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~..Hello, Rain..~ (Daft! ^-^)

Started by Anonymous, October 05, 2006, 05:14:11 PM

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Anonymous

"Well, it's your own fault for kidnapping me, of all people," he'd retorted with a chuckle.

He blinked and looked up at Nick as he spoke. "But what would I s--?" Then Nick took Beacon's hand. Why that made him blush, he wasn't quite sure. He laughed as Nick began his dramatic monologue, leaning his head back slightly. What a character.

"Easy? Pff. Easy for you. You've got the looks." Playfully, Beacon smiled brightly as if he'd had an epiphany. "That's it. All I need to do is tan and get a stomach like--" he proceeded to punch Nick's stomach lightly "--yours and I'll be ready to take on the task of sweeping Lady Zharu off her feet." He stood up straighter, puffed up his lean chest, and took a fist and thumped it once against his chest, looking as heroic as he could. He dropped his facade and looked up at Nick. "How's that sound?"

Anonymous

Nick grinned and covered his stomach protectively after Beacon had hit him.

“Sounds perfect. Maybe you can pull it off!� He said with a laugh and ruffled Beacon’s hair as he moved to walk beside him.

“Let me tell you something. You may think it’s all in the looks. For guys, it is. For the ladies though, they don’t care, at least, the good ones don’t. Do you know what girls want? They don’t want a handsome man. They want someone that can truly make their heart melt and make their insides warm. They want someone that can make their cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink, and make them feel like a queen. They want someone that can give them candy and roses and declare their undying love for them. No, girls don’t care if you’re an ogre, as long as you’ve got a heart and good sense about you, you’ve got it.� He said and tilted his head back, grinning.

“And I’ve got all of that perfected. I even know shades of roses that will make a girls knees weak. You, on the other hand, have the candy part down. Aside from that, you need some work.� He said and let his arm rest around the younger boy’s shoulders once more.

Anonymous

He snorted at his words, smiling all the while. "Sounds good enough, but why does Zharu love that...that thing so much if they're looking to be treated like a queen?"

He did a double take as he at the sweetshop--it was filled with customers and children were fighting to get inside. "What the--?" Had he used the wrong sugar in his sweets? He started to go in, then noticed Eucio through the windows. She was perfectly fine, smiling her normal smile, cracking jokes, and handling ten customers at once, not getting one order incorrect.

Wow.

He passed the shop and looked up at Nick, wondering how long it'd taken him to learn all these facts about women. Then he shook his head; enough of the subject.

He laughed softly, thinking back on the festival. "One of the women said I was cursed when I got done singing." It was true. He did sound cursed with four different tones coming from him at once, all with the same pretty sound of a sad and dying violin. The topic was out of the blue, but it was better than walking in silence. "But I was told during my travels that it was a gift--maybe it's both." He arched a brow and went into his stereotypically heroic facade again, quoting something he'd heard long ago: "'My gift, my curse.'"

Anonymous

Nick shrugged his shoulder and looked to Beacon.

“Sometimes girls get a little confused. It takes a good talking to for another guy to knock some sense into them. Like you, Beacon, you could knock some sense into that girl’s pretty head and she’d realize what a brute she was with.� He said with a nod, letting his eyes travel to the candy shop, seeing the lady from before handling the store with ease. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

He walked along silently before he heard what Beacon said. His lips pressed together in thought before he was finally able to gather his thoughts.

“If you were cursed with anything, Beacon, it would be stupidity.� He joked with him before shaking his head seriously. “You’ve got an amazing talent. If people want to call that being cursed because of their jealousy, then let them call you cursed. But you’re not, kid, you’re definitely not.� He rested a large, warm hand on Beacon’s shoulder as an act of reassurance to him.

Anonymous

Brother.

The thought dripped into Beacon's mind so easily. That's what he felt like. Looking up at Nick, he smiled and thanked him.

"You!" Beacon turned his head slowly to see what man was calling him. It was an old, old man, probably in his late nineties. And yet he wasn't confined to his home. He was up and moving about with his long, brass cane. He was pointing the cane at Beacon. "You...weren't you in Cerenis a few years ago?"

Beacon's heart leapt. "Yes. Why do you ask, sir?"

"You're the boy that was at the town square, begging for money, yes?"

Beacon's body jerked a bit, almost as if he were ready to bolt. "Yes, sir."

"Then you..." The man stepped forward, his brass cane sinking into the mud every now and then. "Then you were the one that killed those men, right?"

Beacon paled. "No, sir. That wasn't me, sir."

"He looked exactly like you."

Something began stirring in Beacon. That same sacriligious something he felt earlier. "No, sir. I promise you, sir."

The man's black eyes glinted as he raised his head, frowning down at the lad. "Come, now."

Beacon didn't answer; he let a pause seep through them before taking a few steps away from the elder, glancing over his shoulder every once in a while.

"I know it was you, boy! I know you were the one who killed them!" He yelled after Beacon.

Could he yell any louder?

Anonymous

Nick turned to look over his shoulder towards the old man, and his eyebrows drew together as he watched him, listening intently to what he was accusing Beacon of. This little guy? Kill someone? No, it wasn’t possible. He wouldn’t believe it if Beacon stabbed the old man right here that he could kill someone. Okay…maybe he’d believe it then, but not now.

When Beacon continued walking, Nick remained there a moment, staring hard at the old man with his dark eyes, before slowly he turned around and jogged to catch up to Beacon to end up walking beside him.

“Want to talk about it?� Nikolai asked him, looking down to Beacon as he shoved his hands into the pockets of the black pants he currently wore. Nick seemed to be fine talking about anything and doing anything. Did he have a single downfall?

Anonymous

Beacon ran a hand through his hair, looking positively disturbed. That hadn't been him answering those questions. However, his consious was completely aware of the conversation. Why was that? His innards were churning just as badly as his mind. "No. No, it's all right."

Dammit, stop fidgeting! "It's nothing. Who would look like me, though?"

Your alter ego, maybe? Beacon stopped and looked up at the sky--the rain was now a light drizzle--and closed his eyes a moment. What was bothering him? Cerenis...? He remembered the name, but didn't remember begging anywhere. He remembered performing, then leaving because of some sort of monetary issue with his landlord's daughters. That was all.

Anonymous

Nick kept his hands deep in his pockets as he stared hard down at Beacon.

“Alright, whatever you want.â€? He said, not pressing the matter despite how desperately he wished to do so. He noticed Beacon’s fidgeting hands and he sighed, lifting his own from his pockets to grab Beacon’s hands and hold them tightly within his large ones.  

“Hey, Beacon, stop twitching out or I’ll really start t question you. Now, if you can act like a perfectly normal human being, then I won’t bug you about it. But, if you can’t manage to stop fidgeting around like you’re on a sugar high, I’m going to beat some answers out of you.� He stared at Beacno with eyes that clearly shown he wasn’t joking around.

Anonymous

That drove fear into Beacon, but he wouldn't ever show it. "All right. Sorry--I just...that bothers me when I could be connected to something like that."

The man was still trying to holler his frail and shaky voice down the road. Beacon looked up at him. This was the kind of stuff that tore his social abilities to shreds. If Nick would allow, he'd pull his hands slowly from Nick's, wondering what Nick would think of him now.

He continued heading down the road. Wait..."Where are we going?" He stopped and looked up at Nick, somewhat confused, his brow arched.

Anonymous

Nick released his fingers from around Beacon’s hands and turned to be beside him.

“Yeah, okay Beacon.� He muttered out and brushed his hair from his face as they continued to walk away from the old man, simply distancing themselves, or so he thought. At Beacon’s question he turned to look down at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Away from the hollering old man?� Nick asked and that smile crossed his lips, before he nodded his head down the street.

“Come on. We don’t really need to figure it out yet, do we? Whenever we feel like doing something, we go and do it.� He shrugged nonchalantly, not really needing a plan, like he ever had one.

Anonymous

He smiled back at Nick's question-based answer and nodded. "Right." No plan--that sounded good.

Beacon put his hands behind his head and looked about at some of the children that'd been playing in the mud recently as he walked along with Nick. "Say, where's your family? Do they live around here?" As if he was one to ask. He looked up at Nick, ignoring the sounds of squealing, overly-excited children behind him.

They must've eaten many, many samples of the candy earlier...

Anonymous

Nick turned to look at Beacon and gave a sort of half grin, or grimace. Either one.

“I just met you today kid. Don’t get too comfortable. You’ll have to jump off a few more roofs and attack a few more guys to get that information outta me.� He said, before glancing over his shoulder towards the kids, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He was always good with kids. In fact, he seemed to be good with everyone.

“Maybe one day though.� He said and flashed a smile towards Beacon, almost to promise him that perhaps one day he would learn about his family and all of that dramatic history.

Anonymous

Beacon nodded and accepted the answer. He understood--he really didn't want Nick prying into his life, either.

He then laughed softly. A few more roofs to jump, huh? He looked up and smiled. "Speaking of which, have you heard of the Specter of Silence?" He kept looking at the roofs, his green eyes focusing on the story. "A family claimed they saw her yesterday-- and their son swears he spoke with her. It's amazing that the Specter can be so close, yet...invincible to the law." He paused a moment. "You know how much she's worth, right? The last time I checked she was worth fifty thousand pounds of gold. That's a lot of gold to hold over someone's head. And that was the amount just last month; who knows what it could be this month."

He looked about, as if expecting to see her somewhere in the crowds. "If you catch her, authorities would like her alive. I don't know why, but they say that she 'has a lot of explaining to do.'" He laughed at the phrase. "Sounds like something you tell a kid when he did something stupid, right?"

Anonymous

Nick slowed his steps as he heard Beacon, and immediately a smile slipped along his lips. A girl worth that much? She’d be fun to woo into his arms and then cash her in. She must have done quite a bit to be worth that much.

“Where is she? What’s she like? Where was she last seen? What does she look like?â€? He asked with excitement and began to shift his weight from foot to foot like a child the day of their birthday.  

“Can you imagine! I need her. I want to capture her. Tell me everything!� Nick said as he looked to Beacon. Couldn’t get more fun and interesting than catching a girl that could make him rich, if he wasn’t already.

Anonymous

Beacon blinked and turned to face Nick, palms open and facing his companion, shaking them from side to side. "Whoa, whoa, hey--you can't catch this spitfire. She's quick. Also, people who've tried to capture her either end up crazy or caught in some makeshift trap she's made for the. In their own homes." He looked about. It would be neat to try, though..."Oh. And I forgot to say--she's great at not leaving traces of herself behind. But she was last seen here in this town.

"And...and," he began to add. This was too important..."She has an accomplice. A murderer. You hear me? A mur-der-er. He's the Pendulum. Whenever she gets yea close to being captured," he said, pinching his index finger and thumb together, "she calls on the Pendulum. And, at that very moment, the person doing the capturing dies. Right there. On the spot." He eyed Nick and his eagerness. "So calm down with all of that--there's no way anyone can capture the Specter. Not even...you."

Anonymous

As Beacon continued to talk, Nick continued to get more and more excited. A laugh came from his lips and he immediately began to look around, almost as if expecting to see her. After that quick little look around, his eyes landed on Beacon once more.

“I’ve got one thing to say. I hope she’s a pretty lass, or I’ll be real disappointed once I catch her!� He said and the grin seemed plastered to his lips. All of Beacon’s warnings about death and murderers and traps and insanity went into one ear, and directly out the other. Nikolai was hardly one to listen to people trying to make him be cautious. Besides, the risk of death made everything more exciting.

“Aha! You underestimate me Beacon. If anyone can catch her, it’s going to be me!� He thumped his fist to his broad chest as he stared down to the younger boy.

Anonymous

Beacon rubbed his eyes. "Oh, geez. Listen, y--" A boy around nine had stopped to listen to them. "Uh...hi?" Wait...that was the little boy. The one who saw the Specter. "Hey, kid, were yo--?"

"You're talking about the Specter, right?" Beacon nodded. "She came to my house. She was really nice and talked to me. I didn't know what she was doing until she said, 'thanks for the gifts.' By then, she was out the window and on the roofs again."

Beacon decided to go along with Nick's excitement, since it seemed like he was going to do this whole capture thing anyways. "What'd she look like?"

"She was really pretty. She had shorts and...well...I drew a picture of her."

"Oh. Oh, okay. Thanks." The comment was polite, but on the inside, Beacon was being sarcastic. A nine-year-old's drawing of the Specter of Silence. Yeah, that oughta be helpful.

"I have it right here. Wanna see?"

"Umm..." Before Beacon could respond, the boy had reached into his back pocket and pulled out a thick, yellowing piece of paper that was tattered and curling at the corners. He handed it to Beacon.

The detail was magnificent. "Y--you drew this?"

"Uh-huh. I have a lot more at home. That's the last one I drew. You can have it if you want."

"Oh...well...no, that's fine." He handed the paper back, remembering every detail. "We don't need it. Thank you, though."

"Are you gonna get her?"

"Uhh..."

"--Bring back our stuff for us, okay?"

"W..." Beacon turned his head away from the boy and rolled his eyes before turning back around. Smiling, he said softly, "We'll do our best."

Anonymous

Nick turned his attention to the little kid, and his excitement only grew. When he handed the picture to Beacon, Nick took a step over and stared over Beacon’s shoulder to the picture. He blinked in amazement, and just as Beacon went to hand it back, Nick snatched it up.

“Hey, I’m going to keep this. Thanks though, kid. I’ll catch her for you, don’t worry!� Nick gave the boy a thumbs up before his attention was locked onto the drawing.

“Mmmhm.� He murmured to himself as he stared at the drawing, tilting it to the side, then tilting his head, then straightening it. His teeth were gnawing on his lip thoughtfully, lifting his eyes from the picture to glance about the city where they were, then back to the drawing.

“Perfect.� He said and looked to Beacon with that wide, sly smile.

“Never catch her, not even me? Just wait till I’ve got to pretty girl in one arm, and that gold in another.� He said in a sing songy tone to his younger companion.

Anonymous

((The picture of her is in my profiles under the name Satu if you want to see what she looks like. *nods* Yup, yup.))

"Pff! Okay." Beacon threw his hands up as if to surrender to Nick's valiant, cocky behavior.

The boy smiled. "Thanks, you two." He then kissed his fingers and touched his drawing. "Take good care of that picture, okay? I spent a lot of time on it."

"It looks like it...don't worry, we'll be gentle with it."

"Thanks." With that, the boy ran off. Beacon watched him to see where his home was. It was only six houses down from where they stood. "Well, she stole from him there, and many people say she could've headed this way," he said, pointing to the west, "since many say she still finds the cover of darkness in daylight. Also, many people have made patterns of her strikes: east, west, west, east, north, south, east, east, west, and so on. But whenever she flees to the north or south, she's normally had a close encounter with someone. So she may have gone that way," he said, pointing to the north. "Or that way." He pointed south.

He laughed. "Good luck, young traveler!" This would be wonderful to watch.

Anonymous

Nick nodded his head as he listened to Beacon explain how they had seen her, muttering the directions under his breath. He gently tapped along the picture and seemed deep in thought for a moment. When Beacon finished Nick stared down at the picture once more, and then to his back, and then ahead of himself. North and South.

“North. I’ll try north. During the day. If she stays to the shadows, then during the day would be my advantage over her. There’s only so many places that can have shadows. The night would be foolish. So, the day, in the north.� Nick said and nodded his head, gently folding the picture up and slipping it into the pocket of his damp black pants.

“You’re coming, but if you do anything stupid, I’ll be sure to kill you before her partner can get to you. Got it?� Nick asked Beacon and fixed a firm stare on him, making sure that he would listen to what he had just told him.