whole truth.
"I cannot speak for the dead, Jenso," Bruce said. "So I do not know who he truly blamed. But regardless of all that he did, every act that seemed hostile towards us, ultimately, he was not our enemy."
Bruce recounted Vale's final moments succinctly to Jenso.
Bruce listened thoughtfully to the battle outside, pondering his first encounter with the leader of the Order. He'd come into this final confrontation with all confidence. That hadn't changed, exactly, but his willingness to submit to his baser instincts and desires as they paved their path had been mellowed somewhat.
Preparations of all types needed to be improvised- if ideas were going to be executed, communication was vital, and the time was short. And haphazard attempts at new techniques were not going to cut it here.
Alvios was still kneeling by Vale's body- the vampire had redeemed himself somewhat in Bruce's eyes, but he felt little need to grieve. Vale had done what he needed to do. Bruce respected that.
"Lightbringer," Bruce said slowly, still facing the entrance of the tower. "Might you be able to instruct me the finer points of Ki transference?"
Preparations of all types needed to be improvised- if ideas were going to be executed, communication was vital, and the time was short. And haphazard attempts at new techniques were not going to cut it here.
Alvios was still kneeling by Vale's body- the vampire had redeemed himself somewhat in Bruce's eyes, but he felt little need to grieve. Vale had done what he needed to do. Bruce respected that.
"Lightbringer," Bruce said slowly, still facing the entrance of the tower. "Might you be able to instruct me the finer points of Ki transference?"
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