Harlock's Palace - The Endless Orbit of Loneliness Deux

[freearcadia]

Who: Yor, Nikkolaus
When
What: Palace time
Content Warnings: same as the first.

In the same ruin-filled wasteland, Yor and Nikkolaus would find themselves some distance away from where the other group had landed, the darkness that momentarily blinded and tried to choke them them receding.

The featureless void is not so featureless now, as the dimmest of stars struggle to make themselves known, still and not twinkling as stars should - the spaceship Arcadia hovering, unmoving on the northernmost horizon.

The winds still howled, alternating between the blistering heat and arctic chill, carrying a faint melody in the air from the east and a vague shape surrounded by a localized sandstorm, and low groans from the west with what looks to be a withered tree in the distance.

The ground shakes as the Arcadia fires - debris and dust flying up as it attacked something too far away to see - hopefully no one got hurt.

Comments

[badsunrising]

[Trying to figure out what's up with Harlock...]

[freearcadia]

To...chi...?

[The small figure was surprisingly nimble, but it lets out another yelp as it couldn't get out of Yor's range in time, clutching his head]

[briarliar]

[ following up, trying to push it back and away from them with the same aggressive combination, but this one bringing in a feint at the last moment ]

[badsunrising]

Wait, you recognize them?

[freearcadia]

[Harlock glances back to Mayu under the bed, before answering low - disbelieving]

My friend - my eternal friend... but -

[The fight continue - though it's more of a one-sided beat down, as something had flown from the man during Yor's strikes, falling completely for the feint.

The object clatters a few inches in front of Harlock - a pair of spectacles from the looks of it, the man gingerly picking it up]

O̴̡̟̠̭̩̎͘ͅw̷̱̜̘͎͕̄̿͘ͅͅ-̵̨̥͖̮̳͛̓̆̈̔̌ͅo̴̫̦͙̦͙̘͊̓̄̏̃w̴͙̣̪͛̃͊͝͝o̶̞̗̤̒̈́ Ooooow... what the heck,

Why - Tochiro...

[briarliar]

[ holding off from the pummeling now that it's sounding more plaintive than murderous ]

Are you finished trying to hurt them?

[badsunrising]

Eternal friend...

[freearcadia]

[The man rubs his head, before touching his face - letting out a despairing noise at realizing something is missing]

Since we were children - until he... passed.

Come on, I can't see! I'm not trying to hurt him - I'm trying to give him what he wants

[briarliar]

You said "die already" which is both untrue and hurtful. You should apologize for that...and for trying to kill us!

[ she sounds like she's scolding a misbehaving child, but she also looks like she's ready to go back to pummeling if he doesn't do so ]

[badsunrising]

And what do you think he wants exactly?

cw: death seeking/wish

[freearcadia]

To die.

["Tochiro" answers in such a matter of fact tone, looking right at the man.]

[briarliar]

[ okay she's going to try to scruff the "Tochiro" so he realizes this is now a Y7 area and lift him a little in warning ]

There's a young child here, I respectfully ask you to watch your language about that.

[badsunrising]

[Sorry, he's going to be bluescreening for a minute]

[freearcadia]

[Harlock quickly scoops Mayu up, still holding onto the glasses. He's noticeably quiet after that proclamation as "Tochiro" struggles like a caught kitten in Yor's grasp]

The end of my voyage is a grave... That much I knew. My life was never meant to be long or peaceful.

[He holds the girl tightly to his chest]

See-owowow... I wasn't lying! Put me down!

...That's not Daddy. He wouldn't want you to die... right, Harlock?

[briarliar]

[ she is not putting him down but she is trying to keep her arm steady ]

You're mistaken, and you tried to harm us just a few minutes earlier.

[ she turns her attention to Harlock, giving a flat but considering look ]

So? However long or short it is, what does it matter as long as you can give Mayu as many peaceful days as possible? Wouldn't you want that? Wouldn't you do anything to eke out as many hours or moments with her as you could?

[badsunrising]

[Trying to shake himself from his fugue]

You... don't have the right to die. Not when people need you.

[freearcadia]

['You don't have the right to die.'

Once those words echoed in the air, the man's wavering, lost expression vanished - and his wispy, almost immaterial form solidified.]

I promised to protect her, to protect the world Tochiro loved that she lives on.

[He flung the spectacles right back, clattering near Yor's feet, right below Tochiro]

I may be wrapped in the shadow of my dead friend - but you are not him. He would never want me to abandon his daughter.

How dare you use his face!

Shiii...! You - you meddlers! It would've been peaceful, Look what you done!

["Tochiro" hisses, writhing like a snake in Yor's grip]

[briarliar]

[ Yor just holds on tighter to the collar as the figure writhes, and none too gently. but she's quiet, her attention on making sure it doesn't escape from her grasp. ]

[badsunrising]

[Glares at "Tochiro"]

All we did was help remind him of what he's fighting for... to protect what those most important to him held dear...

[freearcadia]

[Harlock whispers to Mayu, she gives a quiet nod as she slides down from his grasp and onto the bed, then under it as he steps forward, the form of "Tochiro" evaporated into black mist reforming as a vague man-shaped shadow, hissing like a wet cat]

...I should thank you both. I was about to make a mistake I would not have lived to regret.

Imposter.

[He unsheathes his sword, pointing right at the figure]

Get the hell off of my ship!

[briarliar]

[ maybe slightly ruining this moment by looking around in confusion for where the "off" direction might be ]

Which way is that?

[badsunrising]

If it materialized, it can de-materialize.

[freearcadia]

[A low smirk crosses the pirate's lips]

That's right - you better do so before you're forced off.

Hiiisss... damn you all.

[It lunges like a tiger toward Yor, attempting to plunge its hand through her chest - Harlock pulls the trigger of the gravity saber, attempting to shoot it before it gets close to her but the movement was so quick that his shot went wide]

[briarliar]

[ that's fine, Yor can take care of herself. she deflects its strike by grabbing the arm, then, with a firm grip on both arm and neck, slams the shadowy figure into the deck with enough force to break a normal person's bones. ]

[badsunrising]

[Does not intervene, having seen Yor fend for herself enough times by now]