InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "B is for Baseball Bat"

chaos_vincent (chaos_vincent) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-08-23 15:30:00

Entry tags:

complete, day 12, katara, vincent valentine

A Gargoyle in the Night...
Who: Vincent and Katara
What: A Fateful Meeting under a full moon.
When: Day 12 late evening
Where: Near the Barn
Rating: PG
Status: Complete

Vincent Valentine was not there, the following night when Katara came looking for him. The Water bender would see his place rather empty, and perhaps be disturbed to note that it looked almost like the laboratory scene had been. Slightly different of course, as it was a training ground of some kind, but, the same general feel. The walls were steel, the air felt sterile, lifeless. Not like the Forest of the Ancients had been, filled with light and a seeming life, whether it be in the air around them or in the ground. There had been something about that place that had seemed right for Vincent, whereas this was merely... devoid. Of anything. Alas, if the water bender could have known his mood, she would have realized that it reflected it perfectly.

He had left the previous night, and not bothered to return. Now that the next evening had come and gone, Vincent was well aware of the fatigue in his muscles. However he was also aware that there was not nearly what there should have been. The training session he'd had with himself during the midst of the day time had taught him that. Whatever Hojo had done to implant the monsters in his body had also changed this form as well, making it stronger, tougher... but more importantly faster and more agile. Vincent could move now like a master gymnast, and leap as if he were still the galian beast.

And it seemed as strange as these powers were, they were natural talents. They seemed to improve the more he used them, though what help they would be on a planet where Vincent didn't have to worry about killing anyone, he wasn't entirely certain. But if he managed to find a way back to Katara's world, or to his own, they would definately come in handy, as one thing had become clear in Vincent's mind. He had a score to settle with Hojo. Even thinking about it now, made the beast stir slightly inside of himself, but he forced it down.

It was all he had left to look forward to, really, a revenge against the one who had done this to him, the one who had taken everything from him. Vincent still believed that all of this had been deserved by his inaction for helping Lucrecia. But as he thought on it more he realized that if he was going to hell, Hojo deserved to come with him. At one time Vincent hadn't wanted to believe in evil in the world, but now he was somewhat convinced that sometimes... sometimes the Lifestream came together in someone wrong... maybe it was a rare congretation of evil pieces of several people, or maybe it was just something about them that made them twisted... Vincent could only hope for the latter, as killing Hojo might redistribute that back into the Lifestream to go into another...

Feeling the hour was near midnight, Vincent turned in the direction of where his room had been, or was, depending on how one looked at it. Katara still had the key to get in, but Vincent didn't really care. He didn't imagine that he'd be back there unless there were dire circumstances for it. He perhaps should have left a note for the water bender, something to say goodbye. But there would be time enough for that when he found the way back to her own home world, to where she could be with the one she wanted to be.

A dull ache filled Vincent as he thought about it, and his black gloved hand raised up to clech at the fabric of his dark shirt which covered his chest, and was in turn covered itself by the long mantle that he wore. Thinking about Katara still, hurt. Badly.

With a soft growl he leapt up on top of the building that he was walking past, flying through the air as if he were almost weightless, his feet coming down to land on the slanted tiles of the Barn as if he were a mountain goat, for there was no wobble in his balance as he planted, only a cold glance around to make sure he was the only one on up so high. Not that he really expected there would be someone stalking him, but he'd learned to be cautious over the years, and the last time he'd forgotten to be, Hojo had shot him.

Walking numbly towards the top of the roof he perched at the peak of it, near the edge of the building, staring out into the darkness, his eyes scanning desperately for some type of a portal, some way back. The sooner he did that, the sooner he could find Katara's portal and forget about her, drown himself in his own revenge and let it consume him like an angry blaze gone out of control.

As the soft wind brushed past his cheek he bowed his head into the folds of his mantle. The way it tickled his skin reminded him of the gentle way Katara had touched his face, how her fingers had entwined in his long raven hair. The smell of her skin so close to him... the feeling of her soft lips pressed against his own. It was all in his head, but he felt a warmth there, a soft glow of rememberance of what had been, of what might be, if things had turned out differently. But to go down that path was madness, to let himself fall into a land of fantasies about a girl he could never have.

The cool night air kicked up then and Vincent's cloak swept around the back of him, flying in the breeze. He leaned over the edge of the roof, his left hand, covered in the golden claw that he wore, gripping it tightly, his body crouched over the edge of it like a gargoyle looking out into the night.

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k_waterbender
2008-08-23 09:06 pm UTC (link)

Physically, Katara had exerted herself quite a bit that day, so her muscles were a bit tired. Mentally, the waterbender was overjoyed. This day had been amazing. The first day of sunshine in three days, and she’d spent it well. First, a tiring training session with Xena, Gabrielle, Toph, and a girl she’d seen at the party- Faith. It had been tiring and quite fun. It was nice that the young woman could enjoy herself in good company for once while she was here.

After that she’d met a new person. He wasn’t a new arrival, but he was new when she thought about those she’d met through the days. She thought Sub-Zero ((an incredibly strange name, in her opinion)) had been a waterbender at first, but soon discovered he wasn’t from her world. He could manipulate ice skillfully, though, and Katara had had a good time teaching and showing him some of her moves while he showed her his.

As it grew later, though, her giddy feelings of joy turned to the sinking feeling of nervousness. A thousand thoughts drifted through her mind at an alarming rate, confusing her and knotting her belly so tightly she would have doubled over if it had been more than just her emotions running around screaming at her. Would he allow her to see him? He hadn’t said yes or no when she’d asked before, after all. Would he yell at her or ignore her if she showed up? Would he even want to go through another healing session?

Thoughts of the dreams she’d had the night before didn’t help to soothe her nerves. In fact, thinking about them made her even more nervous than before. She thought she might be sick if she became any more nervous.

Instead of cooking the meal she brought him herself, she simply allowed the golems to take over. They were better cooks anyway, and she was tired. Besides, she worried how he might take her having cooked for him again. The first time had been innocent enough, for Katara had been naïve, but cooking for him again might not be viewed that way. She was far too confused about how she was feeling to allow herself to do anything that could be taken any way at all other than a sign of concern and friendship.

As was usual, Katara enlisted the aid of a golem to carry the tray of roast turtle duck, fire cakes, and an assortment of other foods along with tea. She could have carried it herself, but the golem needed to open Vincent’s door for her, too. When the golem complied, she felt better. Surely if Vincent didn’t want her there the clay man wouldn’t have permitted this.

The closer their footsteps took them to his room, the more nervous she became. What was wrong with her? He was just a friend! A friend who kissed you… Her thoughts rudely reminded her. Katara decided she had walked much too quickly when she wound up in front of his door without having noticed any of the scenery had passed her by on the way.

When Katara took the tray from the golem so he could open the door, the dishes were rattling softly against the wood. Her hands were trembling slightly. A deep breath pushed its way into her lungs, calming the trembling to the point where the clattering had ceased.

All of her nervousness had been in vain, she realized as the door swung open into an empty room. “Vincent?” She called softly as she poked her head inside. Gooseflesh prickled her arms as she stepped inside. The room reminded her of the laboratory in which she’d seen Hojo working on Vincent. It didn’t particularly look like a torture room, but the walls were the same though empty. The atmosphere was the same she’d have imagined Hojo’s lab would be. She could feel the vacancy pressing down on her, and she felt mildly claustrophobic.

Where was Vincent?

After placing the tray upon the floor, Katara found that the golem hadn’t deserted her the way they always did when she went inside Vincent’s room. She shivered, all too aware of the Planet’s seeming ability to read minds. “Could you help me find Vincent?” She asked, despite the fact that the golem would have already known. She just couldn’t get used to that fact. It was too uncomfortable. It nodded without moving another portion of it’s body save it’s head. It began to lead her away from Vincent’s now-closed door.