Sadiq Adnan
Administrator
Bisexual.
30.
Played by Silv.
Offline.
We can only survive here, never truely live
|
Post by Turkey on Feb 10, 2013 23:21:12 GMT -6
Staring into the murky lake, Sadiq couldn’t help but thing back over everything that happened. From his meeting with Mexico to Gilbert helping him, he had been through a lot. There was twice already when he knew his mind had started to slip to old behaviors, but it hadn’t had been all the way. With Feliciano it had just been his violence coming out; with Monaco, it was his darker thoughts. Each time, they had grounded him, kept him who he was now though various means, but those only worked temporarily. Each time he found his center and brought himself back, but the fact that he kept slipping was worrying to him. He had almost hurt Feliciano the one time, and who knows what would have happened if Monaco hadn’t brought him out of it that time she had found him in the kitchen fighting those dark thoughts. Perhaps it was because he was no longer connected to his people. His people meant everything to him, and he would do anything for them.
What were his people doing without him? Was the country still running as normal? Was it starting to fall? He didn’t know how the countries would handle being cut off from the chosen personifications; or how the Personifications would handle being cut off from the countries. What if? No, he couldn’t think that; though it was possibility. They had essentially been made humans by whatever means and magic this building possessed. Perhaps a new representative had been chosen? By what means, he didn’t know. All that he knew was he was mortal, he didn’t feel his citizens, and he felt like he was slowly losing it.
Under these circumstances, it was all the Turkish male could do to let things be and worry about what would happen to him later. If he truly were a mortal now, once they got out of here, he could do anything he wanted to. Perhaps he would take up a permanent job as a tour guide. He liked giving tours to the people. He loved being social and talking to the tourists, they brought such joy to him, so much enthusiasm for his culture. After all, who better to show people around than one that has been around land forever. Nodding to himself, that sounded like a good plan, one he would have to look into if he was no longer the personification, once they made it out of this darkened land. This place was a festering wound, killing off everything inside of it. Hopefully whatever power was in the Manor only extended to its own borders and wouldn’t infect the lands beyond it.
Bringing his thoughts back to the here and now, he stepped into the water and watches the ripples move away from his boot. Everything caused ripples that affected things in the future. What ripples did he cause? And who did it affect? Letting that thought simmer in the back of his head, he listened to the sound the water made with each step he took. The sound of water moving should have comforted him, he loved lakes and oceans and everything that was related to water. Back home, when he was stressed, he would go to the Aegean sea and let the waves move around his legs and let the water wash away his cares and worries. Today, for some reason, it didn’t comfort him. It was just dark water; it was only there. Immobile by itself, that’s all it could be. He had power over it. He could make it move to his whims…if he wanted to get wet in the process. That was the thing about power over anything. You had to accept what came with it.
Power, this place had more power than he knew. If it had the power to make the immortal Nations mortal, what else could it do? With a small chuckle, he started walking though the shallow part of the lake, the dark water he couldn’t see through barely covering the tops of his shoes. It was a thought. Such a powerful manor in what he thought was the heartlands of the America. It was amusing in a way. He always did hear some of his neighbors say how evil Alfred was, how America would bring them all down, how this one Nation would bring about the end of the world. As it turned out, in a way, he could believe they were right with how things were going. The Manor wanted them all dead, and who knew how many had been claimed by the house already. Were those countries still in existence if their Personification died? How many countries had vanished off the map? One by one he was sure each of them would fall to the dark powers of the house, and in a way, America would be at fault. It was on his land, it was his party. He was technically at fault.
With a chuckle, he couldn’t bring himself to blame Alfred. There was nothing the man could have done. Things were how it was, and even Alfred was trapped here. His own country was at risk of losing its personification. A smile cracked his face as he chuckled darkly again, walking in the water still, and his steps slow and meticulous. This really was amusing in a dark way, at least to him. Oh how the mighty have fallen. They were all on equal ground now, and he was sure that would be advantageous in some way, if he could figure out what way it could be.
“Hmm, what could I possibly do? Who could I torment first?”
Pacing some more, he knew that it wasn’t in his normal thinking to contemplate taking advantage of the situation, but how could he not? It was too good a time to pass up. Walking out of the water and on staring at the depth, he knew he needed a plan. Should he try to drown someone? Dunk them under the water just long enough to where they thought they are going to drown only to pull them up at the last second and enjoy listening to the sputtering and the gasping for breath? Humming in thought, he only stood there and smirked, contemplating the things he could do with water and how to ensure his survival in this place that wanted them all dead.
|
|
Vasile Ionescu
Survivor
Played by Roma.
Offline.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"
|
Post by Romania on Jul 28, 2013 1:14:11 GMT -6
Vasile was, once again, doing nothing but wandering about the premises, aimless and deep in thought. He had neither a goal nor a destination, and he hadn’t exactly planned out his route in any way; all he did was walk and follow wherever his legs decided to take him, from the bathrooms to the graveyard to the ominous, murky lake up ahead. His treks were useless, he knew, but that did nothing to slow his steps. He was aware that he’d already been to every possible corner in the Manor and its premises, and that he wasn’t the only one desperately searching every inch for something helpful in their escape. He knew that should there be an exit hidden somewhere, someone would have surely already found it and alerted the others. Or… would they?
The Romanian’s brows furrowed just a bit at that sudden doubt pounding at the back of his mind. He wasn’t an amateur when it came to the human psyche. He knew that in any given disaster, there were those who sought to profit from it. As disgusting a thought as it was, it was not impossible for someone to have already found an exit and saved themselves without taking the others with him. It’d be cruel, yet he couldn’t deny it’d also be immensely useful should someone seek world domination or the sorts. What was a country without their personification watching over them? An easy target, he presumed. He would not be surprised to see someone, most likely Russia or Turkey, taking advantage of that. And in the case of those two, he found it more likely than not, even; the both of them had always held a lust for power. He was well aware of that. Had felt it in his bones himself so many years ago now that it felt like it had all been a surreal dream. Oh, how much a world could change in some hundred years… It was both remarkable and funny. He could not even hope to envision where they’d all be in another thousand years – if they even got out and managed to survive that long.
The man shook his head. No, such thoughts weren’t warranted right now. What was important was that there might be an exit that someone had already found and if there was, he’d find it too. He had to. And then he’d go gather everyone, an-
At that thought, the Romanian stopped his walk. Would he really gather everyone? If given the opportunity to gain power, could he really do the right thing and not take advantage of the situation? It was basic human nature to seek to survive and prosper, and it surely enough was also the basic nature of a nation, perhaps even more so. Knowing that, could he really claim with absolute certainty, that he was good enough a man to do the right thing in spite of himself? That he would not succumb to the temptation of widening his borders or gaining revenge on old enemies? Not only him – could anyone? Surely enough every country in the world had enemies they’d rather see disappear – you only needed a glance at a history book to see proofs and motives. A country’s citizens might have forgotten the wrongs committed against theIR ancestors, but the nations and personifications, no matter on how friendly terms they were today, didn’t forget. How could they? Old wars and times of oppression were not things that had happened in the past to people they didn’t know – they were things they had to suffer through. Things they had to see their citizens die because of. Could someone truly forgive that? Vasile wasn’t sure if he could.
The Romanian quickly shook his head again, this time a small, melancholically amused grin in place. He really was letting the Manor get to him, huh. Maybe he’d need to cool his head with the lake’s water? Those were definitely not thoughts he usually harbored, and he was sure neither did the other nations. It was the Manor playing tricks again, had to be. He could do the right thing. The past was… the past. It was something you had to get over at some point in order to not hold yourself and those around you back. People and nations changed and he was sure, well, pretty sure, that he could trust the others felt the same. They’d get out – but they’d do it together. They’d return to the world – all of their world – together. Definitely.
Vasile started walking again, his steps faster and steadier, but forced. Regardless of anything else, he had to keep walking and looking around. He had to keep searching. If he stayed still, nothing would change. He had seen some of the countries building forts of sorts to keep off the monsters, and while that was indeed a reasonable plan, Vasile could not find himself agreeing with it. All those nations were doing was locking themselves in place. They weren’t building a safe haven from the manor’s dangers; they were building themselves a cage. And while a cage was indeed the safer option for a bird, it was not the healthier one. They were already trapped as they were, there was no need to cage themselves further.
It was then that the silhouette of the lake came into view and with it, the form of another man pacing around close to the water. Vasile’s first instinct was to walk up to them, give them a little mischievous scare and then offer his helloes happy to get some company. But the closer he got, the more hesitant his steps became as the stranger by the water became a stranger no more; that tall, muscular frame was familiar, all too much so. Vasile’s grin faded slowly, and the joy in his eyes from having happened upon another nation quickly turned into a startled glare. He stopped almost completely now, not sure if he should just walk away or keep approaching, or what he should do once he stood eye to eye with the guy. Just say hello? To be honest, part of him wanted to go and push the guy in the lake, while another part wanted to get away from the Turk before the guy’d attempt the same with him. It wouldn’t be beyond him – after all, the man’d done much worse to him, to his people and to his neighboring countries before. That man, by the name of-
“Turcia,” Vasile almost hissed, so silently he wasn’t even sure if he had said it aloud. That name alone was enough to wake so many conflicting emotions and thoughts within him, that if his mind hadn’t been a mess from his earlier thoughts, it definitely was now. For the longest time, he had absolutely loathed the guy. He’d come and conquered his lands, tortured and killed those who attempted to fight back, and then forced the citizens who weren’t blessed enough with money to bribe them into servitude as serfs – or worse. The oppression and violence had went on for so many hundreds of years, and despite his and even Hungary’s attempts to break free, the torment had lasted.
But that was some hundred years ago by now, as well. A little after he received his current name, the two had established relations. The guy had changed – Vasile could certainly tell as much from the time he’d spent with him in business meetings – yet the past did not go away. And, although they had been on friendly terms on the outside, and even though he had even taken his side in the whole EU deal, he… could never completely forget. Forgive, perhaps in some hundred years more, but not forget. He acknowledged the importance of their trade relations, and yet… yet the hate was there. Imprinted over hundreds of years. Was it wrong of him? He didn’t know. But he knew he wasn’t the only one to harbor a grudge. Greece was the same. Many others probably were, too. It must have been hard on the Turk – and still, Vasile couldn’t say he was completely sorry for him for that.
Vasile sighed. Well, regardless of anything else, they were now trapped in here together, and survival meant they had to try and work as a team. Hadn’t he just resolved some moments prior that nobody should be left behind? He couldn’t go back on his word this fast. And so, drawing in a breath, the Romanian pushed himself to continue his advance, steps once again steady and eyes focused on the taller male’s back. Don’t start a fight now, he told himself. Be civil.
“Heeey, been a while!” He chirped in his usual tone as he reached the guy, his voice just a bit more forceful than he’d liked. His face showed his usual careless expression, but his eyes told a different story altogether. “What are you doing?" He asked, his speech more silent and less cheerful this time, even if he was still smiling. "Did you know that pacing in circles isn't going to get you anywhere?"
|
|
Sadiq Adnan
Administrator
Bisexual.
30.
Played by Silv.
Offline.
We can only survive here, never truely live
|
Post by Turkey on Aug 12, 2013 23:53:49 GMT -6
Sadiq knew walking in circles around the lake wasn’t accomplishing anything, it was just killing time. Though he had to admit, it was helping him work off the extra energy he suddenly found coursing through his veins. Where it came from, he didn’t know, but he didn’t want it building up least he do something stupid. He kept walking so he couldn’t see his reflection in the water. Stopping briefly a little bit ago had proved his to him. In the reflection of the newly settled ripples that left the water reflecting like glass, he had seen something he didn’t want to see again. Some cultures say the reflection can show the state of a person’s soul, and what he saw matched with the dark path his thoughts had taken. With a stream of darker thoughts that ran to torture for his own sick amusement, his reflection was one of a guy dressed in a flowey white shirt with a frown on his face; no, his reflection showed a man wearing a white, puffy hat to keep the sun out. Along with the hat, it also wore the infamous mask he was known for and the black material face covering that he used to hide the bottom half of his face from the burning sunlight. Though Sadiq couldn’t see it, he knew the man in the moonlight provided reflection of the lake was grinning that devilish grin he had often worn in the older days when on the prowl.
He didn’t want to see it, didn’t want to acknowledge that it was possible that the manor was affecting him…but since he knew it was trying to affect him, he should be able to fight it off, right? Shaking his head, Sadiq kept walking. He had been thinking about trying to drown someone, but could he actually go that far anymore? He would be able to kill the monsters that inhabited the place, but his fellow Nations? The ones he had worked so hard to be friendly too these days? But what if other Nations had slipped like he had a few times, could he take out the ones that we’re trying to take him out to? What about and Nation that was trying to hurt him? Deep down, something was telling him the answer but he didn’t want to listen to it. But there were other things he heard.
The sound of the wind through the trees and over the grass is what he heard, along with something telling him there was a something coming his way. Was it the ingrained fighting instincts he hadn’t listened to in decades because there was no reason to? He would listen and keep it in mind as he continued to circle. Sadiq didn’t know how long he had been circling the lake, but it was long enough for his shoes to be soaked. The bottoms of the legs of his pants were also wet. How many other things had he missed while contemplating his own metal state? Shaking his head, he turned his head a bit to listen.
“Heeey, been a while!”
He recognized that voice, but he couldn’t place it at first, the last time he had heard this voice was…the party that started this all, sometime before they all got separated and things literally went to hell in a hand basket, not even a hand basket lined with velvet pillow. It was just a worn out hand basket that had its sides falling apart which ended up poking you in the side at the least opportune moments. Stopping where he stood and looking around, he saw the man who was speaking and rolled his eyes. It was just who he wanted to see, another grudge holding idiot nation who didn’t know his own head from his ass. He could see Romania’s face and while it seemed calm, relaxed even, he always looked to the eyes, they always told the truth… it was part of the reason he wore a mask after all. The red eyes that set in the Romanian’s head had never bothered him. Sadiq always loved exotic things, and what could be more exotic to own than someone with red eyes. But the look they held told Sadiq of distrust and a hint of the look he had worn in the olden days when the country that had become Romania was under his firm control. This look also told Sadiq that they wouldn’t be good friends any time soon even though he had changed since those days of old. Or he thought he had. Especially not in this house with the manor able to influence anything and everything, and it seemed to be interested in returning the Turkish personification to his previous ways of thinking.
“Merhaba Romanya. Fancy seeing you out here. Get tired of trying to make bothering the Nations in the house and decided to see if there was new blood out here to torment?
So that was a little uncalled for, that he knew. But sometimes it really was open mouth insert foot, the words bairly have time to be thought before they excaped through his mouth ... it was surprising he hadn’t had his ass beat yet for how often he tended to do that. Heck, he knew he should start a foot in mouth club with himself as either the President or Vice President. Sadiq knew Romania didn’t deserve anything to deserve those words. Looking at him, he looked back to the now still water that still held his reflection that was grining back at him.
“What are you doing?"
Wasn’t it obvious what he was doing, he was walking in circles but had since stopped since he heard the man’s voice. It was only polite to stop and talk with him after all…even if the man was being an idiot.
“Did you know that pacing in circles isn't going to get you anywhere?"
”Who said I wanted it to get me anywhere huh? Perhaps I just like walkin’ in circles, clear my thoughts and try to keep myself was the parts left unsaid. Looking back to the Romanian, he ignored his ever grinning reflection and smirked. “Seriously though, what are you doing out here, don’t you know it’s not safe. One of the scary monsters will get ya."
Sadiq could hear the thoughts in his head, the ones that said hurt him before he hurts you, show him who was still boss. He wanted to rush the man in a surprise attack and actually attempt to get him into the water with him? This was the real reason he had stopped moving and just stood in the water. If he didn’t move, he wouldn’t do anything he might regret later. Once step and he might just carry out what he was thinking. Perhaps it was best he was being an ass; drive the man away before a monster did appear. The main question was, would the scary monster that could hurt Romania be Sadiq himself?
|
|
Vasile Ionescu
Survivor
Played by Roma.
Offline.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"
|
Post by Romania on Nov 5, 2013 9:11:13 GMT -6
It didn't take more than the Turkish personification opening his mouth for Vasile to immediately start to regret ever having started a conversation with the guy. His grin twitched, and the forcibly bright look in his eyes gained a slightly darker edge as he lowered the hand he'd raised in greeting. Ugh, out of all the people he could have run into, why did it have to be this guy? The small bit of Turkish the man had spoken had made Vasile shudder, and the unpleasant tone Sadiq used throughout did nothing to make the Romanian want to keep their relations civil or his expression a smile. Sarcasm and condescension seemed to coat the older man's words, just like they had in the past. The only difference was that this time, he was free and not a kid needing to tremble in the other's shadow. But that was only because he'd grown. Had Turkey truly changed at all? If so, his attitude was making it hard to believe.
Then again, Vasile had to admit that he couldn't exactly judge Sadiq when it came to using sarcasm - try as he might've, his own greeting just now hadn't been much better, after all. True enough, if it had been just sarcasm the Turk used, Vasile believed he could have found it in himself to ignore it and let go for the sake of keeping up a conversation and working together to get out. Condescension, too, he could say he was kind of used to by now. It was something he could counter with a few prideful or witty words of his own.
No, it wasn't sarcasm or pride that bothered him so, it was the slight threatening undertone the man's words carried that left such a bitter aftertaste in the Romanian's mouth. His threats reminded him of the days past and told him that the guy still considered himself strong and mighty enough to be in a position where he could use intimidation against his peers just like that. It was both humiliating and infuriating, and it made Vasile bare his fangs as his lips drew into a scowl and his throat let loose a slight snarl. For a fleeting moment, he wanted nothing like push the Turkish man under the murk surface of the water he stood in and hold him there until the other learned some humility. He could almost picture it already, gaining revenge and teaching a thing or two the smug bastard.
Vasile didn't act on those thoughts, however. He wasn't sure why, but he figured it was because he was the better person out of the two. Because he had just promised himself to try and get along. Because trying to drown people upon first meeting them in days wasn't socially acceptable.
And because a small part of him still feared he would lose should he try to pick a fight.
Well, at least when it came to words, he would not lose to anyone. Certainly not to this guy. His comebacks, though sarcastic, hadn't exactly convinced the Romanian.
"Funny you should use the word 'torment', Turcia," Vasile mused, a layer of bitter mocking in his tone as he walked closer, hands in his pockets now. "After all, if I recall, that was your people's favorite past time. Not like they were capable of much else, anyway." He let his gaze descend upon the man's face as he whispered, grin ever widening. "Guess they had a bad rolemodel, huh?"
Vasile walked until he was standing only a few meters from the water's edge and then stopped. He didn't feel like going closer. Not only was the pitch black water not too inviting, something about the man soaking his feet in it seemed... off, somehow. Sadiq seemed weirdly tense, on edge, and somehow... cold. It was difficult to explain, especially with a mask covering the most expressive part of the human body, but it was something a guy with years upon years of experience and study on human behavior could pick up rather easily. And it made him nervous. Vasile knew better than to let that show, however. You could never show your fear to dogs, after all, lest they see an opportunity and bite.
"Well, good luck clearing your head, anyway. You need it," he wished with a chuckle, still more cheerful than he was devilish, although only because he could fake pretty well. In truth his jolly mood had disappeared ages ago. And, as he spoke his next sentence, the Romanian allowed his eyes to harden just a bit, as if to show whatever threats the other tried would have no effect on him. Not anymore.
"As for monsters, don't worry about them~," he chirped, his eyes betraying his true feelings as their crimson gaze fell on where the Turk's eyes probably were. His tone was defiant, challenging and just a bit proud, cheeriness having temporarily made way. "I've years of experience fighting them. I think I can handle them on my own."
He took a step closer, only barely outside the water now as his face suddenly snapped back into a cheerful smile and his eyes closed as if to empathize it. "Oh, and I hope you know, but your pants will get toootally soaked if you stay there longer~"
|
|
Sadiq Adnan
Administrator
Bisexual.
30.
Played by Silv.
Offline.
We can only survive here, never truely live
|
Post by Turkey on Nov 19, 2013 20:25:16 GMT -6
The sound of water lapping around Sadiq's legs was all the man could hear. The noise echoed in his head, subtlety hitting the nerves to relax the Turkish man. Just by looking at the man standing in the water, it would be impossible to tell that the white noise was calming him, releasing the inner tension that he had felt for so long. When those muscles started to unclench and limbs started to try and move again, Sadiq tightened them again involuntarily. He didn’t consciously recognize the attempted movement at first, but he resisted it anyway. Part of him knew that if he moved now, there would be blood on his hands, and he didn’t want to find out whose. He didn’t want to add to his already bloodstained hands. He didn’t want to see fresh blood dripping to the floor, leaving permanent stains on his skin, mind and whatever he had that could possibly pass as a soul.
"Oh, and I hope you know, but your pants will get toootally soaked if you stay there longer~"
He watched those lips move and those saccharine words pour out and penetrate his mind, through the clouds and haze that had blanketed it since he had first stepped into the dark, deceptively peaceful water. With a roll of his eyes, the Turkish man could only shrug in response to those words as if standing in a lake was an everyday occurrence for him.
"How about you just worry about the state of yar own clothes and leave mine alone."
Harsh as it was, he knew Romania had to leave, that a ticking time bomb was standing there, ankle deep in the dark water, temporary diffused. The liquid slowly wicking up his pants, soaking it from the bottom up, he could feel each breath entering his lungs and expanding throughout him before exiting. He knew the Romanian had to leave. Not that Sadiq wanted him to leave; no, it was quite the opposite. He needed to leave for his own safety, for both of theirs really. There was something going on in his head. There were no words that he could think of for what was going on, and quietly frankly he couldn’t explain it beyond a subconscious thought telling him so. An invisible that had been laying over the lake was moving slowly, woken up by the movements created by the Turkish man. The moon sliding behind encroaching clouds darkened the former white mist to a darken as it coiled and straightening as it approached the man who had disturbed it. Winding its way up around his legs and across his body, using the water soaking into the pant fabric as a catalysis, it crept higher and higher over him.
Irritation warred with this strange feeling inside him, making it that much more difficult to just stand there and home the Romanian would heed his words and leave. There was no way for Sadiq to know which feeling would win the internal battle going on inside him. It made it difficult to just stand there and hope that Romania would leave. The man annoyed him, yes, but honestly, it was easy to annoy Sadiq, especially when you knew the man and knew what buttons to press. Romania didn’t deserved to be attack and Sadiq couldn’t make himself leave the man and the lake. He didn’t deserve to be around to see the aftermath of the internal battle that raged inside Sadiq.
“For once in yar immortal life, just listen to wat I have to say and get the ‘ell out of here before I wind up-”
Shutting his eyes tight after snapping at the man, the sound words echoed in his head. Kill him, strangle him, drown him. Teach him who to fear, what to fear.
Without noticing it, he started moving, walking towards the edge of the lake. Eyes opened but didn’t see fully, they were glazed over with the same darkish mist that surrounded him. Ripples formed from where he stepped and light splashing sounds could be heard, but not by Sadiq. The words rang in his ears and though his head, reverberating around his skull, drowning everything else out till the only thing that could be heard was the dark words embedding themselves in his brain. The dark tendrils had begun sinking its hooks into his body, leaching their influence into the man far more than they had before. It was obviously only a matter of time until they vanish completely into the tan skin.
As the man approached the bank of the lake, feet tangled up in the weeds around it and he tripped, knee’s landing in the water and hands in the dew ridden grass. Clenching his eyes shut again, his hair moved from side to side as he shook his head, trying to get some control of himself back. Contorting his hands so they grabbed the blades of grass and durt, he held on as if the Earth and plants were a lifeline keeping him grounded in reality as he fought to keep a small grip on himself and fight against the voices in his head. His own voice left his throat and lips, mumbling softly against their words.
“Get. Out.”
|
|
Vasile Ionescu
Survivor
Played by Roma.
Offline.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"
|
Post by Romania on Mar 16, 2014 7:44:43 GMT -6
The more time Vasile spent standing there, silently gazing upon his old enemy as he waited for his reply, the more... wary he became, for reasons he himself didn't know. But then, there was hardly a place in this Manor that didn't warrant at least some level of caution, and so any given mixture of paranoia, distrust and fear appearing at random times and seemingly unprovoked was almost an everyday occurrence to him now. And yet, he knew he could never truly get used to it, not enough to keep it from affecting him. He knew, because his heart was racing again. He knew, because despite himself, he was still trying to find out the reason to his wariness, as if to make sure he'd be able to escape whatever horrors might strike him. He knew, because such was human nature.
Still, he wasn't in any particular need to figure out the source of his discomfort right this minute. Perhaps it was nothing important anyway, and was simply caused by the setting of their little reunion; certainly, the lake - especially when alit by nothing but the already eerie moonlight - was perfectly ideal for planting seeds of anxiety into anyone. And when you reunited with your old enemy, out of all people, in such a place... truly, perhaps he should have been surprised that he hadn't started to feel wary from the start.
Indeed, Vasile would have been almost ready to pass off his uncomfortable feeling as just the lake being particularly creepy and successful at doing its tricks tonight, if... if it weren't for the Turkish man acting rather off, as well. The man had never been one to say no to a battle of wits, and Vasile was ready to guess that even in current days, that part of the old man had remained - after all, he still seemed to be as prideful as ever. But today, so far... Sadiq's responses had seemed almost rushed, his comebacks hollow and his tone urgent, as if there was something more pressing on his mind than entertaining an old adversary. And come to think of it, he hadn't moved much ever since Vasile'd arrived, unless you counted the small circles he'd walked some time ago. Did he truly like soaking his pants that much, or was there... another reason?
At that thought, Vasile found his gaze slithering down from the Turk's face and onto the lake's surface, but try as he might, he saw nothing but the broken reflection of the moon and the silent ripples caused by the Turk's earlier movement. The lake was silent, mysterious, dead. And from that alone, Vasile knew it was, most likely, inhabited by something. Sadiq shouldn't have been standing there, and he would have thought the man would have figured out as much himself ages ago. Or was it that perhaps that, it was too late for him? Was it perhaps that he couldn't get out anymore? Vasile couldn't see his legs. It unnerved him. For all he knew, there could have been a monster slithering around his shins at the very moment, attempting to pull him under.
"How about you just worry about the state of yar own clothes and leave mine alone."
When the Turkish man suddenly replied, Vasile snapped out of his thoughts and his grin returned for a moment. Well, at least the man was still speaking. True, his words were few and his tone seemed to be constantly weighed down on by something, but as long as he could speak, he was neither possessed nor dead, and in this Manor that alone was always a small victory.
"I'd say 'deal', but something tells me you can't take care of yours right now," Vasile retorted, but it wasn't sarcasm or mockery that laced his words this time. No, his words played out like a question, a silent inquiry of the other's condition. He knew asking the Turk outright if he was alright wouldn't be fruitful - not only would the other most likely be too damn stubborn and prideful to admit it should there be something wrong with him, asking things like that in case the Turk was just playing mind games with him would put Vasile in a bad position and push him into the role of a clown - something he would not see the old man do ever again if he could help it.
But the Turk didn't answer, did he?
Vasile narrowed his eyes, his gaze attempting to burrow under the surface of the lake once more. Not knowing what might have lurked down there was driving him crazy. He was curious. He was way too curious, and he wondered if the Turk hadn't ended up where he was because the two grown men shared that one childish trait even after all these years.
“For once in yar immortal life, just listen to wat I have to say and get the ‘ell out of here before I wind up-”
Vasile's crimson eyes gained a small spark at those words. Information. They contained information, and that was more precious to him than any gold or jewelry known to man, especially right now. It was as if the man had attempted to answer his earlier 'question without a question' with a suitably vague answer of his own. Wind up...? Wind up what? Did this have to do with that something that made his speech so strange? His gaze moving again, this time back to the Turkish man's face, Vasile allowed himself a moment of inspection. The man's mask effectively blocked the one part of his face that would have been absolutely vital in determining what was going on with him, but Vasile did not let that hinder him. He had not studied human behaviour for so long to be stopped by a piece of decoration. And indeed, if you looked closer, the signs of anxiety, of the man fighting off... something were clear. The guy seemed to almost be in pain of some sort. Anguish. Mental one. He was on edge, and Vasile knew what waited on the other side.
And it made him take a careful step back as if on guard. The monsters in the lake were not the only ones on prowl tonight, it seemed. Not for long, anyway.
And no sooner had Vasile finished that thought, when Sadiq suddenly began to move. His steps were heavy and slow, as if something had been holding onto his legs, but he was advancing still, and Vasile wasn't sure what to do. He was moving away from the water and towards the shore, something he knew to be a good thing, but at the same time, he was approaching. And Vasile wasn't sure what to make of that. All he knew was to take another step back in reflex.
And then another, and another.
And then, all of a sudden, Sadiq was on the ground in front of him, knees submerged in the murk of the lake and hands curled into fists, that seemed to almost desperately hold onto the grass and mud of the shore. Vasile's pocker face was anything but prepared for that sudden show of weakness and shattered, surprise washing over pale features and yanking agape his almost completely dry mouth. His crimson eyes were fully open from slight shock now, caution having drowned away somewhere along the way. Vasile wasn't backing away now, and someone could have knocked him on the head from behind and he wouldn't have turned. His attention was sealed, consumed by the peculiar scene playing out pathetically only few meters away. It was... it was strange. He had always wanted the Turkish man on his knees, trembling and desperate - and here he had it. He had the whole scene he'd wished for, the one he'd played in his mind over and over again when young, becoming reality right in front of his eyes right here, and yet... he did not feel the sense of fulfillment, of pride he had expected. Had he gotten over the past more than he'd thought? Or was this lack of joy merely because this was not a victory he could call his own? This was not Turkey, the conqueror, kneeling down to him, after all - no, this was Turkey, a victim of a cruel game played by the manor finally falling after days of struggle, like they all eventually would. This was just a simple man succumbing to the torture of manor. And Vasile found nothing funny in that.
Quite the contrary; it pissed him off. It pissed him off to see the mighty fallen so.
“Get. Out.”
And the old man wasn't helping the younger nation's fury the slightest. Get out? What for? What, was he trying to save him from whatever it was that lurked in the lake? From whatever monster had gotten the old gramps in its grasp earlier? Or, indeed, from himself? That's what it looked like. The Manor truly had gotten to him - and not only physically. It made sense; the guy never was the most mentally stable one he knew, and the monsters knew weakness and opportunity when they saw them.
Too bad.
"Shut up."
Too bad he couldn't abandon a victim just like that.
Vasile took a determined step closer, his boot slightly sinking into the muddy ground below as he bent his back and balanced his way to the Turkish nation. He took one silent, shaky step after another, part of him on edge like any man would be, part of him stupidly proud of his defiance - like any kid would be. "Look at yourself, gramps, you can't even stay standin' on your own anymore. You ain't exactly in the position to give orders or make threats here."
He reached the man, and stuck out his hand without so much as stopping to hesitate. Their past was not a friendly one. But here, they were not each other's worst enemies - the Manor was. And he would not watch it toy with his enemy any further than this, not if he could help it. He wouldn't be afraid, he would give the satisfaction of fear neither to the Manor nor the Turk. He wasn't that little kid anymore. He could handle the guy if he decided to go berserk. He would have to. For both of their sakes.
"Get up," he ushered, accompanying his words with a slight nod as he spread the fingers of his extended hand. "You're embarrassing yourself. And still wetting your pants." Vasile chuckled, whether it was for his own amusement or to attempt to lighten the mood, nobody would probably ever know. "So come on. Get out the water."
He chuckled once more.
"You'll get wrinkly."
|
|
Sadiq Adnan
Administrator
Bisexual.
30.
Played by Silv.
Offline.
We can only survive here, never truely live
|
Post by Turkey on Apr 14, 2014 1:01:22 GMT -6
Sadiq could only let out a silent cheer in his mind as the threat seemed to have worked. He didn’t care what the Romanian thought about it, he couldn’t care past the fact that the man seemed to have listened to him and taken his words, his orders and was obeying finally. Without having someone else around, he knew he could focus more on fighting himself. His old self....well, in a way. He knew he used to be a man others either despised or respected. Sometimes it’s both, but from the countries that used to be under him, he knew it was the former. He had done what he had to do then, and never whet out of his way to hurt them. He only punished them when they disobeyed the few simple rules. To him these weren't harsh punishments; he could have done so much worse. To them, the old, ottoman Sadiq was a monster. And in a strange way, perhaps they were right.
In moments of high stress, when he was bothered, a small part of him always wondered what would happen if one of them were to drown in his care? Would they come back to life fearing him? Or would they perish since his empire had taken over, technically leaving no actual country behind. Some of the nations in his care had caught Sadiq staring before, like the Romanian before him, but he had to wonder sometimes if they truly realized how dark and murderous his thoughts ran sometime? Though at that time, he realized how ridiculous those thoughts were, how impossible they were.
It was these dark thought that had crawled their way out if Sadiq’s subconscious from where they had been buried and locked away, thoughts long forgotten, and were threatening to take over in a way they never had before. He had to be the stronger one here, there was no way he could let himself hurt the man in front of him. It was a mental battle he wasn't prepared for, but he had to win; the consequences of loss were too high. He knew that loosing would mean giving into the manor’s influence; he knew that’s what was causing these thoughts. Somehow the blackness had sunk into him. Was he really that hopeless at protecting himself that he could fall so easily to outside forces?
“Shut up”
“………”
Did Vasile just tell him to shut up? He always knew he hadn’t done enough to keep him under his thumb. It seemed that, once again, he needed taught a lesson in respect for his elders. A heavier hand this time or even a little dunk under the water would chance that attitude of his.
"Look at yourself, gramps, you can't even stay standin' on your own anymore. You ain't exactly in the position to give orders or make threats here."
Those words sunk in deep, penetrating his subconscious and weighing heavily on him. He was right and Sadiq knew it. He had sunk low. New thoughts overwhelmed his mind, overriding the thoughts of murder with depression. He wasn’t standing, didn’t feel like he could stand anymore. How could he let himself think taking him out, the boy he used to protect and argue with. Yes, they didn’t get along, but that didn’t deserve a death sentence.
Whatever had shifted in his train of thoughts was noticed by the black mist that had started soaking into him changed to. Morphing to a grey, amorphous mass instead of the sharp claw like hooks, it tried to weigh him down, drag him down into desperate things of sadness, a deep depression. Small words where whispered into his mind of what a lithesome man he was and had become. He had tried hard to make up for his past, but all his efforts were in vain. No matter what he would try to do, no one would forget the past and what he had done against them, how he had taken over there country and ruled it. No, it would forever be that way and no one would remember the many times he helped countries lately. No one would remember the kind words he had when nightmare’s invaded sleep and frightened children would cling to him. He had sunk so low during his days as the sick man of Europe, and it seems he had reached a new depth; just that he was the only one that could see it this time. He was the only one who could tell how much he was teetering on the edge of sanity.
"Get up," Looking at the extend hand, he could only notice how clean the other’s hand really was. How did it stay so clean here? How did he always seem to stay clean? It was one thing he could never figure out.
"You're embarrassing yourself. And still wetting your pants. So come on. Get out the water. You'll get wrinkly."
With s sigh, his hands relaxed their steel tight grip on the grass and there was almost visible relaxing in there posture. Moving slowly, he tried to stand up , but slumped back down. Each time he tried, his foot wouldn’t move from where it had sunk in the mud. He wouldn’t look at the man to tell him though.
“I’ll be fine, just run along and I’ll be inside in a few minutes. Just let me get my foot unstuck from the mud”
Deep down, he didn’t know if he would follow the Romanian inside or what he would do. He only felt the need to get way. Away from the man who had seen his humiliation and away from the lake. He needed to get his head out of the dark smoke it seemed to be shrouded with in order to keep surviving, though, did he really want to survive this hell anymore?
|
|
Vasile Ionescu
Survivor
Played by Roma.
Offline.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players"
|
Post by Romania on Jul 3, 2014 9:07:51 GMT -6
A small smile of relief crawled on the Romanian's face as the Turkish nation let go of the grass and heaved a sigh. The man was still visibly tense, but those two small signs of relaxation were at least a promising start if nothing else. The Turk didn't take the hand offered, however. Stupid, stubborn old man, putting his pride ahead common sense.
Sometimes, the two of them were definitely too much alike.
Disregarding Vasile's help, the older man tried to pick himself up from the ground - but that soon ended in a failure and the Turk slumping back down as fast as he'd stood. It was apparent the lake wasn't about to let him go so easily, and the man's strength didn't seem able to match that of the mud holding him captive. It was bizarre. When Vasile was a kid, the man's strength had seemed unrivaled, inhuman. He had looked upon the Turk with equal parts of fear, disdain and bitter admiration at the man's prowess - and now, there the guy was, unable to stand up straight in front of his old servant, in front of a kid he once ruled with an iron fist. This was what the manor had done. It was ironic, and to a mind seeking revenge, somewhat beautiful.
But more than anything else, it was just horribly sad.
Vasile caught himself almost snarling at the situation, his anger not yet having died down. He suspected it never would, not before he could see the Turk standing in front of him, proud and cocky as always, free from the Manor's influence. Not until he could redirect his hate back towards the Turk as someone equal.
“I’ll be fine, just run along and I’ll be inside in a few minutes. Just let me get my foot unstuck from the mud.”
"You're a horrible liar," Vasile spoke without a moment's hesitation, his tone bitter and arms pulled to cross across his chest as he looked down on the other's pitiful form. It was clear every word out the man's mouth was just his wounded pride talking, barking like a dog desperate to prove its worth. If the Turk couldn't pull his leg from the mud now, what made him think he could do it once left alone and liable to get swallowed up by whatever lurked in the lake? Vasile was no fool, not of the naive kind, at least.
"If I leave now," he almost whispered, slight concern dancing on his lips as his eyes narrowed. "You won't follow. Not now, not ever. So I'm not leaving you. The monsters in the lake will get a stomachache from you."
He grinned. "That'd be just downright mean towards them, now wouldn't it?"
Expression back to normal, Vasile took a step forward, bending his back to try and examine what exactly it was that held the man so firmly in place. Offering his help went to deaf ears, that much he knew now, so it was time to move past an offer and into action. It wasn't like the man could stop him, not in his current state.
Kneeling next to the man, Vasile reached to grab at the Turk's thigh. Usually, he would have been wary of getting this close to the man and certainly, touching him without an even implied permission to do so, but right now, Vasile did not find it himself to be capable of fearing the guy. He was the stronger one of the two now, the one able to stand on his own two legs without the need of someone else's aid. The Turk could do nothing to him. The lake and its contents was what he had to keep an eye out for...
"Pull," Vasile ordered curtly as he yanked the man's leg. "Come on, on the count of three. Are you going to lose to some mud?"
He didn't wait for an answer. He didn't need one. The Turk would obey. He'd better.
"Three," Vasile began, wrapping his arms properly, "two," and he found a steady place for his foot on the bank of the lake, "one."
And he pulled, body tensing.
|
|
Sadiq Adnan
Administrator
Bisexual.
30.
Played by Silv.
Offline.
We can only survive here, never truely live
|
Post by Turkey on Sept 14, 2014 12:38:36 GMT -6
Throughout the years, the republic of Turkey had watched his charges mature and grow; even after they left him , he continued to watch just in case any of them needed help but was too stubborn to ask for it. He remembered the many times he had seen them struggling with something under his care, even if they wouldn't accept direct help and he couldn't directly help, he had tried to put the tool that was needed, the item or something that could help somewhere it would be found. He was positive none of his colonies knew he did this, their own pride wouldn't have accepted it. Sadiq had tried to act the part of a stern father with his charges, from disciplining to wiping away tears after a nightmare; he had tried. But no one saw it that way, least not that Sadiq could tell. All of the nations under his care had they left on their own or was taken from him. Even the ones that were taken only wanted freedom instead of being ruled by someone else.
Greece was a good example. He had fought for freedom and won, taking himself away from Sadiq forever. The look of pure unadulterated hatred that had painted the boy’s face would always remain in his mind, always haunt him as a sign that he failed. Sadiq had been surprised that the boy had accepted his help, unofficially of course. But then again, who would have denied it when their people were starving. He had a feeling that only the word that it came from Alfred was what allowed him to take the food. In the Greeks mind, Sadiq was sure he thought himself indebted to the young blond nation, and not his former care taker who risked a lot sneaking his way through the German naval blockade during the Second World War.
The Romanian in front of him was also a prime example of hatred against him. No matter how well their countries got along now (which was surprisingly well) the man in front of him never seemed to really get over the past. Snide comments feel from those lips as easily as breathing. He supposed it had developed into easy give and take banter, but that's all it was. Just banter between two nations. But here, in this position, with his foot stuck in the mud, his pride and dignity mostly gone, he just wanted to get away from the snaggletooth man and metaphorically lick his wounds. To try to keep what little pride he had left anymore. This place, this manor, had stripped it away, piece by painful piece, leaving the guy who could only sigh and try to pull himself out of a muddy lake.
"You're a horrible liar,"
Sadiq knew he was a horrible liar, at least this day in age he was. It was one of the things that had changed about him. His anger issues were more under control, he was nicer and less manipulative, and he apparently couldn’t lie to save his life. He had to wonder what else had changed about him that others had noticed that he himself hadn’t. It would be interesting to ask, but not now, not when he was essentially helpless, at the mercy of this lake and couldn’t protect himself if the Romanian decided to take this opportunity to attack him.
"If I leave now, you won't follow. Not now, not ever. So I'm not leaving you. The monsters in the lake will get a stomachache from you. That'd be just downright mean towards them, now wouldn't it?"
“Oh ha-ha, very funny. Trying to tell me I’m rotten now are you? And yes, I know I can’t like worth anything anymore. What you gonna do about it? Not like you can sweet talk the mud into letting me go. Just be smart like I know you can be and figure out how to protect your own ass from monsters.”
Of course it seemed like the Romanian had ignored him in favor of doing whatever he was doing. Keeping his eyes on the ground, Sadiq was trying to figure out his own plan on getting out of here. Perhaps it was like quicksand, the more he shrugged, the tighter it got. So, if he were to just relax and let his leg hang there instead of constantly pulling, perhaps it would be free in one easy pull instead of a tug. Though he nearly jumped as he felt hands around his thigh, his head had swung around to look at him with wide eyes. Was he still trying to help him out? It seemed the man was more stubborn than he had thought, but then again, he shouldn’t be surprised really. Some part of him was proud of the man Vasile had grown to be, proud of the strong, young man who knew what was right and stuck to it no matter what. If the Romanian really wanted to help him, then Sadiq would swallow his own stupid pride and accept it; if Vasile could grow up and act with dignity, so could Sadiq. He would follow the Romanian’s lead and put his trust in him.
“Pull, Come on, on the count of three. Are you going to lose to some mud?”
Sadiq didn’t answer, he didn’t feel that was a question that really needed a verbal answer. His actions with the Vasile’s would be enough of an answer for him. It would be one of the first times that the two worked in tandem for something. A small part of Sadiq could only hope this would lead to a better relationship between the two of them. But first, he had to get out of this mud.
“Three, two, one”
Feeling the Romanian start pulling, Sadiq did too. He dug his hands into the ground and pulled with all that he had. He knew he would have bruises where the hands gripped him to pull, it he didn’t care, they would be well worth it. Slowly, he could feel his leg start to move. It was working, though he wouldn’t celebrate yet, not until he was totally free. Body straining with the effort, he breathed in deep and gave one really big pull…… only to hear a loud popping sound and he fell forward, face first into the dirt. Willing his legs, he could tell he was free off the mud, minus one shoe that was probably the price of freedom. If that was the only price he had to pay, it was well worth it.
“Thanks Vasile. You’re just as stubborn as I am.”
Moving to pulling himself up, he reached for the Romanian with a grin on his face, intent on giving him a hug in thanks. It didn’t matter the year, the Turkish man had always been a very physical man. And this was one way he felt he could say thanks, was through a hug, a show of trust between them that at least for as long as they we’re in the manor, there would be no backstabbing between them. It was quite a show of trust indeed from a man who always feared his old colonies wanting revenge. After all revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Romanian’s ire had many centuries to cool into a well tempered weapon.
|
|