[closed] hey get your knives out

[prozaic]

WHO: Shalem + others
WHERE: Mostly in the Gallows, but there's something happening in Mirth too.
WHEN: Event time!
WHAT: Shalem is in jail, then he's not. Then he needs to make some money.
WARNINGS: Shalem's Shadow amplifying his bloodlust, some PTSD, lots of poetic waxing about dark things. More tba

[ a catch-all for people i've plotted with. feel free to respond to my plotting comment if you'd like a thread! ]

Comments

[damnpire]

[The only time he will finally understand the tongue is later when Sylvain kisses his cheek, and his punishment ends up being a forked tongue.

He’s still making his slow circle, but pauses to glance in Shalem’s direction.]

Be careful.

[He will follow in a moment if Shalem isn’t back yet, but wants to finish the loop around in case.]

[prozaic]

[of course, shalem knows how to be careful, and he has the tools to do so. he opens the door a crack rather than go in bodily, he lets himself listen, smell... so on and so forth.

he calls out once he's taken stock of the room and determines there's not a soul inside.]

Looks to be safe! [which suits him just fine, because he'd rather be quiet. serene. calm. that sort of thing. he doesn't want a fight, is the point.

he delves deeper into the room, unbothered by the dim lighting-- felines may be the best operators at night, but pythia are no slouch either even if their eyesight is less sharp. shalem can still see in some way. there are a lot of books-- the smell is unmistakable, even it's much less than that in the documents room.

d will likely find shalem picking up a cushion from one of the sofas and couches, and winding his tail around it, just for something to squeeze gently as he wanders around the room to inspect everything.]

[damnpire]

[Soon after, D appears at the door to look inside after Shalem. The low light doesn’t bother his eyes. He tracks Shalem and the squished fidget pillow for a moment, and then he steps inside as well.

In the quiet of just their movement, a very croaky and strange voice mutters,] What d’ya know, more books. [It doesn’t sound like D’s voice at all, and it isn’t very loud.

D just stands there still, looking around.]

[prozaic]

[shalem freezes-- that's not d's voice, is it? he remembers it well because he heard it only minutes ago. he's not so old that his memory is going, and his oripathy hasn't reached his brain to be affecting it in any capacity.

so... what's going on?

he raises his tail with the cushion still in its coil with every intention of throwing it if he needs to run away. it won't hurt, certainly, but it could be enough of a distraction.]

D? Is there someone behind you?

[damnpire]

[This damn parasite always does this to him at the least opportune moments.]

No.

[For the moment, he stays where he’s standing to not freak Shalem out more.]

You don’t have to worry. It isn’t anything dangerous.

[prozaic]

Then... that was you.

[which is the only conclusion to have, because there's no one near shalem, and he knows for sure that the gravelly voice came from somewhere near the doorway.]

Or the one in your head. [the shadow, he means.

not that he has any leg to stand on, when his shadow takes over without him realizing, and fucks so many things up for him.]

[damnpire]

Heh heh heh. Gave you a scare, huh? I can do that, too. [In exact mimicry of D’s voice, somehow, it says:] Like this. Call me D. Tall, dark, and painfully quiet. [And then, even stranger, in mimicry of Shalem’s voice:] Shalem, at your service.

[The old, dusty voice is back after, though, when it cackles in amusement.]

That’s enough. You’re showing off and interrupting us. [To Shalem:] It’s a parasite. There’s no need to worry.

[prozaic]

[can a shadow do that? shalem's sure can't (maybe...) and he hasn't interacted with someone else's shadow before.

which, perhaps, is a blessing.]

Please speak to your Soulmate about that after this, if you have one. [if he doesn't... well.

shalem turns back around, the pillow still in his tail, ready to be thrown. he brushes his hand over the available surfaces in the dark, noting the desk, the shelves. an office?]

[damnpire]

I don’t have one.

[Sometimes, the funny man to your straight man lives inside your hand.

Now that the parasite is quiet, he carrie’s on with what they’re doing too, and he joins Shalem inside. The loaded and ready pillow is valid.]

Something must be hidden.

[prozaic]

[well, d is kind of fucked, isn't he?

not that shalem has a leg to stand on when it comes to that, but he's made slightly more stable by his soulmate (maybe...). but he's not going to tell him to find a soulmate, that's inappropriate.

so he pivots to the next topic.]

This seems to be an office. Thus... There's something here. [so he immediately moves to the large desk, already pulling drawers out.]