Till We Meet Again
((Taken from a live play between Brian's player and myself))
The Immortal Smile, "Feel that out here? That's winter approaching, Raven." He examined his hand that felt a bit cooler than perhaps it should have. He gave conversation with an old friend the benefit of thinking it was the weather. The door closed softly ahead of the loving fingertips that pushed it. They were alone with nothing but winter warnings and the Red Dragon porch under the high moon.
"I dare say, that is fear.. And maybe winter." Brian said nearer one of the railings already.
Dyarhk stretched outside near the swing and moaned deep, though low; soft and enjoyable stretch. "I can't believe I ran into you. You know I have a friend who's been actively looking for you. And he's a Detective. Hell... a lot of people are looking for you. Me, I'm just a family man. But maybe I need to get into the gumshoe business with this kind of luck." He needed to look at Brian. For real. He hadn't done this yet. Hat tipped up. Grin and gaze combined. Scoping out his face. His tools different than those others he'd run into lately; his tools friendly. That would never change.
"No one escapes the cold when it gets here... you know." Dyarhk looked at his own held out hand, watching it tremble slightly. "Cold... maybe fear, like you say." He sighed. The image of a woman trying to assassinate Brian earlier in the year. She failed. A tornadic blizzard encompassed her, Brian, and even Dyarhk's own partial arm just to pull the man out of it. He still felt that chill some nights.
Brian Ravenlock Leaned upon a rail, glancing to the street itself.. A soft winded nod, offered in kind as he replied.. "I've not been hard to find... Well maybe.. Alright, that's a lie.. I did not want to be found, and as others have spread.. I have been busied as of late."
"What would you tell me Brian... if my ears were given to you in confidence? Would you tell me how your daughters are doing? Would you tell me how at night you cannot go to sleep without your fingers woven into crimson hair? Or perhaps how much of a bothersome homewrecker Kerri can be right before you are expecting guests?" He chuckled lightly and never let it diminish into his next question. "Or something different..."
Brian's face.. was the same, as it seemed to always be.. Save, a few extra lines here and there.. Stress perhaps? A toll on one's body? His eyes carried, a faint glow.. Even in the dark itself, the illusion of frost could be seen.. And sometimes.. Maybe, if one looked closely enough... Well, there were small signs.. A bit of extra silver here and there, within the dark locks of his namesake.
"I'm no magician. I'm not even a threatening sword compared to Rhydin standards... I pride in my ears, though." He puffed from a cigar to warm himself up. His appearance much better out here in the dark. Harder to notice he had no shirt on under that open black coat. Ask him what he was doing before coming here. That's an entirely nother story.
"I would tell you openly.. I've not seen my children in months.. Jenai in longer.. I would say, she will not be returning, and against the popular, theory.. I did not kill her. I would tell you, war has been declared and I will see it through.. I would tell you, that those who left us standing with our &*^%s in the wind, will be called to task, finally.." He sighs softly, "And I would tell you, it's good to see you."
"Mmm." He pretended that it was the cigar drag that was making him take a moment to respond. A clever lie. Exhale. Squinted eyes. Again the smoke was to blame. "I think you know better than all others I don't come after people... words are my history-carving sword... I think that's why this porch is so unique right now." He smiled so honestly. "It's good to see you, too."
"You've always been gifted in that, brother.. I however, am not." Brian looked at him.
"I wish you'd have done whatever this is some years ago. I could have stood in for you. Those girls of yours are going to need someone to help them along. Pick them up when they want to see the world from a man's shoulders. Dry their tears when they've fallen. A man has to console his daughters, Brian. I'm not saying you won't be there to do it yourself... but in case you're not... in case you're not. I'd gladly do it for you until you get back. As for Jenai..." He took a long drag at that. "Where will we go from here..?" he passionately gazed out into the night ahead of the two men with watered eyes. "Do the nights get longer...?"
"I..." a pause.. ^&%$ he hated this.. This is exactly, what Brian wanted to avoid. Yet, here he was.. Why? "Yes, actually.. I expect for the Sisters, it will be a long cold winter."
Dyarhk closed his eyes for a moment of sad realization. "You know what I would tell you..?" He stared sharp and truthfully to the man suddenly, fueled by emotion. "I would tell you, that I would tell others... that I did not see you here tonight... " a long pause as his heart came out. "I owe Brian Ravenlock at least that much."
"You owe me nothing.. It is I who owe you.. That is why I am telling you, please.. (s) Stay away from this... All of this.."
"You might see me again." Dyarhk said hopefully, even though that had suggested a grim and steel-clashing battlefield of bloody snow. Something Dyarhk looked out to the night sky with such an unwelcome warmth in his smile. "I think my friends will be the death of me, Brian. But if I got to choose where my knees crash... it would be in the protection of them." he closed his eyes romantically to that thought. Such a soft smile.
Brian lifted a hand to trace the black leather choker that adorned his neck, as he looked toDyarhk once more.
Dyarhk looked over to Brian.
?I love you, Dyarhk.. I mean that."
He held out his hand, asking for the man's own for a moment before he hovered it over Brian's shoulder. "Brothers never stop being brothers." He gripped that shoulder nice and firm then if Brian had not stopped what that hovering had requested.
"I told Alex, that once... Before watching him, Die.." He turned, and took to the steps.. Descending them quickly.
"I'll remember your suggestion., Brian. I'll remember it when I go to sleep tonight. When I look into my children's eyes... when I tuck them in and tell them a story about their mother. I don't think it is a hard thing you are asking me to do." He looked out to the night again, this time the high sky. He let Brian put distance between them, continuing on before he had gotten away. "I do not think it is at all unlikely that you not survive this... anyway." trying to get the man to stop. He never stopped walking.
?I do not expect to walk from this, Dyarhk.. But I will take as many with me, as I possibly can." Down the road, he went.. Becoming one with the darkness once more.
The Palliator watched him go until the shadows enveloped him as part of their kindred. The smoke had proven a more than worthwhile thought-piece. He took a few more pulls, being careful not to rush himself. He was doing this to let Brian leave him truly alone. He didn't want to be any other way at that moment. Finally making down those stairs like time had slowed, his highly polished derbies reflected what light the moon was producing in the subtlest of ways. When he looked back up from his shoes and tossed that cigar aside, he pocketed his hands.
There was the way Brian had gone, and there was the right road. The road home. He stood there a time with such control over himself to remain perfectly still and emotionless but for a face deep in thought. Deeper than it had been in a very long while. He made sure to stare hard where he had last seen Brian. Just in case he never saw him again, he'd remember where they once walked. When Brian went down the road of his destiny, and Dyarhk down the road of his; the road home.
((Taken from a live play between Brian's player and myself))
The Immortal Smile, "Feel that out here? That's winter approaching, Raven." He examined his hand that felt a bit cooler than perhaps it should have. He gave conversation with an old friend the benefit of thinking it was the weather. The door closed softly ahead of the loving fingertips that pushed it. They were alone with nothing but winter warnings and the Red Dragon porch under the high moon.
"I dare say, that is fear.. And maybe winter." Brian said nearer one of the railings already.
Dyarhk stretched outside near the swing and moaned deep, though low; soft and enjoyable stretch. "I can't believe I ran into you. You know I have a friend who's been actively looking for you. And he's a Detective. Hell... a lot of people are looking for you. Me, I'm just a family man. But maybe I need to get into the gumshoe business with this kind of luck." He needed to look at Brian. For real. He hadn't done this yet. Hat tipped up. Grin and gaze combined. Scoping out his face. His tools different than those others he'd run into lately; his tools friendly. That would never change.
"No one escapes the cold when it gets here... you know." Dyarhk looked at his own held out hand, watching it tremble slightly. "Cold... maybe fear, like you say." He sighed. The image of a woman trying to assassinate Brian earlier in the year. She failed. A tornadic blizzard encompassed her, Brian, and even Dyarhk's own partial arm just to pull the man out of it. He still felt that chill some nights.
Brian Ravenlock Leaned upon a rail, glancing to the street itself.. A soft winded nod, offered in kind as he replied.. "I've not been hard to find... Well maybe.. Alright, that's a lie.. I did not want to be found, and as others have spread.. I have been busied as of late."
"What would you tell me Brian... if my ears were given to you in confidence? Would you tell me how your daughters are doing? Would you tell me how at night you cannot go to sleep without your fingers woven into crimson hair? Or perhaps how much of a bothersome homewrecker Kerri can be right before you are expecting guests?" He chuckled lightly and never let it diminish into his next question. "Or something different..."
Brian's face.. was the same, as it seemed to always be.. Save, a few extra lines here and there.. Stress perhaps? A toll on one's body? His eyes carried, a faint glow.. Even in the dark itself, the illusion of frost could be seen.. And sometimes.. Maybe, if one looked closely enough... Well, there were small signs.. A bit of extra silver here and there, within the dark locks of his namesake.
"I'm no magician. I'm not even a threatening sword compared to Rhydin standards... I pride in my ears, though." He puffed from a cigar to warm himself up. His appearance much better out here in the dark. Harder to notice he had no shirt on under that open black coat. Ask him what he was doing before coming here. That's an entirely nother story.
"I would tell you openly.. I've not seen my children in months.. Jenai in longer.. I would say, she will not be returning, and against the popular, theory.. I did not kill her. I would tell you, war has been declared and I will see it through.. I would tell you, that those who left us standing with our &*^%s in the wind, will be called to task, finally.." He sighs softly, "And I would tell you, it's good to see you."
"Mmm." He pretended that it was the cigar drag that was making him take a moment to respond. A clever lie. Exhale. Squinted eyes. Again the smoke was to blame. "I think you know better than all others I don't come after people... words are my history-carving sword... I think that's why this porch is so unique right now." He smiled so honestly. "It's good to see you, too."
"You've always been gifted in that, brother.. I however, am not." Brian looked at him.
"I wish you'd have done whatever this is some years ago. I could have stood in for you. Those girls of yours are going to need someone to help them along. Pick them up when they want to see the world from a man's shoulders. Dry their tears when they've fallen. A man has to console his daughters, Brian. I'm not saying you won't be there to do it yourself... but in case you're not... in case you're not. I'd gladly do it for you until you get back. As for Jenai..." He took a long drag at that. "Where will we go from here..?" he passionately gazed out into the night ahead of the two men with watered eyes. "Do the nights get longer...?"
"I..." a pause.. ^&%$ he hated this.. This is exactly, what Brian wanted to avoid. Yet, here he was.. Why? "Yes, actually.. I expect for the Sisters, it will be a long cold winter."
Dyarhk closed his eyes for a moment of sad realization. "You know what I would tell you..?" He stared sharp and truthfully to the man suddenly, fueled by emotion. "I would tell you, that I would tell others... that I did not see you here tonight... " a long pause as his heart came out. "I owe Brian Ravenlock at least that much."
"You owe me nothing.. It is I who owe you.. That is why I am telling you, please.. (s) Stay away from this... All of this.."
"You might see me again." Dyarhk said hopefully, even though that had suggested a grim and steel-clashing battlefield of bloody snow. Something Dyarhk looked out to the night sky with such an unwelcome warmth in his smile. "I think my friends will be the death of me, Brian. But if I got to choose where my knees crash... it would be in the protection of them." he closed his eyes romantically to that thought. Such a soft smile.
Brian lifted a hand to trace the black leather choker that adorned his neck, as he looked toDyarhk once more.
Dyarhk looked over to Brian.
?I love you, Dyarhk.. I mean that."
He held out his hand, asking for the man's own for a moment before he hovered it over Brian's shoulder. "Brothers never stop being brothers." He gripped that shoulder nice and firm then if Brian had not stopped what that hovering had requested.
"I told Alex, that once... Before watching him, Die.." He turned, and took to the steps.. Descending them quickly.
"I'll remember your suggestion., Brian. I'll remember it when I go to sleep tonight. When I look into my children's eyes... when I tuck them in and tell them a story about their mother. I don't think it is a hard thing you are asking me to do." He looked out to the night again, this time the high sky. He let Brian put distance between them, continuing on before he had gotten away. "I do not think it is at all unlikely that you not survive this... anyway." trying to get the man to stop. He never stopped walking.
?I do not expect to walk from this, Dyarhk.. But I will take as many with me, as I possibly can." Down the road, he went.. Becoming one with the darkness once more.
The Palliator watched him go until the shadows enveloped him as part of their kindred. The smoke had proven a more than worthwhile thought-piece. He took a few more pulls, being careful not to rush himself. He was doing this to let Brian leave him truly alone. He didn't want to be any other way at that moment. Finally making down those stairs like time had slowed, his highly polished derbies reflected what light the moon was producing in the subtlest of ways. When he looked back up from his shoes and tossed that cigar aside, he pocketed his hands.
There was the way Brian had gone, and there was the right road. The road home. He stood there a time with such control over himself to remain perfectly still and emotionless but for a face deep in thought. Deeper than it had been in a very long while. He made sure to stare hard where he had last seen Brian. Just in case he never saw him again, he'd remember where they once walked. When Brian went down the road of his destiny, and Dyarhk down the road of his; the road home.