accidental video; un: JustD

[distant_one]

CW: Suicide, murder, gore, body horror, parasites

[The video starts with D sliding his sword into the stomach of a man with skin as perfectly pale as D's, but with red eyes and lips and a pair of obvious fangs.

The vampire sinks to his knees as D releases his grip on the sword, and a young woman rushes to the vampire's side.

"Please, try not to shake me so much." The vampire says, pain obvious in his voice and a wry smile on his face.

"You did well to dodge that strike," D says as he closes the short distance between them.

"Why did you miss?" The vampire asks.

But there's no response from D as he bends over to cut a long lock of hair from the young woman and then to pull his sword from the vampire's stomach and sheath it. "So long as I have some of her hair, the sheriff's office will be able to confirm her identity. Baron Mayerling and his human love are dead. Never show yourselves before mankind again."

D has a few more words for the other young woman in the room, a lady with dark hair and eyes and dressed for a fight. "There's the ten million right there. Easy money."

A silver arrow shoots down to pierce the vampire's heart, and D immediately retaliates by hurling a nearly foot-long sliver of needle at the attacker on the ceiling. The new foe defies gravity, standing upside down and dodging. The attacking figure is clearly not alive, half his face is missing all its flesh and a massive hole in his stomach shows bits of bone and remnants of internal organs.

The battle is brief before the undead attacker is on the floor, and something tries to crawl out of the corpse only for D to grab it in his left hand. His left hand, which is audibly chewing and eating whatever the grotesque worm-like thing is as it gives out a brief scream over the sound of flesh and bone being chewed up.

D turns back towards the two women, where the young woman in love with a vampire lay still beside her lover. She had taken his hand and pierced her own chest with one of his claws, but there's an amazingly serene and almost happy look on her lifeless face.

"Love's so great... so why does it have to go so wrong?" The young woman kneeling over the girl to check her pulse asked. "She said thank you."

D takes the lock of hair out of his pocket, and lays it on the lifeless young woman's shoulder. As the pair of hunters leave, D gives a very generous amount of gold to a shabbily dressed drifter in exchange for the man burying the pair. The sounds of the derelict spaceport cut off abruptly, but the image is slower to fade.]

You too?

[The video fades to D, wearing the cloak he was given when he arrived and looking up from a less than neat patch job in his dark, worn coat. The building he's in is run down, the only thing other than D in the room is a small pile of cloth and a saddle with saddlebags. He's already reaching for the omni sitting beside him when the next video starts.]

[The second video starts with D and a young woman with dark hair and dark eyes standing in the snow, next to a small shack, a very sturdy bench, and a wooden wagon pulled by mutant six-legged equines. The pair of them both look like they're in their late teens.

The serious expression falters, and the young woman suddenly blushes. "I hid behind you, remember?" Her voice is almost as heated as her face as become. "The first time I saw you I was really scared, but as soon as I heard what you said I shook it right off. 'While it's impossible to halt the progress of time, you would do well to show some respect for that's been lost' - when you said that, you seemed so sad.

D looks away from her, down the snow covered road, and his voice is emotionless when he speaks. "You've got good ears and an excellent memory. The sun will be down in a little while, so we'd best be on our way. It's about time for the fiend to make another move on the woman from this morning."

The young woman speaks up again as they return to the wagon, her tone suggestive as she elbows D in the side playfully. "Hey, could you get your work done in the next five days and leave the village with me? I've got an awful bright future ahead of me."

D still doesn't look at her, and answers only with a maybe as they climb into the wagon. The young woman watches him from the passenger seat with a mischievous grin on her face. "You really don't want to lose that scowl, do you, you big worrywart? I'm going to make a prediction for you."

"A prediction?" D asks, a slight glint in his eyes even though he still doesn't look at her.

"That's right. See, mine are almost always right on the money. Let's see... okay, I got it." She says as she looks at him as if hypnotized. "You'll definitely be wearing a smile when you leave this place." Both the sound and sight fade at once this time.]

[D is less than pleased, and having a staring contest with his omen, which means he's staring directly forward with a disapproving look in his cold eyes as the video cuts back to the present. A small voice that's neither D nor the omen speaks up. "Heh, looks like your omen doesn't have as much self control as you do."]

Enough.

[The word is said by both D and his omen, who have the same low, smooth voice right before the video cuts off.]

((ooc: and so D becomes disappointed in his omen due to it failing to avoid becoming part of the memshare plot))

Comments

video | un: sds

[fogsong]

[ The first memory was certainly tragic, though Sharon had trouble understanding why the girl would kill herself. The only man she was willing to ever die for was her father and that was meant to be an exchange of lives. She can't imagine feeling that kind of love for anyone but her parents.

The second memory, though, is what catches Sharon's curiosity. ]

So, was she right? Were you wearing a smile when you left that place?

Video; un: JustD

[distant_one]

Yes. She was right.

[There's no smile on his face, but D sounds slightly more expressive than usual. Like he's remembering something pleasant.]

[fogsong]

So, what was it? What made you smile? [ She's so nosy. ] Was it her?

[distant_one]

She was very brave, the kind of strength that let her stand up in a room and tell everyone a truth they didn't want to hear. To do so when it would have been easier to live the lie everyone else wanted for her.

Knowing she inspired someone to follow that path when she no longer could, that was why I smiled.

Because her dream hadn't died with her.

[Even D's happy memories are mired in tragedy.]

[fogsong]

[ His words remind Sharon of her mother, Rose. Even Dahlia had her moments in the end but it's Rose who stood up against people who lied to themselves and shouted the truth they were too afraid to face. ]

Did people kill her for the truth? I've seen that happen. People get so blinded that they'd rather kill someone than face reality.

[distant_one]

[There's an undercurrent of mournful anger anger in D's voice, and his eyes are cold.]

No. They did worse to her for less than that, but her fate had been sealed for a long time at the hands of someone else. It just took time to catch up to her.

[fogsong]

I'm sorry. [ Her words are genuine. For once, she tries not to dig despite her curiosity. It's clearly something that still cuts at him and she knows what that's like. ] I don't understand why the world is so awful to the people who are good in it. It's not fair.

Video: UN - Runeseeker

[onerthes]

...

[The woman who was seeing these images on accident settled in a seat in what looked like one of the Rom's fortune teller booths. Implements of witchery were visible everywhere around her. She looked a little thoughtful, and perhaps a bit disturbed as her third eye closed and she sighed.]

I do loathe it when these things happen. They're always so invasive. Obviously we were not meant to see what I've seen. She was right, though. Love can be a strange and powerful thing...

Video: UN - JustD

[distant_one]

It certainly does strange things to people.

[onerthes]

I tend to think of it as a beautiful thing, having seen the lengths people will go for it in the past. But it can bring with it tragedy at times when unrequited, or when the price is too steep.

Forgive me... it isn't the best way to meet, I suppose. I am Vira-Lorr.

[distant_one]

Just because something is beautiful, or even pleasant, doesn't mean it's good.

Call me D.

[onerthes]

D, hmmm? A simple name.

And one man's good may be the villainy of another's world. Perspective can shift so easily, and very few things are always as they seem. I know this is a bit personal, but have you ever loved?

[distant_one]

You're right, that is a personal question.

But no, not like they did.

video | un:gaia

[hammerbearer]

[ Look who's looking herself again! Also with some sympathy she asks after D. ]

Ugh, you got hit by that too? I thought omens were supposed to be untouchable on this network. Figures that someone found a way to mess that up too.

[distant_one]

I don't think there's anything truly untouchable.

Only things that haven't had their weakness found yet.

[hammerbearer]

I suppose that's fair. [ Gaia crosses her arms and shakes her head. But she smiles a bit. ] I couldn't help but see them a bit. I never imagined you as a young person.

[ Like... a teenager. Like her. Apparently Gaia was of the opinion that D sprung fully formed into a calm adult man. Either way it does confirm she saw a bit of the memories and is probably avoiding discussing them. ]

Who was that I heard between the broadcasts? Not the one that sounds like you, the other one. Did you make a friend?

[ The last bit is a bit of teasing. ]

[distant_one]

[D gets a slightly awkward, almost puzzled expression on his face when Gaia mentions she never imagined him as a young person. He's really not sure how to take that at all. It's there only for a short time before he returns to his usual calm expression.]

No, and you shouldn't encourage him.

[hammerbearer]

Oh? He sounded close enough to be one.

[ Gaia clearly means in the sense that said 'friend' was comfortable enough to make what sounded like a dry remark about D's omen. Though a smile tugs at her lips regarding 'encouragement'. ]

I'll try not to. But it's not bad to have a couple people you can talk to. As long as he's not being a bother and you're able to be around him, maybe give it a shot?

[ The followup seems to suggest she's referring to friendships that can be comfortably in the same room with D. Gaia then seems to be reminded. ]

Oh! There's something I want to try when you're feeling up to it, D. My patron gifted me an item that lets me transform. Well... [ She pauses. ] After some effort anyway. And it's a bit random. But it might be good for planned visits. Maybe.

[ It's clear that Gaia now considers the limitations of her new Comfort Blanket to probably not be a great asset in approaching D as a non-food item. Look it seemed a great idea under its effects at the time! ]

[distant_one]

I'll introduce you to him next time.

[D spends a few moments thinking it over.]

That depends on the nature of the transformation. It's almost been two weeks now, if you want to try it should be after I've just eaten.

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

Why didn't you deliberately kill him?

[D is a curious figure to Maul. He's not good at reading people most of the time as it is and the strange, beautiful being is an enigma to the Sith Lord.]

Video; un: JustD

[distant_one]

When the opening for a killing blow appeared, I no longer had any reason to want him dead.

[survivalthroughhate]

I don't think I've ever felt that before. [He pauses, thinking of his current relationship with Obi-Wan.] Well, not in the short term or in the heat of battle anyway.

[distant_one]

[D is quiet for several long moments before he decides to speak again.]

If I had realized sooner, I wouldn't have attacked at all.

[survivalthroughhate]

It doesn't look like it made much difference in the end.

[What with the vampire and his young lover both dead.]

[distant_one]

Not for them, but I chose not to kill him.

The only thing we have any real control over is our own actions. Trying to pretend otherwise will only cause more grief.

[And even then, people not in control of themselves is a far too common hazard.]