Gone are the age of the innocent ones

[isolophobia]

| characters | Pitch Black and you?

| date/time | 6/11-? (please specify date in header)

| location | The purple-blue Lifestream

| rating | G? (TBE if needed)

| summary | Fear has pointedly stayed away from the Lifestream. Now he's right next to it. Houston, you have a problem.



Usually Pitch didn't make much use of the dark moth's wings he had been sporting since coming here. But they really were ideal for silent flight between the levels. Most people were staying well away from the changed Lifestream, but not Pitch. He was unbothered by that feeling of being upset, stressed even. It was more sorrow than he preferred, but there was fear to be had here. Old fear. Harder to find, though, which may account for his presence here.

It was small, but still. Better than that golden light that everyone gathered around and felt so calmed by. Better to dance in the dark like this. Light without light. alone in the dark.

Comments

11 June it is!

[kingpika]

Gil did not actually get the fuss about the Lifestream changing colour. By the time he had arrived, the thing had already started randomly switching, and as far as he could tell all it actually meant was that it got a bit harder to navigate the tree at night. Apparently it accentuated the negative feelings of everyone who got close to it, but well, all the evil in the world was but a mere shower for the King of Heroes' ego. It would take several times the tree's power to affect him.

So here he was, watching the dark light of the tree nonchalantly, waiting for the sun to rise so he could get back to work.

[isolophobia]

Well that's different. there have been so few people willing to go near the altered Lifestream, that someone altogether ignoring feeling it inspired catches Pitch's attention. Pitch didn't consider it 'evil' exactly, but stress, sadness, and all the negative feelings usually associated with the darkness are stronger now.

Pitch lands silently wings tucked behind his back like an extra bit of cape, and hands folded together over that.

"You are bold to come close at night."

[kingpika]

"I could hardly be a hero if I weren't bold, could I? If anything, you're the bold one."

Gilgamesh spoke without a single shred of doubt. His was a legend of adventure, of rule, and of raging against the gods themselves. There was very little that he feared, and there were many who feared him. It was simply the way of things.

"You don't often see this much darkness in something with voice and form. Most minds can't bear it. What are you?"

He struck straight at the heart of the matter. Gilgamesh, even as the child Gil, knew otherworldly things when he saw them, and this was definitely something otherworldly.

[isolophobia]

Both Pitch's brows raised then. He was utterly charmed by this small piece of a spirit being so demanding, without even offering anything in return.

"I could ask the same of you, with the slight edit to 'who are you'. Because you are most assuredly not a child."

Plainly It was a spirit of some kind, but professed itself to be hero. Not the first time this old Boogeyman has met some kid professing to be a hero, but this kid definitely asked pointed questions if he was just looking to make a name for himself.

[kingpika]

"Me? Even though I am not a child, I am most definitely a child." The mind follows the body in many ways. This was one of them. He retained all the memories and experience he had, the good and the bad, but the core of his personality had certainly reverted to what he had when he was nine. There was a strange dissonance, to both have seen so much and still be able to project childish innocence and charm.

"I'm Gil. Or perhaps I should say Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, perhaps you've heard of me, perhaps you haven't?" There was a strange respect being given here, for Gil to give his entire name instead of his childish nickname so readily. The Epic of Gilgamesh itself was an old, old tale. By some records it was the first legend committed to writing. Most worlds would have it, but not many on those worlds would be familiar with such prehistoric stories.

[isolophobia]

Curiouser and curiouser to quote Lewis Carroll, though it's a wholly different quote by Frederick Nietzsche that says the mind is a plaything of the body. And it was only a complete fool that didn't learn to recognize their downfall when they saw it. Pitch Black bowed deeply and without reserve. Even the extra moths wings only became partially extended to show their golden edging as he straightened.

"Your majesty. As I recall, Uruk, was a single city within ancient Sumeria. Ah, but then you say you are a hero. So I suppose it is more about the promise of such a great kingdom, not the kingdom itself.

The problem was that like recognized like, and where a child would be Fear's undoing so too would Gilgamesh be his own end.

[kingpika]

"It was a different time, where having a city-state at all was quite the achievement, and Uruk was the greatest city in the world. But you're right, merely being a king won't make you a hero." If this spirit was trying to get Gilgamesh to prove his credentials, he was definitely not above showing off. Even diminished as he was within the Tree, he was still the King of Heroes, and the King had his ways.

"First you slay a giant, taking his auras and the cedar he guarded and giving it to the lands you rule. Then you collect all the treasures of the world." Ripples in space opened behind him, coins and jewels falling out like rain. Money was the least of his treasures, but it was what he had left. The truly great items, the many tools that would become part of the legends of some other, later hero, had been left behind in the summoning somehow.

"After that, you find and lose immortality." The rain ceased, the treasures disappeared, and Gilgamesh pulled out a single flask from nowhere. Contained within was the Potion of Immortality. In his life he had tossed it away for the snakes, but it had found its way to him regardless.

"Finally you die, and you get your story written in stone that will endure for thousands of years." For Gilgamesh was dead, but legends endured and were given shape. This particular form had been granted by the machinations of some foolish mage who thought Gilgamesh could be contained and controlled. Alas, that was not to be.

"But well," he tossed the potion back through the hole in space he had gotten it from, "it doesn't actually matter! Almost everyone here just knows me as Gil, the precocious boy who just got here, and that's fine too."

June 13th works for me!

[princeandscholar]

Normally, Orcelito dives into the Life Stream every chance he gets. Today, he’s trying very hard to get from floor 6 to floor 5 without touching it. This involves holding onto the edge of the floor and carefully tipping himself over the edge, wings folded tight, to reach the ceiling of the floor below. (He really does look like a moth right now.)

With a calculated dive and flutter of wings, he makes it, leaving a half-inch between himself and that frightful blue pillar. Oh, speaking of frightful… he pauses, hovering, at the sight of a familiar figure moving through and round the Life Stream.

“I thought you preferred to avoid light.” He observes.

o7

[isolophobia]

Orcelito is not the only one to do so, and normally Pitch would be more avoidant of sunlight and Lifestream both. That can get tricky, so there are times when no one sees or hears from him for days, or even weeks.

But today he doesn't seem bothered by the changed Lifestream. in fact he is close enough to reach out and touch it. But in his customary stance of hands behind his back, Pitch just looked at Orcelito's little dance to avoid contact and smiled.

"I do. But I am quite sure you will agree that this is not exactly what you would call 'Light' anymore."

[princeandscholar]

“That depends on how you define ‘light’.” Orcelito looks at the pillar but refrains from moving closer. He’s surprised to see Pitch in such close proximity to it.

“It keeps us out of total darkness. In that sense, it is still a light source.” Not much sunlight reaches inside the Tree, so without the Life Stream – whatever color it presents itself – it would always be night here.

((OOC: I filled in a permissions on Pitch’s journal – have fun!))

I saw and eee ty!! 8D

[isolophobia]

Exactly. And in the darkness, there was every bit of dark magic; every monster, creature, the fear of the unknown. The sort of dark magic that could conjure the worst of nightmare monsters that are mysteriously, and just as powerfully wiped away with the light because they probably never existed at all.

Anything that promoted soothing, calm, and peaceful thoughts had been completely anathema to a creature that thrived off fear, stress, and panic. So when the Lifestream changed, Pitch certainly took notice. Granted it was more sorrow than he preferred, but that tiny thread of Fear was still here. So here he was, musing over that single tiny thread amid the stress and sorrow.

"So does a candle, yet it does not make the shadows it casts even deeper." A lazy sort of smile. "This does."

[princeandscholar]

“A candle cannot put out a fraction of this light.” Orcelito says very matter-of-factly. He looks – or acts – almost puzzled by Pitch’s comment.

He gets the impression that this mysterious man isn’t talking about light in a literal sense. But this is a game to him, and Orcelito plays it in the manner of his choosing. Right now, that means being innocently commonsensical. He won’t allow for vulnerability near the distorted Life Stream.

[isolophobia]

Pitch is just giving you a look, in silence for the moment, Orcelito. The bright gold of his eyes shines in vague warning, though nothing is actually said.

Don't play dumb.

You're too smart for that, and while Pitch might enjoy a little bit of word play as much as the next spirit, he doesn't like being insulted like that instead, here's your one 'freebie'.

"Did the ink disappear then?"

[princeandscholar]

Orcelito wonders at the change of topic. But he observes Pitch’s reaction and responds calmly.

“No. It didn’t.” He took Pitch for a trickster at first; that fairytale entity that exists to tease and taunt the hero harmlessly – the dark fool of the story. He still doesn’t consider him a serious threat, but perhaps he’s not a fool either. He’s certainly not trustworthy.

Where does that leave them?

“I don’t think you’ve told me who you are.” And hearing it from Kit isn’t enough. He wants you to introduce yourself proper.

June 12

[alley_kit]

Not so alone, as it turned out. Kit really should have been asleep by now, but the whole business with the changed Lifestream had given her a lot to think about. And thinking and sleep didn't really mesh that well. Thus, rather than lay in bed staring at the ceiling, she'd opted to take a little walk and possibly a flight, hoping to wear herself out enough to drop off when she returned.

She didn't get very far before she ran into a familiar face standing near the changed Lifestream. "Oh, hi, Pitch," she said, getting as close as she dared to the blue-purple light in order to more easily speak to him. "Haven't seen you for awhile." Unlike most everyone else, Pitch didn't need to visit the food-branch daily, so not seeing him around wasn't so worrying as it might have been. Though she had been checking under her bed every so often, just in case he decided to pay her another visit that way.

[isolophobia]

The surprise is mutual. It usually is when it concerned Kit, because honestly? Pitch had no idea why she would continue to speak to him so casually. In fact she acted in many ways that were entirely foreign because there certainly weren't many children on Earth that behaved as completely unafraid as she did.

"Hello Kit."

It should have bothered him that anyone was acting so familiar with him, but it wasn't a concern with Kit.

"It is late for you, isn't it?"

[alley_kit]

Most children of Earth didn't have lives that were nearly as adventurous as Kit's has been. Of course it helps that Pitch hasn't done anything more threatening than exist in a vaguely creepy fashion and be grumpy in Kit's presence. As things stood, she found him more cool than scary.

"Couldn't sleep," Kit explained. "I was planning on taking a walk and maybe a flight to see if that'd tire me out enough to doze off."

Kit paused, looking back up at the lifestream. Even now, it was beautiful. Just beautiful in a sad way. "I guess you like the Lifestream better now, huh?", Kit said. There was no accusation in her tone, just curiosity. "You never used to go near it before."

[isolophobia]

Accusation or not it wouldn't have mattered. She was simply stating facts. Though without the accusation Pitch was more inclined to talk to her.

"There is fear here. It is old, and it is tiny, but there. More sorrow than I care for to be honest. But the tang of panic, of stress...ah, so much better than that terrible contentment. When the sun was up I could hardly find one shadow. But now, oh now, sunrise to sunset there are more shadows than even I could ever choose from."

He grinned that grin that generally unsettled people. Kit may not be, because Kit had never been afraid of him. But, then again, Kit has always been a bit different.

[alley_kit]

Kit nodded a little. "Yeah," she said. "Don't think anybody likes the sadness. But I'm glad you're enjoying the rest of it, at least." It truly was an ill wind that blew no one any good, apparently."

The smile was a little on the unnerving side, yes. But only a little. After being grinned at by a mad jackal who she knew with a reasonable amount of certainty viewed her as a potentially tasty snack, Kit's standards were set pretty high in that regard. Kit just put it down to Pitch's general... Pitch-ness.

"I wonder what a tree would be afraid of, though?", Kit wondered aloud. "Fire, maybe? Or people with axes?" It was never a subject she'd really considered before, even after visiting the Forest of Magi Oar.

[isolophobia]

The actual question was a bit jarring. Pitch couldn't help the blank confusion that overtook that particular grin. That has got to be the single silliest question anyone has ever asked him.

Mostly because you just answered yourself. Well, half-answered yourself.

Looking down with that same sort of bemused stare.

"It is old fear, and tiny. Nearly lost amidst sorrow, but it is there. And a tree would feel fear as any living thing would; simply slower. A tree would fear being cut from it's tap root, or a hoard of invading parasites. Or worse yet, fire and drought."

An eloquent shrug. Just because he looks humanoid doesn't mean that fear cant take on all shapes and sizes.

"To a tree, mortals must seem very fast-moving, indeed."

June 14

[knight_king]

Saber was concerned which was both a natural state of distress and perhaps augmented by the blue shade of the Life Stream. It did not matter, for she would always be worried about the relatively harmonious lifestyle of the dwellers disturbed by a change nobody knew the origin. She suspected it might have been because of the failure to solve the riddle, but it could be anything else?

She approached it to observe if there was a change, a flicker of golden to indicate it could switch back and forth, wondering if this was not a natural process of the tree. She had not expected to see him flying between the levels. Though, she truly should have.

She did not say anything, unwilling to disturb him if he was seemly content with the shift. She stopped by the opening and looked at the floors beneath. Saber lived at the top one, the one framed by crystals.

[isolophobia]

Having spotted Saber, it takes barely a moment before he's flying to her level with a grin. He didn't mind the moths wings this place had given him, because they still allowed him to fly silently (not to mention let people see him) so he's there before you know it.

"I did not think I would be returning, but the change before us made it possible.~"

Meaning the bluish-purple Lifestream. Though without the golden light to reflect and refract, it wasn't nearly so bright up here. And Saber didn't have that golden light anymore. Now it's the shows that have gown deeper. The blue and purple being swallowed up by th darkness.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

[knight_king]

She followed his movements with her gaze, calmly watching him fly over her. She was worried about the switching color of the Life Stream and perhaps it intensified when she was close to the cold light, nonetheless she shook her head.

"This could have other side-effect on the tree," she spoke as she faced the bluish-purple light. "I would not be quick to judge this change if I were you."

If was only sadness and a different light, she would not mind at all. She was more used to those negative emotions even if they were as intruding as the positive ones. They distracted her focus.

[isolophobia]

Wow, Saber. Way to be a buzzkill.

Well Pitch isn't letting the changed state of the Lifestream get him down. If anything he seems more vital with it's altered state. As though the golden light that everyone else gained such a feeling of contentment from is the opposite for him.

"Ah but there is finally the smallest hint of fear to be had."

Don'd worry if you can't see him right away - if you decide to turn around that is. Pitch is being obnoxious by making use of the only shadow up here for a moment. Since that shadow belongs to Saber, she's casting a shadow that looks an awful lot like a tall, dark moth guy for a second. It doesn't last very long before he's right back to being leaned over her shoulder, a bit too close for comfort.

"And it is so very much better than that awful yellow."

Referring, of course, to the golden Lifestream. All that contentment was hard for Pitch Black to bear, but this was much better.

[knight_king]

She was Arturia, King of Killjoys.

"There is?” she asked, furrowing her brows. She felt her mood heavier near it, but she tried to suppress most of her emotions; the excess of negativity and optimism alike. “It is probably too faint to—"

She trailed off, glancing behind her just when he decided to emerge from her shadow. She didn't jump or move away. She was not sensing hostility from him, so such actions were unnecessary. Although she was not used to others to be so close to her, most would simply keep their distance.

"You are not the first one who seems pleased with the change," she admitted, recalling Ren's reaction. She simply cared this didn't have other side-effects that were more grave than aesthetics and a heavy ambiance.