The Horsemen of Apocalypse

[Limitless]

Her home seemed to be small in a just-right sort of way, and the little bit of lighting that was present gave it a very cozy feeling. A beat-up couch sat against the wall caddy-corner from the door, and across from that stood a small television. Judging by the dust on it, it hadn't been used in a while. Further on there was a tiled dining room, and what seemed to be a closet jutting out from the wall to separate the kitchen from the front room. Out of what could be seen from the front door, there was a small back room with a staircase that undoubtedly lead to the rest of the house.

 

Isaac started barking again when Ultor knelt, earning him another scolding from Nicole. She shooed him back, shaking her head. "Thank you... I found him as a puppy and just couldn't leave him. He's a good dog, just..." she shrugged slightly. "Afraid, darling, just as you said."

 

Finally she managed to get Isaac to retreat to under the table, where he kept up a low growl and glowered at the newcomer. Exhaling, Nicole stepped out of her shoes and walked inside, turning to look back. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home. Can I get you anything, darling?" She called, already walking to the kitchen.

[Arctic]

Ultor, after rising back to his full height, simply smiled and watched as Nicole moved around inside the home. He stepped in after her and shut the door gently, then stood just inside it. His dark clothes clung to his skin and the various small pouches and tubes slung over his back looked to be soaked with rain. His eyes followed Isaac as he retreated under the dinner table, then shifted back to Nicole as she asked him if he wanted anything. At this, he shook his head. "No, I'm quite alright. I think you've served me enough for today." He took his felt hat off and held it in his hand, not moving from his spot. While he was blocking the door where he stood, it wasn't in any hostile capacity; more than anything, it seemed he just didn't want to get anything wet.

[Limitless]

Sniffing, she smiled a small, secret smile and poured herself a drink, carrying both the bottle and her cup over to the small table beside the couch, setting them down. "Well, darling," she started, "if you end up wanting a drink, you help yourself. I'm going to go get changed out of these clothes and see if I have anything that might fit you." Nicole seemed to be used to sharing her home, giving him a slightly weaker smile as she started up the stairs, worried she might not have anything for him to wear.

 

Isaac, for his part, let out a slightly louder growl as Nicole started on the stairs, flattening his ears in displeasure, seeming to be torn. On one hand, he wanted to run after Nicole, but on the other, did he dare to cross the path of this stranger? Finally, loyalty won out in the dog, and with a bark he dashed after Nicole.

[Arctic]

War's eyes followed Nicole as she disappeared up the stairs, then turned over to watch Isaac. He smiled to himself, taking a small amount of amusement in the dog's internal debate about whether to follow her or stay where he was. Eventually, the dog scampered upstairs and the immortal relaxed somewhat, closing his eyes and breathing out to calm himself down. Like once before, the breath was blurred with heat, like a shimmer on the horizon in a hot summer's day. A few short moments passed and he straightened his jacket, then quietly took off his shoes and socks and set them aside before stepping out in to the middle of the living room, looking around and surveying the area.

[Limitless]

Nicole wasted no time in ditching her wet clothes, changing into a more comfortable shirt and some loose pants. She laughed and greeted Isaac when he bounded up the stairs, tail wagging, by kneeling down to hug the dog.

 

"I'm scared too, Isaac..." she whispered, scratching behind his ears before nodding once at him and standing again, picking up a brush and dragging it through her curls as she looked through the clothes she had for male guests. Finding something to fit his height would be a challenge... Nicole let out a melodramatic sigh, looking at Isaac and giving a slight pout. Finally, she just decided to grab the box of underwear, stacking on top of it the largest shirt and pair of pants she owned as she headed back down to her strange guest.

 

"These might not fit you, but I figured it was worth a try..." she trailed off when she saw that he had moved; Nicole almost hadn't expected him to. He was now standing in the middle of her living room, minus socks and shoes.

[Arctic]

As Nicole spoke, Ultor turned and smiled at her politely. Oddly enough, his clothes no longer seemed to cling to his skin; indeed, they altogether seemed to be dry. His hair, however, was soaked and neatly hooked back over his ears, still in a small pony tail. His hands rested gently inside his coat's pockets, and his stance was straight and almost military in nature. "Oh, thank you, but it's quite all right. They wouldn't fit to begin with." His eyes shifted to the couch, then back to Nicole. He gestured to the seat with one of his hands. "May I?"

[Limitless]

She blinked, but exhaled, letting her shoulders rise and fall in a signal of resignation. "Of course you may. I told you to make yourself at home, didn't I darling?" She smiled at him, simply setting the box down on the stairs before continuing down, locking the door on the way to her drink. Isaac followed her down, ears going flat and a growl rising from his chest again as he saw Nicole approaching the enemy. Muzzle pulling into a slight snarl, he slowly, stiffly moved forward, never taking his eyes off of the distance between the enemy and Nicole. She rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh, shaking her head at Isaac, freshly brushed curls dancing lightly around her face, which seemed smaller now that her hair was fluffier.

 

"That's a neat trick," she informed Ultor, taking a sip of her drink as she settled down in the corner of the couch and looking him over. "Would you like a towel for your hair and equipment, darling?" Nicole flashed him another weary smile, trying to find the right way to phrase her next few questions.

[Arctic]

"No. It will dry," he declared quietly and simply as he took a seat. The immortal's eyes fell down to Isaac and didn't stray from the dog thereafter. He blinked slowly, folding one of his legs horizontally over the other and resting his hands (interlocked) on top of his legs. He seemed oddly at ease again, much like when he had first entered the restaurant, and the itching aura that hung around him had once more subsided. He seemed altogether to be normal again. "Do you often allow strangers in to your home?" He asked softly, leaning down and reaching an arm out, snapping twice to catch Isaac's attention and holding his hand palm up. His gaze remained on the canine firmly and intently.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Arctic

[Limitless]

Nicole watched silently for a moment as Isaac kept moving forward, trying to exude dominance and hostility. She took another sip, keeping her head down and lips on the edge of the cup as Isaac finally, gingerly, reached his muzzle out to sniff at the enemy's hand. All hung still and silent for a moment, then the dog visibly relaxed, moving forward the rest of the way to keep sniffing the proffered hand but still remaining somewhat tense.

 

If Ultor had looked over at Nicole, he would have seen that her eyes had closed when Isaac relaxed and she seemed to be deep in thought. The truth was that yes, she did often bring people she only vaguely knew from the bar into her home, and more than that into her bed, but did she really want to tell him this...? She exhaled again, less dramatically than before, slumping a bit and looking up at him with her eyes only.

 

"Yes... I do, dear." she replied, mouth forming a small smile into her cup as she waited for his response.

[Arctic]

"This dog has the blood of battle in him, but he's far from a warrior," Ultor remarked calmly, moving his hand up to scratch the German Shepherd's ears. "I suppose that's why he knows who I am. He would have a lot to say if he could speak." The immortal looked over to Nicole, hooking some hair from his face with his free hand. "Though I'm sure he would go to great lengths to protect you. Even a terrier will bite at the ankles of he whom threatens his master." He didn't even seem to acknowledge her answer to his earlier question with these words, but just as Nicole might have been prepared to speak up, he added on, "That sort of thing is quite dangerous, you know."

[Limitless]

Isaac relaxed a bit more, decidedly okay with this man his Nicole had brought home. Nicole nodded. "He's a very good dog..." she murmured, seeming to disregard what he had said. She knew how to ask her question now.

 

"Pardon for not figuring it out, but... Who exactly are you?" she whispered, looking at him with curious, childlike eyes.

[Arctic]

"Pardon me for answering your question with another question, but you wouldn't happen to have a computer, would you?" The immortal asked, looking over from Isaac and smiling slightly again.

[Limitless]

Nicole sniffed, pouting and lowering her face to her cup again to hide the blush creeping across her face.

 

"Yes, I have a computer on the table. Under the newspaper..." she replied, looking away from him as she refilled her cup.

[Arctic]

"Feel free to fetch it and bring it back here. Turn it on, of course," Ultor replied. He adjusted his position on the couch, maneuvering his long legs over to rest both feet flat on the ground. His eyes shifted over to the table she spoke of, focused on the newspaper for just a moment before he looked back to Nicole, then to Isaac.

[Limitless]

She furrowed her brow, unhappy with being bossed around in such a manner in her own home. However, still somewhat afraid of him, she stood and got the laptop, opening the lid and turning it on, quickly typing in her password when prompted and sitting back down.

 

"What now?" she queried, voice displaying her unhappiness.

[Arctic]

"I apologize for being bossy; in any case, navigate to, ah, what's it called," he paused, thinking to himself for a moment. "There's a site that acts as a compendium of all human knowledge. It grows daily, it's nonprofit. I've read through it before, but I'm afraid I don't spend too much time on those machines. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about. In any case, go to that website and type in 'Ultor'. That's 'u', 'l', 't', 'o', 'r'. Simple enough. I believe the website's name started with a 'w' or 'v'?" He cleared his throat, looking over at the screen.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Arctic

[Limitless]

Pursing her lips, not quite satisfied with his small apology, Nicole opened the internet and went to Wikipedia, typing in the name as he had spelled it. At first she seemed confused, eyes flicking from him to the computer screen, then something seemed to click and she set her cup down quickly, hand moving to her mouth. She simply stared at him, totally silent and white as a sheet, bottom lip quivering.

[Arctic]

"This form of me seems to be the most well known. Personally, I prefer the name Gradivus - that's what I called myself. These other surnames came later, but Ultor sounds much more modern, hm?" He sat up a little straighter and smiled politely. "In truth, I am not such a god, true, merely godlike, and for that I am revered in history. You could say the same of my kin - you would better know me as the red horseman of the apocalypse, War, but I've distanced myself from that title over time. My steed, after all, is nowhere to be seen." He cleared his throat and turned more to face her. "And shan't be unless I wish to overturn the world in fire and flame."

 

A small pause filled the room as the immortal thought, then resumed speaking.

 

"In truth, many gods are myth. Many gods are inspired by other gods, or crafted by the needs of man. But gods of war, of battle, of combat, of valor, undoubtedly came from me or rose directly from legends I had left behind. But by far, my favorite, Mars. Mars Gradivus, at your service, Nicole," he said with a smile.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Arctic

[Limitless]

She simply stared at him, looking over his eyes, his smile, mind and heart racing. What a dangerous game she'd been playing... but if he'd meant to hurt her... Wait.

 

"Th-then... that woman who was with you earlier..." she whispered, hardly daring to speak at a normal tone. "She was Death, wasn't she..?" Nicole remembered images she had seen, all the common ones of Death in such garb. She shook her head slightly.

 

Sensing his Master's discomfort and distress, Isaac moved over to her, nudging her leg. Absently, she dropped a hand to his head, loosely wrapping her hand around one of his silky ears. Finally, she gave a small, nervous laugh.

 

"It's almost unbelievable, darling. I-I mean, I do believe you, I just... I don't know what to say..." her expression was a little closer to awe now, but a healthy dose of fear remained.

[Arctic]

"That was, indeed, 'Death'. I'm afraid she's lost herself and her sense with it over the years we've been away, though. As I've said, I've distanced myself from my kin. I cannot stand them except rarely, save for Famine, whom I find to be somewhat charming." He nodded solemnly and rested his hands interlocked in his lap. "You needn't know what to say, though I should assure you that by speaking, you hurt nobody but yourself. It is 'almost unbelievable', is it not? Not that I expect you to talk."

Edited May 31, 2013 by Arctic

[Limitless]

She quickly shook her head, setting the laptop down next to her cup and bowing her head before him, trembling. "I would tell nobody, my Lord..." she vehemently whispered, not sure at all what to do with herself. Should she bow, should she simply pretend nothing had changed...? Nicole wasn't sure.

[Skellybones]

Death scowled. The last of War's presence faded in her mind. She scanned around, looking down on the countryside. Her horse had informed her of a murder, this time. "So where would this murder be taking place?" She questioned, not bothering to hide the weariness in her tone.

A smallish city called Milton Keynes.

She huffed, holding her scythe slightly tighter. All of these modern places, just... popping up. No wonder the humans had changed. They've been changing the world ever since she and her kin were chained inside those rooms.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Shadowwolf6

[freezerpup]

((shadow... what will I post about? I need something to happen...))

[Arctic]

"Lord?" The immortal inquired absently and rhetorically. A few long moments passed before he continued speaking in his same quiet, calm voice. Now, however, it was nearly foreboding, like the silence before a storm. This was an effect not of the mannerism of his speech, but simply of the knowledge of who and what he was. He rested his elbows on his legs, interlocked his fingers and perched his chin atop his clasped hands. "It's seldom that I'm addressed by that title. I am no king and I detest royalty. I am a warrior, but this language doesn't have any particular title associated with that, does it? You're free to call me by any one of the thousands of names I have. Or 'sir', if you really must."

[SoiledLove]

Conquest's expression became thoughtful and he decided to act a bit. He nodded once at her words and wore a serious, almost pained expression. "I think I understand. I have met her before, too... I think you met... Death." He let the silence linger a moment before continuing, eyes narrowed and downcast. "I met her right before... my friend committed suicide... She rode a pale horse and commented on how Snow was a very lovely horse and how Snow reminded her of one of her... acquaintances. I was confused at how Snow could remind her of a friend, but then she added that I also reminded her of a friend. She said that that friend would've loved me. Then she rode away. I went to my friuend's house after that and saw her again. She greeted me before leaving, advising me to not go and visit my friend. At the time, I already had a hunch of who she was, but I couldn't believe it. I didn't listen and went inside only to find that... find that," Conquest's voice broke and he continued in a choked and quiet voice, "he was dead... He had hung himself..." He bowed his head further, closing his eyes, the pained expression now clearly there.