InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Besame"

Lord Vaako (lord_vaako) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-07-26 16:49:00

Entry tags:

complete, day 9, lord vaako, severus snape

Who: Vaako and Snape
What: Trapped inside for the storm! Not that Vaako minds.
When: Early Afternoon
Where: Library
Rating: PG
Status: Complete

It had been an uncomfortable night, to say the least. Sure, he knew logically that Riddick couldn't kill him, but his face was still swollen and sore from where the other man had pounded the hell out of him. It was one thing to know something logically, anyway, and quite another to fully believe it. It was hard to sleep when you knew that the men in the bed a few small feet away would kill you, if he was able to.

Finally, he'd given up, and arisen from his bed. He'd found little rest there that night, but that was okay. Truth be told, he'd found something that aroused his interest far more than sleep did. Being a Necromonger meant that he had had little time for one thing that he truly loved. Now, since he was a commander without an army to lead, he suddenly had much more time to himself. Especially since his Lord Marshal didn't want to speak with him, let alone give him orders.

Well, if he was really free to do what he wanted, he would go back to what he had done for the majority of yesterday. It was before dawn, he could sense that as he rose and made his careful way to the bathroom. This constant dark Riddick kept their room in was going to cause him to hurt himself, he was certain of that. But it didn't happen this time, and soon he was ready to leave the room. He'd noticed, in the bathroom mirror, that the swelling in his face had gone down a little. Of course, just the sight of his bruised face reminded him of the danger he was in, and he put on his heavy plate armor and picked up his axe. Old habits die hard, after all. He noticed a sort of eerie calm about the place as he left, but thought nothing of it.

Back to the library, feeling somewhat guilty, he hurried. It was like he still felt he had to hide this, because who among the Necromonger armies would understand his love of reading? It still hadn't fully sunk in that he didn't have to be scared, that he could openly do whatever he wanted. Silently, despite his heavy armor, he slid through the library doors and made straight for the chair he'd been in for most of the previous day.

He made an odd sight, the man in the armor with the weapon close at hand, sitting comfortably in a chair. It got even stranger when he reached out and picked up a book, the same one he'd been lost in yesterday. It was an incongruous sight, the warrior reading, but there was no one to see. And if someone came in, well, he had nothing to be ashamed of, did he? He wasn't breaking any rules. No matter what it felt like.

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severelyseverus
2008-08-03 11:59 pm UTC (link)

Snape felt himself grow more irritated at the way the warrior was able to speak so candidly about his former life. Had the man no shame? Snape could not imagine the embarrassment in store should he reveal to this man that he betrayed his former master because of love. Vaako would never understand, with his devotion to loyalty and death.

"It is none of your concern, and I will keep them. Besides, I hardly think you would understand. Don't take this as an insult, but your Necromonger way sounds mindless and docile. You've got to think, man! Take your destiny into your own hands! Your Lord Riddick doesn't want to be your leader? Fine! You don't need him! Cast off the shackles you have placed upon your own ankles, and walk free! That is the only advice I can give you."

Snape wasn't sure why he was so willing to give this man impassioned advice, but he had meant every word he had said.

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lord_vaako
2008-08-04 12:32 am UTC (link)

Vaako really had no reason to hide anything from this man, though still, it was a little odd that he was speaking to him like that. Maybe, though, he'd just needed to get these things out, and Snape had provided a way to do that. Or maybe, it was just training from his former life. Likely, it was a mixture of the two.

"Loyalty and obedience is the only way to get anything done. It isn't mindless to give your alliegance to a good commander. How else is the Underverse supposed to come and free us all?"

He shook his head and sighed, suddenly tired. His brain was moving in all sorts of ways he wasn't used to, spurred on by the comments the other man was tossing his way. It seemed so easy one moment to do as he said, and quite impossible the next.

"Though where I'm from you would be killed for your words, I find that I appreciate them. Things have changed. I don't think this planet would allow me to purify people, and I know I may not kill. Still, what is a Necromonger without death? It's a puzzle, but... I have time to figure it out."

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severelyseverus
2008-08-05 09:29 am UTC (link)

Snape found that, the man's questions about his past aside, he was more than enjoying pushing Vaako to question his long-held beliefs. His whole philosophy was so questionable, Snape couldn't really help himself. Clearly, the man had been brainwashed by these Necromongers, and Snape was enjoying the challenge of trying to free him. It wasn't because of any personal affection for the fellow, of course.

"I assure you, sir, loyalty and obedience are not the only ways to get things done. Perhaps they are the most effective way to advance the cause of the Underverse, but I have not yet been convinced that that is in fact a worthy pursuit. Where I come from we believe in a thing called speaking your mind. It is true, some are frightened of it, but it is not illegal. I have no idea what a Necromonger is without death, but I dare you to find out! You may not have a choice... Indeed, you may have nothing but time."

Snape watched the wheels turn in Vaako's mind with a subtle grin that he couldn't keep off his face. He was fascinated by the man's dilemma, and couldn't wait to see how his crisis developed.

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lord_vaako
2008-08-05 09:40 am UTC (link)

He'd found reading with his gauntlets on hard enough, but when he raised his hands to massage his temples and try to get rid of this headache that he was completely unused to, he ended up staring at the pieces of armor covering his hands in something close to bemusement. Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his hands once more, and started working the heavy armor off his hands. It would make things a lot easier, and there was clearly no real reason to keep them on.

"The Underverse is the only worthy pursuit, and speaking your mind is not the way to get there. The Underverse is the end to all this, don't you see? The end to having to go through all the planets capable of sustaining life, and the end to killing and converting."

He frowned slightly, setting first one, and then the other, gauntlet on the table in front of him. He looked once more at his hands, pale and a little sweaty from being confined, but at least his own hands. Carefully, he raised them to his temples and rubbed gently, trying to massage away the headache. He thought for a long time, before bothering to voice anything to Snape.

"I remember... before the Necromonger army came, of course... it was different. This place is nothing like my home world, but it some ways, it's very... it doesn't look at all the same, but there is a feeling here different than anything I've seen on the Necromonger ships..."

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severelyseverus
2008-08-05 11:16 pm UTC (link)

Snape snorted, showing no respect for Vaako's words. As the man took off his heavy gauntlets, Snape wondered why he hadn't done so earlier. How had he managed to read in those ridiculous things?

"Underverse may be the natural end of all this, but it doesn't mean none of it is worth it! Believe me, Underverse will come whether you help it or not. Meanwhile, there are more important things to do, like make something of your life! No one likes a homocidal madman, and I'm one to know! You and the Dark Lord are two sides of the same coin! He ran from death, you run towards it. Both things are futile. I don't doubt things feel different here. People are more interested in their own lives, as pointless as most of them might be, than death. Besides you can't kill anyone here anyway! It's time for you to get a new job!"

Satisfied that he had made his point, Snape wondered if this was the moment to storm out of the library. Still, a desire to see Vaako's reaction held him back. Besides, he had just as much right to be in the library as the warrior.

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lord_vaako
2008-08-06 12:55 am UTC (link)

The dark haired man should have been at Snape's throat for his derogatory comments about the Necromonger army. He should have killed him just for that. Yet, he didn't move, he just sat there thinking, and it wasn't just because killing wasn't allowed here.

"No, that's not true. Underverse only will exist after all life has been converted or killed. Until then, there is no peace for any of us."

He didn't know why he was bothering to explain, and suddenly, he realized that it didn't really matter here. Like, really deep down realized what it meant. No one could be killed here. He could talk about his religion all he wanted, but it wouldn't mean anything. It was a sobering thought. He was the sort of person who thought long and hard about things, and only then came to a conclusion. This, he knew, would be the work of several nights to mull over in his head.

"The Dark Lord... funny, but it seems to me that you speak his title with a certain amount of reverence. I wonder, is it truly possible to leave something like this behind? Dark Lords, Lord Marshals... they are really the same, in the end. A powerful person who says they know better than you, but do they? That is the real question."

He sighed softly, and reached for his book. Odd, he'd never noticed how nice the pages felt between his fingers. Maybe because it had been years since he'd picked one up without the heavy gauntlets in the way. It made a difference.

"We can argue about this until the Underverse comes, but until I've had time to think, it won't do any good. It's been a... pleasure of sorts, actually, speaking with you. You have a perspective I've never considered before."

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severelyseverus
2008-08-06 09:20 am UTC (link)

Snape watched Vaako's warring feelings, as his anger conflicted with the sense he saw in his words. Snape, of course, knew he was right, and felt immense gratitude at any acceptance Vaako showed of his point of view. He did not expect the man to throw off his whole belief system right then and there, but he did think the correctness of his perspective should be immediately apparent.

"There is no peace because that's life. Merlin forbid our lives should be dull and peaceful. I agree with you that lordly authority figures are something we can do without, and this Planet is the place we can do that."

When the warrior picked up his book again, Snape could sense he was finished with the conversation. That was fine. Snape had given him much to think about. At least they were not finishing as enemies, which meant Snape could continue to enjoy the library.

"It has been a pleasure of sorts speaking with you, too. I thank you for considering my perspective."

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lord_vaako
2008-08-06 10:19 am UTC (link)

"Perhaps we will meet again. After all, we both seem to enjoy the library."

He smiled, the expression not one he usually used, but it was genuine nevertheless. And then, his hazel eyes were drawn back towards his book. It was surprising to him that he'd been able to hold off so long, but now that the conversation was over, he was not going to fight it anymore.

It was difficult to actually curl up with a book when you wore full plate armor, but somehow, he managed to give the impression he was doing just that. Soon, he was lost in Shakespeare's vision of Scotland once more.

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