Log:Countryside Meeting with Rushmore

2019/09/10 Artemis Liberty|Rushmore 1

Long, largely straight roads, often in poor condition, stretch across the low-lying farmland, interrupted by lines of tree delimiting fields and acting as windbreakers. Traffic is thin, most long-distance traffic preferring the major highways to the south and east. Small villages and isolated farmhouses hold the human population, while fields and hedgerows have the animals.

Rushmore

This is a humanoid shape, standing about eight feet tall. No obvious clothing on it, but it is entirely made out of rock. Rather than a human with rocky skin, it looks like...rocks moving in concert with each other.

Rushmore is already at the meeting place in a small copse a ways off the road, by the time Artemis arrives.

Artemis flew her way out from the city, happy to be herself again. And to make good on her word. She has meager funds, and has purchased herself a sack's worth of bottled mead, which she carries over her shoulder. When she finally finds the place, she lands at the edge of the copse. "Hail, Rushmore! How fares your day?" she greets with a big smile.

Rushmore's voice still rumbles like the ground itself is speaking. "I am well. How are you, Artemis?"

"Well and good. Even better now," Artemis grins as she saunters closer and draws out a bottle of mead. "Tis a shame you cannot enjoy the drink, but perhaps you shall enjoy the respite from the city."

Rushmore nods and looks around, "I like this place. It is not the most peaceful I have found, but it was close to the city, so I thought it would be suitable."

Artemis flicks the cork of her bottle with her thumb. It pops off loudly with little effort, shooting off from the pressure, only to be caught by her other hand, which was poised to intercept it as it rocketed off. She tosses the cork into her sack to avoid littering and takes a mighty swig that polishes a third of the bottle in one go. "You should see the forests of Teperak. Massive trees and floating rock formations. If it were possible for you to get there, I think you'd enjoy the solitude there," she smiles. "Tell me of your most peaceful place."

Rushmore nods. "I cannot leave this world, or at least its orbit, lest I no longer exist. But my favorite place is a spot in the Himalayan mountains. Well outside of the area where climbers go."

Artemis raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Tis a shame. But there is much to see in this world. Are you not one of the hoomans?"

Rushmore tilts his head. "I was. Once. But my spirit...my soul...was torn from my body, and joined with the earth. I do not mind it, to be honest."

Artemis nods nonjudgmentally. "A transcendent moment for you, then, yes?" she asks as she takes another swig. "What magics could do such a thing to you?"

Rushmore thinks about it. "I remember it only vaguely. But it was something that happened when I was out west. I had found a cave while I was exploring, and came across some kind of artifact underground. That item killed my body and ripped my soul out."

"Sorcery," Artemis hisses with disdain before another sip. "At least you were given power and greatness from it. You are now some mighty avatar for the planet itself!" she exalts, looking on the bright side, since he is alive and unoffended by his state of being. "Is that why you are with the Champions of Liberty? To defend your planet and its peoples?"

Rushmore chuckles. A low rumbling sound. "Yes, I do not really mind my state. At least most of the time." He pauses and thinks about the question. "That is why I work with them, yes. I know the Senator has a harsh reputation. He believes so strongly in the ideals of this country that he's willing to do any number of things to fix the nation. But his goals are noble, even if his means are not."

Artemis sits down near the center of the trees and Rushmore, unconcerned about a potential ambush. Overconfidence, maybe, or overly trusting and naive. Both, really. "To bring peace, glory, and nobility through ignoble acts? A contradiction. Noble goals cannot be attained through dark deeds, for the means sully them," she comments and drains the bottle with another swig. She puts it in her sack and pulls out another bottle. "Most of the time? What times do you not?" she asks curiously, twisting off the cork this time.

Rushmore shrugs a bit, "I do miss being flesh and blood every so often. As for The Senator, I am referring to say...his attempt to help fix Harrisburg by forcing the City Council to vote to release funds. He did so by controlling their minds. Some local heroes convinced him to not go through with it, however."

"Hm. I can imagine there are things to miss. But perhaps you can find your own pleasures," Artemis grins. She listens thoughtfully at his explanation. So they were right. He IS a psychic. "That...is perhaps just against the corrupt if it were to benefit the People. Hmmm." She ponders on this with another drink.

Artemis adds, "By the way people speak of the Champions of Liberty, I would have thought your kind were slaugthering younglings."

Rushmore laughs, "Oh...no. We just feel that the country needs to return to its ideals. To fix the corruption."

"Then why do others oppose this?" Artemis asks innocently.

Rushmore nods slowly. "Mind Control isn't considered to be a good fix for such. A lot of heroes view it as removing free will. The Senator just views it as a correction. Some people need to be shown what the right decision is."

"It is," Artemis agrees. "But a more merciful weapon then having to slay tyrants for the good of others."