[prp] Ixodi (julian/ashton/shun)

[cibarium]

Julian had taken the elevator up to the fifth floor with Shun and Ashton, fully expecting the creature who'd used them to be hidden, or elusive, or otherwise some kind of challenge to deal with. In reality they didn't even have to go very far. Or even split up or spread out. Ixodi stood in the middle of the hall at its full height of just barely a meter, unusually still -- its legs didn't move or flicker or change in number and its array of eyes were wide and staring.

"The veilworms... all dead, we sensed it. And you were freed with such ease, barely a whisper in the air from it..."

It sounded more awestruck than enraged.

Julian was equal parts puzzled and unsettled. For all he knew this was simply how this creature talked in general.

blade kuroda

daekie

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Once they came upon the fifth, Shun stepped out of the elevator and stared hard at Ixodi.

"You may be joining them soon enough. That was pretty shitty of you, infecting us like that in the first place," he stated lowly. The shadow dagger had appeared in his right hand.

cibarium

daekie

 

[Daekie]

Ashton, if thrown offguard, had only taken a few minutes of shock and dismay (and confusion?) to return to his normal levels of hipster poise. (He didn't have enough experience in manifesting things to alter his clothing. It was a point of silent humiliation.)

"Officer Kuroda, there's really no need for excessive violence." For how polite he was, his words dripped venom. "I think a reasonable amount will be perfectly fine."

cibarium

blade kuroda

 

[cibarium]

The threat of violence made Ixodi skitter quickly to the ceiling above them. It was still backing away slowly, legs clicking against the surface, but certainly wasn't trying to run.

"Seeking revenge is a sign of the wise," it rattled approvingly. "But you know not your target, you. Do. Not." Now there was a tinge of panic and frustration. "Even with the shadowsight we tasted in your blood, cool-faced one."

By cool the creature probably meant cold.

Probably.

Julian turned a little expectantly to the former thralls. "One of you saw something? Or is this some deception s**t?"

Blade Kroda

daeke

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun glanced to Julian and Ashton, then to Ixodi.

"I have no ******** clue what it is talking about. My shadow eye does not always really tell me much."

cibariuem

daekie

 

[Daekie]

Ashton raised one eyebrow at Julian so high it looked like it was going to elevate off his forehead and join Ixodi on the ceiling. (Was he wearing eyeliner? He hadn't been wearing eyeliner before. His skin looked cleaner, too, clearer.) "If I saw anything, I don't remember it. Like I said, the last thing I can really remember with any clarity is early April."

cibarium

blade kuroda

 

[cibarium]

"The veilworms specialize in forgetfulness, they do," Ixodi said. "I forget many things. But I remember some as the progenitor sleeps." It was wide-eyed and staring holes into the three humans present. "My friend no more. I wish it dead. Perhaps I care not how. Perhaps my own end is a fine price for the vengeance we all seek."

Julian was trying to not be all slack-jawed from utter ******** confusion from the ramblings of the otherwordly tick monster. He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be confused here. As some of the words clicked together in his mind, he sighed. "It's tragic backstory time, isn't it."

There was always a god damned story.

If Shun looked at Ixodi a second time, though, he'd see a coiling, multiply-tendriled something in its head-plate-area. He had seen it half a dozen times and promptly ******** forgot.

blade kuroda

daekie

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun tilted his head at Ixodi as he stared at it.

"Something is in its head," he commented, tightening his grip on his shadowed dagger, "That must be the veilworm source."

He wasn't sure how tough that headplate was, though.

Daekie

cibarium

 

[Daekie]

"What, do you want us to operate? We're hardly qualified, but I can't imagine it's too much different from a dissection." Ashton, still looking at Julian, just kind of shrugged. "Just more blood, probably. Does it help if I don't have a tragic backstory?"

cibarium

blade kuroda

 

[cibarium]

"I mean, I could give it a shot if you want me to?" Julian answered Ashton. "Closest thing I've done is a crayfish, and that was like six years ago. And I was dissecting a dead one." Was that insensitive? It sounded like it could be an insensitive comparison. Should he care about being insensitive to othercreatures? He looked to Ixodi, who showed no outward signs of caring, part because it didn't have much in the way of a visible face. Besides the eyes.

Ixodi dropped back to the floor, apparently feeling less threatened. "Relia is its name. We joined together when your Court was new, an uncertain time. It was a wise decision for only one of us," it explained, actually sounding bitter about it. "But now it foolishly sleeps, trusting me to flee so it can begin its plans anew. I have decided it is no longer worth the blood I get to keep.

"Surely I could be freed the way you were. Surely..."

blade kurod

daeki

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun remained tense as he watched Ixodi return to the floor. His weapon remained drawn.

"Why would you subject yourself to that?" he asked flatly, "I am uncertain of whether or not I should really trust you."

One well placed strike to its head could possibly do both in just as well.

cibarium

daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Power and control," Ashton mused, finally turning to Ixodi with a look that could have meant any number of things. "What would you do for us if we freed you? We've got no reason to believe you, of course."

cibarium

blade kuroda

 

[cibarium]

It hadn't really answered Shun's question at all, instead taking on an exasperated stance and muttering something about humans and their obsession with their hindsight as Ashton asked her own question. For a theoretically immortal being, it sure was impatient.

"I will do nothing," Ixodi answered plainly, to Ashton, sounding baffled and offended by the question. "What would you have me do? Rip off a piece of myself... pay you in legs? You'll find they are worthless to you, you would!" Its array of limbs rattled in the air. "Is your plan to keep on with questions until Relia wakes to birth a new veilworm in one of you? Preventing such an outcome and getting your vengeance is payment enough."

This was a bad place to roll one's eyes, but Julian did it anyway. "Okay... but are you going to keep trying to do the blood thing?"

Ixodi made a petulant growling noise. It wasn't going to be receptive to any more questions, instead opting to stand there and stew like a child in time-out.

blade kuroda

daekie

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun didn't really like the way Ixodi was talking right now. To him, it didn't seem all that it was feeling too sorry for what had transpired. Perhaps it really did want some of what it had spoken of before. But at the same time, the things that he wanted while under the influence of the veilworm were not exactly aligned with his actual interests.

He stepped forth, dagger in hand. But instead of stabbing Ixodi, he just went to kick it in the face. He could kind of see the veilworm in its head. His personal one had left after he had gotten smacked around. If he could do the same here, he got to smack down Ixodi and possibly kill the veilworm.

And if the veilworm didn't leave... well.

cibarium

daekie

 

[Daekie]

Ashton looked vaguely persnickety, with a look like he'd eaten a particularly sour lime, but his expression smoothed out quickly enough as he stood back to allow Shun unlimited access to Ixodi. "Information. Or, well. I suppose whatever the Detective thinks is best."

Blade Kuroda

cibarium