A Well Earned Change (Finished)

[Kitty]

As the figure moved, Osias prepared himself for either an offense, or a defense, life had taught him that it was best to be prepared for anything, and his muscles almost involuntarily tensed up into this response, he was out of his element as well, a thought that lingered in the back of his mind and made him more edgy then he usually was. And then it spoke, and in a voice that was oddly familiar and... aggravating. Why was a voice, of something unknown and surely never encountered, grating on his nerves as they were?

As the form shot up wards he tensed further, wiry fur bristling all over again, the corner of his mouth twitching upward and exposing sharp, but yellowed teeth. The way it moved, as if broken and breaking as it did, didn't bother him in the least bit. He had grown up in the Lowlands, he had seen things not only similar, but far worse in the course of his years on this earth. However, as his eyes scanned the form he realized why he was so annoyed, he recognized the form ... and when it spoke more he felt his stomach turn with disgust... it was him. But he was dead, Osias knew this, this had to be something that wasn't real. This whole place, it wasn't ... real. He was really WAS completely out of his element, and Varestes was playing on his most buried memories...

The mention of his mother cause him to bare his teeth further, she was a bad memory in and of herself... and he was the reason she was like she was... him... and his father. His fingers twitched, itching to clasp themselves into a fist and, oddly enough, the rat felt tears digging to escape along with the green slime that oozed from his eyes. But one phrase was the kicker, and it pushed him over the edge.

"Still, it's good to see you again ... son"

He clenched his fists, emotion over riding all else and he twitched forward, very nearly going to try and punch this... hollowed out vision of his father before he stopped himself. What was he doing? He'd already assessed that this wasn't real, why was he letting it get to him? He shuddered as he willed his nerves to calm, unclenching and clenching his fists over and over again to accomplish this, but he still decided to speak to ... whatever this was.

Shut up! Just ... shut up, you've no right to call me that!

He looked up, a wicked little sneer on his face and a rather wild and twisted look in his eyes.

Dead is exactly where you belong, now go back to it! No one wants to see you ever again.

[Nathalia]

((Blargh, sorry for the wait. Back with a bit more time now <3))

The figure laughed, the process sounded painful, as though sandpaper were being rubbed up and down its throat. The hunched shoulders rolled forward with the force of the laughter and the head lolled oddly to the left.

"I have every right to call you son. You are whether you've seceded from the family or not, way to break yer mother's heart m'boy...not that it was that hard to do, eh?"

He gave another thick laugh, moving further into the light so that the full ravages done to his body were visible. Three large wounds across his chest had pulled his Suit and rank marking down to hang across his open belly, his face rotting away on the left side, the eye rolled up to the white. Blank and dead.

"Where I belong? Yeah, I suppose you're right. Dead is where I belong, but I can't go back to it yet...not with you here...I've been wanting to see you again, to touch you..."

The creature reached out a hand, in an attempt to lay it gently on his son's face.

"I need to .....

He flattened his ears as though the sentence hurt him to say, left a bad taste in his mouth.

"...Apologize...for yer uncle. I had no idea...really, son, I didn't.

[Kitty]

At the grotesque movements of the animated corpse, Osias involuntarily pulled back the corner of his lip in obvious disgust. The figure before him may not have been real, but it was far more disgusting then anything he'd encountered in the past. And it... laughed? The sound grated his nerves and poked at his already mildly upset stomach, this... thing needed to stop and get away from him.

As he began to speak, the lowland rat's ears slipped backward further, pinning themselves firmly against his skull, his eyebrows also knitting a bit with the action. He was not pleased at the moment, and every inch of him showed this. As he moved forward, laughing again, Osias' stomach jumped to his throat... he was positively disgusting, time and decay had definitely not been kind to the Highlander.... but anger over rode his queasiness and, after taking a few steps back, keeping just out of reach of the foul creature, he reached behind him and kept a hand out of sight. He grabbed a pinchful of his own wiry fur and gave it a sharp tug to test this reality, if it hurt, well, he'd have to think of something.

Your apologies fall on deaf ears, Saresh, you broke her and you were nothing more then a willing pet to.... uncle.

His last statement simply dripped with venom, if there was anyone he hated more then the one standing before him it was that blasted man, he'd never trusted that one at all.

[Nathalia]

The pinch would in fact bring a small point of pain to Osias...he was very much awake and aware...

The figure of his father coughed as though embarrassed and shuffled his feet.

"Yeah, so I was a bit of a push-over when it came to yer Uncle but...you can't tell me it wasn't warranted. And don't kid yourself boy, you're just as responsible for breaking your damn mother as I was, if not more."

A good twenty feet away from them, a tall figure stepped forward a bit, still masked by shadows by most definitely there. It leaned against the wall near the three openings and said nothing. Osias' father didn't notice.

Saresh pulled his lip back with a sigh of annoyance at the sight of his son's ears being flattened to his head.

"Oh don't give me that look, boy. I've been dead for years, you can cut it out with the anger, learn to deal with it, will you? You always were a snotty little brat, haven't you learned how to handle yourself in the real world yet, son?"

[Kitty]

An ear tip would flick lightly in interest at the fact that he felt the pain of the tug, it intrigued him and his thirsty mind demanded that he explore this further, but shoved to the back of his mind... there were more pressing issues at hand at this present moment, and if all else failed he might be able to fish some answers out of Varestes whenever he left this place, whatever this place actually was. One of which was trying to ensure this waste of his time didn't touch him, cause he was sure now that he'd feel something from it's touch and he wasn't up to finding out what it was.

Saresh's words brought a grin to his face, hadn't learned to deal in the real world eh? Well, he was alive wasn't he? He'd risen up this far from a lowly six, didn't he? Seemed as if he was dealing rather well, actually. And the anger? It was still there, there'd always be a bit of that fire burning deep within him but he'd gotten a few things off his chest and it felt good, really good. He unclenched his fists, letting his fingers fall and rest in the neutral pattern they usually did and he turned from the figure of his father and began toward the doors, glancing back at him only momentarily and offered up a laugh to the corpse.

You don't matter anymore.

And he took a few more steps before turning his gaze fully ahead only to have his gaze fall on another figure, or was it? He wasn't entirely sure and, having his confidence rejuvenated and still riding the adrenaline rush that surge of anger caused, he stepped boldly toward the unknown.

Another shadow from my past, or the host of this party, which are you?

[Nathalia]

"Correct on your second guess, dear sir. Host of the party indeed."

The shadowy figure staled out of the darkness toward the mess of a Highlander and the Lowland test subject. What fun he looked...

A lanky, Human form stepped forward, broad shouldered with long blue hair, black suit concealing all of his body except for face and neck, even his hands were concealed with black gloves.

"How do you do, this fine evening, Osias? I believe it is? Ah, I see you've found the present I left out for you..."

Long fingers closed on Saresh's left shoulder and then tightened to the point where the dead rat visibly flinched.

"I had so hoped you would...my last visitor ran right by her gift...and after I had put so much work into finding her to.. Saresh here was easy to dig back out of the grave, weren't you, Saresh?"

The Highlander tried to shake the Human off.

"S' easier on this plane, and it's not like I had much of a choice did I? When'm I ever going to see my son again other than this?"

"Never, if he's fortunate.'

The man gave his wrist a quick twist to the side, leaving the rat with a look of stubbornly silent pain on his face.

"That aside, welcome Osias, to my home. I am Finistris."

[Kiki]

Kitty and Nathalia receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[Kitty]

Osias watched the figure with those very intense eyes of his, eyes which were colored a rather flattering golden shade which, as he had gone to great measures to look decent for his quest, had the bare minimal amount of ooze around their them. That was the only thing, besides obviously being a rat, that was the same between Saresh and Osias, really they were more like night and day.

As the man touched that disgusting, in more ways then one, rotting corpse Osias felt a bit sick again, however, when he noted the flinch he couldn't quite hide the sadistic smirk that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He wanted him to make the worthless fool simply writhe in agony, but alas, he didn't. Pity really, even in the after life it was all Saresh really deserved. His expression completely changed upon Saresh's answer. It shifted into a mildly aggravated, disapproving sneer. But Osias ignored him and simply spoke to the host, and sarcasm simply oozed from every word he spoke of his first comment.

I'm sure you didn't have to dig far, worms have a tendency of making their way to the surface eventually.

And that somewhat delighted smirk returned as Finistris increased his hold on Saresh and he wondered briefly if the sound of old, dead bones cracking was anything like living bones, perhaps he'd try it out if that despicable vermin tried to touch him again, yes? That would, indeed, make him feel better.

However, he wasn't sure what to say in return of the introduction, he never really was one for pleasantries and his ears twitched in thought, what to say? It hadn't exactly been a pleasure to be here, had it? Perhaps another attempt at humor, with a bit of his old, 'magical' charm thrown in behind it? That usually seemed to work, thus he slowly set his charm up to a level he thought good enough, and spoke again.

Well met, Finistris, but if their gift was similar to mine, I can understand why they might.

And he even through in a grin for good measure. For once in his life he was actually trying not to be offensive.

[Nathalia]

Finistris actually laughed. Great moon, this rat was a lark! This made the two hours previous wherein he had been forced to put up with the young one's father worth the chatter.

"True! How true! Saresh here was about as difficult to locate as a fresh pile of dung, weren't you, slime?"

The Human asked the corpse, shaking it, liking the way that the younger rat's face lit up when he injured the other. He dug his fingers in further, listening to the sharp snap of the left side of the collar bone breaking.

The Highland corpse gave a yelp of pain, but did not attempt to remove itself from the Human's grip.

"You damn monster, let me go...you've no right to-"

"So long as you are dead and come to me willingly, Saresh, I...and your son...have every right to do as we please. Remember, you wanted to be here."

Finistris watched as the young rat smiled, smiling in return and making a slight bow.

"Well met indeed. Her gift was a better one than yours, but her stamina was of a lesser quality...her name was Lleur...perhaps you know of her?"

He waved his hand.

"That aside, my other half tells me that you are here for your Jack's quest are you? Interested in being involved in the Courts, are we?"

"Osias, come now, leave this place, this fool's a madman...you need to go back, son."

The Highlander's speech was not well reciprocated as the Human, twisted the rat's collar bone around in the rotting flesh, bringing forth another squeal.

"I have a proposition then, Osias."

He shoved the Highlander forward.

"Kill this man that calls you his son. I want to see you shred him but...while you are doing so...please. Tell him why you are doing it. Then we shall discuss your change in rank."

[Kitty]

(( Nat... this made me squee... I must tell you that... what a delightful little twist! =3 ))

Well it seemed his attempt at humor met it's mark, perhaps he and this odd man had somewhat similar ways of thinking? His ears came forward a bit more as Finistris pushed harder and then there was that snap, something that just sparked a bit of delight deep within him, it even made his fur bristle a bit as he contained the shiver he felt creeping up his spine. It DID sound just as good on the dead as did on the living.

And yet Saresh continued to protest, was he really that much of a fool? Then again it was surprising, the rat had been such a tool in the realm of the living, why show your spine in death? It didn't really matter, it was far to late to make up for the past now.

His attention returned fully to Finistris with his question, and his face went from sadistic amusement to complete seriousness.

I do, indeed, aspire to be in the courts... I will be The Queen of Diamonds.

It was ambitious he knew it, but he also knew he had everything he needed to acquire such a rank. He was also well aware of the fact that it would be quite possibly the most controversial thing to happen in the courts in quite some time, at least he thought it might, either way it wouldn't be very well received.

He was visibly surprised at the man's request though, and showed it by suddenly arching both of his brows. Kill Saresh? Interesting. After thinking about it a moment a rather indiscernible look came to his face as he turned his gaze to Saresh.

Tell me, Finistris, if he dies here, is he gone for good... or is there another form of afterlife? Perhaps this one is even just a figment of my imagination, eh?

He looked at the other man with only his eyes, keeping his head turned toward Saresh, he could be quite.... creepy when he wanted to be. He would also be quite critical when judging the other's response to his question.