Public Rattataki Roulette

[Roth Likonis]

"Or was it?"

"One in six hundred thousand." Jashin replied cryptically. Those were the odds of contracting Drakñar Syndrome. Jashin was lucky in a sense, if one thought terminal diseases were lucky. With an easy laugh, he stood and turned on his heel - scooping up his winnings as he did so. As he walked out, he heard several of the patrons arguing; Jashin paid them no mind.

Neither did he let the gunshot bother him as he stepped outside and made his way back to his ship. "Lucky guy." And then he was gone.

 

[Kal]

The authorities did show up, though it took them a little while and some whispered suggestions.

Pushing open the bar door, a lawman with a blaster on his hip and a bored look on his face strolled in with what looked like a labour droid at his beck and call. "'aight, let's see here." Ambling over, he took one long glance at the Rattataki and the few others who'd stuck around, then leaned over to sarcastically take the corpse's pulse.

"Time of death, fifteen-thirty... ish." It was, in fact, 15:37 local time according to the bar's clock, which he had shamelessly glanced at, though it was more than a bit off. Coincidentally, 15:30 was around when Arlo had pulled the trigger.

"Looks like suicide, witnesses say..." After a moment's waiting, he got a nod from a few bystanders. "... suicide. I'm calling it a suicide. Friendly reminder that Letcog's Clinic provides premium service at bargain prices, therapy included." Local law enforcement was, in fact, sponsored by Letcog's Clinic. Only seemed fair to advertise, since he patched them up too.

"Okay Five-Seven, lug it over to the morgue. We'll see if there's close kin to collect."

Arlo might have close kin, but Kal intended to beat them to the punch.

Mato Kejak | Inanna Harth | Anyone who didn't run off with their earnings.​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It took a while for the haze to lift and for reality to set in. Noodles had long since been consumed, and all at once, as if a switch had been flicked, his brain lit up with understanding. That was saying something, given the depths of depravity he'd once again allowed himself to fall into in the wake of his dealings with Ishani Dinn aboard Vixen. The words he'd uttered to her, laced with malice, had not stopped replaying in his mind.

So he'd subdued them.

They were subdued now, but for a different reason. The pesky little Shadow... Was he still here, somewhere on this rock? Had he long since fled? How many hours, or days, had passed he did not know for sure. All that Arcturus knew was that he needed to find his friend and figure out why exactly he'd meddled. His mind wandered back to their time on Salis Sterili, wherein he'd seemed reluctant to interfere with the overseers of the Temple.

Why had he been reluctant with strangers, and not with him?

It was bothering him.

So he reached out through the Force, hoping to call upon the Shadow if he happened to be lingering even remotely close by. Short of that, well, Arcturus would simply have to find his way back to the Nether to make use of the compass he'd forged of the River of the Dead and the sturdy boat. With any luck, it would not come to such.

After all, he hadn't really perfected a method for entering the Nether yet - just leaving it through his store.

Kal

 

[Kal]

By the time Arcturus awakened from his stupor, Kal had already left - and with him went parts of Arlo's body.

He was not hiding from his friend, per se; he simply saw no reason to remain after the matter had been resolved. Arcturus would have to seek him out in Masque. Given the peculiarities of Netherwordly temporality, a certain project would have been started and finished by the time he arrived, whether that was with all due haste or when convenient.

---

The Grand Mercantile, Masque​

As an associate of Kal's, the monument to arcane commerce was open to Arcturus no questions asked, a faceless clerk happily escorting him through a series of cavernous halls - bigger on the inside, of course - until they reached some sort of meeting room. Kal had evidently been engaged in some manner of business or perhaps politicking.

At the same time, another faceless assistant arrived, handing Kal an unmarked package.

<Arcturus - always a pleasure. Is there something bothering you?>

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

As luck would have it, Arcturus did not need to go particularly far afield to find a way into the Nether again. Oh, no, he'd boarded his spherecraft, promptly fallen asleep so that he could begin his journey with a clear mind, and awoken back within the damn Narrow Roads. He'd gone so long without it that he'd quite expected it to be a one time thing. Maybe he was doing it, maybe he was sleep walking after all, or sleep ritualing, or something. Willed himself to be there.

Either way, he had his in. And from there he took up the compass the Shadow had formed for him and followed it along the stretches of the Nether between it and Masque. Thankfully time and experienced lent itself well to him at this point. Will was half the battle in this place, determination and intention entwined. Realize as much, and learn to harness it for what it was, and you could make your way through its various harrowing biomes in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

He'd noticed it first with Seydon, when both of them had been quiet and more focused on their destination than their surroundings. Heck, they'd crossed the River of Souls without either one of them noticing it. Yet the moment they'd zoned back in on their surroundings, on the difficulty posed by the Chasm no less, they'd found only barriers and roadblocks in the way.

---

Regardless of whether it took him a year or an hour, Arcturus came upon the great City of Masque, and its shifting bazaar, and therein found the Grand Mercantile. Ushered inside, directed to Kal, he was quickly enough face to face with his friend. The Shadow seemed pleased to see him, and Arcturus would be lying if he wasn't feeling the same. It was always a pleasure, always a relief, and yet in that moment it was undercut by his lingering confusion.

Clearly he'd picked up on as much too.

"Noodles, Kal, really?" he opened with, shaking his head; serious tone was soon broken with a simple enough chuckle. Arcturus couldn't help himself, the whole thing was bizarre but he'd never stay mad at the Shadow, not even for a minute. "Why'd you do it?" He tilted his head a little to the left as he queried his friend. "I thought you were against that sort of thing..."

Kal

 

[Kal]

Kal did not answer immediately. Instead, he placed the package in front of Arcturus, dismissing the attendants.

The package, the box, was slightly larger than a human head. Black and unadorned, it could be unwrapped from the top but there were no visible seams elsewhere. <It seemed more sensible than the alternative. Please, open it.> Regardless of whether or not his friend did as instructed, Kal would continue, his telepathic voice calm and collected.

<Rattataki Roulette. Such an ugly game - imagine my surprise at seeing you of all people participate.>

Held within the box was a near-human skull adorned with microscopic runes - it was unblemished save for a hole that went through the side of the skull and out the other end. One slug enters, one life ends, one slug leaves.

<Say hello to Arlo Renard, the 'winner' of that little game. A Chaldean Mystic, of all things.>

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Realization struck Arcturus like a slow and steady tide, each word lapping over him like a wave against a shore. The box was opened, and a skull with a very clear slughole through the side was revealed. He did not shy from touching it, lifting it from its blackened nest to examine it this way and that. Paying particularly close attention to the detailed runes.

Certainly akin to something he would make himself, yet very much more on the macabre side of things.

Arcturus did not say anything for a moment, standing and listening as his friend explained the why and the who. Then he whetted his lips. For a moment that same level of frustration and confusion lingered over his form.

And then he cracked a smile.

"Man, I know I've been a little fethed lately... But really, Kal, you think I'd participate in such a crude display of nonsense?"

He blinked, set the skull back into the box, and then lifted his head to look at the Shadow.

"I told you once it would be a shame if I died tomorrow, for all the things I'd fail to learn. That still stands, you know? I don't think there'll ever be a day when that statement doesn't ring true. Chaos, I wasn't participating you plonker. I was trying to figure out why the feth they were pointing slugthrows at their heads..."

He nodded toward the skull.

"Clearly their game was as dumb as it looked. You ever find out why they did it? I honestly thought they were possessed or something, craziest chit I've ever seen."

With all of the tension Arcturus had been feeling ever since he'd begun his journey to find Kal now gone, the man took a step forward and beamed, arms extending outward. "Gonna take a lot more than that to end me, mate. Thanks, though... You know, for being cautious. Always good to know somebody out there has my back..."

He brought his hands back together in a singular, gentle clap, then sighed. "Alright, well, while I'm here I'm going to go check on ole Hourglass; who knows, maybe I'll stick around for a bit. Get some work done. And you... Keep being awesome."

Arcturus poked a finger in Kal's direction as he spoke, fully aware that it wouldn't actually collide with his incorporeal form, and then lifted the box slightly.

"What's it do, by the way?" he inquired. "It does something, I can feel it..."

Kal

 

[Kal]

A moment's hesitation and then amusement flowed from Kal in waves, the telepathic equivalent of laughter.

<I see, that explains a great deal. It did seem out of character, but there was little time to evaluate the situation seeing as you were turning the gun on yourself.> He had not sensed any suicidal urges from his surface thoughts and so had assumed it to be a rather foolhardy attempt at testing some new technique or artefact. Foolhardy for him, anyway.

For obvious reasons, Kal was not at all opposed to shooting himself for science.

For once, Arcturus' finger would actually connect with Kal, his body feeling oddly smooth. More akin to metal than flesh. It was easy enough for a Shadow to be tangible in this of all places - useful too, in certain circumstances.

<It predicts one's deaths - or rather, potential deaths. While situationally useful, I am not sure I can recommend actually using the thing, for your sanity's sake, but consider it a lesson.> His reasoning for making it was somewhat redundant, but it had been interesting enough; a true learning experience. Besides, if nothing else it was a solid paperweight.

Well, a somewhat cursed paperweight.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

A panicked, instinctual act. A true desire to preserve his existence. Arcturus grinned cheekily as the Shadow spoke, then shook his head. "You're like my Fairy Godfather" he chuckled, "What's the Shadow equivalent of that? A genie? A shade on my shoulder keeping me in check?" Another laugh, then he sighed. "Glad you were there, you know, in case it did choose to discharge for whatever reason."

It was an odd day indeed, made more so by the fact that his finger met Kal's steely skin when he reached out to poke him. Strange, unnerving, his eyes widened.

"Woah. So there is some tangibility to you after all. Neat!" After learning all he had of this place, he supposed it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Matter in the Nether reacted differently to how it would beyond; there was a reason his compass only seemed so bright and shimmery in this realm. Otherwise it was just murky and still.

As for the skull...

"Oh, sick. Chaos, Kal, you really know how to make a point don't you? Interesting... Certainly looks like something I'd keep on my desk, huh? Alright, I'll avoid focusing on it, I'm sure you won't blame me if I try it out at least once though, curiosity and all that..."

This poor Arlo person, forever holding down flimsiplast sheets on a desk. Oh well it was his own foolishness which had led him to this point.

Kal

 

[Kal]

Kal's amusement was palpable, literally. <Something like that. Perhaps I should start granting wishes.>

His amusement only increased at Arcturus' surprise, a surprise that led him to briefly switch from his usual telepathy. "Oh yes, in here we are as tangible as we wish to be. This is a realm of thought and spirit, after all - how else would the souls of the deceased interact with the realm? Those who do not immediately fade away into the oneness of the Force, that is."

If brought to Realspace, the nebulous stuff of the Netherworld itself was somewhat inconsistent.

<It seemed appropriate, given the circumstances; the way in which he died - a fluke of fickle fate - made the process easier than it might otherwise have been, as did his Sensitivity.> Picking the skull up, he extended it towards his friend. <Feel free, it won't bite. It could be useful, at times, but I must insist that you not get caught up in paranoia.>

It was a blunt instrument erring on the side of caution; some of the 'potential deaths' were downright implausible.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Hey, well if you start you let me know... I'll trade you - something... Something for a wish." A firm nod of his head, before he smirked in good humour. "You feel like... well, not flesh," he stated with a tilt of his head, "It's strange. As solid as stone. Quite the change from your intangible self I must say." From one extreme to another... Somehow he wasn't really all that surprised.

The skull was soon extended toward him, and Arcturus stared into the dead sockets of what had once been Arlo's eyes. Empty, cavernous pits. The boy was no real stranger to death, or corpses, Chaos he'd studied under Pravus for a while and that man had a literal zombie for a servant, but this felt... Different. Maybe because he knew their name, their cause of death.

Didn't rightly know him though, did he?

Yeah, that eased some of the oddity right away.

Well, no sense in hesitating further. Probably best he did it while Kal was present anyway. Less chance of him losing his head. He reached out and touched the skull, taking it from his now-tangible friend and drawing upon the Force as he did so.

For a moment Arcturus seemed to just stand there, stunned. Eyes widened, pupils flicking back and forth at a strange rate, he was all at once transfixed and his arm remained outstretched as though he were doing some Shakespearean soliloquy.

Then he blinked, exhaled an all together shuddery breath, and pulled back slightly from it. If Kal had removed his hold at this point, the skull would just remain suspended in midair, held in place by the Force. Arcturus' expression crumpled into a soured frown.

"Mm," the boy mumbled, clearing his throat in the aftermath. "Very uh... Very potent, Kal." A nod, decisive yet all together dismissive, before he returned the oddity to its box. Well if nothing else it would be a point of interest upon his desk.

Kal

 

[Kal]

<Truth be told, I could be fleshy too. I just usually don't bother.> There were few true limits on his form, especially here.

The same could not be said for Arlo Renard, whose remains remained staunchly corporeal despite the sorcery wrought upon them. Its effects were almost tangible too, as was made more than evident by Arcturus' reaction. It was stronger than his had been, but that was not surprising - experiencing death by proxy was nothing new to the Shadow.

<That it is. Seeing oneself die is unpleasant enough, but feeling it?>

Who knows, perhaps Arcturus would find a use for it. If not, it was at the very least somewhat collectable. Whatever the item's ultimate fate, Kal would be quite content - making and briefly using it for testing purposes had been interesting.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Yes, well... It's been delightful as always my friend, and truly we need a proper catch up soon but..." He replaced the lid to the box, then levitated that with the Force to hover at his side, untouched by his hands once more. You know, to be careful or whatever. "Don't let me keep you." A thought passed over his expression, and he shook his head again. Humour returned in full.

"Chaos, you're funny," he muttered, "Thinking I'd do that... Come by the workshop some time soon, Kal. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

And with that, Arcturus turned and made to leave - though not before stepping forward and actually embracing the now-tangible Shadow in a quick embrace, for who knew when he'd next be able to do so? A quick gentlemanly pat on the back, then he stepped away.

This part of the Bazaar was too fancy for him, even if his little shop was knitted into the very fabric of it. He felt decidedly out of place among all of the Shadows and the like; all except one, of course.

"Skull..." he shook his head once more, then made his exit.

Kal