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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 1, 2015 23:57:24 GMT -5
Patrick perked up as he and Van mulled over Ace's proposal. "Well..."
Normally, I would say no to that idea, but... Van actually seemed much more hopeful. Back at the mall... when we defeated Jack... the three of us actually did manage to share control! Who's to say we can't do it again?
"Yeah..." Patrick smiled a little. "Worth a try. Van? Ngh..."
He suddenly started twitching in an almost painful-looking way. When executed willingly, the shift was not usually such a mentally taxing endeavor. But to be fair, none of the three Rooke facets really knew how they had managed to merge their individual psyches into a single unit that first time; it just happened. So trying to consciously divide control between Patrick and Van was proving to be a greater challenge than they had anticipated.
"Gah...! Okay! Okay..." When their struggle proved fruitless, Van assumed full control and grabbed his pounding head. "Let's just... take this slowly for now and act quickly when the time comes. How does that sound?"
Gotcha, Patrick plainly responded.
Bluh... Frig that guy... Ray grumbled, sounding intoxicated.
Van nodded and stepped closer to Ace. "Shall we?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 2, 2015 13:14:56 GMT -5
Ace watched Patrick and Van's struggle with an air of discomfort. Truth be told, the whole multiple personality thing still kind of gave her the willies, but even though Patrick was the one she considered to be her boyfriend, she trusted Van just as much. As long as Ray stayed out of this, she really had no objections. Other than possibly speaking up about not hurting himself. Or themselves. However it worked.
But Van was able to more or less pull Patrick and himself together, and at his offer, Ace gave him a curt nod. "Right..."
She then stepped out into the hallway. It was still dark as night out here. Even with her eyes slightly more well-tuned for darkness in this state, it was still difficult to see more than a few yards away, and even with her aura sensor pinpointing Jack's ethereal stench, navigating to his location would be no easy task like this.
Maybe she was just getting nervous. Scared to go after him again.
Fear... It felt... oddly foreign.
Awkwardly, Ace stared down at Van. "Don't suppose you could lead the way?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 2, 2015 17:13:05 GMT -5
"Can do..." Van humbly replied, a yellow arcane circle igniting beneath him. He took a moment to scan his environment, tracking down Jack's aura. Then, once he had a lock-on, the yellow light stretched out, creating a golden path through the castle. Considering Ace could track Jack's aura herself, the point of this path was less to guide them to him and more to provide a dimly-glowing trail to light their way.
"He's made some distance," Van murmured as he and Ace followed the path. "I'll break away and cut him off from behind. In the meantime, would you mind if I start casting my illusion spells?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 0:16:51 GMT -5
"Y-Yeah, not a problem..." Ace mumbled, massaging her temple as she followed Van.
There was something that had been bothering her for a while. Something that had nothing to do with Jack. It was a question regarding her own state of being. A serious matter that she felt she could trust Van with. How to say it, though, that was the problem.
No time for that, though. Soon, Van had concealed himself from all eyes and ears and the trail had ended. Ace steeled her nerves, preparing for the next scene in Jack's show.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 11:40:34 GMT -5
When they arrived at the library, Van snuck in first, invisible and muted, virtually undetectable. He clung to the wall, feeling around for obstacles as he circled around the room, hoping to catch Jack from behind... wherever he was.
The demon's location was not immediately evident. What with the darkness and all. It was unlikely that either of them would be able to see him sitting atop one of the many bookshelves, flipping aimlessly through a book simply to observe the chilling echo of the pages' whispers. When he spoke, his voice projected above Ace as if it were from the heavens.
"So persistent... but what else is new?
You know that I bear no ill will towards you.
So why have you returned? To set the beast free?
Or do you simply enjoy spending time with me?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 18:14:28 GMT -5
Ace gagged at the thought, but then something else came to mind. "Beast? Are you talking about Evan? He's just under the same curse I am! He's no monster! Plus, we can keep him under control! And unlike some people I know, we do it just to keep him from hurting himself or others! We don't rob him of his free will to take advantage of his predicament!"
She sparked up some electricity, illuminating the room and preparing an attack. "Like I would ever willing come running back to you. It doesn't matter what happened between us. All that matters is that here and now, I'm not stopping until you're out of Evan's head and out of my life."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 19:02:45 GMT -5
Jack simply chuckled and tossed the book aside... but not before setting it on fire, of course. He shifted slightly so his legs were dangling off the bookshelf.
"There's no arguing with you, is there Ace? Heh... I don't suppose there ever was.
And as I have and do enjoy our one-on-one moments, I must say you're still a riot, regardless of your cause.
Climbing out the back door, didn't leave a mark. No one knows it's you, Miss Spade.
Found another victim, but no one's gonna find Jack Trades."
Trades...
Trades...
Right then and there, Jack disappeared, but his voice could be heard from all angles, chanting his tune as the shadows seemed to pound out the beat. The shadows on the wall behind Ace took on Jack's form perfectly, as if he was standing right there and casting it in person, but with his silver eyes and a fully visible mouth. He clung to this wall as he danced around Ace and brushed his fingers along her own shadow, continuing his sweet serenade.
"You put a sour little flavor in my mouth now
You move in circles hoping no one's gonna find out
But we're so lucky, kiss the ring and let 'em bow down
Looking for the time of your life"
"(And no one's gonna find out)"
"A pretty picture but the scenery is so loud
A face like heaven catching lighting in your nightgown
But back away from the water, babe, you might drown
The party isn't over tonight"
"(Lighting in your nightgown)"
"Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey!
Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?
Hey-ey-ey-ey-ey!
Out the back door, G** damn, but I love her anyway!"
The darkness scattered all about the library mirrored the Jack shadow, chanting along and swerving around Ace in maddening circles. All the while, Jack weaved through his shadowy doppelgangers, making it impossible to tell which one was him... or if any of them were him.
"I love her anyway!
I love her anyway!
Out the back door, G** damn, but I love her anyway!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 19:20:50 GMT -5
Ace bristled; even if Jack wasn't touching her actual body, it almost felt like he was via this strange, shadow-to-shadow contact. And to go from that to being hounded by his army of shadows...
It was too much...
Even if she knew Van was there somewhere, she felt utterly alone.
The victim of this manipulative, charismatic demon.
Again.
No.
NO!
"SHUT UP!!!" Ace threw her lightning at the shadows, and as soon as they scattered and started to tangle around her, she swung wildly at them with her staffs, levitated and threw any obstacle at them, dashed all about the room to get away from them... ANYTHING to get this monster off her back!
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 20:56:00 GMT -5
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
"Are you nasty?"
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
"Are you nasty?"
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
Miss Spade
"Are you nasty?
Are you nasty?
I lover her anyway!"The shadows dove at Ace from every which way, undeterred by her attacks or her tantrum. Two black tendrils wrapped around her, pulling her into Jack's shadow form like a sadistic embrace. Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
"Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?"
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
"Out the back door, G** damn, but I love her anyway!" And then, simultaneously, Van's illusion spells were dropped and Patrick appeared in a blinding flash of white. The shadows vanished all at once and Jack was forced into his human form. He groaned in very real pain, shielding his eyes from the infernal haze, then he quickly turned around and flew out of the room through a wall. "ACK-! Darn it!" Patrick ran over to Ace, angrily kicking a bookshelf along the way. "I'm sorry! I screwed it up! We were gonna grab him while he was blinded, and... B-But I just wanted him to let you go, and...!" |
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 21:07:32 GMT -5
"It's okay, Pat..." Ace sighed, shaking off the stiffness and disgust she had felt from Jack's embrace. "Thank you. We'll just have to try it again! Come on!"
She then made her way back into the hallway. She didn't care how many times they had to do it. One way or another, they were taking Jack down.
But in her walk, Ace got to thinking about herself again, and this time she couldn't help but ask Patrick...
"Am I making things worse?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 21:21:59 GMT -5
"What??" As Patrick lit the way in their walk with one hand, he grabbed Ace's arm with the other and stared up at her sadly. "No, no, of course not. I know I sent you away thinking it was for your own good, and even now I'm still extremely worried about you, but if you hadn't showed up, I'd be Jack's puppet right now."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 21:26:08 GMT -5
"I-I know... Thank you..." Ace turned away, too ashamed to look at Patrick with her freakish black eyes... completely unaware that they were slowly getting less black. "But if it wasn't for me... and how stupid I've been acting under this fog's influence... Jack wouldn't even be here now. And aside from splitting you two up, I've been more of a nuisance in this fight, it seems."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 21:37:54 GMT -5
"No you haven't. Listen..." Patrick sighed. "For one, Jack's been smacking me around just as much as he's been smacking you around. That's no one's fault but his. He'd be just as douchey to me if you weren't here. And B, I don't blame you for anything the fog compels you to do. I know you'd never willing help Jack, and I'm not mad at you for losing your crap and doing that without thinking. None of that matters now. All that matters is stopping Jack, getting him out of Evan, and if we're lucky, sealing him away for good."
He blinked a few times, startled by his own monologue. "Wow. Van's right, I really ain't acting like myself! It's weird. I mean, what did the fog even do to us? We sure do argue and fight for control more often, and there was one time we managed to share control. I'm feeling more mellow, Van –no offense, dude– is a bit more underhanded, and Ray is... angrier, I guess."
Mleh... Frigyoo... Ray groaned.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Nov 3, 2015 21:41:14 GMT -5
"Heheh..." If anything, Patrick's speech lifted her spirits while his subsequent self-analysis lightened her mood. Ace managed to smile at him a little. "Guess you're one of the lucky ones. Your heart's just too pure to be corrupted, huh?"
He rubbed his hair a little. "Thanks, dude. I... I appreciate it, really. Now whadya say we try this plan again and give Jack a real wallop?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Nov 3, 2015 21:47:33 GMT -5
"Dawww..." Patrick smiled, blushed and nuzzled Ace's hand. "Thanks. You're too sweet for that little booger. I'm all up for showing him who's boss! Let's do it!"
As he dashed ahead, he looked over his shoulder and paused for a bit. "Hey, your eyes are changing back! Cool! Okay, meet you there!" He then turned back around and disappeared down the hall.
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