Going Down to Die | Part 1
And I know that it's true,
All the fire has burned through.
Well, you know I've played so hard.
And the light grows so dim.
And my time's gettin' slim
All the words just don't mean much.
And I know I'm saying goodbye.
And I know that I'm going down to die.
---------------------------------------
She could hear the soft whistling tune. It whipped and swirled around her head, playing airy, melodious notes. It felt like a lullaby. The soft tune soothed against her raw skin. The armor was rubbing wrong, but there was little she could do when trapped on a cliff-side. Her discomfort lost against the slippery surface threatening to drop her down the side of the cliff to her imminent doom -- she couldn't focus on the discomfort, she just had to press on.
24 hours previous...
Ada nodded and leaned in to give Lily a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the pie. I'm sure your brother's going to love it."
Lily nodded and waved. "Me too. I'll see you tomorrow, all right? Oh, and be careful. I heard there might be trouble tonight."
"Mm." Quick to note the warning, Ada turned and headed out toward the sidewalk. The pie was still warm from the oven, and it felt much heavier than she would have expected. Her robot arm weighed the heavy dessert, up and down, judging it, up and down. Something just wasn't-- a pie smashed right into her face. Wait, no. Something just was not right. And then a pie smashed right into her face.
The sheer shock of the situation slowly burned into a frustrated sigh. That hadn't really happened, right? Not only was the pie ruined, but so was the rest of her outfit. And we shouldn't even speak of her hair.
"Ah! It's good I have found you!" He had bumped into her. The ruined pie was his fault.
"I-I... I can't believe-- Did that-- Is it--?"
"Time to go, yes." The man turned and reached an arm around Ada, leading her along as she dripped loose whipped cream. He had a peculiar smell to him, but it wasn't what anyone could call unpleasant. It was a smokey, spicy smell to him, not unlike cumin. "Please hurry, we've been waiting. You have been destined to retrieve the sacred war hammer of Xan Po and return it to the sight of the first reunion."
Had she heard him right? She doubted that this man was looking for her. He couldn't have been seeking her out, since she had no real idea who Xan Po was, or what his war hammer meant. The man's bony hand was pressed into her back, urging them both forward. It was getting dark, and she really needed to get home. "Sir, I don't think you're looking for--"
"Two Four One. You are Two Four One?" The man never stopped moving them forward. There was a brief snapping sound, but before Ada could answer his question, they were engulfed in billowing white smoke, churning this way and that.
---------------------------------------------
The first sign that things just weren't the same anymore was the fact that after the initial bout of shock, Ada slowly slid into a proactive position. Many of the things she had learned from Ghent were cropping in. She remained calm -- panic would ensure that a resolution was delayed. She assessed the situation from her perspective, and also this old man's perspective as they closed in on the high bamboo wall surrounding the village. It was looking at things from the villagers' perspectives that allowed her to understand and sympathize. "So, what you're trying to tell me is that the thief who stole this war hammer has thrown of the great protection of Xin--"
"Xan Po."
"Right, Xan Po." Ada paused at the large bamboo door and turned toward her "tour guide." The man nodded first to Ada, then to the tower. Ada ran her fleshy hand through her pie-covered teal hair before taking a deep breath. "Well, if I could bother you for some clean clothes and a place to wash up..."
"Of course." The man outstretched his bony hand, gesturing her into the walled community.
---------------------------------------------
It took half the jug of water, but finally Ada managed to get the last of the congealed whipped cream out of her hair. From what she could tell, she wasn't anywhere near Rhy'Din's familiar parts. If she had to guess, she would say that she was somewhere on Mount Yasuo, though she didn't dare guess "when" she was. It seemed she did more time traveling in the past year than most people spend shopping at the market.
Her hair didn't have time to dry -- she'd just have to deal with it. The outfit was certainly different than she had expected. There was helmet, made of short metal bars straws interwoven with died cloth. A mask latched from the inside and matched the helmet. Ada could see out of slots in the eyes, and could feel the mouth was open for ventilation.
"Do I have to wear the mask all the time?" She jerked as the old man pulled her arm guards into position. The whole getup was light, in theory, but when combined, it started to weigh down on Ada quite noticeably.
"Only when you're fighting. You don't want to be seen." The old man gave one last tug and then stepped back to assess Ada's whole facade. "Just keep moving and you won't have a problem. We have faith, Two Four One." He clapped her armored shoulder and then turned and walked out of the small community crafted "guest hut."
Ada unclasped the mask and turned it around in her hands. "How do you get yourself into these things, eh?" There was no use in backing out now, though. Hundreds of people were counting on the return of the war hammer and Xan Po's favor with it.
When she thought on it for long enough, she knew it had been right to agree to help. However, after some time she wished she'd have left Ghent a clue to her whereabouts. He'd certainly be worried when he saw that she was gone. She'd just have to work that much faster. There was no use in worrying the poor man sick. She would get the job done efficiently and be home before he packed his gun up.
The old man was waiting outside the doorway, his head bowed slightly. "You are beginning to look of the part, Two Four One."
"Okay, let's go over this again. Just -- just, one more time, for my own benefit." She paused, her helmet and mask tucked under one arm, while the other ran a hand through her now-clean hair. "Your people have been waiting for this legend, Two Four One, as your ancients foretold. And this Two Four One is destined to retrieve this war hammer and return it to the mountain to relieve the suffering of the people?"
"Yes."
"No joke?"
"No."
"Yeah. Of course." How could she argue with that? There was no real way to deny it.
((This is written for play on October 24/25th, 2008. For more information or questions on this post, or any other within this folder, send a PM or e-mail to Adalia Dodd.))
And I know that it's true,
All the fire has burned through.
Well, you know I've played so hard.
And the light grows so dim.
And my time's gettin' slim
All the words just don't mean much.
And I know I'm saying goodbye.
And I know that I'm going down to die.
---------------------------------------
She could hear the soft whistling tune. It whipped and swirled around her head, playing airy, melodious notes. It felt like a lullaby. The soft tune soothed against her raw skin. The armor was rubbing wrong, but there was little she could do when trapped on a cliff-side. Her discomfort lost against the slippery surface threatening to drop her down the side of the cliff to her imminent doom -- she couldn't focus on the discomfort, she just had to press on.
24 hours previous...
Ada nodded and leaned in to give Lily a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the pie. I'm sure your brother's going to love it."
Lily nodded and waved. "Me too. I'll see you tomorrow, all right? Oh, and be careful. I heard there might be trouble tonight."
"Mm." Quick to note the warning, Ada turned and headed out toward the sidewalk. The pie was still warm from the oven, and it felt much heavier than she would have expected. Her robot arm weighed the heavy dessert, up and down, judging it, up and down. Something just wasn't-- a pie smashed right into her face. Wait, no. Something just was not right. And then a pie smashed right into her face.
The sheer shock of the situation slowly burned into a frustrated sigh. That hadn't really happened, right? Not only was the pie ruined, but so was the rest of her outfit. And we shouldn't even speak of her hair.
"Ah! It's good I have found you!" He had bumped into her. The ruined pie was his fault.
"I-I... I can't believe-- Did that-- Is it--?"
"Time to go, yes." The man turned and reached an arm around Ada, leading her along as she dripped loose whipped cream. He had a peculiar smell to him, but it wasn't what anyone could call unpleasant. It was a smokey, spicy smell to him, not unlike cumin. "Please hurry, we've been waiting. You have been destined to retrieve the sacred war hammer of Xan Po and return it to the sight of the first reunion."
Had she heard him right? She doubted that this man was looking for her. He couldn't have been seeking her out, since she had no real idea who Xan Po was, or what his war hammer meant. The man's bony hand was pressed into her back, urging them both forward. It was getting dark, and she really needed to get home. "Sir, I don't think you're looking for--"
"Two Four One. You are Two Four One?" The man never stopped moving them forward. There was a brief snapping sound, but before Ada could answer his question, they were engulfed in billowing white smoke, churning this way and that.
---------------------------------------------
The first sign that things just weren't the same anymore was the fact that after the initial bout of shock, Ada slowly slid into a proactive position. Many of the things she had learned from Ghent were cropping in. She remained calm -- panic would ensure that a resolution was delayed. She assessed the situation from her perspective, and also this old man's perspective as they closed in on the high bamboo wall surrounding the village. It was looking at things from the villagers' perspectives that allowed her to understand and sympathize. "So, what you're trying to tell me is that the thief who stole this war hammer has thrown of the great protection of Xin--"
"Xan Po."
"Right, Xan Po." Ada paused at the large bamboo door and turned toward her "tour guide." The man nodded first to Ada, then to the tower. Ada ran her fleshy hand through her pie-covered teal hair before taking a deep breath. "Well, if I could bother you for some clean clothes and a place to wash up..."
"Of course." The man outstretched his bony hand, gesturing her into the walled community.
---------------------------------------------
It took half the jug of water, but finally Ada managed to get the last of the congealed whipped cream out of her hair. From what she could tell, she wasn't anywhere near Rhy'Din's familiar parts. If she had to guess, she would say that she was somewhere on Mount Yasuo, though she didn't dare guess "when" she was. It seemed she did more time traveling in the past year than most people spend shopping at the market.
Her hair didn't have time to dry -- she'd just have to deal with it. The outfit was certainly different than she had expected. There was helmet, made of short metal bars straws interwoven with died cloth. A mask latched from the inside and matched the helmet. Ada could see out of slots in the eyes, and could feel the mouth was open for ventilation.
"Do I have to wear the mask all the time?" She jerked as the old man pulled her arm guards into position. The whole getup was light, in theory, but when combined, it started to weigh down on Ada quite noticeably.
"Only when you're fighting. You don't want to be seen." The old man gave one last tug and then stepped back to assess Ada's whole facade. "Just keep moving and you won't have a problem. We have faith, Two Four One." He clapped her armored shoulder and then turned and walked out of the small community crafted "guest hut."
Ada unclasped the mask and turned it around in her hands. "How do you get yourself into these things, eh?" There was no use in backing out now, though. Hundreds of people were counting on the return of the war hammer and Xan Po's favor with it.
When she thought on it for long enough, she knew it had been right to agree to help. However, after some time she wished she'd have left Ghent a clue to her whereabouts. He'd certainly be worried when he saw that she was gone. She'd just have to work that much faster. There was no use in worrying the poor man sick. She would get the job done efficiently and be home before he packed his gun up.
The old man was waiting outside the doorway, his head bowed slightly. "You are beginning to look of the part, Two Four One."
"Okay, let's go over this again. Just -- just, one more time, for my own benefit." She paused, her helmet and mask tucked under one arm, while the other ran a hand through her now-clean hair. "Your people have been waiting for this legend, Two Four One, as your ancients foretold. And this Two Four One is destined to retrieve this war hammer and return it to the mountain to relieve the suffering of the people?"
"Yes."
"No joke?"
"No."
"Yeah. Of course." How could she argue with that? There was no real way to deny it.
((This is written for play on October 24/25th, 2008. For more information or questions on this post, or any other within this folder, send a PM or e-mail to Adalia Dodd.))