HOME | DD

Description
The Gravity of Shadows
Episode 2: making new acquaintances, renewing old ones

The 2 assassins make their way back to the Palace of Souls. They travel in silence for a couple of hours, not even looking at one another. Noah glances at his partner occasionally, and on one of these occasions he notices that Raven has fangs poking out from under his upper lip.

Noah: My, my...I am partnered with a vampire. This could be interesting…not to mention useful

At long last, Noah finally becomes a bit bored with the silent travel, and tries to strike up a conversation.

Noah: So, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Raven: ..................

Noah: I mean, the job was done well ~pauses and looks at Raven out of the corner of his eye~ and it was kind of fun.

Raven: ..........~curt nod~.....

Noah: And, to top it all off, I didn't even get my coat dirty

Raven looks over at his companion and sees that, sure enough, Noah's coat is spotless. Not a single drop of blood or speck of dirt had gotten on the coat during the mission

Raven: Well I'll be damned ~cracks a small grin as he returns his gaze forward~...I have to admit I'm a little impressed. This partnership just got a little more interesting. This may turn out to be not as bad as I thought it would be.

Noah sees the fangs more clearly when Raven grins

Noah: Yep, he's most definitely a vampire.

They make it back to the Palace of Souls and walk inside, closing the door behind them.

Raven: Well, Noah, since The Dollmaker said that I need to show you how things work around here, I guess I've got no choice other than to show you around the Palace.

Noah: Sure. That's fine. Just don't purposely get us lost then use your shadow to leave me alone in an unfamiliar area. ~smiles slyly~

Raven: Trust me, I won't do that. The Dollmaker would have my ass on the wall if I did that…I think.

Noah: Whatever you say, pal. Lead the way then, O tour guide extraordinaire. ~grins~

Raven: ~facepalms and sighs in an exasperated manner~ Christ...

They start to walk down the main hall side by side. Before they take even a dozen steps, however, Sin comes out of nowhere and excitedly hugs Noah

Noah: WHAT THE-!

Sin: HI!!! You're Noah right? You're one of my favorites! Yours looks so AMAZING!!!

Noah: I'm sorry, what of mine looks amazing?

Sin holds something up to him and he takes it from her. He examines it and sees that it's a doll that looks exactly like him. He is astounded at its accuracy and artistry. His favorite part is the eyes: how they are exactly the same shade of gold as his own; how they show feelings of deep sadness and anguish beneath a veneer of liveliness and contentment.

Noah: Wow…who made this?

Sin: ~smiling broadly~ The Dollmaker made it.

Noah: Huh...well, this is amazing ~grins~

Noah gives her back the doll and when he does so Sin starts asking him questions at such a rapid rate that he can only catch one or two of them. In fact, the most distinct of all the questions is, "What's your favorite flavor of pie".

Noah: ~slightly confused~ would you mind slowing down? I couldn't understand a single word you just said.

Sin: ~grinning abashedly~ sorry

Noah: It's okay. Alright. First things first: What's your name?

Sin: ~smiles~ My name's Sin. ~notices Raven for the first time~ Oh hi, Raven. I was actually just looking for you.

Raven braces himself because he knows what's coming next.

Raven: Damn...she's going to ask again and I'm going to have to comply because she’s gonna pull the “sworn knight” card. Maybe if I say I can't at the moment...who am I kidding? I've got no choice.

Sin: I was wondering if you could tell me another story ~grins broadly~

Raven: I'm guessing you want the subject to be what I just did?

Sin: ~nods emphatically~ and you're my sworn knight so you have to say yes

Raven: ~sighs~ fine

Noah stands there, wondering how he would find his way around the Palace without his companion's help. Just as Raven is being led away, he gives Noah some info that'll help him out.

Raven: Well, Noah, as you can see, I'm a little tied up at the moment

Noah: ~smirking~ I'll say

Raven: Hey. Watch it. Alright. First, go to the residential area of the Palace. It's up the main stairs that are off to the left over there ~points in that direction~. When you're at the top, make a left and just go straight until you reach a creepy looking gargoyle thing next to a tapestry depicting the 5 of us, well I guess 6 of us now. No, don't ask how the Dollmaker made it so fast or added you in a matter of hours

Noah: Why not?

Raven: 'Cause I don't know, that's why!

Noah: Jesus...chill out, man, sorry ~makes typical sorr-ee face~

Raven: Whatever ~rolls his eyes~. Anyway, the new guy's room is always the first one on the left or right after the gargoyle, so it's whatever door comes first. I'll see if I can get away from Sin in a little bit and meet up with you. Got it?

Noah: Yeah, I do

Sin: ~tugs on raven's white sleeve~ COME OOONN~! ~makes annoyed face~ Let's go!

Raven: I'm coming. ~Back to Noah~ Also, remember to stay on your toes.

Noah: Roger that

Raven: Good. See ya.

Noah: Alright, Ryan out.

After his partner is led away, Noah takes a quick glance around to see if he’s alone. Seeing that he is indeed alone, he takes his dog tags from his pants pocket and puts them around his neck. As he does so, he lets out an almost melancholy sigh. Gone is the guise of the happy-go-lucky recruit. In its place is a much tougher, smarter, cynical and more experienced persona. That of a seasoned soldier. After checking once more that no one is around, Noah heads off to his left and climbs the wide main staircase. At the top, he makes a left, towards the east wing of the Palace, looking up at the walls as he walks. Hanging from the walls are many tapestries and things of that sort, one which he was fairly certain contained a Voice Actor list for everyone there.

Noah: Why would I ever be voiced by Jason Liebrecht ~thinks about his past, his appearance and his own demeanor~? Oh yeah...that's why. And Johnny Yong Bosch for Raven? Well, come to think of it, he IS the type...well, whatever. Gotta keep moving.

He finally makes it to the statue and tapestry that Raven had described. He looks at the tapestry.

Noah: Hmmm...I’m a bit too short in this, but at least she got my good side

He spots a doorway about fifteen feet away on the left. He goes over to it and sees a note pinned on the door. It's from the Dollmaker and it reads:

Noah, dear, this is your room while you reside at the Palace. I hope you find it to your liking. ~ The Dollmaker

Noah: Well, that's friendly. Thanks a bunch.

He takes a key that's taped to the bottom of the note and inserts it into the lock. It fits perfectly. Noah turns the key and opens the door. He's surprised by what he sees. Inside is a large bed (unnecessary, as he's an insomniac), a window with a view of a magnificent formal garden, a desk, a sofa, and...

Noah: Are those a piano, guitar, and...clay pigeons? Hmm...wasn't expecting that one. How did she know that I used to play both of those instruments? Ah well, it doesn't matter.

He looks in one of the closets and sees his black jacket, his black V-neck T-shirt, and his black pants. Noah swaps out his current outfit with the one in the closet and inspects himself in the mirror over his desk. Liking what he sees, he then dons black fingerless leather biker gloves. Having situated himself, he surveys the room again. Noah walks over to the guitar, picks it up, and goes and sits down at the desk. He is wondering what to play, until he remembers one of his old favorite songs. He plays the chord progression once through to get himself oriented and then starts playing the intro. Once he plays this for what he deems appropriate amount of time, he starts singing

Noah:

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you

Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is you

Melody is walking down the hallway when she hears the strumming of a guitar coming from the last room on her right.

Noah:

Come, please, I'm callin'
And, oh, I scream for you

Melody: And...is that singing?

She listens for a little while longer, and determines that someone, besides her, is indeed singing, which is a bit of a shocker…and it is GOOD singing, which is even more shocking.

Melody: My, he does have a nice voice...and a great taste in music, for that matter.

She continues down the hallway, toward the sound of the singing, her viola (conveniently, I might add) in her left hand. When Melody reaches the half-open doorway, she peers inside and sees a rather attractive man in his late twenties, strumming on a guitar. She waits until a perfect point in the song (the beginning of the next chorus), lifts her viola, and starts playing the background along with his guitar playing.

Noah hears her viola and adjusts the tempo so that whoever was playing the instrument would be able to follow along better. Melody notices this and stops playing abruptly, which prompts Noah to do the same. He brushes his gold bangs out of his face and looks in the direction of the sound. Standing just outside the doorway is a girl in her mid-twenties with waist-length blond hair and pale blue eyes. Noah judges her to be about 5'11", about 3 inches shorter than him. She's wearing a black dress (Author's Note: Similar to Amy's in Soul Calibur IV) and has a strange holster slung over her shoulder which Noah sees houses a violin.

Melody, noticing his gaze, blushes slightly and turns to leave when she suddenly hears a voice call out to her.

Noah: Wait! Don't go just yet. You were doing so well. My…she's beautiful. ~offers his hand for a handshake~ I'm Noah. What's your name?

Melody looks at the proffered hand and uncomfortably grabs it, blushing inwardly.

Melody: I'm…I'm M-M-Melody

She lets go of his hand, turns away, and starts running down the hallway, towards the stairs. Noah looks confusedly after her, wondering what that was all about.
Noah's about to follow her but something stops him; he figures that it wouldn't be a good idea to do so. Instead, he decides to continue down the hallway and keep exploring. As he's walking, he thinks about all that's happened to him in the past 5 years…that is until he smells something that's all too familiar to him. He had last smelled that smell 5 years ago, but mixed with other odors as well, such as the overwhelming stench of sweat and blood. Back when he had taken revenge against the person who had killed his entire military unit, save for him. He was wondering why he smells this particular scent until he remembers something Raven had said to him earlier, which makes him stop dead in his tracks. “So does Hazard, but he’s too reckless to be an assassin.”

Noah: ~voice is soft and disbelieving~ no...that’s impossible. ~reflexively grabs the dog tags hanging around his neck and resumes walking; anger begins to creep into his voice~ He’s supposed to be dead, goddammit! I left that motherfucker for dead in the middle of that godforsaken ghost town in the barrens!

As he continues walking, he notices that the smell is getting stronger and stronger. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where it was coming from…and then he found the answer. With a loud bang, a door directly to his right burst open. Without even pausing to think, Noah whipped out his right-hand pistol and fired once. Hazard the Dark (formerly Hazard Marino of the 572nd Special Operations Division) had been waiting for him.

A small clink is heard as something metallic hits the floor. Apparently the two men had fired simultaneously and the bullets had collided head on, causing them to stick together and stop in midair. Hazard lets of two more shots and Noah runs on the wall to avoid them. Hazard keeps shooting, even after the six allotted shots of a typical revolver.

Noah: IS THAT AURAL ENERGY?! Marino's got some tricks up his sleeve now

Noah runs up the wall to the ceiling, runs across it, and then corrects his gravity field and dives headfirst in order to come down on Hazard from above. The latter is already pointing his gun upwards at him, however, and fires three more shots at Noah's face. Faster than the human eye can pick up, Noah draws his other pistol and deflects all three shots.

Hazard: Damn! I forgot how fast this sonofabitch was!

Noah continues his descent and points the gun in his right hand directly at Hazard's chest. He fires; Hazard dodges. Before hitting the ground, Noah rights himself and lands with one hand on the ground and his right leg out behind him. He stands up and points his right-handed gun at Hazard's face, just as Hazard points his at Noah's. The two men stare at each other for several seconds

Noah: You.

Hazard: You.

The two men are about to do each other in at the same exact time when they hear a voice that stops them in their tracks.

Dollmaker: My, My, Gentlemen. What have we here? You do realize that fighting in a Palace hallway can be very dangerous, right?

Taking note of the subtly veiled threat, the two men lower their weapons.

Noah turns to face the Dollmaker, and sees, surprisingly, Raven standing a few feet behind her.

Dollmaker: Noah, dear, if you want to know how Raven got away from Sin, I'm sure he'll tell you later. But right now, I need to talk to you and Raven.

Noah: About what?

Dollmaker: ~sly grin~ why, your next assignment, of course

TO BE CONTINUED...

- N. Ryan, Lt. Commander, Company C, 572nd special ops div., Retired

Description
The Gravity of Shadows
Episode 2: making new acquaintances, renewing old ones

The 2 assassins make their way back to the Palace of Souls. They travel in silence for a couple of hours, not even looking at one another. Noah glances at his partner occasionally, and on one of these occasions he notices that Raven has fangs poking out from under his upper lip.

Noah: My, my...I am partnered with a vampire. This could be interesting…not to mention useful

At long last, Noah finally becomes a bit bored with the silent travel, and tries to strike up a conversation.

Noah: So, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Raven: ..................

Noah: I mean, the job was done well ~pauses and looks at Raven out of the corner of his eye~ and it was kind of fun.

Raven: ..........~curt nod~.....

Noah: And, to top it all off, I didn't even get my coat dirty

Raven looks over at his companion and sees that, sure enough, Noah's coat is spotless. Not a single drop of blood or speck of dirt had gotten on the coat during the mission

Raven: Well I'll be damned ~cracks a small grin as he returns his gaze forward~...I have to admit I'm a little impressed. This partnership just got a little more interesting. This may turn out to be not as bad as I thought it would be.

Noah sees the fangs more clearly when Raven grins

Noah: Yep, he's most definitely a vampire.

They make it back to the Palace of Souls and walk inside, closing the door behind them.

Raven: Well, Noah, since The Dollmaker said that I need to show you how things work around here, I guess I've got no choice other than to show you around the Palace.

Noah: Sure. That's fine. Just don't purposely get us lost then use your shadow to leave me alone in an unfamiliar area. ~smiles slyly~

Raven: Trust me, I won't do that. The Dollmaker would have my ass on the wall if I did that…I think.

Noah: Whatever you say, pal. Lead the way then, O tour guide extraordinaire. ~grins~

Raven: ~facepalms and sighs in an exasperated manner~ Christ...

They start to walk down the main hall side by side. Before they take even a dozen steps, however, Sin comes out of nowhere and excitedly hugs Noah

Noah: WHAT THE-!

Sin: HI!!! You're Noah right? You're one of my favorites! Yours looks so AMAZING!!!

Noah: I'm sorry, what of mine looks amazing?

Sin holds something up to him and he takes it from her. He examines it and sees that it's a doll that looks exactly like him. He is astounded at its accuracy and artistry. His favorite part is the eyes: how they are exactly the same shade of gold as his own; how they show feelings of deep sadness and anguish beneath a veneer of liveliness and contentment.

Noah: Wow…who made this?

Sin: ~smiling broadly~ The Dollmaker made it.

Noah: Huh...well, this is amazing ~grins~

Noah gives her back the doll and when he does so Sin starts asking him questions at such a rapid rate that he can only catch one or two of them. In fact, the most distinct of all the questions is, "What's your favorite flavor of pie".

Noah: ~slightly confused~ would you mind slowing down? I couldn't understand a single word you just said.

Sin: ~grinning abashedly~ sorry

Noah: It's okay. Alright. First things first: What's your name?

Sin: ~smiles~ My name's Sin. ~notices Raven for the first time~ Oh hi, Raven. I was actually just looking for you.

Raven braces himself because he knows what's coming next.

Raven: Damn...she's going to ask again and I'm going to have to comply because she’s gonna pull the “sworn knight” card. Maybe if I say I can't at the moment...who am I kidding? I've got no choice.

Sin: I was wondering if you could tell me another story ~grins broadly~

Raven: I'm guessing you want the subject to be what I just did?

Sin: ~nods emphatically~ and you're my sworn knight so you have to say yes

Raven: ~sighs~ fine

Noah stands there, wondering how he would find his way around the Palace without his companion's help. Just as Raven is being led away, he gives Noah some info that'll help him out.

Raven: Well, Noah, as you can see, I'm a little tied up at the moment

Noah: ~smirking~ I'll say

Raven: Hey. Watch it. Alright. First, go to the residential area of the Palace. It's up the main stairs that are off to the left over there ~points in that direction~. When you're at the top, make a left and just go straight until you reach a creepy looking gargoyle thing next to a tapestry depicting the 5 of us, well I guess 6 of us now. No, don't ask how the Dollmaker made it so fast or added you in a matter of hours

Noah: Why not?

Raven: 'Cause I don't know, that's why!

Noah: Jesus...chill out, man, sorry ~makes typical sorr-ee face~

Raven: Whatever ~rolls his eyes~. Anyway, the new guy's room is always the first one on the left or right after the gargoyle, so it's whatever door comes first. I'll see if I can get away from Sin in a little bit and meet up with you. Got it?

Noah: Yeah, I do

Sin: ~tugs on raven's white sleeve~ COME OOONN~! ~makes annoyed face~ Let's go!

Raven: I'm coming. ~Back to Noah~ Also, remember to stay on your toes.

Noah: Roger that

Raven: Good. See ya.

Noah: Alright, Ryan out.

After his partner is led away, Noah takes a quick glance around to see if he’s alone. Seeing that he is indeed alone, he takes his dog tags from his pants pocket and puts them around his neck. As he does so, he lets out an almost melancholy sigh. Gone is the guise of the happy-go-lucky recruit. In its place is a much tougher, smarter, cynical and more experienced persona. That of a seasoned soldier. After checking once more that no one is around, Noah heads off to his left and climbs the wide main staircase. At the top, he makes a left, towards the east wing of the Palace, looking up at the walls as he walks. Hanging from the walls are many tapestries and things of that sort, one which he was fairly certain contained a Voice Actor list for everyone there.

Noah: Why would I ever be voiced by Jason Liebrecht ~thinks about his past, his appearance and his own demeanor~? Oh yeah...that's why. And Johnny Yong Bosch for Raven? Well, come to think of it, he IS the type...well, whatever. Gotta keep moving.

He finally makes it to the statue and tapestry that Raven had described. He looks at the tapestry.

Noah: Hmmm...I’m a bit too short in this, but at least she got my good side

He spots a doorway about fifteen feet away on the left. He goes over to it and sees a note pinned on the door. It's from the Dollmaker and it reads:

Noah, dear, this is your room while you reside at the Palace. I hope you find it to your liking. ~ The Dollmaker

Noah: Well, that's friendly. Thanks a bunch.

He takes a key that's taped to the bottom of the note and inserts it into the lock. It fits perfectly. Noah turns the key and opens the door. He's surprised by what he sees. Inside is a large bed (unnecessary, as he's an insomniac), a window with a view of a magnificent formal garden, a desk, a sofa, and...

Noah: Are those a piano, guitar, and...clay pigeons? Hmm...wasn't expecting that one. How did she know that I used to play both of those instruments? Ah well, it doesn't matter.

He looks in one of the closets and sees his black jacket, his black V-neck T-shirt, and his black pants. Noah swaps out his current outfit with the one in the closet and inspects himself in the mirror over his desk. Liking what he sees, he then dons black fingerless leather biker gloves. Having situated himself, he surveys the room again. Noah walks over to the guitar, picks it up, and goes and sits down at the desk. He is wondering what to play, until he remembers one of his old favorite songs. He plays the chord progression once through to get himself oriented and then starts playing the intro. Once he plays this for what he deems appropriate amount of time, he starts singing

Noah:

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you

Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is you

Melody is walking down the hallway when she hears the strumming of a guitar coming from the last room on her right.

Noah:

Come, please, I'm callin'
And, oh, I scream for you

Melody: And...is that singing?

She listens for a little while longer, and determines that someone, besides her, is indeed singing, which is a bit of a shocker…and it is GOOD singing, which is even more shocking.

Melody: My, he does have a nice voice...and a great taste in music, for that matter.

She continues down the hallway, toward the sound of the singing, her viola (conveniently, I might add) in her left hand. When Melody reaches the half-open doorway, she peers inside and sees a rather attractive man in his late twenties, strumming on a guitar. She waits until a perfect point in the song (the beginning of the next chorus), lifts her viola, and starts playing the background along with his guitar playing.

Noah hears her viola and adjusts the tempo so that whoever was playing the instrument would be able to follow along better. Melody notices this and stops playing abruptly, which prompts Noah to do the same. He brushes his gold bangs out of his face and looks in the direction of the sound. Standing just outside the doorway is a girl in her mid-twenties with waist-length blond hair and pale blue eyes. Noah judges her to be about 5'11", about 3 inches shorter than him. She's wearing a black dress (Author's Note: Similar to Amy's in Soul Calibur IV) and has a strange holster slung over her shoulder which Noah sees houses a violin.

Melody, noticing his gaze, blushes slightly and turns to leave when she suddenly hears a voice call out to her.

Noah: Wait! Don't go just yet. You were doing so well. My…she's beautiful. ~offers his hand for a handshake~ I'm Noah. What's your name?

Melody looks at the proffered hand and uncomfortably grabs it, blushing inwardly.

Melody: I'm…I'm M-M-Melody

She lets go of his hand, turns away, and starts running down the hallway, towards the stairs. Noah looks confusedly after her, wondering what that was all about.
Noah's about to follow her but something stops him; he figures that it wouldn't be a good idea to do so. Instead, he decides to continue down the hallway and keep exploring. As he's walking, he thinks about all that's happened to him in the past 5 years…that is until he smells something that's all too familiar to him. He had last smelled that smell 5 years ago, but mixed with other odors as well, such as the overwhelming stench of sweat and blood. Back when he had taken revenge against the person who had killed his entire military unit, save for him. He was wondering why he smells this particular scent until he remembers something Raven had said to him earlier, which makes him stop dead in his tracks. “So does Hazard, but he’s too reckless to be an assassin.”

Noah: ~voice is soft and disbelieving~ no...that’s impossible. ~reflexively grabs the dog tags hanging around his neck and resumes walking; anger begins to creep into his voice~ He’s supposed to be dead, goddammit! I left that motherfucker for dead in the middle of that godforsaken ghost town in the barrens!

As he continues walking, he notices that the smell is getting stronger and stronger. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where it was coming from…and then he found the answer. With a loud bang, a door directly to his right burst open. Without even pausing to think, Noah whipped out his right-hand pistol and fired once. Hazard the Dark (formerly Hazard Marino of the 572nd Special Operations Division) had been waiting for him.

A small clink is heard as something metallic hits the floor. Apparently the two men had fired simultaneously and the bullets had collided head on, causing them to stick together and stop in midair. Hazard lets of two more shots and Noah runs on the wall to avoid them. Hazard keeps shooting, even after the six allotted shots of a typical revolver.

Noah: IS THAT AURAL ENERGY?! Marino's got some tricks up his sleeve now

Noah runs up the wall to the ceiling, runs across it, and then corrects his gravity field and dives headfirst in order to come down on Hazard from above. The latter is already pointing his gun upwards at him, however, and fires three more shots at Noah's face. Faster than the human eye can pick up, Noah draws his other pistol and deflects all three shots.

Hazard: Damn! I forgot how fast this sonofabitch was!

Noah continues his descent and points the gun in his right hand directly at Hazard's chest. He fires; Hazard dodges. Before hitting the ground, Noah rights himself and lands with one hand on the ground and his right leg out behind him. He stands up and points his right-handed gun at Hazard's face, just as Hazard points his at Noah's. The two men stare at each other for several seconds

Noah: You.

Hazard: You.

The two men are about to do each other in at the same exact time when they hear a voice that stops them in their tracks.

Dollmaker: My, My, Gentlemen. What have we here? You do realize that fighting in a Palace hallway can be very dangerous, right?

Taking note of the subtly veiled threat, the two men lower their weapons.

Noah turns to face the Dollmaker, and sees, surprisingly, Raven standing a few feet behind her.

Dollmaker: Noah, dear, if you want to know how Raven got away from Sin, I'm sure he'll tell you later. But right now, I need to talk to you and Raven.

Noah: About what?

Dollmaker: ~sly grin~ why, your next assignment, of course

TO BE CONTINUED...

- N. Ryan, Lt. Commander, Company C, 572nd special ops div., Retired