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Tweak says, "Mock not the fragrant pillow."

Felix can make you beautiful. (beautifultouch) wrote in yegods,
@ 2012-03-30 10:02:00

Entry tags:

!mini-log, felix vinter, rodion bonniman

Altun-Ha

WHO Rodion "Roddy" Bonniman and Felix Vinter
WHERE Altun-Ha Pyramid
WHEN March 30th, Afternoon
RATING PG
SUMMARY Mini-Log: Roddy and Felix explore and chat and hopefully don't run into anymore huay chivo.
STATUS Complete

So this vacation has definitely been an adventure. Between the going out and the hanging out on the beach and the snorkeling and scuba diving and exploring the nearby city, they've also been set upon by some of the less friendly residents. That was, in Felix's estimation, a close call. He's not used to dealing with that sort of thing. Before this past year, he would never have even realized that being attacked by monsters was something that could actually happen to him, but he's quickly finding out that - yeah - that is a possibility. At least, he does have the shield from his father, and he has been doing tai chi for several years. Still, he's been a little warier since.

Especially here at the ruins, because this is definitely got to be Mayan god central, and even Felix can work out that this particular pantheon may not be so hospitable to intruders. He has, at least, tried to bring an "offering" to maybe keep those Mayan gods from getting too titchy about it: a candle, some incense, a bottle of liquor, and (grisly though it now doubt may seem) the blood from a black chicken... all things procured in the market down an alley that it seems most people were walking by unaware of. If Felix knew any better, he might have connected the fact that it was probably a node, like the Catacombs.

So those things have been put at the base of one of the pyramids, and so far? So good. It's a little bit hot today, and Felix's hair is stuck to his forehead and the nape of his neck with sweat. He tries to peel his tank top away from his chest, fanning himself with a pamphlet he picked up in town. The sun beats down on the lawn before the great structure.

"It's funny, you know, that there are still things that are this old standing," he remarks. Then, after a pause, he lowers his voice and adds, "But it's kinda scary the stuff that they used to do to appease their gods."

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occupycatacombs
2012-03-30 05:57 pm UTC (link)

Roddy had his large brimmed cloth hat, dark sunglasses, and smelled very much like sunscreen. He also had his hair tied back, because long hair and heat did not go well together. He finished off his tourist chic look with a battery operated fan he had bought. He felt so disgustingly like a tourist he almost felt like giving Felix the fan out of shame. Almost.

He had told Felix at the time that bringing an offering to the local gods was a very good idea. A lot could be said about Felix's level of intelligence, but in Roddy's experience he always seemed to have good ideas. And unlike a lot of people with good ideas, Felix seemed to genuinely follow through with them. To Roddy, who spent most of his time listening to politicans make promises they never intended to keep, that was his favorite quality of Felix's. He followed through.

Roddy refused to be such a tourist as to stand there and take pictures of the pyramid... or perhaps it was really a temple, or both. So he just stood and gazed up at it, thinking he would like to climb it put probably should not for various reasons. He looked up at Felix at the reference to human sacrifice, thought briefly of his leg, and sighed inwardly. "The gods often demand sacrifice. I think it may be better to focus on the building and architectural skill it took to create this, than the devotion with which it was built."

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beautifultouch
2012-03-30 06:02 pm UTC (link)

Felix agrees, nodding. He doesn't really want to think about Mayan religion too hard. He's glad that he's Norse and not Mayan, because if their gods are still as demanding as they were back then... Even with the heat of the day, it gives him a chill.

"It's almost like... Well, I saw some really old stuff in Thailand, too, but every time you see something that's this old - older than the United States and older than even a lot of stuff in like England or something - it's like, 'How can that be real?' It breaks my brain a little." Roddy and Sunny both seem to be taking the heat a little harder than the rest of them. Felix can only guess his years in Thailand hardened him to it. "It's funny how they built pyramids, too, isn't it? I wonder if like the Mayan gods and the Egyptian gods ever got together or something."

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occupycatacombs
2012-03-30 06:31 pm UTC (link)

Roddy's idea of old things was a little different than Felix's. His home town was widely regarded has having been established in the year 1010, which was both vastly older than the US and many, many things in the British Isles. When Yaroslavl had been founded, the Normans hadn't even gotten to the British Isles. When Yaroslavl had been founded, Leif Ericson had barely discovered North America. But Roddy didn't mention that, because these pyramids were still much, much, much older than even Yaroslavl.

"I assume if they hadn't at the time they have since. It's just a very good, solid structural base, so it's not that surprising two different cultures arrived at a similar architectural design. It's just very effective." Could he feel himself beginning to sound like a lecture, and he really didn't feel like talking about architecture, now that he thought of it. "Let's go explore a bit... cautiously."

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beautifultouch
2012-03-30 07:08 pm UTC (link)

Felix considers this, and it seems sound. A lot of tall things are shaped like this. Well, mountains are shaped like this. So it does seem to be one of the most solid forms a structure could take. "It's nice that no one has put any graffiti on it," he adds before nodding and starting towards the pyramid. There isn't graffiti, but there is a little undergrowth coming up. He wonders who comes along to clean it up, because surely it's bad for plants to start growing on it. "You know a lot about architecture," he adds, squinting up at the top of the structure.

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occupycatacombs
2012-03-30 07:57 pm UTC (link)

"I hadn't even thought of graffiti," Roddy said as they headed toward it. He liked to think important religious places could be respected enough, but, well the world was clearly not the world Roddy wanted it to be. If it was there would be less insects that drank human blood.

He scratched at his neck slightly. "I had a friend that knew a lot," he wasn't sure if Felix knew Milo. He knew Felix knew Kat, which was another thing Roddy had thought about while looking at the ocean, but he wasn't about to mention it to Felix.

Roddy paused for a moment, looking up at the very, very, very old structure with a long, gruesome, holy history. This place had been so important to so many people for so long, and was probably still more active than anyone aside from him and Felix knew. It was remarkable. He turned to Felix. "Thanks for inviting me. I know I haven't been the most fun this trip, but I am glad I came."

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beautifultouch
2012-03-30 09:05 pm UTC (link)

Felix just nods, completely unaware that the person that Roddy is talking about is the man that he found dead. Though he does get a little feeling that there is some gravity to those words and decides not to press. Whatever it is, Roddy will say it or not on his own, and after feeling that he failed so miserably to try to get his own best friend to talk about his problems... Well, maybe he should just stick to massage. It's not like he's a deep thinker who can figure out the right thing to do for himself half the time. But thinking about all that makes him feel a little depressed, and he doesn't want to feel depressed. He's felt that way a lot since January, and he just doesn't like it. He's on vacation, which means also a holiday from stress and sad things.

Still, some people need to process those things, and he knows that Roddy did know Milo (even if he doesn't make the other connection), and that Roddy and Kat were friends through the GN, at least, so no doubt, the guy is feeling very alone right now. Felix can get that. He's feeling it a little, too. So he smiles brightly and shrugs.

"You gotta do what you gotta do, right? At least, I'm glad you've had some time to just do nothing but think quietly. Sometimes, that can help... especially with a little sun. Vitamin D's good for you and all."

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occupycatacombs
2012-03-30 09:49 pm UTC (link)

Roddy smiled slightly and nodded, stepping over a rock that may have once been part of the pyramid. "I do appreciate it," he said, nodding. "I guess I needed an excuse to get away from work and the city." He could have said something about such a thing as too much vitamin D, especially since he was pretty sure he was getting a sunburn on the back of his neck, having forgotten about that when applying his sunscreen.

"Though I will say this, Felix. You have the oddest collection of friends."

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beautifultouch
2012-03-30 11:41 pm UTC (link)

Felix blinks, turning to Roddy (and looking down a bit) with his head cocked like a labrador retriever. Then he grins. "I guess I kinda do," he agrees. "It's sort of always been that way. I just meet people and... most of the time, they stick? I met Rylee when we were in junior high - before my parents put me in friendship school - and I met you at work and Hec randomly in the Catacombs and Mickey looking for roommates and Sunny when a zombie was trying to kill us. I guess... we come from all walks of life? But I think that's more interesting." He tries to wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. "I guess I usually just... be friends with whoever wants to be friends? Like, I guess there are probably people out there who are more like me, but they're just not the ones who crossed my path, so I kinda figure it's meant to be like this."

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occupycatacombs
2012-03-31 12:06 am UTC (link)

Roddy tended to meet a lot of the same people. Most of them were rich and extremely privileged or just... self-driven. Unrelenting in their positions. Sometimes horribly so. Felix was very different. Roddy wondered if Felix knew how different he was, not just his friends.

"Well, on one hand I'd say you were lucky to have so many people that want to be friends with you." Roddy wasn't terribly surprised, but it was lucky. It could be lucky. It could also be dangerous. That was the other hand. "But it's also important to... well you know, not everyone that wants to be friends with you are good to be friends with." Again, Roddy said that as a person that worked with a lot of politicians.

He took a moment to look up at the open sky above them, and then around at the grassy hills which held tightly onto the remains of a city, a temple, a pyramid. This place had once been bustling, and now it was a tourist destination. "I wonder if country Mayans used to dream of coming here, to the big city."

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beautifultouch
2012-03-31 12:57 am UTC (link)

Felix scratches his head, again rather dog-like, and regards Roddy with an uncertain grin. He's not sure how it could be bad if someone wants to be friends, but maybe Roddy has had a bad experience? But maybe he'll find a friend or two - unexpectedly - on this trip... Milo Canonici and Kat can't be replaced, but there's always room for new people. Hearts are far more vast than people give them credit.

"Probably so. I bet they got all dressed up just to visit. Let's walk around the other side and see if there's anything there. We probably shouldn't stay too much longer. Dunno how long they'll be happy with just some chicken blood and incense, you know?"

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