Niko stopped on his way up the steps, sighing as he placed the cigarette into the telescopic pipe he flicked from his coat pocket. "My regrets, I sometimes forget zeht not efryone gets to live forever..." he laughed, though his voice holds a tinge of ironic sorrow with the slight sigh which comes afterwards, mixing in with a laugh which could have been taken as a joke by those less perceiving. Most of it was drowned out by the snap of the zippo lighter as he lit up and ascended the stairs to the main deck, not beneath himself to leave others with his own burdens which he had long since come to accommodate. In this, he found comradery in those willing to stick by him, since he was mostly good times, since he had little else at that point.<br/><br/><span style="color: #400000">It was all up from that time, it was just unfortunate that all I had were the lows to relate to...</span><br/><span style="color: #000000">And so you took it out on others...</span><br/><span style="color: #400000">I took it out on myself...and as many as I could drag down with me; misery loves company, and nothing is more miserable than war crimes.</span><br/><span style="color: #000000">Again, your crimes were?</span><br/><span style="color: #400000">...</span><br/><span style="color: #000000">...</span><br/><span style="color: #400000">...false...</span><br/><br/>Niko imagined the box dumping a sandwich-shaped brick of meat, wood or some precious metal upon him and his notebook as he inhaled deeply, consuming nearly a third of the stick of otherwise condemning carcinogens. The rush came swiftly; The daylight clearer, the crash of waves crisper, the slight burning sensation in his chest stinging as he exhaled. Every breath fresher and without the burden of having the nanobots process it all before reaching his senses, more concerned with the carbon monoxides and other elements, lucidity returned. The discoloration would have been welcome, though the tiny silver glint for a moment in even his sweat told Niko he was never alone. His body would die the same as it was now in some couple hundred years, long after his consciousness had left him;<br/><br/><span style="color: #400000">I only wanted to have a moment of clarity as I saw the pool of darkness form along the docks, spilling up from the earth, itself...although, I suppose I didn't; it would have been better to blame the experience on an episode of encroaching madness. Whatever was happening, it <span style="font-style: italic">was</span>, and I wasn't the first to be be in alarm over the situation. The fact that as much of the spell that had pushed its way through didn't seem to slow was beginning to border on frightening...<span style="font-style: italic">what</span>ever was on the other side was determined to come through, and wasn't taking 'no' for an answer, the top of a head already poking through.<br/>The spring-loaded slide of my pistol hung at a simple pinky's twitch from being at the ready, despite the secret police's request for me to remain unarmed until the ship had left port. I wasn't about to be taken off guard, although I hoped others were more capable than my experimental sidearm for diffusing the situation...should one even arise.</span>