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rise of the guardians - pitch black

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[ The screen turns on to show nothing but an almost completely black room. If the viewer watches long enough, their eyes might adjust to see dull shapes of what could be furniture but it's hard to tell. Then something darker than the gloom, a black-on-black shadow, moves past the screen and a voice comes across. For some, it will be audible and some, perhaps not. ]

What a charming little city you all have here. So bright and colourful, so full of life.

[ A disembodied mouth appears against the blackness of the background, grinning a razor smile. It's followed shortly after by a pair of bright gold eyes, the voice low and amused and confident, ]

And yet like most things there is a touch of darkness to it. With that in mind I pose a riddle, for those of you who choose to play along: when is a captive not a captive and a cage not a cage?

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((OOC: Remember to check out his permissions post for whether your character can see/hear him. Thank you!))

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[ Pitch blinked languidly, thus leaving it for Jim to somehow have to explain, if he wants to warn anyone. "I felt a bad feeling"? Not an exceedingly useful description for anyone to go by. ]

Have you been here very long, Captain?

[ The mode of address is surprisingly smooth, not clumsy at all in the way he says it; he's addressed others like this before. ]

Months. [ Right, down to business. (Pitch's tone helps, oddly.) ] The nexus compromising the City and its grounds is temporally and spatially isolated, meaning we're having a hell of a job cracking our way out without getting crushed in the process. It's taking time. Sometimes the subspace fractures reopen over a specific weekend and we get "visitors", but if they're still here on the Monday it's obvious they're detainees too.

Edited 2013-12-17 05:05 (UTC)

[ Rather than seem taken aback by the highly technical terms, Pitch laces his hands together just off screen, expression contemplative though still shadowed. The "isolated" part was of particular interest to him, as he had already tried to use the shadows to leave this place. He was able to move around but only a certain distance. ]

So this place is self sustaining. If visitors have no pattern, it should mean those "fractures" are one of two things: additional energy being taken in, or excess energy being purged.

[ If he's surprised by Pitch catching on so quickly, he doesn't let it show and replies without missing a beat. ]

We think it's the former. Word to the wise, you better find a safehouse to avoid the curses. The last one we had on a pretty bad scale involved zombies and boneys taking over the City, they tried to kill everyone and damn near succeeded. There are more harmless curses, but those are irritating as hell.

Edited 2013-12-17 05:32 (UTC)

So are visitors the source of the energy or merely a byproduct? It stands to reason if they're sent away again that whatever energy is being taken in remains behind.

I will take it under advisement, though I think they'd find an unwelcome challenge if they tried.

[ Or at least they would if he were at his full strength or even half strength... which he was not. But Pitch was loathe to show any kind of weakness, but from practical and prideful standpoints. ]

I think you're already talking to my Science Officer, Mr. Spock. He'll be able to fill you in on the details far more acutely than I will.

He would be the one presently limited to text, I presume.

Yeah. Vulcans adhere to a strict code of logic, it's probably why he's having trouble seeing you.

[ silkily: ] And how do you know what would cause someone to have trouble seeing me?

[ Pitch guesses Jim must have spoken to Toothiana, but he likes to have his hypothesis confirmed. ]

Because I had the same trouble talking to Toothiana the other day and I'm making an educated guess.

[ It's no secret, after all. ]

I'm certain she would have been all a-flutter anyway, being able to speak to you anyway, given that you--

[ Oh. Yes, there was that. Ember-hot eyes narrow slightly. It's good that this is already a video feed so he can confirm. ]

Sound like someone else.

[ Check out the baby-blues, too. ]

Jack Frost, right? She mistook me at first, yeah. Apparently.

[ Sorry Jim, Pitch has better things to do than get lost in your sparkly gaze. ]

Hn. A curious coincidence.

[ No one has better things to do, wow so rood. Right now though, after conversing with Spock on their private line, he squints and tilts his head; he knows the Tooth Fairy isn't a fantastical construct in her reality, she's a solid (smokin' hot) woman, so it doesn't take much for Jim to accept This is the Boogeyman.

Sadly, Pitch is nowhere near as cute as Toothiana. ]

... Huh.

[ Definitely looking him directly in the eye now. ]

[ Even Pitch will concede that of the Guardians, Tooth is certainly easiest on the eyes. And not only is it that Jim meets his gaze directly, but a subtle feeling like a thin thread tells Pitch that the captain's belief just changed (evolved) and it's a fiercely satisfying thing. ]

There, that's a little better for conversation.

I thought you'd look scarier.

[ Not trying to offend, but. Saying what's on his mind. ]

[ Pitch utters a sharp laugh at that. ]

I could, if that's what you'd prefer. But grotesque does not always equal fright, just as a pretty face does not always mean a good soul.

[ Was it a jab at Tooth? Or maybe Jim's penchant for pretty ladies. ]

[ Hey, they don't have to be good to be easy on the eyes, that's the only major point he'll ever make where pretty ladies are concerned. Pretty anyone, for that matter. ]

Mm. [ !! Still caught up in a little childish glee that fairytales are real somewhere out there. ] So how does it work? What you do. You scare people from under beds, right? Kids get a full night's rest because they go to sleep faster if they think you're lurking around.

That is certainly one aspect of it, though I assure you whether they went to sleep or not was not forefront on my mind.

Just being a spooky old ghost?

[ Pitch smiles in response to that, but it's not a ghost's grin or even that of the Boogeyman. It's fully and wholly that of a Nightmare King who's been around a long, long time and done far worse than lurk in closets and under beds. ]

... Shit.

[ Feel that spike of fright? He's quick to go from cautiously welcoming to defensive when it becomes applicable, brows drawing together. That's one nasty smile and he can't ... quite help having to ask, even as he idly glances over to his out-of-sight phaser on the dresser. ]

Do you eat children?

[ And then just like before, it's gone again in an instant and Pitch tilts his head to one side, as there appears to be an honest perplexity in his reply. ]

No, I can say I've never eaten anyone, child or otherwise.

[ His Fearlings on the other hand... they devoured. ]

[ Sweet Jesus, feel him deflate in relief. ]

Good. I take it back, you're unnerving as hell when you want to be.

What an expressive compliment, thank you.

I hope we can speak again soon, about the information you've mentioned.

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hischair - 2013-12-17 17:08 (UTC) - Expand

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rideofthefearlings - 2013-12-17 17:12 (UTC) - Expand

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