The Still of the Night [David]

[David B.]

He frowned.

"I'm not familiar, no. Where is it?"

He looked around, unable to see what she was referencing."

[Kyrie Blaze]

”It is under the monolith? It sounds different down here, like it is ringing...” She blinked and moved forwards as far as she could.

Could she see anything in particular on or around it from where she was?

[David B.]

She could not reach it, but she could see it and only it. If she popped back out of shadow, she'd just see a normal stone.

"I'm sorry, I see nothing...."

[Kyrie Blaze]

After David’s words, she does! And sees for herself.

“Yes, it seems that it can only be seen from the shadow plane.”

She advances so she can flip into the shadow of the monolith and be that much closer. Perhaps she could see if she could see any tunnels or passages alongside the bottom of the monolith that would lead to the purple stone.

[David B.]

Once close enough, she'd be able to tell which normal stone is the one that's purple and flashing in her world.

She still doesn't see anything wrong with it, except that it's scattered among hundreds of others.

[Kyrie Blaze]

”...David, can you fly around the monolith, being that you are all Casper-y, and look for any sort of sign as to what it is? Do not touch anything, please.”

After marking the stone mentally Kyrie pops back out of the shadows!

[David B.]

David shook his head.

"I ain't got no powers. Don't know why but.....yeah, can't feel a damn thing."

[Kyrie Blaze]

...weird.

Kyrie frowned. And then she withdrew her sword. Something wasn’t right and she didn’t know if it was David himself or the stone. Testingly, she bumps the point of the sword against a few of the bricks around the one that had been purple before tapping on the purple one itself.

[David B.]

As she tapped the stone, it glowed, and only for an instant.

In that instant, she'd see a flash of David, then it was still.

[Kyrie Blaze]

...

Kyrie presses the sword firmly against the stone, testing to see if she could get a sustained image! Otherwise...the palm of her hand would be next!

[David B.]

The image would be flickering, but as she picked it up his image fully came into view. It too was a faded, caspery image and he was gaunt. Skinny and disfigured. Around his hands were great chains, and he hadn't yet noticed them, but was breathing normally.

[Kyrie Blaze]

What the fuck...

“David..?” Her hand tightened on the stone, almost to the point that her joints ached. What was this? Containment? Her mind raced, trying to pick the puzzle apart.

[David B.]

David looked up.

"Kyrie...?"

He looked to the David beside her.

"Y-you....come back."

The David beside her raised his eyebrows.

"Nah man, I want nothing to do with you. Sorry."

[Kyrie Blaze]

”...I was not about to leave you a shackled slave.”

She glanced between the two.

“...what is this exchange about, now..?”

It could have been the David figure beside her thought the chained version of himself was talking to him when he said ‘you came back’.

Who knew, maybe he was..?

This was the best way of finding out.

[David B.]

Chained David pointed.

"That one fled from me so...very long ago."

David shook his head.

"Nah man, I was torn from you. And no offense but...I don't wanna go back."

Chained David seemed exasperated.

"You feel it too, I know it. You're not whole....and the few times we've touched, it's caused more of a problem than it's helped."