paixaorpg | Shifting Sands [Completed]

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Shifting Sands [Completed]

Character(s): Timon and The Prince of Persia
Content: The two meet to share information regarding the city and the forces behind it
Setting: Ceu de Moraria
Time: [Week 1] Afternoon
Warnings: None

This was beginning to turn into a routine; one long excruciating and incredibly wearisome routine. Always running around the city, meeting different people, feeding them different information... It would all be a lot easier if they'd all just come to him. Of course, that would also be extraordinarily dangerous, the very reason he was always on the move was to avoid being found. Sometimes it worked, other times it did not. It all depended on who was looking for him, and what means they deemed necessary to find him.

In any case, it wasn't the Prince's fault. The meerkat had chosen this way long before the man had entered in the city. Though, that didn't appear to be an awful long time. The Prince had done very little to hide his newly status over the journals as far as Timon could see. Not that he had much reason to; naturally everyone one used that in order to obtain the information they felt they required.

The rodent wondered about the man he was meeting. The fact that he had said he was looking for a man over the journals made him unsure whether or not he was still expecting a human being. Timon was familiar with the journals and their many functions, he recognized the purpose of the user pictures, and could successfully identify the Prince by his. However, the Prince had not mentioned his. Perhaps he had missed it, or maybe he was familiar with talking animals.

Perched on one of the two tall statues at the great opera house’s entrance, he awaited the man’s arrival.

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Ceu de Moraria. The Prince wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but certainly not this. Thus far, Paixao had been strange but not quite as foreign as could be expected. This area, however...it was a dome, like those he had seen around the rest of the city and back home, but it was transparent, and beyond it, he could see another, larger dome encasing the first one.

Of course, there was also the décor to notice. Even from outside, the Prince could tell the area was exquisite, and it made him wonder at the structure's purpose. What was this area designed for? For that matter, what was Paixao designed for?

With this question in mind, the Prince took a few steps forward, towards the transparent dome's entrance. As he approached, he found himself admiring the statue that stood nearby. When he turned to admire its twin, however, he stopped walking entirely.

His first instinct was to draw his sword. He had read some small talk on the journal-device of creatures called Lumens, and whilst this did not resemble the description he had been given, he had seen naught but humans in the city thus far. Thus armed, he crouched in a defensive position, watching the creature warily. Its form was entirely non-threatening, and the Prince found himself suspecting he had misjudged the situation. But cation, as ever, was preferable to death.

[OOC: Dammit! I didn't realize the Prince could see user pictures. O.o. Let's just say he didn't notice, or wasn't away of this function of the journal. XD Kindly overlook this oversight? >.<]

The Prince appeared to have excellent timing, for Timon did not have to wait all that long before the man came into sight. Silently watching the Prince approach, he allowed him to observe his surroundings with a still tongue. He remembered the mere sight of Ceu de Moraria the first time he had seen it, it was incredibly overwhelming, more so if you weren't familiar with such a structure. He would at least let him enjoy the sight before getting down to business.

Twisting himself around the statue in order to obtain a greater view of the Prince, as well as reveal his presence, he continued to observe him. He failed to appear anything different than what he had imagined, other than being a tad taller. Opening his mouth to greet the Prince, it then dawned on the meerkat that he knew not the man’s names. Addressing him as 'Hey, you' didn't quite work in this situation, either. He wondered if he could guess the man’s name, though it looked as though it would be a tad difficult. He didn't look like a Phil, Fred, or Ralph... Maybe a George.

Pondering this, Timon brought his paw to his chin in thought. If he called out the wrong name he would just look dumb, but if he didn't say anything the Prince probably wouldn't notice him at all.

His head rose at the sharp sound of something being drawn before him. To his surprise, he found the man crouched down; weapon in hand, eyes resting directly on the statue he was presently perched on. At first he believed the Prince had mistaken the statue for an actual person who had snuck up on him, but after a second glace, he found that the man was in fact looking at him and not the statue.

Well, so much for going unnoticed.

"Uh... Hey, right on time." he began nervously, deciding to remain in his presently high and, most importantly, safe spot. "I'm Timon, glad to meet you and, eh, your sword."

[ooc: It's all good. I thought that might have been the case =P]

Eyes wide, the Prince found himself straightening and backing away. His grip on his sword had loosened, and after one more moment of blank staring, he slipped it away, without taking his eyes off the creature. No, not the creature. Timon. Helplessly, he repeated it aloud.

"Timon." The other man, on the journal-device, had spoken to him of a talking meerkat...but seeing one was another thing entirely. And for it...him?...to be the "man" he was looking for...!

Belatedly, the Prince realized just how threatening his appearance had to be. He had sheathed his sword, and now he took a tentative step forward, still wary but no longer hostile.

"Forgive me," he apologized shakily as he hedged forward. A thread of his former sarcasm snaked its way into his voice. "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see many talking animals in Babylon's menagerie back home."

Why was he so thrown? He had, surely, seen stranger things! But the Sands, the Dagger, even the Dahaka...they could not compare to this bright, talkative creature. They at least had fit their surroundings, all spawned from the same desperate, dark place that was the Island of Time. But this...incongruous could not even begin to describe it.

But what was Paixao? What did the Prince know of this place, really? If confronting the impossible was mad, then he had gone insane a long time ago.

"I am the Prince of Persia." Perhaps if he pretended the situation were normal, it would become so. "Thank you for meeting me here."

Timon watched the Prince's reaction in amusement, though he did he best to maintain a straight face. It appeared he had the element of surprise here, which made him in a lot more control than the Prince for the moment. He didn't mind the shocked reactions he received; at this point he was used to it. At least this answered his question though; he had definitely overlooked the pictures over the journals.

He waited patiently for the Prince to regain himself before speaking. "Ah, no problem." he replied, shaking his head carelessly. "Happens all the time. As you can probably guess, there aren't many talking animals where more than half the people here are from. It makes for an interesting change and surprise."

"A pleasure, Your Majesty. Now, as long as you won't be drawing your sword on me again anytime soon, what can I do for you?"

Now recovered from the unsettling introduction, the Prince had begun to recall his dilemma with spiking irritation. For all his initial disdain of battle, it was a path he had been forced to embrace, and one he now excelled at; clue-gathering and questions, however, remained firmly Farah's domain; Paixao, therfore, had him extremely ill at ease.

"I would like some answers," he responded after a moment, trying and failing to supress his sudden wave of irritation. "Thus far I have been met with question after question, misled, and lied to. What is Paixao? And if you cannot answer, who, if anyone, can? I have no time for these mind-games! I must return home!"

[OOC: Er, sorry this took me so long. I'm on holiday!]

The meerkat was silent for a moment or two, rubbing his chin in thought after the Prince had spoken. There was so much to tell him, it made it difficult to find a proper place to start. He wondered who was to blame for misleading the Prince - though at the same time found only one answer: the Organization. He would have to ask some point during their conversation.

"Well," he finally began, "Paixao, in case you hadn't noticed, is a city. More specifically a city on a unmarked Island. It draws people in from other worlds - how is unknown. How you got here is a great a mystery to you as it is to the rest of us. No one knows how they got here either.

"Not everyone here is a 'visitor', though. All the young, blonde haired n' blue eyed people you see around the city, aside from the odd exception, is a citizen. They won't tell you much though, regardless of the use of force. There's only so much they know..."

Trailing off, he casually bit his lip, deciding not to mention further knowledge regarding the citizens unless asked. He didn't want to startle the Prince, especially when he was about to take in so much bad news. There was no sense in scaring, or rather frustrating him further.

"They've never left the city, so any travel regarding leaving or entering the city wouldn't be one of their expertises. Yeah see, there was only one guy who travelled to and from the city. A real jerk if you ask me, but that's besides the point. He never shared his methods of travel with anyone, and certainly won't now. He was murdered. Of course, no one’s talking in regards to the case. Not that it matters, I already know who the real convicts are."

Sighing, Timon stretched and casually seated himself on the statue. "Anyway, the likelihood of you leaving any time soon is very unlikely, regardless how urgent matters are back home. You can leave the city, but not the island. Somehow you'll just end up here again. Trust me, more than half of us wouldn't still be here if we could leave."

"...a city on an unmarked Island," the Prince repeated, slowly. For a moment he was not sure why this statement was disconcerting, and then it came to him. "You mean to say...Paixao exists?" Hastily, he elaborated: "I mean to say...is anyone certain of this? Has anyone been able to contact the world outside? Or has there been...a lapse in Time...?" At least that, he would be familiar with.

Meanwhile, the meerkat's talk of Paixaon civilians was of little interest to the Prince. From their description, and what he had noticed so far, he guessed they were nothing more than shells; minions, perhaps designed to provide a semblance of normalcy. The fact that they held no information was disappointing, but expected: they had reminded him of sand creatures from the start, and whilst they might be human, they seemed just as empty.

More interesting, however, was Timon's next topic.

"But then there means there is a way," the Prince burst out, unable to contain his hope, "to enter and leave Paixao at will! And if the city can be escaped, so too can the island. There is no spell that cannot be undone! If there is a way, I will find it."

Callous as it perhaps was, the Prince was far more concerned with escaping Paixao than the city's internal problems (which he gathered were numerous). Timon's mention of this particular man's murder caused a twinge of alarm, but it was shunted to the side, for the time being, irrelevant.

Timon scratched his head, puzzled by the Prince's question. Did Paixao exist? As far as he knew it did. Certainly he hadn't been dreaming, this was far too elaborate to be anything he could come up with - as brilliant as he was. These buildings, people, everything, it was unlike anything he had ever seen back in the jungle.

“Uh... Well, we’ve had people leave and return before. It’s happened numerous times. Sometimes they remember being here, most of the time they don’t. Aside from the Mayor, that’s closest thing I can think of. Though, times jumbled up in there too. Some people are taken from different times than others they might know here.”

Examining his paw while he listened to the Prince speak, he shook his head, chuckling at his excitement. “You make it sound so easy. So we can leave the city, big whop. That doesn’t change anything. After you force your way through the guards you’ll go out n’ find nothing. All that’s out there are a bunch of wild Lumens and some abandon church –and trust me, there’s nothing there. People have looked.

“Sure, any ‘spell’ can be undone, but some ain’t as easy as others. Maybe you didn't hear me the first time, but this ain’t no cakewalk. Some of us have been tryin' to figure this out for years.”

Edited 2009-01-16 05:14 (UTC)

Cakewalk? The Prince was not familiar with the term, but its meaning was clear. Hearing it, he felt a flash of dread and perhaps, deep down, of excitement. Years? They had been trying for years?

But then, they did not have the Dagger. And they could not have his tenacity.

"If there is nothing outside the City, then the enemy must be within," he decided abruptly. He knew he was drawing far reaching conclusions, but if others had indeed been trying to leave Paixao for years, then the time for thinking had long since passed. "Someone must be behind this, and if we can find their purpose in creating Paixao and luring people to it, then we can foil them. And in foiling them, we can defeat them, and escape this place!"

The meerkat had spoken of something else, as well, something that he had already heard mentioned around the city.

"But you spoke of...Lumens. I have heard them mentioned before. What are they?"

"That's what a lot of us figure too, the only problem is there aren't any leads. I suspected the Mayor, but with him out of the picture and the fact that we still can't leave, it doesn't work. Not unless the new stand in mayor took over that scheme too or something. Why, his secretary could even be behind it all." He shrugged at thought, though his knitted eyebrows made it abundantly clear that the matter was far from something he could shrug off. “It’s hard to say. I still have a hard time contacting her, and haven’t heard a word from the temporary Mayor.”

The Prince appeared more than ready to take action, something Timon admired. However, as much as he felt the same fiery passion and great desired to return home, it didn’t change the fact that it was far from as simple as the Prince made it sound.

“Look,” he began, rubbing the back of his neck. “That sounds like a sure fire plan and all, but you don’t even know where to start! I’d love to just barge into City Hall n’ interrogate them all, but it doesn’t work that way. There’s always something in the way. Not to mention the fact that they could lie or possibly even be as clueless as we are –though I doubt it.”

The meerkat leaned against the statue once again, closing his eyes while he thought of an appropriate answer to the Prince’s question. “Lumens are creatures born when someone's heart overflows with light. From what I hear they only prey on those overcome with darkness. They have a variety of forms; they’re the only other animals in the city, actually. But you’ll know one when you see ‘em: they have bright yellow eyes that glow, much like the rest of their body. The rest of them is more like a creepy ghost glow, bluish. “

"Mayor? What is that? A...position?"

Unwilling to let his frustration manifest as anger, the Prince tried to keep his voice steady. The quantity of unfamiliar terms the meerkat was employing, however, was beginning to make him feel confused and panicked again. They were from different times and places, indeed, and it was not Timon's fault, but it was an added struggle for him to even understand Timon's words, let alone to make sense of them within this entirely foreign context.

At the meerkat's next words, however, the Prince got a sense that Timon was fighting down a similar frustration. He hadn't meant to make escaping Paixao easy, only more straightforward--but perhaps he should stop even doing that. He imagined if Farah were present, she would be of a like mind.

"And this Organization we spoke of? But you say they came to Paixao after...therefore they cannot be the culprits. How many different factions exist in this City?"

Timon's answer to his other question was alarming. Those overcome with darkness? The words reminded him of his counterpart, and the Prince found himself feeling fervently relieved he had not come across any Lumens yet. For how much darkness still remained within him? He was unsure, and unwilling to find out.

"These creatures...are...not dangerous, then?"

Timon raised a brow at the Prince's question, then smirked. "A chief executive official, elected, of a city, village, or town. I was next in office, actually, before someone took it from me. That's an entirely different story, though."

"The Organization did come after. Just like us they just found themselves here too. Unfortunately they've been more productive than majority of us, and accomplished a lot of terrible things. Their intentions never used to be like this but that was a long time ago. Recently they've been kidnapping visitors and conducting twisted experiments on them. They also contaminated the water at one point. I'm not completely sure what they're trying to achieve through these experiments, I just know they need to stop. They're torturing people. If you're interested in hearing more about them, just ask. Though a lot of 'em are wearing disguises these days, you can still point a few of 'em out by eye.

"Over all, though, they've been playing with light and darkness. The Lumens I mentioned are considered dangerous, regardless of the amount of darkness that may lie in your heart. There's something about their bite... I had someone looking into it, but they're no longer here. I only know so much regarding their research. You're best just keeping away from them."

Though the Prince had never heard the term mayor before, he found himself nodding at Timon's description. Paixao might be foreign to him, but all cities needed a ruler of some kind. Instinctively, this Mayor would have been someone to ask questions of, but Timon's continuation made him wary. No one seemed to have answers in this place--including those in power.

"This Organization...they would be searching for a way out, no?"

The Prince, despite himself, offered Timon a small smile. The meerkat had mentioned being "next in office" for Mayor rather nonchalantly, but the way he spoke of protecting the people of Paixao left the Prince with little doubt as to how much that loss had stung. Paixao was not his land, but he could not help but admire the meerkat's dogged sense of duty, despite having lost the opportunity to be Mayor.

"If so, then these experiments must further that cause in some way." Hastily, he continued: "Even so, their methods are...terrible. But the information they've collected...could be valuable."

Finally, there was the Lumens to consider. "They must be linked in some way to our reason for being here. Light and darkness are...such ancient symbols."

“I’d imagine so.” He replied, scratching his head at the thought of the Organization. “Maybe not as thoroughly as everyone else, but it’d make sense for them to want to return home as well. Most of them, anyways. I’m sure they’re in no hurry, though. Paixao’s been their playground for awhile. With all the experiments, I’m sure they’re gaining more knowledge than they dreamed of.”

Turning his glance from the sky and back onto the Prince, he raised a brow suspiciously at his smile. Somehow he doubted the Prince smiled much, even if it was a small one he had offered. However, that wasn’t what bothered Timon. What was was that he could not put his finger on why he was smiling -probably because he didn’t have any fingers to begin with.

“I don’t know how valuable their information is, I only know what they’ve done and the result of it. I’ve spoken with victims, but even in doing that the Organization’s goals aren’t clear. It’s really frustrating, you know? I mean, sure, they have been experimenting with light and darkness, but I doubt it’s to find a way home as you might think. Besides, this stuff can’t just magically ‘teleport’ a...”

Suddenly Timon fell silent. He brought his paw to his face, looking off into space, deep in thought. The Prince was on to something.

At Timon's sudden silence, the Prince gave him a wild look.

"What is it? Have you thought of something?" Impatient, he rested a hand on the hilt of the Dagger. Dimly, he sensed his eagerness had been a source of some little irritation to the meerkat, and he sought to explain it: "I understand that you do not wish to act without information. But when it is clear that this Organization has information, and clear too who certain of its members are..."

Why hadn't they done something yet? Why weren't they better informed? But perhaps they were better informed. After all, it would not be the first time the Prince had met with suspicion and reticence. Frustrating as this was to consider, the Prince found he could not resent Timon for it, if it were indeed true. In Paixao, he was beginning to understand, nothing could be trusted.

“You can’t just run in and take the Organization down all at once!” He snapped at the Prince, sliding down the statue to land at his feet. “Even if you did know where they all were, it’s impossible. They’re too strong. The only chance anyone’s got at ‘em is taking them down one by one in a group. I’ve heard of a few groups who’ve tried already, but have yet to succeed. The Organization ain’t you’re average kids next door. They each control a different kind of element outside their body. Water, fire, ice, thunder, take your pick. If you pick a fight with ‘em, they won’t go easy on you unless they feel they might need you for something. They’re, ah, literally heartless.”

Circling the Prince, the meerkat continued. “Not to mention the fact that there is at least thirteen of ‘em. Thirteen against one? The odds ain’t good, especially when not even the strongest of guests within the city can’t bring even one down. Common, start using your head, would you? I mean, that last thought about light n’ darkness, that was good. You could be onto something there.”

“See, those who’ve been ‘tainted’, I guess would be the best word, with enough darkness have the ability to teleport place to place with it. The Heartless, Organization, and even those hyena faced goons up in my office have the ability. If darkness has the ability to do that, it’s VERY possible that it is responsible for sending so many of us here.“

The Prince crossed his arms over his chest. Initially, he was inclined to regard Timon's reticence as absurd, but as the meerkat continued--speaking of previous failed attempts to bring down the Organization and their elemental magic--he found himself shrugging in surrender.

"Very well, very well!" He shook his head, to himself. He was used to dealing with problems aggressively, but Paixao, it seemed, would insist on trying his patience. As a youth, he had learnt to think as a tactician in battle, but that part of him had since rusted, left neglected in an area in his mind he disliked to visit: the past. "Though I have yet to cross sword with an enemy that I could not defeat..."

"You believe we were brought here by darkness?" The Prince laid a hand on the statue, thoughtfully. "If so, then the Organization could be seeking a way to escape, no?"

A soft sound of amusement escaped Timon upon seeing the Prince’s reaction. It looked as though something may have finally gotten through that thick skull of his, especially with the increase in frustration he showed. Not that he blamed him, patience was not something he quite grasped either. There had been more than one occasion where he had found himself in a sticky situation due to a significant lack of it. Not only that, but overconfidence as well.

“There’s a first time for everything.” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest in a similar fashion as the Prince. “It’s best to be cautious though and know your enemy before you strike. You know, a smart warrior never faces their enemy head on or something like that. I can’t remember exactly how the saying went... Whatever, it ain’t important. You get the picture.”

The meerkat went on to scratch the back of his neck while he considered what he had been asked. It was certainly a new outlook on things, and he wasn’t quite sure exactly what to think of it - at least, not yet. It would require further and more careful thought. “Well, I said it’s a possibility. I don’t know whether or not I think it’s the reason we really are here just yet, but it’s a start. But, yes, that does make it possible that the Organization could conduct experiments in hopes of finding a way home, though I highly doubt it.”

“Hm, did you have any more questions?”

A smart warrior never faces their enemy head on? Prince frowned. He wasn't familiar with the adage, but disagreed fundamentally with its basic premise. He could appreciate the caution Timon was advocating within the context of the unknown, but in general...? Still, now wasn't the time to argue about it.

And--more questions? The Prince could think of a million, but he shook his head. He had taken up enough of the meerkat's time, and now, at least, he knew the basics of Paixao.

"Thank you," he said, with feeling. Over the course of their palaver he had warmed to Timon considerably, struck by their mutual sense of duty and Timon's real willingness to act. Furthermore, crucially, the Prince had sensed no real untrustworthy vibes. Certainly, there had been moments where he had doubted the meerkat's truthfulness, or, at least, the completeness of his answers, but there was something too honest about Timon to feel as though he were being actively deceived.

"If--no, when--you next challenge the Organization, you have my sword at your disposal."

Timon raised a brow while watching the Prince’s face. Regardless of his answer, it looked as though he felt otherwise. However, he was not about to argue either. Why put more work on himself anyway? He’d offered far more information than anyone else the Prince had spoken to so far, surely. That was accomplishment enough. Besides, if he had any more questions he now knew where he could find at least some of the answers, right?

“Don’t mention it; I do it all the time.” The meerkat replied, wearing a smile as he shook his head. “If you ever do have another question or two, feel free to ask.” With that, Timon did something he hadn’t before; he bowed to the Prince. There was something about him he respected, and to display that respect seemed necessary after hearing his pledge. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks. We could always use an extra hand.”

[ooc: Did you want to finish it here, or do one more post?]

Edited 2009-02-15 02:58 (UTC)

The Prince was startled when the meerkat bowed. It wasn't that he was unfamiliar with the gesture, only that it was one he was used to seeing on humans. He nodded back, automatically, before repeating, emphatically:

"Thank you. I will certainly remember this. Good luck." With that, the Prince turned to marvel at the dome for one final time. His mind was whirring as he walked away.

[OOC: I love that Timon & the Prince are getting on well. :D Finish there, me thinks. This was fun! Thank you. :)]

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Shifting Sands [Completed]

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