Shit. Shit. Shit. This was not on her plan, what was she doing? Mieke ran through the crowd around the dig site, putting together a plan even as she tried to piece together exactly what was going on. Her clothes, meant more to impress the local academics and government officials, weren’t meant for running through a crowd, but it only took a bit of the events of the last week to make her stop what she was doing and bolt for the dig site.
They had unearthed it in the Ethiopian village — perilously close to where Briar’s mother had been taken she was fairly sure — a week ago, and almost as soon as the cave was opened up leading into tunnels that went lord knows how far, Earthquakes started. That was where it started, erratic, unnatural ‘natural’ disasters had been picking up as the cave screamed to be sealed again. But the businessman she heard talking about it — one non human among them, had just wanted to know what could be in there that caused it and how much it was worth.
Surely she could come up with something to stop them. Mieke was South African born but had studied in London, returning home to study her homeland, perhaps some sort of preservation society? Something.
Clearly, whatever it was, should stay in the ground.
Finally she broke through the crowd and saw a circle of well dressed men near the mouth of the cave talking to some locals who looked like they would rather be anywhere else. Too well dressed to be going in themselves, maybe if she convinced the locals it would be better if it was left then they wouldn’t and it would be —
Oh bloody hell. There he was, too crafty eyes already looking for a way to circumvent everything, she could just see it.
At some point, Julius decided that perhaps not having a formalized education was a bit of an oversight. The Gentlemen of the turn of the century had very little education, which made it fairly easy to elbow his way into their circles when they had hardly more knowledge than he had--often times less, considering all the reading he usually had to do to keep up on matters of etiquette, and politics, and polite dinner conversation topics. But the world had shifted dramatically since the Depression and the War, and suddenly academia was a hurdle he needed to jump over in order to keep a toe in the door of the societal elites when he needed to. The underbelly of society never changed much, so there was very little he needed to change about his approach from decade to decade, but those with power rarely made it simple for anyone on the outside to break in.
That, and if he played his cards right, Archaeology might lead him to some interesting artifacts that might fetch a nice price on the black market. Which, he was sure was not what his Advisor had in mind when he sent him on this dig, but here he was, in the dead of summer in country that was hotter than the Devil’s armpit, trying to slip away from the rest of his cohort so he could get a better look at that thing they’d unearthed a few days ago.
So far nothing had actually been removed from the dig site--there was a lot of photographing and cataloguing to be done before anything was moved--which was probably to everyone’s benefit. It had been a while since he’d dealt with cursed objects, but they were sort of unmistakable. The energy alone was enough to knock him back a few feet. It was the sort of thing the exact wrong person would love to get their hands on. And they’d pay well, too.
On the other hand, it had such a magical stink on it that he had the urge to find another hole in the ground to drop it into and hope that no one found it again for another thousand years.
Decisions, decisions.
For the moment though, he mostly just wanted to get back into the cave to look at it. Everyone seemed engrossed at the moment, surely they wouldn’t mind if he just… “I think I forgot my notes back at the…” No one was listening. Good. Perfect. He hadn’t dressed for going back into the cave today by any means, but clothes could be washed. This was far more pressing. It was only a matter of time before the necklace either got boxed up and shipped off to a museum, or snatched up by thieves before he could… Well, alright steal it himself.
Mieke wasn’t sure if the thing was on some kind of timer, or if it only sent out the radiating waves when it felt newly threatened, but there seemed to always be a low circle of...Anger, and defensiveness to it that intermittently increased in severity. It felt like they were entering a fierce bear’s cave, and she had never related to an object so much. It was ridiculous. Sure it could protect itself, what was she doing? She was in heels for chrissake, and her professors would have her head —
Shit. There he went, smooth as a snake, and that was coming from her. If she knew him, and she was fairly sure she did at this point, he wanted to take it and sell it. For once, they were at odds, when before their interests had mostly coincided enough for cooperation, or at least not outright hinderance, to be a good option.
Well, you know, he had actually helped her a bit with the mask. Made them more wary of outsiders and brought her closer to the fold, and she earned their respect for essentially doing an extra job while he was there. So. It had all worked out.
The question was, how to stop him?
Stealth wasn’t a terribly viable option, so she just maneuvered back through the crowd of onlookers again so step out at his side, a little breathless yes, but that hid lies better, “Excuse me, sir, I’m with the Ethiopian Historical Preservation Society and we are advocating that this site be shut down until our own Scholars and government can decide how best to investigate it. At this time we are,” A muttered curse in Afrikaans as she nearly fell on a rock, “We are asking that intrusion into the cave be stopped, as we the local community has taken away their support for this venture.” There. That was proper, South African accent thick around her words except for certain syllables softened more by time spent in the UK, but grammar and confidence just right. If only she could delay him until actual officials got here.
What in the--
Julius stopped short trying to process that whole… Whatever that was. Ethiopian Historical Preservation Society? What kind of nonsense was that?
He pivoted slowly. “You got a badge or something, darling?” He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Because I haven’t gotten word from anyone about shutting the dig down.” He kicked at a loose rock casually. “And as of this morning, I’m pretty sure we’re still on.” Nothing had been decided officially. Just a lot of scuttlebutt from the locals, but no telegrams yet from anyone with any pull.
Darling? “Darling?” Mieke pulled herself up to her full, unimpressive height, with her shoulders back and her head held high. Because even if it got under her skin she got called darling and sugar, even little miss often and knew to act affronted by the indignity rather than angry. Better than what she got called back in America, but that's neither here nor there, “What sort of historical societies do you have where you’re from that have badges?” She eyeballed him skeptically at that, a chastisement in her tone even though he looked far older than her — well. You know. In appearances.
A gloved hand patted her messenger bag, “Besides I’m only an assistant on loan from Cambridge, however I do have the official Telegrams with my information on it as well as the official who requested me from the Library there.” Mieke raised a challenging eyebrow at him, calm and cool in the glaring sunlight. Say what you will about dresses, but she was probably more comfortable than him. Not to mention a wonderful tendency to not burn like he surely did, “I’m quite happy here enjoying the sunshine if you want to review all of it. I even have my recommendations from the University Library, other digs, a number of professors and visiting scholars. I have all the time in the world, but perhaps you want to step away and into the shade?” Too helpful, too professional. Because they both knew if he stepped away someone else would distract them, get their attention, or move in front of that opening he was going for to where he couldn’t sneak in.
“I dunno,” he replied with a shrug, “But if you’re going to come in here and shut down my dig--” and it was sort of his dig, in the sense that it was basically his thesis project, but technically it was his advisor’s name that was on it (though so far he was still sitting in his office at Columbia until they “found something worthwhile”, after which he would likely fly out at the last moment to be photographed and get to add his name as first author on all their papers, such was the life of a tenured Archaeology professor, apparently)-- “Then I’m going to need a little more than your word, I’m sure you can understand. Academic to academic. My degree is hanging in the balance,” he added dramatically.
Apparently she was dead set on handing him all her paperwork. Well, he supposed he ought to be careful what he asked for. “Fine. Yes, I’d love to see your credentials.” Not really. But the faster he cleared this up the better. “In the shade,” he agreed, but in his mind, the shade meant into the cave. And with a couple backwards steps he slipped just past the mouth of the cave, which, he was sure, was not the direction she’d hoped he’d go, but if he had to sort through all her telegrams and letters, it was going to be inside the cave.
The narrowed eyes returned at his dramatic flare, feeling a mite less patient than she had been with him before already. The fact that his degree was ‘hanging’ on a discovery in a foreign land that she was pretty sure Scholars from nearby country were the first ones to really start in on in the first place was probably not true, and if it was that almost made it worse in her mind. “Your dramatics may have worked well in boarding school but not here, sir.” Far too level considering the growing rowdiness of the crowd, filled with vendors and performers as these sorts of hullabaloos were likely to attract, along with local religious leaders condemning this leading people in dance circles.
Drat. Mieke had most of what she said, true, but nothing mentioning the digsite specifically because it was so recent. She had been on the continent for a few weeks, all of her things were dated for them. The academic part was sincere, she really was just here to learn. When she saw him step into the cave though she felt a shiver of fear most unlike her, but that didn’t stop her from taking a deep breath and following, hands smoothing down her dress almost compulsively. “This is most unprofessional.” Mieke shot at is back but followed him anyway.
As soon as she was inside though the almost miasmic feeling from the artifact was enough to make her tremble, feet pausing midstep as the noise from outside became muffled. It didn’t want them here. This was wrong. It felt like it was seeping through her skin and into her bones, “How can you stand to be in here? What is that feeling?” Anger filled her at seeing him here, in her mother’s homeland where he shouldn’t be, disturbing something like this, and she yanked her bag off of her shoulder to drop it on a table angrily, “People paid to put that into the ground in blood and bone, what price will you pay when you take it out?” Mieke hissed at him, eyes darting from his and around the cave after holding his for a moment, as if expecting a dozen hands to reach out to her from the shadows.
Boarding school?
Well, alright, he supposed that was usually the image he projected, but it wasn’t like he was going to Yale or something. Though he never had picked up a high school diploma, owing to the fact that by the time he arrived in America he was… Oh, probably about seventy years old, looking like he was in his early twenties. In order to even apply to this program he’d had to obtain a bunch of fake documents that had cost more than the program itself. Well, alright, he supposed that was usually the image he projected, but it wasn’t like he was going to Yale or something. Though he never had picked up a high school diploma, owing to the fact that by the time he arrived in America he was… Oh, probably about seventy years old, looking like he was in his early twenties. In order to even apply to this program he’d had to obtain a bunch of fake documents that had cost more than the program itself.
So really, it was kind of funny, what she’d said, though her expression had him pretty well warned off of laughing. Though not entirely off smirking. Not much did. “You said shade, this is the nearest shade I could find.” He didn’t remember it being nearly this chilly before, it was hard to believe he’d only walked about ten feet from where he had been standing before. He might as well be in another country.
“You seem to know a lot about it for someone with such dubious credentials,” Julius said, both eyebrows shooting up suspiciously. “What is it you think we found here?” Because honestly, he’d like to know. It wasn’t as if he’d actually went looking for a cursed object after all. He was literally just on an archaeological dig to work on his thesis. Scout’s honor. It wasn’t as if he was lying about it, after all.
Mieke was cold too, though that might not be the only reason for the gooseflesh spreading across her arms and even under her stockings covered legs. Mieke, and even who she had been before, was born for sunlight and being outside, and every instinct she had was screaming at her to get back to the open air. This was ridiculous. What was buried here, and what had been done to put it there? Against her better judgement, she was curious, but over the years her self-preservation instincts had gotten stronger and in the end they would win.
Besides, maybe she could find out what she needed somewhere else. Like a book. Or local storyteller. Anything else. Had any of her ancestors had a part in this?
“I think.” Mieke paused and took a deep breath, centering herself and calming for a long moment before she opened her eyes to scan the mouth of the tunnel leading to where it was. Where it beckoned her closer and screamed at her to leave at once, and she wondered if it was her curiosity and thieving tendencies that brought out the first or if there were really two voices. But there was fear here, she could feel it, protectiveness and something else she didn’t want to feel or examine.
“That the people who used to live here, whose bones we are walking on, wanted to protect themselves. Maybe from those that looked like you, or another village, and so they committed —” she didn’t want to know what they had done, and refused to let herself speculate on it, “They didn’t like what they made, and so they buried it, hoping it would die. But it hasn’t.” Mieke remembered her true mother’s stories, about staying away from the darkness, and wondered if this was what she had grown up being cautioned from. Mieke’s voice was quiet but eerily calm as she spoke, steps taking her hesitantly closer to it.
Yeesh. Julius shuddered involuntarily. Of course, he knew some of that. It’s not like he slept through all of his classes, though honestly most of his research had focused elsewhere, he was only on this particular dig because it had opened up and he just wanted to be done with this whole school thing so he could have the credentials to go after the things he really wanted. Things a lot less creepy than this. Or possibly more. There were still a lot of untapped tombs in Egypt. Certainly a lot of cursed things there. Or caves in Europe to poke around in. Vikings to pull out of peat bogs maybe.
“I know how it got here,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. That wasn’t what he’d asked. Her story had made something click in his brain, however as much as he hated to give her credit. Perhaps she really was who she said she was, but right now she was just distracting. “No wonder it’s so angry, it’s a terrible thing to be created only to be hated for something beyond its control.” Honestly, he sort of felt sorry for it. “Seems a shame to bury it again, don’t you think it’ll only make things worse? Anyway, it’s only a matter of time before someone finds it again. Nothing stays lost forever.” Case in point.
“I don’t think it’s capable of anything else.” Mieke countered at the implication that it was only angry because it had been rejected and buried. No, anger was all this thing had, if you reached deep into it then all you would find was more malice, more fear, more hatred, all feeding into one another. Her eyes never left the darkness leading towards where it lie, as if watching it meant she was safe from it. It was childish, perhaps, but one was always tempted to revert to such things when they were afraid.
Mieke shivered, from the cold, from whatever was in the air, or from some combination, “If anything it should be destroyed, but you’re not here to do that, are you?” It was a question, but she knew the answer and didn’t expect an honest one out of him. Careful steps in slightly wobbly heels finally brought her to the mouth of the tunnel leading into the room where it lay on a pedestal, still out of sight and tucked into the shadows when the magic in the room suddenly surged, “Oh no.” She gasped out, surging forward to grip the wall with her blue gloves now turned filthy as the room started to shake and the the very ceiling above them let out a near deafening crack.
“Hmm,” he hummed, feeling personally attacked, though for no real discernable reason. “Pretty hard to say when it’s been underground for as long as it has.” He had no real reason to defend it. In truth, he still had half a mind to rebury it himself, but not here. Somewhere else. Because he firmly believed if it stayed here, someone was bound to find it sooner rather than later. Which would really defeat the purpose, now wouldn’t it.
“I haven’t decided yet,” he said in response to her question. “Ideally, It would go in a museum.” Ideally. In a perfect world where he was completely scrupulous. Heh. “I have people to answer to, obviously. I don’t make all the decisions here.” At the moment, however, he felt like he’d had most of the energy sucked out of him. Until the room started to shake, however. That was enough to slap some life back into him. “What now?” He snapped irritably, following her lead toward the wall, and he was eternally grateful he’d moved so quickly.
“No, it isn’t.” Mieke snapped at him sharply, leaving no room for argument, or trying for that at least, lord knew he would probably argue that the sky was made of puppies if he thought he could get something out of it. But she was sure of what she said, even if she had very little but feeling and a cold hand around her gut to back it up. Was it causing problems since they had unearthed it because it wanted to be set free, or just because it could? What would it do out in the world?
As if Julius would take it to a museum, he was going to sell it! Thats exactly what she would have done if it had been found anywhere else. In any other land where the old magic used to make a cursed object didn’t tug at her blood, leaving her more and more sure one of her ancestors was involved somehow. And when the ground started to shake, dust rising up from the ground in an overwhelming cloud as the ceiling fell apart, rocks falling down in the entryway so their exit was blocked. Mieke shrieked, clinging to the wall and narrowly missing a small rock that thankfully bounced away from her.
Surely there were voices outside, but she could only hear if she strained, and even then she was torn on trying to decide if it was her mind seeing something when nothing was there, like seeing shapes in clouds.
Or faces in shadows.
Mieke coughed, trying to clear her face and lungs of dirt and dust even as she stuck her feet out to see how much wiggle room she had to work with, “Sir? Are you alright?” Her voice hardly echoed back at her now that the cave was significantly smaller, and somehow that was worse.
Rude. Who asked her anyway? She hadn’t spent months unearthing it, digging and carefully chipping away at rock and dirt, brushing away debris. There was almost an artistry to it. A level of care that wasn’t found in other academic pursuits. It had called to them--and, before that, to his advisor who had arranged the whole thing. Chosen the site. He’d been there first. There was a real, distinct draw, though that was gone now. Replaced with the cold, full body chill that he honestly wasn’t even sure was real. As in, was he actually cold, or was it just the creepy magic surrounding the thing making him feel that way?
The thing. It was obviously the thing. And it was now trying to bury them alive. When everything finally stopped moving, he was covered in dust from head to toe, it was in his mouth and up his nose. Julius sneezed. “Not dead.” Was his response, not that she cared. It would be very neat and tidy for her if he got crushed under a pile of rocks, now wouldn’t it?
For a moment, Mieke felt like herself again. Maybe it was the fact that the thing had just expelled a lot of energy to bring down the cave or because it felt like it had won, but it’s effects seem to recede. She should have never let Julius bring her in here, and now they were trapped. Sebastian did not nearly get his innards clawed out so Julius could trick her into a cursed cave to die. For a brief moment, she nearly told him who she was, but that was too much to get into right now and it would open up a can of worms she didn’t have the emotional energy for.
While Mieke continued coughing she also considered shifting larger to move some rocks as she inched along the wall, testing and seeing how much space they had to breathe. Looking and feeling for a weakspot they could use to break out through, signal help, something. But the third time she nearly tripped because of her heels she yanked them off her feet and placed them on top of a random rock. Good as anything she guessed.
“Do you think if we die in here we’ll become part of that thing?” It was, other than the raspiness in her voice, a purely speculative, oddly calm question. If she was right then she was getting closer to him, handy because he had been closer to the tables where research and more importantly, supplies had been. That, and if he was going to do some magic to get himself out, she sure as hell was going to be there with him.
No magic, just a good old fashioned lighter to give him just enough light to spot the camp lantern on the table. Bingo. He lit that instead and found a level bit of floor to set it and himself down. He couldn’t get any more dusty than he already was. There was a ton too people out there, surely they’d noticed the collapse, and his dig group would notice he was missing and hopefully put two and two together.
Maybe.
They were probably going to have to get themselves out, but that wasn’t going to happen until they took stock of the situation.
He let out a snort of a laugh at her question. “That’s rather morbid, isn’t it?”
Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the lack of light, so the sudden light in the corner was almost jarring. At least it gave her a direction however, and she breathed a relieved sigh as her steps paused for a moment. Her stockings were torn on the bottom of her feet, tiny rocks digging into her feet, but she kept inching the light dillegently.
They might be able to use the artifact to get out, it it came to that. But she didn't want to. It would leave a taint on either of them that would never be shaken off.
Because she was really lacking in any faith in the people outside.
“Morbid or pragmatic?”She asked, a little breathless as she shoved her way between a particularly large rock and the wall in such a tight space she had to cheat. It put her in the small free nook he had found, “I don't suppose your team knew of a secret exit out of here?”
Julius didn’t see anything pragmatic about dying and adding to the power of the cursed object. Seemed like a fairly nasty way to live on, in his opinion. No thanks.
“Morbid,” he reiterated, watching her poke around, apparently looking for an exit or something. “No,” he replied, “Though I suppose that would have been clever. We were relying on the gaping entry way not to crumble on us.” Perhaps that was a little overconfident of them. “It would stand to reason that there would be one though, right?” Maybe? Caves usually had more than one entrance, right?
Mieke was of the mind that if you came to terms with the worst possible outcome early on, you were less likely to encounter it. That, and if things did get even worse than she didn’t want to be a blubbering mess. Thank you very much.
“The gaping entryway in a several thousand year old gave currently being racked with erratic, uncommon Earthquakes? Hmm, I see how much we have to learn from you.” She remarked dryly, hands skimming along the wall searching along it and listening to the sounds both in the cave and out. Mieke, like her predecessors, was not overly fond of sitting still. Well. Except for Yukio. There wasn’t much to work with though, space wise, and she found herself turning to look at the drawings that his team had worked up, or what was salvageable of them. “If this were a normal cave system, or a mining facility then I would be much more optimistic, but if the people who buried this here didn’t want it to be stolen,” Her eyes darted towards him for a mere moment, “Then they might have blocked out the others. Maybe.”
Or maybe it would have become unblocked in the recent quakes.
Rude.
“I’m not a geologist,” he replied snidely. “Anyway if earthquakes are so uncommon here, why on earth would I have been expecting them, hmm?” But then again, not a geologist. So what did he know. Digs in caves weren’t exactly a normal thing. More often than not, ruins were in the middle of nowhere--a field, buried under an unsuspecting meadow or stretch of desert or farm field--particularly the sorts of things he’d been studying up to this point. And certainly not in places where earthquakes were common. He’d so far done an alright job staying clear of any earthquakes, which was pretty good for being something like a hundred and fifty or so.
That was a good point though. “Maybe. Though if it’s a ceremonial site, there’s usually still another way out. Even if it’s blocked, it’s probably not this blocked.” In short, it was probably in their best interests to look for one. Anyway, it couldn’t be any worse than sitting around here.
“Because the artifact has been causing all sorts of weird things to happen around here, and if you aren’t a Geologist, did your team ever consult one?” Somehow she was cold, even as she climbed on top of a few of the rocks in her bare feet — no easy or soft task — to check the stability of what was above them now, and listen to see if anyone was crawling above to try and get to them. How long would it take before they even realized there were people here, until they realized he was missing? “Or is your role to stand around here and look fetching, not to think?” Mieke was as defensive and hostile towards the upper class as Briar, but more snide and passive about it. Somehow it made being her both infuriating and delightful.
Ever so carefully, she stepped down, back into the small few feet of free space they had where there were no rocks and it was relatively flat. Damn. It was looking more and more like they were going to have to work their way back towards the room where the artifact was to see if there was some sort of secret exit that way. The eyes that skimmed what she could see in the dim glow of the lantern as she sat down primly an crossed her ankles were those of a thief that only needed the barest hint of an escape, but was still finding very little even when her standards were low. A shiver wracked her body, causing her curls to shake against her face, and she crossed her arms around her middle stubbornly.
“Oh, was a geologist supposed to know there was a spooky buried necklace here that tries to kill everyone who gets near it?” Come now, really? Even he hadn’t suspected there’d be anything that interesting here. He’d been banking on some nice pottery, maybe. “Of course we consulted a geologist,” he added. They weren’t stupid. But there was no reason for any geologist to think that there would be earthquakes involved. And it wasn’t as if they were chipping away at the cave itself, just what was buried under their feet. There was no reason to suspect the ceiling would collapse on them.
Infuriating indeed. That backhanded compliment did not amuse him nearly as much as it normally might have. “I do actually dig, if that’s what you’re getting at.” He raised an eyebrow at her in the eerie orange light of the lantern.
Yeesh. If he was cold, she had to be freezing. “Maybe you should take my jacket,” he offered, feeling slightly more charitable now that she was sitting across from him, shaking with the cold. He knew that probably wouldn't be exactly as helpful as it could be, considering it was more of a figurative chill than a literal one, but he wasn’t the one shivering, either.
“Spooky” Mieke parroted back sarcastically, really Julius? There is a cursed artifact here that seems like it might have sentience and was buried rather than be used by the people who made it, and spooky was the best word he could come up with? Of all the things. What a ponce. If it had been someone local who she had gotten trapped with she might have shifted and started throwing around rocks to get to the entrance, but it was him and so she would have to sit and wait. Because there was no way she could convince him to not ask questions, and the minute he looked closer he would know. Or that was her being paranoid. It had come back with a vengeance after she left the wolves.
Bugger it all. Maybe she should have let him steal it.
“This is straight out of my grandmother’s stories, it’s a bit more than Spooky.” She rolled her eyes at him as she pulled her legs closer, hoping if she was smaller than she would be warmer. It was such a contrast going from the blazing hot sun under a cloudless sky to being underground, her body just wasn’t ready. “Do you? Work, I mean?” And her head tilted at him, eyeing him critically with the skeptical, loaded question.
Last time he had worn Sebastian’s, and for some reason she found this switch amusing enough for the both of them. Laughing quietly to herself before she nodded, “If you’re sure.” Her gloves were pulled off, hands cleaner than them now, and extended her hand towards him.
Being trapped underground didn’t really make him feel like consulting his inner thesaurus. But now he was going to back it up just because she’d questioned it. “Spooky as in haunted. Ghost infested. Cursed. That sort of thing.” It was a perfectly fine word, no one asked her to be the adjective police. Though maybe he should have anticipated she’d pull that after that whole ‘from the Ministry of whatever blah-blah’ thing. Right.
At her question he narrowed his eyes. What kind of question was that? “Of course I work. What, you think I flew across an ocean to this oven to just sit around and do nothing?” It wasn’t like this was some kind of fun vacation he was on. If he was really on vacation, it’d be somewhere he could get a good stiff drink and some kind of meal made with truffles, or at the very least enjoy a hot cup of coffee without sweating.
He almost hesitated, annoyed all over again, but then shrugged out of his jacket and passed it to her. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Julius was endearing when he was annoyed, because of that fact he really shouldn’t make it so easy to do so. Maybe she would tell him that, just to see his face. It was a nice distraction from the fact that a ghost infested object wanted them dead and was making remarkable progress towards that particularly grisly end goal. Well. Maybe not that much progress, but she could feel a fissure of fear in her that she couldn’t shake. Thieves didn’t do well when trapped, not that anyone else did, but there was a special fear with them. “There, was that so hard?” But her heart wasn’t really in it this time.
Mieke shrugged, “I can’t speak to your hobbies. I understand that men of leisure take up all kinds of odd things to occupy their time or escape their wives.” The thought of him being married was ridiculous, but she restrained from laughing this time. The tension in her body helped, along with the exhaustion it was bringing to maintain it.
Without hesitating, she took the jacket and wrapped it around her front like a blanket, pulling her legs under it and nearly disappearing except her head, feeling a bit like a child hiding under her father’s coat. “That’s very nice of you. Especially after, well, you know.” Another shrug, this time an uncomfortable one, an awkward air as she buried her face in his jacket in lieu of admitting her behavior was not the most eh...Well, positive to say the least. But she was already relaxing now, oddly assured.
He chose to ignore that one, having bigger fish to fry wit the rest of it. She had a very distinct (if not mostly wrong) picture painted of him in her head, but it was just enough to make him cock his head to the side and examine her strangely in the dim light of the lantern. “We haven’t met before, right?” He was sure he’d remember someone more than half a foot shorter than him who threw insults around like rice at a wedding.
But anyway. “Anyway, I’m neither a man of leisure, nor married. I wasn’t lying to you, this is my degree, hanging in the balance.” At least, for now. He could be a man of leisure quite easily as soon as it was finished, but for the moment he was a student and nothing else.
“Yeah, I know,” he replied,reclining back on his elbows, “But you’re welcome.” He was definitely colder now, which meant it was probably a good time to start thinking about an escape plan.
The comfort of his jacket and the scent of him didn’t stop her from being a bit catty, “Not that I’m aware of, but you don’t seem very memorable so. Maybe.” Oops. Maybe she should stop antagonizing him just to see his face and distract herself, especially since there really wasn’t anywhere to go if he became genuinely mad at her for it.
One perfectly shaped eyebrow raised at his statement before her eyes travelled the length of him, “Oh? Is there something wrong with you then?” Far too much like the proper girls sitting around the cafe tables in Paris, insulting each other in pretty little voices so as not to be called crass or improper even though they were being ugly.
Before she could think of something scathing to say to that there was a noise off in the direction of the room where the artifact lay. It sounded eerily like something scraping against rock and she jumped, “Did you hear that?”
Oh please. Julius shook his head, both at her snide comment and to shake the feeling that she somehow felt strangely familiar. Clearly the object was messing with his senses. “If we’d met, you’d remember.” It wasn’t like he was trying to keep a low profile, and he was god damned memorable.
“Is this making you feel better, or something?” Because it was definitely grating on his patience. Of which he had little to begin with, most of the time, but less than usual when trapped in a cave, as one might rightly expect. “I’m perfectly fine, what are you even implying?” Who wanted to be married anyway?
The noise--or maybe it was the cold--made him shiver. “Obviously, the only other thing to listen to in here is you.”
At least he was right about that. She nearly giggled, but kept it in, and it really wasn’t even that funny the third time around, maybe this place was working on her in more ways than she realized. Subtle. “So you say. What is your name, anyway?” Last time she hadn’t even properly asked him, and that could be blamed on Sebastian being reckless and punch drunk (on several levels, really) but this time she had no such excuse.
Mieke nodded, though it was hardly visible with half her face hidden by his jacket. Her heavily shaped and hair sprayed curls were almost immaculate still, making them stand out even more when the rest of her was disheveled as it was. “It is.” One of her hands worked it’s way out from under the jacket to gesture vaguely at it him, “You know, physically. I heard it’s a common issue back where you’re from.” Because obviously she wasn’t going to be specific but they both knew right? Why else would a man raised in the fifties, good looking, educated and with the money for said education not be married? He had to be what, at least 30, 35, at least in the eyes of a normal human.
Her head popped out properly from under the jacket, “Rubbish.” She started to stand but hesitated, glancing uncertainty towards the artifact and then back at him, “Are we just going to sit around or try and find our own way out? I didn’t hear any rocks fall where it is stored.” Obviously. That was self-preservation on behalf of the .
“Julius,” he replied. He probably could have picked a name for this decade that was a little more suitable for blending—Bob, Don, Ken, one of those generic, three letter jobs that everyone seemed to have these days—but then, this was the name he’d chosen and he hadn’t done so lightly. And blending was boring. “What about you?” Since they were sharing.
He snorted derisively. Well at least she felt better. To a normal person he might have made some smart, semi-flirtatious comment in response to that, but he sent sure her refined sensibilities could handle it. Or maybe that was what made it a good idea? He shouldn’t have to be the only one feeling squirmy. “Only one way to find out,” he replied, grinning wickedly. It was a good thing he couldn’t hear her thought processes though. 35? That might have killed him right then and there. He was passing for his late twenties for the moment, it would be a decade or so before he dipped into the 30s end of the pool, and a couple more before he got to the middle of the decade. So long as he didn’t wear himself down too much. Or get crushed by a cave. He wasn’t even 200 yet!
“We can do whatever you like, darling. You’re clearly the brains of this operation.” Sure he'd like to get out of there. But going closer to that thing was seeking less and less appealing.
Wonders never cease. She went through all this work to craft new identities, new names, styles and family trees, then there is this prat. Same name for a hundred some odd years, more probably. Honestly, she’d call him an idiot but since he was getting away with it apparently it wasn’t such a bad plan. Lazy though, she could definitely say that was fitting. “Mieke.” Her head inclined slightly with the introduction, and there was a long pause before she added, “Enchanté” In a unmistakably dry voice.
Of all the ridiculous…! What nonsense was that! Logically, she knew he was baiting her, with that grin and that cliche phrase, trying to get a rise out of her. Some part of her was genuinely mortified at the implication though. The part that was all Mieke, sequestered as she was from every other bit of her as she was. Still, she would give as good as she got, at times prudish sensibilities and all, “Tsk, have you still not figured out how it works on your own? I’m sure some lovely ladies outside will happily take your coin and your flower.” Deflowering was something normally applied to Ladies, but Julius certainly had his effeminate tendencies so she thought it suited him just fine.
“Yes, well, then what are you, exactly?” But she stood all the same, sticking her arms through his jacket properly to start making her way towards the necklace, where she felt it seething with anger and an amount of resentment even she was impressed by.
“Likewise,” he said, though that was a stretch. Her next comments—probably designed to irritate him further—had him doubled over with laughter. She didn’t strike him as funny. What an unfortunate underestimation. “Oh, I’m sure they would,” he said after much of his laughter had subsided, “but where’s the fun in that?”
He shrugged and pushed himself up from the floor. He wasn’t going to say the muscle, since she’d certainly find a way to poke a hole in that, despite the fact that he was inarguably bigger than her at least. “The one with the jacket, apparently,” he replied after a moment, “So your brain doesn’t freeze and you can get us out of here.”
Mieke rolled her eyes but couldn't help and let a grin sneak out all the same, she had expected another snide comeback, not laughter. He had a lovely laugh, yet she still narrowed her eyes after a moment and raised a challenging eyebrow, “Don't tell me you're the only man on earth that wants love first?” The lamp was grabbed, his too long sleeves hiding her hands where they clasped the handle, “Or do you prefer them less willing?” She shot over her shoulder as she stepped carefully around the rocks.
“Everyone has their uses.” It was supposed to be neutral at best, a jab at worst, but her words echoed back to her with an unexpected air of bitterness. Focus. Now that she had a concrete goal she was calming down, feeling more herself. As she got closer to the entrance though she felt like she was walking in the miasma again, could practically feel it around her bare ankles
Love. What was that, even? People made some of the stupidest decisions based on that concept. It wasn’t something he’d ever really wrapped his head around. Wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced it either. Certainly not the romantic kind that people wrote songs and sonnets about. Nothing worth dying or killing over. Nothing that dramatic. And the jabs just kept coming. Julius snorted and shook his head. “Nothing like that.” Nothing like either thing. There were certain things he stopped short of taking without permission, and that was one of them. Money, yes. Jewelry, sure. Food, obviously. But certain things should always be given freely. “I like to earn my keep though. And I feel like paying for it is cheating yourself out of half the fun.” Out of the dance. The chase. Whatever you wanted to call it.
“Happy to be of service,” he replied, trying not to read into that. He stooped back down to pick up the lantern and followed in her tracks, holding his free arm tight around him, not that it provided much comfort against the pervasive chill emanating from the object. “What are your thoughts, Miss Brain?”
Not for the first time in their odd, disjointed acquaintance, she thought he was a terrible example of a Fae. That would have been a fabulous opportunity for poetry to beguile her, weaving through entrapments, the beauty of nature, and lots of ego stroking in the process. Not him though. It was refreshing actually. Anyone would say they preferred them willing, or that they more than carried their weight in places but it was still...Well.
Anyway. “If you think their sounds are anymore genuine if you don’t leave money on the table then you’re adorably naive.”
It was, ah, a bit mean possibly, but it felt right in her mouth, the jabs and barbs, especially as nice as she was last time.
“Nothing terribly warm.” Mieke finally wiggled past the last large rock between her and the bit of space in front of the room that was, indeed, clear of rocks, that much was clear in the dim light of the lantern. She raised a hand to stop him, “Do you see that?” Down on the ground were red tendrils both faint loud all at once, magic, and the likes of which she had never seen. It crawled up the walls but seemed to stop just in front of them. They were alive or moved like they were at least, no pattern to them as they writhed both in the ground and on top of it. When she reached towards one of them on the wall it seemed to turn a brighter red and lashed out at her even as it recoiled from her hand.
“At least I’m adorable, now,” he replied airily, shrugging one shoulder. He’d take that if that was the only thing even close to a compliment she was going to offer.
Julius stopped when she held up her hand, peering over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of what she was pointing out. Ew. It was like… Worms. Magical…. Cursed… Worms. Obviously whatever they were, they weren’t actual… Insects or anything, but curses could be so disgusting some times. Spooky, in a word. Or possibly even creepy. “What are you doing? Don’t touch it,” he hissed. For someone who was supposed to be smart and important, that was a very dumb move, in his opinion.
The fact that he didn’t respond back to her jab surprised her, or maybe she got a little too close to scandalous even for him. Ha. Probably not. Realistically though, she should focus.
“Some have to touch the fire to know it is hot.” Mieke tossed the idiom back offhandedly and with a distracted air, eyes and mind too glued on what she was seeing. Was it always like this? Or did it evolve? Why wasn’t it doing more to protect itself? There were so many questions, and for a moment she almost didn’t want it buried or destroyed, she wanted to understand it. But there were some things too powerful, that even if you understood it then it could still defeat you. Mieke was confident sure, and Briar was cocky, but that was nothing in comparison to the feeling of rot seeping into her bones from this place, sharper and stronger now that they were closer to it.
Her palm pressed into the rock, moving towards the red lines that were getting more bold about trying to touch her, as if it were adapting. “Fascinating. It’s a shame you have to die all over again, and that it has to be me.” There was an air of familiarity to this, to it, that spoke to her and pulled her in.
“Are you insane?” Julius hissed. “There’s no way this is safe.” Safe. That was a funny word, coming from someone who’d, admittedly, gotten them into this mess in the first place. But he’d gladly take credit for that if she’d stop trying to mess with the thing. Or the crazy red tendrils of magic.
“What are you trying to do?” A part of him--a stupid, foolhardy part of him that liked the comfort of having money--still wanted to sell the thing. But if she was trying to do something reckless here, he was all for throwing down, deeper into the cave and forgetting the whole thing. “Preferably, let’s not have anyone die today, alright?” Right?
“It’s been suggested.” She shot back dryly before turning sharply and poking him in the chest with a finger, “Nothing about this is safe. We’re trapped in a cave with a cursed object that wants us dead and help an unknown amount of time away. Choose carefully which one you will cower from, Julius.” It was a bold demand for a womant o make of a man, moreso a black woman to a white man but there she stood, looking him dead in the eyes with a challenge in her own. The danger that would possibly lead to freedom, or the danger of simply being there, the possibility of never getting out. Screw that.
Her curls were finally starting to fall apart as her head whipped back around to look at the pedestal the necklace sat on. A thing that would probably look innocuous if one was a normal human and couldn’t see the red tendrils that came off of it and pulsed with life, or something akin to it at least. “Testing boundaries.” Because that’s what thieves did, found where they couldn’t push anymore and then went just a little further.
Mieke bent down to pick up a rock and throw it at the necklace, watched one of the tendrils disengage from the rock it had been embedded into in order to lash out and grab it long before it could make contact. Hm. That was pretty much what she had expected. She turned to him again, “Do you have a knife?” The question was asked but it was almost rhetorical, because surely he had one right? He had to be prepared for all sorts of odd situations out here, far from home and the comforts of it.
Well. It was Julius, you never know.
Clearly. Anyone who would get close to that thing right now had to be at least a little crazy. He caught her gaze for a moment and then shook his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed.” It wasn’t really him he was worried about at this point. He wasn’t the one making stupid decisions, at the moment. “It’s not worth that. There have to be other ways out of here that don’t involve messing around with that thing.”
Did he have a knife? Obviously. Honestly, he’d been carrying one around for something like thirty years or so at this point. Was he going to give it to her, though? Probably not. It depended. “What do you want it for?” He asked, prepared to not like the answer.
Ugh. He was a lot more helpful last go around. But then again, she wasn’t talking about putting his paycheck at risk this time, in fact, quite the opposite. “That’s not your problem.” Mieke was still testing the limits of how close she could get to the tendrils, going so far as to poke a toe into the room and touch the ground right where the tendrils were. It hurt, in a way that was hard to describe but also not the sort of pain that was incapacitating. Like...An electric sort of pain that travelled from the ball of her foot to her head, it felt like a warning, like it could easily escalate and leave her on the ground, “Well, I’m waiting for more ideas?”
She kept her foot half on the ground, accidentally demonstrating balance that had been honed on rooftops and cobbled streets, “You know what, no, I’m not waiting, I’m testing a theory. Your knife, sir, or I will find another means.” You can help me, or I can leave you behind. was the message as she held her hand out, calm and confident that the course she had chosen was the best option they had.
“Actually, I think it is,” he said sharply. He definitely would shoulder some—if not most—of the responsibility if someone died at the dig site on his watch. “I unearthed this thing, if you die, your blood is on my hands, so I’d really prefer you not do something stupid.” It was a small thing to ask for, in his opinion.
He made no move to get the knife, nor did he betray its position for the time being. “What’s with this sudden death wish anyway? Were you born without self-preservation instincts?”
“You people. You think anything bold is too much. I need to experiment in order to be safe. Don’t you touch the water in the ocean before you leap in?” Mieke took a deep breath in order to stay calm and level, she may be known for being a bit huffy and snide but her temper not so much. At least, not usually. Today was a day of unique circumstances, and therefore unexpected outcomes.
Another deep breath at his idiotic question. She had half a mind to pull out her own knife and not involve him anymore at all, but she would rather the fact that she was armed not be broadcasted, thanks. One hand balanced on her hip as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut in frustration, “You have no idea what I’ve had to do to stay alive, I do not have a death wish. Let me test my theory, this part, at least, has basically no physical risk to myself and none to you.”
Julius wasn’t sure exactly who you people were, nor did he like being lumped in with them, especially since he didn’t prefer to do a lot of leaping into the ocean personally. Wading in, maybe. But leaping… Not so much. It was a dangerous place, the ocean. But that was neither here nor there.
“Would you care to elaborate, because I’m not sure I believe you,” he said, though he’d finally decided to just give her the damn knife. Still, it was too interesting a remark to let go, even as the hand not holding the lantern fished around in his pocket for the knife.
“I shouldn't exist, and the universe likes to try and right wrongs like that.” Mieke didn't say it like it was sad or like it made her angry, because for her it was merely a fact of life. It wasn't something Briar or Mieke would usually reveal — but it was Julius and part of her was comfortable around him and had a (probably misplaced) sense of trust in him. You know, the part he wasn't aware of.
As soon as she saw the glint of silver she snatched it, “You don't have to believe me, but you do have to trust me.” That was definitely something she stole from the Fae who made that deal with her so many years ago. Her eyes scanned the ground before picking up a larger stone in one hand, small enough that she could still wield the knife well enough to give her free hand a small cut, hardly an inch, just deep enough to bleed a bit without having to worry. “See, don't you feel silly now?” Mieke flashed her wound at him before curling her hand around the rock so it was pressed against the cut, watching it as she refrained from wincing before handing the knife back to him properly.
Just because her tone didn’t convey it, didn’t mean Julius didn’t feel like the conversation had taken an unexpectedly dark turn. That was a sentiment he was all too familiar with, but all attempts to be sympathetic, or even empathetic died on his tongue. It was either the thing or the fact that she had thus far been fairly difficult to… Well, no, she’d just been fairly difficult, period. “Well it’s clearly doing a terrible job, considering you’re still here.”
No, not really. He did not feel particularly silly, since it still seemed like she was doing a relatively stupid thing. What was she going to do, feed it, now? Because that was exactly what it needed. More power. “Not sure why I should,” he grumbled, taking the knife back and returning it to his pocket. “But it’s not like you’re giving me an option, now is it?”
“I did say try.” For the briefest of moments a proud, triumphant grin transformed her face before it was tucked safely away again. The calm confidence was back, feeling more steady on her feet than she had since she heard about this dig and what they found. “People like me have to leave home to have hope of more than a half life, and I didn't taste it just to die here.”
“Nope.” Her head was tilted down as she popped the p in that one word, drawing it out to make her point. “If I'm going to use that thing to get us out I have to take it from whatever is holding it, and there is always a price for these things.” Anything worth having had a price, but powerful magic had a non-negotiable one, each uniquely awful. The rock was red when she uncurled her fist, showed it to him again and tossed it at the pedestal. This time unlike the last, it landed bouncing off harmlessly. Ah, that theory was right then. She would have to bleed for it.
Well if that wasn’t like looking right into a window into his past, he didn’t know what was. Too bad he was still too salty to say anything to that beyond: “Sounds difficult. Guess you better not die then.” Which was not particularly useful, or even up to his usual level of repartee, but then he was just coming to terms with the fact that in order to get out of there, she was probably going to be destroying the thing he’d hoped to make a little money off of.
Because even if he didn’t sell it personally, there was still a chance he might get a cut from the eventual sale to a museum somewhere or a private collection, depending on what his advisor decided to do. This would kind of destroy all chances of seeing any of that.
But then, he realized (somewhat begrudgingly), there probably wouldn’t be any money ever again if he died in this cave. And he didn’t particularly want to spend his last days starving to death in a dark cave with someone so disagreeable.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure she wouldn’t kill him and eat him to stay alive. She seemed to have more tricks up her sleeve than she was portraying outwardly. Knowing to feed the cursed necklace was a little above and beyond knowledge most normal academics had in their arsenal. “Fine, but you’ll have to excuse me if I feel like giving you and it a wide berth.”
“We all do, eventually.” Her hand flexed, stretching this way and that, drawing out more blood as she watched it with a careful dispassionate air. This was a gamble, this was all a gamble. That her gut was right that blood magic was used to create the thing, that it wouldn't use her blood to control her somehow, that she would even bleed enough for the attempt. Her eyes darted from her hand and a running list of possibilities up to his, “But I can think of a better view and better company for mine. Personally.” so not a death wish then, for all the good it would do her if this went sideways.
But she was only calm because she had a plan. If she didn't have a goal to focus on she would probably be screaming or worse. As it stood she could feel panic at the edge of her perception of her own mind screaming trapped get out trapped get out!! . Thieves don't do well in boxes especially not the kind who grew up where she did.
By now her palm was filled with blood that had seeped out from the wound she would not allow to close, “Good, you do that. If I accidentally hurt you they won't even give me a proper burial.”
With the dramatics done Mieke took a deep breath and stepped forward once, twice and then her hand was brought up to surge through the teeming tendrils. Bright and bloody she grasped the necklace and yanked it away from its stand, red tendrils on the ground that had been seemingly revolted by her before suddenly reversed course with a vengeance up her legs and winding around her waist. But she hurtled herself towards the wall, slamming it into the rock wall that was the thinnest barrier between them and the outside world.
Hopefully.
It was so fast but quick enough for her arm to feel like it was rotting away, being eaten from the inside out. She may have bled but it wasn't enough, and she would always remember the smell of her flesh that day. The rock exploded into the crowd, and Briar the thief took over in action if not body. Rolling into them and letting the chaotic mass of people absorb what was left of the necklace…and her, adrenaline pushing her forward and pain adding extra fire to her steps as she looked for a place to hide.
Well at least they were in agreement on that. “You and me both,” he sneered, taking several steps back, but not so far she couldn’t still benefit from the lantern light, because all arguments up to this point would be moot if she couldn’t see what she was doing.
And he really didn’t want to be stuck in here much longer.
It was over before he could register exactly what had happened, though that might partly due to the dim light and the tight space. All he knew was one moment he was still in a dark, half-collapsed cave, and the next, there was a gaping hole in the wall through which the sun was streaming in an almost blinding fashion after his eyes had adjusted to the dim orange lantern light, he was somehow covered in more dust than before if that was even possible, and she was gone.
Well. So much for that. He sneezed several times, shaking off a bit of the dust in the process, and stepped through the hole in the wall to face the chaos on the other side.