Icarus Waits

[SoaringIcarus]

Icarus lay stiffly awake in bed on only his second or third night within the walls of The Pen. His inexhaustibility was only fueled by his view of the sky, at the turn of his head to peer out of the only window in his make-shift shack. He could never sleep when his view of Venus was so spectacular. Encyclopedias rounded the corners of his former rooms, with information about his many whimsical curiosities such as Venus. She is the blue sister, and the goddess of beauty, yet all pictures of her are murky, and volcanic. But how sweet and gem-like she appeared to him now, keeping him company in his familiar midnight peacefulness. Venus winked at Icarus, and he sighed deeply in tranquility. It never mattered how much he knew of Venus, as long as she was here for him now.

 

Icarus was only unsettled by the rarely disturbed silence in The Pen. As if he’d only arrived as it’s inhabitants were preparing to move (as he did), or die, standing up, with their eyes open, and their hands creaked to a halt, mid-task. Icarus knew that he came bearing no such figurative oil can, or with myth of any such ‘savior’. He just wondered why he heard no one else awake, with Venus up there, waiting for them.

[Guest Katzaniel]

As he waits, he hears a quiet rustling outside his tent. Icarus adjusts his position slightly and peers towards the noise. He sees approaching him a creature whose upper torso is that of a human male, a witch doctor of ancient times complete with bone necklace and crude spear, but whose stomach melds into the body of a tiger.

 

"I see you are awake," says the tigertaur, spotting Icarus. "I am new here myself, but Welcome! anyway."

[Vlad]

As the tigertuar approaches Icarus, and Venus radiates her pale beauty, another figure finds his way towards the companions. This newcomer has an unmistakable aura about him, not of evil, but not of good. Icarus shifts his position once more to try and notice the being, causing him to look directly at Venus. Any thoughts of malice or hate vanish from his mind, but darkness still looms.

 

Life around the pen continues, despite it's silence. If one was to listen closely, he or she might notice that it is not a natural silence. The grand expirements down in the cellars, or up in the towers, the idle talk in the Cabaret room, are all drowned out by the night, a time of tranquility.

[SoaringIcarus]

Icarus laughed, because it was precisely at moment after he had wondered where everyone else was, that Katzaniel greeted him gleefully. He smiled warmly, as he was always fond of humans and felines. This made for an interesting acquaintance.

 

“Hello there, Katzaniel.” He said heartily. His accent had barely detectable traces of Welsh in it. “I’ve noticed you around the city, and have heard about your history. It’s pleasant to not be alone in our recent entrance to The Pen, don’t you think?” He said while he examined Katzaniel’s spear and stature; he mused upon how well both could fare in battle. Katzaniel responded positively, agreeing that it was indeed nice to have fellow non-Members. Icarus stood up, out of the tent, at his full height of 5’8 (He never said he was an intimidating guy.), stretched his arms while he glanced at Venus and politely asked

 

“Do you miss being human more than you miss being tiger?” One had to be delicate when asking these sorts of things. “Pardon me if I’m being a bit too intrusive upon our first formal meeting, such is my inclination I’m afraid.” He strolled idly around to the other side of the shack with his hands in his pockets, looking up. “Should you ever become overwhealmed with nostalgia, to whom would you return…” He trailed off, more as a question to himself. “…Or would you return?”

[SoaringIcarus]

Before Icarus is able to see Vlad the Imploder, he feels his presence heading towards him and Katzaniel. Distortion of the lines between evil and good was hardly the kind of thing that eluded Icarus.

 

“Hello there.” Icarus stated, noticing how pleasingly Vlad fades into darkness, seeming almost as if darkness faded into him. “Does she keep you awake as well?” He gestured to his winking gem. Curiously still, Icarus strolled all the way around the shack, with his hands jammed in his pockets, palming what discarded or forgotten stuff of his journey remain. They both stand in the chilled night, admiring her, while Icarus plainly wondered “Does she weaken the silence for you?” as he gazed out at the houses dimly lit from within, but strangled still by the looming silence. Icarus cleared his throat softly, just to release his ears from such a death-grip.

[Vlad]

"Yes... and no." The sounds seems to come from all around Icarus, weakest from the direction of Venus. "I am... a creature of the night." Vlad had begun moving through the darkness, with the speed and grace of one with a troubled mind. He was unsure... of who he was, of what he believed in, of why he existed. Of what the truth was.

 

Breif images flashed through both Icarus' and Vlad's minds. They were images of a troubled past. A time from before the Pen was erected. This took much energy on the part of Vlad, and caused him to become quite plainly visible. "Was that..." Icarus started to ask, but Vlad had already started to depart, leaving a final message that lingered in the air, like stale dust.

 

We will meet again soon... Friend.

[Guest Katzaniel]

Katzaniel looked around. Not being currently in feline form, she had missed the whole aura being changed. She stepped back and let Icarus interact with whatever it was that had come. She didn't want to change form just then, when it was clear that nothing was being threatened. She regretted not being able to see it, but she knew that even by becoming a full cat she would not be guaranteed to be included - her feline abilities didn't always include seeing magic in the dark.

When it was clear that the presence had gone, Katzaniel continued on as if nothing had happened. She didn't want to be left out of anything, but she didn't want to have to ask either.

"You obviously haven't been watching close enough, sir. I cannot miss being a cat, for I still occasionally appear in that form. I can be any kind of cat I want to be, when I want to be." She faded into and out of a faintly feline form. "As for being human, I suppose there is a part of me that misses that. Literally!" She smiled, not explaining further. "And yourself? I don't believe you've yet given your name."