12.6

Jan 24, 2010 20:35

The tunnel opens on a spiral staircase in red sandstone, and then on a set of rough, uneven paths overlooking a cliff face ( Read more... )

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reallyaduck January 25 2010, 04:39:51 UTC
Duck scurries along behind, craning her neck.

It's dark, and the reddish walls are kind of a creepy color - and it gets creepier when one wall falls away, revealing an epic drop beyond that. And on the ground -

Duck cranes her neck over, trying to see what might in fact be on the ground. But as far down as she can see . . . there's just nothing.

She leans further out. "Waaaa . . . scary!"

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fairytaleknight January 25 2010, 04:50:38 UTC
Great. On the way to a climactic battle, Fakir has to be nursemaid to a girl who can't be trusted not to fall into a pit.

"Idiot!" Fakir snaps, grabbing Duck by her dangling ponytail and pulling her backwards. "Walk towards the middle! You're already careless enough as it is."

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reallyaduck January 25 2010, 05:24:29 UTC
"Ow ow ow ow ow -"

Duck wobbles herself back to something approximating balance, then stares at Fakir's back as he walks on.

Did he just . . . save her? Was he worried about her?

There's a smile on Duck's face as she races after him . . . and bangs straight into a wall.

Oops.

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fairytaleknight January 25 2010, 05:32:50 UTC
Fakir stands and waits for her. "You're saving the graceful-and-wise bit for later, I see."

But, despite the words, he sounds genuinely and pleasantly amused.

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reallyaduck January 25 2010, 05:40:03 UTC
"- huh? Ohhh . . ."

Duck makes a face at him, but there's no real malice behind it. He did wait for her.

She thinks about this for a few moments, as the lighting of the scene goes from red-tinted to blue. Fakir has been acting different. Like a person who talks, sort of.

"Hey, Fakir . . .?"

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fairytaleknight January 25 2010, 05:43:47 UTC
Fakir, walking ahead of Duck, threads his way through a cave of stalactites and stalagmites. He doesn't turn around. "What is it?"

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reallyaduck January 25 2010, 05:45:26 UTC
. . . and Duck's nerve fails her.

He looks really kind of preoccupied and maybe he's not as friendly now as she thought and what she's going to say isn't all that important anyways so . . .

"Uh, it's nothing . . ."

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fairytaleknight January 25 2010, 05:48:46 UTC
"What the heck?" Fakir keeps walking. The destination is ahead, somewhere, and when they get there, this conversation will be over. "If you didn't want to say, just keep your mouth shut."

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reallyaduck January 25 2010, 05:52:21 UTC
Duck steels herself.

"N-no, it's just . . ."

One foot in front of the other, Duck. He pulled you away from the cliff, Duck, he's probably not going to try to shove you off again just for trying to say thanks.

"I don't think you're no good as a knight or anything, you know," she blurts out.

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fairytaleknight January 25 2010, 08:59:16 UTC
Fakir halts halfway through a step, and then attempts to cover the pause by speed-walking again.

What right does she even have to say that?

But Duck did hear all the insults that Kraehe tossed at him. Maybe she's replying to them.

Fakir sighs. He can't just ignore Duck, if she's down in the underground passageways and about to fight ravens at his side. "What are you getting at?"

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reallyaduck January 26 2010, 04:42:44 UTC
"I'm not really trying to get at anything," Duck protests, trying to keep up.

"It's just - I didn't think you were very nice when we first met -" (Maybe he hadn't noticed.) "- but now I feel like I know you a little better -"

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fairytaleknight January 26 2010, 04:49:50 UTC
Nice? Niceness is not an advantage for a warrior.

Before Duck can say anything even more embarrassing, Fakir interrupts. "I'll say this right now. I have no intention of cooperating with you."

Walking fast enough so that Duck has to fall behind, he finishes, "I'll help Mytho in my own way. End of story."

And perhaps I can find somewhere to put you so you stay out of this battle.

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reallyaduck January 26 2010, 04:54:37 UTC
Duck sighs, and scurries after him.

"I know that . . ."

He'll help her but he won't cooperate with her. 'cause he thinks he has to do everything alone, and he doesn't think she'll be useful. She gets it.

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fairytaleknight January 26 2010, 05:06:03 UTC
Fakir slows down, but he says nothing.

He's busy scanning the area, all right? There might be enemies. There is, at the very least, a three-foot ledge which Fakir and Duck will have to jump from.

There are certainly important things to do other than make friends with Duck.

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reallyaduck January 26 2010, 05:53:30 UTC
. . . still, maybe if she explains to Fakir why she wants to help . . . why it's so important to her to help him Mytho . . .

It's almost amazing even to her how important it is for her to help him and Mytho.

"Hey, you know?" she says, stopping - right before a drop, coincidentally, although not because she actually observed and reacted to it. That would be silly!

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fairytaleknight January 26 2010, 05:56:18 UTC
Fakir saw the drop coming, but -- since Duck speaks just exactly when he's about to jump -- he leaps much less gracefully than he intended to.

(Actually, it was sort of a fall, not a leap.)

"Hmmm?"

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