Apocalypse RP #3: The Vanishing

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Tyler gawks for an awkward moment, for lack of a thing to say about the strange and frightening thing standing before him. When a word at last reaches his consciousness to utter aloud, it's no more than a sheepish repetition, "...Angel?"

And as though the creature weren't big enough for him, Tyler finds himself slowly shrinking, his growing fear rendering his power out of his own conscious control.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The huge thing points to itself. "Ugly...Imperfect....Monster...." he stutters, obviously not able to speak as he pleases as he struggles to push words out of his mouth. He shakes his awful head, and hits upon a new idea.

"If there was a monster....who learned of paradise, where angels live.....and if the monster got power and could climb up.....how far would he have to climb? How high is paradise? How low was he to start?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Through his awe and remnant fear, a hint of heartbreak now arose. It wasn't as though it needed Tyler's fearful expression to know that it was frightening to look at. In fact, now, it seemed just plain rude to stare. At the same time, looking away might seem like an attempt to spare a sensitive constitution.

So, Tyler did not look away, but instead straightened his face, from an expression of fear, or even pity. He was talking to a homeless man. Someone disabled or wounded. Someone old and frail. Someone young and innocent. Whoever, who he could empathize with and have respect for, despite the cruelty life had dealt them.

"I don't know about you", Tyler found himself surprised by his own words, "But I don't think those questions apply to you. I don't...I don't see a monster at all. Monsters don't think. Monsters don't feel. Monsters don't mind, for a second, being monsters."

With just a second's hesitation, and as his growing confidence let him shift slow back to his normal size, he put up a hand and offered it for Tantalus to shake.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Tantalus extends his hand to Tyler. It's the oddest thing, and it sort of hurts to look at. His massive arm is clearly moving through space, but at the same time not moving at all. No matter what, despite arms easily as long as Tyler is tall, the creature just can't seem to bridge the distance between the two of them.

He returns his arm to his side, but smiles a big gorilla smile anyway. "Hated the...Tick." he tries to say. "But don't want to say....the tick was right. The only way angels will live is to climb. Keep climbing. Some want to stop." There's a long pregnant pause. "Can't." he says sternly, before his eyes drop to the ground in despair. "Can't." He repeats, a little quieter. "Can't do anything they want. Can't help the way they want, tongues chained by want!

He plops down into the mud so hard you can feel it. "But they will try, in payment. They can try to give truths."

[Philote]

This was the first creature that had not wanted to kill Nix during a long series of events. He felts a slight kinship with the creature.

Nix turns and begins to talk to the ravine in order to stop weirding Ben out. "Is there anything we can do for you Tantalus? Some way to help with your power? I noticed in the ravine...."

Nix pauses for a moment as he is unsure if he wants to say the next bit out loud. "I noticed that when I went for killing blow in the ravine, I wasn't hindered by your power, and if that man killed himself to get to the other side....."

"Are you wanting to die?"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

It struggles again, its face scrunched with effort. "Want to die. Can't do anything it wants. Could do anything it didn't want to. Power."

[Philote]

"How about we help each other out, Tantalus?" Nix asks, keeping his view on the ridge.

"We need to get to where all the others went. Is there any way we can get there without trying to kill ourselves first? We will help you be able to do what you want."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Tantalus only shakes his head no. "Gone." He says. "Angels fall to Nothing."

[Ericus Europaeus (Bug)]

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

[Philote]

Nix looks at what has become he trusty weapon of choice, his chef's knife and thinks. Living here hadn't become so miserable, the events of the last day not counted, that he was willing to experiment with his life just yet to find something better.

"There has to be some other survivors out there, right Tantalus? While we try and put pieces together, why don't you come with us to find them?"

Nix thinks on his wording for a moment.

"Can you list us two or three locations we should be on the lookout for? Its alright if you can only get the start of the list."

"Uh...Oh and go in order of importance please."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

He shakes his head harder at Leon. "ANGELS FALL TO NOTHING!" He repeats, slamming is arm on the ground hand enough to feel it. Despite his emaciated frame, he still seems to posse a frightening amount of strength.

Tantalus thinks at Nix's questions, and points along the creek. "City. Much will there. Strange will. Strange angels. Army of One. But others. Many others gather in the city of strange will. Hungry angels, saintly angels, hunting angels, sad angels, willful angels. And others, crawled up from below. If angels climb up to paradise, it will be from there."

The large thing stands. "May see you, if you can climb. Will not journey with you. Can not. Angels can not reach anywhere with me." He says sadly, then scrunches up his face. There's a gurgling sound in his throat as he tries to desperately force something out. He lets out of series of hacking coughs and looks crestfallen, before looking around. "Hate Salt." He says, pausing for emphasis. "Hate one who forces you to speak truth."

He slams his large arms into the ground again, and yells out to the sky. "HATE SALT! HATE ONE WHO FORCES YOU TO SPEAK TRUTH!" He takes in a few heavy breaths. "Don't want to go. Don't want to continue climbing. All I can do."

He shoots forward at an impossible speed, leaving no marks on the ground. As he moves away, you can here echoing into the distance "Angels Must Climb!"

The stifling air you hadn't even realized was there vanishes. Wherever Tantalus has gone, he took his strange power with him. You are all alone again it the silent forest. But you can move freely.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

After the creature's outburst, and his confusing speech pattern, Tyler isn't quite sure what to make of what all just happened. Perhaps some things are clear in his mind. From what he gathered, he and his groups were the angels. And something about climbing--that must mean leaving. Climbing out of the situation they were in?

As for what salt had to do with anything, though, that Tyler couldn't quite figure. He shook his head in confusion, and pulled a twig from a nearby tree, using it to scratch his back.

Looking to the others, he spoke at last, "So, the city Tantalus mentioned. Does anybody have a clue what he was talking about? I got some of it, but it was all a bit Dante's Inferno for my taste. I could use a modern-English translation page, if anybody here has some clarity they can contribute."

There, Tyler thought to himself, kicking dirt absently. Humor. That wasn't so bad. Awkward, as per usual, but not bad.

He'd have to try it more often.

[Ericus Europaeus (Bug)]

CONTENTS DELETED

The author has deleted this message.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Everything had been a blur and he didn't remember much of what had happened. Looking around, he noticed the scattered metal debris around him and bit his lip. He'd panicked again. He could have hurt someone. Glancing around quickly he saw that nobody else was too hurt. In fact they were discussing something, Leon was making some joke about poetry.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Ben managed murmur as he dragged himself to his feet and tried weakly to pull himself from the ditch.

[Philote]

Nix gives Leon a terrible scowl and then tries to hide his displeasure.

"Poor guy. I hope he finds happiness."

"Let's not let his advice go to waste. I think I know the city he is talking about. If its the nearest one then its the one that my mother used to work at. We'll travel carefully and scope the place out. Ben, I'll fill you in on the way."

(If there are no objections, then Nix will travel with the group in the direction that Tantalus pointed until we run into trouble with supplies, reach the place, or something happens.)

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Under the light of the waning moon you make your way upstream toward where the large creature had pointed, leaving behind the strange scene and the dead man who, for some reason, had wanted to end your lives. As you move along the side of the creek the moon falls deeper and deeper until it vanishes into the treeline, casting you all into true darkness. With flashlights, however, it's no problem. And eventually the beams illuminate the creeks source.

A cluster of four pipes sticking out of a cement wall, leaking a small trickle of water down into the creek bed. Not drainage pipes, strangely. No covering, and not big enough. Regular piping. In fact, running your light along the wall, the whole thing is just odd. It looks smooth, for one thing. And the wall meets the earth unnaturally. There's no natural buildup of dirt against the wall, the ground simply seems to end where the wall begins.

It's not a high wall, at least from up on the banks of the creek. It would be a simple matter to pull yourself up onto it.

[Philote]

"I'm going to take a look guys" nix say in a lowered voice. "Keep your eyes open for anything strange. I think we've all learned to expect anything at this point."

Nix walks over to the wall and phases his hands partially into the wall to create a handhold for him to move up. Once he has gained a bit of height, he raises a hand over the wall, in phased mode, and gives it a wave. If nothing happens to his hand, then he continues to take a peak over the wall.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

He see's a parking lot, though there aren't many cars left in it, with a large square, two story building covered with painted fish. Rising above the building, behind it, you can see the top of a colorful slide. A sigh hanging above the door welcomes you to the   Marley Shores Waterpark and Arcade Fun Complex.

You have never heard of this place, but you have heard of Marley. It's a coastal city with a thriving tourist trade during the summer months, about a three hour drive from the house you were hold up in.

[Philote]

Nix climbs back down. "Something strange is going on here guys. Take a look if you want, the coast is clear, but I think we should be cautious. Let's wait till night and then sneak in and check things out."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Ben carefully climbs just high enough to peek over the edge at the Park.

"Marley? How....I don't like this..."