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February 21, 1999 |
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Dalt comes out of the keep, slipping his coat on. Pestilence and War seem to be in conversation when Dalt enters the parade grounds.
Dalt approaches the pair of Horseman. "War. Pestilence."
Revlos looks towards Dalt and nods, "Have you spoken to Merlin yet?" he asks.
Pestilence turns at the sound of Dalt's voice and nods as well.
Dalt shakes his head. "We don't exactly travel in the same circles, and I ain't got his trump." He looks to Pestilence.
Pestilence reaches into her pocket and fishes out a trump deck. She thumbs through it for a moment.
Revlos watches Pestilence as well.
Pestilence hands a card to Dalt.
Dalt grasps it and glances. "His work?" "Work?" Dalt lifts the card, "The trump, he draw it?"
"I would assume so." Dalt nods, opening his coat enough to stuff it in an inner pocket. "War tells me he's boning you, but don't like your new personality so much."
Revlos continues to watch in silence.
Pestilence smirks; black clouds in her eyes swirl madly. "Something like that. He's not too fond of you either, it would seem."
Dalt snorts. "Big surprise. How you feel about him?"
Pestilence raises an eyebrow, "I *don't* feel about him. And soon, Yosannah won't be around for him either."
Dalt sneers, "I'll try and get that point across for him."
"Naturally I appreciate your consideration." She nods in War's direction. "We both do."
Revlos grunts, nodding curtly.
Dalt says "He's a stubborn Do-gooder. Might make some hassles for us." He shrugs, unworried.
Pestilence nods, seemingly in understanding.
Revlos then asks Dalt, "So where do you want to go from here?"
Dalt says "In six Amber days there will be a victory party here. I got some announcements to make."
She nods,"We'll be here, of course."
Dalt says "By then Riley will have returned from the shadows, I will fetch her."
Revlos nods, listening silently again.
She says "I don't suppose you can reach Hank?"
Dalt says "Haven't tried. Last I heard some Chaosite was teaching him some things. So he busy."
Pestilence shrugs, her gaze turning idly toward the keep.
Dalt says "You two may want to scout Begma. We moving operations over to there."
She returns her attention to the group, "I need a trump if you could spare one."
Revlos asks Dalt, "Still want to keep the peace there?" When he speaks, he spits out the word 'peace' a bit distastefully.
Pestilence smirks at the expression on Revlos' face.
Dalt says "I plan to impose martial law there and declare it a monarchy, with me as the first king." Dalt says "You maybe want to head up those efforts?" Dalt says "Anybody don't fall into line gets one chance."
Revlos nods, "Easily done." he reports.
Dalt says "I'll expect so see you at the party then."
Dalt looks to Pestilence. Dalt says "If I get hold of Merlin I'll let you know."
"Fair enough."
Dalt removes a trump from his jacket. "See you in about a week then." Dalt stares at a card in his hand and moves forward and vanishes, leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.
Revlos gives a nod as Dalt vanishes.
Pestilence crosses her arms, gazing at Dalt's afterimage and then at nothing.
Revlos then says, "Haven't met Death yet this time."
Pestilence continues to stare at where Dalt once stood, "Nor have I." She turns to regard him, "Your ever changing appearance concerns me. Explain what you've been doing."
Revlos replies, "Understood more of what I am."
"Oh?" She turns back toward the keep, "And what is that?
Revlos replies succinctly, "War."
Pestilence asks simply, "And what were you before?"
Revlos says "Ignorant."
Pestilence lets a smile escape the corner of her mouth; knowingly. "And this realization came as a result of?"
Revlos considers before answering, "Freedom. I feel ourselves where e'er I go. I see our facets and the more I see, the more I remember."
Pestilence nods in complete understanding, "I'm glad you took the oportunity to explore these things after out last conversation. A guard asked me not too long ago 'how I could live with myself... doing what I do." She turns toward him and smiles almost sadly, "'This isn't what I want,' I told him, 'It's just what is'. It's that simple." She shrugs and removes her cards, once again, from her jacket pocket.
Revlos turns to look fully at her, "That is your host speaking. Fortunately it sounds like a small voice indeed."
Pestilence pauses, card in hand, "We are one in the same. It is something *I* had to reconcile. My point is that it seems you have done the same."
Revlos watches you for a moment and then just nods, silent once more.
Pestilence studies the card before her, "Perhaps we can discuss philosophy some other time. Until then.."
Revlos gives a nod, turning back to watch the troops some more...
The Gideon Club Sitting room...
Damen nods. He moves, retrieving a can of soda.
Pestilence peers about the room, "Well, isn't this cozy."
Marissa flashes Stone a friendly grin.
Stone gives a wave towards Marissa and then looks at Pestilence, "Hey there."
Damen pops open the can of soda, offers Yosannah/Pestilence a smile and Marissa a polite nod.
Romneous looks to Stone. "Should have picked my place. Fewer interruptions."
Damen smirks, "It is a club."
Romneous says "Best in shadow at that."
Pestilence wanders casually over to Stone, glancing once at Damen.
Romneous grabs the free seat near Stone.
Damen chuckles and pours the Dr. Pepper into a glass before adding a double shot of Jack Daniels.
Pestilence stands before the fireplace table where Stone and Romneous sit and rests her fingertips gently on it. She turns her attention to Stone as if Rom weren't at the table.
Stone grins, "Thanks for the votes of confidence all." He then watches Pestilence, "Can I help you with something? Maybe my car's parked in your space?"
Damen asks, turning. "How have you been, Yo?"
Pestilence glares at Stone and does not acknowledge Damen's voice, "There aren't going to be any more tests, Mr. Stone."
Damen quirks an eyebrow up and glances at Stone. His expression is stoic. ..measuring.
Marissa walks over to the bar to get a ginger beer. "Tests?"
Pestilence seems oblivious to the conversation about the room, her attention solely on Stone.
Stone speaks to Romneous quietly and then looks back towards Pestilence. Then Romneous. Then Pestilence. He finally says to her, "Good to hear that. How'd they turn out?"
Damen takes one sip from his drink before placing it down upon the bar. He slowly takes off his gloves, tucking them into his pocket.
Romneous gets that all too familiar dazed look as he mumbles at a trump contact.
Pestilence smirks but adds calmly, "You're an idiot Mr. Stone. But that just saves me a certain amount of trouble. Good day to you." Pestilence rests a hand lightly on Stone's shoulder before turning to go.
Stone glances at his jacket and then brushes it off where it was touched, watching her go...
Damen's Penthouse - Gideon Club...
Damen enters from the hallway "Yo?"
Pestilence stands before the sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony, "No, Damen." Her arms are crossed before her. "The images she has of this place... the memories. They are rather vivid you know. Does that make you happy?"
Damen sighs softly, "It leaves me with a mixture of emotions...some are happy... most are sad." Damen says "So you have her completely now." He doesn't ask pose this as a question....but fact. "Is any of her left?"
Pestilence turns to regard yher, the clouds in her eyes swirl rapidly, "Would you believe me if I told you that it pains me?"
Damen nods, "I would believe you...such is the nature of entities like you." He regards her, "But I need her."
Pestilence raises her brow and adds flatly, "You're need is selfish, Damen." She mocks, "Yet, such is the nature of most in your family."
Damen laughs, "You're just a pawn of Dalt, lass...you just hold to the myth that you are the one in control."
Pestilence smiles hideously at your words, "You misunderstand the nature of what I am. I except this and do not hold it against you." She adds... "I am not evil, Damen."
Damen says "I never assumed you were. But you are taking away the only thing that I love...the only thing that allows me to cling to this existence. And thus..." He shrugs, "We are either going to negotiate...or do it the hard way."
Pestilence seems willing to play along, "Go on."
Damen shrugs, moving to stand near the glass door as well, well away from reaching distance. "I need to understand you better...your nature...what you need. So I can find a suitable, if not better carrier fo r you." He turns to meet her gaze, "I would be willing to sacrifice a multitude of shadows to have her back." He smiles, "We both know you have the upperhand...you have what I want...and she is currently what you need. But if we cannot come to terms.....I will destroy you...and her, if need be."
Pestilence leans her back against the glass and gazes about the room, "Let us assume," She glances at you, "for agruement's sake of course, that you could 'destroy me' and not kill her in the process. You cannot fight Dalt or the other horsemen. Don't be insane."
Damen smiles faintly, "Darling...my limb of the family tree bathes in insanity." He shrugs, "My father currently has a peace treaty with Dalt...but I will rip that contract to shreds to get her back." He chuckles softly, "Lass, you have made a fateful mistake if you think Dalt is all that....he's been a burr in the butt of the Amberites for decades....but they have tolerated him. That can change. Do you really think he would survive an onslaught from all of his brethren? Talk has already begun."
"I must admit, I am very impressed with your will, Damen. And your motivation is rather interesting considering your relationship with her. Or lack there of it as the case may be."
Damen smiles and shrugs, "Everything I've done....I've done for a reason. It is not for you or her to understand. Only to accept and forgive..if she will ever have that chance."
"Forgiveness comes with understanding. You have denied one another that and her heart was quickly falling for another." She seems almost disappointed in him now, "You waste your time nevertheless... I admire you."
Damen rubs his jaw, "She was falling for another." He smiles faintly, "In the past...that would have made me walk away..." He regards you, "But not this time. So...we are not going to negotiate?"
Pestilence doesn't answer, "Damen." She shakes her head. "Before you try and," She repeats your words, "'destroy me', I suggest you go and talk to Greenmoon where she had her tests done." There is a certain amount of distaste in her voice when she says the word 'test'. "At least before you do anything rash and stupid."
Damen nods, "I had planned that, lass...and a visit to Dalt." He smiles, if not a bit wanely. "Before I donned my mask again and become the man I was to accomplish what I need to do." He reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose and shrugs, "I will do what I need to do, my own."
"'My Own' That's what you called her when she loved you." She shakes her head "You will do what you have to, of course."
Damen says "She still loves me....her frustration is just clouding it....and I can't say that I blame her."
Pestilence offers "*My* perception is rather clear, Damen..." She shakes her head and pauses, "I must go now."
Damen regards her calmly, "It is not your perception that concerns me, lass." He nods, "I would take the time to soak up what experience you can...you don't have much time left." Damen moves forward and vanishes, leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.