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March 9, 2003
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Cemetary of Lost Souls - Banished
Sun...
Nash is standing with his hands in his
pockets, looking at the ground with a thoughtful
expression.
Yosannah regards Nash from her car. She
slows the vehicle down and parks it on the roadway.
Nash's gaze roves the ground a moment
longer, then he tilts his head in a delayed reaction to the sound of
the car, turning slowly to look like some sleeper awakened.
Yosannah opens the door of the car, steps
out, and closes it lightly behind her. She points a small black
object at the car and presses a button thereon. "Eeep Beep." And then
turns toward Nash.
Nash takes a slightly nervy step back at
the production of the small black thing. When it's only waved at the
car he things to check where he's treading and seems satisfied with
that also before he looks up again and says, "I'm sorry. I was miles
away. Hello."
Yosannah tucks both her hands on the
pockets of her jacket, "No, no problem. I saw you here and just
wanted to make sure everything was okay."
Nash gestures at the ground, "They came
up nice, didn't they? I'm told the dead don't approve though ... I
would have thought they'd have prefered it to all that bitter
ash."
Yosannah moves to stand beside Nash. She
looks at the flowers indicated by him. "We've been very fortunate
that this place cleared of the radiation so quickly."
Nash says "I don't know how it did. It
puzzled me, why the woods had come back so quick, but not here. Not
in the cemetery. So I just thought I'd help it along... I suppose
it's the lillies they don't like. Darker flowers, Stone said they
wanted."
Yosannah nods. She is somber, "I don't
suppose you have loved ones here."
Nash scuffs some ash with a boot. "I took
as many of them home as I could. I wish I could do all that over. I
can't think of anything I've ever done that I'd like to take back
more than that."
"How so?"
Nash looks at her, "You don't
know?"
"I mean, you. Why the regret."
Nash says "Because if I'd called it
another way, they'd all still be alive. And this ..." he waves a hand
at the broader vista, "Would never have been ashes."
Yosannah raises a brow, "You? This is
Stone's doing. This happened because of what he did in Chaos. This
isn't your fault, Nash."
Nash shakes his head, "No. It had nothing
to do with Stone. It was because of me."
"I'm not sure why you think that, but why
don't you tell me about it."
Nash reaches into his coat and produces a
battered paper pack of BanSun cigarettes, lighting one up with a
match. He offers the pack your way as an afterthought. "Stone was in
prison. I wanted to help. I offered to send some troops here, just so
that people wouldn't get the idea that it was unwatched. Just a small
party of horsemen - three hundred and one counting Dalziel to command
them."
Yosannah listens quietly. She shakes her
head at the cigarettes. "No thank you."
Nash repockets the pack and the matches,
inhaling smoke that crawls out of his nose and mouth when he
continues, "They pretended to be ... re-enactors. For the sake of the
locals. I didn't think anyone hated me that much. The epicentre of
the blast was right over them. Dalziel told me later that all he
remembers is a white light. One moment he was shaking his billy can,
the next he was ashes."
Yosannah shakes her head, "Nash, that's
not your fault." She sighs, "It's his fault. Though, I know I'm never
going to convince you of that, I'm sure."
Nash says "If I hadn't commanded those
troops, it would never have happened. It wasn't Stone's fault. It
wasn't directed at /him/. It was meant to hurt me - and it
did."
"And this personal vendetta against you.
Who lead it?" She seems doubtful.
Nash sighs. "If I had had the proof I
needed ... and if I tell you and you go after him for all the other
poor bastards he hurt kicking me in the nads - it will start all over
again and I have lost enough to him already. My revenge is not worth
losing my loved ones for. I learned that much."
Yosannah chuckles, "You give me too much
credit. What's to say I'd care that much."
Nash flicks his ash carefully into an
area devoid of plantlife as he looks at her expression. "Who could
not? Who could have looked at what happened here and not care, except
him?"
Yosannah shrugs, "In any event, Nash.
What you have said hasn't changed my convictions about what I
believe. And for what it's worth, I would never hold you responsible.
There's one person who brought the havok to this shadow, and it
wasn't you. But let's leave that be for the time being. I wanted to
ask you about something else."
Nash says "Ask Stone. Ask him if the bomb
was meant to hurt him or me. If he answers with more than one
syllable, you'll know he's covering, yes?" he takes another draw on
his smoke, "Are you going to ask me to shun my friend
again?"
Yosannah heh's, "No, it seems you are
determined in your course. Though, I was curious as to your reaction
to our conversatin the other day. It seemed as if I was frightening
you during our talk - that was not my intention."
Nash hmm's, "I couldn't see very well. I
don't like people touching me. You were too close and I couldn't see
very well. Didn't like it."
Yosannah winkles her brow as she regards
you, "Very well. As long as you understand, I only intended to offer
some insight, not intimidate."
Nash nods, "I know you believe what you
say. You're wrong, though. When I die, it will be the right time. He
would never hurt me and would never take me across the river unless
it was my time."
Yosannah shakes her head, "Nash, I'm not
interested in talking about this again. As long as you understand
that my intentions were not to frighten you. I gave you my advice and
now I don't really care one way or the other what you think about
your relationship with that creature."
Nash holds up a finger, "I would
appreciate it if you didn't call him that. I understand what you
believe. Do you understand what I believe? I didn't mean to freak out
on you. I don't like not being able to see and I /really/ don't like
people touching me without my leave. That's all it was."
Yosannah shrugs, "Very well. Take care of
yourself, Nash." She pulls her car keys from her pocket and moves
toward her car.
Nash watches her a moment, then asks,
"What was that thing?" he mimes. "The thing. The bleep bleep
thing."
Yosannah holds her keychain up over her
head as she wanders away from Nash, "Car alarm. Protects my vehicle
from theives, natural disasters and nukes." She points the object at
her car, "Eeep Beep," opens the door and climbs in.
Later...
Yosannah establishes contact with Stone.
To the image of Stone, Yosannah says
"Hey."
The image of Stone is seated on a lawn
chair sipping a Diet Coke through a long straw on a grassy slope. He
glances up and smiles, "Hey there."
To the image of Stone, Yosannah yawns
lightly, placing a hand to her mouth, "It doesn't look like you're
all that busy, so give me your hand for goodness sake."
The image of Stone says "I going there or
you coming here?"
To the image of Stone, Yosannah shrugs
and holds out her hand. "Come on."
Stone grasps herr hand and she pulls him
through.
Obscurely Lit Chamber -- Banished
Sun(#11894RL)
A small lamp resting on the desk to the
right casts off what little light there is in this room and serves
only to make the decor on the upholstery seem a deeper shade of
crimson. Towards the far right corner a candle, which seems to burn
perpetually, glows on a nightstand beside the neatly made bed. To
your left is a bookshelf which lines much of the wall in legal texts
and some of Earth's most renowned literary works. In front of the
shelf an end-table and another lamp matching the one on the desk sit
between two black leather easy chairs. On the eastern wall is a
doorway which apparently leads to the bathroom.
Stone stands, soda still in hand. He
releases your grip and glances around, "Very homey." he
comments.
Yosannah shrugs as she moves drop herself
in one of the leather chairs. "Shucks."
Stone sits as well and smiles, "How you
been lately?" giving a glance to the wound on her neck.
Yosannah stretches, wiggling the toes in
her shoes, "Good. Been meaning to catch up with you."
Stone says "Not to hard. I don't run that
fast." he grins, "Actually I have moved my home away from home a bit.
Got myself a Barony in Dalt's Pirate's Cove, Castille."
"Dalt. Don't like the guy. But I suppose
you know that." She heh's, "Are you still spending time in Amber
then?"
Stone says "Some. I still have a room in
the Castle and all. But when Eric went AWOL it became less
interesting."
Yosannah smirks, "Well, I don't need to
tell you, then, that you're neglecting the Sun terribly."
Stone says "Hey, I still pop in once in a
while. Visited the graveyard. Been to see Nash's weird corpsatorium.
Made sure the blood bank robbery was kosher."
Yosannah nods, "You saw that place too
then. What's up with that deal? That corp satorium. And you know
there's another horseman in this shadow, right?"
Stone shrugs, "It's just his little
project. Some people make dolls. He stuffs dead people." He then
asks, "I thought all the horsemen wandered to and fro pretty much at
will?"
Yosannah considers his question, "Yeah.
Well, i'm having my doubts about their level of 'free will' lately."
Stone says "I thought they ... you?
Either way, that the Horsemen did their thing. I mean, you have free
will, right?"
Yosannah leans forward, elbows on her
knees, "Not always, no."
Stone says "That a good
thing?"
Yosannah chuckles, "What do you think?
The good thing is that she's been pretty dormant since the incident
in Hell's Kitchen." She bites her lip and thinks on that for a
moment, "The other one here in the Sun said something about that, now
that I think about it."
Stone shrugs, "Some people don't like
free will. In the Sun we call them voters." He then says, "Hell's
Kitchen still gone to Hell? Pardon the expression."
Yosannah nods "Yeah. Still a shit hole.
Makes me wonder why the horsemen destroyed it in the first place. In
any event, I bring that up because the one here, in the Sun... it
seemed to be carrying Death. And it said something about not being
able to get to Hell's Kitchen. And I can get there just fine." She
shrugs. "Maybe it's nothing."
Stone hmms, "Death? What did it look
like? I know there was one of them running around looking like
Mariko. I half think it was, though maybe just a Shadow of
her."
Yosannah nods, "It looked like.." She
tries to recall, "Now that you mention it, I'm having a hard time
recalling its likeness." She shakes her head, "That's very strange...
I remember a staff of some sort."
Stone narrows his eyes a bit as he sips
his soda, "A staff. Hmm. Like a sickle?"
Yosannah shrugs, "I.. I don't recall."
She shakes her head, "I'm sorry. That's not like me."
Stone just hmms and nods, "Well, maybe
the government's been testing their Alzheimer's gas again. Ever since
the delayed time of effect on Reagan, they've been trying to get the
kinks out."
Yosannah hehs, "Listen. Seriously for a
moment, the last time there were more then one of us drawn to a
shadow, the shadow got wasted. You've got two right here. I'd be
concerned if I were you. I know I am."
Stone says "You told the D-man yet? I
mean, can't Damen just Trump Whammy 'em?"
"I have not. And what's to stop them if
he did? They'd surface in another form. I'm guessing that's what
happened to Kitsune." She nods, "I mean, I haven't seen her since I
was trumped out of Hell's Kitchen by War after it collapsed in on
itself."
Stone taps his chin, "Hmm. That's an
interesting point. Need some sort of a spirit trap. Who ya gonna
call?" He does look thoughtful as he says this, however.
"I've been meaning to talk to Ada, in
Chaos, as a matter of fact. Despil gave me the idea just the other
day."
Stone says "Ada, wierd Ada from the
Church Ada? And how do you know Despil?"
Yosannah winks, "I get around. Yes, Ada
from the church. I've collected some information that suggests these
things are Chaosian in nature. Something like servants of their God.
The Serpent?" She scratches at the back of her neck, "Consequently, I
thought she might have some insight."
Stone says, "Really? That's pretty cool.
She might like 'em though. She's a wierd chick."
"Information is information. I'm running
out of ideas."
Stone taps his chin again, "Spirit stuff.
If they're Chaosian, what about Amberite help? Magic using Amberites.
Fiona's not around." He says, "I'll see what I can dig
up."
Yosannah shrugs, "Fair enough. I have to
warn you, I think Damen sought Fiona's help before. She wasnt much
assistance. I just want to move on this in the event that something
is fated for the Sun. I've had this god aweful feeling lately..."
Stone says "I'll alert Romneous too.
Though I think he's still busy with the Creon nonsense there too. A
connection? Possibly."
Yosannah chuckles at the mention of
Romneous, "How is our pet dragon?"
Stone tosses his hands up, "Haven't seen
him in over a year. We correspond occasionally, but that's about it.
Crimson is running the show these days."
Yosannah nods, "So I have heard." She
chuckles again. "Oh, hey. FYI, Merlin is back in town."
Stone says "Really? What's he up to these
days?"
Yosannah yawns as she slides out of her
jacket and hangs it over the arm of her chair, "Got me. He had a
brief mental lapse a year or so back where he was hell bent on
getting back into the political arena. Seems he's gotten that out of
his system. Not too sure what he has going on currently." She nods,
"Nice to have him back around though."
Stone nods, "I haven't seen him in a
coon's age. Tell him I said hi."
Yosannah chuckles, "If I recall, he could
give a shit if you said 'Hi' or not, Stoner."
Stone says "Hey, now that's unfair. I
can't even remember what we were arguing about."
Yosannah smiles, "Yeah. And as far as
your partner goes... he's been strangely absent. Though why I find
that strange, I'm not so sure."
Stone nods, "He's in and out. Some things
never change."
Yosannah nods too, "I'm not so sure how
much I want to continue dealing with things that never change... but
hey. That's an old tune I'm whistling, isn't it?"
Stone nods, "Indeed it is, indeed it is."
"Anyway, time for you to go. I have to
hit the hay." She stands, "And no. You can't stay."
Stone chuckles and stands, "Don't worry,
I can find my own way out." finishing his drink and setting the soda
can on a table. He fishes for a Trump.