Post by Nathan Saniti on Oct 29, 2015 20:48:54 GMT -5
The Infiniti Council - Chapter 1: Scratching the Surface
The dancing light of the campfire flickered, creating shadows that would given a troupe of scouts the collywobbles during an ordinary autumn night. The company convened around this blaze shared an atmosphere with enough tension to make Alfred Hitchcock want to scream, "Lighten up!" Naomi Saniti, Grigori Rasputin, and Fate listened intently as Kelli spun her yarn about what she had seen in Nathan's dressing room.
Her face was pale and blank as she relived witnessing the thing beneath Nathan's skin as she toasted a marshmallow to perfection, if perfection were a burnt cinder. Nevertheless, she continued to cremated the poor, defenseless ball of sugar until it and the stick she was using had mixed with the growing, white hot soot under the logs. She sniffled softly, a lone tear running down her cheek.
Rasputin reached over, tenderly wiping the wetness from her face as it coursed her silken features. "You're certain this is what you saw, zaichik?"
Kelli nodded as Naomi hugged her from the side, rubbing her back and shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. She had sobbed hysterically only moments before, barely managing to get the story out coherently between wretches and wails.
"I'm afraid that means his condition is far more serious that even I had originally suspected." All three people jumped like long-tailed cats in a rocking chair factory at the unexpected voice. Chuckling mildly at unintentionally startling his cohorts, Fate emerged from the shadows. "I apologize. Despite the time of year and the setting, I had not desired to frighten you all."
"Yeah. It's totally not like we're expecting Pumpkinhead or anything," snarked Kelli.
"What's a Pumpkinhead?" queried a confused Fate.
"Seriously?" Kelli tilted her head in bemusement. "Dude, do you even horror?"
"I..." Fate's face contorted in confusion. Finally, he shook it off and continued. "Back on topic, If you're seeing this thing crawling under his skin..."
"...And the tattoo. Don't forget that," added Kelli.
"Indeed." Fate turned towards Rasputin and Naomi. "Do either of you remember whether or not the mask that the Stranger placed on his face was activated violently?"
"Would a kick between the eyes do it?" Naomi inquired.
"It would. This spell was conjured by more than your average mortal. He had help. Powerful help. And to remove it, we're going to need powerful help of our own." Fate breathed deeply, resolving himself. "Grigori, Naomi, we need to go visit the Infiniti Council. We've been played by a potent adversary. If we're to help Nathan, we need to figure out just who it was and what their motivation would have been."
"What can I do?" Kelli questioned. "I want to save Nathan too."
Fate walked over to the colorful bombshell, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can be by his side, dear girl. You are the one thing the TRUE Nathan can hold on to. If that Nathan gives up, we all will lose him to the thing growing inside of him. Do what you can to keep the demon at bay."
"I'm not sure I know how."
"Love, of course," cooed Naomi. "You've battled internal demons your entire life. It was always love that brought you through it all, wasn't it?"
"It's not the same. My internal demons didn't have a physical form."
"Ah, but they did, zaichik," added Rasputin. "That's why your personality split. Mortals experience what Nathan is going through very differently, but the meaning is far more than simple symbolism, especially when you are dealing with a man of Nathan's capabilities."
"Just do what you can to prevent his more malevolent side from surfacing." Fate looked into Kelli's eyes to make sure she understood him clearly. "If he allows it to go on for too long, it could very well change him. Permanently."
"I'm more worried about what he might do in our match against Billy Sadistic and Showtime." Kelli examined the now much shorter stick she had been using to send marshmallows off to the netherworld. She mindlessly popped another on the end and began more carefully toasting this one. "They may have done some bad things to me in the past, but I still don't want to see them get hurt." She paused. "Well, okay, maybe Sadistic just a little, but even Nathan was kinda brutal to him at Deadly Intentions."
"That's why your station is the most important," explained Fate. "He can compete, but you have to prevent him from getting out of control."
"I guess I'll do my best."
"Nathan is right to be smitten by you," chimed Fate, a soft smile on his face. "If your relationship can survive this test, then your place is by his side. And no man shall be able to tear it asunder."
