We have to WALK? (DaftDeviant)

[Anonymous]

"Tragedies? Oh nay nay, my darling girl, a tragedy is one thing..."

He smiled almost warmly. His smile was huge, a kind of all-encompassing sneer that turned his face into a Grinch-like mask of malicious glee--like the Ebenezer Scrooge of interdimensional madmen.

"This world is a comedy! The purest of comedies, with the most negative of anti-heroes! We're in point blank, my dear! Zero hour! The time is nigh and ripe for revolution, and he that is the cause of your misfortunes, well...he wanted revolution. Yet...he was betrayed. His grand idealism was lost due to poor judgement in allies. Yet he must come later."

He leaned in close to her, his voice low and secretive.

"Your pirate, your captor, mean much to you does he? Would you be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his recovery from this terrible malady?"

[Anonymous]

April had to clench her jaw and bite her tongue to keep from retorting back to this man. What they had went through was worse than a tragedy! She would never sleep a peaceful night again, and Crimson was rotting! Thousands had lost their own, and he thought this a comedy? He fingernails bit into the cup she held in hands that shook with anger, rather than fear.

When he began to speak of Crimson, however, she forgot her anger and leaned forward slightly, listening to what he was asking of her. Would she really do anything for Crimson? He had given her very few reasons for her to help him. But they had suffered so much together. Like she had said to him before, she could never live with herself if she let him die. Simply remembering him the night before, shivering, begging for help…

“Yes. Whatever will help him, whatever will stop this damned disease…I’ll do anything to stop it, to cure him.� Her voice was full of confidence, and not once did she hesitate, not once did she even rethink her answer.

[Anonymous]

He chuckled, turning to Simon, who shrugged noncomittedly. Crowley turned away from them, walking over to a small table that lay in an innocous corner--had it been there already? It seemed oddly out of place.

Atop the table was a small box, with a large variety of knobs and other such strange lights and buttons on top of it. Crowley turned and twisted several dials, and stepped back, as if waiting for something.

At first, nothing happened. Then, the walls slowly began to waver, flickering in and out like rippling ocean waves. The room suddenly melted away with a loud splash, and they were suddenly falling through a world of white. This time, however, the white was from fog.

All around April was a thick mist, with strange shapes dancing just out of sight. It was oddly peaceful--and eerily disconcerting. A shadow loomed over head, and if April happened to look up, she'd see something a bit more...colorful.

A tube of crackling red energy coursed above them, like a pillar of lightning, wrapped into thick veins. It shuddered and crackled, with bursts of energy--similar to sunbursts--blasting off of it from time to time. It eminated an almost awsome power--and it was some fundamentally huge, the little platform April, Crowley and Simon stood upon seemed incredibly small.

A building floated in the mist near this energy pillar. It resembled a greek structure, with pillars and marble courtyards and elaborate statues of the gods. But the main structure in the center was like a French Mansion--two enormous wings with hundreds of windows, purple vines decorating the walls, and an ostentatiously huge central structure highlighted the building.

As the floor of the room they had been in shot towards the building, she could hear Crowley's voice.

"Ah. Home sweet home."

[Anonymous]

April leaned forward as she tried to see what he was doing. When he stepped back from whatever he had been messing with, she stared at him expectantly, before the room began to melt away. She was on her feet and the cup dropped from her hands as she gazed about herself into the fog. She blinked her eyes, as if trying to clear them, but the fog remained. She stared at the figures in the fog, and looked at the red, her lips parting in fascination.

“Gods…� She whispered, and then she caught sight of the structure they were nearing. It was like a building of some sorts, a large, beautiful building. She stabilized herself as the platform moved towards the building, and she turned to look at the old man as he spoke. This was his home?

“What I’d give to live in a place like this.� She muttered beneath her breath, looking to Simon for a moment, before back to Crowly. She wasn’t sure how this was going to help Crimson, but she hoped it did, and soon.

[Anonymous]

"Well, you could always join the household staff."

Crowly grinned even wider--which may have seemed impossible, but apparantly wasn't. The platform sank into the roof the structure, and they found themselves standing in a large room, with white marble tiles and elegant paintings on the walls. They depicted strange images and styles not seen in this world for thousands of years.

The centerpiece, at the far end of the room, was that of a smiling woman. That's it. A well-drawn, well-painted, smiling woman, with hair raven black and a twinkle of mystery behind her eyes. The picture was worn and a little frayed, but otherwise in great shape.

Another thing that was interesting about the room was that, lying on the floor, clad only in the torn and dirty breeches that he'd worn days ago, was the unconcious body of Crimson Iscariot Synextra.

[Anonymous]

April scowled towards Crowly, and fought back any sharp reply she wished to make to him. Her a part of a household staff? Never. She couldn’t handle doing that, listening to everything other people told her to do.

When the platform landed in the large room, her crystal blue eyes scanned along the paintings, folding her arms across her chest as she made sure to be in the back of the two men, remembering the tear in the back of her dress. After she gazed around the room, she let her eyes fall back down, only to find the body of Crimson.

“How is he here?� She asked Crowly, dropping her arms from across her chest as she moved swiftly in front of the two men, no longer carrying for the rip, and knelt beside Crimson’s body.

“He shouldn’t be laying on this hard marble. It’s got to be terribly uncomfortable.� She brushed her hair behind her ear as she reached a hand out to rest on his shoulder, before immediately drawing her hand back. She was here to help him, that was it. She turned her head to look back at Crowly, searching for an answer in his eyes or expression.

[Anonymous]

"Oh, not as uncomfortable as this."

He smiled again, reaching into his jacket and producing what looked like a pistol. It was large, powerul looking, with a very large barrel--presumably, for shooting very large bullets. He dusted it off lightly, looking around the room casually.

The paintings were all arranged according to their state of deterioration--evidently. A large, scorched looking piece sat in a far corner, and Crowley seemed to stare at it for a long period of time, as if contemplating something.

His hands moved on their own, pulling a very large, piercingly blue shell out of his pocket and sliding it into the pistol's empty chamber. It clicked soundly, and Crowley held it up to make sure it was securely fastened, smiling at the picture, at April, and at the annoyed looking Simon.

Then he pointed the gun down, right above Crimson's heart, and pulled the trigger.

[Anonymous]

April furrowed her eyebrows together as he pulled out the pistol, pushing the stubborn hair back behind her ear where it belonged. She didn’t say anything for a moment as she watched him look at the paintings.

“As uncomfortable as what?� She finally asked, turning to look at Simon, hoping that maybe he would have an answer to the question she had asked. Besides, it was Simon who had led her and Crimson to this insane old man.

Then she saw Crowly load the gun, aim, and shoot. She wasn’t sure if she had screamed or not, but her hands were shaking near her mouth as she stared down at Crimson, before up to Crowly, blue eyes wide with shock.

“W-what…� She didn’t say anything more. Instead she spun around and faced Crimson, shaking madly as she tried to do…something..

“You shot him! You shot him! You were supposed to help him you old, deranged, mad man! Not kill him again!� She yelled over her shoulder towards him.

“Fix him! Fix him right now!� She demanded, not touching Crimson, but her hands hovered just over his body, completely at a loss.

[Anonymous]

"I believe you asked me to cure him, dear woman. Fixing him would require knives and scalpels, and if you two are at all healthy minded lovers, that prospect would not really bode well for your future, now would it?"

He chuckled, pushing her away easily--he's surprisingly strong for a guy who looks as weak as he does. Crowley stood over the fallen Crimson, watching him curiously. A blue liquid seeped out of the wound, and all at once, Crimson's wounds begin to turn slightly blue--and glow.

Crimson Iscariot began to thrash and shake violently, spasming on the ground and screaming in what seemed to be absolute agony. His hands stretched out above him, grasping at the air as if trying to claw his way up, unable to lift his body.

His eyes turned blood-red, and he rolled over suddenly, vomiting blood--and something else. In a great deluge of liquid, mucus and blood came worms. Not maggots--but worms. Thick, slimy creatures were expunged from within him, melting away into the evergrowing pool of blood forming underneath him--blood as crimson as the man it came out off.

His back began to bubble--April could see shapes moving just underneath his skin, pushing at his flesh, like a terrible beast was tring to claw its way out. Crowley drew his rapier suddenly--had he even been holding one? He handed the pistol to April, and she saw he'd loaded a single shot into it.

"I do hope you know how to use this thing. Simon, we may need your assistance."

[Anonymous]

April stumbled out of the way as the old man pushed her. She stared down at Crimson and pressed her lips together as his wounds turned blue. That had to be…okay? But then he started screaming. April turned her head to the side and shut her eyes, trying to block out the noise of his pain. When she heard the vomiting, she turned to look back at him, only to see the worms, and her hands began to shake. All of the blood was making her nervous. How many times could a man die? If Crimson’s number was up, he was losing enough blood to have killed him twice.

“I’m not going to shot him!� She yelled at Crowly as she was handed the gun. She knew how to pull the trigger, and that was enough. But could she shoot Crimson? No, she wouldn’t. But as she looked at him, she saw the shapes moving in his flesh. Was there something…inside of him?

“Simon?� She asked, taking a step back, before swallowing heavily and taking that same step forward. “Crowly?� She asked, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and when Crimson would be okay, if he would be okay.

[Anonymous]

The vomiting stopped, and Crimson stayed frozen, his body contorted, on his hands and knees--all fours, like a beast. He had a strange expression, his eyes completely red. He turned slowly to face April, a smile on his face, blood dripping from his lips.

He suddenly leapt through the air, charging into her like a wild animal, roaring in a similar fashion. He was muttering something, repeating some kind of backwards words and syllables as he moved, his body fast, sleek and powerful. Simon fired a shot in surprise, but the bullet sailed harmlessly over Crimson's back as the pirate leapt towards the already shaken April.

[Anonymous]

April continued to shake softly as she watched Crimson finally stop emptying the contents of his stomach, and whatever else happened to come out as well. She noticed the red eyes, and she found herself unable to move backwards, unable to move in general.

“Crimson…Crimson stop it…� She whispered out as she saw the smile, the blood dripping from his lips. This was worse than seeing the beasts in Arca, the horror, the death there. Seeing that smile on Crimson’s face replaced the memories of Arca, and new nightmares were there.

April didn’t scream when he lunged, didn’t scream when he roared. She didn’t jump or yell when Simon fired his shot. Even when the bullet missed and Crimson continued to leap towards her, she didn’t scream. When her finger pulled the trigger as she pointed it directly at him, there was no sound from her. She simply stared at the beast that had become Crimson. When the echo of the gunshot finally stopped ringing in her ears, she looked to see if Crimson had been stopped by the bullet, to see if she had killed him, to see if she’d have time to cry.

[Anonymous]

Crimson howled angrily, pulling back an arm, a fist primed to beat her skull into the ground with righteous fury and-

A needle jabbed solidly into Crimson's neck, and he fell over with a dull thud, groaning softly. Crowley sighed, clicking his tongue in obvious distaste as he helped April to her feet.

"You...are a horrible, horrible shot. How you managed to misfire at THAT range is a mystery that I don't think any modern science can hope to solve."

He gave Simon a withering look.

"I daresay good boy, did you even bother teaching her how to use a firearm?"

"Oh, excuse me! Its your fault! Your stupid wobbly door-thingy and the rain interrupted the lesson!"

"Excuses!"

"Withering old coot!"

"Blast you, punk! Don't make me educate you in the fine art of boxing!"

[Anonymous]

April opened her eyes, having realized she had squeezed them shut, only to see Crimson fall onto the ground with a thud. She looked up to Crowly, before heaving herself to her feet, with his help.

“That’s the third time I’ve fired a gun in my life!� She snapped at him, before she was interrupted by the two of them as they began to argue. She pushed the gun back to Crowly, before stamping her foot onto the ground.

“Will the both of you stop bickering like children?� She asked sharply, before pointing down to the mess that was Crimson.

“Well? Is the raving mad beast gone, or is he still sick?� She asked Crowly, her icy eyes not leaving any room for lies, excuses, or smiles. She wanted an answer, and she wanted one now. All she wanted was for Crimson to be alright, and for her, Simon, and the sick pirate, to leave. That was all she was asking for at this point. Oh, and a good night’s sleep, that wouldn’t hurt either.

[Anonymous]

"That really depends. The madness I expected--curing a longset infection such as this tends to cause it to cling to the body in a parasitic way. See, your friend Crimson wasn't cursed by the Blotting, as Simon had originally thought."

"Oh, gee, yeah, 'cause rotting happens a lot around here."

"...well, at anyrate, Crimson was instead touched with...something else. The vaccine worked well, but I don't know how sick Crimson was...or what exactly he has. Those worms were what was causing the rotting, though. They look like the Ogir...but...that died out in..."

He frowned, thinking.

"Anyway, April, you may escort him down the hall. There's a room for him down there. He'll likely wake up soon--and after the bad dreams he's been having, he'll need a friendly face. Give him a bath too...he smells like a pirate."

[Anonymous]

April was only able to follow a bit of what Crowly was explaining to her. Something about parasites, and madness. She did catch something about the worms, and the words were gone, out of him, so she figured that much was good. When Crowly told her to take Crimson down the hallway to the room, she nodded wearily and moved to help him. If Crimson got to his feet, she would help him down the hallway to the room. If not, she’d get Simon to help her.

However they got Crimson to the room, she would lay him on the bed, if there was one. After a bit of searching, she found a rag, a basin, and water. Trying to completely bath a sick, mad, out cold pirate wouldn’t be easy. So, she simply began on cleaning his face of the blood and vomit. She tried to clean him best she could with a rag and a bin of water, and she figured that whenever he woke up, she’d find a large tub that he could bathe in. And perhaps, if she asked nicely, Crowly might have some clothes laying around there somewhere. She’d been wearing this dress since Crimson took her from her home.

All while she cleaned him up, she remained silent. Her body was past any point of exhaustion, and her movements were mechanical, simply washing, looking to see if he was awake, and more washing. There would be no sleeping for her, yet again.

[Anonymous]

The room was rather nice--beautiful marble, elegant plants and a very soft and very large bed adorned the center of the room. A single curtain hung in a corner, seperating this room from another.

A squeaking sound popped out from behind the curtain, and a strange creature stepped through into April's room. It stood about eight feet tall, with grey skin and four long, frail arms. It had no mouth, and only one single yellow eye. It ignored April as it walked out--dressed in a simple brown garment, but from behind the curtain April could see what looked like an enormous bathtub, and other amenities.

It was far better for both of them then a dirty lake was.

[Anonymous]

April had to bite down on her lip to keep from yelling as the creature walked out from what appeared to be a bathroom. She gave a hesitant smile towards the one-eyed thing, before turning her attention towards Crimson. She sighed heavily, and reached the hand with the rag forward, brushing the clean end along his forehead.

“After you wake up, you can get cleaned up and I’ll help. There is no way I am heaving you into that bathroom while you’re out cold.� She smiled faintly, before glancing about. She dragged a chair up to the edge of the bed where Crimson lay, and for a while she managed to stay awake, watching him, looking around the room. Eventually, however, she rested her head down on her arms, and the moment her eyes shut, she was asleep, slumping down in the chair. She was in such a deep state of sleep, that no nightmares woke her with tears streaming down her face, or screaming coming from her mouth.

[Anonymous]

A loud splash and a subsequantly loud cry burst into her solitude about an hour or two later. Several gutteral swears and even more splashing echoed out of the bathroom, and where Crimson had been under her arms--there was now one less Crimson.

[Anonymous]

April woke up suddenly, and fell back out of the chair to land painfully on the ground. She groaned as she blinked her eyes numerous times, still trying to wake up from a dead sleep. After realizing where she was, she groaned, pushing herself to her feet, before noticing Crimson was gone. She then heard swears and splashing coming from the bathroom and she rushed forward, throwing open the bathroom, before immediately spinning around, realizing he was probably in the bath.

“Oh, erm, sorry to burst in on you Crimson. Uhm…glad to see you’re awake though.� She fumbled over her words. She’d seen nothing, in fact she hadn’t even caught sight of Crimson to see if he was in the bath, or brushing his teeth, but her cheeks had flushed a red. Then she remembered the rip in the back of her dress, and she took a few quick steps out of the bathroom.

“I’ll just leave you to it then!� She yelled over her shoulder, before knocking herself in the forehead with her hand.