Post by: Silleh Boy on May 25, 2015, 07:27:34 am
The steady rhythmic clatter of a train running over tracks filled the carriage as scenery passed by, daubed orange and gold by the dying light of a setting sun.
It was to be your last chance to see a sunset in such a manner for some time, to see it filtering through distant trees, casting shadows over the farmlands that lined the train tracks. Oh, those farmlands had seen better days to be sure, but even parched as they were by the dry summer as it gave way to autumn, they were infinitely preferable to where you were going.
Your hands moved to the windows, pale skin - much paler than the average person your age - pressed to the windows as your hands left their mark. A thousand handprints left by a thousand people.
A thousand travellers over a thousand miles.
It was the mark they left, their way of connecting with those that came after them, sitting on the same thread bare seat they had used, facing the same plastic windows that bore the smudges of their passing.
As well as the occasional smiley face drawn in condensation and oils from their skin.
Amongst more unwholesome things.
Oh, what you would give to be able to bask in this moment a little longer, you told yourself as the rattle of the carriage over the tracks changed in pitch, as the farmland gave way, briefly, to the metal railings of a bridge.
Shadows and sunlight played across your features as you dared to smile, a hopeful smile as you told yourself that everything was going to be fine. The supportive girders that held this bridge firm's shadows gave way once more to unbroken sunlight as the dim orange glow started to dip beneath the horizon.
It would be night soon and you would be in an unfamiliar city, starting your new life.
This brought an uncertainty to you that you didn't care for, the grip of anxiety in your stomach that threatened to give way to panic as you tried to tell yourself that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. You had been uprooted, you were special, you were different, they wanted you to come down to London for tests, to make sure there was nothing wrong with you before they offered you work worthy of whatever talents you possessed.
At least that was the story you had, the reality of it was that you didn't know what exactly to expect.
You hadn't exactly had a choice in the matter, as the armed police officers at either end of the carriage attested to.
It was a "Ma-a'er o' Bri-ish Securee-tee" as they had put it to you and youhad little choice but to believe that they had your best interests at heart.
Heavens knew you needed a decent job though, a chance to bring in money that your family needed. A good job meant you could send some home, that you could see to it that your mother, your father, your sister could stop worrying about making ends meet.
No, no amount of distracting yourself was going to shake that anxiety now it had taken root, you needed to do something more than simply sitting there waiting for everything to fall into your lap.
"Excuse me?" you started as you rose from your seat, pulling the worn powder blue hoodie you wore a little tighter about yourself. "I feel sick, could I go to the bathrooms, please?" asked, in as polite a manner as you could. They had to keep an eye on you, but there was no reason for them to make your life hard if you showed them the same basic respect you would any other. They were just doing their job after all.
"Ah, can't hold it?" the one officer responded as they reached for the keys on their belt to unlock the door to the neighbouring compartment. "We're not that far from the station, but... But..." the man trailed off for a moment as he glanced out the window "Bloody vultures. Anyway, lets get you to the facilities before you're sick."
Even as the words left his mouth you glanced towards the window, hoping to capture a glimpse of the horror the man had so casually dismissed. "Vultures, out this early?" you mumbled, as you lurched towards the window, face plastered against it as you sought out the dark form of the bird in vain.
"Yeah, bloody things have been spreadin', they're not as bad as they used to be though. Stick mostly to eatin' pidgeons an' shittin' on tourists," the man laughed as he placed a hand on your shoulder - it was likely supposed to be a reassuring gesture, yet you couldn't help but feel small in tis moment, intimidated by the form of the man that towered over you almost claustrophobically. "Come on, maybe we can get you a bottle of water or somethin' if the staff are still servin'."
You could feel all eyes on you as you were marched out of the carriage, you form seeming small compared to that of the man behind you - a man that was twice as broad as you, as well as several inches taller than you.
A man that you were frankly glad to be away from as you ducked into the meager bathroom.
Was he more than human?
Was he one of those people that had been brought down here on a similar summons to yourself, given work and put out on the streets using whatever talents he possed to help safeguard the 'common man'?
You didn't know, you didn't think you wanted to either, as there was something off about him.
Slumping against the wall of the bathroom, you took a moment to glance at he graffitti that broke up the sparse, but grubby walls. Phone numbers, poorly spelled insults towards other people, pictures of genitals.
Lovely.
Humanity was still maintaining a level of charm and class that could only be described as inspirational.
It made you want to be a better person - than them.
It was a low bar to aim for, but it was one you could accomplish.
For the first time in what felt like hours, you reached to draw the hood of the worn garment you wore down, taking the moment to look in the mirror as your tired features looked back at you.
The question was, who was the person that looked back at you?
Were you male or female?
What colour hair framed your pale features?
What colour eyes, tired as they were, stared back at you?
What was your name?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 25, 2015, 09:29:13 am
Anyway, character ideas were never my strong point, but...
Gender: Female
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Name: Alyssa (if abbreviated, she prefers Liss to Alice)
Post by: ~Neri on May 25, 2015, 01:17:23 pm
Hair: Brown with light green tips
Eyes: Left eye dark brown, right eye bright green
Name: Kirae Vantol
Post by: Nunzillor on May 25, 2015, 02:05:44 pm
((On a completely OOC note... it's great to see that you're back and writing again. I loved reading through your past suggestion game, and I'm really excited to see where this one goes.))+1
Anyway, character ideas were never my strong point, but...
Gender: Female
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Name: Alyssa (if abbreviated, she prefers Liss to Alice)
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 25, 2015, 06:53:13 pm
Beautiful was not how you would have described yourself, though others disagreed, you believed yourself to be more average and those that held you to be beautiful to be aiming to win more than just your approval.
Well, apart from your father - when he said that you were a beautiful young lady you could never quite bring yourself to argue with him as there was something, just something, about the tone of his voice that told you that you had never ceased to be his little princess.
Your stomach lurched with the train, the taste of bile in the back of your throat reminding you that you had never been one for travel as a gentle curve in the track threatened to be your undoing.
You missed your father, your mother too, even your sister - right now you'd have done anything to be back home with them.
Well, almost anything - you still wouldn't let your sister play with your things.
It wasn't that you didn't love her, it was that she had a habit of misplacing them.
She was only five though, and well, you couldn't help but feel jealous that despite how things were financially strained back home, that your father was intent on treating her like a little princess, too.
"Ugh, my hair's a mess," you muttered to nobody in particular as your fingers ran through blonde locks, attempting to straighten out hours of what your hoodie had inflicted upon them. The disgust in your reflections features was evident enough, telling you that this, this minor concern, was the thing you needed to latch onto at this moment to quell your anxiety, to try and fight that growing nausea that you felt deep down.
Straighten, twirl, adjust.
Muss, tease, flick back.
Minute after long minutes trickled by as your hair slowly became more presentable, as you made yourself look like you were a cut above the average brat on the streets. You should have removed your hoodie, but in doing so you'd doom yourself to another fix job for your hair.
Your brushes were back home and your hindsight was perfect - you'd been told to come as you were, that everything you needed during your evaluations would be provided.
You had your imitation brand music player though, so you had that going for you.
The earbud headphones were plucked from your pocket, threaded up under the bulk of your old hoodie and placed about your neck for later. At least between the endless tests they were bound to make you do, you'd have something to occupy yourself with.
"We're nearin' the station, might want to 'urry up in there," came the voice of the officer on the other side of the bathroom door, providing a sharp reminder that you were about to hit one of the... Nicer... Stations on the outskirts of London.
A quick glance out of the windows was stolen over the dimly illuminated scenery, allowing you to see some of the outlying housing that had been erected fairly recently to accomodate the ever growing capital city.
Come to London, see the birthplace of the new age they said.
It was a load of shit, it was an excuse to push a new calendar and rebrand everything periodically when things grew stale. An event back in victorian times, a war, an excuse to overblow the events surrounding the appearance of the dark creatures that had frankly, grown tame over the following years.
Vultures, dangerous as they were, had become more inclined to scavenge from bins and eat pidgeons than attack people and then enlightened had gone around telling people that they were the immortal sons and daughters of the new age, an age without gods.
They were just some legitimised cult, one that had gained a position of power through methods nobody quite understand - one that the current government wanted to cut funding to and promised to get rid of, as their election promises said.
Yet every time they were questioned on the matter they said it came second to things such as the NHS and unemployment.
The story never changed, only the faces.
"I'll be out in a minute," you called back as you pulled your shoulder length hair back behind your ears, paused, then allowed it to fall back into position where it would as it framed your face once more. You looked awful with your hair pulled back that way.
Click went the lock on the door as you stepped from it, looking frankly little better than before.
"Ah, there y' are," came the voice of one of the officers - both of them were present now, both of them stood ready in their standard issue body armour with their faces partially obscured by standard issue helmets. With the helmets you couldn't differntiate between the pair as you hadn't paid them attention enough to do so, all you could hope to do was use the serial number on their shoulder as a guide to tell you who was...
Six two three-alpha-one... No, neither of them started that way, it was a lost cause.
"Ever been to London?" the other asked as they placed a hand upon your shoulder, filling you with a sense of dread as you were marched, with all eyes upon you, towards the carriage that you had come from initially.
"No, I almost went to scotland once though. Thought better of it," you laughed nervously, though neither of the men reacted in the slightest.
"Okay, protocol dictates that as you're a... What do they call it, a blip?"
"Nah, the official term fer them is unknown, 'till they've tested them. Blip's jus' the term th' people who find them use, somethin' about radar," the other responded to the first, as if you were not there.
"Right, you're an unknown right now, got picked up by the boys and girls in the special division-"
"That's not-" the second started, only to be dismissed with a wave of the first's hand.
"Putting it how she'll understand it, do you think usin' all the internal lingo'll click with 'er?"
"I guess not, bu-"
"Shut it. Now, where was I. Right, special boys and girls picked you up, think there's somethin' to you. You get brought down here, ran through some aptitude tests. If you're actually special, we give you a nice job suitin' your talents, good pay, housin' provided for y' till you can get a place of y' own."
"And if nothing's special about me?" you asked, feeling a rising sense of unease in the pit of your stomach once more.
"We send you back home with a little certificate sayin' words to the effect of you're not special, so next time th' boys show up, you can tell them t' fuck-"
"Language," the second snapped as the first no doubt glared at him.
"You get to show them your papers and tell them to leave you alone unless they think they're onto something. Sometimes positives look like false positives during initial tests. Don't like letting people slip through the cracks. Anyway, if you ain't special, you get sent home like that, with a little compensation for the time wasted based on the average wage. Can't be stiffin' people out of potential earnings and such, you'd have the guilds up in arms."
With this ringing in your ears, the train pulled into the station, a concrete and steel shell that had been erected in a hurry by the contractor willing to cut the most corners for cost. Flaking blue paint had been daubed over the steel girders that arched up and over the tracks, bracing the concrete platforms with what looked like temporary shelters made permanant.
"She's not lookin' too great. Slap the cuffs on'er," came the one officers voice, prompting you to look back at them, your expression questioning why.
"Trust me on this, kid, it ain't protocol an' they'll be pissed that we made a snowflake ride all th' way 'ere in cuffs. They'll bend over backward t' make sure y' ain't goin' t' report shit," came the mans voice as he reached for his belt, retriving a pair of scuffed looking magnetic cuffs.
You couldn't really resist, so you knew it was in your best interests to comply in this scenario - it wasn't your first time wearing these, either, for that matter. You'd been in trouble for minor things before, been cuffed and secured against a railing before being let off with a warning.
You were truly bad.
Trespassing on abandoned private property.
Slippery slope to murder, no doubt.
The cuffs fastened securely about your wrists as the powerful magnets were activated, then against each other as your arms were crossed comfortably before you, leaving you stood there before the door awaiting your ultimate fate.
Would those at the station be as kind as you hoped, or was reality about to come crashing down about you once more?
Clack, clack... Clack.
The train came to a halt as the muffled speakers outside warbled their announcement, Feh-taain-fahm-naaf... No, you couldn't make out any of it beyond that, but it didn't matter. Suits and officers were approaching your carriage from the outside, suits, sunglasses and bad haircuts.
Click went the door leading to the outside world, followed by screaming, anger and yelling.
"What the hell do you idiots think you're doing!?" screamed the lead suit, a scrawny man with sparse brown hair and cheap sunglasses. He wore black sunglasses at night, just because... No, you shouldn't distract yourself with pop culture. Literal pop in this case. "Protocol dictates that you treat unknowns with respect, not make them ride the bloody trains down here shackled like criminals. They're our future, not some... Some juvenile perp!"
The officers behind you grunted something in response, prompting a second suit to step forward. "Look," the second snapped, "We don't need excuses, protocol is there to stop incidents from happening. You idiots could have caused another scenario - how would you have liked that, face plastered all over the news as the incompetants you are?"
Further mumbled excuses.
"Now, Alyssa was it?" came the first's words as he turned towards you, the disgust etched across his features softening visible as he waved one of his accompanying officers over to release your hands. "We're very sorry that this happened, they were supposed to look after you and keep you safe. If you want to make a complaint, we'll ensure that they're-" he paused to glare at the two. "-investigated and punished accordingly. As we can't in good faith take you from here to the facilities after such a major... Pardon the language, but after a fuck-up of this nature, we're going to postpone things until the morning, bring in a..."
The man paused, turning to the other for a brief moment as if waiting for affirmation over whatever it was that he was about to say - affirmation that came in the form of the slightest of nods. "We'll bring in someone to take you to get something to eat, give you a chance to relax. Special or not, protocol is there to ensure things like this aren't supposed to happen, we're very, very sorry."
And with that the suits danced out of the way, their song and dance routing leaving you with new officers, new serial numbers.
New surroundings.
The cuffs, as briefly as they had been on you, had yet to make you uncomfortable as they were removed - and this was something that one of the new officers took note of with a soft chuckle, the visored face beneath the helmet turning to glance at the ones behind you. "You two are getting soft," came the mans words, before a hand was placed upon your shoulder.
And then like the lamb, you were marched to...
No, this wasn't your slaughter, but it felt like it.
"We'll have a liason up here soon," came the voice of one of the suits, as they paced up to, then alongside you as the officers escorted you towards this places VIP seating - the sole ratty looking bench that if appearences were anything to go by, suggested that nobody had urinated upon it.
Recently.
"Do you have any requests," the suit started, as he oh so graciously ensured that you'd been seated comfortably.
"We could arrange for you to go for something to eat, or... Anything else. Within reason, of course."
You had reached the outskirts of London, there was a 'you are here' map no doubt somewhere inside the station telling you just how much of a dreary hellhole this area was, how all the interesting things were deeper in the city - but this didn't mean you couldn't take advantage of this moment in some manner.
The question was, how?
---
((On a completely OOC note... it's great to see that you're back and writing again. I loved reading through your past suggestion game, and I'm really excited to see where this one goes.))
Thanks! Hopefully this one'll provide satisfactory closure for the other - though it may take just a little to get going in full swing itself.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 25, 2015, 11:20:30 pm
Acquire map. Preferably a detailed one with a little tourist's guide, but whatever's available. Then see about getting a little more exposition on being "special" and the consequences of passing.
Post by: Peradon on May 26, 2015, 12:19:49 am
"I don't think I could really eat right now... maybe in a little while. Could I get a map of London though? I'd like to get a better sense of the city, especially if I end up staying. Speaking of which, if I do pass the tests... then what?"+1
Acquire map. Preferably a detailed one with a little tourist's guide, but whatever's available. Then see about getting a little more exposition on being "special" and the consequences of passing.
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 26, 2015, 01:29:51 am
The last thing you wished to do at this point was to be whisked off to some fast food establishment like Monarch Burgers so you could spend the rest of the night vomiting on the sidewalk. You'd been there enough with ladies nights out with your friends, drinking while telling the person behind the bar that yes, you were old enough to do so - that you were just a little short for your age.
That you'd later grown into, but that was beside the point.
You didn't exactly find the prospect of reliving those wild parts of how you had explored your boundries, asserted your rebellious nature and then paid for it to be appealing. Especially not without the parts of it that had made it fun in the first place. Company, drinks and a chance to unwind and pretend to be someone else for a while.
No, you'd pass on the food, but the offer did promise you something more of an opportunity.
"I feel sick, I don't think I can eat right now," you started, as you instinctively started to draw your arms about yourself. Something about the suits and the officers here made you feel on edge in a way you'd never felt around authority figures before. "Could I get a map of London and-"
The man held a finger up to silence you, something that you would have happily talked over at some point in an act of polite rebellion, yet once again, you found yourself quelled. "The Liason will be here shortly, they'll take are of everything like that for you as well as answer any questions you may have, that's their job after all," the man stated, though he seemed somewhat caught off guard, as if he had been expecting you, someone from an area that was known for living on the poverty line, to jump at the chance to be 'treated' in such a manner.
Maybe you were over thinking it, and he was just an incompetant middle man, and this entire thing was a setup.
The officers could be in on it, they could have been told to play things out like this to earn your trust, to make you think they were the good guys who had ensured everything went by some invisible script, to have you fall into the lap of whatever agency was behind this all.
Maybe you should have added a tinfoil hat to the list of things you wanted while you were at it, too.
You huddled against the bench as you made it clear with your bodylanguage - disinterest shown in spades - that you were done talking with the suit if he couldn't so much as entertain the prospect of listening to you.
This was lost on him, apparently.
The man, connected and in control, was oblivious and floundering, unable to get this entire farce of a show on its way.
Left to your own devices for the time being you leaned back, relishing the sensation of hard boards against your back as you slowly, labouriously, lazily stretched out in a manner akin to a cat.
And then, you sighed.
It was the kind of sigh that came only with a moment of contentment, a moment in what you felt as if you had won some small victory - you hadn't managed to get your own way, but this man had played his hand too early, revealed that he was little more than a glorified middle man.
Bark, bark, bark.
Yap away like a little ankle biter.
Closing your eyes you focused upon your other senses, feeling the chill of the air against your skin - the moisture that carried with it the scents of oil and pollution on the air.
This place, despite its proximity to the city proper didn't feel right, it didn't feel urban enough - there was none of the stink of people, of take away food, of-
No, you didn't need a tinfoil hat before you got the answers you wanted, you needed-
"Hello Alyssa, I am your Liason," came a voice in the darkness, a voice that had your eyes flutter open as you stared in shock at the woman whom had somehow managed to sneak up upon you. "My name is Millicent, but you can call me Millie if you wish. I was informed that your journey here was one that failed to follow protocol, so it is up to me to make this up to you. If you'll come with me, we can see to getting you something to eat before we take you back to the room we have prepared for you-"
"I'm not hungry," you interrupted, only for the womans demeanour to shift subtly. "I feel sick after the journey here and-"
"Oh, you poor dear. You're already skin and bones, too," she stated, geaturing to you even as she offered you a hand up - Sure, you were somewhat slight in build, but that was just insulting. Of course, you had to smile awkwardly, to be diplomatic as you were in a strange place, surrounded by strange people whom had the authority to simply uproot you.
Being troublesome was far from the wisest option here.
"Perhaps we can do something else then, as it would be a shame to squander this opportunity simply because the most obvious option isn't going to work."
"A shame for me or for you?" you asked, as you took the womans hand, noting that despite her relatively normal appearance, that she had simply pulled you up as if you were nothing.
"I like you," Millicent laughed, as she gestured towards the ramps leading down and away from the train platform. "Lets get going - you can tell me what you want to do on the way to my car," she added, as she started to guide you on your way.
With feet like lead, you followed after this strange woman, a woman who you noted had dark hair that had been dyed blonde as you could see the roots, a woman whom was dressed similarly to the suits - though instead of the trousers to complete the image she wore a knee length skirt. "Well, this is my first time here, do you think we could pick up... Um... A tourist map or something, so that-"
"Of course dear, we can stop at a petrol station for that."
"Could I have ask some questions about what's going to happen while I'm here, too?"
"I can explain that as well. Are you sure you don't want something a little more... Indulgant?"
"Chocolate? Cigarettes?"
"Chocolate we can easily do, as for cigarettes..." she paused, leaning close to sniff at you. "You don't smell like a smoker."
"I'm considering starting," you lied, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to see what the limits these people were going to impose on you were.
"Well don't, if you're stressed and worried, we can pick up something better for you. One of the supermarkets that's open still will sell chocolate, so we can get you some there. We can pick up some fancy tea for you there, too, so you don't make a mistake picking up THAT habit."
There was an emphasis on the word that made you uncomfortable, though you didn't want to press it. It did make you wonder though, just who were these people, just how were they so good at playing you with words and body language that they could make you recoil away from certain avenues?
It couldn't be natural, could it?
"Okay, tea sounds good," you sighed - it wasn't worth battling against this woman it seemed, as she was playing the 'good' role, while the man whom had been there to greet you upon arrival was the 'bad' one.
Good cop, bad cop.
"So, can you tell me more about what's going on here?"
"Of course dear. That's my car by the way, mind your head getting in," she stated as she gestured to a fairly worn and basic looking car - you had no idea what kind it was, cars were not your thing, but it was at least modern enough for her to unlock it with the remote her keys were attached to.
"I want to know about why I'm here, what testing you'll do, what it implies if I... If I pass them, I've been told if I don't I go home, so I don't need to know that at least," you breathed as you opened the passenger side door and clambered into the slightly stale smelling interior of the car.
"Well, the basic gist of it dear, is that one of the agencies we have picked you up during a routine scan," Millicent started, only for her to pre-emptively pause as you went to butt in.
"You spy on people, you mean?"
"No, no we don't dear. We search for irregular patterns so we can find individuals that manifest unique talents."
"I've seen shows with themes like that."
"I'm certain, this is a lot more mundane than that, however. We find people with unnatural abilities for mathematics, for example, and set them up in research or development fields where they can benefit others. We do occasionally find gifted types with more spectacular powers, but as none of them have yet predicted the lottery..."
"You can safely assume the lottery is rigged?"
"Perhaps," Millicent laughed as she started the car, a moment taken to give you a meaningful and look as she fastened her seatbelt, one that had you almost squirming as you sought to fasten your own. "Now, as I was saying... We find people with various talents, put them through tests, put them in employment. Sometimes, we find people with more special talents, then we put them to work in various departments under our umbrella where they can make a difference in another way."
"What if they don't want to?"
"Then we give them contact information incase they change their mind and send them home again. We're a government agency, not some spy movie secret service."
"So, If I pass the tests...?" you left the question hanging as you pulled up to a set of traffic lights, for a moment watching the other womans expression twist into one of disgust as the driver beside her ran through.
"If you pass the tests, we'll quantify what makes you special, present you with career prospects and make sure you're well looked after."
That was what you wanted - to hear it put plain and simple so you knew what you were supposed to expect, so you knew if what you got didn't match up, that you could say if this was truly a problem or not. They wanted to see if you were special, put you to use and keep an eye on you.
"Are you special?" you asked, prompting a crooked smile from the other woman.
"Of course, everyones special."
"You know how I mean."
"I do, and I am."
"What's special about you?"
"I can read minds."
"No you can't."
"I'm a brilliant liar."
"No you're not."
"You've got me, I'm able to do neither of those. I see the future in dreams and have trouble remembering it when I wake up. Pretty useless, huh?"
"Dreams are hard to remember..."
"Exactly."
There was a moments silence as you pulled away from the traffic lights, watching as the passing city gradually built up in density. It was like watching the new growth give way to the choking overdeveloped inner city, shells of buildings atop the ruins of buildings, roads paved over roads.
Lights garishly splashed on the front of buildings, lamp posts lining the roads, as if this was some abomination of a city trying to attract a mate with its colourful plumage.
"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, dear?"
Sure, you could summarise your lifetime of experiences in a brief moment, condense yourself down to a set of easily quantified tags for this woman to file away in the place of a person. That was just what you wanted to do right now.
Still, there was also little reason not to.
Did you tell her a little about yourself, remain silent or even lie to her?
For what matter, what was your background beyond your basic experiences?
Were you...
Popular, loved by friends and respected by enemies? (Gift of Speech.)
A tomboy, someone who loved to be active and sporty? (Gift of Ability.)
A bookworm, happier learning than getting involved? (Gift of Understanding.)
Quiet and contemplative, interested in myths and legends? (Gift of Mystery)
Indulgant, prone to excess and able to bounce back from bad habits? (Gift of Endurance.)
Post by: ~Neri on May 26, 2015, 01:49:45 am
Popular, loved by friends and respected by enemies? (Gift of Speech.)
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 26, 2015, 07:34:17 am
A bookworm, happier learning than getting involved (Gift of Understanding).
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 26, 2015, 07:49:22 am
Tell a little, making sure to explain our indulgences and excesses (Gift of Endurance).
Post by: endlessblaze on May 26, 2015, 09:45:41 am
Try to learn, pick up and file away facts that could be useful later.+1
A bookworm, happier learning than getting involved (Gift of Understanding).
Post by: Wimdit on May 26, 2015, 11:26:48 am
Quiet and contemplative, interested in myths and legends. (Gift of Mystery)
Talk about your researches, becoming animated as you paint a grand picture of the past. Solicit her opinions respectfully.
Post by: Peradon on May 26, 2015, 12:57:46 pm
Oh!+1
Quiet and contemplative, interested in myths and legends. (Gift of Mystery)
Talk about your researches, becoming animated as you paint a grand picture of the past. Solicit her opinions respectfully.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 26, 2015, 02:19:08 pm
Oh!
Quiet and contemplative, interested in myths and legends. (Gift of Mystery)
Talk about your researches, becoming animated as you paint a grand picture of the past. Solicit her opinions respectfully.
I've changed my mind, +1 to this one.
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 26, 2015, 06:00:42 pm
Though you weren't exactly certain how she would react to finding out just what your interests were - there were people who were regarded as nerds, bookworms, people that loved to study and learn and you... Well, you were of that variety, certainly, but you found a certain type of information and learning to be more to your persuasion.
She wouldn't laugh, would she?
No, she wouldn't dare, she was your captive audience, here to appease you.
Here, to ensure that you were content so that they had no issues with studying you, quantifying you, classifying you and shipping you off to be another cog in their magical workplace machine.
Sans magic.
Your studies so far had told you that there was no such thing outside of books.
"Well, I... It's silly," you teased, opting to go with the route where you could later say that she had asked for it when she undoubtedly took the bait.
Or was it you who had taken her bait?
Perhaps it was both of you whom had baited the other.
"No, go ahead, I promise I won't laugh," Millicent responded, as predicted.
"Promise? It's... Well..."
"Hey, it can't be any worse than my dreams of being a princess when I was younger," she laughed, in what you took to be an attempt to reassure you.
"I think most girls dream of that, so that's hardly a big admission."
"I went around in a big ruffle covered satin pink dress wearing a tiara in public until I was five."
"Well, that's a little more-"
"I still have the little plastic tiara in my glove compartment-" she paused, nudging it open as she took one hand from the wheel to reveal that worn tiara, one that had seen all the abuse of a growing girls childhood. It had once been sparkly, painted silver and covered in glittery pieces of mirrored glass.
Once. Now it was worn until the plastic beneath was revealed, now, there were spots that showed where some of the faux gemstones had been set in with glue.
"Okay," you breathed as she flipped the glove compartment closed, resolving that yes, you would tell her a little about your interests, about what you loved so much to do in your spare time. "I like to read a lot in my spare time - not just any kind of thing though. I like to study mythology, history, ancient cultures and practices-"
"Ooh, like ancient egypt and-" Millicent started, only to hold up her hands to appease you as you immediately gave her the dirtiest look you could muster.
"That is just a single over-exposed facet of this and no, I don't believe I'm a reincarnation of Cleopatra before you ask!"
"People actually accuse you of that?"
"...Sometimes," you responded, your cheeks flushing with embaressment.
"So, who would you like to be a reincarnation of, if you could choose?" she teased, as she turned to steal a glance at you.
"Someone more interesting, like... Boudica or Joan of-"
"Ah, so you'd like to be a warrior queen or something of the like, I can't blame you though, though you... You don't really have the figure to be such."
"Again with my figure," you huffed, folding your arms over your chest as you did so. "I don't put weight on easily, I have a fast metabolism."
"Oh, I hate you so much, I eat a bar of chocolate and it goes straight to my-"
"Too much information!"
"Hey, I wasn't going anywhere with that," she laughed, "I have to keep it clean on the job."
You understood now why they set you up with this woman, she seemed to be very, very good at whatever it was she was supposed to be doing. That, or very, very lucky as she had so far made you feel as if... As if you were bickering with someone you'd known all your life. You felt at ease, inclined to talk about things without fear of judgement, as if the worst she could do was tease you on a point to get you to-
Oh, she was doing that to get you to defend your points more passionately.
Sneaky.
"I also like all the myths and legends each culture has, how they diverge from the likely histories that we know of them, and-"
"There's usually some form of basis for a fantastic story, that came from a real world event."
"Exactly, like if you look at the stories of King Arthur, you get something that could be based events during the roman occupation of england. If you look at, on the other side of the spectrum say, the magic and rituals used by ancient people, you get how their superstition shaped what they believed in as they hadn't yet learned how the world works in the way we understand it."
"Some people still believe in magic, though."
"Some people, yes, typically isolated tribes in the less developed parts of the world, where they have their own myths and legends shaped by their cultures. It is interesting though how many of these cultures share themes in their myths though, like coyote trickster spirits or..."
"It suggests we're all connected on some primal wavelength, huh?"
"Maybe," you paused to look out of the passenger side window for a long moment, watching the darkening skies give way to neon signs and brightly illuminated streets. "It's odd how we're not sure what to believe though when it comes to the past few hundred years. There's stories of powerful beings doing battle, but there's no evidence they ever existed, and there's the recent trend of people showing talents that are-"
"It's not a recent trend."
"It isn't?"
"No, it's just more publicised as the stigma over it has been overcome in part by our efforts to raise awareness instead of allowing those whom actively manifest such talents to spend their lives hiding them out of shame."
"You said... Actively. Does that mean that a lot of people never realise they have-"
"Fewer than that, but yes, outside of a handful of people born with talents that manifest actively, you get a scattered net of people that never realise they're special."
"How long do you think this has been the case?"
"How far back do myths go?" Millicent smiled as she twisted the wheel of the car, turning it into the parking lot of one of the brightly illuminated supermarkets.
You weren't certain what to make of this.
You had been expecting her to simply patronise you, to give you some verbal equivlent of a 'that's nice dear' response and simply nod and smile as she listened to you talk about your interests. Instead, she had made you feel as if it wasn't so odd that you found all of this to have been facinating, that perhaps there was a precedent for these stories, that perhaps...
Perhaps there was a reason you were so drawn to them.
"Ah, shit," came the womans voice from beside you as she peered across the parking lot towards the supermarket, "This isn't good."
"What's wrong?" you asked, surprised by how the womans expression had turned, even partially obscured by shadows as it was, into a clear mask of disgust.
"Look. What do you see?" she asked as she pointed towards the doors of the supermarket.
"I don't... See anything?" You responded quizically as you glanced between her and the building.
"Exactly. It's all lit up and open and... There's no movement," she muttered, pausing as you caught the faintest shift in her features - as if she was scenting the air. "I'm pretty certain the roof'll be swarming with vultures. That's normal though, they're only a threat if provoked and they're more inclined to scavenge than hunt..."
"You're not going to go look, are you?" you paused, drawing your arms about yourself as the rising tide of anxiety within you threatened to take grip. "That's..."
"Shit, shit, shit," she hissed as she removed her seatbelt, opened the door and half stepped from the car. With one foot still inside, she paused, leaning against the top of the doorframe as she stared at the brightly lit shop front for a long moment. "Alyssa?" came her voice once more, as she stepped fully from the car.
"Yes, Millicent?" you responded, as you dug your nails into your palm.
"Protocol dictates that I can't leave you in the car alone, as I have to be present to ensure your well being. It'd look bad if I simply called in the police and this turned out to be nothing more than a quiet night, so I need to take a closer look..." she paused as she leaned down to look back into the car, her face obscured by the shadows cast by the street lights. "I don't want to endanger you if this is something serious, however. Are you okay with coming with me to get confirmation, or shall I call in that there's a potential disturbance?"
You swallowed, nervously as the question was put to you, though you knew she was waiting on you to answer.
Did you suggest she played it safe, so you could avoid any potential danger?
Did you go with her, figuring that it couldn't be too serious if she was willing to take you with her?
Did you fall silent, unable to handle being put on the spot like this?
Did you have other ideas?
---
Ah, I didn't expect to see this back! Gonna be as fantastic as the first, no doubt.
I'll give making it so my best shot!
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 26, 2015, 09:16:28 pm
Post by: Peradon on May 27, 2015, 12:37:02 am
Go with her, but ask for a weapon. If nothing is available, play it safe, or offer to stay in the car and not tell anyone.+1, but also ask if this is a test.
Post by: Wimdit on May 27, 2015, 02:09:26 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 27, 2015, 05:43:18 am
"You do that, I need to unlock my car boot," came Millicent's response as she stepped behind the car, taking a moment to fiddle with the lock of her boot.
"Is this really happening, or is it... Is it part of the tests?" you asked, swallowing as you told yourself that this could all be something that had been constructed from start to finish to quantify what you were capable of - or if you were capable of anything at all. You knew better than to trust any of this at face value, yet...
"This is no test, field evaluation is reserved for exceptional individuals in training, not for unknowns that may or may not be capable of surviving an encounter," came the womans response as she rummaged in the boot of her car.
What was she looking for, anyway?
"So, this is actually happening, and... and..."
"This is happening. Most of the tests they do to quantify your abilities are done in a controlled and calm enviroment so you're not spooked. We're not reckless."
"So, you're getting your gun, right?"
"Gun?"
"You're an agent of whatever deparment and-"
"I'm a community liason, I'm not authorised to carry a gun without prior authorisation, this doesn't work like some action movie, Alyssa."
"So... You're going to go over there with what?"
"Tire iron," came her matter of fact response as she slammed the boot shut again.
"You're going to risk my safety with nothing more than that!?"
"You're coming then?"
"But protocol says you can't leave me here alone and-"
"You won't tell if I do, you'll be glad to-"
"No! You can't leave me here!" you cried, feeling yourself grow hysterical now as the reality of the situation started to sink in. You were about to be left to sit here in the darkness, by someone who was supposed to be watching over you, who was about to go and get themselves killed in whatever situation awaited them at the supermarket.
"I'm not going inside, I just need to get close enough to get a look through the doors so I know who to call. The police, to come deal with a situation, or the guys back at the facilities to bend the rules and pamper you as you've had a scare tonight. Just wait there, I'll be back before you know I'm gone."
"No-no-no, I'm not staying here alone!" you whimpered as you unbuckled your seatbelt and all but flung yourself from the passenger seat of the car.
"Then take the tire iron and hold my hand, the tarmac's wet and the last thing we want is to fill in paperwork to say you broke your ankle because your arch-nemesis gravity conspired with physics to end you before you were able to get to the confectionary section of the supermarket."
"That's... That's a really weird way of putting it," you mumbled as you took the offered lump of metal from the other woman, your fingers closing about it as you felt the weight of it pulling your hand down. She had a point though, it was wet out and with the light of day having given way to night, you could easily trip or slip.
Your free hand sought hers out as you permitted your fingers to entwine with hers.
They weren't the hands of a gentle person - they were the hands of someone stronger than their size suggested.
You couldn't believe that you had allowed yourself to be drawn into this.
"Could you... Could you keep talking while we..." you mumbled as the pair of you edged across the parking lot carefully, as Millicent slowly skirted around the baleful pools of light cast over the wet ground by the lamp posts that reached all the way towards the front entrance.
"Sure, honey. What do you want me to talk about?" came Millicent's response, in softer tones now as she gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Do they have any idea what I am?"
"I can't answer that, if they have any idea what your likely classification will be, then they don't tell us in advance as we don't need to know."
"What are the classifications they have for people they test?"
"Everybody starts out as an unknown, self explanatory. There's gifted types, that's what most people fall into, it's everything from savant like talents, to abilities that don't have any major impact, such as speaking to animals. Occasionally we get faux-immortals, people that are near unkillable by conventional methods who may or may not be talented beyond that. There's a few types of them," she paused, leaning to the side for a moment as if trying to peer around the frame of the door despite being much too far away before she resumed leading you along once again.
It felt as if she was leading you to your doom, but you were at least getting something from her.
"Do you get true immortals?"
"Not that I have ever seen. If we have, then they never passed through my department."
"What other types of people do you get?"
"We occasionally see echoes, they're false-positives, they read as something more than they are. Between you and me, I think you might be one. To be honest, I hope you're one."
"Why?"
"Because then you can go home safe in the knowledge you're normal," came her laughter, followed by a brief squeeze of your hand. "Trust me, nice as it might be to think you're special, it makes you feel all the more isolated and... It's horrible, feeling as if you're not the same as the people around you, sometimes."
It was your turn to give her hand a gentle squeeze as you came to a halt, the tire iron awkwardly dangling at your side as you inwardly cursed that you could only use the one hand for this gesture of compassion.
"If I'm not special... We can still keep in contact, right?"
"Yeah, but-"
"I can be your friend. No judgement, no treating you like you're different. You don't have to be alone that way."
"I don't know, I'll... Consider it, but I am old enough to be your mother."
"I'm not that young, and you're not that old."
"I'm fifty seven."
"You look late twenties, tops."
"Welcome to my other crappy gift, I don't age physically any longer, but I'm still looking at dying around seventy five to ninety years old."
"Are there... Are there any other types of classification?"
"That's a terrible attempt to change the subject young lady," Millicent chuckled as she pulled you along once again. "I don't blame you though. We're almost near enough to get a good look and-" She paused, hissing as she did so. "Shit. That looks like blood. Okay, we're not getting any closer. I really hope my phone's charged..."
The other woman reached into one of her pockets to retrieve her phone, an older model of one than you would have expected, one that she flipped open with her thumb.
You could see the phone light up in the darkness, numbers gently illuminated by the light emitting diodes that sat beneath the face plate, numbers, that the woman frantically tapped at before she brought her phone to her ear.
"Come on, come on... Yes, this is Agent Millicent Cross of- No, I don't have my papers on hand to read out those details, so you can damn well cross reference my biometrics and pull the authentication data from the tracking chip in this phone. I need police assistance at this location as there the Supermarket here is- Very well, I'll hold." she grumbled, her hand tightening about your own as she did so.
"Is everything okay?" you asked, though your question fell on deaf ears as the other woman tapped her foot impatiently.
"Ah. Yes, I'm still here. What do you mean your scans... Oh. No, I can't promise I'll remain on site- Damnit," she muttered the final word as she placed her phone back in her pocket, before starting to lead you back towards the car.
"What did they say?" you asked as you glanced back at the supermarket nervously. How had she seen blood from this distance?
"They ran a quick check on the site and picked up something that warrants them deploying a guardian. Do you know anything about the guardians?"
"It's my turn to say that's a terrible change of subject-"
"Shut up, I get to be a hypocrite. I'm pretty sure the latin on the badge in my wallet says so."
"The guardians are... Golems, from the victorian war, right?"
"Not quite, they're a group that was folded into the police force, they're now the mechanised division they send when there's something really bad. Whatever's in there's way beyond a tire iron."
"I saw one of those in a museum once, the brass robot ones that is. They upgraded them for the police?"
"Hell if I know," came Millicent's response as she hauled you onward, "You're the history lover here, I just know enough to do my job without issue."
"But, if they're the robots from then-" you paused.
"We can continue this in the car," Millicent huffed as she started to pull at your hand again. "Unless you really want to stay and deal with whatever questions they have?"
Did you wish to stay, to see whatever this guardian was and inevitably answer whatever the questions they had were with your ignorance over the entire situation, did you wish to leave, or was there some other option you felt better to pursue?
Post by: Wimdit on May 27, 2015, 07:39:33 am
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 27, 2015, 12:15:44 pm
Post by: flame99 on May 27, 2015, 12:22:54 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 27, 2015, 07:49:30 pm
"Smart, if this was a test i'd be writing you up as level headed," Millicent smiled, a smile you were able to just catch as you skirted around the pools of light cast by the lamps on the way back to her car.
Level headed, that was a new one.
Especially as here you were considering everything to be a potential conspiracy and mentally questioning everything.
Perhaps that was smart, given the circumstances.
Question everything, but don't call attention to it unless it truly warranted such.
"Is that something they look for in tests?"
"I don't know, I don't do the tests. If I did, that's something I'd look for though. Who wants people with some kind of supernatural edge running around on a power trip, after all?"
"Was it something they looked for in you?"
"We had different tests back when I was assessed, and the follow up ones they did here and there when they changed the system told them that I didn't have anything special about me that they had missed the first time."
"If we..." you started, mentally formulating a reasonable excuse to delay your departure by mere moments, to give you a chance to see the Guardian if it arrived, only for your train of thought to be derailed as Millicent shushed you.
"There's a vulture on the roof of my car."
"So, we need to get rid of it?"
"Yes, but not in an aggressive way."
"You said they're not something we need to worry about now-"
"I said they're more docile than they used to be. Assuming we hit it and it alerts the others, how many more do you think are in the area?"
"Um... Probably thousands."
"Exactly. Now, these things are lazy scavengers motivated by greed, when they're not hungry enough to eat pidgeons. Watch," Millicent stated as she reached into one of her pockets to remove what looked like a shiny teal package wrapped in blue paper.
"What's that?"
"Mints," she stated as she tore the package open, pushed the first one from inside it into her palm and cast it across the parking lot.
There was a clack as the hard mint struck against the ground, followed by the sound of it skittering away into the darkness. That was all it took for the vulture, the dark shape that resided atop the car to let out a hoarse croak as its wings fluttered, as it leapt down and waddled along after the mint.
For a brief moment, you were able to catch sight of the vulture, a bird that appeared little like any vulture you had ever seen in books on natural creatures. It looked like an oversized blackbird of sorts, though more bloated and covered in patchy feathers.
Come to think of it, there seemed to be a general relucatance for various groups to add these corrupted creatures into the typical books you'd read.
"Millicent, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, but we need to get going," came her response as she opened the driver side door and clambered into her car.
"Why don't we know much about these things, about the guardians, about the creatures that still infest the city?" you asked, as you opened the passenger side door and climbed into the car after her.
"Simple, people don't care enough," came the womans words as she started the engine, as her hands and feet shifted in the darkness, prompting the car to lurch into reverse.
"People don't care enough?"
"Take the vultures, they're not cute or friendly. Take the other things that share their nature, they're often not cute either and never, ever friendly. People care about things that are cute, or going extinct. Like tigers."
"I don't care about tigers."
"What do you care about?" she asked as the car started to move forwards now, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
"Stories. Legends. Folk lore."
"Yeah, that stuff'll go extinct too, what with the sugar coated fairy tales butchering and wearing the originals skins like some kind of-"
"Like some kind of what?"
"Do you think that was what we saw back there?"
"What was what we saw where? I'm confused," you huffed, not following the woman. Somewhere along the line she'd left out a vital direction you needed.
"It's not important. Getting back to your question though, people don't exactly have an easy time documenting these things as they're mostly nocturnal and most of them are aggressive. As for everything else, there you have an indifferent media that knows the best way to get viewers is to tell them about the latest celebrity scandal as people want to invade the personal lives of others for entertainment, or pretend they're relevant to the world because they're horrified by the earthquake across the globe. It's sick. People just want to turn a blind eye to the real problems, taking that old world approach that it's not right to talk about it. Sweep it under the rug, let those with the job to deal with it suffer in silence. Welcome to the guardians plight, nobody gives a damn that they exist, as they're mostly operational at night."
Right on cue, the sound of a jet engine started to tickle at the edges of your senses.
That had to be the guardian, didn't it?
There was no reason they'd let a plane fly through a residential part of London at night, so it had to be.
You twisted, you turned, you struggled to see where the sound was coming from, yet in the gloom of night you could make out little more than a bright spot in the sky approaching the supermarket.
If you'd just waited a little longer, you'd have been able to see it.
And... Likely been in danger, now you thought about it.
Beep, beep, went the phone in Millicents pocket, followed by a disgusted sigh as she reached for the phone, as she flipped it open, held it by the steering wheel and pressed a button to activate the speakers.
"This is Jay-Zero-One-Three-Seven-Zero. You are not on site," came a flat, vaguely female voice.
"Oh, forgive me officer, I wasn't aware it was mandatory for me to do so," came Millicents response, dripping with sarcasm and disgust - something that was a surprising change of direction from what you'd seen so far from her.
"You shall turn your vehicle about and return."
"I shall do nothing of the sort."
"If you do not comply-"
"Then you will come to my department and you will collect my statement in person. I know my rights and I am pretty certain that they state that I don't have to twiddle my thumbs in the middle of a warzone."
"Failure to comply-"
"Will be met by appropriate action. Goodbye, officer," she grunted, as she snapped her phone shut once more.
Only for it to ring once more immediately afterwards.
No sooner had she repeated the process of opening it, a new, flat, but vaguely masculine voice came over the speakers.
"This is Director-E-"
"I'm sorry, I don't need assistance with the directory listings, operator," she responded quickly, snapping the phone shut again as she twisted it about - this time ignoring it as it as the ringing renewed - as she fiddled with the case, popped something distinctly plastic from it with an audiable click.
Then, little by little she pried the battery loose, resulting in the ringing to coming to an abrupt stop.
"I'm in SO much trouble," she sighed, as she half stole a glance in your direction. "But, I am not going to endanger you by taking you back there," she added, as she half mumbled under her breath "You're just a kid after all."
"I'm not a kid, i'm an adult," you stated, as softly as you could, despite how you could feel your stomach twisting and the same sensation of anxiety and nausea that had plagued you this day taking root once more. It seemed as if your entire world had turned upside down in an instant, as if the curtain had been lifted and you had found that it wasn't some grand conspiracy to keep people in the dark - it was mere ignorance and indifference that did so.
"Young adult. You're what, nineteen?"
"...Yeah."
"I'm near pension age, you're a kid to me still. I'll be damned if i'll let you puff up your chest and assert your independance. You can adult all you like in the morning, but right now it's dangerous and I... I'm sorry, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
You felt defeated, beaten into submission by the other womans sudden assertiveness.
What was it with these people and their ability to supress even the wilful wiles of a teenager who knew it all and was ready to tackle the world head on?
These people, who thought that maybe, just maybe you had been born with a gift.
These people, who claimed to be acting out of altruism, desiring nothing more than to put you to use in a way that was fitting for whatever talents you supposedly had.
Had you been born with a gift, though, or were you just an echo as it had been put?
Tomorrow would tell.
"I can find another supermarket, get you tea and chocolate still, if you want, unless... Unless you just want me to take you to our facilities so you can settle down for the night?"
What was it to be?
Did you want to stay out a little longer, to get those things you'd been promised?
Did you want to head back, settle down and rest while you could in a strange enviroment?
Did you have something else on your mind, that took priority?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 28, 2015, 04:37:51 am
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 28, 2015, 06:51:50 am
Tea and chocolate sounds really good right now.+1. I think we could both use it to wind down a bit.
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 28, 2015, 01:29:23 pm
There were always the all night supermarkets, though the question was, would the ones in London have café's that were also open at all hours?
The prospect of getting the tea upgraded from a few boxes of such to enjoy as you pleased, to cups of it while you had cake was... Certainly not without appeal.
Yes, this was what you desired at this moment - tea, cake, chocolate, a bath, a massage and an army of pretty guys and girls to enact your plans of world domination. Failing the latter half of those, the former would suffice.
Perhaps it was adrenaline, fear, anxiety and stress making you loopy, but world domination also sounded good right now. If you controlled the world, you could easily enforce rules that would stop you having to go near anything that threatened your well being.
Or, you know, wage war on France.
You were english, after all.
"Do you know of any places that'd have their café open at this time?" you asked as you fiddled with the sleeves of your hoodie, for a moment pulling them over your hands as you considered that if you were accepted, that they were going to either have to provide you with new clothes, or bring yours down to London from home.
The former would be nice, though it was probably wistful thinking on your part that they'd do more than simply run you through a quick test and justify that expense.
"There's probably a few, you want to get tea and relax before we go get yelled at by the shit-head in charge of the shift?"
"They'll yell at us?"
"Sure, I told a Guardian off, the LPD don't like taking shit from anybody."
"Oh. I don't want you to get into trouble..."
"It'll be fine, I'm pretty sure I outrank them, being a government agent and all. Always with the agent business, mingling with individuals of great importance."
"I thought you said-"
"Hey, it's technically true, I am a government agent on paper. I'm about as important as an estate agent in the scheme of things, but that doesn't mean I don't have some status."
"Uh-huh."
"Pretend you're impressed or I'll file my report with the frowny face stamp."
"Okay, okay, I'm totally impressed. Can you claim going to the café as expenses?"
"You bet."
"Think we could get cake, too?"
"Lets live big," came her response as she half turned to look at you. "Really big. A slice of cake each and a medium sized cup of tea."
"Between us, or each?" you laughed despite yourself, you hated to think what your friends would think if they knew you were laughing at the kind of jokes their parents would tell.
"Hey, this is tax payers money, lets not go overboard."
"I'm sure if I was to threaten legal action, given I've been traumatised tonight..."
"Fine, fine, you win!" came Millicent's response as she threw her hands up - briefly - in mock exasperation before she took the wheel again. "A large cup of tea, each, as well as a slice of cake from the middle tier of the menu instead of the budget stuff!"
"Don't forget the chocolate."
"I'm about to plug the battery back into my phone and ask the LPD for amnesty here!"
"You wouldn't dare," you teased, as you mock pouted. It didn't matter if she couldn't see it, you were getting carried away with the moment.
"Oh, you want to call my bluff, do you?" she responses, tsking as she did so. "Plug the battery back into my phone for me and we'll see who's bluffing."
"There's a fatal flaw with your plan here..."
You smiled to yourself as you shifted to get comfortable in your seat, it almost felt as if everything was going to be okay now.
At least as you remained inside the car with Millicent, you didn't feel as hopeful about things once you were out of her hands.
Moment after long moment passed as the city went by, often in a blur as the woman drove at high speed down the various roads that snaked through the city like a system of arteries. Cars, spewing pollution, were not all that different to the city as the corrupt creatures were to you in a sense you mused. To the city, the cars were the death of nature, to you, the corrupt creatures were a threat to order as humanity desired it.
It was fortunate for you that the city, that the planet itself, couldn't fight back in the way you were capable of doing so when opposed with those creatures.
Well, not you personally.
You had no idea how much time had passed between leaving the prior supermarket and arriving at the next, but this one promised to be a much different experience.
For a start, people were still actively moving about inside it.
"So," Millicent started as the car pulled into the parking lot, this time parking her car much closer to the supermarket than before. "Cake, tea, chocolate. Anything else?"
"No, that's pretty much all I want at the moment," you responded, while pre-emptively unfastening your seatbelt.
"Okay. Looking at the clock... I'd say we can get away with taking our time. I can call in, in an hour at the latest, to say we're on our way back, before they start trying to send out search parties."
"They'll do that?"
"Oh yeah, you're potentially very valuable. There was an incident like, twenty years back where a girl we brought in did a runner before we got her back to the facilities. They combed the city looking for her."
"What happened to her?"
"She got hit by a car while trying to evade us, died in hospital afterwards."
"That's terrible."
"Yeah, we got reamed over that one."
"She was special, then?"
"No idea, never got any of the details beyond that. Incidents like that give us new layers of protocol to ensure they never happen again. Of course, the reality of it is that they add layers of potential mishaps that needlessly complicate things, so we have to sort of... Pick and choose what will help and what'll cause another incident."
"So, what ones are you waiving with me?"
"Can't tell you!"
"Come on!"
"Do you want that cake or not?"
"Oh, now you're playing dirty!"
Millicent's laughter faded into the night as she leapt from her car with you in tow, the brief beep and clunk of the doors locking behind you fading into the night as she ran ahead of you towards the supermarket.
Yet deep down, you couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
You couldn't place it and it wasn't enough to distract you from your goal of getting cake - as well as tea and chocolate - but something told you that you were not going to take no for an answer.
"Oh, now you've done it!" you called after Millicent, as she slipped into the supermarket ahead of you - still laughing at that.
She was fast.
You'd have expected someone of her age whom worked such a job to be a lot less nimble than she appeared to be.
Now it was a matter of saving face, putting your feet down and crossing the remainder of the parking lot.
Or at least doing so in a manner that didn't make you look like the scrawny nerd you were.
Even as you sprinted towards the door, it dawned on you that your footwear - worn as it was - was not going to allow you to stop in time with how wet the tiles leading up were.
And this proved to be the case as you slid into the doors, causing them to shudder, rattle and bang.
You staggered backwards, stunned from the impact as Millicent rushed back with what you assumed to be concern on her features. "Oh honey," she started as she rushed to place an arm about your shoulders, her other hand moving to take hold of your chin as she quickly looked your face over. "You're not bleeding... Lets sit down before you hurt yourself further though," came her words in tones honeyed with concern.
Even as she lead you towards the café, an area set to the side just past the main entrance, she spoke once more, her words bearing the same soft tones as she all but cradled you against her.
"I don't think that's going to leave a bruise, physically, but your ego's bound to take one. How about we sit down and have a nice cup of tea while you tell me what kind of activities you're good at so we can soothe your wounded pride?"
As you settled down at the table she had lead you to you reflected on the things you had done as a child, the sports you had done at school. Despite not standing out in any other way there, you'd always found you were good at...
...Getting into places you shouldn't. You were something of a tomboy when you were young. (Parkour Speciality.)
...Self Defence. You did well in basic martial arts and safety classes. (Unarmed speciality.)
...Gymnastics. You had an excellent sense of balance. (Tumbling and Evasion speciality.)
...Hand / Eye co-ordination. You were a gamer at heart, but light gun games were your favourite (Markswoman speciality.)
...Something else entirely?
Spoiler: Alyssa (click to show/hide)
Post by: Peradon on May 28, 2015, 03:11:55 pm
Also, I dont trust this lady. Something is off about her... almost like she is trying too hard...
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 28, 2015, 04:10:38 pm
Personally, I think it's pretty obvious Millie's trying to win our trust. I don't exactly trust her, but I don't exactly distrust her either, she could still be exactly what she appears to be.
Post by: Generally me on May 28, 2015, 04:15:27 pm
Post by: Wimdit on May 29, 2015, 12:54:45 am
Well, of course she has orders to get on our good side. We might as well play along.
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 29, 2015, 01:08:23 am
Nothing hurt as much as your ego did at this moment.
Prehaps you'd be lucky and nothing'd bruise either, though you couldn't hold your breath over that one until you saw yourself in the mirror in the morning. You were prone to bruising with how delicately built you were.
Still, there was that question lingering in the air, a question over just what you were good at that had been framed as a gracious effort to appease your wounded pride.
You could easily have lied about what you were good at, at this stage.
You could just have easily told her nothing, suggesting that you simply wanted to sit this out and sulk as you were starting to feel increasingly miserable given your day so far.
There was a nagging voice at the back of your mind that told you not to believe everything this woman said, that told you that you should remain paranoid about the entire situation. You didn't know these people or this area and you found yourself influenced by them in ways that didn't sit right with you.
Was this some power of theirs, to manipulate others reactions?
It was something that you now believed with all the information that had been presented to you to be a distinct possibility.
It made sense, you found yourself at ease when you were supposed to be, meek and submissive when they wished to corral you like an animal.
And this woman, this woman...
You had to keep a constant reminder that she was being paid to be your friend, as it was so easily pushed out of the forefront of your mind.
But there was no reason to cite these suspicions yet, as far as you could tell.
No, this could wait until there was an actual reason for you to do so.
For now, you were going to passively resist this power of theirs.
You had always been independant, you had always been capable.
Stubborn.
You had always prided yourself on being able to pick up on the vibe people gave off and if you should trust them or not - and these people gave off constantly shifting vibes in a way you'd never seen before.
"I'm not really much of one for physical activities, about the most physical I typically get is going out with the girls to a club or pub for the night. I do like games though, the ones I'm best at are lightgun games, where you-"
"I'm not really up to date on games, so you'll-" Millicent interrupted, only for you to focus on reasserting yourself. This was your thing, this was your passion.
"I like games that challenge me, I like to turn the difficulty up and get by, by the skin of my teeth. Calculate the odds, beat them with careful planning and forethought, but light guns are my favourite as they push me to react as fast as possible. Duck hunt, Virtua cop, various arcade games before the arcades back home closed... I did great at those. I was often in the top three on their leader boards."
"I take it that is an impressive-"
"It's impressive, when you're competing against gamers who came to play from across a major city."
"There's... On... Line games, too, isn't there, that-" Millicent was floundering, this was far from a subject she had any awareness of and you were able to steer things for a change.
"Massively multiplayer online games and other such things, yes, I used to play a few of those. Mostly for the company of like minded gamers. It was always more fun to play with real people, regardless of how far away they were, instead of playing alone. I'm guessing games were never a big thing for you?"
"Not really, no. I remember pacman and space invaders when they were big things, but I never really tried them."
"That's a shame, some games are great for shaping logical thinking and honing your reactions. Or you know, destroying friendships, like certain party games seemed apt for."
"That's a thing?"
"Party games destroying friendships?" you shrugged as you reached for the menu on the table. "It varies, you're making people compete against each other in a cut throat manner, some people don't like that in a family game."
Millicent was about to respond, her mouth half open to make whatever statement in response - to come out with something no doubt intended to bring the conversation back into territory she could at least control.
That was before her phone rang, causing the few eyes inside the supermarket's café to turn and look at the pair of you as she flipped her phone open and brought it to her ear.
"This is- Oh. Yes sir. I did say that to them sir. If they wish to pursue that complaint i'm quite willing to have it submitted to the board so they can inquire into how their request was a reckless means of endangering the well being of a potential asset."
Asset.
Classy.
"We're currently- Yes, that's exactly where, we're here as our person of interest is scared and confused so I made a judgement call and took her to get a hot drink and something sugary to cheer her up."
You'd been upgraded to a person of interest.
"No sir, I will not bring her in right this instant, not when she's pulling faces at me from across the table," Millicent paused, rolling her eyes. "If you hadn't interrupted me and told me you didn't care for what I had to say, I'd have been able to tell you that this wasn't an ideal place to hold this conversation."
Her hand visibly tensed about the case as the plastic creaked ever so slightly.
Just when had she slipped the battery back into the phone?
You were going to have to watch her closer.
"Yes. Uh-huh. Yes. Very well. I'll offer the recovery team tea in twenty minutes then. Goodbye," and with that she snapped the phone shut once more, slouching in her seat as a frown crept over her features. "This job was so much better when people didn't go by books that told them just how deep the stick up their ass had to be to maintain the correct posture."
It was several minutes before she spoke again.
Several long minutes in silence as the woman alternated between subtle shifts in her bodylanguage, flitting between disgust and anger.
Every second dragged on uncomfortably in her presence as that pleasent mask was shattered by the reality of whatever she was beholden to accomplish here.
"Okay, we're going to get tea. We're going to get cake. You're going to pick out a few bars of chocolate. When the recovery team arrives, I'll speak with them. I'm certain they'll join us for tea as they won't enjoy being dicked around by the boss."
Once again you could feel that subtle sense of oppression tickling at the edge of your senses, attempting to twist your response in a certain direction.
To make you meek and unassertive.
To twist your very mind against you as you were sheparded like a lamb to the slaughter.
Of course this didn't mean you were going to oppose the plan presented to you, no.
You were going to go with it, but not like some simpering child hiding from a potential scolding.
"Okay," you breathed as you leaned back against the cheap plastic chair you were seated on, your head rolling as you briefly considered pulling the hood to your hoodie up. "I take my tea with milk and one sugar, I like chocolate, fudge, caramel and vanilla cake most. I want to stretch my legs. Should I look for chocolate while I do so?"
"Yeah... Here," Millicent started, her expression betraying that was once more uncertain how to proceed from here - that she was uncomfortable given that she didn't have full control of the situation any longer. "Chocolate, decent chocolate at least, isn't cheap," came her words as she fished a wallet from one of her pockets and passed over three notes.
Three ten pound notes.
Thirty pounds would get a fair amount of chocolate.
"Thank you, I'll be back in a moment," you offered a half smile as you pulled your hands into the sleeves of your hoodie.
With the money hidden in your hand, and your sights set on the confectionary section of the supermarket you started away from the woman, away from your sole lifeline in this city at this moment.
Every step you took away from her had the paranoia in the back of your mind voice itself all the more assertively, whispering, then screaming that you were being manipulated by someone who was more than they had let on.
How else could they be swaying your very thoughts in the manner they did?
Yes, you were certain now that in her presence you were being manipulated.
You could even feel the fog being lifted from your mind as you increased your distance from her.
Step after step.
Clarity, terrible, terrible clarity.
This woman wasn't what she appeared.
Could you trust someone who hadn't been honest with you?
Could you put yourself, your well being, in the hands of someone you were simply being manipulated by?
These were the thoughts that echoed through your mind as you stepped out of sight, walking between the aisles as you took a disinterested glance over the chocolate on display.
What did it all add up to, what was it that this all meant?
Were they simply keeping you in the dark with good intentions, or were they manipulating you for a purpose they had yet to make you aware of?
Were you even special for that matter?
If you were to believe anything she'd said so far, they were quite prepared to work on the basis that until proven otherwise that everyone they picked up was a potential... Asset.
You were torn, you didn't know if it was safe to play along, or prudent to run.
If you ran, just how easily would they pick you up again?
If you remained, would you be safe.
It raised the question, were you going to play along - trusting that they had your interests at heart, or were you going to find a way of slipping into the night, with a small amount of money and the clothes on your back?
---
Apologies, gymnastics tipped the scale after I'd almost finished writing this up.
Additionally, as you're directing the character, some of your mistrust is being added to Alyssa's views.
Post by: Wimdit on May 29, 2015, 02:46:28 am
The government doesn't have our best interests at heart, but we can make use of each other. We should play along for now, but look for ways to improve our situation.
Hide a knife behind a smile.
Post by: Fallatus on May 29, 2015, 02:58:46 am
Post by: Generally me on May 29, 2015, 04:51:11 am
Eh, Who cares! Even if you tried to run they'd find you, And judging from our encounter with the door it wouldn't be very hard. Lay low, Don't draw to much attention to yourself and just try to get what you can. its all anyone of us can do. Now quit concerning! You've got a fistful of money and a tummy that's a grumbling, Go get that chocolate young missy. But don't go overboard with the spending, Don't want to come off as irresponsible with money after all or they might give you less than you could get later on.+1
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 29, 2015, 07:59:41 am
Also, cake.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on May 29, 2015, 02:33:03 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 29, 2015, 10:43:37 pm
No, worrying about something that was outside of your power to change was something that you were going to do later, when you had time to figure out just what you could do about it.
The earbuds connected to your off brand music player were slipped into your ears as you set your music library to shuffle.
At fate's tender mercy, you found yourself serenaded with the sounds of some squeaky voiced popstar you couldn't believe you had ever liked - this was something from your stupid phase for sure.
You instinctively pressed next as your cheeks started to burn with embaressment.
Crimson painted against your porcelain complexion.
Soft tones played as a familiar voice followed soon after.
Oh, you knew this song, this was something your mother had put on here for you.
Something about that fact in itself was reassuring, a reminder that back home everyone was fine despite your absence, that you were fine despite being seperated from them.
The worst you had was a little anxiety and travel sickness, you hadn't been hurt and everything would be fine.
Even if you were lying to yourself, it was what you needed right now.
This song was a few years older than you were, but you didn't care - you were content to hum along to the tune as you whispered the few words you knew beneath your breath.
Granted, that was little more than words such as immenso, cantero, piano and violini.
You didn't speak italian but you were certain without looking it up that the main word that you knew - immenso, the song's title - translated quite plainly into immense.
And so you hummed along to the song as you paced about the aisles, seeking out your quarry.
You would not be denied chocolate now you were so close to it, not when you had the money, the proximity, the desire.
Unless you know, fate conspidered against you and the tills shut down before you could pay for it - then you'd accept it with the stereotypical politeness of a british person in a queue and leave without making a scene.
Or, maybe you'd put on an emotional display and use the scene to get them to take pity and open it for a few minutes longer to get you through.
There was everything from the cheapest, nastiest chocolate that only children enjoyed, all the way up to the expensive continental chocolates - chocolate that had all the more markup than ever these days given britain's relationship with the rest of europe was tetering on the brink.
They'd never forgotten the Victorian war, in what France, as the aggressor, had attacked.
And Britain had beaten France back.
Then a good portion of the rest of Europe had jumped in to attack Britain for daring to defend itself against the French, been beaten back and kept a grudge about it for over a hundred years.
History was written by the victors, they said, but in this case the history books from outside of Britain were full of vitriol, talking of provocation and a need to cleanse the growing corruption that had taken root in empire's capital.
The ones written back home spoke of how callously, the empire had been attacked and defended itself against all comers during its moment of need - how it was a testament to the spirit of the people that they had defened themselves against threats from outside and within.
Perhaps you'd buy some of the American branded imports instead, come to think of it, tempting as it was to buy one of the Queens favourites boxes.
...No, the temptation was too much, that one was your favourite too, it had all the flavours you liked.
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.
Some of that chocolate filled with cornish fudge, or caramel, or...
Just one box though, at a penny less than thirteen pounds, you were struggling to justify a second to yourself.
It was harder still when you reminded yourself that this wasn't your money, but it was what you had chosen.
What sat beneath your arm as you started towards the tills.
Grubby faux-marble tiles smeared with the passage of a day in service of custom threatened to become treacherous beneath your feet as your worn footwear reminded you that you lacked any grip with their worn soles.
Adversity to the end, but you would prevail.
You, would be the one standing tall, eating chocolate.
Or sat on your ass, it didn't matter as long as the latter element was the constant that remained.
Tired eyes greeted you as you arrived at your destination, one of the two tills still open.
A till manned by someone who looked no older than you, whom asked in the weary voice of one that simply wished to get off work and go home, "Cash or card?"
"Cash," you responded as you offered the chocolates over to be scanned, while your other hand held out two of the three bank notes.
The exchange complete, change and a receipt.
It was time to return to the lady whom symbolised your current plight.
As you paced back to the table you had left her at you could see her surrounded by a small group of people bearing arms, swathed in bodyarmour and dark garments.
That must have been the extraction team that had been spoken of before.
Though they bore no markings to explain whom they actually were, you could only assume that they had shown symbols of authority to those who had questioned their presence.
They were all sat however, having pulled up chairs and tables to join Millicent in what looked like a mutual expression of rebellion over the job at hand.
If they were as disinterested as Millicent was in hurrying you along to your doom.
Or, as the case seemed to be, your room.
Even as you approached Millicent nodded in your direction, prompting the group to part as they made space for you, one of them nudging a chair out for you.
Yet still your feet dragged along the tiled floor, as you were in no hurry to-
Oh, there was cake and tea waiting for you.
Damn them.
"So, she's the one we were sent to bring in?" came one of the figures voice as you made your way up to the table.
"Uh-huh, fearsome isn't she," came Millicent's response as she gestured to the tea and cake to make it clear it was yours.
"Terrifying, six of us to subdue that little monster. She must be a real danger," the figure responded.
"Only to herself, most people manifest at least some tell tale signs when put under this amount of stress, but she's looking increasingly like an echo."
"Poor girl, it's a shame we've got to take her in, in cuffs," the figure responded as they shifted to make space for an arriving waiter. Several more cups of tea and coffee were put atop the table as the group shifted about to collect their respective orders.
You sipped at your own as you looked at the cake before you, vanilla sponge, topped with some kind of overly sugary icing. It wasn't your first choice, but it was in no way something you'd argue about either.
"You don't have to, she's no threat," Millicent responded in a slow, deliberate tone as she made eye contact with each of the group in turn.
"You're right," came the one whom had been speaking prior's response. "She's no threat, we don't have to."
"I'm glad we see eye to eye," Millicent smiled brightly as you shook your head slowly, feeling that same mental fog as before threatening to set in.
Just what was this woman?
That one she had been speaking to seemed vacant for a moment before they snapped back to attention, fidgeting with their drink as they spoke again. "I'm going to get into trouble for agreeing with you there, but, I'm going to complain about the boss misusing the department's resources in this manner. We're trained for actual retreival against people with potential powers they've lost control of, not..." they gestured towards you, their voice dripping with disgust. "To be sent out to intimidate frightened kids because the boss thinks a Liason's a frivolous expense."
"It undoes all the work I do trying to reassure those we bring in that we're not monsters," Millicent sighed.
"Except for the boss," the figure added, prompting a small nod from Millicent as she started to rise from her seat.
"Is it okay with you if I leave her in your care while I go and see if I can talk some sense into the boss?" Millicent asked, in that same measured tone as before.
"Sure, you can leave her with us. Your authority technically ended when we arrived. We'll get her back safe and sound," the figure responded, promoting a bright smile from Millicent.
"I knew I could depend on you Tom."
With that Millicent turned to make her way from the café area, leaving you in the care of this 'Tom' and a group of none too happy agents.
"So," came the mans words as he turned his attention towards you. "Once you're done, do you want to take the scenic route back or see if we can make it back in time to catch the end of their argument?" he asked, leaving you wondering just how much longer you wished to drag you feet here.
Did you hurry back or return at a more leisurely pace?
What had you learned about yourself here?
...That you had a budding ability to feel deception? (Water Speciality/Sensing Deception)
...That you were able to fade from notice when you desired? (Water Speciality/Stealthy)
...That you were acutely aware of discrepencies in alsorts of manners? (Air Speciality/Pattern Recognition)
...That you should have felt fatigued by this point, but you were holding on? (Earth Speciality/Indefatiguable)
...Something else entirely?
Spoiler: Alyssa (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 30, 2015, 12:18:09 am
Anyway, let's Head straight back after cake + tea + chocolate. We've had enough excitement for one night, and catching the tail end of the discussion between Millie and her boss could be informative.
Post by: Wimdit on May 30, 2015, 12:44:30 am
Seconding an ability to feel deception and heading back quickly. The night is dark and full of perils.
Post by: Peradon on May 30, 2015, 12:48:07 am
Also, Water speciality for sure.
Also...
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: P(ony)SI on May 30, 2015, 12:57:21 am
Post by: Generally me on May 30, 2015, 06:44:26 am
I think out of the four, the most useful specialization is a budding ability to feel deception. (Water Speciality/Sensing Deception). Particularly since I suspect that a lot of people will be hiding important details from us.+1
Anyway, let's Head straight back after cake + tea + chocolate. We've had enough excitement for one night, and catching the tail end of the discussion between Millie and her boss could be informative.
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 30, 2015, 07:25:23 am
That confirmed at least that they were human.
It also told you, as you took a bite of the cake before you, that you could easily keep several of them off balance if they were carefully played against each other within the confines of their own rule set. This boss figure seemed to generate a lot of ill will from his subordinates, while his subordinates seemed to be using some power to influence others to accomplish their tasks.
Millicent had either lied about what was special about herself from the start, or selectively neglected to add what she was also capable of.
Either way, it was deceitful and told you that you were right to assume that you needed to watch her more closely.
Of course, you still felt that you liked her, though now you questioned just how much of that was your own thoughts or if she was capable of implanting things such as this, too.
No, you were certain - mostly - that these were your own thoughts, as whatever influence she had over you had faded after you had left her presence earlier.
Like morning fog rising.
One thing was for certain though, the tea here was crap.
Still, that didn't stop you lifting the cup up to your face, relishing the sensation of warmth against your skin, or enjoying the aroma.
Cheap or not, it was your chance to relax - at least for a moment - before you had to deal with whatever else they had in store for you.
"I think," you started, voicing your thoughts aloud as you paused to take a sip of tea. "Once we're done here, we should hurry back. Your boss might need backup, after all. Who are you people, anyway?"
Tom chuckled, shaking his head as he did so. "I'm sure my boss'll survive. Who are we?"
"Yes, who are you. I'm pretty certain my rights say you can't kidnap me and keep me in the dark."
"We haven't kidnapped you."
"So, I'm free to leave then?"
"No-"
"Oh, so I'm under arrest then?"
"No, you're-"
"I'm very tired, I just want people to be straight with me."
"We're Alexandrina's Supernatural Protectorate."
"I can't say I've ever heard of you, though you do sound like a super villain group from a movie with those initials."
"Of course you've never heard of us, who spends time reading government directories longer than it takes them to find the department they want?"
You were certain the answer to that one was conspiracy theorists, though you had a feeling that pursuing this conversation further wasn't going to be very fruitful. Perhaps it was the fact that this man didn't want to tell you anything more than he had to, perhaps it was that everyone so far had been dishonest with you in some manner.
"Can we go now?" you asked, as you put down what remained of your tea beside the crumbs that composed the remainder of your cake. The sooner you got there, the sooner they could tell you nothing was special about you, the sooner you could go home.
"If you insist," Tom responded as he placed his cup down. He didn't have the people skills or charisma that Millicent had - you didn't like him. For that matter, without Millicent present you felt somewhat uncomfortable in his presence, as if he was the kind of person you'd meet in a dark alley.
It was with that that you stood, that you found yourself being escorted from a supermarket from a group of armed men.
It was a surreal experience, to have the few eyes that remained in the supermarket upon you as you were escorted to the door.
Fog had fallen during your time inside.
The air was cold and damp.
It was something that had goosebumps rise on your skin, as a primal sense of fear gripped you.
"This rolled in fast," came one of the groups voices.
"Do you think it means anything?" came another of their voices.
"Doubtful, it's probably just the wonderful british weather," came Tom's voice as he pushed you forwards through the fog. "Jeeps are this way, might want to pull your hoodie up."
"Famous last words," came the second voice as the group laughed, while you pulled your hoodie up to cover your head. Were they oblivious to the feeling of impending danger, or were they simply indifferent to it?
"This is like a scene from a horror movie," you mumbled, mostly to yourself as you continued on - carefully - through the blanket of fog.
"You need to watch better horror movies then," came Tom's voice, followed by another push to keep you moving in the right direction.
"Famous last words," came the second voice once more, in a drawn out manner.
"Cut that shit out," came the first voice followed by a muffled grunt.
"You didn't have to hit me," grumbled the second voice.
Perhaps the horrors that lurked in the fog were preferable to these guys.
"I'm sitting in the front," you stated as one of the jeeps came into view.
"Can't let you do that," came Tom's voice, as he made his way around the other side of the jeep.
"I get car sick easily, unless you want-"
"Do you think... It means anything?" came a low voice from the fog, prompting the group to draw their weapons as they took positions about the jeep - and you to dive into the front passenger seat.
Protocol could kiss your ass.
"Famous last... Scene. Do you think it means..." the voice continued, as footfalls echoed through the fog and the sound of your heart beating filled your ears. "Do yew have a loite?"
What.
"You almost got yourself shot," came one of the groups voice. "Get out of here."
"Yew don't 'ave any change do yew?"
"Gods, he stinks of alcohol and piss, lets get out of here before-"
"Ye can't leave me, they're out there, watchin' me with their beady eyes."
"Get your hands off me before-"
The sound of someone vomiting had you squirm in discomfort as Tom and two of the group clambered into the jeep with you.
"We're taking her back, the rest of you can deal with your new friend," he stated as he reached over to grab and fasten your seatbelt as well as his own. "Fucking crazy people," came his mumbled words, barely audiable to you over the roar of the engine starting.
As the jeep pulled from the parking lot with headlines burning blazing as they fought in futility against the fog you pulled yourself upright so you could watch the road before you.
At least what you were able to make out of it, in this fog shrouded cityscape.
A cityscape that crawled by, shapes looming in the fog with lights like eyes.
Staring, waiting for their moments to strike.
Those shapes grew ever larger as you progressed slowly, steadily into the cities depths, passing surprisingly few cars on the road.
"Are the roads always this quiet?" you asked, as you pulled your hoodie up to cover your mouth, though it was still not enough to stop the chill in the air from seeping through the worn garment.
"Can't hear you, you'll have to speak up!" Tom yelled in response, prompting you to raise your voice.
"Are the roads always this quiet?" you shouted in response, this time making sure you could be heard over the roar of the engine and the sound of air rushing by.
"They're packed in the day, they get quiet at night and only idiots drive in the fog at night without good reason," he yelled back.
"Because of the vultures?"
"The vultures aren't an issue, it's the other things that get bold when the fog rolls in."
"Like what?"
"Like every other corrupt creature and the crazies."
"Like that man back at the supermarket?"
"Yes, could be that he's just down on his luck, or it could be that he's infected."
"Infected?"
"With the same corruption that twists stray animals and birds into monsters."
That sounded like a horrible fate but it did stir an old memory, one of reading a old book that mentioned that the same corruption that had gripped those creatures, thats source had never been found, was what had created the Enlightened in the first place.
They were supposedly amongst the few humans that could remain in control of the infection - or at least slow the descent into madness that came with it.
The Enlightened were mentioned as faux immortals in that book, too, as ageless entities twisted by some kind of supernatural cancer that twisted them in its image.
Only, the infection they had was... Shaped by... Whatever had initially infected them.
It was victorian research though, it was mostly hypothesis and assumptions backed up by very little field work.
Did that mean that the modern day Enlightened, the cult like group that people seemed to have no love for, were the same as the ones from back then?
You'd have to find books on the subject to study if you still had reason to care later.
By the time you arrived at what you could only presume was ASP's headquarters you felt chilled to the bone by your exposure to the cold night air, to the point where your already pale complexion had become pallid and your teeth chattered.
You had no objections as you were guided by a hand on your shoulder with your chocolates under one arm - something that this time felt devoid of the same subconscious push to obey as you'd felt with others this day - towards the steps leading up to what you assumed with such low visibility was a repurposed office building.
The steps up to the glass doors - flanked and intersected by rails painted in flaking blue paint - revealed a bare reception area inside the building illuminated by old fluorescent lights fitted into the tile covered ceiling.
Inside was little warmer than out you noted, much to your chagrin, though it was clear that you were expected by the woman that sat behind the desk.
"Alyssa. You're late. Please report to the fourth floor," came her almost mechanical tone, as one hand dismissively gestured towards the old silvery doors of the elevators set behind her.
"Is that where-" you started, only for the woman to cut you off.
"Everything you need to know will be explained once you have arrived on the fourth floor."
Akwardly, you made your way towards the elevator, tapping the button to call it, a brief moment of silence spent waiting as you glanced behind you - Tom had already left.
You almost felt betrayed at this point.
Here you were, alone, and the efforts to win you over, to have you eased into the enviroment had stopped dead with Millicent's departure.
Oh, if she didn't make her boss cry, you would.
Ding, the elevator doors opened.
Ding, they shut behind you as you shuffled in and tapped the button for the fourth floor.
You could feel the elevator lurch as it started upwards, your stomach twisting as discomfort hit you.
And then it stopped, opening to reveal someone waiting for you.
"You're late, please come with me," came the voice of the man waiting for you, a man dressed in the same cheap style of suit the other agents had been, a voice that was devoid of emotions.
"Where are you taking me?"
"The boss has requested that you are brought to speak with him before you are given accomodations for the night."
"Very well," you sighed, deciding that it was best to appear reluctant, even if this was exactly what you desired right now.
Doors with walnut wooden veneers passed by, the rooms beyond them for the most part dark - though the few that were illuminated showed similarly suited people working away at desks.
Door after door passed by as you approached the end of the hallway, where a waiting area blossomed out in space that had likely once been occupied by flanking offices.
This waiting area was one in what several sat waiting already - two of them suited in a way that made it clear that they were workers, the third a short and angry looking woman garbed in an armoured LPD uniform.
She must have been the one that wanted to question Millicent - and potentially you.
But from here, from here you could hear a shouting match going on inside the office of what you presumed must have been the boss.
It was a little warmer up here than it had been on the ground floor, at least, that made it a little more bearable.
You flopped down on a chair, setting your chocolates down before you as you glanced towards the door of the office, pausing for a moment as you turned your attention from office workers to officer.
"Excuse me," you started, as you gestured towards your chocolates. "You don't look too happy, would you like-"
"No thank you," the woman responded, shaking her head as a smile briefly threatened to pull the corners of her lips upwards. You'd tried at least - and hoped that the guesture would mean that if she had to interview you over the incident at the other supermarket, that she'd go easy on you.
Was she the same woman though, or was the one you'd seen before still tackling whatever issue had been there and the fallout?
It didn't matter - she was potentially the one that was here to question Millicent, and if she wasn't, you'd at least expressed some measure of care.
She was more human than the people working here to you, after all.
Them and their blank and burned out emotional states.
The shouting from inside the room grew both in volume and clarity as footsteps stomped towards the door, permitting you now to make out what was being said.
"Don't you dare leave this room before I'm done with you Agent Cross!" yelled a masculine voice.
"Or what, you'll replace me with one of your brown nosing lackeys and fuck up more of the poor bastards you bring in?"
"The jarring transition from your overly warm doting to the professional enviroment-"
"You. Will. Be. SILENT," came her voice as her words twisted into a snarl. "Your detatched professionalism leaves them feeling as if they're nothing more than a disposable asset, that isn't the kind of enviroment any scared and confused young adult should be thrust into. Some of us have the decency to treat them like human beings, to do what your failure of a public relations team could only dream of."
"You're out of line-"
"SILENCE!" came her voice once more "I am NOT done speaking. I was here long before your daddy showed the prior director that he was good on his knees, I will be here long after your sorry ass gets kicked out for gross incompetance. Now run along and go play with traffic, you sorry excuse for a human being."
The door opened as a terrified looking man left the office - his office.
He was portly and unfit looking, the kind of person thats sole exercise was pushing a pen.
Balding and with a bad combover, the very image of someone in their midlife crisis.
"What the..." came his words as he glanced about the waiting area, as Millicent stormed out of his office and past him.
"Now. NOW we are done. Go to your ROOM, little man," she hissed, taking a deep breath before giving you an apologetic smile and waving her boss back inside his office.
Meekly, the man who had summoned you here poked his head around the frame of his office door to wave you in - almost as if he was afraid to speak, to raise the ire of the woman who now marched defiantly down the hallway towards the elevator.
Dutifully, you made your way inside, wondering if this man would attempt to take this out on you, or if you were going to see him reduced to a shadow of his former, arrogant self.
At least you assumed he was arrogant, as the assumption felt a safe one to make.
The office he had was little better than those of the others that worked here, though it was all his.
It was a relic of the seventies, like the rest of the building appeared - repurposed and refitted for minimal effort and minimal cost.
God, the seventies were fifty years ago now.
This building was older than you, but potentially younger than Millicent.
You seated yourself at rounded wooden desk in the center of the room - a desk that looked like it was from some flatpack do it yourself package.
One no doubt that he had someone else assemble for him.
And then with a smile, you waited to see if this man was going to give you the excuse you needed to vent.
"Well, uh..." He was off to a good start, "yes. Alyssa, right... Here's the file on you," he mumbled as he shuffled through papers in an effort to avoid eye contact with you. "I wanted to see you before we put you through the various tests and... Make sure any questions you had were answered."
It was a terrible lie, the kind of awkward one somebody made when they were on the spot and unable to hide their guilt - and here you were certain he had planned to yell at you about how you hadn't immediately turned up.
This man was a coward, and Millicent terrified him.
"If you don't have any questions at this moment... Uhh.. We can get some of our technicians to set you up with accomodation and a meal, and... Uhh... Was there anything you wanted to ask?"
Oh, you could be so gracious and let this man off the hook, knowing that being settled in meant a bed and warm food.
Or you could yell at him and express how you too, were quite unhappy.
Of course, you could also ask him about anything that you wanted to know - confident that he would comply at this point.
The question was, just what did you want right now?
Post by: Kashyyk on May 30, 2015, 08:16:42 am
Play up the shitty time you've had a bit, in an attempt to find out more about these tests, and maybe get some nice stuff re: accommodating and food.
Post by: Wimdit on May 30, 2015, 08:27:08 am
Oh it's just some guy
Except he may be Infected.
And the boss of this city's magical fighting thingummy looks like a caricature of ineffective leadership. Is he for real? Or is he actually hypercompetent and putting on a facade for purposes unknown? If he is for real, to what degree are people pulling his strings? Was Millicent's humiliation of the Boss just a show for our benefit? Why aren't the others in the waiting room objecting to the semi-obvious use of mind powers? How often does Millicent use her mind powers?
I don't know what to beliiiiiiiieve.
We've got to fish for information. Steer the conversation towards Millicent and other important people around here, including himself.
Post by: Fallatus on May 30, 2015, 01:37:21 pm
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 30, 2015, 07:18:51 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on May 31, 2015, 03:57:40 am
There was a saying, you caught more flies with honey than you did with vinegar.
This was how you'd work this situation as you took the mess of interconnected scenarios, the half truths and the single sided conversations you'd witnessed.
The bigger picture, that was what you wanted.
The man before you leaned forward on his desk expectantly, fingers interlaced as he propped himself on his elbows, awaiting your questions patiently.
As if he was afraid to raise your ire, too.
"I have had a bad day so far, given Millicent spotted something dangerous when trying to take me to a supermarket," you paused, you weren't done speaking yet the man was fast to interrupt.
"Yes, we're terribly sorry about that. Had we known that there was a skin walker there, we wouldn't have-"
"A skin walker?" you interrupted.
"Ah, I forget that people from outside the city often lack knowledge of many of these things. They're one of the sub-groups of corrupt creature that... Well, it's quite grusome, but Millicent caught one in the act of taking another persons skin to wear and imitate them it seems."
"Are they dangerous?"
"They sent in a Jötunn assault suit to deal with it."
"That doesn't mean much to me," you confessed, taking on an apologetic tone as you made an effort to have the man relax in your presence.
"Ah. The Guardians have several forms of mechanised suits that they utilise in battling more dangerous corrupt creatures, some say that they they do so as to follow the traditions of the original guardians. Some believe they are the original guardians. The truth here is that they are a little of each, some of the original guardians remain, bolstered by new recruits from our agency where applicable."
"So, they're like the old victorian golems, but with a person inside?"
"You... Could say that, yes," came the mans words as he paused as if searching for the right way to continue what he had been about to convey. "They're much more advanced than the original Guardian's were, but they serve the same purpose."
"What would that be?"
"To serve the interests of queen and country, they battle the corrupt creatures and threats of the empire."
"We're not really much of an empire anymore, though."
"Perhaps not, but we still have a few jewels in our crown."
Like India.
Oh, how India was envied as the beautiful crown jewel in the now sparse crown of the British empire. Against all odds, India had flourished in these troubling times to become an economic powerhouse, one that had been granted autonomy yet chosen to remain within the empire after the victorian war, so that they could help nurse the wounded nation back to its feet.
That answered a few of your questions at least, but you still had many, many more.
Such as those relating to the callous seeming nature of this agency and the mans apparent incompetance.
Asking this was going to be pressing a tender point home, so you had to cover it in a much more careful manner.
You could cover Millicent's service and just who she really was while you were at it, too.
"Millicent seems to be of the opinion that you are incompetant and callous, but, I don't want to believe that," you started, watching as the man started to tense, than relax when you pushed the point forward and just as quickly made it clear you didn't believe it was true - yet. "Is there any reason that she would believe such, that she would believe that you... Were put in this position as a favour?"
"This is fairly recent history, compared to the long service of this agency to the crown. I'll summarise the important points for you, as not to bore you on the years of history we have. In the beginning, this agency was formed post war by the decree of Queen Alexandrina Victoria, to seek out individuals of great talent and power within our fair lands. She believed that we should not squander the talents of such individuals when they could assist in bringing our empire's advancement forward at an accelerated rate. No expense was spared at first to build the agency and aquire its first recruits, it was they, that found initially that many of the talented individuals out there that we had were better in the hands of various industries where their natural affinity for a task could do more good," he paused as he gestured to the building about you.
"These days, many of them are employed here, to ensure that the various ones that we have put in various fields are kept track of and taken care of properly by their respective employers. The agency started out as being all but untouchable, but over time the lack of results had the agency become more... Accountable for its funding and actions. The issue is that since the Victorian war, that the numbers of individuals of any talent or power have dwindled, going from a rarity to being of so few in number that we use what power remains in our hands to test any potentials. Without such resources at our disposal, with those of talent... We don't like to get too friendly with them these days as the few finds we have are needed elsewhere. Having them cling to us, instead of being sent where they are truly required would be counter productive."
"So, you send some to the LDP, others to various industries that they can advance and you keep one or two, to replace your own agents?"
"That is the gist of it, yes, but with an ever decreasing budget and ever more rules to shackle our hands, the only hope for the agency to retain any form of relevance is if we were to find one of vast potential that was willing to remain with us."
"This is why Millicent thinks you're incompetant?" you asked, watching as the man grew uncomfortable once more.
"She was here before I was placed in charge, when we had a considerably higher budget and much greater allowances with our legal powers," he paused, though you were fast to add further to the question before he could change the subject.
"What's so special about her, that you don't fire her after outbursts such as that?"
"Ah. Agent Cross is... One of the few agents of note we have remaining, even if she is blind to how shackled my hands are, due to our ever dwindling budget, her talents are irreplacable."
"Such as mind control?" you ventured, as you watched the man tense once more.
"Not quite, though it is perceptive of you to notice that she is capable of... Well, she is capable of implanting suggestion with her voice, she believes that the best use of such a talent is to reassure potential recruits. If we were not down to single digits of individuals with such a talent in our hands, she would be subject to disciplinary action for her abuse of her power."
"So, you're not the callous monster she believes you to be, you're... Trying to hold everything up while it falls down around you," you ventured as you watched the man slouch, defeat evident in his body language.
"If things could work any other way, I would gladly embrace the chance to engage the recruits we have once more, but... We're projecting that by the next century, the numbers of people of talent born will be in single digits."
You mused over this, it gave you a different perspective on things than Millicents.
Millicent was fiery, believing that better could be done, and the man in charge, the 'Boss', was universally disliked by people that saw him as an incompetant figure that had simply coincided with the twilight years of the agency.
While he could still have been incompetant, there was more to this than just his faults.
You did have one more area of inquiry you wished to cover however, that, of your own potential involvement with these people.
"Millicent told me that most likely was that I'd be an echo-"
"Yes, many we bring in are nothing more than a false positive, but, we won't know for certain until the morning with you," he responded, a little too quickly.
"Can you explain how this works to me, how you'll test me and how you'll provide accomodations and the like?"
"Very well. The process works in several stages, we monitor this country for signs of potential - many of those we detect are only possible to pick up on when they are asleep, as this is when people are their... Least guarded. The echo's picked up like this - not the same as a false positive - are narrowed down to locate the individual they have come from. We send people to pick them up after making a report that we have located a potential recruit, then we bring them here. The next step beyond this, that you have yet to undertake is that we house them overnight so that they may be monitored," he paused as he once more took a more confident posture. "Should this confirm that there is something exceptional about you, then we'll tailor the tests towards what we find. Should it seem you are for example, simply of exceptional aptitude, we will assist you in finding what it is, before finding you potential employment. Should you be of extraordinary talent, then... Well, there are several groups that may desire you as a recruit," he smiled, though the smile wasn't particularly reassuring.
"I think that's all I needed to know, other than... Oh, food," you paused, not quite certain how you'd progress from there.
"You'll be provided for, if you have dietry issues we can prepare meals that cater to your needs. If we find that you are not what we were looking for, you'll be sent home with compensation for the time spent here after you have had a proper breakfast."
You nodded slowly in response to this, wondering just how much of it you should doubt - just how much of it you should believe.
If nothing else, tomorrow would be what told you just how much of this had been a lie to get you to comply.
It wasn't as if you could do much but comply for that matter.
The question now was, did you express a desire to settle down for the night to get this over with, or to spend time doing something, anything before you reluctantly made your way to bed for the night?
Post by: Fallatus on May 31, 2015, 08:19:23 am
Post by: Nicholas1024 on May 31, 2015, 09:00:43 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 01, 2015, 01:22:59 am
In this case the inevitable was that you were going to be given overnight observation and sent home in the morning, that you would have breakfast provided and the money from this would ease some of your families financial worries for a few weeks.
At least when it came to food.
There were a thousand others that would still play upon their fears, though at this point you'd take when you could get.
You could resume looking for work after you returned, worry about more mundane things than if you were some freak with special powers.
Nothing to worry about.
Well...
"I think it's probably best if I do that now, get the entire thing over with. The sooner it's over with, the sooner I can go home," you mused aloud, before giving a half nod of affirmation to confirm that this was indeed what you wished to do.
"Very well. Statistically, however, you should bear in mind that one in twenty we bring in manifests at least some form of minor aptitude."
"What about major abilities?"
"One in two hundred."
"So, I'm looking at a maybe when it comes to being well suited for a job. I'll worry about that if and when I arrive at that point, then."
It was with little more than a few words over an intercomm that the man in charge had you ushered out of his office by a pair of lab-coat clad figures.
One of them a man, the other a woman.
You had to wonder if this was because they weren't allowed to handle people alone, or if they were simply the most suited to this role out of those that worked in this facility.
"Ah, you must be Alice-"
"Alyssa," you corrected. "Nobody calls me Alice."
"Alyssa," the man corrected as as he glanced down at a clipboard. "Right, so what we're going to do, is we're going to take you one of the rooms we have for-"
"Overnight observations, your boss explained it to me."
"Huh, Okay. Do you have any further questions about this, then?"
"Are you going to take my chocolates away?" you asked, as you made note of the box beneath your arm
"We're supposed to ensure that there's no outside influences to interfere with your observation, but, we can ensure that it's outside with your phone and-"
"I don't have a phone."
"Oh, well, your chocolates will be safely stored," the man did his best to give you a reassuring smile as he guided you back into the elevator.
"Why do you need to take my chocolates?"
"Well-"
"I have this one," interrupted the woman. "Given the nature of the observations we try to eliminate all outside variables to ensure that the results we get are as accurate as possible. Given that you're already in a strange enviroment, the results we get are already skewed enough without subconscious awareness of the proximity of other things. We can only account for so many variables without decades of extra study, that is why beyond the clothing you sleep in-"
"I get the picture," you mumbled as the elevator opened and the pair ushered you inside, before pressing the fifth floor button.
The ride to the fifth floor was done in silence.
The elevator lurched upwards.
Your stomach with it,
But you couldn't help but wonder.
Why?
Why had you been chosen?
"Now, if you'd like to choose a room," the woman started as the elevator came to a half and its doors opened. "We can get you settled in and-"
"Choose a room?"
"Yes, all the rooms on this floor are vacant, you're the only person we're testing at the moment."
"Why?"
"We get lulls occasionally in the influx of people we need to run through overnight observations," the woman paused as she nudged you forwards. "Influx is the wrong word, we're very rarely at capcacity."
That at least confirmed one of the things you'd been told in a roundabout way, though you were uncertain if you should entirely trust that snipped of information yet.
The numbers of people that they had come through here were dwindling, or at least limited.
There was no point drawing this out further, however, you told yourself as you made your way to the nearest room to you.
If the room you picked was a factor, laziness was going to skew your results.
Only, the instant you opened the door your face twisted into the very imageof disgust.
"Is something wrong?" asked the man.
"The room's entirely pink," you made a show of gagging to further emphasise your disgust in this matter.
"Pink is known to be a soothing colour, every observation room is pink."
"Why not blue?"
"It lacks the same warmth as pink."
"Warmth is an issue?"
"The entire proccess is the result of decades of study and tweaking-"
"Okay, okay. Here's my chocolates," you started, pausing to take one of them out before passing the box over.
"I'm afraid-"
"You should avert your eyes then," you responded quickly before popping the chocolate into your mouth.
Eye contact remained.
You, you were in charge here.
Not these simpletons that wished to deny you your fucking chocolate.
Caramel, one of your favourites!
"Well, okay..." the man sighed as he opened a storage cupboard beside the room. "Your chocolates will be kept safely in here along with your clothing, you will be provided with attire to sleep overnight. Do you have any health issues we should be aware of?"
"I'm allergic to synthetic fibers."
The look of horror that followed was one that had you struggle to maintain your composure.
You'd just lied and told them that no doubt everything in that room was an issue for you.
"Ah, then we'll need to... need to get replacement sheets, bed clothes-"
"No, I have no allergies."
The pair gave you a dirty look as the one shoved a small bundle of thin pajamas into your arms.
Goverment pajama's, is this what it meant to hit the big time?
Changing was done quickly inside the room - with the cover from the bed wrapped about you.
They were observing you, that gave you reason to suspect there were camera's installed in the room, and well, you didn't trust these people not to gawk at you.
At least these weren't hospital robes.
Stepping from the room once again, you passed over the clothing you had been wearing.
"Goodnight, Alyssa, we'll discuss your results in the morning," came the mans words as the woman put your clothes in the storage cupbard with your chocolates.
Then with that the pair turned about, leaving you to clamber into bed.
And after tossing and turning for what must have been half an hour as you tried to ignore the fact you were alone in a strange place, you finally fell asleep.
"Good morning, Alyssa," came a familiar voice as your eyes opened to sensation of sunlight on your face. No, that wasn't sunlight, the room had no windows, that was-
The skeleton that stood before you fiddled with their clipboard, oblivious to the fact they were on fire.
"Um..." You blinked a few times.
"I trust you slept well?" the head skeleton asked, as they marked off several boxes on their clipboard.
"I... You're..."
"Oh! Forgive me, I'm Reginald," the skeleton offered their hand.
"You're..." you repeated, as you stared dumbstruck at the skeleton.
"Do I have something on my face?" it asked as it patted at its burning skull.
"Quite... Quite the opposite. You... You don't have a face,"
Had the skeleton the features to do so, you were certain he'd have been giving you a look of horror as his spindly bone fingers patted at his skull.
Finding himself to lack a face, the skeleton started to scream.
A scream that raised to a piercing crescendo before it fixed on one steady tone, like a-
Car horn.
The constant sound of a car horn filled your ears as you blearily opened your eyes.
You couldn't see clearly, but that was okay, you were in a car and you felt warm.
Even if it was open topped and it was foggy.
There was Tom!
He wasn't moving much, maybe he was tired, laying on the wheel like that.
He probably needed to sleep off that jagged piece of metal through his chest.
You probably needed to sleep too, you felt so fuzzy, and that warmth was spreading down from your head.
Your head hurt, now you though about it.
Everything hurt.
How inconvenient was that?
You pushed the passenger side door a few times, though it didn't want to open.
How rude, just because it was buckled didn't mean it should stop working.
Oh well, you'd just rest a little, as you felt so, so tired.
Maybe when the others in the back woke up you'd feel up to telling the door off.
And so your eyes closed as faint voices approached, voices that told you not to go to sleep, to wake up.
That was silly, you were tired.
Why would you want to-
"Wake up!" you screamed as you found yourself shaking your sister, there was a bottle of pills beside her and-
She wasn't moving, you didn't know what to do, you-
"Wake up!" you sobbed, clutching her to you felt hot tears running down your cheeks.
"It's not too late," came a voice from behind you, though you didn't dare turn away from your sister.
"Please... Just... wake up..." you wailed
"All you have to do is is-"
All you had to do was get help, you told yourself as you placed your sister down, springing to your feet as you started to run towards the phone.
And so you sprang into action, leaping from the warmth of your bed.
Out, into the air as you ran towards the door.
You had to reach the phone, you had to get help!
You flung the door open, tears in your eyes as you leapt forwards.
And straight into the wall on the other side of the door.
Your vision swam as the felt pain lance through your face, the scent of blood filling your nose as reality asserted.
Stunned from the forceful impact against the plasterboard wall, an impact that reverberated down the halls of this floor of the facility, you slumped down.
It wasn't graceful, your legs simply buckled, folding as you toppled down like a house of cards.
And so you lay there, feeling the wet warmth trickling over your cheeks.
This was a dream, too, wasn't it?
That had all been dreams, hadn't it?
You just needed to-
You just had to stand, and then-
"She's bleeding," came the faintest sound of voices in your ears, oh, how your ears rang from hitting the wall like that.
"Who was her liason?" came another voice, you didn't know either of them so far.
"Agent Cross, shall we call her in?" came the first voice.
"You can try, you know how she is though,"
"I'll go call her and... Gods, I felt the walls shake all the way up the hall, how's she still conscious after that?" the first spoke up again as two pairs of hands started to check you over and footsteps started away from you in a hurried manner.
"I need-" you mumbled as the pair ran through a series of checks, before they pulled you upright to sit against the wall.
"Shh. Do you know where you are?"
"I need to call for help, my sister... She... I think she-"
"Shh, it was a bad dream. What's your name?"
"I'm Alyssa, but I need-"
"Do you know where you are?"
"No, it was..." you paused as you struggled to think over just where this place was. "I didn't see how I got here, as it was foggy and dark. It's... Some snake name place, in London."
"How many fingers am I holding up?" the figure asked as you squinted.
"That's a rude gesture," you mumbled.
"Only if my hand's the other way around. Can you count for me?"
"Zero, one, three, seven, zero."
"What?"
"That was the officer's numbers."
"Can you count to ten?"
"I know how to do that."
"Would you?" the person paused "You hit your head, I need to make sure you're okay."
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
"Okay, now watch my fingers-"
"Why?"
"I need to make sure-"
"I know, my head hurts though."
"That's why I'm trying to-"
"I want to call my sister, make sure she's okay."
"You can do that after we make sure you're okay."
"What time is it?"
"It's almost five in the morning," the figure paused to place a hand to your head as they brought a small light up to your face, shining it in your eyes in turn as you squinted.
You just wanted to get up and walk this off.
And stop your nose bleeding.
"Can... Can I get up now and... Do something about my nose bleeding and... Maybe get breakfast and... Something for this headache?"
"Do you think it's safe to take her to the cafeteria?" the figure who had been bothering you asked the one that had yet to speak.
"Looks like a concussion, but she seems to be regaining full awareness quickly," the second muttered, evading the firsts question.
"Is that a yes, then?" came the first's voice as they placed a bandage beneath your nose.
"I... Guess. It's your call."
"No, it's my call," you muttered as you placed one hand to the bandage to hold it in place, while you held an arm out. "Help me up, or so help me, I will end you."
"Er, okay," came the first one's voice as they assisted you in rising to your feet, before sheparding you towards the elevator. "We just need to go to the-"
"First floor?"
"Yes, how did you-"
"Ground floor's the entrance hall, fourth is offices, we're on the fifth. I was going to go by proccess of elimination to-"
"Okay, she's certainly lucid enough to move."
With that the pair steadied you as they guided you into the elevator, the elevator that lurched downwards as you made a mental note that you were going to the cafeteria in what amounted to pajama's.
If your head didn't hurt as much as it did, you were sure that you'd have felt a little more awkward about such.
At least the pain was starting to subside.
"When do I get my results and get to go home?" you asked, as the elevator doors opened to a floor that seemed to be composed entirely of an oversized cafeteria and kitchen.
"We'll have the results delivered to Agent Cross if she turns up, so she can cover them with you."
"If she doesn't?"
"One of us will remain with you for observation, we can cover it in that case."
"Wonderful. Did I pass?"
"We don't know that yet. What do you mean pass?"
"Your test, am I magical?"
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"My head hurts and I feel a little dizzy, less so than before," you huffed as you reached to pinch your nose and tip your head back.
"Don't do that," came one of the two voices.
"Why not?" you asked as you leaned your head forwards again, while the pair guided you to a table.
"You know what happens if blood gets into your airways?"
"Oh," was all you could muster as a response, as it occured to you that you weren't going to be able to buy breakfast while here as-
No, they'd said they'd provide breakfast for you, so clearly...
Clearly, you just had to ask.
"Can I have breakfast now?"
"Sure, what do you want?"
"Tea, milk, one sugar. Beans, eggs, toast. The lamentations of my enemies."
It dimly occured to you that some of what you were saying was how you'd have spoken when playing games online.
The entire mock serious manner of playing yourself up as a scary gamer who could crush all before her was something you did with friends.
Typically while playing one of the stronger roles on a team, such as the tank.
Maybe you were a tank.
You'd hit the wall like one after all!
As one of the pair moved over to the kitchen counters near the cafeteria's kitchens, the third returned with a familiar figure.
"Hi Millicent!" you waved cheerfully at the other woman, pausing to glance at the sleeve of your current attire.
That was going to stain.
You could see the look of concern crossing the other womans features as she hurried towards the table.
"Is she-" Millicent started, only for you to interrupt as you gestured to her enthusiastically.
"She's here, now she can read my results to me. Where are the results?" you asked, as the figures grouped about you paused to look at you.
"I'll go get her results," the returning figure stated as they made their way out of the cafeteria.
"We think she's concussed. She woke up from what we assume was a nightmare and ran into the wall outside her room," the remaining figure stated as they glanced across the room towards their co-worker.
The one tasked with the important job of getting your breakfast for you.
"Would you like me to get you a drink?" came their words as Millicent nodded briefly in response.
"You got me up at five in the morning for an emergency, so coffee would be welcome right now," came her response as the figure shifted from their set and made their way across the room.
"So, can I go home soon?" you asked, as you looked over the table at Millicent.
"If you're okay, i'm sure they'll let you go home soon. What happened to startle you like this?"
"Huh?"
"You had a bad dream, didn't you?"
"Oh, yes."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Well, I dreamed... There was... A skeleton in my room, talking about... The... Test. He was on fire," you paused, trying to remember his name. Like any other dream, the exact details were already fleeting.
"That's pretty scary," Millicent smiled.
"Nah, he was stupid, he started screaming when he found he didn't have a face. Then I found myself in the jeep with Tom, and we'd crashed and... Everyone was dead, but I wasn't worried... Until the nightmare shifted again and..."
"And what?" Millicent asked as she reached to take your free hand in her own.
"I had a dream that my sister... She.. I was terrified and..." you shook your head. "I don't want to talk about it.
"Oh, honey, that's horrible. Do you want to call her before you go home, so you can make sure she's okay?"
You nodded enthusiastically in response to this, before freezing as you realised you could feel blood flowing again.
"Damnit, my nose is bleeding again," you muttered as you pressed the bandage up against it a little more firmly.
"Here's her results, Miss Cross. Is there anything-" came the voice of the third of the agency medics, as they passed a clipboard over to Millicent.
"No, you can go now, I've got it from here, now, lets see... Oh," there was something of a look of shock on Millicent's face as she looked at the results. "Are these accurate?"
"You know these results typically have a five percent margin of error," came the medics words as they paused to look back at Millicent.
"Yeah, but... Wow. Who'd have thought?"
Millicent glanced between you and the clipboard awkwardly for a few moments as she seemed to falter.
"Am I one in twenty?" you asked, pausing as you tilted your head. "One in two hundred?"
"Honey, uh... You're... uhh..." she faltered as you awaited the results patiently. "According to this, you fit most of the criteria for..."
...The Enlightened. It wasn't clear how you'd been infected, but you were a faux-immortal with a controlled strain of the corrupt cancer that plagued the tainted creatures of London.
...A True Immortal. This made you the first born in at least a hundred years. There was more than a little fear in her voice as she told you this.
...A Chimera. A patchwork soul. This was supposed to be an impossibility, yet here you were. A Chimera was supposedly unable to occur naturally.
...A Recursive Echo. They'd almost been fooled into thinking you were normal. You were special, but they were going to have to do further tests to figure what you were.
Post by: Fallatus on June 01, 2015, 01:53:46 am
Because heck, Lets be special.
Alternatively..
We are none, No classification exists for us, We are an unknown. For gods do not exist in the feeble minds of mortals.
Post by: Kashyyk on June 01, 2015, 05:37:35 am
Post by: Generally me on June 01, 2015, 08:12:55 am
If we can't then I'm going for True Immortal
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 01, 2015, 09:28:33 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 01, 2015, 09:59:50 am
Post by: Fallatus on June 01, 2015, 10:25:22 am
So adhering to my first post, True immortal.
Post by: Peradon on June 02, 2015, 12:58:22 am
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 02, 2015, 02:06:00 am
((Also, PTW.))
Post by: Peradon on June 02, 2015, 02:12:02 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 02, 2015, 03:44:46 am
"Then put it plainly, I'm a little dazed so it's hard to take things in right now," you responded, wrinkling your nose in a testing manner as you did so. It hurt still, that was good. It told you that you indeed had a nose.
Or was that bad?
You weren't certain, as your state of mind was somewhat affected by the way you'd hit your head.
"Okay, you want this put plainly. We match the results we get from testing against various examples we have from testing and study, the higher the numbers on certain matches are, the better they are. The reason we picked you up in the first place was because something within you has awakened and..."
"You said you'd put this plainly."
"I'm trying, Alyssa, I'm trying. You match all the critera for an immortal and from what we can tell at this point, you're going to make several agencies freak out."
"Why?"
"Did you miss the part where I said you're immortal?"
"No, I heard-"
"Alyssa, you're not indestructible, evidently," she paused to gesture to your face. "You bleed, you bruise, but... As far as we can tell..."
"As far as you can tell, what?"
"No, that can't be right," Millicent frowned as she flipped back and forth between two of the sheets on her clipboard.
"Maybe I should have breakfast while you figure out what lies to tell me," you huffed, glancing across the room towards the medic handling that aquisition.
"We don't have anything to gain by lying to you about this," came her muttered response as she placed the clipboard down. "Alyssa, they're going to want to run tests and figure exactly what they're looking at with you."
"So what isn't right here, or can't you tell me?"
"We're seeing dormant potential in you far beyond the scope of anyone we've tested in recent history."
"Oh," was all you could muster in response. Perhaps this was still some kind of dream, because this entire situation felt disconnected and surreal in some manner.
You, some kind of super powerful unkillable entity?
That was likely.
Millicent raised an eyebrow as she straightened in her seat
With her arms folded across her chest, she started to speak in a slow and deliberate manner, one that tickled upon the edges of your senses - yet this time you knew exactly what you were dealing with.
"Alyssa, listen to me," she started, only for you to fold your arms across your chest as you took up a mockery of her posture, to pull the very face of petulance in response.
"You have no power over me," you stated, as the mental image of a world coming down about you filled your mind.
"What?" came Millcent's confused response.
"You don't know that movie?"
"I..."
"Goblin king kidnaps a girls little brother as part of her wishes, the tries to get him back, he has her go through his maze, makes friends, confronts him, he tells her how everything he did was for her, but she doesn't want to know. He offers her a place at his side, she tells him he has no power over her. His world collapses, she rescues her baby brother, she returns to the real world," you paused. "I love that movie."
"That's a classic," came the voice of the medic as they returned with your tea - and most importantly your breakfast. "Has she never seen it?"
"Apparently not!" you stated, as the medic held out a plate to you, a plate that you gladly took as you relished the warmth that radiated through it. Even as you placed the plate before you, you leaned down to breathe in the aroma of it.
Of course, you couldn't smell much beyond blood at the moment, but at least your nose wasn't bleeding still.
Had you been able to, you were certain you'd have smelled some god awful excuse for breakfast with cheap beans and slightly singed toast, but right now...
Right now, you didn't care for whatever sorry excuse of a breakfast this was.
It was your breakfast.
"I was trying to explain her results to her, but she's not paying attention. Just how hard did she hit her head?" Millicent asked the medic as he offered you your cup of tea, tea, that you took a moment once more to savour the warmth of in your hands as you
"Did you try making the results interesting?"
"I tried, but she started interrupting me constantly. Do you want to give it a shot, given you're her high and mighty bringer of breakfast?" Millicent grumbled, dismissively passing the clipboard over to the medic as she reached for her own cup of tea.
"Sure. Lets see... Lots of high numbers, immortal box is ticked, other box is ticked, other section's filled with scribbles that look like an excited chimp had a heart attack."
"Seriously?" Millicent muttered as she stared at the man. "Their writing isn't that bad."
"Ah, they say reference Jacques Dupont's work... The intricacies pertaining to the building of a perfect being. What's that?"
"The works of a paranoid schizophrenic that claim you can create an immortal."
"So, she was created-" the man started, as Millicent snatched the clipboard back.
"She matches all the criteria for an immortal, she also matches the checklist in that book for Jacques perfect frankenstein immortal,"
"I'm right here, thanks," you muttered, not liking the manner in what you were being talked about by them.
"Oh, you want to know what you are now?" Millicent sighed as she tapped the clipboard. "Then please listen. You match the basic criteria for an immortal, you match all the patterns laid out by this lunatics work for a perfect being, only you're not some stitched together monstrosity, you're..." her expression softened as she reached out to take one of your hands in her own. "People aren't going to be happy you even exist, Alyssa. You're impossible and... You don't seem to grasp just how... How... Sorry I am, that you are what you are. There's no going back to your regular life anymore. Sure, you could go home, but this changes everything for you."
"Why does it change everything for me, just what are you telling me I am?" you asked, as you made an effort to peer over at the clipboard.
"Alyssa, if you want answers to that question we're going to have to do further tests, speak with various people. I don't have all the answers and as much as I don't want to admit it, we're going to have to speak with the boss. This goes way above my pay grade."
It was this terrible realisation that this woman, these people were not kidding that had you snap to attention, the fuzzy feeling that plagued you since banging your head fading as the terrible reality set in.
"Why... Why are people going to be unhappy that I exist?" you asked, as you placed your fork down amidst the meal you were eating. You were starting to feel that same anxiety that had plagued you before setting in once more, despair following as paranoia kicked in, as you wondered if this was going to be grounds for them to keep you.
If this was just some story they were feeding you so that they had the excuse to keep you, to test you, to use you as a lab rat simply because you'd complied.
When you weren't special at all.
That was impossible.
"Because things people don't understand make them feel fearful and fear, makes people act stupidly," came Millicent's words as you pulled your hand back from her, as you took hold of your tea with one trembling hand.
"No, this is all wrong, you're all wrong!" you stammered as you brought your tea to your lips. "You just want me to agree to stay, so you can do tests on me so... You want a lab rat, because you need people to agree or you can't... Can't keep them and... You keep manipulating me, you keep-" You could see the increasing confusion and concern on Millicent's features as you continued speaking. "You're going to keep me against my will and use me to test your... Sick, sick theories like so many people have done as war crimes in the past."
"Alyssa-"
"Don't you dare lie to me, I can't trust a word any of you say, I need to... To... To get home and..."
"You're scared and confused, your world has just been turned upside down-"
"Alyssa?"
"Shut up," you muttered as you swept your arms out. "I want to go home, I want my clothes, I want-"
"Alyssa, please list-"
"SILENCE. You've been dishonest from the start and-"
"Your cup..."
You paused in the midst of your hysterical rant, your head turning as your attention was brought to the shape of the cup you had been holding.
Had, been the word, you'd let go of it at some point and it was...
Just sort of floating there, lazily rotating as the contents spilled out as if suspended in zero gravity.
Globules of milky tea floating through the air, wobbling like a gelationus mass as they kept coheison.
"How are you doing that?"
"You're the one doing that, Alyssa, nobody else here can do anything of the sort."
"No, that's not-" you started, only to twist yourself instinctively as the cup and its contents fell. Tea splashed against you as fluid hit the surface of the table, while the mug clinked, rolled and fell from the tabletop, hitting the tiled floor afterwards with an audiable crack. "That's not... Not me. I can't... Can't..."
"Lets go get your clothes, then we can go speak with the boss about your results and... You can tell him that you want to go home yourself, if you wish."
You nodded dumbly in response to this, you'd just witnessed something impossible, something that against all odds you knew you'd accomplished - despite not wanting to believe you could have.
The question now was, did you truly want to run from this place and forget all about what you seemed to be, or did you wish to let them do further testing and talk with the relevant people so you knew what you truly were?
---
I ended up flipping a coin to decide that one as the spread was so ambiguous, then went with immortality as the sole known aspect of her nature so far so that both leanings were catered to.
Post by: Fallatus on June 02, 2015, 01:20:21 pm
You are not a bad person, Crude at times yes but not a bad person. You'll be fine, you can get through this. You are born from humans! the most stubborn and adaptive species you know of, Like hell this is gonna break you! Tis just a scratch! A flesh wound! You're gonna fight, Until you can't fight any more! That's who you are! You are Alyssa! And you are Not. Giving. UP!
You can do this. Just relax, Calm down and think this through. Play the cards life gives you regardless of their contents, Be pragmatic, Clever and tenacious.
You are not dead yet.
You want to help people? This is it, This is your chance. Think about all those people that would whine about how they don't want to be special, How they always want to go back to being "normal".
You are not them.
Life is going to change, That is unavoidable. This is the defining moment of yourself. Will you stand up tall, Rising above your worries and taking it one step at a time... Or will you throw a tantrum and fall down, Unable to stand on your own feet.
You will not fall, You didn't live this long to die.
You are Allysa, you are immortal.
You will not fall, You will stand tall. Through the fire and pain you shall go on.
Though if you think about it.. Being immortal means you will have the opportunity to play all the games that will ever be made...
That's... Totally AWESOME! Wohoo!
That is of course, IF you can survive that long. Which you can, I mean, You're Alyssa, Of course you'll survive. Ain't no force in the verse that'll keep you from your games. Fake it till you make it, Right?
No plan, no backup and nothing to lose?
Lets game.
Post by: Peradon on June 02, 2015, 02:00:53 pm
Calm down. Are you calm now? good. Remember all those video games you've played? Now, imagine if you are in a video game story right now. I mean obviously you aren't but just follow along. Are you going to choose to be the bad guy? or will you choose to be the good guy, No matter what people may think of you?Yeah, that.
You are not a bad person, Crude at times yes but not a bad person. You'll be fine, you can get through this. You are born from humans! the most stubborn and adaptive species you know of, Like hell this is gonna break you! Tis just a scratch! A flesh wound! You're gonna fight, Until you can't fight any more! That's who you are! You are Alyssa! And you are Not. Giving. UP!
You can do this. Just relax, Calm down and think this through. Play the cards life gives you regardless of their contents, Be pragmatic, Clever and tenacious.
You are not dead yet.
You want to help people? This is it, This is your chance. Think about all those people that would whine about how they don't want to be special, How they always want to go back to being "normal".
You are not them.
Life is going to change, That is unavoidable. This is the defining moment of yourself. Will you stand up tall, Rising above your worries and taking it one step at a time... Or will you throw a tantrum and fall down, Unable to stand on your own feet.
You will not fall, You didn't live this long to die.
You are Allysa, you are immortal.
You will not fall, You will stand tall. Through the fire and pain you shall go on.
Though if you think about it.. Being immortal means you will have the opportunity to play all the games that will ever be made...
That's... Totally AWESOME! Wohoo!
That is of course, IF you can survive that long. Which you can, I mean, You're Alyssa, Of course you'll survive. Ain't no force in the verse that'll keep you from your games. Fake it till you make it, Right?
No plan, no backup and nothing to lose?
Lets game.
Post by: Generally me on June 02, 2015, 04:37:50 pm
Dis is da goodCalm down. Are you calm now? good. Remember all those video games you've played? Now, imagine if you are in a video game story right now. I mean obviously you aren't but just follow along. Are you going to choose to be the bad guy? or will you choose to be the good guy, No matter what people may think of you?Yeah, that.
You are not a bad person, Crude at times yes but not a bad person. You'll be fine, you can get through this. You are born from humans! the most stubborn and adaptive species you know of, Like hell this is gonna break you! Tis just a scratch! A flesh wound! You're gonna fight, Until you can't fight any more! That's who you are! You are Alyssa! And you are Not. Giving. UP!
You can do this. Just relax, Calm down and think this through. Play the cards life gives you regardless of their contents, Be pragmatic, Clever and tenacious.
You are not dead yet.
You want to help people? This is it, This is your chance. Think about all those people that would whine about how they don't want to be special, How they always want to go back to being "normal".
You are not them.
Life is going to change, That is unavoidable. This is the defining moment of yourself. Will you stand up tall, Rising above your worries and taking it one step at a time... Or will you throw a tantrum and fall down, Unable to stand on your own feet.
You will not fall, You didn't live this long to die.
You are Allysa, you are immortal.
You will not fall, You will stand tall. Through the fire and pain you shall go on.
Though if you think about it.. Being immortal means you will have the opportunity to play all the games that will ever be made...
That's... Totally AWESOME! Wohoo!
That is of course, IF you can survive that long. Which you can, I mean, You're Alyssa, Of course you'll survive. Ain't no force in the verse that'll keep you from your games. Fake it till you make it, Right?
No plan, no backup and nothing to lose?
Lets game.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 02, 2015, 07:23:12 pm
"Take your time, it's a lot to take in," Millicent offered an apologetic smile, though it was beyond you at this moment to tell what the reasoning behind it was.
You stood, stepping away from the table.
The start of the day and it was already victim to a spill.
Your breakfast was ruined, swimming with tea.
Tea, that dripped over the floor.
A mundane issue beyond the concern of all involved at this moment.
It was harder still to control your wild emotions at this point given the manner in what you had hit your head, but it wasn't beyond you. It was a challenge that you couldn't afford to shy away from.
If you were different, if you were special, you had to come to terms with it, you had to remain calm and collected as you came to understand just what it meant to be this way. You had to be able to be the sister, the daughter, the piece that completed the jigsaw that was your family, while at the same time being all the more than that.
It would endager them if you found yourself to be empowered in some more volatile manner and you had no self control.
That was what it took to bring yourself back under the thumb of logic, that was the reasoning you used to calm yourself.
For now, you'd do it for them.
Later, you'd do it for yourself.
Nothing would stop you.
This changed everything, and yet it didn't.
You were still Alyssa, you were still gamer that loved to push herself to her limits, to hear the lamentations of those that fell before your mighty skills.
You would continue to have people fall to you in that manner, though now... Now, you potentially had something you had longed for.
You had a potential means to employment - that was the silver lining to this cloud.
If this was for real, you could finally make sure your family didn't have the worry about making ends meet.
"Okay... I need to speak with your boss, I need my clothes, I need to figure my options. I can figure my options after I've spoken with your boss."
"You can't just-" Millicent started, clearly about to tell you that you were not able to simply demand an audience with her boss on such short notice.
"I don't see why not. If this is for real, he'll want to speak to me yesterday. Does this facility have showers?"
"It does," Millicent slumped back in her seat as she brought one hand up, as she placed her elbow against the table and cupped her chin with her hand. "If you want to get cleaned up, that'll give me a chance to tell the boss that you want to talk. I'm sure he'll be thrilled if he's awake."
"Oh, right. I forgot it's really early. Tell him you punched me in the face and you can't get me out of the showers."
"I'm not telling him that!"
"Why not?"
"Because he'll fire my ass on the spot."
"Fine, just tell him i've bled everywhere or something then."
"Why do you want me to tell him this?"
"So he'll be shocked into awareness and come in if he hasn't already arrived."
"He doesn't care enough for that to work."
"He seemed to like me, he was all apologetic towards me last night."
"He what?"
"I was nice to him and he seemed to be relieved someone wasn't yelling at him."
"Oh for... Fine, I'll tell him something to get him to rush his sorry ass in," Millicent sighed as she turned her attention towards the medic. "Can you handle getting her cleaned up and dressed alone?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Don't Ma'am me, you technically outrank me."
"Sorry Ma'am."
You were grateful as you were lead to, then left to your own devices with the facilities bathing area.
Your nose had stopped bleeding and the bump to your head was troubling you less.
It was quite literally a case of looking worse than it was now.
And so you watched red tinged water swirl down the drain.
If it wasn't for the light bruising you had developing on your face, that would have been the sole tell tale sign that you had hurt yourself recently.
The bruise was going to be unsightly, but you'd deal with any inquiries that it raised when you crossed - or knowing your luck, ran into - that bridge.
And so, cleansed and refreshed, you left the shower, dressed and briefly supressed the urge to gush over the box of chocolates that had been left there with your clothes.
For a moment, you had believed that the medic had put them there to make you feel better.
Then the fuzzy recollection of buying them hit home.
It seemed in that case you had yourself to thank for that.
Thank you for the chocolates, me!
"Onward, peasant, your queen demands and audience with the lord of this place!" you yelled as you burst from the showers with your chocolates under one arm.
The medic just stared at you dumbstruck.
"I'm Boudica. I think," you offered as way of explaination. Loosening up might have been a bad idea.
"You're this close to being restricted to a bed so we can assess if you've taken a serious head injury," came the medic's response.
"I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to do that given I'm not under the employment of your organisation and thus not beholden to your internal structure."
"Actually-"
"Whatever, Onward, it's cold and my hair's still damp. This is why the celts revolted you know."
"I'm pretty sure-"
"This is me not caring, I have a date with destiny and a box of her favourite chocolates!"
"I'm not being paid enough for this," the medic sighed as he lead the way down the halls to the elevators, the elevators that stood between you and your destiny.
Or at least a man who was going to be glad that he'd allowed himself to be called into work so early this morning.
That was sort of like a step to your destiny.
A very tiny one.
At the end of the office lined hallway, Millicent sat in the open waiting area with what you presumed to this morning's newspaper. Not that the news mattered, it was all filtered through the eyes of people that wanted you to see what they wanted you to see.
"There you both are-" Millicent paused as she looked over the newspaper at the pair of you. "Why do you look so sullen?"
"She burst out the showers acting mad as a hatter and called me a peasant."
Millicent laughed in response to this - briefly, that was, before she folded the newspaper and placed it down before her.
"Well, the boss is waiting for you, seems he came in early after they forwarded him your results," Millicent stated as she gestured towards the office door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get another cup of tea while you terrorise him."
With that you all but sprang through the door, feeling reinvigorated.
Only to be presented with the most miserable example of a man you'd seen lately.
The boss, whatever his name was, looked exausted.
He was sat there clutching a cup of coffee.
Listless was this man.
And here you were, full of cheer and not enough chocolate.
"Ah, Alyssa," came the mans words as he gestured towards the chair opposite him. "You have people in quite a stir with your results. Millicent tells me that you want answers and understanding, also that you bumped your head. Tell me, honestly, has she hit you?"
"No, I wanted her to tell you that she had to get you to wake up though."
"I see. Regardless, we can't simply give you the answers you want on a platter at this time as we don't have them ourselves. The nearest we have to an answer for you is that there are a handful of people that might be worth speaking with and," the man paused to yawn, covering his mouth with one hand as he did so. "And, there's a few tests we can run to try and coax some kind of reaction from you that would allow us to ascertain what you're capable of."
"Shouldn't that be if I'm capable of something?"
"No, Alyssa. If you don't have any extra-ordinary abilities at this point, it's only a matter of time before they start to manifest. Even if we can't get a direct show, we'll be able to get hints as to what they are. As it'll take time to set up the tests we'll need to run with you, it's possible, if you're feeling up to it, to visit one of the... Ah. The experts, I suppose you could call them, on your condition."
"So, you want me to go talk to people before the tests, got it."
"Actually, I would prefer it if you did not, as one of the people is delusional and the others will promise you a position with them should you become available for recruitment. However, I'll leave the choice in your hands."
"Before I decide, who would these people be?"
"One of them is a Jane Doe who has been locked up in an institution for the past century, she once claimed to have personally dealt with Jacques Dupont. She's very dangerous, however, so I'd consider her a last resort if you visit her at all. Another is Arthur Cog the Third, current head of The Guild. While he will be unable to provide you with answers himself, The Guild has an extensive library, though he'll more likely than not attempt to use that as leverage to get something from you in return. We don't deal with him unless we must. The third is the current Pride of the Enlightened, they're a cult like group that may be a long shot. They're more likely to waste your time than assist you, but the Enlightened have answers that go beyond books knowledge."
With that he paused to sip at his coffee, blearily awaiting your answer.
Did you wish to visit one of those mentioned above?
Did you wish to delay that and get on with whatever tests this agency would carry out on you?
Did you want to tell him you were having second thoughts?
Post by: Fallatus on June 02, 2015, 08:04:36 pm
Post by: endlessblaze on June 02, 2015, 08:44:21 pm
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 02, 2015, 09:53:03 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 03, 2015, 06:15:11 am
It was an easy descision, come to think of it.
You could take the time their tests required to set up to recover from the worst of your head injury, as it didn't seem to be a serious enough bump to warrant any major observation. Once your testing had been done, you could then go ahead with talking with these people at your own pace, from a position of awareness.
Some of them would want to have dealings with you, one was a threat to you.
Others could be uncovered in the mean time.
"I thought about it and believe that the best option would be to wait until I've been through the tests, then I can talk with anyone else if I need to. That way, I'm more aware of what I'm talking about as I'll have results and... I'll be more with it and able to tell them just why their offers are not in my best interests."
"A logical enough approach," the boss stated as he swirled his coffee about idly. "I'll see if I can convince The Guild and the Enlightened to share what knowledge they have over your nature while this is being done, perhaps they'll be forthcoming with the information we need and save us from dealing with them in person."
"Do the Enlightened dress in robes and do human sacrifices?"
"Why would you believe this?"
"They're a creepy cult, I want to know what kind of cult-ish things they do."
"I'm fairly certain it's more of a cult of personality than a religious sect."
"Oh. That's boring. So the Pride guy is the one that won the popularity contest."
"There have been several female Pride's in my time."
"Okay, so popularity and beauty contest."
"Few of the Enlightened are what you'd call beautiful."
"Why not?"
"Many of them are just regular people."
"Oh. Well. I'll deal with people if I have to, I'll get tested first... Um... Is Millicent being assigned as me or something, though?"
"For the time being, yes. Unless there's good reason to assign another agent to you, keeping someone who is familiar with you prevents you from passing through a number of unfamiliar hands."
"Okay. I'll go... Wait and stuff, for the testing."
With that you rose, making a mental note to take care of the thing that was of most importance to you at this moment.
You had a box of chocolates you hadn't finished yet.
Perhap you should have offered him some of the chocolates, but, you felt that at this point you needed them more.
All of them.
Perhaps a drink too, maybe something sugary and sweet that wouldn't scald you when you inevitably dropped it over yourself with your magical powers.
Assuming they were magic, anyway.
Assuming they were even yours.
You strode from the office to find Millicent waiting for you, her expression one of expecation as she watched you close the door behind yourself. You knew she was going to want to know what had been said, what was being done.
What she was to expect in this mess.
"So?" She ventured after a moments silence, a moment in what you picked out one of the fudge centered chocolates in your selection box.
"I'm staying here to be tested, your boss said you're assigned to me for the time being."
"That's all?"
"I might talk to others later, he didn't seem to have a clue what I am."
"That's because we have a single theoretical work that matches you. I doubt anybody else has much more than that," Millicent shrugged as she turned to lead you back towards the elevators.
"Maybe, but if there's one theorectical work, maybe it was based off something else and they'll have related knowledge?"
"I wouldn't hold my breath. Unless you... That isn't something you can do, is it?"
"Hold my breath forever?" you tilted your head as you approached the elevator. "Pretty sure I'll pass out if I try."
"Pity, it'd be a useful oddity of a power. Especially if combined with night vision."
"Why?"
"Think about it, you could make a career of spelunking. No need for air tanks or lights, you could just go straight down."
"That... That doesn't sound like my thing."
"So, back to the cafeteria for now then?"
"Yeah. Do you think I could get some... Cola or something?"
"And watch you somehow have it shoot out your nose?" Millicent asked as she gave you an incredulous expression.
"What?"
"You're accident prone, i'm predicting the next thing to go wrong. Maybe you should stick to tea."
"And scald myself when I somehow make the cup float again?"
"You're not hysterical this time, you won't do that."
You huffed as you followed her into the elevator, as you departed it and returned to the cafeteria, yet you couldn't bring yourself to complain too much.
The earlier spill seemed to have been cleaned up in your absence, permitting you to settle down at what you believed was the same table.
To place your chocolates down, to eat one or two, and then...
Then you lay your head down upon the table, your hoodie removed as you used it as a pillow while you made a mental note to get a slightly more substantial top to wear beneath it in future.
The cafeteria, like the rest of the building, was cold.
Well, apart from the room you'd slept in - that one had been warm at least.
It was some hours before you were disturbed, some hours that you'd managed to nod off during.
You'd needed the chance to recover, to catch up on the sleep you'd missed, yet you weren't prepared to awaken to find the cafeteria with a fair number of others dotted around.
They were quiet though, for the most part seeming to fill in reports with steaming drinks beside them.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate.
Maybe you should have asked for hot chocolate instead of cola.
"Alyssa?" came the voice of one of the three medics from earlier. You weren't sure what one - though you were fairly certain that it wasn't the one that you'd called a peasant.
"Mm?" you mumbled in response as you rubbed at your eyes.
"Everything's set up to test you, if you'll follow me-"
You started to rise, picking up your hoodie and chocolates as you did so.
"No, you can leave those with Agent Cross, she'll-"
"I'm not going to co-operate unless one, I can bring them and two, I can bring her."
"Very well," the medic sighed as he waved you along behind him. "We're going to take you down to the testing area and run you through some basic physical tests first. After those, we'll move onto ones designed to provoke the manifestation of any extra-ordinary abilities you may have," the medic continued as he opened the elevator, plucked a key from his pocket and placed it inside a slot in the control panel.
A twist of the key was followed by a tap of the first floor button - though you went down beyond that.
This place must have had basement floors that were restricted from access in this manner - designed to prevent people simply wandering into them.
The area that the elevator opened up to confirmed - to an extent - this belief of yours.
It was clinical, illuminated soley by artificial lightning.
You could smell the disinfectants used to keep the place clean burning your nose.
It was cold.
It was like a cross between a hospital ward and a bunker, clean, white and uninviting.
You didn't like this place - or the medic at this moment - as you were sheparded along the cold passages to a room with an obvious one way mirror set into its far wall.
The room itself was filled with both exercise and technical equipment, boxes with various and displays, with wires leading from them sat alongside treadmills, exercise bikes and...
And, you weren't sure what half of the other things were.
"We'll start you out with one of the treadmills, then move onto the other things. Millicent, if you'll wait over that side of the room so you're not in the way..."
Millicent gave the man a look of disapproval as she made her way over to sit on a bench that looked as if it was set up for weight lifters, leaving you with the medic as he untangled the wires leading from one of the machines.
"Now, if you'll hold still while I attach these, we can get some general health readings from you to measure things such as your heart rate," the man stated as he attached the various wires to you.
You questioned the nescessity of this test, mentally, though you went with it as you were hooked up to the machine and left to run on the treadmill.
And reminded once more that you were a little out of shape as you found yourself challenged by the encouragement to keep going.
The treadmill lead into use of the exercise bike, the exercise bike to several tests involving different forms of pulling against weights.
And the weights lead into pushups and situps.
By the end of it you were exausted, and still questioning if you had needed to do this at all.
Breathless as you were, you didn't question it as you were lead from this exercise room to the next, a room that was for the most part featureless apart from a table filled with various objects of seemingly random natures.
You glanced them over dismissively at first, before realising that you were going to be expected to interact with them in some manner, though what you were going to do with what appeared to be various random garments, objects and paints...
Maybe they wanted you to decorate something.
You'd know shortly.
"Now, for this next test we're going to leave you to your own devices to deal with a perceived threat. Don't worry, you'll be safe, as this test is designed more to invoke a response. For this one, we want you to do the first thing that comes to you. If you don't feel any form of connection after a few minutes, we'll return to it later after some further provocation. Do you understand?"
"I think so," you responded as the medic left you alone in the room.
This was odd, but if they thought it'd work, you'd give it a go you supposed.
The table was filled with various things, furs, feathers, bones, charms, beads...
But you weren't certain what you were supposed to make of them - that was, until you felt the hairs on the back of your neck rise.
Goosebumps covered your arms as you felt a slight buzzing at the edges of your senses, as scratching started to echo about the room.
Scratching, that seemed to come from within the walls, while the stink of something... You wanted to say it was an animal, yet it smelled like swamp water, filth and decay.
And then there was cawing, heavy breathing...
The sound of metal buckling as if something was crawling through vents above the room.
And the voice of paranoia in the back of your mind telling you that maybe this wasn't such a safe after all.
What if this was something that they'd told you was safe to lull you into a false sense of security, what if you were in a cage with some hungry monstrosity outside it?
Your eyes turned to the table again as you scanned them quickly for something, anything that promised you soem measure of safety against these things.
Yet there was nothing akin to a weapon, just a bunch of charms and crafts materials you'd have used to make such things.
The sound of scraping filled your ears as you heard what you could only assume was claws against metal and stone.
And here you were, with nothing more than a bunch of feathers and dust.
Something here had to be helpful, maybe if you dug through the items you'd find a weapon or...
Your hands rapidly sifted through the piles as you felt the demand for action supressing the growing hysteria you felt. You were being observed and they wanted to see what you grabbed, so you trusted in your instincts and took...
...Pigments, furs and feathers. A primal power within you was screaming to be released. (Shaman / Witch theme)
...Charms and jewelery. A building force within you was waiting to be unleashed. (Elementalist / Warlock theme.)
...A handful of bones. The whisperings of those that came before would guide you. (Spirtualist / Necromancer theme.)
...Nothing. You didn't need these cheap charms to define you. (Monk / Mystic theme.)
Or did something else in this pile catch your eye?
Post by: FallacyofUrist on June 03, 2015, 06:39:28 am
Post by: Kashyyk on June 03, 2015, 07:24:01 am
Or if you're looking for some sort of supernatural power instead of badass normal, I'll got for Charms and Jewelry.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 03, 2015, 08:17:15 am
...You collected a handful of the jewelry, beads, precious stones and the like. Maybe you could throw them as a distraction?+1
Or if you're looking for some sort of supernatural power instead of badass normal, I'll got for Charms and Jewelry.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 03, 2015, 08:18:36 am
scratch that, there is already elemental option. And Magic by any other name........
Charms and jewelry
Post by: Fallatus on June 03, 2015, 10:47:13 am
But we know the power comes from within ourselves, That's what they said. (adaptable?)
They want us to be dependent, limited to the things in this room. Controllable.
We don't need anything in this room, We are Alyssa. And that thing... Don't. Stand. A chance.
Wield your fear, Control yourself!
UNLEASH THE ENERGY WITHIN
LET ITS POWER TEAR THIS ROOM APART!
WE ARE ALYSSA!
AND WE
ARE
SAFE
OUR WILL IS THE WILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
LET ITS POWER TEAR THIS ROOM APART!
WE ARE ALYSSA!
AND WE
ARE
SAFE
OUR WILL IS THE WILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 03, 2015, 11:36:18 am
Some crystals and something which looked like it had a dragon on it. (Magic)
But we know the power comes from within ourselves, That's what they said. (adaptable?)
They want us to be dependent, limited to the things in this room. Controllable.
We don't need anything in this room, We are Alyssa. And that thing... Don't. Stand. A chance.
Wield your fear, Control yourself!UNLEASH THE ENERGY WITHIN
LET ITS POWER TEAR THIS ROOM APART!
WE ARE ALYSSA!
AND WE
ARE
SAFE
OUR WILL IS THE WILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
Extra +1 to this, if possible.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 03, 2015, 01:31:22 pm
Oh yes. This. So much this.Some crystals and something which looked like it had a dragon on it. (Magic)
But we know the power comes from within ourselves, That's what they said. (adaptable?)
They want us to be dependent, limited to the things in this room. Controllable.
We don't need anything in this room, We are Alyssa. And that thing... Don't. Stand. A chance.
Wield your fear, Control yourself!UNLEASH THE ENERGY WITHIN
LET ITS POWER TEAR THIS ROOM APART!
WE ARE ALYSSA!
AND WE
ARE
SAFE
OUR WILL IS THE WILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
Extra +1 to this, if possible.
Edit:I agree with the post 2 posts below me. Dang postin too early.
Post by: Generally me on June 03, 2015, 02:43:02 pm
Post by: Fallatus on June 03, 2015, 03:06:07 pm
So the power of above me isAdaptable dragon magic if so +1 cuz that sounds badass.More like using our own will alone To WARP REALITY HOW WE WANT, IF THAT MEANS CREATING A MAGIC DRAGON FROM NOTHING THEN SO BE IT.
Though adaptable meaning is not being limited to one single school of mastery, We're flexible after all.
Basically, Our want/Will makes it real as we are drawing the power from ourselves/Immortalpowersourcething and channeling it through our will into the form and purpose we wish.
Its a difficult school to master and certainly requires a bout of creativity to be used effectively.
But when used right? Oh boy, Galaxies spin at your desire.
But we're still young, We'll learn eventually. And when we do... No videogame could possibly compare.
Our will is the channel, Its power our tool.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 03, 2015, 03:41:10 pm
So the power of above me isAdaptable dragon magic if so +1 cuz that sounds badass.More like using our own will alone To WARP REALITY HOW WE WANT, IF THAT MEANS CREATING A MAGIC DRAGON FROM NOTHING THEN SO BE IT.
Though adaptable meaning is not being limited to one single school of mastery, We're flexible after all.
Basically, Our want/Will makes it real as we are drawing the power from ourselves/Immortalpowersourcething and channeling it through our will into the form and purpose we wish.
Its a difficult school to master and certainly requires a bout of creativity to be used effectively.
But when used right? Oh boy, Galaxies spin at your desire.
But we're still young, We'll learn eventually. And when we do... No videogame could possibly compare.
Our will is the channel, Its power our tool.
Oh yes. This. So much this.Some crystals and something which looked like it had a dragon on it. (Magic)
But we know the power comes from within ourselves, That's what they said. (adaptable?)
They want us to be dependent, limited to the things in this room. Controllable.
We don't need anything in this room, We are Alyssa. And that thing... Don't. Stand. A chance.
Wield your fear, Control yourself!UNLEASH THE ENERGY WITHIN
LET ITS POWER TEAR THIS ROOM APART!
WE ARE ALYSSA!
AND WE
ARE
SAFE
OUR WILL IS THE WILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
Extra +1 to this, if possible.
If possible. This.
If not, my current vote stands
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 03, 2015, 04:18:04 pm
One - I'm not quite certain what to call the power you're asking for here, but i'm not going to deny you it. There's no conveniently defined title for it, but you're mixing thematic elements of metaphysics, solipsism and divinity.
Two - Even when you do the opposite of what I'd personally hoped for, i've been enjoying watching where you all go with what you believe should be (and has become) the direction this goes in.
Three - I'll get an update done soon™ - As soon as I can get the time for it at least.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 03, 2015, 04:24:44 pm
Post by: Generally me on June 03, 2015, 04:27:46 pm
((If it's not a spoiler, just what direction were you hoping for?))I would also want to know this
Also could are power be Elementalist/Enchantment
Enchantment being messing with people's minds.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 03, 2015, 04:31:43 pm
Yup((If it's not a spoiler, just what direction were you hoping for?))I would also want to know this
Post by: Kashyyk on June 03, 2015, 05:09:42 pm
Post by: Generally me on June 03, 2015, 05:15:04 pm
My vote is still on no supernatural abilities, just supernatural skills, but I suspect I'm outvoted.What do you mean by supernatural skills?
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 03, 2015, 06:47:07 pm
A test, that you had been assured of your well being in, yet you couldn't help but wonder if you were truly safe given that you couldn't tell exactly what you were hearing in the walls about you.
Had they put a bird in a crawl space to accomplish this?
A very large and unhappy sounding bird.
A bird that stunk like swamp water and hate.
You had a table full of crap that you couldn't discern a use for, replica sacrificial knives that looked like they'd snap the moment they were used, charms that looked like they were mass produced imitations due to how perfectly machined they were.
There was even a dream catcher or two in there.
Were these all foci for them to get some form of reading from anyone with potential, without providing them with a tool capable of properly channeling their powers?
Why, for that matter, were you allowing fear to have you so suddenly believe all this?
Fear.
No, it wasn't fear.
This went beyond the primal terror that plagued you.
This table was laughable though.
The sheer selection of faux occult items was great, but there was nothing here what so ever that you felt drawn to.
No religious symbol, no fur, feather or idol.
The trinkets and charms were nothing more than distracting and sparkly jewelery.
No, there was nothing here for you.
You straightened your back as you stood upright, your arms folding over your chest.
There was nothing here for you other than fear and you would have no part in that any longer, you wouldn't allow the primal feelings that gripped at you beyond your rational senses to control you.
"I'm done here," you called out, figuring that they would have microphones permitting them to hear you.
"Does nothing on the table appeal to your senses?" came a response over a concealed speaker. This was a voice you didn't recognise, though their identity wasn't of importance at this moment.
"There is nearly nothing upon the table that would appeal to anyone. Everything is either a cheap imitation or lacks the connection someone would need to use it," you responded. Your knowledge of more occult matters helped at times. Some of these things had to be made by a practicioner historically, others wouldn't work without proper anoitation.
The religious symbols you were unsure of, but you assumed that without faith they were but iron.
None of those symbols had a place with you, you didn't believe in a god you couldn't touch.
No, you didn't believe in anything you couldn't witness, and right now all you were witnessing was apathy taking the place of fear.
This wasn't how it should be, this limp experience with a caged animal hidden behind a wall used to stir a reaction.
This moment should have been one of excitement and adventure, one where you had the truth of the matter revealed to you - one where you could feel it, grasp it, taste that power.
Power, that was what you wanted to see.
And here you were, listening to the pathetic screeching of their pet while they awkwardly observed you.
"Would you like to take another look at the table before we reschedule this specific test?"
"Why would you reschedule it?"
"It's a test to see if you can be provoked into revealing something we can pick up on our instruments. If you're done, we'll run you through a few tests that may assist in-"
"How many times will I be run through that cycle?"
"As many times as it takes to either gain results or rule out any potential abilities."
"How likely is it that I'll-" you paused. "No, don't answer that. Right, provoking results, table full of..." you muttered as you took a deep breath.
It was truly futile though to tell you to grasp something you didn't believe in and use it to accomplish something you thought impossible.
The sole thing you believed in here was yourself, as that was the only thing you knew you could trust. You were, even mildly addled still by the bump to your head from earlier, confident that you'd see nothing unless it came from within.
You just needed to lower your guard, allow those walls that you had built up over a lifetime to fall.
You needed to relax, to reach deep down.
To grasp that spark deep within you that whispered sweet promises of what you would accomplish if you just let go.
There was a name for that voice.
Hope.
It was your hope that dared to voice itself in the face of such insanity as you letting go of everything you knew to be true, to find something deep within you that made you more than just the mundane girl everyone knew.
Fear and uncertainty couldn't persist in the face of such hope, hope so innocent and naive.
Child like.
It was everything you had ever dreamed of being when you were little, every power fantasy you had ever had rolled into one.
You were a princess.
A queen.
A lady.
A ruler of a nation.
A goddess.
"I..." you breathed as you trembled with something far more powerful than uncertainty. This was every dream you had ever had singing in unison as you felt your body hum with a strange power, a power that was oh so familiar and yet ancient and alien. It was a power that you knew immediately was not the equivilent of some cheap parlour trick granted to you by a toy like equivilent of a witches charms or a mystics runes.
No, this power was a power that came from deep within you.
This was your power.
"I am DONE here," you yelled as you lunged for the wall in a moment of sheer insanity. For a moment the world felt less real, as if the underlying fabric was little more than ripples to be dispersed about your form.
You could feel the scream of world about you as it tried to reassert order threatening to snap you back to reality, yet your hand plunged forwards and into the concrete as if it were no more than fluid.
The majority of a solid was made up of the space between atoms.
If the atoms wouldn't disperse, if they wouldn't flow about you, then you would flow between them.
Atomic bonds could kiss your ass.
Your hand closed about what you knew lurked behind, pulling it back sharply.
And then you paused, dumbstruck for a moment as you found yourself face to face with...
A speaker?
You could see the wires trailing back through the wall where you'd pulled it through, the sound of a bird coming through it clearly - at least that was, while you still held it.
The moment you released it the sound coming from it cut off - while the sounds from the rest of the room continued.
Briefly.
They too fell silent as you felt a sensation of warm and wet heat running down the front of your face.
Blood, your nose was bleeding again from... From... Some strange sensation of pressure, like a cosmic backlash had just hit you for what you'd dared to do to it.
You staggered, your hand rising to prevent blood from ending up on your top, then stumbled as you fell flat upon your ass.
Laughing.
You were Alyssa, and you believed in yourself.
Now, nothing could stop you.
Not while you believed in yourself.
The door to the testing chamber swung open as the medic, Millicent and a man in a lab coat rushed in, the medic rushing to mop at your face with a bandage as he pulled various items from a container with a red cross daubed over it.
"What the actual fuck did she just do?" came Millicent's voice as the man in the labcoat stared dubstruck at the speaker that dangled from the solid concrete wall.
"I don't know, i've never seen anything like this in my time here," came the mans response as he gingerly reached for the wall. "The walls hot where she put her hand... Into it," he muttered, while the medic waved a small light before your eyes.
"Can you count to ten for me?" came the medics voice as you made a show of wilfully turning your head away from the light.
"Do I have to?" you responded, yawning as you did so. "I'm very tired all of a sudden... Hungry too. Did I pass the test?"
"Yes, you have to. I need to make sure you're okay after... That."
"Okay," you responded, before falling silent for a moment.
"Well?"
"I'm being defiant, you can't make me satisfy your fetish for sequential strings of numbers, nor your oppressive desire to allow them to only briefly see double digits before they are relegated to a lowly numerical state."
"She's fine," came Millicent's voice as you rubbed at your eyes. "She's too busy being a brat to die on us,"
"That's miss brat to you," you huffed.
"How can you be so dismissive after she just did something impossible?" asked the man in the labcoat as he nudged Millicent with an elbow.
"She pulled what, geomancy?" Millicent shrugged.
"You didn't feel the power coming from her when she pulled this out the wall?"
"I can't say I did."
"Can I go now?" you asked, as you started to struggle to stand. Your arms and legs felt like jelly now, yet you were in oddly high spirits for how exausted you felt.
Perhaps it was just an adrenaline induced sense of euphoria, but you'd take it right now.
"I think we should-" the man in the labcoat started, only for Millicent to cut him off.
"No, you don't need to test her further, right now what we need to do is-"
"Hey, I'm right here," you huffed as you pushed the medic's hands aside and hauled yourself to your feet. "And right now, I want to... To... Eat like, everything. You have no idea how hungry I am," you grumbled as you rubbed at your stomach.
This was a strange sense of hunger that you felt though, one that you felt wasn't going to be possible to properly sate just by eating.
Maybe it'd take eating and lazing around for a bit until you felt rested.
But... You couldn't quite justify doing that, could you?
No, they were going to want to further test you, and-
Wait, logic applied here.
"Hey, don't you have the authority to say that my well being comes before their tests?" you asked as you turned towards the medic.
"Technically I can make that call if I believe-"
"All this blood and a concussion isn't reason enough?"
"I... You have a point actually," the medic sighed as he turned to look at the man in the lab coat. "You'll have to make do with the results you have so far, she's not going to give you many answers dead."
"Her results say she's an immortal."
"My authority over-rides your own."
As they bickered you stumbled towards the door, holding your head in your hands as you did so. Everything felt over-exposed and too loud, as if the volume on everything was being gradually turned up - even the clinical colours of the facilities walls.
The fact that colour felt loud to you at the moment was enough to tell you that enough was enough - You'd done something amazing and now you felt like you had an oncoming hangover. Maybe you'd get bacon and eggs for your replacement breakfast.
That sounded nice right now.
Even as the sound of the two men arguing rose in intensity behind you, a familiar voice echoed in your ears.
"Come on, lets get you out of here," came Millicent's words, filled a clear disapproval for the escalating argument behind you.
"Do you want to get breakfast too?" you asked her, with a bright, though slightly spacey smile.
"Breakfast sounds wonderful. I'm sure the Boss'll come out of his cave to join us," she laughed softly as she placed her arm about your shoulders to guide you towards the elevator.
As you stepped into the elevator you found yourself wondering what your next course of action was going to be.
You could of course pig out with breakfast, then sleep off this exausting experience.
Or you could tell her boss that you wanted answers.
Or... You could even do something crazy and submit yourself to further tests.
There was also phoning your sister and seeing how she, as well as your family were doing.
The question was, what was your biggest priority?
Spoiler: Alyssa (click to show/hide)
---
Yup((If it's not a spoiler, just what direction were you hoping for?))I would also want to know this
Mostly, the things I'd have picked myself lost out to more popular choices - I'd have personally gone with her as a witch for example. I'd much rather remain flexible and let the players dictate the direction of the story, than railroad things just because I wanted them though.
There's been a missed opportunity to give a little of the story of the prior games intended ending.
It'll come again soon enough though!
My vote is still on no supernatural abilities, just supernatural skills, but I suspect I'm outvoted.Sorry! You're outvoted - If it's any consolation, she'll still take time to hone her abilities to any level of signifigance. Even after that, it may still be preferable to approach issues other ways than to abuse her power.
messing with people's minds.There's always a possibility down the line to develop that kind of ability.
Post by: Fallatus on June 03, 2015, 07:14:46 pm
I told them i could be anything.. So i became a god.
[Original Title After player interaction]
I became a god.. And then, I surpassed it.
WOO, YEAH GIRL. YOU ROCK! THAT WAS LIKE, TOTALLY AWESOME!!! But exitement aside , Here's the priority for now:
- Eat.
- Family.
- Test.
- Eat again, Probably.
- Whatever unexpected events that will happen you can fit here.
- Whatever, You'll most likely be exhausted and sleeping now anyways.
WOOh! Alright but seriously now, Go get some food, and remember to tell Milly about what just happened as best as you can. But right now.. FOOD, GET. IN. MY. BELLY! RARGBLARGLARGLARARARABLARGH! *Disgusting eating noises*
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: FallacyofUrist on June 03, 2015, 07:19:47 pm
Post by: Peradon on June 03, 2015, 07:24:43 pm
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 03, 2015, 07:56:37 pm
+1 to the above.... just, ask everyone to be quiet too. Everything is loud, even those people in the apartment building next door....+1
Post by: endlessblaze on June 03, 2015, 08:43:30 pm
then we can test again and take it a step further.
make reality bend over backwards, twist 260 degrees at the waist, open its mouth so wide it can swallow itself, and beat it with a hammer :D
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 04, 2015, 08:40:57 am
Just how taxing had what you'd done been on your body?
If it was this taxing, perhaps you should hold off on doing it again.
At least until you could figure a way of doing it more efficiently.
The key to success wasn't to expend the most effort possible, it was to maximise results for the effort put into things.
Practice made perfect, they said, but practice without direction was almost as bad as no practice at all.
At least that was how you rationalised running away for breakfast.
Not that you needed a reason for it, given you hadn't actually had breakfast yet.
Sure, it was a late breakfast now, but it was still breakfast.
"So, what do you want?" Millicent asked as she ushered you into the cafeteria and towards one of the tables near the windows.
Now that day had broken, you were able to see the buildings that stood around this one.
Outside it was a mixture of office buildings and businesses, pubs, bakeries and a few houses dotted between them.
And in the midst of it all, there was this building.
People were no doubt ignorant of its very existance, despite being in such close proximity to it.
"Alyssa?" Millicent nudged your shoulder as your attention snapped back to her.
"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking."
"What were you thinking?"
"If they're going to want to keep me here, do you think I'd be able to get new clothes?"
"I'm sure they'll want to keep you here for further observation if they can, so you can ask them yourself," Millicent laughed. "What do you think about breakfast though?"
"I think I need a lot of it. I feel drained after that and... Hungry. I've gone without before, but this is some serious hunger pangs."
"Yeah, I get that too. If I use my ability to influence people enough it leaves me fatigued as the strain of it builds up."
"Maybe a big plate of bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, toast and.. Um... A milkshake."
"Okay, I'll see what I can do," Millicent responded as she made her way over to the counters before the kitchens, leaving you - briefly - sat alone.
Of course, that solitude was not to last, and you would have been lying if you'd said you had had any expectation that it would.
"Ah, Alyssa, I trust you are well?" came the voice of the boss, the man whom you had expected was going to be all over the chance to be your new best friend. It was all an interconnected mess, you were special, he was desperate to show results to avoid this place getting further cuts. People were going to poach your talents, whatever they were, and leave him sat on the reject pile with people like Millicent.
That wasn't fair on Millicent, but you knew what you were dealing with here.
A dying organisation that needed a chance to show that the cuts were unjust, that they could have missed out on others like you simply because they were under-funded.
You, the hottest person in this place right now.
"I feel exausted, hungry, dehydrated... It's like i'm starving, hung over and want to fall asleep at the same time, and right over there-" you pointed towards Millicent, who scowled across at you almost imperceptibly as she spied the boss with you. "Is a solution to two of the three."
"Yes, I heard that you did something quite amazing. Then the LPD called to ask if we needed Guardian assistance as they'd picked up a disturbance caused by what you accomplished. I told them that it was nothing to worry about as, well, it was merely a prospective new geomancer whom requires a little assistance on getting a handle over their powers."
"Millicent thought the same."
"With all due respect, Agent Cross isn't qualified to make that judgement. We both know what you pulled off was no mere act of geomancy. You didn't make the wall part with your affinity for stone, no. We're going to keep this under wraps however, for now. I am certain that you can understand that it is in your best interests that we do so - we can't have you announced and endangered. No, that would not do at all."
You watched the boss shifting uncomfortably as he did his best to wear a smile in your presence. You made this man fearful in a way Millicent could never dream of.
Was it what you were capable of, or what you would bring upon him that he feared most, though?
"What kind of danger are you talking about?"
"There are various groups that will attempt to recruit you, various others that will be horrified by your very existance and seek to harm you. While you are here however, you're amongst friends, the men and women that work in this agency-"
"Only have my best interests at heart. Yeah, I get it."
"Is there anything you require to make your stay here more comfortable?" he asked as you tilted your head slowly in response.
"What makes you certain I plan to stay?"
"You have not interrupted me so far to tell me that you wish to return home, so one can only presume-"
"Assumptions are not a good thing to make."
"Perhaps not, but I can see it in your eyes that something has changed. You have had the veil removed, you have been humbled by your own power-" he paused as you burst out laughing at the concept of being humbled by what you had accomplished. "Is something funny?"
"Yes, the thought that I should be humbled by that. Do you know how I managed it?"
"No, but I am certain you will enlighten me on this matter?"
"I reminded myself how I can only believe in what I can touch, that I can only be certain of what I can accomplish. I'm not humbled by what I accomplished, I'm disappointed that I didn't believe in myself sooner," you could see the manner in what he edged back, discomfort creeping over the corners of his mouth as his smile faltered.
Right now, he was no doubt thinking he was sat face to face with the greatest monster in the world, that he could be cast into the abyss at any moment as he was no longer at the top of the food chain here.
He had no reason to be afraid however, you had no reason to cast him from your presence.
Of course, you weren't going to stop basking in the afterglow of your accomplishment any time soon either - you were on a cosmic high, having asserted yourself over reality itself.
You were impossible, the woman who had done what gods alone dared.
This was doing wonders for your self confidence, and you were going to enjoy it while you could.
"So, I told them to give you a full english breakfast and load it up with extras, so you have beans, toast, sausage, eggs, tomato, black pudding and a chocolate milkshake," came Millicent's voice as she placed a plate before you.
With your focus broken her boss visibly relaxed, thankful that you had found something to occupy yourself with other than staring him down.
"So, you came to tell her 'good job' and annoy her with things she's too distracted to care about?" Millicent asked, as she placed a signifigantly smaller plate of food down for herself.
"Something to that effect," her boss mumbled as he placed his hands before him upon the table, his fingers interlaced. "Alyssa is the biggest thing to happen to this agency in the time either of us has been here and you know it."
"Uh-huh," came Millicent's response as she made no effort to hide her disinterest.
You knew where this was going.
You were the bargining chip that he wanted in his pocket, you were footnote in his legacy that he wanted out there to show that he was the best damn director to have ever graced this place. A true visionary whom had been wrongly denied the funding he needed to accomplish all he was required to.
It hadn't escaped your attention that he had referred to you by name either, that suddenly, you were worthy of that kind of consideration.
"Alyssa, I am certain that you'll want answers, that you'll want to have your talents honed. If you remain with us, I promise that I shall do everything in my power to accomplish this with you," came her bosses response, while you glanced up from your food.
Damn, this food was something you didn't want to disrespect in this manner given it was the best meal you'd had in recent years, but you had to do something to silence this man.
"Did you get in contact with the people you said might have answers?"
"Ah. Yes. They haven't responded yet."
He wasn't as far up the food chain as he'd have liked.
"However, if you opt to remain with us, then somewhere down the line we can offer you employment," he mumbled, the wind taken out of his sails.
"I'll consider it," you responded, between mouthfuls of food.
"Very well, I'll leave you to your meal. Should you wish to get in direct contact with any of the people that-"
"She's eating," Millicent sighed as she made a dismissive gesture. "And you're being creepy by watching her."
"Ah, I'll..." Her boss rose from the table, awkwardly shuffling away as he left you to it.
You had breakfast, next you'd call your sister and make sure your family was okay.
After that you'd... You'd...
You didn't know, you had the feeling that further testing was out of the question for the day, would you...
...Inquire about meeting one of the three prior choices of contacts?
...Inquire about researching the book that had been referenced in relation to you, yourself?
...Get a little more rest given how you'd exausted yourself?
...Find something else to do to occupy the rest of the day?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 04, 2015, 09:50:08 am
;)
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 04, 2015, 10:03:41 am
Let's see about doing some reading. Check up on any past immortals, particularly those with a thousand year cycle.+1
;)
Post by: Generally me on June 04, 2015, 10:28:30 am
Sounds goodLet's see about doing some reading. Check up on any past immortals, particularly those with a thousand year cycle.+1
;)
Post by: endlessblaze on June 04, 2015, 11:10:41 am
sit down in a nice comfy chair, and ponder the nature of the universe.
Post by: Fallatus on June 04, 2015, 11:27:55 am
Let's see about doing some reading. Check up on any past immortals, particularly those with a thousand year cycle.
sit down in a nice comfy chair, and ponder the nature of the universe.
+1
Both of these at the same time. A Comfy chair and some reading, While pondering the universe.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 04, 2015, 04:50:10 pm
Yes, next, you would perform an act that was the bane of all teenagers.
Your evil truly knew no bounds.
But that was something that could wait until the most important things were taken care of, such as eating the rest of the breakfast that sat before you - a breakfast that was already over half gone.
After breakfast you'd call your family, allow yourself the simple comfort of hearing their voices and knowing that their well being wa assured, then, you would read.
It was no different than checking up on strategies and builds for games, you were going to do a little research on the kinds of things that you were dealing with and see to it that you weren't caught off guard by anything you should have known that this group you were at the mercy of had neglected to tell you.
You wouldn't put it past them to be complacant about such things, assuming that your assumed immortality would be reason enough to not concern themselves over potential mishaps.
There was no confirmation so far of course that you even healed any faster than a regular person, so you were going to keep a measure of care for the time being.
Then again, given your recent bumps, bruises and bloodshed, you were starting to wish you could heal faster than normal.
It was bizzare to think that just last night, you'd been a skeptic over this kind of thing, yet here you were.
And you were uncertain if it had sunk in, or if you were simply dreaming of this entire situation.
If it was a dream, it was the most realistic one you'd ever had, as well as the most pointlessly drawn out and boring.
Who'd have thought that finding you were some kind of super powered freak would have been so... Dull.
"Millicent?" you asked after some moments silence, as you looked up at the other woman between mouthfuls of your breakfast.
"Mm?" came her sole response as she levelled her gaze with your own, mouth full of food and cup of tea in hand.
"Does this place have a library?"
"S-nohfare-t-assme-" she paused, swallowing as she did so. "Do you need to know right now?"
"It's a matter of life or death, i've come down with an unshakable desire to read."
"No kidding?"
"So does this place have-"
"It does, you're not cleared for it though."
"You need clearance for that?"
"You do, it's not a typical library after all given we collect all manner of occult manuscripts."
"That's what I was hoping for. Do you think you could get me temporary access?"
"Any reason why you want this all of a sudden?"
"If I'm to get involved with any of this kind of stuff, I'm going to want to know what I'm dealing with. I figure, if you have records and such, I can brush up on what immortals are like, what the Enlightened are like, stuff like that. Forewarned, forearmed, etc."
"And if you don't get your way?"
"Then I'll sulk I guess?"
"I'll tell my boss you're asking for access, and a gesture of good will like that might have you stay and save his sorry ass."
"You know he's counting on that too?"
"Oh yeah, I can practically smell the desperation coming from him. He's suddenly on first name basis with you and-" she paused, leaning across the table towards you. "He's never, ever that friendly," she finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
You giggled briefly before you realised that Millicent wasn't joking - it was at that point your giggling became full blown laughter, laughter you were unable to hold in as something about the entire situation tickled you.
Right now he was probably sat in his office looking sullen as he counted the minutes until you came 'crawling to him' like he was probably certain you would.
"Question," you started again after several minutes silence.
"What is it?"
"Where's my hoodie?"
"Er. Back down in the testing facility and... I don't have a key to get down there. I'll ask someone to bring it up for you once we've finished eating."
"Another question."
"Mm?"
"Where's the nearest phone I can use to call my family?"
"There's a few payphones on the ground floor, I'll loan you my mobile though, if it's just going to be a quick call."
"Yeah, I'll be quick, I just want to check up on them," you smiled. Of course, you couldn't exactly promise it would be a short call but you'd do your best to make sure that it was.
Millicent reached into her pockets before she placed her phone down before you, though you made it clear as you gestured towards the plate before you that you weren't quite ready for this call.
You had just a little more of your food to go and, well, you were feeling rather stuffed at this point, so you'd cut it down to the rest of the sausage that sat before you.
Those last few bites.
Finally accepting your defeat, you pushed the plate away from yourself, looking at what remained.
There was about a quarter of what you'd had put upon the plate left, that considering it had been utterly stacked left you feeling as if you'd accomplished some amazing feat given you felt as if you'd eaten your own bodyweight in food right now.
The phone was plucked from the table before you as you tapped in your home phone number, the steady ringing that filled your ear as you brought it to up to your face repeating once, twice, three and four times before the sound of a familiar voice both made your heart sing and sink at the same time.
"This is the Smith household, nobody is present at the moment to take your call. Please leave a message and we'll get back to you once we're able," came the voice of your mother over the phone.
"Hi mom, dad, it's Alyssa, just calling to make sure everything's okay. I'll call back later and see if I can catch you when you're in, love you!" and with that you snapped the phone shut, passing it back to Millicent as you felt tears welling up in your eyes.
You'd bent reality over backwards and broken the laws of physics, yet you were powerless to catch your family in when you wanted to.
It was a wretched feeling, going from being atop the world to being brought low by something so simple, yet you couldn't help it. You felt increasingly isolated and alone in this strange place simply because that connection, that human connection that you craved with your family right now had been denied to you.
It was ironic, if you'd been back home you'd have happily holed yourself up in your room and gamed away, yet here you were.
You wanted to be in their presence, in their proximity, to have the reassuring comfort of routines you knew well.
"Hey," Millicent ventured in soft tones as she reached to take your hand. "You can call them again later, they're probably just out at the moment, nothing to worry about. I'll tell the boss that getting you temporary authorisation for the library is a matter of life and death. His life and death."
You didn't respond, you knew better than to do so.
You needed to pick yourself up again, tackle this moodswing like an adult.
And get the rest of your chocolates.
Right now, chocolates and books were at the top of your list of needs, though chocolates came higher.
"Come on, lets start there, I'll call him while we take the elevator," Millicent offered you a smile as she helped to haul you to your feet.
You must have been overly tired to get this emotional so easily, it was the only thing that made sense.
"Talk to me Alyssa, tell me... What was it like using your power for the first time?"
"I don't want to."
"Come on, humour me," she responded as she guided you towards the elevator and tapped the call button.
"Exausting. I felt everything resisting, as I pushed to make it do what I wanted."
"It resisted, huh?"
"Yeah, like I was playing the chords of the universe on an instrument that was out of tune."
"That's a weird way of putting it," Millicent chuckled as she stepped into the elevator ahead of you and plucked her phone from her person once more.
The steady tap of buttons followed as she brought it to her ear.
"I don't have time to stand on ceremoney, Alyssa needs access to the library," she started as she glanced over at you. "Yes, I'm quite aware what the rules say, but I'm certain that you can make an exception. If she has to go google immortals and shit to get an idea what she's dealing with out there, you're going to have her telling people how much this agency dropped the ball covering the things she needs to know, being, you know, immortal herself and all."
There was another pause, this one longer.
"I'm pretty certain this falls under your promise to help her find out what she is, do you even need another 'good reason' beyond that?" Millicent rolled her eyes. "Stop stammering, give her temporary authorisation and pray she has more gratitude than you do, you miserable asshole."
Millicent gave you a bright smile as she finally snapped her phone shut.
"We have authorisation for you, now you can read all the boring books about everything!" she beamed, trying to play up the situation in hand as the elevator doors opened and she lead you towards one of the buildings many identical looking rooms.
At least from the outside it was.
Once you stepped inside, you were able to see row after row of skeletal metal shelves lined with books of all shapes and sizes.
But that wasn't what made the biggest impression on you, no.
The biggest impression was how the room smelled dusty and under-used, as if all these books scared away the workforce.
"Okay Alyssa, go find whatever it is you need, I'll make sure the librarian knows you're permitted to be here and go get someone to fetch your hoodie for you."
"Okay," you mumbled as you shuffled into the library proper making your way between the shelves as you looked for a suitable looking book to read.
There were many potential books, but you weren't certain what historical maps would do to help, nor did you know what a book on the history of the guild would offer you.
It wasn't until you'd spent a fair time searching that you came across a book that struck you as a good starting place.
Immortall hystories.
Either it was a very old bok, or written by an illiterate.
Or both!
It was a book that you took with you to the biggest, plushest looking chair in the room before you settled down and started to carefully, carefully leaf through the pages within.
Only to realise a few pages in that it was a replica of an old book, printed on modern paper and placed within a mass produced spine that looked old.
The real copy must have been safely stored somewhere.
Regardless, it told you, in a very dry and roundabout manner, of the many immortals that had once congregated within the British Isles.
There were sections on various types of immortal too, though a lot of the terminology and phrasing didn't translate too well.
It was still enough for you to gather that there were a few main types.
The Enlightened, a group you'd already heard of, though it referred to them as a scourge of society, cold blooded killers that murdered people at night. This could explain the lasting resentment peoplehad towards them.
General immortals, many of whom had been listed as 'dead at the time of writing', as if they couldn't be counted on to remain that way. Some of them even had the sole ways to kill them listed within the pages.
The Deathless, a group that weren't true immortals, but rather undead. Ghouls, vampires, mummies, all those kinds of things were subtypes.
You already knew some of this, but the fact that there was all this information laid out as a work of fact was unusual.
There was even a section on immortals believed to be to other immortals what immortals were to men, though it seemed to be mostly speculation and referenced several other books.
One of what you were able to locate with a little effort, that in turn referenced another book - this time with a note scribbled in the margin.
And then another, and another.
It was a trail of fruitless ends until you found a book that seemed to be devoted to one of those 'special' immortals that had been referenced in the first book.
The last thousand soul.
This book was different to the rest, it was written from the collective experiences of individuals that had lived during the the past thousand years or so as they spoke of this one individual who had walked into their lives, who had swept them up and turned everything upside down.
And in the end, they'd been left behind, to return to normal life after their very perception of the world had been shaken.
This sounded familiar.
What surprised you however, was that this book mentioned that this thousand soul was supposedly a repeatedly incarnated immortal, one that it was early on mentioned had one known weakness - a silver pin.
That was an odd one.
This thousand soul was interesting though, as it told you exactly the type of thing you wanted to know about - exactly what you wished to be aware of should you ever have the misfortune of crossing the path of another immortal.
Or even one of the enlightened.
Or a person who could give you grief.
You weren't fussy, you just wanted to know what was out there.
As the book progressed it referenced other works, it referenced the two guilds that had later merged to form the guild you knew these days, it mentioned how this individual had been a guild master, how he had furthered firearms technology, made the guardians-
Wait, he MADE the Guardians?
...Oh.
And in such a horrific way, too.
The details laid out on the matter, brief as they were, would easily have been a human rights violation.
And then it progressed into a chapter of history that had been a sore point for the world ever since.
The Victorian War.
It briefly became a logistical manual at this point, full of numbers, full of information on how the guardians had been refitted with artillery weapons to protect the coast from the french, though you were certain that the sheer wall of information of little relevance to what you desired to know was starting to make your eyes glaze over.
It wasn't until you were near the end that your attention was drawn fully back to the texts.
The thousand soul had made his way into a battle that was to be his last, for of his two companions, individuals of great power, one was to betray him.
It was upon the shores facing the english channel that he was assaulted with the sole item capable of slaying him and...
And his second companion bearing his body had walked into the oceans, leaving the first, an 'Anxiety', whom at the bidding of a distraut Queen Victoria, had been sentenced to be locked away for the rest of her immortal life.
It was sparse information, but you had learned something from it.
Immortals were a bunch of drama queens.
And yet something about the information made you feel uncomfortable, there were bits that had been whited out. Apparently this book had information that was considered sensetive, though you couldn't place your finger on why.
There was one detail that did stand out to you however - this thousand soul was considered to be the perfect immortal.
you weren't certain what to make of this information yet, given you didn't have the full picture, but you knew that it was important somehow.
Censored or not, you knew that you could continue to research historical events and figures here if you wished, to brush up on other groups or to simply waste time reading anything of interest you came across.
The only issue was, did you wish to pursue further information from the books, or was there another course of action you wished to follow now you'd sated - and aroused - other curiosities?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 04, 2015, 06:45:16 pm
Is there any information about whether said thousand soul has re-incarnated since then, or about the fate of his second companion? Also, check his death date against our birth date, just in case.
On a more practical note, look up the Enlightened and the Guardians. How have they changed since the Victorian War?
Also, thank Millie and her boss for the library access next time we see them. While throwing clout around is fun, we shouldn't make a habit of being unnecessarily difficult. (Though for the record, the chocolates were totally necessary.)
Post by: endlessblaze on June 04, 2015, 06:55:05 pm
((So... theoretically speaking, if we got high enough clearance, we could find and speak to Anne... Sounds like a long-term goal to me.))
Is there any information about whether said thousand soul has re-incarnated since then, or about the fate of his second companion? Also, check his death date against our birth date, just in case.
On a more practical note, look up the Enlightened and the Guardians. How have they changed since the Victorian War?
Also, thank Millie and her boss for the library access next time we see them. While throwing clout around is fun, we shouldn't make a habit of being unnecessarily difficult. (Though for the record, the chocolates were totally necessary.)
this. and try to figure out what the thousand soul could do.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 05, 2015, 04:53:07 am
Such as cleaning your room.
Your room was clean, damnit.
These books you noted, as you flipped through a few of the ones that were related to the subject matter, had been censored in various area's.
Not the ones you wanted, that made you wonder what related information had been removed.
Still, it was worth backtracking through the last one of note you had read you figured, to pick out a few more details about this thousand soul before you moved onto another subject.
The Victorian war and the death of this immortal had occured in eighteen seventy five, and the year now was... Twenty twenty.
That meant that if this guy had reincarnated immediately after his death, then he was approaching a hundred and fifty years old now.
If you were to look for him, you'd just have to look for people who had been registered as over a hundred and twenty years old, and set a hundred and fourty five as your top permissable age group.
That was good to know, you could use technological progress and the British obsession of having records on births and deaths and the like to isolate and track down certain immortals in the future.
You'd been born two thousand and one, he had died eighteen seventy five... Why couldn't he have fallen on a nice round thousand based figure instead of some random date?
How rude of him to dare dying on a date that made you have to actually calculate things.
You had a hundred and twenty six years between your date of birth and his date of death, that meant that if you had any relation to him at all... No, that was too far fetched, you were latching on to something that didn't feel right at all, he had simply been referred to as a perfect immortal and you were simply an impossible occurance of a perfect immortal based on some random crazy guys work.
If there was a connection here, it wasn't coming to you immediately.
You'd keep this guy in mind though, it seemed like his influence upon the world was still being felt now.
It was... Inspirational in a sense, to know that you could have such an impact upon things, that if you lived a long enough time and did enough to make your mark, that such things could persist for hundreds of years afterwards.
You were going to make this guys legacy look like a footnote in your own achivements.
A final glance at the books you had so far revealed very little else about him however, not even a mention of what powers he seemed to have - though they did all seem to mention that he had a talent for charming people with his presence.
That sounded like someone else you knew.
Perhaps... Yes, you'd look at a book on the history of the Enlightened and the Guardians, maybe you'd find something in them about what happened after his death - his one companion had walked into the oceans with him and the other had been imprisoned. That wasn't enough for you to get the full picture of the impact this had upon things.
The Enlightened had been used to create Guardians and so, it wasn't long before you found a book that had the two subjects intertwined.
Though it was a rather... Dull book, though it was at least a modern one - published in nineteen sixties by one Penne Naime.
Wait... Fuck. Well, you had no idea who the real author was, to reference further works of theirs.
The book itself meandered and went nowhere fast - It talked about their early days as corrupted citizens of the early Victorian era, the way they had slowly banded together to become a cult that shed their identities and took on aspects of the psyche for the names they gave themselves.
It meant that several of their names had been recycled and used by others.
Joy and Anxiety were going to be MUCH harder to find anything about then.
You had to wonder as you leafed through the pages of the copied book, just what kind of impact these immortals - true or not - had upon the world, the universe even.
Where did they draw their power from?
How did they come to be?
How had you even come to be one?
Was there some cosmic power that they all tapped into that granted them such wonderous abilities, or was it that they were echoes of something that humanity had lost as a whole?
The age of science had been the successor of the age of superstition and now it sought to quantify and understand everything in a world that seemed ever smaller.
Just beyond this tiny world was an unknown infinity however, that they had sought to quantify too, to explain away with mathematical models that told them the most likely thing they were looking at with every tiny blob.
To think, early man had looked up at the skies and seen one of the nearest planets and worshipped that point of light.
Now, man had sent probes to those planets, seen that they were devoid of life and lost that sense of wonder.
Wonder was in the unseen, in the awe inspiring and unexplained.
Science was the death of illusions.
How long would it be before you were quantified and all illusion about you was lost upon those that looked at you with awe now?
Ah, here was what you were looking for - a section on the Enlightened in the mid to late eighteenth century.
They had gone from a minor threat, a grouping of people that had been scattered without goal to a predatory force blamed for the deaths of others - while there was some truth to this they were convenient bogey men to explain away some other people's actions and the occasional family found eaten by corrupt creatures.
The Pride of the Enlightened during this time, presumed to be the original - was slain after intervention by... The thousand soul.
That guy got around.
The Enlightened of this era feared the thousand soul as he had been responsible for many of them vanishing - and the appearance of the Guardians, the protectors who walked the streets of night time London, dispatching of the creatures they came across.
You knew already that this was due to the guy committing an atrocious act to turn the Enlightened into the guardians from the prior book, though neither of them had any information beyond that.
Perhaps the information had been lost - or never transcribed.
It was during this time that the Enlightened dug deeper to hide from the immortals, further embracing their gifts as they became all the more warped by what had afflicted them in the first place. They had lost much of their humanity after being infected and had become all the more inhuman in a desperate attempt to survive.
This made sense, desperate times, desperate measures.
You had to wonder if it was desperate measures on both sides of that little war between the Enlightened and the thousand soul, though.
After scanning through a few more pages, you found something more of note.
Joy and Anxiety, both of them were listed in a section of notable figures amongst the Enlightened known during that Era!
Anxiety, formerly known as Love, had been the betrayer of the thousand soul and-
Yes, you knew that already, bar the former name.
What was interesting was that the Enlightened themselves had cursed her very name for doing this - No other of the Enlightened would ever bear her 'accursed name', for she had comitted a transgression upon the one that had trusted her and had...
Oh.
During the war he had reached out to the Enlightened and they had forgiven him for what he had done. They had looked past their differences, perhaps never forgiving him for his actions, though they had forgiven him.
And he had seen to it that they were able to become an accepted group as they were today.
They had fought the war, seen the thousand soul murdered by Anxiety, cursed her name and... Anxiety was imprisoned in the tower of London to this very day.
Joy on the other hand was listed as a former Guardian, who herself had no love for the thousand soul. She was noted as being quiet, unemotional, mentally scarred by the trauma of becoming a guardian.
And...
She had wept openly when the thousand soul had fallen, before carrying his form into the oceans.
Immortals WERE drama queens.
It was noted however that during the mid nineteen fifties that there was an brief, but quickly forgotten about story of a man and a woman being fished up from the oceans before it was 'dismissed' as a hoax.
There was a photograph though, a black and white image from the newspaper that showed a small woman dressed in the tattered remains of a simple set of garments holding a larger figure - a slender looking man.
The pair of them were swathed in seaweed, with star fish and limpets attached to them here and there, yet they looked to be in perfect condition.
The next page had several more pictures - these ones not from the newspaper.
The woman in them had been pried away from the man, who had been laid upon the deck with his hands crossed over his chest - there was little of note apart from a single pinprick wound to his neck that had appeared to be bruised.
No other injury was present, despite the fact that if he was the man you'd been reading about, he'd have been underwater for some time by this point.
The woman on the other hand - with 'Joy?' scrawled over the corner of the photographs had been wrapped in towels. Every photograph of her had her sat there or stood there as if she'd been posed like a mannequin with a thousand yard stare.
If that was Joy, she looked so... Unassuming.
She was a petite little thing with the faintest hints of what you presumed to be scales over the back of her neck and shoulders in these pictures.
You skipped ahead from here, pausing only to read the parts of the book that didn't meander with pointless assumptions and predictions, gathering little more that since the Victorian War, that the Enlightened had been slowly been elevated to a proper organisation of their own right - headed by their 'Pride' - who now answered to the Monarchy instead of the Government.
A few attempts to have them put under the governments umbrella had been met with the threat of them removing every one of their number from the LPD's Guardian unit.
They actually had once too, when the Government had called their bluff.
The Guardians of today were noted as being vastly superior to the original ones in technological nature, given that they were no longer golem like things with brains inside them - they were now pilotable suits that were usable to the most effect by... Surprise, surprise.
The Enlightened.
The suits had been designed primarily to accomodate them, to the point where... This wasn't rith, was it?
They implanted spinal interfaces into the Enlightened that piloted it because...
Oh, they could survive that, right.
That was frankly quite scary, knowing that they could add and remove things of that nature to their bodies due to how they could heal the damage it did if there was an issue.
Then again, they had been chosen as part of the original Guardians...
"Still reading?" came a familiar voice, piercing your reverie as you yelped, the book in your hands catapulted from your lap as you jumped. You'd been so relaxed, so distracted by what you were looking into that you had completely zoned out from the world at large.
"You scared me, Millie!"
"I came to check on you, you've been reading for hours. Find something interesting?" she smiled as she picked up the book to pass you back, taking a moment to glance at its title as she did so. "Oh, reading up on the Enlightened and the Guardians, I could have saved you time there. They're trouble, plain and simple."
"Still worth knowing about if I deal with them," you responded as you took the back from her - followed by your hoodie and chocolates as she offered them to you. "It took hours to get those back?"
"Oh yeah, you won't believe how pissy the technicians are downstairs right now. They're tearing the testing chamber apart and yelling about quantum probabilites and impossibillities and all that shit on one side of the room, while the other side has them telling the repair crew not to contaminate the samples. Just what kind of geomancy did you pull down there?"
"I-"
"If you turned the inside of the wall to diamonds, don't bother. You won't make much money doing that given the way jewelers are in the pocket of various corps."
"I didn't turn the wall to-"
"Anyway, boss wanted me to tell you that you're being assigned a room in one of the surrounding properties we own, a few doors down from mine."
"What about the rooms upstairs?"
"They're observation chambers, this is a proper place."
"Oh. Well, um, thank you for getting me access to the library, I appreciate it and... Could you tell your boss thank you for me, too?"
"You appreciate it, but not enough to tell him in person?"
"I'm pretty sure if I tell him in person he'll make me want a shower with the amount of second hand desperation left clinging to me."
"Heh, I get you. I'll do it over the phone, I don't particularly want to be left feeling that way either."
There was a pause as Millicent reached for her phone, as you plucked a few of the chocolates from the box you had on hand, though you could see a few of the ones you would have left until later were gone.
Had the technicians pinched some of your chocolates?
Bastards.
That wasn't on!
Millicent tapped away at her phone as you wiggled back into the chair to get comfortable again, before she glanced down at you and placed her phone away.
"Make that a text message to him. No need to subject myself to the sound of his voice after all," she shrugged, before pulling a chair up to settle down near you. "Need anything before I go try to look busy for long enough to avoid being assigned actual work?"
Was there anything you wanted or needed?
Were you content to remain in the library reading up on what you could?
Or did you want to pursue any goals?
Did you feel that you should wind down and get some sleep as despite it being light out you knew todays experiences would have you oversleeping by a large amount?
Post by: endlessblaze on June 05, 2015, 07:41:59 am
Also
try to create a very small gust of wind, should be easy as we are not warping reality or transmuting something. Just applying a small ammont of force to something already there.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 05, 2015, 08:43:26 am
Post by: Generally me on June 05, 2015, 05:42:12 pm
Keep reading+1 we don't need sleep cuz we is badass... Bruh.
Also
try to create a very small gust of wind, should be easy as we are not warping reality or transmuting something. Just applying a small ammont of force to something already there.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 06, 2015, 05:20:46 am
+1Keep reading+1 we don't need sleep cuz we is badass... Bruh.
Also
try to create a very small gust of wind, should be easy as we are not warping reality or transmuting something. Just applying a small ammont of force to something already there.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 06, 2015, 05:38:05 am
"You'll learn to do it with less resistance in time."
"Or I won't, I don't have to learn or do anything."
"Or that, but if you weren't at least curious about what you could do, you'd already be on the train home."
"Assuming you let me leave."
"It's in our rules and regulations, actually, we're not allowed to press people into service."
"It stops them turning on you once their powers are developed I suppose."
"Nah, I'm pretty sure its a rule that was put there at the behest of Queen Victoria herself. Something about a nation that has the choice, should not take the path of tyrrany."
"Oh. Well, I'm going to read, and-"
"Keys."
"Huh?"
"You need the keys to your living space," Millicent stated as she fished out a small keyring for you, one that had a solitary key upon it. That solitary key had a blue rubber cover with a seven printed upon it covering the head, while the metal teeth bore signs of wear and age.
You were far from the first to use this living area then.
"So, it's in the-"
"Block of flats opposite the front entrance. I'm on the same floor as you, I'd be all over telling you how exciting this is, but you look like you want me to be elsewhere right now."
"I'm just tired."
"That's what I mean, your words say you're listening, but your expression says go away," Millicent offered you a crooked smile and a half hearted wave as she turned towards the door, leaving you wondering if you were that easy to read or if she was used to this by now.
Alone at last, you sank back into the depths of the chair, reflecting upon what Millicent had said - not on the place you'd been offered to stay, no, though you made a mental note of what pocket you'd squirreled the key away within.
With less resistance, you would be able to channel your power more effectively was what she had implied.
Did this mean that your limit when it came to doing this was less what power you could draw from within, and more you handled offering power that flowed into you the path of least resistance?
Just where, if that was the case, did such power come from?
There were no books on the theories of such power here that you could find, that told you either they were out of bounds or nobody actually had any clue where this power came from.
Given the books you'd read so far, you'd put it about equal odds of either being the case right now.
That, or you simply didn't know what you were looking for.
Instead, you struggled to your feet as you looked over the shelves that stretched about the room, your eyes drifting over the various titles as you awaited one catching your attention.
Oh, there was a good one, The Deathless.
That was exactly the kind of title you'd expect from some amatuer writer doing an overly dramatic attention grabber, not from a book that no doubt covered one of the factions.
It wasn't the largest of books, no, and a quick glance inside told you that much of it had been censored, but it would give you some information on... Frankly, if you never met them, you'd be quite happy if they were real life versions of horror monsters.
You flopped down once more as you set the title upon your knees, your eyes drawn towards the pages as you attempted to garner what little information you could that had been left untouched.
It wasn't easy though, as much of the information on their identifying features, their known abilities, even their physiology had been whited out.
Still, you were able to gather that there were a good few types, ranging from the zombie like thralls that formed the rank and file of their numbers. Was that even the right term?
You didn't care, honestly, they could have called their armies kittens for all you cared.
There were mummies, not entirely alike the ones that would have come out of a tomb in egypt. No, many of these had come from peat bogs and other such places that preserved them, they didn't go around swaddled in bandages.
That told you SO much.
No really, you knew they existed, thanks book!
There was mention of ghouls, imposters that often held sallow, aged appearances who wormed their ways into positions of power.
And vampires, nothing like the ones in movies beyond their taste for the vital essence of others.
At least that was what you presumed, they were heavily censored too.
What kind of agency had a book like this, anyway, that was more blank space than text?
Sullenly, you placed the book down upon the growing pile you'd sorted gathered so far before you drew your legs up to your chest.
You were in the midst of a library ran by people with extra-ordinary powers, that wanted to hide the imformation from each other.
An agency, that relied upon peoples apathy to keep them in the dark.
No, you were going to reflect more upon your powers, upon the universe at large.
You knew now if Millicent's comment was anything to go by, that you needed to provide less resistance for your powers, to act like a conduit as you channeled and shaped it.
The problem was that you weren't exactly certain how to do that, given the way you'd felt your power building within you the first time wasn't so much like you felt that you had immense power at your fingertips ready to be unleashed and more... More...
Like everything was breaking down around you as you redefined the laws of physics.
No, not the laws of physics.
You'd tugged on the very fabric of reality.
You could make the sky fall, you breathed mystery.
You were the embodiment of every superstition that people had ever held.
That was MUCH better.
It was entirely possible, you told yourself, to try and do something a little more mundane and see if it was as draining upon you now you had an new idea over how to approach it.
It was crazy, you were already exausted, yet the allure of finding out what your limitations were was a sirens call you could not deny.
You had tasted power and you knew that you were capable of the impossible, that you had power beyond anything that these people dared dream of. Why should you shackle yourself when you knew that you could accomplish so much more than you had already?
They did not own you, they did not have a leash with what to lead you around.
You were your own person, you were a walking impossibility.
The ancients would have revered you as divine and here these people wanted to quantify and understand you.
No, you would cast aside the rules and regulations they shackled themselves with, you would defy the very laws of the world that man understood.
You would kiss the sun and dance with the moon, the stars would sing a heavenly choir for you as you would surpass the mortal shells of those that lived, toiled and died blind to their potential.
It would be the greatest game of all, to play cat and mouse with your very potential.
All you needed to do was experiment with something simple, to see if you could manipulate say, the flow of air around you. A slight breeze, something that required little more than some minor directional force seeded through things.
Force from nowhere, impossible, yet it wouldn't make reality scream and slap you about the face for violating natural order.
Hopefully.
Force, instead of seeding heat into the air to create eddies, to permit you to do this the way that breezes often came about.
No, you wanted to be able to do the impossible, assert your ability to be more than was natural.
Not shackle yourself as some symbol of natural order.
You just had to visualise taking hold of it - of the atoms that composed the gaseous mass you wished to manipulate - and, maybe, you weren't sure, but just maybe figure how you'd push it.
If you focused on channeling the energy through you more efficiently, to avoid resisting it and causing the same fatigue you felt before, then you could put more of it into creating that gentle breeze and, hey, why not do it in a manner you could quantify.
A tactile sensation such as that gentle breeze blowing over your face would help make it clear to you just how effectively you'd accomplished this.
A little force, twirling the current about you, yes, that was how you'd do it.
And so your eyes closed as you breathed out, using that motion as yet another aide, as you commanded the air to dance about you.
To wash about you like a gentle stream of water, to immerse you in its caress.
You could feel the building power within you expanding outwards as your efforts were met with a measure of success, turning you into a focal point for this rotary current you wished to form about you.
And so the air flowed, swirling gently at first as you felt your arms and legs growing leaden in response to the stress of accomplishing so little.
It wasn't as exaustive as putting your hand through a wall, but it was still punishing.
Mental fatigue was fast accumulating alongside that physical fatigue you already felt.
Perhaps this was a good time to stop, you'd just accomplished this and you felt really, really tired.
Like, more so than you could remember feeling in... Forever.
So it was decided, you weren't going to push again, right?
...No more, you'd never get out of the chair if you pushed further!
...Just a little more, you could blow your hair about and stop there.
...One more push wouldn't hurt - much - you could flutter the pages with a gust!
...One fast push and- wait, you didn't push that hard!
...You'd already stopped, why was it getting faster? HELP!
Post by: Fallatus on June 06, 2015, 11:08:17 am
Okay, Calm yourself, This is just what happened with the tea. Slow your breathing and let go, relax your force and -Fuck! its not slowing down! Uhm? Ah Shit, HELP!
No more, you'd never get out of the chair if you pushed further...
Post by: Generally me on June 06, 2015, 11:22:47 am
One more push wouldn't hurt - much - you could flutter the pages with a gust! One more push and- wait, you didn't push that hard! why was it getting faster?!Yeh sure why not +1
Okay, Calm yourself, This is just what happened with the tea. Slow your breathing and let go, relax your force and -Fuck! its not slowing down! Uhm? Ah Shit, HELP!
No more, you'd never get out of the chair if you pushed further...
Post by: Kashyyk on June 06, 2015, 11:43:06 am
Any more than that would probably be too exhausting.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 06, 2015, 12:12:16 pm
+1One more push wouldn't hurt - much - you could flutter the pages with a gust! One more push and- wait, you didn't push that hard! why was it getting faster?!Yeh sure why not +1
Okay, Calm yourself, This is just what happened with the tea. Slow your breathing and let go, relax your force and -Fuck! its not slowing down! Uhm? Ah Shit, HELP!
No more, you'd never get out of the chair if you pushed further...
Post by: endlessblaze on June 06, 2015, 02:36:30 pm
+1One more push wouldn't hurt - much - you could flutter the pages with a gust! One more push and- wait, you didn't push that hard! why was it getting faster?!Yeh sure why not +1
Okay, Calm yourself, This is just what happened with the tea. Slow your breathing and let go, relax your force and -Fuck! its not slowing down! Uhm? Ah Shit, HELP!
No more, you'd never get out of the chair if you pushed further...
+1
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 06, 2015, 04:17:16 pm
While this certainly wasn't the most impressive display of power when you compared it to say, a game character or movie effects, it was you whom had accomplished this and you whom had called it into being.
This was no game, this was better.
This was the real thing and you were going to hone this ability to bend reality over and make it do as you pleased. You would surpass the most badass fictional characters, you would shine beyond the most badass real life person who had ever been.
They would write stories about how you, Alyssa, had been the most spectacular figure to ever grace this planet.
And all you had to do was believe, as it took the edge off the creeping sense of exaustion as fatigued turned into pain.
Oh, that pain was bearable now, but if it continued to blossom at the rate it was setting in at, it would become agonising before long.
You could feel the heat of that pain in your chest as it burst into a sensation of warmth, spreading through your torso as you took deep breaths.
You were calm, you were in control.
The pain was managable.
The pages of the books about you stirred as your ever increasing focus pushed to move the air faster, to get moving in a nice steady vortex about you.
Nothing too special, just a circuit of air pressure manipulated by you that could turn the pages of the open books.
Only... You could feel the pain in your chest blossom once more as you found yourself out of breath.
Okay, now was a good time to stop, you were thoroughly exausted and you had pain blossoming from the inside out, that was now starting to spread out to your shoulders and hips. Now WAS a good time to stop.
So why wasn't it stopping?
Why did the current of air seem to be picking up speed still?
It was starting to reach the point it was noisily flipping the pages of the books about you and whipping your hair about your face, but you couldn't allow it to get out of your control.
Okay, you just had to figure how to stop this, take a moment to breathe and relieve some of the fatigue and pain you felt, then push to make it cease sooner, rather than later.
It was no different in a sense than the incident with your tea earlier this day, where you had lost control, though that had been when you'd completely relaxed control and gone into a hysterical state of mind. Such a point of view wouldn't help you here, but it did suggest that you were going to have to be guarded in future.
If you could accidentally do this, there would be no end of trouble.
Perhaps a push in the opposite direction - a counter current to oppose the flow that you had going now, would help dissipate the force in play a little faster.
After all, for every action there was an equal and opposite reaction.
Or something.
You should have paid more attention in physics classes.
But it told you the gist of what you needed to visualise, a counter-force to slow the accelerating current of air, to push against the force you'd put into play so that energy would counter energy and it'd dissipate.
It almost took your breath away pushing against the force of the current, but you had to do so despite the way that you could feel pain spreading out like fire to your extremities.
No pain, no gain.
But seriously, fuck this pain, this was horrible, you could feel muscles cramping as if they were oxygen deprived, your joints aching as if they had been punished.
And your skin felt as if you were aflame as you reached a feverish temperature.
It seemed to be working though, it seemed that the swirling current of air was slowing, that you could finally breathe easily, and...
And...
Oh...
Oh no.
It was starting to move in the other direction.
Why, why was it starting to move in the other direction?
Why was it accelerating at such a pace, for that matter?
Had you simply fed more energy into it and told it to turn around or something?
You didn't know how this worked or how you were supposed to stop it!
You were being buffed by a miniature tornado now as the air about you quickly kicked up to gale force, howling as it cast the books about you about the library - as the shelves bolted to the floor rattled and the books upon them were knocked off one by one.
And here you were, in the eye of the storm, wide eyed in horror as your powers went completely out of your control despite your best efforts to handle them.
You were too exausted to do anything about it now as you'd burned all the energy you could muster to try and counter it already, and there was the librarian, rushing out of their corner to yell at you.
Only you couldn't hear a thing they were saying over the howl of the storm that raged about you, you could only tell that they seemed angry - at least until they realised you were staring back at them in wide eyed terror.
And the storm raged all the more fiecely.
You didn't know what you had unleashed here, yet you knew as the librarian attempted to get closer - only to be buffted back by the screaming winds that howled about you - that you would either have to get out of the eye of the storm now and accept that you'd be flung into the shelves, or you'd be trapped here until it subsided.
But here you were, pinned back against the chair, your body feeling like jelly now as your leaden limbs refused to respond.
No, you had to stand up and fight, find reserves that ran deeper than you'd ever found before, push until your body screamed for forgiveness.
The flesh was weak but the mind was stronger.
Your breathing was ragged from a combination of being stolen away by the storm and your exaustion, yet you pushed onward, you forced yourself to start to rise.
The arms of the chair creaked as your weight was placed upon them, as you rose slowly.
Oh, that pain you felt was an exquisite burning sensation that shone brighter than the sun in your mind, yet it was primal fear that had you struggle onward and upward.
You had to do this, you had to escape, you had to survive.
You had to-
...Shit.
Your hoarse screaming was dampened by the winds as you were torn from your precarious position and hauled into the air by the winds that trapped you - briefly - within them as you rose several feet above the ground.
Then, with an almost callous disregard for whom had brought them into being, they cast your form aside.
You twirled through the air as you slammed into the skeletal structure of the now bare metal shelves, tortured metal screaming as the first shelf buckled under the force of your impact and you flipped over it, over the next one.
And clipped the third row of shelves, as you felt the sensation of heat and warmth blossom inside you in a new manner.
Something was wrong though, you couldn't move, you were simply left laying on your stomach over the shelves, legs over one side, arms over the other as the raging winds continued to buffet you.
You were... Hurt too much, or stunned, you didn't know, you couldn't do much more than-
Why weren't your arms responding to your efforts to move, why were your legs just hanging there, why was-
Everything was going dark and you could see blood - your blood - running freely from... You didn't know if you'd bashed your nose, gashed your face or it was coming from your mouth, you had no sensation apart from that fuzzy wamrth that blossomed within you.
You felt tired, oh so tired, but at least you didn't hurt.
You'd just... Close your eyes...
And when you'd slept this off, you'd get up.
That sounded good right now.
And so you found yourself face to face with... Yourself, with your body as it lay motionless atop the shelves it had landed upon.
From this angle you could see red seeping through the chest of that powder blue hoodie you wore, you could see a gash in it where it'd been torn open by the jagged metal of the shelf you'd slammed into and...
Were you...
Dead?
No, that was impossible, wasn't it?
This had to be an out of body experience, or a delusional dream from the combination of... Everything.
But your efforts to interact with your body were met with no response.
Worse still, as you leaned to look at your face, you could see lifeless eyes staring blankly at the floor beneath you.
"Oh god, my head," echoed the voice of the librarian as they struggled to their feet, clambering upwards as they used the shelves near them as a support. Only for them to freeze as they looked dirtectly at you. Well, not so much as you, as you, as you lay over the shelf. "Hey, are you-" they started as they reached for your wrist, as they braced themselves against the dying winds that still buffeted the room.
"No pulse... Shit. What do I do?" came their fearful words as they brought one hand up to their face, covering their mouth as they took half a step backwards.
"Hey, I'm right here, can you hear me?" you started, only for the woman to take another step back, turn, then-
She stepped right through you.
She couldn't hear you?
Maybe if you focused, maybe if-
"The boss said the LPD c-" came a familiar voice from the halls as the door to the library opened, only for it to be cut short as Millicent's form arrived. "Alyssa!" she screamed, as she rushed over to shelves, repeating the same efforts to find your pulse as the other had, only this time you could see the horror in her expression change to one of denial.
You watched with a detatched fascination as she slapped your cheeks, as she shook you, as she begged and pleaded with you to wake up, telling you that this wasn't a good time to go to sleep.
Maybe you were wrong about her in a few ways.
You couldn't trust her too much given her employment in this agency, but she actually did care about you as a person.
...Though this wasn't the best time be concerning yourself with this.
You had the issue that you were sort of...
"I'm dead... How the fuck do I fix this?" you whispered to yourself as you watched Millicent's efforts to rouse you continue for some moments more before she turned to the horrified librarian.
"Call the fucking medics you slack jawed moron!" she yelled as her anger had the librarian snap to attention, rush over to the phone on the other side of the room and hurriedly start babbling into it.
Millicent on the other hand slumped down with her back against the shelves you lay atop, burying her head in her hands as she suddenly seemed very small.
You didn't know if she could see, feel or hear you, but you figured that if there was anywhere you wanted to be here, it was beside her.
And so you sank down beside her, allowing your growing sense of detachment to calm you as you placed a hand upon her shoulder - reassuringly.
You didn't care if she knew or not, it felt like this was what you were supposed to do right now.
Of course, you couldn't tell her everything'd be fine.
Even if she could hear you, telling her that everything'd be fine would be far from reassuring given you were-
"Millicent, can you hear me?" you asked, wondering if you could indeed make yourself heard.
Only it was met with silence.
"Millicent, please, it's very important that I know if you can hear me or not."
Further silence.
"Damnit, answer me!" You growled as you reached to pinch her side, only there was no response to this either.
The doors burst open as a team of medics rushed in, as the boss made his way in pale as a ghost behind them.
The librarian, hysterical now over the entire incident babbled their side of the story almost incomprehensibly to the boss, only his attention was drawn away from their sobbing to you.
As in, you.
Not your body.
"Alyssa, your irresponsibility has-" he started in the tone of one trying to assert their authority so that they could command a situation they had no bearing over.
"What the FUCK, she's dead, yelling at her like a fucking idiot isn't going to fucking help anyone you momental fucking moron!" snarled Millicent as she rose to her feet, her one hand snapping up to point at where you lay, as the medics busied themselves about her.
Even as you watched them starting to take your body down from atop the shelves, you could see the mans attention snapping back and forth between you and your body.
"That's... She's stood right..." he mumbled as he pointed right at you. "You can see her, can't you?"
"I don't see anyone there." Millicent's voice came in a measured pace.
It was the calm before the storm once more, though this time a woman was about to explode and a man was about to die.
Or so it seemed, anyway.
"Alyssa, can you hear me?" he uttered aloud, slowly, in the kind of tone someone'd use when trying to talk down to someone with a disability.
"I'm dead, apparently. That doesn't mean I've suddenly become stupid."
"I... Okay, can one of you tell my secretary to inform the LPD there's no issue so we don't need them," he started, before turning his attention back towards you fully " Alyssa, We're going to do everything we can to-"
"Uh, Sir, this is... There's not much we can do here, her ribs have been broken and..."
"And what?" you asked, half turning your head to look at the group huddled about your form. Your hoodie was visible to the side, ruined now with the way it was torn and bloodied, though angling yourself as you could, you couldn't see around them clearly enough to see just how seriously hurt you'd been.
You could see glimpses of your form, bone visible through your chest, a gash on your side, but they were-
"She wants to know what."
"Uh... Okay. Her ribs look like they punctured her heart."
"Okay... Can you prepare her for surgery?"
"Sir, she's not..."
"Historic documents of immortals - such as herself - have told us that they can recover from injuries such as these. Repair as much as the damage as you can to expediate her recovery."
"Uh... Yes sir."
Wait, was that...
Bastards, they'd cut your top off to check you like this.
Oh, this wasn't on.
This was what it took to rouse your ire once more, to snap you back from that detatched and blissful sense of disconnection you felt. It was time to...
...Make your anger known, punch one of them, topple a book case, anything! (Spark power revealed as Dream Walker)
...Tell them to pull those ribs out your heart and punch one of them yourself! (Spark power revealed as Unkillable + Seven Fold Healing Rate.)
...Get up, walk it off and complain that they'd ruined your clothing. (Spark Power revealed as Delayed Regeneration.)
...Take command of the situation through the boss, he could see you, hear you... (Spark power revealed as Divine Voice.)
...Approach this in another manner. (Players choose Alyssa's other thematic upgradable power.)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Generally me on June 06, 2015, 04:37:49 pm
1. Can affect real life while a spirit
2. Incredibly fast healing
3. Don't know
4. We can be heard while a spirit
Is this right? Except for 3.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 06, 2015, 04:43:34 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 06, 2015, 04:52:41 pm
Could you give more detailed descriptions of each of the powers
1. Can affect real life while a spirit
2. Incredibly fast healing
3. Don't know
4. We can be heard while a spirit
Is this right? Except for 3.
OOC:
1: Starts out as her being able to influence the world mildly while projecting a spiritual form when incapacitated / asleep, can be upgraded to the point she's as strong, if not stronger as a projection. Also allows her to invade dreams.
2: Heals/Recovers a bit faster (flat bonus.)
Starts out only incapacitated by wounds that should otherwise kill her, can progress towards either not registering physical wounds or complete imperviousness in time.
3: Starts out able to make her regenerate serious damage at a rapid rate after a delay, will eventually allow her to regenerate near instantly.
4: Starts out able to influence others, later may allow for her to warp more than opinions (perceptions, reality...) with her words.
Some of these choices may come back later, once she has grown in power - so choosing one now doesn't mean you're locked out of the others.
Post by: Generally me on June 06, 2015, 05:18:04 pm
Post by: Kashyyk on June 06, 2015, 05:19:18 pm
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 06, 2015, 05:20:14 pm
I vote for either 2 or 3. For preference, 3.Agreed.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 06, 2015, 05:20:37 pm
Post by: Fallatus on June 06, 2015, 08:27:36 pm
You have had enough of this. You are Alyssa. You are immortal. You killed yourself. Now you're going to bring yourself back.
Reality be damned, This. Ends. Now.
WAKE UP
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: endlessblaze on June 06, 2015, 08:31:56 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
(we already do this. its like....our entire thing!)
TAKE OPTION ONE!
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 06, 2015, 10:26:58 pm
Spark Power: Flames of the Phoenix
Upon incapacitation or sleep, Alyssa becomes wreathed in mystical flames that completely heal and restore her without damaging her or the surrounding area. However, she does not possess any increased regeneration outside of this rebirth.
If not that, I'd lean towards 2 or 3. If the last game is anything to go by, we'll probably end up coming back from death at least a few times.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 06, 2015, 10:29:29 pm
Personally, I'd steal an idea from last game..........but I love this idea to much.
Spark Power: Flames of the Phoenix
Upon incapacitation or sleep, Alyssa becomes wreathed in mystical flames that completely heal and restore her without damaging her or the surrounding area. However, she does not possess any increased regeneration outside of this rebirth.
If not that, I'd lean towards 2 or 3. If the last game is anything to go by, we'll probably end up coming back from death at least a few times.
IM CHANGEING MY VOTE! PLUS ALL THE ONES!
Post by: Fallatus on June 06, 2015, 10:41:54 pm
(we already do this. its like....our entire thing!)
Exactly!
Which is why we should just forgo the entire "have our body repaired and ribs taken out of our hearth" thing and just do it ourselves.
Imagine their faces when our body just "decides" to start putting its ribs back and repair its hearth without outside assistance.
Maybe even have the wind rustle a bit as it happens, Or some kind of energy is felt in the room. Something that hints (Just hints) At how powerful we are/can become to these mortals.
A bit of two a little bit of one and three n' four.
and also, If violence, Only harm the surface we are lying on. we're not gonna try to hurt someone that's trying to help us without any reason to do so, Are we now.
Post by: Peradon on June 07, 2015, 01:15:48 am
Post by: Fallatus on June 07, 2015, 03:29:29 am
For just a moment you feel the source of your power, Of your "impossibility". You are one, I am one.
And they shall know your presence.
You proceed to slam the the ground with such force it cracks in a glass like pattern around your body. (Choice #1 selected)
..And then it passes. You feel reality reassert itself and your body being restor-ed! YEAOWCH!!! FUCKFUCKFUCK FUCK!! THAT HURTS! WHY DOES A DEAD BODY BEING BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE HURT SO GODDAMN MUCH!!! Whaititsbecauseofyourribsandshitisntit- PAINPAINPAINPAIN! OKAY! It's getting better now you think- NOPE!...
...Aaaand it's gone. Pain replaced with utter exhaustion, And unconsciousness it seems... Huh. Always thought my dreams would have less vast dark void and more, You know.. Vidja games and.. Stuff...
Okay. Moment over, What the hell is up with that shit?
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 07, 2015, 04:34:32 am
Or you were about to fade away.
You weren't about to fade away, were you?
No, this was... This was more of a building power than a diminishing sense of self.
"Ah, I uh... It is what is special about me, I suppose you could say," came the bosses response, though a voice in the back ofyour mind screamed that this was a lie. His body language was all wrong, it was a deception intended to throw you off what he truly was.
These people all seemed to favour lying about what they could do, so you were hardly surprised by this - you were hurt though, here you were laying dead in the middle of a library and they still had the nerve to lie to you.
A sensation within your chest fluttered, followed by shocked murmers from the medics that where in the midst of trying to set a stretcher up to move you.
"Is something wrong?" you asked, watching as the boss awkwardly turned to the group to relay your question.
"She wants to know if something is wrong."
"She... We have a pulse again, it's weak, but... That's impossible, her... Her body is repairing itself," came the medic's shocked response.
"Why is this impossible?" you asked, waiting for the boss to awkwardly relay this question, too.
"Is there some reason this shouldn't happen?"
"Well... I don't know, to be honest."
Was he enlightened?
Deathless?
Simply gifted with more power than he let on?
"Now, Alyssa, we need to talk about how this irresponsible display, had it not been for how you are fortunate to be blessed with these talents, could have resulted in us sending home the sad news to your family that you-"
"Shut the fuck up you wretched asshole, if she is able to hear you, reprimanding her at a time like this is the last thing she needs!" came Millicent's yelling from nearby. "It's always the same with you, bark bark bark, you must be in control of any situation regardless of if it needs your meddling or not. She has enough on her plate right now."
Actually...
This was kinda awesome now you thought about it.
It was like what happened after your character died on some games, only this was the real thing - you were here, you were about to revive and continue your battle against...
Yourself, mainly.
You were your biggest challenge right now.
"Yeah, shut up," you gasped as your arms flopped leadenly to cover your chest - you'd been expecting something more than to suddenly find yourself in your body again. You could feel bones shifting within you, repositioning themselves so that they could fuse.
It was like your innards had been turned into a bag of meat full of shards of broken glass, glass, that wanted to repair itself to reform the supporting structure that was supposed to keep that meat in place.
"Why'd you cut my top open?" you asked as you patted the ground beside you, awkwardly, as you sought your hoodie out.
"Uh, protocol says that in the event of a serious injury we're to cut all clothing away to avoid agitating an injury further while assessing it and that your..."
"Okay, I get- Oh god, that shouldn't move like that," you wheezed as you rolled onto your side. You'd felt a rib pull, or at least that was what you assumed, against everything in its path to re-set itself properly. "As for irresponsible, all I tried to do was create a tiny gust of wind out of curiosity."
You paused to assess what this 'tiny' gust had done. There were books all over the floor, one of the shelves had been wrecked by you slamming into it. The gash to your side it had dealt seemed to be gone, but considering the amount of blood over the case, splattering the floor between it and where you lay...
For that matter, there was a fair amount of blood about you, and you could feel your prior fatigue slowly asserting itself again as the pain faded and your adrenaline settled back to more normal levels.
Books had been blown all over the room from everywhere in the room.
"I needa nuu tohp," was all you could manage to utter as your slurred words reflecting the onrushing sense of exaustion that was overtaking you.
And then after expressing your distaste over your current lack of decency, all was black.
You welcomed it in this case, you were dealing with exaustion that went beyond that what you should have been capable of feeling.
You had burned impossible amounts of energy today to put your hand through a wall, to make a 'little' gust of wind.
Everything was black, and then it wasn't as you stirred, bleary eyes opening to...
...The clinical white of a medical ward's ceiling.
Beep, beep, beep.
The steady sound of some machine you'd never learned the name of monitored your heart rate, while various things stuck out of you and on you were the next thing to catch your attention.
They were monitoring your heart rate, had drip feeds in your veins, tubes up your nose.
Ugh, that last detail was uncomfortable.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," came a familiar voice as you turned your head to see Millicent sat beside you. "You've been out for two days since that scene you caused."
"Where's arse face?"
"Arse face. You... You were seriously injured and... Who?"
"Your boss."
"Oh, right. Why do you want to speak with him?"
"You were right, he was completely out of line. He was more interested in power games than my well being in the middle of a..." you paused, you'd also seen Millicent's reaction when she'd discovered you. "Oh, am I properly healed?" you asked, you were leading somewhere with this.
"Yeah, we took x-rays after we got you here, then more later. Within two hours it looked like everything had repaired itself, but lets-"
"One moment," you paused.
Hospital gown.
Good enough, you told yourself as you sat up, before leaning over to the woman sat beside you to embrace her - awkwardly, given your positioning.
"I'm sorry I scared you like I did, I was pretty much aware of everything and..."
"Wait, everything?" Millicent's shock was evident.
"Yeah, I saw how horrified you were, I feel bad about that."
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"
"That you're human?" you laughed weakly. "No, I'll let them continue to believe that all government agents are reptilian spies. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I've been assigned to you full time as you're a danger to yourself and others. Plus the boss is furious with me."
"Fuhrerous."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Two days though?"
"Yeah, you went into a coma, they think that you did so because your body needed a chance to rest after being pushed so hard. Hey, promise me something Alyssa?"
"What's that?"
"Be more careful."
"I can't promise that, I was trying to be careful and..." you shifted to pat at your body. You felt tender in some places still. "I thought you said I fully healed?"
"Bruising apparently doesn't qualify as something your body cares about fixing."
"...I look terrible, don't I?"
"It's not that bad, the black eyes are fading."
"Oh, so I look like a panda. Awesome."
"No, it's really not that bad."
You took a deep breath as you stretched out, as you felt your body protest these movements simply because it had been able to spend so much time relaxing.
Two days, that meant...
"Did anyone call my family?"
"Yeah, we told them that you're with us still, that you'd call as soon as you could. Your sister's fine, she wants you to know you're still a stupid nerd. She went quiet and handed the phone back to your parents after was told you'd been really worried about her."
"What about my parents?"
"Your father managed to get a new job, mother's still looking. They send their love."
"Did you... Did you tell them anything?"
"Nope, it isn't my place to talk about that kind of stuff."
"Right. So... Clothes," you mumbled as you started plucking the various things attached to you off.
"Alyssa, you should wait until-"
Beeeeeeeeee-
Within fifteen seconds of this a medic rushed into the room.
"Hey," you started as the medic ground to a halt upon seeing you sat upright like this. "Can you give me a hand removing the rest of these?" you asked, gesturing to the various IV lines. You weren't certain if there was a certain way to remove these or not.
While it was potentially a non-issue, you didn't want to take chances with something sticking out your veins right now.
You'd seen enough of your own blood recently.
"I do have replacement clothes, right?" you asked Millicent as the medic, with a sigh, moved to your side to start removing the rest of the tubes from you.
"Yeah, top drawer of the beside cabinet, it's all new."
"All of it?"
"All of it. Do you have any idea how much blood you got over everything?"
"Vaguely. Even my shoes were ruined?"
"Everything."
"Damn. I loved my hoodie, too."
For a moment you sullenly slouched forwards, you had many good memories of that hoodie, like... The time you... Stood at the buss stop for half an hour and it kept you warm.
Okay, maybe not, but it had been a favourite garment of yours to wear for the comfort and sense of security it gave you.
You were antsy though, you'd been asleep for two days and you just wanted to do... Something, anything!
Maybe you could visit those people mentioned before, or you could explore London or...
Something. Anything?
Spoiler: Alyssa (click to show/hide)
---
Just a note; I'll leave it open for delayed regeneration as it won out here to evolve - later - either way as interest was shown in a phoenix-eque power. It could be the flawed start of that, or it could turn into full fledged regeneration. It'll be up to everyone else later.
Though she didn't quite walk it off, as I do try to take some flavour from all over, too, where I can.
Post by: Fallatus on June 07, 2015, 05:28:14 am
Oh and ask about how much their testing revealed. They did test you while you were comatose didn't they? otherwise that would be horribly wasteful of them.
And you should probably call your family and tell them you're alright! But what if they ask about stuff? just tell them the truth, That you just ended up overexerting yourself a bit and had to rest up...
But what if they'd question what you did to overexert yourself? or why it took two days to recover? Or.. what if they're worried sick about you? Ugh, At times like these you'd normally just relax with some games and get your thoughts sorted out, But you don't have any!
Blargh. Too early. People relation module still booting up, Think later. Breakfast first. Then sightseeing.
Also, I wonder if by regeneration it can also eventually mean regeneration of our very existence. Such that we can never truly cease to exist. So that we'd be.. Eternal, Truly Eternal.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 07, 2015, 06:32:40 pm
Post by: Peradon on June 08, 2015, 01:01:00 am
Post by: Fallatus on June 08, 2015, 01:22:52 am
We should also ask how someone like us actually hones our abilities... without blowing up a room.
Also +1.
Post by: Generally me on June 08, 2015, 01:38:41 am
Eat food, then go out and explore London a bit.+1
+1We should also ask how someone like us actually hones our abilities... without blowing up a room.
Also +1.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 08, 2015, 05:54:18 am
Blue jeans, white trainers, a black t-shirt and a plain navy blue hoodie. It wasn't your first choices, but they were servicable - at least until you could get some clothes of your own sent down, or get them to provide you with more than one set of clothes.
Honestly, it looked like an attempt to be inconspicuous from the nineties, but you'd live, even with a fashion no-no like that.
Nobody did the nineties anymore, nobody.
Especially not the bold and colourful horrors that had once cropped up.
Even the entire retarded 'swag' culture had died down in recent years, in favour of a new cycle of more conservative and sensible fashion.
Perhaps the 'swag' thing was a resurgance of nineties fashion and things really did go in cycles.
There were some timeless classics however, like the kinds of little black dress you'd go out to party in.
Not that you partied much.
No, you were pretty much an unfashionable nerd, but you knew this stuff by proxy, some of your friends from school as you'd grown up had become the popular girls, and well, they'd always tried to get you to go out more.
With limited success.
And here you were, self proclaimed genius and unstoppable force, in a hospital bed, reflecting on life.
You should be reaching forwards, redefining yourself, growing!
Not concerning yourself with such things as fashion, no.
You were a leader in a field now, you just needed to figure out how to define that field and how to graciously accept the reverence of-
No, you were getting delusional.
Maybe breakfast would help?
"So, I have a plan of action for the-" you paused. "Did they throw away the money in my pockets, too?"
"No, you'll be reimbursed for that, they can send that off to replace the soiled notes."
"You make it sound like I wet myself or something."
"Bloodied notes. Better?"
"Not really, ugh. Did that really happen?"
"Oh yeah, you killed yourself. Whatever you said to the boss while you were dead made him all the more grumpy than usual, too. Then you got up, grumped at people and passed out for two days."
"You forgot the part where I was awesome."
"Did you bang your head, too?"
"No, but-"
"Funny thing about all this, you caused a few hundred pounds of damage at the most as the boss is too cheap to spend money on proper shelves and such, so technically you caused more damage to yourself than the library. That you're currently banned from."
"I'm banned from it?"
"That comes as a surprise?"
That indignant anger you felt may not have been justified, but you felt that banning you from a place where you could learn was an insult that went too far.
Learning went hand in hand with gaming, it was all about discovery and adventure in a field that you enjoyed, and this...
Oh, this was clearly a targeted means of punishing you.
Despite you not working for them yet.
"Yes, frankly."
"Why?"
"Why would you impose sanctions that hit on someones biggest interested, if you want them to work for you instead of another agency or group?"
"I..." Millicent paused as she shook her head. She seemed shocked to find that you'd caught her out here. "Lets get back to your plan, please."
"Right. I want to get breakfast. Reasonable enough, no?" you gestured to yourself. "I haven't eaten in two days and I was famished the first time I used my powers. I think i'm numb to my hunger this time, as it's so beyond what it was last time."
"Or, you know, you're fine because we pumped you full of drip feeds and such and just have an empty stomach."
"Do you have to argue against me eating?"
"No, but I'm arguing against you eating until you're sick, just incase."
"Ugh, fine."
"You're not a morning person, are you?"
"No, i'm not. Anyway. Eating, sight seeing, calling family. Calling them can be done outside the facility, so they can't monitor my call."
"They don't actually do that, we're not that kind of agency."
"As far as you know."
"You're very paranoid, aren't you."
"I have reason to be, given I've never heard of people like me before. What if there's more and they simply make people like me vanish because we don't want to work with them?"
"Alyssa, you're the first person i've seen with powers of your magnitude and the last person we saw who had anything that looked quite so special that didn't want to work with us or anyone else came back to work with us five years later after they came to terms with it."
"You've lied to me, too."
"Yeah, and you saw me on the verge of tears when I saw you laying broken over a book case."
"I... Okay, you have me there, but that doesn't mean that you're getting a free pass."
"Of course I'll lie to you at times, Alyssa. When I do so, it's in your best interests because you're either not ready to, or not permitted to know something. That, or it's for your own safety."
"Was the supermarket-"
"That was a fucking skin walker, I could have lied and said it was nothing."
"I never saw anything about them in the books I read," you mused aloud as you slumped back against the bed.
"Of course not, they censor the shit out of those books to hide the worst horrors that have happened."
"Like the thousand soul?"
Millicent tensed up as she drew her arms about herself.
For a moment you could see a look in her eyes that was anything but friendly, as if you'd just stirred a wasp nest and were about to get stung.
"Lets go get you breakfast now?" she stated as her mood snapped, almost violently, towards forced cheer.
"One more question?"
"What is it?" came her response, one that was forced as she almost gritted her teeth. You could see the subtle shift in bodylanguage that suggested she was certain you weren't going to drop the subject.
"Actually, two. Did they do more tests on me while I was out to understand things better, and, how do they train someone like me to not kill themselves with their powers?"
"No, they couldn't and they have training facilities and programmes for this. Breakfast."
Oh, she was being short with you now.
You had to wonder exactly why she was so annoyed though by that question.
Was she actually one of the enlightened, hiding her nature from you for your own good?
Was she a relative of someone who had been touched by them?
Did it relate to the founding of this place?
You'd find out, sooner or later.
Even if madness lay at the end of that path.
You'd stare into that abyss and you'd tell it, Hi, I'm Alyssa, nice to meet you madness.
And then you'd inflict the internet upon it and show it the true horror and insanity of humanity.
That, and cat memes.
After dressing, you followed Millicent to the cafeteria, shifting uncomfortably the entire time as the new clothing you wore irritated you ever so slightly.
It was new, though, it was bound to be a little uncomfortable until it was worn and broken in.
Of course, Millicent wasn't the only one that exibited wild mood swings - by the time you had your breakfast you'd gone all the way over to the other side of the spectrum.
No longer were you grumpy and confrontational.
No, now you were loopy and overly cheerful.
Had that head injury you'd taken had a lasting effect?
No, that would have healed too, you assumed.
Perhaps it was that awakening power within you affecting you as it amplified your very nature to be your nature squared.
Or perhaps you were just jovial because you had breakfast coming soon, and you'd already ordered a full english breakfast and hot chocolate because you could.
Tea was all well and good, but you felt like you hadn't had chocolate in a thousand years.
Breakfast arrived and was demolished, your chocolate was consumed and an order of toast was added to the pile when you figured that you were still a little hungry.
All this was done in relative silence however, as Millicent held her tongue through the entire thing - doing little more than to make non-commital responses to your own attempts at small talk.
This was annoying.
You hadn't done something to deserve that, had you?
No, you couldn't have, you couldn't see what in your recent actions beyond the mention of the thousand soul could have triggered that reaction.
That mention was the only wild card that had any relevance.
You'd been grumpy, sure, but you'd admitted to it.
You'd been confrontational, but you'd held off any jabs at her.
This was why you preferred games - Everything was so much straight forward and the right dialogue options would get people to resume talking as if everything was fine once more.
By the time you were on your way to the bosses office to tell him - in person as Millicent had insisted - that you wanted to go out into the city itself, your mood had swung once more.
You'd become sullen, barely responsive, lethargy creeping through you as you lay across several of the chairs in the waiting area.
You hadn't moved when you'd been called in.
Instead, after Millicent had stepped into the office without you, he came out to speak with you.
Your response was to draw your hoodie over your knees, the hood over your face and...
You didn't even know why you were crying, but it helped block their voices out.
Their voices fading to murmers that only briefly pierced the misery you felt.
"She was perfectly happy during breakfast," you caught from Millicent, followed by "I don't understand."
"Perhaps testing and training should be delayed," came her bosses words some long moments later, "She's too volatile," came even later.
"I want to go home," you blurted in response, prompting the pair of them to stop their mumbled conversation with each other and for one of them - Millicent of course, you didn't need to see what one of them it was to know she was the only one that'd dare - to kneel beside you.
"Alyssa, I know that you're-" started the voice of her boss, only for Millicent to yell back at him in response.
"Shut up!" She snapped. "She's here feeling isolated and alone, you're actively putting her at risk by denying her distractions to punish her for not being able to control her powers AND denying her training to get her power under control. If you keep this shit up, I swear, I'll swing by every agency you hate while I take her out to see the city and cheer her up and I will tell them just how much of an incompetant you are."
"Millicent, if you do not-"
"You'll fire me?" she laughed, "Please, go ahead, then you'll have two people you don't have authority over walking out the doors."
"If your insubordination continues-"
"You'll let me go, so one of the watchdog agencies will come interrogate me?" she laughed again. "Please, I'll tell them about the nepotism that put you in charge, then I'll take... Hell, I don't know, maybe The Guild's open job offer, or the LPD's, or..."
"Agent Cross, this is your final warning," growled the man though you could feel even now that his rage was impotent.
"Shut it, I'm going to do whatever it is she wants to in the city, then when we get back, you can tell her how deeply sorry you are and hope that she doesn't go home after all," came Millicent's words as she reached down to haul you to your feet. "Okay, you can stop crying, he's not that ugly," she added after marching you out of earshot.
You wiped your eyes on the back of one sleeve, though forcing a smile wasn't happening right now.
"Do you have moodswings like this a lot?" Millicent asked, pausing as she did so. "Or need to take anti-depressants or anything?"
"No, I don't," you mumbled as you pulled the hood forward a little more. You were going to look like the poster child of domestic abuse at this rate, what with the bruising you still had and the red eyes from crying.
"I'll tell the medics to check that out then incase it's something to worry about. Hopefully it'll just pass, though I'm hardly qualified to make that judgement," she paused as she ushered you into the lift - and the people who were already in it, out. "Now, assuming ass-hat doesn't fire me in the mean time, what'd you like to do?"
You took a deep breath as you reflected upon this.
It'd pass, you were sure of it.
Your body was just a chaotic mess of chemicals, hormones and potential that was trying to settle down.
And if it didn't?
Well, you'd figure a way to make it do so.
You were certain that fixing yourself wasn't beyond the scope of your powers, given time and effort to learn it.
But this didn't answer the question posed to you, where did you want to go?
Did you want to go sight seeing?
There were alsorts of tourist attractions.
Maybe you could go eat later, too, given that anything'd be better than the cafeteria.
Or you could... Nah, you didn't want to pursue business, did you?
Post by: Fallatus on June 08, 2015, 07:39:07 am
On the other hand, Maybe going out and seeing stuff and relaxing might be just what we need. Maybe we can increase our understanding by taking in the sights?
Yes, Lets go look at stuff. It'll be good for us.
Post by: Kashyyk on June 08, 2015, 07:45:36 am
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 08, 2015, 08:26:37 am
You know what'd cheer you up? Talking to your family. I think we should call them.+1
Post by: Generally me on June 08, 2015, 12:06:46 pm
You know what'd cheer you up? Talking to your family. I think we should call them.And the going to the city
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 08, 2015, 02:21:41 pm
+1You know what'd cheer you up? Talking to your family. I think we should call them.+1
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 09, 2015, 08:01:11 am
You'd get out of this place, make a call from a pay phone just as soon as you were a comfortable distance into the city.
After calling your family, you'd go sight seeing.
That was what you needed - a chance to talk with your family.
You could find out what work your father had managed to get, what your mother was doing to stay busy while she looked for work, see if they'd given your room to your sister yet.
If that brat had your room, you wouldn't be happy.
No, they wouldn't do that, they'd just tease about it and-
"Come on, lets get out of here before you-" you shot Millicent a glance as she paused to brush a thumb over your cheek. "Okay, that's a bruise, we'll pick up some makeup while we're out too, foundation and such, you can disguise the worst of it."
"Before I what?" you asked, as you turned your attention towards the lobby beyond the lift. "You were going to accuse me of being accident prone again, weren't you."
"No, you were zoning out. You're clearly far from your best, so, perhaps... Yeah, lets pick up coffee on the way too, we can get something strong to perk you up. That's assuming though..."
"Assuming what?"
"Hell if I know, but what if your body purges that kind of stuff now?"
"Then we'll find out?"
"Sure, we'll get you a strong coffee and..." Millicent paused as a frown came to her features.
"And...?" you asked, waiting for a answer that would never come.
"Lets just go," she responded as she forced a smile, leaving you wondering once more just what... No, you didn't care at this point, she could be as secretive and mysterious as she liked, your concerns were calling your family and sight seeing.
Not the petty interpersonal drama of a bunch of agents with dwindling power, or their fears that you'd be snatched up by people who actually had funding.
You didn't care for their drama, their goals, dreams, whatever.
What you did with your power would be to serve your own goals once you had them.
You alone would ultimately decide if what they requested of you was an acceptable use of your powers.
In time, at least.
You just had to remember you, Alyssa, had what they desired.
They would come to you, they would pay you tribute.
You would never again have to feel as if you were second rate, the girl that would get passed over.
A little ego would carry you through these times.
Millicent marched you out to her car after a few hushed words with the person behind the desk, taking you through doors that you had seen a few days ago last.
A few days ago enshrouded in fog, all you could see was the looming facade of this building with lights bleeding through into the darkness of night.
Now, you could see the dull facade as you glanced backwards, the steady rise of the building a counterpoint to your fall as you descended the steps away from it and to freedom. Freedom that had never tasted so sweet as it did now, for this freedom was one in what you could finally get a taste for something you yearned for.
Oh, did you yearn for that connection with your family.
Step, after step away from this oppresive and dreary symbol of what could be, into the freedom - however brief - that the city itself represented at this time.
The buildings about this one were as dreary, with the road that weaved past them leading to a shared parking lot. One of them was converted housing, the other office buildings, the other businesses and residences... Well, you didn't know.
You didn't care either.
And there was Millicent's car, just visible in the distance.
That tatty old thing that made you question what someone with her apparent job prospects was doing with these people.
Just what kept her from leaving them to pursue a career that would pay her what you could only assume was substantially better with, well, anyone?
"Phone call first. Coffee second. Sightseeing after that," you stated as you approached the car, prompting Millicent to glance your way. "That's my priorities, I really, really need to talk with my family. But..." you patted your pockets.
"We forgot to claim replacement funding for you. Don't worry, I'll cover it and get it covered as an expense."
"Thank you," you responded, figuring that as small a gesture as that brief mention of gratitude was, that it would be appreciated none the less.
You clambered into her car, belting yourself in as it roared to life and lurched from the parking lot.
Here you were, back where you had started with her - inside a vehicle going places unknown.
This time though, it was away from this place that sought to oppress you, a place in what the man atop the pile sought to throw his weight around to hold onto power he had never had. He was a literal fish out of water, yet he had betrayed that he himself had a power to you when he had addressed you after you had...
Could you really call that a moment in what you were dead, given you had quite literally gotten better?
You'd been out of comission and he had addressed a projected form.
Several miles went by in a blur as you idly started to draw shapes in the growing condensation on the windows, adding your mark to a landscape that would never persist.
The windows would be cleaned, the shapes you left would be lost.
It was like the world about you, if your mark was just footprints in the sands of time, you'd never leave a persisting mark.
That meant whatever you did, it had to be substantial.
The mark that this thousand soul had left was one that persisted, he had created what had become the modern day LPD Guardian division.
The car pulled to a halt in a parking area in a run down and frankly seedy looking neighbourhood. It was one that's very appearance made you feel uncomfortable, the dillapidated fencing, pockmarked road and boarded up windows told you that this was a bad place, yet it was clear why Millicent had picked this location.
There was a phone here that was just a few feet past the end of the community parking bay, yet...
"I don't feel safe here, Millicent, can't we use a phone-"
"You'll be fine, I'll be out there with you," came her response as she unfastened her seatbelt.
"What if-"
"Shush, here's some change for the phone-" she paused as she passed you several large, silver coins. Three pounds in fifty pence pieces. "The worst you'll catch here's a case of poverty."
"I'm from an area like this," you mumbled indignantly as you clambered from the car. "Tories ruined abso-fucking-lutely everything everywhere north of London," you added as you stomped your way over to the phone.
They were still doing so, too.
More austerity, kill the common man - workers didn't need to eat, they needed to obey.
That was the theme they were giving with their recent political drive.
Not that you'd actually looked into it too much, no, that'd require more effort than just grumbling in an ill informed manner, and hey, grumbling like that had its place.
"Could be worse, the UKEP could have won," Millicent called after you.
"The United Kingdom Eurozone Party's a bunch of lunatics, that farage-day cage guy's a nutjob."
"Rather them than the BNP," she retorted, while moving to sit on the bonnet of her car.
"Lesser of evils, the lot of it. Why'd you even bring the British Nazi Party into-" you huffed as Millicent gave you a dirty look.
"That isn't what it stands for."
"It isn't?"
"Nope."
"Fuck it, it is now," you responded as you brought the phone receiver to your ear. It had a tone, meaning it would work.
A coin was fed into the slot as your fingers danced over the keys, tapping in a less familiar area code, followed by the much more familiar number of your home phone.
Ring, ring.
Ring, ring.
Ring-
"This is the Smith household, nobody-" came the answer phone, your heart sinking at first until the click of a phone being lifted was followed by a familiar voice. "Hello?"
"Mom!" your face lightened up as you heard one of the voices you'd longed to hear since you left home in the first place.
"Oh, Alyssa, we've been hoping you'd get in touch soon, how are you, how is-"
"I'm sorry I didn't earlier, things have been complicated. They did tests, told me I'm all special and stuff, so I guess they're going to want to find me a job down here. If all goes well, I can send some money to you guys to help out. How's dad? How's she-who-cannot-be-named?"
"Your father's at work, he got a job with the local council that gets him up at the crack of dawn-"
"A bin man?"
"Yeah, don't you put him down for it, he-"
"I know, he's doing an awful job because he cares and... I miss him. I miss you. I miss Jennifer less."
Another coin was fed into the slot as a small warning came up on the LCD display.
"Your sister asked if she can have your room if you die, then she asked if she could have it anyway."
"Why does she want my room so badly?" you paused. "Hers is bigger."
"Honestly, it's probably because yours is better kept than hers."
This back and forth conversation went on until the money you had dwindled, leaving you with regret in your voice to tell your mother that you had to go - to tell her to give your love to your father and maybe, just maybe your sister.
And then you turned to Millicent, pausing as you looked up at the sunglasses she had donned in the meantime as a look of clear confusion crossed your features.
"What are you..." you started, glancing at the sky briefly as you did so. "It's overcast, why are you..."
"If we're going into the city, I need to look the part. Most people don't question a flashed badge and an agency with a name like ours, if you won't question the abuse of power, I'll get you ice cream."
"It's too cold for ice cream, though."
"Cake?"
"Make it fudge and you have a deal."
"How about we get whatever catches our attention and don't limit ourselves to-"
"What do you have against fudge?"
"Nothing, it's just the best fudge doesn't come from tourist stands in London."
"Okay, okay," you gave a sigh of mock exasperation before turning to make your way towards Millicent's car, only to pause as a group in hoodies started walking up the street towards you. "Oh great, chavs. They're probably going to-"
"Stop your worrying."
"But-"
"They're a bunch of teenage boys, if they-" A wolf whistle came from the group as they approached, you could almost see Millicent's eyes rolling behind her sunglasses. "See, boys, not a bunch of thugs."
"Uh-huh, I feel all the more uncomfortable now."
"Stop being a baby. Oh fine, I'll handle this." Millicent paused as she glanced back at the group as she rolled her shoulders. "Could you not do that, please?"
"You gonna make us?"
"Whom shall impose this decree," Millicent responded.
"What?"
"I shall impose such a decree."
"The fuck?"
"Let me put this in terms you understand then. Cut that shit and tell my charge here you're sorry, or I will fuck your scrawny ass up."
"I'd like to see you... Try..." The guys response came as Millicent paced towards him. Even as she did he was balling his fist to throw a clumbsy punch - one that Millicent caught with seemingly little effort before she started to apply pressure down on his hand.
You could hear him whimpering as she forced him down to one knee, begging her now to release his hand as his shocked friends looked on.
"They're not going to help you. Nobody will help you," Millicent's words tickled your senses in a way that told you she was using her talents to hold them off. "Now, you're going to tell her you're sorry, or-"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, please let go!" came the guys immediate response as Millicent shoved him backwards.
"Good. Remember to respect others, as not everyone'll meekly tolerate your shit," Millicent responded as she moved back to the car, leaving the shocked group awkwardly shuffling away.
"You didn't need to escalate it in that manner, we could have just... Got in the car and left," you mumbled as Millicent unlocked the doors.
"They don't smell right."
"What?"
"They smell of designer aftershave and their clothes are new. Should be tatty, smell of cheap cider. Not clean shaven and..."
"What are you saying?"
"We're being followed."
"So, we should... Do what about it?" you asked as your stomach turned. The concept of others sending people to follow you made you uncomfortable to say the least.
"We should go sight seeing, they're likely a bunch of goons working for people the boss is friendly with. I'd know if it was some of ours tailing us."
"Why would-"
"Alyssa, if you were in charge and you were keeping it quiet about having done the equivilent of winning the lottery, wouldn't you send people to keep an eye on things?"
"I guess, I don't... I don't like it though."
"Get used to it, we'll see them again later - Just you watch. Now!" she brightened up as she clambered into her car. "Where'd you like to go?"
There were various options - the museums, the bridges, the dome, the various tourists traps.
You could see whatever you wanted, eat junk, spend time relaxing - Millicent was simply waiting for you to give her some direction over what took your fancy now.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 09, 2015, 05:01:46 pm
Post by: Peradon on June 10, 2015, 12:10:17 am
Cake first, then go to see one of the big tourist traps. (Big Ben, etc.) Ask Millicent if there's any history behind them that most wouldn't know. Namely immortal-related.+1
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 10, 2015, 06:41:37 am
"You've been prioritising that kind of thing a lot I've noticed. How do you stay so skinny?"
"I've been prioritising it because any time I use power, I burn so much energy I feel like I'm going to die."
"Makes sense, I suppose. So, cake first, we can stop at one of the tourist places and get some of the overly priced, but sickly sweet crap. That's the kind of stuff you want, right?"
"If it wasn't sweet, it'd be bread."
"I knew you had your priorities straight there."
"So, once we have cake and such, we can move deeper into the city, see a few of the sights, like Big Ben and-"
"Big Ben's been out of bounds since the war."
"It has?"
"Yeah, it was under Guardian watch before the war, then they found after the war that Jacques Dupont had used it for some experiments with his perfect immortal."
"That's not so bad, is it?"
"Two words. Mutilated corpses."
"Oh. So he's the guy that..."
"Wrote the book on you, that nobody can quite understand, yeah."
"So he never actually got anywhere with his work?"
"No idea, it went above our agencies authority and need to know. Frankly, I should remind the boss of it, tell him we have a physical and legitimate need to know, now."
You settled back in your seat for a moment as you mused over this - If Big Ben was out of bounds, then what else was possibly out of bounds?
What else had history that you hadn't heard of due to how they had hidden it in plain sight and the general apathy of the public had directed eyes away from it?
"Hey, Millicent, are there any other places that have history like that?"
"Like Big Ben's?" she paused. "Sure."
"Big Ben's history is related to a murderer, the Tower of London has a captive from the war. I'm betting they don't let people up near her... Well, I'm sure a lot of places have history like that, what I really mean is, what ones have history relating to immortals?"
"Oh. That narrows it down then. Are you including all classifications of immortal?"
"Why not."
"Well..." she drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she mused over this for a long moment. "We have a few cathedrals and churches that had angels appear in them during the eighteen hundreds, we believe they were immortal imposters who'd assumed that form."
"Why'd they do that?"
"Lonely, probably. What better way to get attention than to take a form that would invoke reverence and permit you to get close to others safely."
"So, they took advantage of people?"
"No idea, probably viewed them as their flock, told them to be faithful, then vanished later. Other than those imposters, we have the... Ugh... Thousand soul. Apparently they've a hand in both of the organisations who later went on to merge into The Guild. They have a big hall, though it's not really a tourist attraction. Not sure what else they fucked up around this place, history around them is a mess. Parliment's had a few scandals with immortals, though it's often fast forgotten. Even the incident where a Guardian assassinated a politician, who turned out to be a Ghoul."
"Why would one do that?"
"Don't know, you'd have to ask them yourself. Good luck figuring out who it was and finding out if they're still alive and still remember it."
"What about the Victorian Palace-"
"Currently out of bounds, the Queen has no love for tourists. There's been some scandals recently with her though," Millicent shrugged as you perked up, sitting upright as you turned to look at her.
"Are these ones you're allowed to repeat?"
"Well, the tabloids have reported that a certain minister... Jack Smith?" she paused, shaking her head as she did so. "I don't know, probably. Anyway, a certain minister has been going into the palace grounds a lot. Even the Prime Minister's been turned away by her, so there's rumours abound that he's her boy toy."
You gagged, Queen Victoria was in the centuries region age wise now.
"That's disgusting."
"It's also probably not true, half truths and incidental occurances breed rumour. He might simply be going there for tea and crumpets because she's lonely."
"Okay. What about... Um... Stone henge?"
"Ugh, again with the thousand soul?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
You slumped back in the car seat, admitting briefly as it was, that you felt defeat in this matter.
She didn't want to talk about that immortal, but he seemed to have touched upon many things - and a lot of it in this country it seemed.
"How about the Millenium Dome?"
"What about it?"
"Is there anything about it of-"
"No, that was straight up political failing."
"Oh. Do they have things on immortals in museums?"
"I thought you wanted to get out to relax, not do work."
"Huh?"
"You're awfully interested in learning about this kind of stuff for someone who wanted to relax."
"No, I'm awfully interested in learning the fun stuff, like when people learn about ancient egypt and they go hey, how did the pyramids-"
"Thousand soul had a hand in THOSE too."
"You're fucking... Oh my god, you're not," you shook your head. You could see why she was frustrated with this figure when all the magic and wonder of the world had a handful of key players touch upon it. "So, history is just full of... Immortal's playing chess with each other, with the world as their board?"
"That's a good way of putting it, I suppose. Here we are, lets forget about immortal assholes, present company excluded and get some cake?" Millicent's attitude shifted from mild aggravation to the same forced cheer she used when changing the subject as her car pulled up by a riverside café.
The Thames was as murky and unappealing as ever, but the café itself was a nice one.
White cladding with rustic brickwork allowed to show around windows and doors, hanging baskets full of plants and people sat out front enjoying coffee together.
It wasn't overly busy, it wasn't too sparsesly populated.
It was horribly overpriced though, wow.
The prices on things here could have fed you for a few days back home.
The fragrant late bloomers in those baskets held on with the fading summer, adding a favourable image to this establishment as you stepped inside.
Inside you were assaulted by the scents of a hundred different types of food - from bacon to pastry - as well as drinks that ranged from tea and coffee to wine.
"Could we get some cakes to go?" Millicent asked the person behind the counter.
"Certainly, what kind would you like?"
"I'd like a vanilla sponge with lemon icing and," she glanced at you. "I think she's going to make me guess what she wants. Uh... Caramel fudge cake?"
"Actually, I wasn't going to make you guess, but that does sound good," you laughed.
"Coming right up, that'll be-"
Your attention wandered as you looked around the interior of the café, plastered walls were bordered with rustic brickwork, glazed terracotta tiles covered the floor.
It made the tables, fairly modern looking glass and steel ones, look out of place.
This place had a charm to it, but it wasn't worth those prices.
As Millicent passed you your cake you offered thanks before cradling it against you in the napkins it was wrapped in.
This was going to be much needed calories to offset the amount you'd no doubt burn while walking around gawking at the tourist traps, or help take the edge off how much you'd burn if you used your powers.
As the pair of you approached the car again the waters of the Thames started to lap at the riverbank with increased vigour, surging up against the flood guards that had proven time and time again to be woefully inadequate.
You were about to draw Millicent's attention towards it yet you knew there was no need as you could hear her mumbling profanely under her breath.
It was as the waters started to surge upwards that she shoved you - almost violently - back towards the passenger side of the car.
As the doors unlocked and she jumped in to start the engine the waters broke, you caught a glimpse of something that frankly scared the crap out of you, you didn't know what it was, but you could see Millicent's expression said that this was every bit as bad as it seemed.
Out of the waters came...
...A giant shelled thing with a body easily the size of four cars laid side by side, a crab mutated by the same taint as the Vultures.
...A humanoid figure that must've stood ten feet tall, a figure that was covered in scales that gazed at you - YOU - with beady eyes as its clawed hand curled to point a finger at you.
...A bloated thing that was possibly once human, with fangs like a pirana that screeched as it splashed towards the shore?
Whatever it was, it was probably a good idea to run, wasn't it?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 10, 2015, 09:08:47 am
As for our response...
Ask what they want, try to hold a conversation and stall for time until Millie gets the car stated. Once conversation fails, run for it (preferably in the car) and try blasting him with lightning if he pursues.
Post by: Fallatus on June 10, 2015, 11:50:57 am
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 10, 2015, 01:36:11 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 10, 2015, 08:52:21 pm
A humanoid figure that must've stood ten feet tall, a figure that was covered in scales with fangs like a piranha that gazed at you - YOU - with beady eyes as its clawed hand curled to point a finger at you.+1
It utters an apology for scaring us and states that we're not safe here.
I mean for the strikethrough to be removed in this vote.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 11, 2015, 06:21:51 am
With a disproportionate upper body that tapered away to a more slender, though no less heavy muscled lower body, the thing had an appearance vaguely akin to that of an ape.
If an ape had been a scale covered aquatic creature with gills and a lizard like head.
The things eyes, beady as they were shone with a firece intelligence as it seemed to recognise the manner in what you were fearfully backing up and assume a more passive, almost submissive postured, though its one arm extended.
One finger pointed straight at you.
Then itself.
And then that hand simply fell away as it allowed its powerful shoulders to slouch.
"Leehr... Sehrn," the thing uttered in a low grumble as it took a careful, testing step towards you. Your instinctual response was to step back, prompting it to adopt an even more submissive gesture as it stooped and half turned its body away.
For all its attempts to be unthreatening, this thing was still a massive muscular creature that looked like it could snap a man in two.
"Mehr... Huhrn-grr. Hull-din. Leehrsern. Ehyr spey-keh."
"Alyssa, get in the car!" came Millicent's yelled words, though you couldn't tear yourself away from this terrifying spectacle of an entity attempting to communicate with you as the water of the river poured from its mouth.
Behind you, you were vaguely aware of the screams of people fleeting, running for their cars and pulling away, yet you continued to maintain eye contact with this beady eyed beast.
"I don't... I don't understand you," you offered, as you shuffled backwards.
"Ehy spyke... War-ds. Yehr lehrsyn. Steh. Nuu-mehve, muhs ruh-tun. Steh," it uttered as it held up a finger, before backing away into the river, glancing back at you several times to ensure that you were... Not running?
And then it ducked under the surface of the waters.
"Alyssa, what are you-" Millicent started as she ran towards you, a hand grabbing for your own as she started to pull you over towards the car. "That's a fucking Jötunn, are you stupid, or didn't the size of the fucking thing tell you how dangerous it is?"
"Why was it trying to speak to me?"
"They're not stupid. They're predators that eat flesh, it could have learned to immitate behaviours that would lull you into a false sense of-"
The waters parted with a rush as the Jötunn once more emerged, though this time it took one look at Millicent, roared and started to rush towards the bank of the river, vaulting from it as the metal pipe fence lining the road that ran alongside buckled and broke.
The thing was much too powerful and heavy for a fence that could stop a car to support, but it was enough for it to cover the distance between the river and you, landing a tiny distance from you as it held one fist clenched to its chest.
The other thrust towards Millicent, bowling her over as it let out another roar, this one filled with a snarling undertone as the pair of you were bowled over and seperated.
"Lher-syn," the thing once more started as it looked down at you, though this time all you could do was scream in terror.
How could you not?
This thing was a vast entity covered in scars scales, an entity that stunk of the river water with an oily undertone that was more than just the pollution that had been pumped into the Thames.
And there it was, looming over you as it reached out with one hand towards you, a hand that you attempted to roll away from only to find it had pinned you against the road and-
You were going to die, it was going to-
"Shhh-rrr..." came the things rumbling tone as it... Stroked your back?
Your screaming stopped more out of confusion than confidence.
"Eyh R-tun whr-t yuh haaaav luhs. Muhs gev," it grunted as it almost gingerly seemed to try to flip you back over, its vast, clawed hand manuevered in a manner that suggested it was attempting to avoid harming you.
But all you could do was tremble as this thing gazed down at you with its beady eyes.
From a distance, you were braver.
"Liyt fehl owl eh-buhrv. Rrruhm-buhls owl eh-buhv. Grrrow-und rrruhm-buhl. Yew luuhs th-ehs. Eye r-tuhrrrrn," came the things attempts at vocalising, yet you didn't have a clue what it was trying to tell you as it attempted to settle down before you in as unthreatening a manner as it could. It was like a ten foot tall monster assuming the kind of posture a dog would when it knew it was in trouble.
The clenched hand reached forwards, opening above your lap as it dropped something hard and heavy, something that was coated in river weeds and mud.
"Eye hrrv r-tuhrn. Muh-sss goh. Sssys-teh curhm. Wyll kihl eye. Eye noh whnt kihl. Ur-verrs curhm. Wyll kihl yew. Noh whrnt yew kihl. Yew leahf. Yehs?"
You nodded, agreeing with whatever this thing was trying to convey as it reached down to pat your head - a gesture that bumped you down as this things immense strength, restrained as it was, brought into play.
With that the thing turned away from you, slinking through the broken fence and into the rivers.
The rivers, where it sank once more without trace into the muddy hued Thames.
"Alyssa," wheezed Millicent as she struggled to her feet, holding her chest as she grabbed your arm. "We're getting out of here, NOW. Leave whatever that... That is," she continued as she gestured to the lump left atop your lap.
"No, it... It might be..."
"Fine, just... Just get in the car, and you... Ugh, my ribs, that's going to bruise," she paused as she stumbled up against the side of her car for support. "You can... Can listen to the recording while we get somewhere away from water and you can find a reason for me not to take your ass back to the agency. Do you even know how reckless what you did was?"
You could feel her use of her ability to warp others perception in her favour washing over you, as she attempted - or subconsciously, you couldn't tell - to use it to drive her point home, to bring you under her thumb.
To bring this entire situation under her control.
You weren't having it, you weren't allowing her to manipulate you in that way, even if you were going to co-operate with whatever she said.
You were no pawn, you were free willed and you would not be controlled in that way.
No, you had choice and you were going to exercise it.
"Give me the recording then," you muttered as you clambered into the car, belting yourself in as Millicent pulled out of the café's grounds and onto the road. "I'll listen to it again and..."
Millicent fumbled with something in one of her inner pockets for a moment as she pulled out a small device, a device that looked like it'd been cracked by the manner she'd been shoved.
Though, you rationalised, it could also have been damaged at any other point.
She tapped at its screen for a moment before bringing up the recording she'd made of the things attempts to vocalise at you.
"If you try and access any other recording on there, I will punch you in the throat and take it back, just so we're clear."
Oh, she was serious.
You could feel that she meant that.
"I understand," you mumbled as you started the recording to listen to what the thing had said again, before pausing it as you glanced at Millicent. "Do you have any tissues, so I can clean this off and find what it is?" you asked as you gestured to the wet mass you held just above your lap.
"You should have left it, whatever it is, it's trouble," came her response, though she shifted to retrieve a box of tissues from under her seat.
"How is it trouble?"
"Ever hear of a monster giving someone a gift?"
"A few times, yeah."
"What was the outcome of it?"
"It varies wildly depending on the story. Sometimes it gives a gift to trick someone, others to aide them. Often, the monster still suffers even when the gift was benevolent."
"I was trying to get at it being a trick."
"Covered in mud and-"
"Yes. Now shut up and give me reason not to take you back."
You huffed at the other woman as you used tissues to pry away vegetation, to wipe away mud, all while listening to the recording as you made an effort to discover what lay beneath.
Even as you did, you could see the sleek forms of two things accompanied by the roar of jet engines - two guardians, they had to be - rush overhead leaving vapour trails in their wake.
From here, you could make out that these things bore humanoid shapes, that they were blue and silver against the grey skies, though from here you couldn't make out fine details beyond that.
You glanced back down at the object you were cleaning, you could see... Well, it looked like a dark, possibly metal item was starting to appear in the midst of the filth.
An item that was composed of six honeycomb shaped cylinders, an item that you found yourself gazing at in confusion as the words, if they could be called such, of the creature continued to play back at you on repeat.
It'd given you... This and... Said things.
Millicent was waiting for you to give her reason not to turn back, for you to tell her what this all meant.
Did you even have the slightest clue, though?
Post by: Fallatus on June 11, 2015, 09:33:14 am
"Leehr... Sehrn,"
Listen (?)
"Mehr... Huhrn-grr. Hull-din. Leehrsern. Ehyr spey-keh."
(????) I hear speaking.(?)
"Ehy spyke... War-ds. Yehr lehrsyn. Steh. Nuu-mehve, muhs ruh-tun. Steh,"
I speak/spoke(?) words. You listen(?). Stay. No moving, Must return(?). Stay,
"Lher-syn,"
Listen
"Shhh-rrr..."
Shhhh...
"Eyh R-tun whr-t yuh haaaav luhs. Muhs gev,"
I return What you have lost. Must give(go?),
"Liyt fehl owl eh-buhrv. Rrruhm-buhls owl eh-buhv. Grrrow-und rrruhm-buhl. Yew luuhs th-ehs. Eye r-tuhrrrrn,"
Light fell over(From?)(?) above(?). Rumbles (??) above(?). Grow(ing? And?) rumble. You lost this. I return.
"Eye hrrv r-tuhrn. Muh-sss goh. Sssys-teh curhm. Wyll kihl eye. Eye noh whnt kihl. Ur-verrs curhm. Wyll kihl yew. Noh whrnt yew kihl. Yew leahf. Yehs?"
I have return.(?) Must go. Sister(?) come(?). Will kill i. I not want kill. Others come(?). Will kill you. (???). You leave. Yes?
So... What now?
Post by: Kashyyk on June 11, 2015, 09:43:52 am
I never actually finished the previous story (last I recall, we'd just found Joy). Is this gift sounding like one of the Thousand Souls's gadgets?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 11, 2015, 09:47:28 am
Spoiler: Translation (click to show/hide)
"It sounds... I think he's claiming that his object is something I lost, possibly during some kind of catastrophe. But I've never owned anything like this. Unless... is it possible I could be a reincarnation like the thousand soul, that this is something I might have had in a past life?"
Give Millie our best guess at what he said. Then examine that object.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 11, 2015, 07:32:51 pm
Of course, Millicent was starting to look down her nose at you, so you'd have to make it clear that you actually had this.
"Okay, if you want reason not to turn us about, I'll give you it. Give me a little longer and I'll decipher what it was saying to me, to us. I think i've figured how to compensate for the accenting that its tone gave, and-"
"Uh-huh, and how do I know you're not bluffing?"
"Okay, listen here. First thing it said, Leh-sen. Listen. Meh... Me. It's forcing the sound there as it doesn't have the same mouth structure as a person."
"Two words. impressive. At this rate you'll be done by tonight."
"Hungry, it was hungry but said it was holding. It wanted to tell me that it.. That it didn't mean harm and it was going against its nature." you paused as you listened to the entire thing repeat once more.
"So...?" Millicent prodded as she continued on the road towards the most built up parts of London's tourist traps.
"I speak words, you listen. Stay, no move, must return, stay," you translated as you glanced down at the mass of tissues and vegetation on your lap. "So, it was... Returning this to me. I don't get it." you mumbled as Millicent pulled a face of disgust.
"You lost that at some point and it wanted to scare the shit out of people to give it back?"
"I don't think so, I've never, ever seen this before."
You flopped back, listening to the recording loop once again as you peeled further debris from the object.
You were certain it was metal now, that it was part of a machine of some kind.
It was a short component of some form that had six cylindrical chambers, its outer structure was almost honey comb shaped, so it could... Turn?
You weren't certain that was right, but it was all you'd figured so far.
It had a hole between all the chambers too, one that looked like it was almost finger sized.
Possibly where a pole of some kind had gone in for it to... Rotate on?
"Listen... Shh..." you mumbled as you took the easiest parts that followed. "I return what... What you have lost, must give. Again with returning something I never lost..." you mumbled as you idly started to clean out the mud clogged cylinders. They were hollow all the way through.
You were going to have to get your new hoodie washed after this, it was going to stink of the stagnant river water otherwise.
"Light fell... Light fell all above, rumbles all above. Ground rumbled. You lost this, I return. It's pretty adamant I lost this, but this looks like its been in the river for years and... This is my first time in London."
"I'm more concerned that this thing actually spoke to you instead of trying to eat you. Do you know how-"
"Shh. I've not translated this bit," you paused. "I have... I have returned. Must go. Sister come. Sister comes?" you paused, glancing up at Millicent. "What would be a sister to one of those things, another kind of Joe?"
"Jötunn. I have no idea what they would call a sister, but we did see a pair of guardians go overhead. Perhaps one of them's called a Jötunn?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"You're suddenly the expert here."
"It finished by saying... Will kill I, so its sister would kill it... And... I not want kill. It doesn't want to die-"
"I think you're projecting."
"Uh-huh. So why did it say... Others come, will kill you, not want you kill?"
"Wait, what?"
"I'm pretty damn sure it said-"
"No, it told you others were going to kill you?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Is that all it said?"
"No, the last thing it said was..." you paused, waiting for the recording to loop again. "You leave, yes."
"Okay, we can discard that part, but it gave you something, told you others were going to kill you..."
"Could it be that I'm-"
"No. You're NOT."
"You don't even know what I was going-"
"You're not the thousand soul."
"I was going to ask if I was a reincarnation possibly, that this isn't my first time..."
"Oh. I... I don't know. Most of what we have on immortals is word of mouth and fragmented accounts that tell us what they did, not what they were. Any idea what it gave you?"
"None, but it looks like it's a mechanism of some kind," you stated as you held it up with your finger plugging one end of the central hole. Something about this felt right, as if it was weighted and crafted for a purpose that while elusive at this moment, was one you felt almost intimately entwined with.
"Uh... Alyssa, that's..."
"You know what it is?"
"That's part of a revolver, don't you recognise it?"
"A... No."
"Don't you game a lot?"
"Yeah, but most... Most handguns in the games i've played have been ones you put a clip in the bottom of."
"Oh. Great, a nerd who failed her firearms check."
"Oh, great, a nerd who rolled a natural twenty on her sarcasm check."
"Takes one to know one."
"Exactly."
"Shut up, nerd."
You did your best to hide a smile, you didn't wish to dignify her playful insults with a response of that nature after all.
Of course, you'd figured what it had said, you'd figured that it was quite insistant that this was yours... You'd embarassed yourself by not recognising it and you'd dropped your-
Wait, was that yours on the dashboard?
"Millie, did you... Did you retrieve my cake for me?"
"Yeah, nerd. I figured someone had to."
"Okay, I love you right now, so I'll let that slip."
"We're being followed, by the way. The car behind us has taken a few of the turns through residential area's I took."
"Oh. The same people from earlier?"
"Most likely, yes. Don't touch your cake until you've cleaned your hands by the way, I don't care if you're a damn immortal god, the river's nasty."
"But..."
"Do you want river water in your cake?"
"No... So, what're you going to do?"
"Play casual, act like I haven't seen them. They're going to follow us and report back to the boss. Right now though, I'm going to wind the window down, and we're going to drop those tissues in a bin some place as that smells pretty nasty."
"Okay... I was hoping you had a more involved plan than that."
"Oh, sure, I'll just shake them like something from a spy movie," Millicent huffed as she lowered the window.
"I could-"
"Exaust yourself?" Millicent shook her head. "No, we're not risking you using your powers, you're too green. Last time you killed yourself trying to create a breeze. That's... Not something I ever expected to be saying," she added awkwardly after a few moments.
You slumped back in your seat, drawing your arms about yourself as Millicent first reached for the little device, halting the repetative recording, then for the cake on the dashboard, checking what one was hers.
You mumbled under your breath about how this was unfair as she gave you a dirty look, you wanted yours yet she was the only one with hands clean enough to handle it.
That was until she pulled up at a turn back onto one of the main roads and the car behind you sped up, slamming into the side of hers as it span, hit the curb and-
You could see Millicent making a desperate grab to stop the cake as it slid across the dashboard and out the open window.
"All I wanted was some fucking cake!" Millicent screamed in anger as the car came to a halt, her fist slamming repeatedly against the steering wheel as her cars horn blared with each impact.
It was then that the airbags deployed - buffeting you both as they forced you back against your seats.
This was enough to wind Millicent further, audiably reminding you that she was hurting from the encounter with the Jötunn.
The car had stalled, you had part of a gun, your face was full of airbag, the cake was lost and to top it off, out of the corner of your eye you could see suited men climbing out of the car that had struck you.
Men who wore sunglasses, men who advanced towards the car you were in with clear conviction.
You were dazed from the impact but it was nothing serious, Millicent was possibly in poor shape and things looked... Bad.
You were certain you couldn't trust your power to be of any help, but you knew you had to do something, anything.
The question was, what?
---
Thumbs up, you were more or less spot on with what it said.
Sorry, the updates have been suffering a bit - It's getting warmer here and that never plays nice with me.
Post by: Fallatus on June 11, 2015, 11:25:12 pm
Still.. You can't afford to be exhausted right now, And those people probably expects some form of retaliation.
...Go peacefully?
I know what you mean about warmth... First comes the heat, Then comes the mild irritation and shortened temper, Then comes the full blown anger at pretty much anything that irks you. So annoying.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 12, 2015, 12:12:49 am
Post by: Kashyyk on June 12, 2015, 09:49:33 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 12, 2015, 10:55:09 am
It was mere seconds before she was able to scoot her seat back to get breathing room, mere seconds that you squandered staring at the advancing men.
With her range of motion restored Millicent reached to push the airbag against your chest down, a hiss of disgust escaping her lips as she saw the group responsible for this.
They were nobody that you recognised, yet there was something about Millicent's reaction that made it clear that she knew exactly who they were.
"I'm... I'm okay. Can we... Can we go?"
"This car has a stupid safety feature, if the airbags deploy it immobilises it. Keep your head down, I'll... I'll go talk with our... Our friends."
"Who are they?"
"Nobody you need to worry about. Keep your head down."
"That doesn't fill me with confidence."
It was with those words that Millicent struggled out of the driver side door, visibly holding her ribs as she stumbled about the bonnet of her car towards the group that'd hit you both.
She was hurt, she was without the benefit of powers such as your own and she was going to deal with those men without you?
They'd already made it clear by hitting you both that they had no particular regard for your safety, so why were you meekly accepting this insanity on her part?
"What the hell do you idiots think you're doing?" Millicent yelled at the group as they impassively fanned out before her.
Four men, one of her.
One of them, a larger man than the others stepped forwards as he stared down at Millicent - or so you assumed, his sunglasses made it hard for you to tell.
"Agent Cross, you are incapable of assuring the safety of the subject, you shall relinquish them into our custody," came an equally impassive voice.
"Who do you work for, who are you people?" Millicent spat in response, the vitriol in her voice evident as she allowed her hand to move down from her injured ribs.
"That is of no concern. You shall-"
"Without proper authorisation your request is to be treated as an act of deception. The subject has a name and she isn't going with you unless you can present me with the correct forms and identification to warrant such a transfer of custody."
There was a moments silence as the lead figure maintained their position with unwavering calm.
Yet not one of the group moved a muscle.
They had no intent of presenting whatever credentials they possessed.
"This is your final chance to transfer custody of the subject to us peacefully, Agent Cross, failure to comply with be met by escalating this situation to the use of deadly force."
"Is this really how we're going to do things, you're going to threaten me?" Millicent huffed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You know I'm a government agent, but you haven't presented any form of identification or authorisation of your own. How about you identify yourselves, then I'll decide based upon that."
"That was your final warning," came the mans impassive response as his hand darted forward, the impact of his palm against Millicent's forehead sending the woman tumbling to the ground.
You could only watch in horror as the foremost man reached into his jacket to draw a firearm, a handgun that he levelled with Millicent before pulling the trigger several times.
The crack of each discharged round was met by Millicent's form shuddering as red patches seeped into the white of her blouse.
Then silence.
Silence as the man stood over her twitching form before he levelled his gaze with you.
"Alyssa Smith, you will exit the vehicle and offer your unconditional co-operation," came the mans words as he stepped over Millicent's body, as he advanced upon the car with his weapon still drawn.
He'd just executed the nearest you had to a friend in this place in cold blood and... And...
He expected you to simply co-operate when all Millicent had done to oppose him was question who he was?
No, you didn't know who these people were, you couldn't simply go with them peacefully if this was the way they operated.
They could be anyone from government agents to spies and...
And...
Oh god, this was actually happening, they'd murdered her and...
You had to get away from them, you had to remain in control, you had to avoid using any power if you could help it.
Your power was too exaustive and unpredictable, it'd simply make you an easy target for these people if you couldn't fight back against them.
You had to...
You had to run, you had to get away.
It was with that you flung the door open, slid from the seat you were in and started to sprint away from these people - you knew that if they shot you, that you would recover.
Probably.
You weren't certain, but you were going to put your faith in yourself right now to recover if they were crazy enough to simply-
Crack.
The sound of the gun discharging followed once more as you felt a burning warmth in the back of your thigh, a burning warmth that blossomed into pain as you stumbled.
Your leg had been hit, but adrenaline was telling you that you could keep moving.
Fight or flight.
You'd chosen flight, as you couldn't fight.
Crack.
Another bullet struck you as you stumbled once more - this time falling as the pain in your leg became unbearable. You'd been shot twice in the back of the same leg as you attempted to run and...
You could see the fabric turning dark as blood rapidly soaked into it, you could see blood trailing over the paving as you dragged your now useless leg as you made a futile effort to crawl away.
Crack.
A third shot had you finally scream as you felt your other leg get hit, the agonising pain telling you that there was no escape, that these people didn't care in the slightest for bringing you in to whomever was in charge unmaimed.
"S-so m-m-mu-much for... Ssssafety," came a hiss from behind the group, prompting them to turn towards the prome form of Millicent as she... Laughed.
That choking laughter was followed by her form struggling to its feet as it finally became apparent just how horrific her injuries had been.
No, she couldn't have survived that, she'd been shot in the chest multiple times and twice in the head, and yet...
"I g-gave y-y-y-you a ch-chance to identf-f-fy yoursel-self," she gurgled as she lurched forwards. "M-man, why-why'd you ha-have to sh-shoo-shoot me. N-now I n-need a new b-body," she continued as several more rounds struck her, causing her to recoil more from the impact than anything else.
As the groups attention turned towards the... The cadavar that had once been what you could almost have called your friend, you turned to sit upright, to crawl backwards until your back was pressed against the first wall you came across.
Blood painted the paving where you passed over it, blood, that shone where the sun caught it in a manner that was almost beautiful.
You were getting light headed, but at least the pain was fading.
You weren't certain this was a good thing.
The steady percussive crack of the mens weapons discharing gave way to screams as Millicent's advance halted - she hadn't been subdued, no, what happened next was the unveiling of something far worse than some body that had risen from the dead.
Her skin peeled away as something else, something slender, vaguely human in appearance and faceless stepped from within her.
The woman you knew simply collapsed in a pile of discarded flesh and clothes while this faceless thing leapt forwards.
The first of the four men fell as the thing vaulted towards it, each bullet that struck it seemingly doing nothing to hinder it as it leapt atop the prone man and with a sickening slurp, pushed its spindly fingers between the mans ribs.
His screams ceased as abruptly as they started as his form convulsed, as the thing lifted him to his feet and turned him to face the other three.
Three, who now stood there with their guns levelled with this thing, uncertain over just what they were to do.
Crack, crack, crack.
The ensnared man's fire arm went off three times in quick succession.
Three bodies hit the floor.
The thing that held the man shifted to embrace him from behind as it seemed to sink into him, leaving the man stood there convulsing for a few moments before he took a deep breath, took hold of his head and cracked his neck audiably. "Ah... Aly... Alyssa. Are you... Oh, you're hurt."
The words that came from this man seemed clumbsy at first as he struggled for a moment to take a few graceless steps towards you.
"I know you... You will want to-" the man paused to breathe. "Sorry, you'll want answers, but right now we need to stop you bleeding out," came the mans words as he knelt beside you, no evidence over what had happened bar several small puncture wounds visible where the thing had plunged its fingers between this mans ribs.
"Am... Am I dreaming?" you responded in a dull manner, pinching at your face as you did so. Your face felt numb, but you still hurt a lot. It couldn't be a dream, could it?
"I wish. Unfasten your clothes and roll over."
"Not until-"
"Do you want to bleed out?"
"Who are you?"
"Millicent, I know it's a lot to take in, but I need you to trust me," came the mans words as he nudged you over, pausing as he tore the sleeves from his shirt. "I'll bind your legs, stop the flow of blood as best I can. If the body doesn't deal with the bullets then they can be removed later, but right now-"
"What are you?"
"Agent Millicent Cross of-"
"No, what. What are you."
"That's unimportant. You're losing colour fast Alyssa," came the mans response as he started to bind your legs tightly - several strips wound above your legs while several more were used to pad over the wounds you had taken.
"No, tell me, or god help me I'll scream. Then i'll lash out at you with my powers and tell the Guardians when they come looking what I saw."
"Do you always have to be so awkward, Alyssa?" came the mans voice as he sighed, one bloodied hand placed against his face as he shook his head. "I'm a skin walker, now stop struggling and let me apply pressure until your regenerative ability kicks in."
"You're a..." that term was familiar, it was something that Millicent had said had been spotted at the supermarket when you first arrived. "Wait... If they sent a Guardian for them, why don't-"
"I'm actually registered and accounted for, can we talk about this later?"
"No, it ca-"
"Alyssa, my head is spinning, it's hard enough for me to focus on the task at hand."
You fell silent, this entire situation was weird.
Millicent was suddenly in the body of one of the people that'd attacked you and you were laying here with her... him?
With them trying to slow your bleeding.
"So, um," you started after a few minutes silence, as you found focusing on anything but the pain in your legs to become impossible. "What happens now?"
"Well, I have to re-register myself with people, get all my stuff updated, we need to get back to the agency... Ugh, I don't want to be stuck in a male body, but they'll keep me in it until they're sure I've learned everything I can from their memories."
"You can... You can do that?"
"I don't really want to talk about it,"
"But-"
"Hey, how about we talk about your reproductive habits instead, wouldn't that make for a great and totally non-personal topic?"
"Okay, I get it. It's personal."
"Thank you."
"Just don't perv."
"Alyssa, you have no ass, if I swung that way you still wouldn't be my type."
"Ouch."
"This is going to be so weird," Millicent mumbled as the pressure on your legs was slowly reduced. "Okay, it looks like you're healing, so we'll give it a minute more, then we'll... Steal their car I guess and... And... Shit, I don't know. Do you know how to drive?"
"No, I haven't learned how yet."
"Great. Okay, we'll be here until we can be picked up. You can't drive and I'm not fit to drive."
Millicent slumped down beside you as those strips of cloth were removed from your legs, pausing only briefly to ensure you were no longer bleeding.
"Okay, you can pull your jeans back up, the wounds have closed now," came his... her? words.
You complied, pulling the now ruined garment back up as you glanced down at the amount of blood that had soaked into it.
"Still tender. Thanks though. I..." you paused to rub the back of your legs. "I think... I think I'll be fine. It's hard to tell, i've never been shot before so I don't know if I'll be stuck with bullets in my legs."
"It'll be checked out later. You just... Sit there a moment. I'll call people and get things seen to."
Sitting here was good, it meant you wouldn't get into trouble.
As you sat there wallowing in self pity you figured it was better to reflect over what you'd learned about yourself recently.
You'd seen that you were able to overcome some of your more cowardly timid nature - this was good.
But you were allowing this, as much fun as it was, to go a little more to your head than you should - this was bad.
You'd strike a balance though, you'd find a comfortable groove and you'd ride it until you could reach out without endangering others.
Was there anything else you needed to remain mindful of or do, though?
Air Speciality (Choose one)
...Upon reflection you've realised you'd be a persuasive talker as you've come to understand the way your bodylanguage and your words interact better.
...You're certain you can apply an educated insight into more situations, you've a whole load of skills learned from all over the place that you can translate better to the real world.
...You're a fast learner, plain and simple. While others of equal intellect are still taking things in, you're already two steps ahead.
...You've seen a lot of deception the past few days and you yourself know that a skilled deceiver just needs apply the right body language to hide their motives better.
...Something Else?
Earth Speciality (Choose one)
...You may not be tough, but you're better at resisting toxinsthan most - alcohol, pollution, you name it, you weather it as well as a more robust person.
...You may not be one for the outdoors, but you handle resisting the elements better than some. Where others become miserable or even sick, you're still singing, singing in the rain.
...You've always been thick skinned, tougher than you look. It's a mixture of pain tolerance and being physically stubborn that lets you take a little more punishment.
...While you may not be capable of taking particularly much more punishment than most, you're much more adapt at resisting pain - where others would pass out, you're still gritting your teeth.
...Something Else?
---
I'd started this after flipping a coin to decide what direction to lean more in, sorry!
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 12, 2015, 12:06:49 pm
Also, acquire some non-ruined cake and make sure Millie gets some.
Post by: Kashyyk on June 12, 2015, 01:16:48 pm
Also, jokingly am I'd we should start calling Millie 'Miles'.
Post by: Fallatus on June 12, 2015, 02:02:44 pm
I can't think of a situation where fast learnerl is not useful. Regarding Earth, Erm... Thick skinned or pain Tolerance.Yeah, Fast learner and Thick skinned seems great. +1
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 12, 2015, 03:20:03 pm
Pain tolerance seems to fit in better with her powerset to me.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 12, 2015, 08:51:36 pm
Fast Learner and Pain Tolerance.+1
Pain tolerance seems to fit in better with her powerset to me.
Post by: Peradon on June 12, 2015, 08:52:22 pm
+1Fast Learner and Pain Tolerance.+1
Pain tolerance seems to fit in better with her powerset to me.
Post by: Fallatus on June 13, 2015, 12:26:22 am
Yeah, It probably is. +1 Changed.+1Fast Learner and Pain Tolerance.+1
Pain tolerance seems to fit in better with her powerset to me.
Y'know, Under normal circumstances you might have been afraid. But right now, After all that's happened lately, You don't seem to be very afraid. In fact, Where there was once fear there is now a creeping sense of curiosity.
Maybe you'll ask just a few questions? It couldn't hurt, Right?
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 13, 2015, 06:34:40 am
If things were to continue to get strange in this manner, you knew that you couldn't afford to allow yourself to liner too much on what was intimidating and new. You couldn't allow yourself to be swep away in the waters of change when the wind sof progress were begging to fill your sails.
Fear had less of a place within you now - it was a certainty that you would be afraid at points, but you knew that fear had its place, that it would drive you to escape when you were in danger or prompt caution when you were in a new situation filled with threatening uncertainty.
No, fear was a tool, not an all consuming thing that mastered you.
It was something that tempered your odds of survival by prompting you to consider the consequences.
You'd do your best to keep this in mind now, to remember that regardless of how powerful you may become, that caution tempered by a human emotion evoked by the unknown always had its place.
It was just your place to decide what that emotion's role played in tempering your descisions.
"Um..." your confusion shone through as you turned towards the individual beside you that you were now struggling to remind yourself you'd known for a few days. "Should I continue to call you Millicent or would a name in the meantime such as Miles be more appropriate?"
"Don't call me Miles," came that masculine voice as Millicent removed... His?
You guessed his, was the correct way to regard the physical body at least, as the sunglasses they wore were removed and Millicent shifted to get a look at their face in the reflective surface of the glasses.
"Oh... My type. That's a bitter discovery to make," Millicent sighed.
"That look's your type?"
"Yeah, strong facial features, classically handsome tempered by slight elements of metrosexuality. What's your type?"
"I don't really have one," you mumbled in response, it was something of a lie, but you weren't going to tell Millicent at this point that your type was more towards a persons personality than their looks.
"I understand, it's an odd question right now," came that response. Sunglasses back on, back to the almost faceless image of the enemy agent.
"Can I ask you a few questions about... You know?" you tested as you watched for Millicent's reaction.
"As long as you're respectful."
"Um. Okay. I just kinda want to understand you better. You've not been directly lying to me as such since we met at times, I'm guessing. It's easier to conceal a half truth than an outright lie, but, I... I want to know just how much of what you said I should believe, as I don't know who or what you are right now."
"Ah... Okay Alyssa, being straight with you, I can't tell you everything right now as one, you're not ready or qualified to know, and two, it's still my job to ensure your well being. It's no surprise you're wondering who and what I am, who's easy to answer. I'm Millicent Cross, I was assigned that name much the same as your parents called you Alyssa Smith. No, I'm not human, but I've been living as one for quite some time, the body you were familiar with was that of a junior agent who... Donated her body to me after cardiac failure," the pause there told you that there was history that you didn't want to inquire into.
Something that Millicent had no desire to talk about.
"So, what I saw was... The real you?"
"If I stripped you down to your nervous system, would that be the real you?"
"I... Guess in a very technical manner."
"There's your answer. I don't like being naked like that, but I had to ensure you were safe. I could just have easily laid low and waited for a chance to aquire a new body. The boss is going to be pissed though given the 'asset' I just lost."
"Why's that?"
"I got lucky last time, I had access to a person with innate power. Who knows what this body can do, or if I'll get lucky like that again."
"So, your power was tied to that form?"
"That's what I said."
You fell silent for a moment as you reflected upon this, Millicent had been deceiving you from the start in one manner or another yet in this case, you could see the reasoning behind it. If you'd know what you were dealing with, could you have promised that you'd have accepted this person for who they were instead of constantly keeping what they were in the back of your mind?
"Millie?"
"Yes, Alyssa?"
"Thank you for coming to my aide when you did and, um. My type's not physical, I spend a lot of time online where I don't know a person beyond who they present themselves as, so... I guess what I'm saying is, if I can make friends without seeing them, I can accept you regardless of how you look too, so, um..."
"I get it, you can stop tripping over yourself now."
"I do have one more question though," you shifted to look at the other.
"If it's about my physical body I'll slap you."
"Oh yeah, I totally wanted to know the size of-"
You didn't need to see Millicent's eyes to know that you were being glared at now, everything you needed to know was in the subtle shift of this forms body language and the clenching of their jaw.
"No, what I really wanted to know was... You seem to have a distinct dislike of the thousand soul. It's because you're exactly the kind of individual he tried to have killed at one point, isn't it?"
"Yeah... He made the Guardians to kill 'that what went bump in the night', fairly indiscriminately. I get why it was done, but it's hard to let go that out there was once someone who..."
You shifted to embrace Millicent's arm, silence following that gesture as you placed your head against their shoulder.
"Who do you think'll pick us up first?"
"LPD, people'll have called them said there's been a gun battle as they gawk at the scene from the safety of their windows. It'll barely make the news, nobody is interested in it when they can learn about how their popstar darling has beaten her battle against cancer."
"Easy to say when you have yet to call the agency."
"Well, yeah, I can do that once the LPD have us, get them to straighten this all out for us.
It was less than a minute from the point those words had been uttered until the sound of a jet engine rushed towards you.
The direction suggested that it could be one of the ones that had responded to the sighting of...
No, you'd with-hold that judgement until you actually saw what arrived.
The sound of the jet engine built into a roaring crescendo as the Guardian flew in low - low enough that as it crested the rooftops of the housing that lined the streets, you could make out the various lines of its major components.
Upon its back the jet engine's that now steadily lowered it spewed super-heated fire, the air about it shimmering as it turned to face you, as the silver and blue metallic finish of this things gave way to the weaponry mounted over its form.
It was like something out of a robot game, a bulky metallic form large enough to contain a person, a form that must have stood a good eight feet tall, a form covered in interlaced metal plates that composed the exterior.
A form that was pointing the underslung weapon mounted on its left arm at you.
Was that...
It was pointing a gatling gun at you, you knew that kind of weapon from games, but this was-
As the thing landed on the tarmac road and the flames from its back mounted jets ceased a voice rang out through a speaker that you could only assume was mounted in its head.
"This is J-T-N-Seven-Four-One, disarm and identify yourselves," came it's flat, vaguely feminine voice.
"I am-" Millicent started, only for the Guardian to interrupt.
Now it was close enough you could see scale like ablative armour carefully hidden all over its form, suggesting, along with its designation, that this was a Jötunn suit.
"Agent Bradley Kingston of H-M-S-O. Identity confirmed, Agent Kingston. Report."
H-M-S-O?
Her Majesty's Special Operatives?
"Shit," Millicent hissed as that acronym came out, shifting to relinquish you, to stand and face this Jötunn. "I will make a full report on this incident in a suitable location. The civilian in my company is one Alyssa Smith, whom is currently under the jurisdiction of A-S-P."
There was a pause.
"Identity confirmed. Does the civilian require medical attention?"
"Not on site."
"Escorts have been dispatched, you will both be questioned in a secure location over the incident and-"
"Yes, understood. Could you stand down now?"
"That does not follow standard protocol."
"The civilian has been shot three times in the legs, stand down or I shall add to my report that you kept a weapon intended for dealing with the things that go bump in the night upon a terrified woman without apparent reason, Officer Seven-Four-One."
There was a moments silence before the Guardian lowered its arm, as it visibly slouched as the metal plates that composed the back armour, while out of your direct site, blossomed open like petals as the form of a woman in LPD themed body armour stepped backwards, out of the Guardian.
"Apologies," came the womans voice, one that was flat and emotionless, though more distinct than it had been when ran through the suits speakers. From behind the Guardian itself stepped a woman of average height, one whom bore copper coloured hair and the faintest trace of turquoise scaling against the sides of her neck.
"Better. Now I'm going to sit with Alyssa here until people arrive to pick us up," Millicent stated while slipping down back beside you.
From where you sat, you could just make out the officers badge on the chest of her flight armour.
Seven-Four-One, Wonder.
"Excuse me, officer, is... Wonder a designation or your name?" you asked, as you weakly gestured towards her.
"Yes," came the response, though it seemed after a few moments she grasped the question that had been put to her. "It is both."
"That's an unusual name," you continued, though no further response graced your attempts to converse with the woman.
"That's the kind of name the Enlightened use," Millicent mumbled beside you in a voice kept low enough to avoid the woman overhearing.
"I'm just going to... Close my eyes for a little, I feel a little tired after recovering from being shot."
"Okay Alyssa," came Millicent's response as a hand reassuringly patted your shoulder.
"Oh, also... Tell them we... We need... Cake," you mumbled.
Even as you started to close your eyes you could hear the sound of sirens on the wind heralding the approach of those called in to clean up and handle this situation.
You didn't care, you knew that you weren't actually going to sleep - you were lapsing into unconsciousness to allow your body a chance to recover from the punishment it had taken recently. Recovery from these injuries took its toll on you, your powers took their toll on you. Everything you did was exausting, though you knew you'd become stronger and that you would continue to grow in strength as you practiced using these powers.
Or recovered from the inevitable injury you took trying to control them.
When you finally awoke, it was because...
...You'd recovered from them removing the bullets. They'd kept you under as a convenience and now they were sending you back to the agency.
...They'd roused you to question you about the incident in person - they were especially concerned about the revolver cylinder they'd recovered.
...The boss had arrived and was causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
...Some other reason had invoked it?
Post by: Fallatus on June 13, 2015, 10:10:13 am
Then the boss arrived and began causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
And as if it couldn't get worse, You keept catching glimpses of... things in the corner of your eyes, Skittering about in the darkness.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 13, 2015, 01:27:43 pm
They'd roused you to question you about the incident in person - they were especially concerned about the revolver cylinder they'd recovered.+1
Then the boss arrived and began causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
And as if it couldn't get worse, You keept catching glimpses of... things in the corner of your eyes, Skittering about in the darkness.
Post by: Generally me on June 13, 2015, 04:30:54 pm
+1 without the 3rd bitThey'd roused you to question you about the incident in person - they were especially concerned about the revolver cylinder they'd recovered.+1
Then the boss arrived and began causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
And as if it couldn't get worse, You keept catching glimpses of... things in the corner of your eyes, Skittering about in the darkness.
Post by: Peradon on June 13, 2015, 06:38:49 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 13, 2015, 09:39:54 pm
+1, also without the third bit.+1 without the 3rd bitThey'd roused you to question you about the incident in person - they were especially concerned about the revolver cylinder they'd recovered.+1
Then the boss arrived and began causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
And as if it couldn't get worse, You keept catching glimpses of... things in the corner of your eyes, Skittering about in the darkness.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 13, 2015, 10:02:18 pm
Agreed, +1, but let's ignore that third bit.+1, also without the third bit.+1 without the 3rd bitThey'd roused you to question you about the incident in person - they were especially concerned about the revolver cylinder they'd recovered.+1
Then the boss arrived and began causing a scene, Millicent was in trouble, you were in trouble, the director of HMSO had sent a representative.
And as if it couldn't get worse, You keept catching glimpses of... things in the corner of your eyes, Skittering about in the darkness.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 14, 2015, 12:02:31 pm
You were fairly certain at this point that this was how it was working, that it was utilising the same biological mechanisms that were normally associated with recovery from serious injury to go into the same state where it could more rapidly repair itself.
Or as was the case, recover from the strain of your powers.
You felt as if you had perfect clarity in this moment, and then there was this voice, piercing the inky blackness.
"You're telling me, we have to rouse her though, we don't have long to question her before one of those two assholes out there goes ape-shit and throws their weight about," came a second voice as you steeled yourself, noting that you were lucid despite how your body was curently still not responding.
You weren't concerned though, you knew that you were okay, that you were laying down and that you were warm.
Why couldn't you have been dreaming though, why couldn't you have some scenario playing out where you were being pampered by grateful people, fanned with palm leaves.
A little dream of how you'd saved the people of a lost civilisation from extinction and they were worshipping you as their god, while you made reasonable requests of them.
Fan me, show me the sights of your wonderful tropical paradise, teach me all about your wonderful culture.
You'd never have that outside of dreams.
"Miss Smith, it's time for you to wake up," came the first voice as you felt a hand against your shoulder, the steady rocking of your form telling you that they were trying their best to rouse you, gently.
"I'm glad we're dealing with her instead of that... Thing she came in with," came the second voice as you slowly felt the haze lifting.
"You're telling me, apparently it's registered and all that's why we didn't just shoot it on sight."
"Even its boss seems terrified of it."
"You dare shoot Millicent," you mumbled as your eyes opened, the back of your hand moving to rub at your eyes as you sat upright.
You were laying across a few chairs in a break room by the look of it, atop and under a pair of blankets.
It was as you snapped back to full awareness that you could feel that state of perfect clarity fade away, as if it was both just a dream and that your senses had overwhelmed it and taken away from it.
Distractions, too many distractions to maintain that state of being.
You were certain that in that moment you could have quantified anything, reduced things to their interconnected links and classifications, peeled back the facade of the world and seen the workings underneath.
And now it was gone leaving you feeling a vague sense of regret.
"Ah, you're awake Miss Smith, are you fit to answer a few questions?" came the first voice, the officer it was attached to a soft spoken man with brown hair and eyes and slightly tanned skin.
"I, um," you rubbed at your eyes as you glanced at the second officer, a man whom appeared to be of indian decent. "Am I under arrest?"
"No Miss Smith, we simply want to have a statement on record from you over a few details related to the incident, if that is okay with you?"
"Okay... I," you paused as you swung your legs down. The blood that had soaked your new jeans had dried and ruined them. Not that they would have been salvagable given you'd been shot in the manner you had.
Still, it was enough to get a look of concern from the officers.
"Are you hurt, Miss Smith?"
"Not anymore, I don't think," you paused you glance between yourself. You could see the holes in your jeans, you could see dried blood over flawless skin telling you that your injuries had healed.
"Okay, if you'll... If you'll follow us, we'll bring you to speak with-"
The mans efforts to direct the conversation were disrupted as your stomach growled noisily, leaving you glancing to the side to avoid eye contact as you awkwardly shifted your weight from one foot to the other.
Of course, your body didn't like the fact that you were doing something other than feeding it after this.
"Um, sorry, I don't know when I last ate," you mumbled as you turned your attention back towards the officers.
"Ah, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for us to bring you a sandwich or something while you're being spoken with about the incident."
"Cake."
"Huh?"
"I was going to eat cake and then we were hit by a car and... Can I have cake?"
"If that's what you want, we'll see what we can get," then second one responed this time, before the pair of them started you along the corridors towards yet another room.
The room you were ushered into was enclosed and intimidating.
The ceiling was covered in polystyrene tiles by the look of it, with square lights framed by grimy white plastic breaking up the uniform pattern to bathe the room in their baleful glow.
The walls where clinical white - or had once been, and the carpet was a tan colour that looked as if it had seen better days.
On the far wall there was a cork board with various papers pinned to it and in the middle of the room there was an old office table with several chairs tucked under it.
It was like every grim drama's portrayal of an interrogation room and you were being ushered into it alone.
"Someone on the case'll be along to question you soon, we'll get your cake in the meantime, make yourself comfortable," came one of the two's voices.
Comfortable, yes.
You could see yourself being comfortable here.
Making the most of this moment's silence you shifted to settle down at one of the chairs facing the door.
Hands clasped before you, a stern expression.
You were the interrogator now.
Or at least you were until the officer who had been sent to question you arrived.
The woman that arrived to speak with you lacked height, but she carried herself with confidence that made you mentally falter.
She was a woman whom looked to be older, a woman with deep set frown lines and grey streaked hair, yet her skin contrasted the apparent age by appearing flawless apart from seeming to be lightly weathered.
Bar the scales.
You could just about catch the sight of scales against her neck, making you wonder if she was another of the-
"Alyssa Smith?" came her voice, with the same tone devoid of emotion that the Guardian had used with you.
"That's me," you confirmed as the woman made her way towards the table with papers beneath her arm. A woman thats eyes seemed older still than her hair suggested she was.
She stood for a moment.
Hands gripping the back of a chair as impossibly strong fingers made the frame creak in protest.
Those eyes, those ancient eyes reflecting the faintest hint of confusion.
"Is there something wrong?" you asked as this moment drew onward, prompting the woman to shake her head slowly.
"You remind me of somebody I once knew. Regardless, I am Joy. Comments about the irony of my name will not endear you to me," came her words as she pulled the chair out to settle down opposite you. "Now, as we understand you were involved in an incident earlier today. While the majority of the details were cleared up while you were unconscious, there are a few remaining details that concern us," Joy paused as she set the papers she had brought with her down.
You knew where this was going.
"There are reports that you spoke with a-"
"Is that the transcription?"
"Yes."
"If you pass it here I can verify it's accuracy," there was a pause before the woman pushed the paper across the table towards you, a paper that you merely had to glance at before you slid it back. "That's correct, yes."
"Then the problem we have has become all the more complex. Your companion stated that you were presented with a revolver cylinder that we recovered at the scene. Can you confirm this?"
"I was, but I don't-"
"Please do not interrupt me," came Joy's words, prompting you to draw your arms about yourself. "That was part of one of the weapons carried by an individual during the victorian war. It was considered lost, likely destroyed, until today."
Joy fell silent for a moment as she shuffled the papers about.
This woman, it clicked, was the one you'd read about in the library.
She was THAT Joy, she was-
"Joy?"
"Yes Miss Smith?"
"Was this one of the weapons belonging to the thousand-"
"Eurochkoles. That was his name."
"I've seen a little about him in books, and-"
"Miss Smith, I believe you were presented with that component mistakenly."
"But you said I remind you of-"
"A reminder, yes. A sorry echo of what once was. You were presented this component mistakenly, I see this now. I am sorry to have wasted your time," came Joy's impassive words as she went to stand.
A sorry echo?
You'd show her a sorry Echo.
"An echo?" you snapped "A sorry echo?" you responded as you pressed your hands to the table, rising as you tensed your shoulders. "What gives you the right to so disdainfully cast me aside after you use me to sate your curiosity?"
"Miss Smith, please calm down," came her words as she tucked her chair back under the table.
"No, you used me. You wanted to know if I could be something you lost, you wanted to see if it could be true that I am him and then you callously cast me aside once you'd sated that curiosity."
"Miss Smith-" Joy stepped backwards as you stepped forward. You could feel a chill in your legs as your heart raced, the edges of your vision blurring as they went black, as purple and red sparks crept into that blackness and faded.
"I've been asking myself questions since I was brought to this damn city, who am I, what am I, why is there a connection between me and that man?" you hissed as you prodded your chest with one finger to punctuate each of those questions. "And you... Your fixation with him, you don't care about me, you just... You just... You want to wash your hands of the guilt you feel for running away when you lost him."
"His death almost cost us the war, he was the only thing I could trust in this world at the time-"
"SILENCE!" you roared as you felt pain lance through your head. You could feel the room tremble as the lights flickered, as one hissed and went dark. "I am not to be used," you whispered as you trembled with conviction, another step taken forward as Joy stepped away from you.
You could see fear in this womans eyes now, a woman who had no doubt seen horrors you could only dream of and she was-
She was afraid of you.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I..." you reached out with one hand as you took another step forward, feeling the chill receed as you became dimly aware you'd just walked clean through the table. Joy continued to back away, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she pressed her back to the wall of the room.
"No, you're not him, he was... He was warm. I hated him, but he never stopped trying... And then he was gone before I could tell him I forgave him for all he had done. She took him from me, she took the only friend I had from me and I... I walked into the oceans holding him as I tried to wash the sorrow I felt from me."
"Joy, I'm sorry," you whispered as you watched the woman sink down to the floor as your vision slowly cleared. The pain in your head remained, along with a dull ache in your chest that reminded you that you'd just exercised your powers again - this time without intending to. Even as you knelt beside the woman she brought her legs up to her chest and buried her face against her knees.
"You're not him... Even at his worst he wasn't a monster like you," she sobbed as you recoiled away from her as if you'd been burned.
You weren't a monster, were you?
"I'm not... I'm..." you started to protest as Joy looked up from her knees, the redness about her eyes telling you how she was crying in earnest. Oh, how that hurt you to see.
"Scarecrow child, leave me," she hissed with bared teeth as she pointed to the door.
You felt it was in your best interests to do so at this point, that stepping outside the room and waiting for the officers who had gone for cake to lead you out was wise.
You struggled to your feet as you felt your stomach turn.
You could feel your anxiety getting the better of you now, making you wonder if her choice to call you a monster could be correct after all.
Had she called you such out of digust and anger, or did she see something about you that you yourself didn't see yet?
It didn't matter, you had to leave this room.
With that you opened the door, stepped into the hallway and inwardly cursed as you saw a number of armed police rushing down the corridor towards you.
Of course!
Every time you used their power they were all over it.
"Put your hands on your head and get on the floor!" came one's voice as the armed and armoured police fanned out about you, assault rifles pointed at you as slowly sank down to one knee, then the other.
You wanted to do your best to appear unthreatening, you didn't want to end up shot again.
That was an experience you were in no way keen to repeat.
Especially as you could feel your anxiety giving way to fear in this situation.
"Ignore them. Stand down officers," came another voice as a slender, balding, suited man pushed through the group towards you. "So, you're the one tripping our warning systems. I was expecting someone more... Impressive."
"Uh, Director-"
"Dismissed."
"But-"
"Unless you wish to be placed under review, you are dismissed."
"Yes sir," came the mumbled response of the group as they awkwardly backed away.
"Ah, but you-" the man paused as he levelled a finger with the man who had spoken. "Can escort her down to the front desk."
"Uh... Yes Director Ego, Sir," the man mumbled as he offered you a hand to help you back to your feet.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Officer Joy," came the mans words once more as he stepped into the room you'd just left, leaving you with the confused first response group.
"Well... Uh. This way, Miss." came the mans mumbled words as he lead you towards the end of the hall.
It wasn't far from there to the front desk - just a walk down a hall, down the stairwell and down a further hall to the reception area where you could see two people engaged in a shouting match.
You recognised the boss, a man you made a note never to learn the name of given it was the same level of respect he held for you.
He was a tool.
Not the kind you wished to use, the kind kind you had no respect for.
The other figure was yet another suited man, one that made a point of jabbing at the boss of the agency that had picked you up with one finger every time he shouted at him.
It was your arrival that had a break in that shouting match, doubled with the fact you'd arrived with an armed escort.
That silence didn't last long.
"Alyssa, do you know how much trouble you are in now?" came his words as he shifted his anger towards you - you had the feeling that his anger was being directed towards you as you were the easier target, the weaker in his eyes. He was a small minded bully, looking for an easy means of venting when he couldn't possibly hope to win the argument he was having with the other person.
"Is he from H-M-S-O?" you asked as you ignored the initial outburst, prompting a smirk from the other man.
"I am a representative from-"
"You assholes attacked and shot me," you gestured towards your legs, knowing full well that the blood stains were visible even from the front. "And you," you snorted as you turned towards Millicent's boss, "sent chavs to trail us, you slack jawed classless fuck."
There was silence from pair of them that was finally broken as Millicent's boss raised his voice once more.
"When we get back you are going to be punished accordingly-"
"Yes, punish the person that doesn't work for you, I mean, I'm pretty sure the guy right beside you is hiring."
"I am authorised to offer you-" the other man started, only for you to hold a finger up.
"You assholes shot me, these assholes want to punish me for you assholes shooting me. Why should I care about either of you?"
"Alyssa, we can talk about this-" the boss started, only for you to laugh.
"Wi-kan-terk-ehlerseh!" you mocked as you wiggled your head from side to side with each syllable. "Fine, lets talk. Why are they trying to forcefully poach me from-"
"That was a mistake."
"You're damn right it was a mistake, you lost four people because your agents went gun crazy and-"
"We only sent three, this is a further complication," came the mans response, his expression souring as he reached into his pocket for his phone. Even as that man stepped away the boss was once more attempting to smooth things over.
"Alyssa, why don't you come back and-"
"Shut up. The LPD offered me cake, I'm not moving without it or answers. Are you going to offer me answers?" you tilted your head. "No?"
"Very well," he sighed as he moved to settle down on one of the nearby chairs. "What do I have to tell you to get you to co-operate with me again?"
You pursed your lips, folded your arms over your chest and frowned. You hadn't actually expected him to fold in such a manner.
He really was desperate, wasn't he?
It did mean that you had a chance to get answers or dismissively brush him off.
Or anything else really. Everything was a mess, but you were sure you were going to come out on top regardless.
What remained was for you to decide your next course of action.
Post by: Fallatus on June 14, 2015, 02:24:38 pm
As for questions.. How about something...
What exactly was it that we did that was so wrong? Apart from killing four people that is, Even though they tried to kill us first.
Then there's the subject of learning. Books, Information, Knowledge. We want to know more.
We also want somewhere we can safely train and use our powers without causing harm to others, Being monitored would be acceptable.
And lastly, Am i a monster...?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 14, 2015, 10:06:27 pm
Secondly, who is this fourth agent that slipped in, and what were his goals? Was he the one Millie took over, or one of the ones that got shot? If the former, can she retrieve his memories? If the latter, can we confirm he's really dead?
Third, what do we know about the Jotun thing that approached us? How'd he even come across that revolver piece anyway?
Fourth, does anyone involved know why we remind everyone of the thousand soul aside from us both being immortals? For that matter, since it's been over a hundred years since his death, shouldn't the thousand soul have shown up again?
Fifth, tone down the attitude a bit on our end. Yes, we're immortal, but we don't have the experience or resources to back up this level of arrogance, and burning bridges before we know the situation is a bit foolish.
Sixth, how's Millie doing? She saved us from being captured, and she's the only character I'd currently trust.
Finally... if we offer to cooperate or even consider working for her majesty's people, could we talk with Anxiety?
Post by: Peradon on June 15, 2015, 12:47:20 am
First things first, why were those three agents sent to retrieve us like this? I don't want to hear that it's a mistake, THAT is obvious (and if not, we'll make it so), but I want to know what delusional train of thought lead to the conclusion that it was ever a good idea in the first place.+1
Secondly, who is this fourth agent that slipped in, and what were his goals? Was he the one Millie took over, or one of the ones that got shot? If the former, can she retrieve his memories? If the latter, can we confirm he's really dead?
Third, what do we know about the Jotun thing that approached us? How'd he even come across that revolver piece anyway?
Fourth, does anyone involved know why we remind everyone of the thousand soul aside from us both being immortals? For that matter, since it's been over a hundred years since his death, shouldn't the thousand soul have shown up again?
Fifth, tone down the attitude a bit on our end. Yes, we're immortal, but we don't have the experience or resources to back up this level of arrogance, and burning bridges before we know the situation is a bit foolish.
Sixth, how's Millie doing? She saved us from being captured, and she's the only character I'd currently trust.
Finally... if we offer to cooperate or even consider working for her majesty's people, could we talk with Anxiety?
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 15, 2015, 03:06:24 pm
+1, And ask about Millie first.First things first, why were those three agents sent to retrieve us like this? I don't want to hear that it's a mistake, THAT is obvious (and if not, we'll make it so), but I want to know what delusional train of thought lead to the conclusion that it was ever a good idea in the first place.+1
Secondly, who is this fourth agent that slipped in, and what were his goals? Was he the one Millie took over, or one of the ones that got shot? If the former, can she retrieve his memories? If the latter, can we confirm he's really dead?
Third, what do we know about the Jotun thing that approached us? How'd he even come across that revolver piece anyway?
Fourth, does anyone involved know why we remind everyone of the thousand soul aside from us both being immortals? For that matter, since it's been over a hundred years since his death, shouldn't the thousand soul have shown up again?
Fifth, tone down the attitude a bit on our end. Yes, we're immortal, but we don't have the experience or resources to back up this level of arrogance, and burning bridges before we know the situation is a bit foolish.
Sixth, how's Millie doing? She saved us from being captured, and she's the only character I'd currently trust.
Finally... if we offer to cooperate or even consider working for her majesty's people, could we talk with Anxiety?
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 15, 2015, 03:19:21 pm
+1 Indeed.+1, And ask about Millie first.First things first, why were those three agents sent to retrieve us like this? I don't want to hear that it's a mistake, THAT is obvious (and if not, we'll make it so), but I want to know what delusional train of thought lead to the conclusion that it was ever a good idea in the first place.+1
Secondly, who is this fourth agent that slipped in, and what were his goals? Was he the one Millie took over, or one of the ones that got shot? If the former, can she retrieve his memories? If the latter, can we confirm he's really dead?
Third, what do we know about the Jotun thing that approached us? How'd he even come across that revolver piece anyway?
Fourth, does anyone involved know why we remind everyone of the thousand soul aside from us both being immortals? For that matter, since it's been over a hundred years since his death, shouldn't the thousand soul have shown up again?
Fifth, tone down the attitude a bit on our end. Yes, we're immortal, but we don't have the experience or resources to back up this level of arrogance, and burning bridges before we know the situation is a bit foolish.
Sixth, how's Millie doing? She saved us from being captured, and she's the only character I'd currently trust.
Finally... if we offer to cooperate or even consider working for her majesty's people, could we talk with Anxiety?
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 15, 2015, 06:51:32 pm
Your ego was running rampant, it seemed as if you couldn't manage any sense of balance as the chaos within you raged.
You kept bouncing from timid and afraid to a rampaging... Monster.
You had to swallow your pride and treat these people like fellow humans, not push them simply because you were blessed with some spectacular ability.
One that you couldn't even control yet, at this point you knew that it meant that your actual worth was a lot lower than your potential worth to these people and there was only so much they would tolerate.
There was only so much you would tolerate too for that matter.
The only person you could remotely trust so far was Millicent, she had at least been honest with you that her dishonesty was to protect you instead of to deceive you.
She'd also put herself on the line for you back when the agents had attacked you.
That was a good place to start, though - Did the boss know anything about this?
You settle down, ready to question the pair as you steeled yourself.
"They sent three agents, you sent people to trail me, what kind of delusional train of thought do you people run that makes you think that this kind of thing is a good idea?" came your first question as you glanced between the man and the boss, the man was busying himself with a mumbled conversation over a phone, but...
"Don't pretend you can't hear me, you're hovering within earshot and if you want me to consider working with you at all, you'll stop pretending you're absolved from your responsibility simply because you believe you can slip beneath the radar."
The man gave you a dirty look that made it clear you'd caught him out, though he was fast to recover from this as he responded with something that was just what you wanted to hear.
"I am currently inquiring with my superiors to get the story there. As an act of good faith, I'll share as much as I am authorised," came the man's response.
Progress!
"So tell me, the goons you sent to trail me. They chose to get close and harass us as part of the image of them just being common thugs on the street. Why?" an elaboration upon your question to the boss wasn't going to hurt, especially if both these people were going to suddenly ride each others coat tails and try to give you half answers and deflections as it was all they knew how to do.
"They were out of agency employee's that were sent to-"
"What does that mean?"
"Hired thugs on his payroll, to lower his accountability," the man nearby inserted before returning his attention to his phone. The lack of response from the boss made it clear this was accurate enough and he'd been caught there.
"Right. So, why?"
"I believed that it was unwise to leave you in the hands of a single agent given that you are a unique-"
"I get it, you see me as an asset, you only call me by name to appear personable and you don't trust me or Millicent, thus you did the physical equivilent of second-guessing us."
Silence.
You could feel the childish sense of shame washing from him as he attempted to collect himself once more.
"You. Can you tell me who the fourth agent that concerns you was?" you asked as you looked up at the man nearby.
"At this moment, no, there's nothing on file about this individual."
"So, an agency such as yours that I believe does intelligence work too, was caught with its pants down."
"Er..." came the mans response as he flounded for a way of explaining this away.
"Lets make this easier. Did Millicent take his form, or was he one of the ones she shot in self defence?"
"I hardly believe it was a case of self defence-"
"I was there, they shot me in the back of the legs. They assumed they'd managed to shoot her to death while she was unarmed. Don't even try and tell me she had a gun and they were threatened, as I know she didn't after we encountered something prior to this. I'm trying to be fair with you here, but if you won't be level with me, then I'll have less reason to co-operate with you. Was the individual she took the form of one of yours, or the rogue agent?"
"She took one of ours, the LPD are currently performing an autopsy on the rogue agent and will forward both our agencies the results."
"Better. Thank you."
Now was a good time to steer this towards something a little easier for the one of them, and a little harder for the other - the well being amongst other things of that one person who you felt you could place any measure of trust in at this time.
"So, lets change the subject for a moment from how much of a cosmic fuckup this entire situation is and talk about Millicent herself's well being."
There was an awkward silence from the pair of them.
"I actually do wish to know about her well being, I mean, they did shoot her several times before she... She uh... Grabbed one of them. Will she be okay?"
"Millicent is... A complicated matter," came the bosses response as he finally spoke up. "You see, she has taken full responsibility for the deaths of the agents and what that may entail as she... Made it quite clear that you made no attempt to engage them with your powers. This has been verified with records of the various blips that certain individuals power usage causes over time, and-" You could tell he was out of his depth here, but it wasn't the right moment to press this.
"I understand. Is she physically okay, though?"
"Her kind are not often troubled by a few stray gunshots striking them."
"What's going to happen to her?"
"Most likely, they will question her and she will be held until it is determined if her actions were justified or not, should they not be, she will be tried like any other citizen of this country," came the other man's words as he interrupted the faltering man before you.
"I see," you paused as you slouched against the chair, idly picking at the seams of the damaged jeans you wore.
Hard wearing clothes your ass, even ignoring the bullet holes in the back of the legs these looked like they'd last months tops given the way the stitching showed signs of giving.
"Okay, we've covered Millicent, we've covered that you can't tell me about the incident that brought us all here as you don't have answers yet," you paused as you tapped your fingers against your chin.
Ah, you knew what would be good to inquire about next.
"That thing... The Jötunn that spoke with me earlier in the day-"
"We wished to speak with you about that incident ourselves," came the voice of the other man.
"I'm sure you did. Do either of you have any clue why it approached me in the first place?"
"Honestly, no," came the response of the boss. "There have been few recorded incidents of the more intelligent corrupted creatures interacting with people in a manner that does not... Cause them great trouble."
"You just have to look at Parliment to know that," snorted the other man.
"This is hardly a time to make snide comments of that nature," the boss grumbled.
"You would say that, given they fund your sorry excuse for a department. I'm sure she'll be thilled when she finds out you're the obsolete goverment funded equivilent of our agency."
"You can both wave dicks later, I don't care whom has the better department," you sighed as you pinched the bridge of your nose. Maybe the best way to go about this would be to petition whomever funded both of them to liquidate the agencies and start over with you in charge, so you alone could be the pain in your ass. "I'll take it that this also means that neither of you know why it'd give me a piece of a revolver, then."
"No, I'm afraid-"
"Revolver, you say?" came the other man's tone.
"Yes, a revolver."
"Can you give me any identifying features?"
"Not really, it was the part you put bullets in."
"Interesting. I'll relay this, perhaps it's signifigant."
"You know very well that-" the boss interrupted, only for the other man to silence him with a wave of his hand as he turned his attention back to his phone.
"Are there any further details that you can share, that would assist us in determining the purpose behind this?" came the other mans voice after a moment.
"Are you going to share that information with me, or just use it to further your own goals."
"One moment," the man paused as he turned back to his phone, speaking loudly enough for you to hear now. "Permission to activate the phone's speakers, ma'am?"
A pause.
"No ma'am, I don't think she'll co-operate unless we meet her half way. Very well, ma'am," there was a pause as he reached to press a button on the phone's faceplate.
"Greetings Miss Smith. I am agent fifteen, I have granted authority to our representative to-" came the voice through the phone. You wouldn't have been able to tell that you were speaking with a woman had the agent not addressed them as such. The voice that you heard while clear and understandable had been shifted until they sounded like an anonymous contact from a spy movie.
"You don't need to do the entire protocol thing, I get it. You want me to tell you anything I remember, and you're going to share what you know in return, right?"
"Yes Miss Smith, that is our intent. You have stated thus far that a Jötunn presented you with a cylinder from a revolver?"
"That is correct, yes."
"Are there further details that you may relay to help us narrow down-"
"The Jötunn presented it to me after making an attempt to tell me that it meant me no harm, it stated that... I had lost it and it was returning it, it mentioned flashes and rumbling, the ground shaking. Um... The part it gave me was heavily coated in mud and weeds from the river, it had probably been in there a long time. And... Um..." you were stalling, you could easily add that there was a positive identification on its nature.
"One moment, the database reports two matches but both of them require higher authority."
"What kind of higher authority?" you sighed, tapping your foot as you did so. "The kind that tells you to cut the line and-"
"No Miss Smith, the kind that requires this to be escalated to the agencies director and for Her Majesty to be informed. If you will hold, we will relay what information we can once clearance has been obtained."
It was in this moment that one of the officers from earlier arrived - this time bearing a large slice of a dark coloured cake wrapped in clingfilm and sat upon a paper plate.
This was just what you needed right now.
Better still, in his other hand he had a small plastic fork for you to use to eat the cake - saving you from getting your fingers sticky, as well, you could tell from here that whatever this cake was, it was likely that kind of cake.
The jam in the middle was the biggest give away.
"Ah, there you are. It took a little time for me to find someone who could tell me where you'd moved to. And, uh, I realised I hadn't asked you what flavour of cake you wanted, so I made a judgement call, it's chocolate and cherry."
"That sounds wonderful, thank you," you responded, giving the man a tired smile as you reahed for the plate.
No sooner had he left, you turned to look at the shocked expressions of the two men.
"What?" you started as you removed the packaging the cake had come in. "I told you the LPD promised me cake,"
You savoured what you could of that cake as you picked away at it, the glacé cherries set aside for after.
Little by little, until the voice of the agent on the other end of the phone rang out once more.
"Miss Smith, are you still with us?"
"Yes, I am," you stated. It was better than screaming profanites at the secret agents trying to deny you cake. Profanities were tempting, however.
"The director has given authorisation for the files to be unlocked and... What we're seeing her is confusing. Both potential weapons that this cylinder may have come from are listed as having been lost during the war, their prior owner was an immortal whom was slain during the same war."
You knew this so far, but you had no intent to interrupt them yet.
"At this time, that's all we can tell you," came the voice, a voice that you were about to call out when they continued. "First thing tomorrow morning, our director will meet with Her Majesty and discuss this with her. It is likely that Her Majesty shall wish to speak with you too, as there are some rather troubling implications behind this."
And with that, the representative snapped his phone shut.
"Unless you have anything else of note that requires discussion with me, I shall be off," came the other mans voice as he nodded politely to both you and his boss.
There was no smug joy behind this gesture, no pleasure that they had got something from you without giving you anything in return, no.
The man seemed weary, deflated.
"I do have one more question for you," you started, watching as the man tensed in response. "If I was to co-operate with you in some manner, would I be able to speak with one 'Anxiety'?"
"I'm not familiar with that name," came the mans words, words that you knew to be a lie as you watched the subtle shift in bodylanguage. "But, I will relay that to my people and we will come back to you with an offer," he smiled, stepping towards the exit with another nod to the pair of you and an almost old fashioned declaration of "For Queen and Country."
"So..." you started as you turned towards the boss, the remaining person you had at your mercy. "Do you know why I keep getting mistaken for this dead immortal?"
"I... I don't," came the awkward response of a man put on the spot without a clue.
"I see, in that case I have no more to discuss with you," you stated calmly as you turned your attention back towards your cake.
You were calm, imperious.
Divine.
And this man had been let off the hook, graciously.
For now.
Your attention returned to your cake as your savoured the sweet sponge.
It was this moment of calm in what you could feel yourself returning to a state of equilibrium, tempered by the punishment you had endured so far.
And so you would remain for as long as your cake did, before you made an effort to carry out whatever plan of action you felt you should work towards next.
Surely, that would come to you, but for now...
Now, you were content.
Did you have a course of action or anything you wished to do beyond resting and waiting for the inevitable dissappointment that tomorrow would bring?
+1 Upgrade point, you may upgrade one of your base stats or upgrade Delayed Regeneration.
Delayed Regeneration -> Rapid Regeneration (Alyssa's body begins knitting damage almost immediately, though it's taxing)
Delayed Regeneration -> Phoenix (Any major lapse of consciousness has Alyssa revert to a healthy state.)
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 15, 2015, 10:12:58 pm
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 16, 2015, 02:36:36 am
Phoenix because I really like the theme of the power, and water because it feels like diplomacy is going to be our highest priority for a bit.
Post by: Fallatus on June 16, 2015, 02:26:09 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 16, 2015, 07:38:02 pm
Spoiler: Alyssa's Current Stats (click to show/hide)
Stat increases by the system I'm going by for rough guidelines and boundries are fairly potent - you're the equal of two people a point lower in many cases and they range from 1 (feeble) to 10 (divine)
The boost to regeneration would lead up to instantaneous healing with a much lower level of stress on Alysa's body in terms of energy.
The phoenix upgrade on the other hand would lead later to being "reborn" in physically healthy and rested state as required.
Neither's more powerful than the other, but they both lend a different vibe to what Alyssa becomes.
I'll do an update after I've slept, to give people time to change their mind if they wish.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 16, 2015, 09:23:09 pm
Post by: Fallatus on June 17, 2015, 07:46:08 am
SELECT: [ETERNAL PHOENIX]
BECOME WREATHED IN FLUID WHITE-BLUE FLAMES AS WE ARE RESTORED
THE FLAMES WILL LINGER WITHIN OUR EYES AND OUR HAIR FOR MOMENTS AFTER BEING RESTORED
CUS IT WOULD BE AWESOME
AND WHEN WE USE IMMENSE POWER THE FLAMES IGNITE AGAIN
FIRST FROM EYES
THEN TO HAIR
AND WE WILL LOOK SO BADASS AS WE WALK WITH FLAMING HAIR AND EYES
EMBERS MOMENTARY FLICKING IN AND OUT AROUND US
OCCASIONALLY IGNITING
GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF VEILS OF FLAME CAUGHT IN A INVISIBLE VORTEX OF WIND
SO
AWESOME
of course, the flames could merely appear as we "resurrect" as well. maybe our power even peaks for just a few moments when we have resurrected?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: FallacyofUrist on June 17, 2015, 08:13:27 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 17, 2015, 09:44:10 am
Not because you were throwing your weight around simply because you could, no.
You simply wanted to make it clear that you had a say in these matters.
"No, you're not going to tell me that you're taking me back to the facilities. Until I have some form of employment or affiliation that has me answering to you, please, ask me. I doubt you'd appreciate it if our positions were reversed, so please, please, show some courtesy."
There was a pause.
"If you show me that courtesy, I'll do my best to show the same to you. It isn't easy for me being in this position, given I'm still feeling out what has changed, dealing with the chaotic rollercoaster of emotions that goes with this. If you'll try for me, I'll do my best to try with you."
There was another pause before the boss slowly nodded.
"Very well Alyssa. We have set a room aside for you back at our facilities, the plan had been to have you placed near Millicent so that she could have handled your any needs that cropped up for you. Given that Millicent is currently no incapable of carrying out that duty for obvious reasons, if you'll come back with me I shall asign a temporary liason to you until Millicent, as to the best of my knowledge, can return to duty."
It was about what you'd hope for with him being straight with you. Of course, you knew it could be better than that, but this was fair enough and you couldn't complain that he wasn't bending over backwards for you. You'd asked him to be fair with you, not to bow to your whims.
"Okay, while I consider my response to this, I do have a question for you. What happened just with the representative and the entire situation leading-"
The manner in what the boss furrowed his brows conveyed a clear displeasure over the matter, you knew already that he didn't like these people, yet there was something more than this.
"Alyssa, they are an agency that was created to fulfill much the same role as our one, after our one was transferred into government hands for funding and control. They have better funding, less bureaucracy, more freedom to act as they see fit. That some of their agents had gone rogue is troublesome, as it suggests that their loose structure permits an element of corruption to hide amidst their ranks. Your interactions with them on the other hand, I cannot say I am pleased with. I would have preferred them to be kept in the dark over what you had found, but there is a silver lining to this cloud. If you will permit one of our agents to accompany you to the inevitable meeting with the Queen-"
"Inevitable?" you interrupted.
"Yes, she will be... Most interested in you, given that both our agency and theirs... Ah, I should not tell you this, but both agencies were founded by Queen Victoria, ours publically, that lead to us eventually being transferred into government control, theirs less so and later, along with deals we do not know the nature of that permitted them to remain under the control of the crown. Ours, and theirs too I presume, where founded in the memory of her childhood friend."
The thousand soul, it had to be.
Here you were living in the shadow of this man, seeing how he had touched all these shadowy aspects of the history of this land.
"So, you wish for an agent to accompany me?"
"Yes, given the manner that the agents attempted to snatch you in, you can refuse a meeting if you are not permitted to bring along another for your well being. It shall be humoured, given that they will wish to gain your trust."
"So, you wish to listen in on what they have for my ears only?"
"To be frank, yes."
"Is that your name?"
"No, it's an expression-"
"I know that, but you look like a Frank."
"No, I am no Frank," the faintest hint of a smile came to the bosses face as he attempted to remain serious. "I know that you have little reason to do this, little reason to trust either of our agencies, but, if you wish to work with us in this manner I shall ensure that the trail of information it leads through is presented to you, so that you may, alongside us, unwravel the mystery that is your nature."
"It's food for thought," you responded as you turned your attention briefly to your dwindling cake. "I'll give it some serious consideration, as, as you are quite aware, I have little trust for anybody at this point. As for lodging and a liason, I'll accept that, as I don't know if I like the alternatives I can think of," you stated.
You knew that you could approach the LPD and attain lodging for the night with them - you were a witness in an ongoing case, amongst other things.
You could also approach the other agency and ask them to put you up instead, but you knew that couldn't be a smart move at this point.
You could sleep on the streets, but that was even more foolish given the nature of this city and, well, you knew London didn't have much of a homeless problem.
The things that went bump in the night had to be why.
The rest of your cake was quickly consumed as you noted that it would be hard to eat this on the way back to the agencies facilities.
In doing so, you could feel an uncomfortable warmth starting to blossom through your chest.
Perhaps it was a sign that you shouldn't have eaten so fast, a sign that you were stressed and food wasn't quite the best option.
Perhaps it was neither.
That uncomfortable warmth was blossoming up as it radiated through your chest in a way unlike any sensation of heartburn you'd ever experienced before.
It felt fierce.
Powerful.
Indomitable.
And then it was gone once more, leaving you feeling more than a little confused as you patted at your chest.
"You're going to do everything you can for Millicent, right?" you asked as the boss lead you towards the exit of the LPD's station.
"Of course, Millicent... Should not be here for long before it is determined that she was acting both yours and her defence. However, the fact that she is currently in a new form will present difficulties."
"Such as?"
"Such as her most likely wishing not to remain in a masculine form for longer than required."
"So, there's boy and girl versions of what she is?"
"This comes as a surprise?"
"Well, no, I guess not, I was curious though. She didn't seem to want to talk about herself much in that manner."
"Does that surprise you, either?"
"No... Do you like Millicent?"
"I do not. She frequently challenges my authority, she disregards my orders where she feels that they are problematic. She gets results however and I respect that she is willing to put herself on the line as she often does," came his words as he lead you towards a very fancy looking car parked out front.
Then past it, towards a plain white family car.
That was anti-climatic.
And there was the burning sensation in your chest again.
"Are you well, Alyssa?" came the bosses words with some concern.
"I'm fine, why?"
"You look paler than usual."
"I think stress and the cake aren't agreeing with me, it's nothing."
"If you insist," with those words he unlocked the doors of the car, presenting the passenger seat door to you even as he clambered into the drivers side.
While the car was a family one, it bore little sign of being anything other than his one - the drivers seat was set for him, the passenger seat was set at much the same distance. There was little in the way of dirt and debris other than what had been tracked in from outside - a few dead leaves and some mud on the floor mats.
You were dimly made aware that this barely likable man was single.
It was hardly a surprise given he was likely married to the job.
Of course, you had the key from earlier - the one with a seven printed upon it, so... You were going to be housed opposite Millicent's currently vacant accomodation.
That was somewhat grim a thing to think of, knowing that right across from your room was the entirety of her life in stasis.
She wouldn't have had much of a life beyond this, you assumed after all.
Work, accomodation from work, whatever free time she could muster to enjoy herself.
It was the british dream.
Work yourself into a grave while the damn Tories told you that it was your own fault that you hadn't broken free of the rat race.
As your journey by car had you reach the agency - and the housing opposite it, you asked yourself, did you trust these people enough to permit them to send an agent with you with what they assumed to be inevitable tomorrow?
Did you tell the boss your answer now so he would be able to plan in advance, or would you sleep on it?
Spoiler: Alyssa (click to show/hide)
---
Phoenix it is. Reality Weaver gets a new name - Phoenix'll be upgradable further at a later point if you wish to expand it toward the scope you're mentioning.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 17, 2015, 11:49:23 am
Post by: Fallatus on June 17, 2015, 02:18:34 pm
We need to recuperate for now. Thinking will be done when we need to.
Reflect on all that's happened today and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Before you go to bed, try to use the key on reality itself. Maybe well unlock something we shouldn't?
We're gonna end up burning the house down somehow, Aren't we?
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 17, 2015, 09:26:34 pm
We graciously allow an agent to tag along, Then we will settle into our prearranged living commodities. We already got a key, Why waste it.Or worse. But only if it does something unpleasant. TIME TO FIND OUT!!!
We need to recuperate for now. Thinking will be done when we need to.
Reflect on all that's happened today and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Before you go to bed, try to use the key on reality itself. Maybe well unlock something we shouldn't?
We're gonna end up burning the house down somehow, Aren't we?
This is a +1, by the way.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 18, 2015, 08:41:04 am
There was an unspoken 'but' hanging in the air as you took a deep breath, as you wondered if it was truly wise to do this now and give him time to make arrangements instead of rushing at the last minute.
Or worse, having him plan for the possibility that you'd say no, so that he could figure a way of bugging you in advance.
"But," you continued as you curled your fingers up into your palm, balling a hand into a fist out of sight as you felt the bite of your nails against your skin. "I believe that a show of faith on my part towards you, by permitting you to send an agent to accompany me... Lets just say that permitting this is against my better judgement, so it gives you a chance to prove me wrong."
"Of course, I have no intention of betraying your trust in this matter," came his response as he offered you an awkward smile.
In this matter.
That was what stood out, a half truth to hide the threate of betrayal seeping through.
You were uncertain if you were picking up on something at this moment other than your own paranoia, but you knew that it was wise to remain wary with these people and their counterparts in HMSO.
"I trust them less, but any attempt to move against me would fast shift my perception of them comparatively," you added, watching as the man nodded, almost as if he was trying to appease you.
He had what he desired here, he had the co-operation he required to justify gathering intelligence from the other agency without them being permitted to do anything about it.
Of course he was going to attempt to be your friend more than before at this point, he was transparent in his desires to prove he wasn't the incompetant he was painted up to be.
"That goes without saying," came his response as you slammed the passenger side of the car shut.
"I'm going to need new clothes for this. I can't just... Meet the Queen wearing clothing like this, I couldn't even if it wasn't bloodied and damaged," you mumbled as you took a moment to glance at the back of your legs, where the jeans you wore sported three holes and extensive blood stains.
"I'll ensure that you have clothing to replace what you are wearing delivered by morning, along with something appropriate for the meeting."
"Thank you. I'm going to go sleep now, I've found myself exausted every day since I arrived here," you stated as you paused to gesture towards the building you'd pulled up outside. "That's where I'm sleeping, right?"
"It is, do you have the key you were provided with."
"Yeah, room seven. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Alyssa."
The converted block of flats was everything you'd expect of a building from the seventies. Concrete stairwell, dingy interior, poorly illuminated.
A perfect welcome for you at this point.
The air inside was cold and ever so slightly damp, but that didn't matter - you could tolerate this being nothing noteworthy as long as it was safe.
So, you ascended the stairwell as the steady echo of your footfalls reverberated off the hard walls that surrounded you until you reached the floor where numbers seven and eight sat opposite each other.
That must have been Millicent's place.
With the key in the lock you swung the door open to reveal the place you had been assigned, a place that did little with its first impressions - but little to put you off.
It was a typical case of fitting everything into one area, a combined living, cooking and eating area with two doors off it for the bathroom and and bedroom.
Bed, that was what you wanted right now.
You made your way through the room with... Period fixtures and cream walls disdainfully, ignoring the once rich brown of the upholstered chairs and the plain lamp as you checked the most likely of the doors first.
Of course, it was the one you wanted - and it was just as outdated as the room you'd just walked through.
The beds covers were white with a floral print, the pillows were cream, the carpet was a dark green. There were a few wardrobes, but you didn't care much for them at the moment.
Sleep was calling.
It didn't matter that this was a strange place with strange people watching over you - people that you didn't feel you could trust.
No, this was a bed and right now, you needed to sleep.
It was cool against your skin as you clambered in, the few things in your pockets placed on the bedside cabinet as you settled down.
Then, almost on some whim, you reached for the key.
If you could make reality itself cry for you to stop bending it over backwards, perhaps something like this, something symbolic...
No, that was stupid.
Wasn't it?
You weren't entirely certain how you could focus on making a key unlock more than a door, yet you reached forward and above you with it, pausing as you envisioned it fitting into a lock - and then with a turn...
...You found yourself feeling rather silly.
There was no tell tale sensation of your body becoming fatigued, no sensation about you of reality begging you to stop.
Nothing, but the burning of your cheeks as you placed the key back down and spent just a little longer than would have been needed before as you tried to smother that sensation of shame and drift off to sleep.
It was after you fell asleep that you found yourself dreaming of an older age, of a place you knew instinctively to be the outskirts of London, yet you'd seen only seen places of this nature in books.
Golden fields of wheat stretched out about you while piecemeal drystone walls lined dirt paths between isolated farmsteads.
You'd never been here before and yet... And yet it felt so familiar to you.
You knew if you went up the road you were stood on that you'd meet a farmer that the name of just escaped your grasp - a fellow with a wife that never approved of his antics.
Of course, that, you told yourself, was what your dream wanted you to do.
You'd reach the farmhouse and the dream'd become a nightmare.
No, you were onto it, you'd explore the surroundings instead.
Clambering over one of the walls, you started through the field, the whispering rustle of wheat swaying in an unseen breeze filling your ears as you made your way towards a toolshed.
If you were going to be attacked in your dream, if it was going to become a nightmare, you were going to arm yourself first.
You weren't stupid.
You didn't trust all the scarecrows you could see about you either, they were prime nightmare material as well.
All you had to do was get too close, or take your eyes off them for too long and they'd spring to life and attack you.
The shed seemed to grow no closer, even as you attempted to walk towards it.
Oh, it was this kind of dream.
Spinning about, you turned your back towards the shed and started to walk backwards towards it, smiling to yourself as it grew closer once again - take that, dream!
The relative silence of this sleepy scene was shattered as gunshots rang out from inside the shed, crows taking to the skies all about you as they fled from the noise, from the perceived threat. Even as the ringing in your ears from the sound died down, the door to the shed burst open and a figure burst from it - a pale man with dark hair and piercing eyes.
A man who was a man and a cloud of conflicted emotions all at once - you could barely see him through a haze of emotion that washed out from him like a black cloud.
Horror, anxiety, despair.
This man was disquieted and-
Fleeing.
Fleeting, from the shed as he stumbled across the fields, leaving you to glance inside at...
You weren't even certain what you were looking at, but the inside of the shed was covered in blood and bones, with a thing in the midst of it all, laying motionless while wounds upon its chest oozed.
"Quite the sight, ain't it Boss?" came a voice from behind you, prompting you to spin about as you pointed a finger threateningly at the form of a... Of a farmhand?
"Easy now, don't need t'threaten me with those things," came the mans words he rose his hands, then used one of them to gently nudge your hand away.
The man was a well built and weathered from working the fields, with curly brown hair, a classically handsome appearance and stubble. He was the kind of person that you'd have expected to see in this fitting in a movie, that was exactly why he felt out of place to you now.
"Who are you?" you hissed as you rose your finger once more. If it worked to threaten him, that reflexive action you'd used initially would do to keep him at arms length, right?
"A better question is, who're you?" came the mans response as he raised his hands once more. "I mean, y'here where 'm workin', threatenin' me 'n y' not even awake."
"What?"
"Come on, Boss, y'can stop threatenin' me," came his words as he glanced down at your hand. "I ain't never done nothin' to you."
"You snuck up on me."
"Y'back were turned f'half an hour, I didn't do no sneakin'."
"My back was turned for seconds."
"I told y', yer asleep. Time flows funny f'y' when y'sleepin'."
"I want answers, or else... Or else I'll-"
"Oh, y'don't even know how t' use that. Great, y' could' 'ave blasted me t'dust, Boss, an' my sole consolation'd have been that y' didn' know what y' were doin'. Okay, lower y' hand, lets talk this over like gentlemen an' ladies."
"How about I wake up instead?"
"Wouldn't recommend it, y'body is cookin' right now."
"Wait, what?"
"Didn' y'hear me?" the man sighed as you lowered your hand. "Y' on fire, body needs a li'l longer t' settle, wakin' now could be messy."
"How messy?"
"Conflagration an' stuff, y'd burn th' entire buildin' down."
"This isn't a dream, then?"
"Oh, y'dreamin', I pulled y't' my domain though. Needed t'talk with y' Boss, y'see-"
"Who are you?" you demanded, but the figure never stopped speaking. Instead, he placed a hand against your shoulder, leading you towards the wall bordering the field at a rate that had it approach faster than it should have.
"Y'drawin' too much attention, Boss. Need t' learn t' burn y'flames a li'l dimmer, yeah?"
"What if I don't want to?" you asked as a look of discomfort came to the mans features.
"The brighter y'burn, th' more y'seen. Y'know there's shit out there almost as scary as me, right?"
"You're not really scary," you laughed pathetically as you settled on the wall.
"So y'say, Boss. Y'never had reason t'fear me, though. Jus' a bogeyman, f'gotten an' all."
"Who are you?"
"Jus' remember, I've seen some o'this b'fore an' all. Brighter y'burn, t' more can see y'. Th' peelers o' yer time are jus' th' start, never did like th' bastards. Worse'n them's out there though, an' yer-"
"Not ready?" you laughed. "You're scared of me, why should things you say aren't as bad as you be an issue for me?"
"I ain't scared o'yer Boss. I just tire o'havin' t' put m'self back t'gether every time some immortal prat tosses their weight aroun' thinkin' they're more than an' inconvenience."
"Perhaps I should burn brighter then, bring them all-"
"Yer flippin' ego knows no bounds, does it. Yer a blinkin' half baked lunatic barkin' at yer own shadow while things in th' night go bump outta yer sight."
"I'm struggling not to laugh at you right now, you know."
"Course y' are, y' dreamin', I'm makin' allowances f' that bein' why y' an awkward, disrespectful shit. I ain't y' enemy Boss, but if y' gonna go about barkin' f' attention-"
"Bark. Bark. Bark."
"Y'impossible."
"You won't even tell me who you are," you huffed as you folded your arms across your chest.
"Bloody 'umans an y' need t' put a name on everythin'," the mans expression darkened - as did the skies. "Go on, get out. Maybe y'll be a bit more receptive next time we talk."
With that the figure reached towards you, his hand slamming into your chest as he knocked you backwards, over the wall and to the ground.
The ground, that swallowed you up as you tumbled into it like water - like dense water that filled your mouth and nose as you tried briefly to scream, then awoke from that surreal dream gasping for breath.
The scent of the farmland lingered on the edges of your senses and the taste of dirt in your mouth telling you that this dream hadn't been entirely such.
Even as the experience faded slowly from your memories despite your best efforts to keep it in mind you swung your legs from your bed. Just what had he meant by conflagration if you'd awoken early?
It wasn't important you figured as you made your way to the bathroom, extra effort made to get rid of the taste in your mouth as you went about your morning routine, before making your way back into the main living space where you could see a stack of clothing complete with a note atop it on the table awaiting your attention.
The note wasn't entirely what you expected - while it started off telling you that you that you had clothing both for general wear, there was an additional segment to it in another persons handwriting stating a time, along with how you had been invited to breakfast with the Queen.
Breakfast, with the Queen.
You... Didn't feel as starved as before, now you thought about it.
Breakfast would be nice, given you felt you wouldn't make a show of yourself by pigging out in an effort to deal with the fact your body kept telling you it was suffering starvation whenever you used your power.
Though this meant that you were taking one of the agencies employees to breakfast with the Queen.
Was she going to make them sit outside, or stand in a corner?
You liked the thought of that, actually, the thought of some secret agent made to stand in the corner facing the wall for daring to turn up to this uninvited.
The clothing they'd picked out for it was nice, though not something you'd consider wearing outside of such occasions. A frilly, old style blouse, a long skirt with ruffles, an overcoat and a... No, you were NOT wearing a bonnet.
Meeting the Queen or not, that was a step too far.
The rest of it was donned, complete with the footwear that had been set out - a set of shoes that had a slightly raised heel and pointed toes.
Finally satisfied with your state of dress you stepped from the small living space you'd been assigned only to find a familiar face awaiting you outside the door.
You'd expected someone, sure, you'd hoped for Millicent, but you knew that you were unlikely to see her for a while.
You'd expected the boss, honestly, yet here you were face to face with Tom, who was dressed in heavy body armour, had an assault rifle slung before him and several handguns in full display.
Was their intent to send him looking like a one man army, so they could warn the others away from you or something?
"Morning Alyssa, I've been assigned to perform the role of your bodyguard today," came his words as he attempted to offer you a reassuring smile, yet you felt anything but.
"We're meeting the Queen and you're going dressed like that?" you asked as you gestured to his body armour.
"Of course. They understand that after the incident with their agents going rogue that we want someone else on site to ensure your well being. You look nice."
"Uh... Thanks?"
"I'm basically armed to act as a deterrant, whomever was behind the move against you will be less willing to try and snatch you if you're protected."
"Or, they could shoot you and then snatch me."
"I'd like to see them try."
"All they have to do is wait for you to turn your back-"
"Most of the people employed here have some form of minor talent, we'll be fine, grumpy-kins."
"What did you call me?"
"Oh, sorry," Tom paused as he started making a series of gestures, ones that you recognised as sign language, though you had no clue what he was saying with your complete lack of knowledge. "Better?"
"I have no idea what you just said to me, but I'm going to assume it was mocking me."
"Nah, I just told you I don't speak sign language, in sign language. It's about as much as I know how to say. Lets get going though, if we're late the boss'll fire me and he'll employ you so he can fire you."
With that Tom started on his way down the stairs towards the exit out of the block of flats - followed closely by you as you made a mental note to never wear the shoes you were in again. They were far from the most comfortable things you'd ever worn, and well, they were also far from what you'd consider wearing, too.
As you made your way down the stairwell and out of the flats you took note of how they'd elected to send you there in one of their jeeps instead of making a more formal arrival. You couldn't blame them, you supposed, but it would have been nice to have gone in the back of a slightly more luxurious car.
As you clambered into the jeep you found yourself wondering if there was anything that you wanted to ask over breakfast - you knew you were going there for answers, to provide answers for them, but it would be foolish not to try and figure what else you could get in the way of answers, wouldn't it?
Though another question nagged away at the back of your mind - just what had you encountered last night in that dream?
Post by: Fallatus on June 18, 2015, 11:08:14 am
As for the message... We are an untempered storm and need to calm down into a gentle breeze. or without metaphor, Be more considerate when using our powers, For there are terrible being out there that could break us in moments.
And for the breakfast questions, We're having breakfast with the queen...
Maybe ask about what they know? Details about the agencies? Maybe an un-redacted library?
Also, Most important: Remain polite. This is the queen herself. Be nice.
Completely unrelated. Have you considered why the key idea didn't work was because you didn't have a destination?
Also, Its nothing to be embarrassed about, we have to try after all don't we?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 18, 2015, 01:14:08 pm
The being is obviously someone we shouldn't anger, even if we are mightier than it. next time we meet it, be a bit more polite won't ya? Apologize y'know, Ok?
As for the message... We are an untempered storm and need to calm down into a gentle breeze. or without metaphor, Be more considerate when using our powers, For there are terrible being out there that could break us in moments.
And for the breakfast questions, We're having breakfast with the queen...
Maybe ask about what they know? Details about the agencies? Maybe an un-redacted library?
Also, Most important: Remain polite. This is the queen herself. Be nice.
Completely unrelated. Have you considered why the key idea didn't work was because you didn't have a destination?
Also, Its nothing to be embarrassed about, we have to try after all don't we?
-1 to key shenanigans, +1 to the rest.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 18, 2015, 03:49:20 pm
The being is obviously someone we shouldn't anger, even if we are mightier than it. next time we meet it, be a bit more polite won't ya? Apologize y'know, Ok?
As for the message... We are an untempered storm and need to calm down into a gentle breeze. or without metaphor, Be more considerate when using our powers, For there are terrible being out there that could break us in moments.
And for the breakfast questions, We're having breakfast with the queen...
Maybe ask about what they know? Details about the agencies? Maybe an un-redacted library?
Also, Most important: Remain polite. This is the queen herself. Be nice.
Completely unrelated. Have you considered why the key idea didn't work was because you didn't have a destination?
Also, Its nothing to be embarrassed about, we have to try after all don't we?
-1 to key shenanigans, +1 to the rest.
I'm in favor of key shenangns.
So plus one to both
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 18, 2015, 04:35:45 pm
+1 to this vote. Now is not the time for key shenanigans.The being is obviously someone we shouldn't anger, even if we are mightier than it. next time we meet it, be a bit more polite won't ya? Apologize y'know, Ok?
As for the message... We are an untempered storm and need to calm down into a gentle breeze. or without metaphor, Be more considerate when using our powers, For there are terrible being out there that could break us in moments.
And for the breakfast questions, We're having breakfast with the queen...
Maybe ask about what they know? Details about the agencies? Maybe an un-redacted library?
Also, Most important: Remain polite. This is the queen herself. Be nice.
Completely unrelated. Have you considered why the key idea didn't work was because you didn't have a destination?
Also, Its nothing to be embarrassed about, we have to try after all don't we?
-1 to key shenanigans, +1 to the rest.
Post by: Fallatus on June 18, 2015, 04:40:32 pm
+1 to this vote. Now is not the time for key shenanigans.
Oh i was not suggesting we did any "shenanigans" right now, But perhaps sometime in the future when we are not inconvenienced by such experimentation.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 19, 2015, 09:18:30 am
"Could I put the radio on?" you asked as the man beside you gave you a brief shrug.
"Sure, but it has to go off once we reach the palace grounds, wouldn't do to serenade the Queen with the squeaky voices of whatever pop idol they're playing after all."
"Okay," you laughed, the thought of the Queen looking on in horror as she was subjected to some egotistical pop star's whining voice was quite an amusing one. You were certain that she wouldn't approve and you could almost hear her command to 'silence that dreadful racket' as you reached down for the radio's knob.
A few buttons and switches were pressed and flicked as you turned the radio on and tuned into one of stations it was able to pick up.
Then you paused.
Classical wasn't what you were after.
You flicked through a few more channels as you go talk radio, the weather, the news, and finally, between snippets of 'classic' music from a few of the oldies themed stations, you finally got something more modern.
With that as background noise to provide a more comfortable and familiar vibe for the journey, you settled back in the chair and watched the passing scenery go by. Residential and business, the alternating weight of the two's numbers was apparent as you drove along the main roads where the greatest amounts of custom where to be found.
It was comforting in a way to know that things never changed in that respect, that you could go anywhere and find something of an echo of home.
At the same time, it was disquieting to know that this city kept up the illusion of normality while it had monsters slither about in the darkness.
Monsters, like you'd been called.
You couldn't let that one slip, as it felt as if it could be true.
You weren't just different, you were supremely different.
Even the Enlightened with their inhuman features and various powers were far from your scope.
It was a lonely mountain to sit upon, but it wasn't as if you had plans to use it to distance yourself from others, no. It was simply a means to measure just how different you were from others, how you were well and truly unique.
With the time to muse on it, you reflected upon the dream you'd had, on how what little you could still recall of it was still fighting to flee from your mind even now.
You had encountered someone - no, something - that you felt you couldn't afford to anger.
Something that had taken offence to your dream self acting like, well, yourself in a dream.
You could have easily dismissed the entire thing as little more than a dream fabricated by your mind to help you cope with how everything you had every known was changing - and you with it - but you couldn't account for the fact you'd awoken to the taste of dirt and... Well, the vague sense that you'd seen an echo of the past in that dream.
Whom's past, you had no idea, but you knew that it was a snipped of another life, stolen and presented to you to give you a sense of connection to the dream itself.
This meant that there was another player amidst the various factions you already knew and had dealings with.
There was ASP, the people that had found you and wished to keep you from leaving their hands.
There was HMSO, the people that wished to poach your talent whom's ultimate authority seemed to be the Queen herself.
There was the rogue agents from HMSO and the outsider whom had tried to snatch you, telling you that there was another faction making a power play out there.
There was the LPD and the Guardians, the police and the Enlightened that worked for them.
You didn't know where the Enlightened proper fitted into this puzzle yet, but you were starting to see the various ties between the groups that had their histories fit together.
There was also The Guild, whom had made no effort to approach you - likely due to a lack of awareness over your existance at this time.
And now there was this entity, who had warned you off using your powers freely. As they had so simply conveyed it, the brighter you burned the easier you were to see and well, the LPD were proof of that. Every time you'd used your powers they'd come running in one form or another to ask about it.
They'd sent armed officers last time, telling you that even if the uses of your power so far had been far from impressive in some senses, that you were doubtlessly lighting up all kinds of warning lights.
If they could detect you, others could.
ASP had, HMSO likely had.
Whom, or what else was out there that could?
You shuddered at the thought, there could easily be ancient things out there that had seen you, that you had yet to see yourself.
And you were at a disadvantage as they could come for you before you knew of them.
You'd figure a way to deal with that when it came, but for now, you were going to watch the scenery go by and... And...
Well, you'd just let the scenery go by and listen to the radio.
"We're being followed," Tom's voice stated, snapping you from your reverie as you went to turn about, to look to see what was following you this time. "Don't turn, you'll be too obvious. They're likely HMSO's lot, making sure we get there, but you can never be too careful. If not, well, you'll be fine, I'll make sure of it."
"That's not very reassuring," you mumbled as you reached down to rub at the back of your legs where you'd been shot last time. There was no tell tale sensation of discomfort, no sensation of some foreign body telling you that you still had bullets lodged in your flesh.
"No, don't worry about it. If they try to pull anything, I'll react accordingly."
"You'll shoot them?"
"If it escalates to that point, yet."
"What if they shoot you first?"
"If they manage that then we're dealing with something more than garden variety agents."
"And you'll be dead."
"Only if they get a clean headshot."
"You're very calm about this."
"I've nothing to far from them, so calm down. We'll get there no trouble," Tom smiled as he pressed his foot down against the jeeps accelerator.
You could feel yourself pressed back into the seat once more as the jeep weaved between traffic, as Tom put distance between you and the pursuing car - briefly it seemed, as the stolen glances and sour expressions he pulled told you all you needed to know.
"They're definately following us. Okay, we're sticking to busy roads remaining visible as a precaution."
"How do they know who to follow?"
"Either they're picking up on you, that's unlikely, or they're going by the registration of this vehicle."
"So, they're using a little guess work and a little-" you paused "They could have bugged it, too?"
"There's always that as well," he muttered as he turned the wheel and took the jeep onto one of the busier roads.
You were uncertain if this was wise, if they really wanted you then they'd use the more densely packed roads to get you while you were unable to move as fast, snatch you in borad daylight.
Yet, Tom had promised you that you would be okay, he was armed and confident.
Was that confidence his downfall, or was he right to be so?
It was twenty more nerve wracking minutes of being followed by the other car before the palace finally came into sight, before Tom reached down to flick the radio off as he pulled papers and identification out of the driver side door's inner pockets.
An array of guards and gate keepers were flashed those papers and passes as you arrived at the gates of the palace and were ushered inside.
As was the car following you.
"See, nothing to worry about," Tom muttered as he gestured back. "Just to be sure, I'm going to talk with them, though."
"But-" you started, only for him to silence you with a wave of his hand as the jeep pulled up into a parking area out of sight of the gates.
"Alyssa, you need to worry less."
"Okay..."
As you both clambered from the jeep, a pair of agents in black suits clambered from the car - sunglasses and suits, disguising their otherwise average features so you couldn't hope to identify them later.
You could see their expressions starting off warm as they approached - aiming to approach you as Tom was partially concealed by the jeep, though that warmth quickly turned to concern as he stepped around the jeeps frame and started making his way towards them in what you had figured by this point was battle gear.
"So, care to explain yourselves?" he challenged as he almost casually permitted his hands to come to a rest atop the weapon slung about his neck.
"We could ask you the same thing," came one of the pair's voices, wavering with uncertainty.
"I am Alyssa here's plus one and body guard, here's my authorisation," he paused as he reached for something inside his pocket to hold up to show the pair. "Consider my presence a vote of no-confidence in you or your people's ability to provide adequate security. I'm certain you were briefed on our arrival however, as I was cleared in advance. Right? Right. Your turn."
"We were sent to escort-"
"No you weren't. Nobody informed us of escorts. You might be agents of HMSO, but you have-"
As one of the agents reached for their inner pocket Tom's hands were a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye they snapped down to a pair of pistols on his belt and back up, trained upon the agents before either of them could do more than yelp in surprise.
"I was just... I have the papers in my pocket, just..." the one almost whimpered as they moved to hold their hand in the air while the other reached to hold their jacket open, to show the papers they had been reaching for.
"Hold them up for me."
"But you-"
"I can read them from here."
You couldn't, however, so as those papers were held up for Tom's scrutiny, all you could make out was a few black squiggles printed upon the paper and the remains of a red wax seal that had been broken to open the orders.
"Checks out. Lead the way, but remember - no funny business."
The pair nodded fearfully as they started leading the way towards the front entrance with you and Tom trailing behind them.
It was surreal to think you'd almost witnessed a gunfight on the palace grounds - that Tom had been about to gun the pair down simply because things didn't add up.
"Tom, what were you thinking?" you hissed to him as you followed the pair towards the steps leading into the palace proper.
"I was told to take no chances with your safety. This doesn't add up, it could be an oversight or it could be something else."
"You told me to stop being paranoid-"
"You're here for breakfast, I'm here to ensure your safety. I can justify paranoia."
"Bullshit."
"Language."
You grumbled at Tom as you were ushered past the various guards stood on duty inside and out of the palace, into the well illuminated halls decorated with all manner of finery and paintings that lead ever deeper.
The walls were decorated with red wallpaper with gold fern patterns and weaving designs, the paintings towered above you, the floor was a creamy marble and covered in red rugs with golden tassels.
It was the very image of decadance, yet you couldn't stop to gawk at the opulant display as you were taken deeper into the palace.
You were lead through a myriad of corridors before you were taken up a graceful staircase to the first floor then lead into a dining room that overlooked the rear grounds of the palace.
"Her Majesty will be with you shortly," came one of the agents words as the pair of them ducked out of the room - more pleased to be out of Tom's presence than to have done their job.
No sooner had they left the pair of you alone was he pacing about the room.
There was no awe with the opulant surroundings, no interest in the decor.
These were the movements of a person who was consumed with a task - the task in mind in this case seemingly where he could take up position in this room to cover as much of the room as possible.
He had barely had time to find a position when doors on the farside of the large dining hall opened and a woman in an elegant, though rather bulky looking black gown, a woman bent double with age as she leaned for support on a walking stick walked in whom was followed by a suited man with an entirely different vibe to the ones you'd seen before.
This one wore a suit that looked expensive, one that was well fitted, made of a grey fabric, with a white shirt and a red tie beneath it that looked every bit as expensive as the suit.
This man was no agent.
This man was worse.
Much, much worse.
He was...
A Tory.
"Minister Smith, when I invited you to come for breakfast I did not wish for you to fawn upon me and treat me as if I were helpless simply due to my advanced age," came the womans words as she chastised the man.
"Alexandrina, my appologies. You know I merely wish to provide you with assistance."
"Yes, and it was entirely unsolicited. Now shoo, go seat the guest if you wish to make yourself useful," came her words once more as she, the Queen, ushered the man away as if he was little more than a servant.
And so, almost dutifully, he made his way over to you, pulling a chair out for you to sit yourself at as he gave you the kind of practiced smile only a shark could while regarding its prey.
"You must be Miss Smith," came his words as he gestured to the seat. "Please, be seated, her Majesty does not wish for you to stand on ceremony."
"Oh do be quiet," came the words of the woman - a woman you could scarecely believe you were meeting today now that you were in her presence.
"I..." you started, only to find yourself lost for words as you looked upon the elderly monarch, upon Queen Victoria herself as she gave you a little, though dismissive wave of her hand.
"Do seat yourself dear, I called you here so that we may talk over breakfast. Quite honestly, you appear to be in need of a good meal," she paused to look across at the politician nearby as he hurried to take a seat nearby. "Look at her, she's all skin and bones. What is your party playing at with their budget cuts?"
"I believe she is simply of that nature, Ma'am," sighed the politician as he seated himself.
"Indeed, now... As the serving staff are rather tardy, perhaps we should address just why I requested your presence here Miss Smith," there was a pause as she glanced towards the politician. "No relation I presume, Minister Smith?"
"No relation, ma'am."
"While I am... Shall we say, grateful, that you returned a piece of an item that has been confirmed to have once belonged to a dear friend of mine, I have been torn since this news came in. Minister Smith, you have had more time to read up upon this than I, so perhaps you would like to address the matter while I prepare myself some tea?"
"Yes ma'am," came the mans words as he turned towards you. "Miss Smith, what her majesty wishes to convey is that your very existance, impossible as it should be, breaks her heart. Back during the war, an immortal, a friend of hers, fell for his thousandth time and ceased to reincarnate. Since that time, we have been able to quantify the type of power that he once bore and for you to resonate much the same pattern as he once did is... Troublesome to say the least."
"Why is that troublesome?"
"Ah, I cannot say."
"Yes, you can, Minister."
"Ma'am, I would-"
"Tell her the truth. You are still capable of that, are you not?"
"Yes, ma'am," came the mans defeated response as he steepled his fingers. "Miss Smith, in mans history there have been many wonders and many mistakes. There are the immortals, men and women who have ascended beyond the reach of time and eluded the grasp of death. There are the horrors that have always been there, monsters that even now plague our subconscious thoughts despite how they are now few and far between. That immortals exist at all is a testamant to mans spirit, how unwilling to accept his lot, he has the gall to challange natural order. That you exist is troublesome, as you are an echo of the very first immortal. Unlike those that came after him, he was different. He was not human, never was, no. He was the personification of a force of creation that in its curiosity over man and his existance took his form. Man has always been cunning, man used his magic to ensnare this spirit of creation in the human form it had taken so that it would always be a man."
The minister paused to pour himself a glass of water.
"Man shackled this force of creation and stole from it the power man needed to live a life eternal. It was not perfect for there was always a means to kill such an empowered man, some would say it was fitting that man could still be slain in some manner with such power, for in mans arrogance to take from something eternal, man did not realise the same magic that had permitted them to do so, left that weakness in them too. Over a thousand lifetimes this entity sought to undo the magic that had shackled it, as it all but killed magic in its efforts. Today, magic is but a hollow shell of what it had once been, but that is of no importance to what I am telling you. After a thousand incarnations, with countless immortals having stolen power from it, this entity was a mere shadow of its former self. Once, it had the power to shatter the very earth. By the end it was a fading light, in an inky void."
He paused again as he sipped at his drink.
"And then, repeating the same transgression we had countless times before, the same weakness that immortals inherited from it, that permitted it to be controlled by man so that it would never escape... Was used to slay its mortal form once more. That you are an echo of a very force of nature is impossible Alyssa, that you are an echo of that one is even more so."
He fell silent as serving staff entered with platters laden with toast, cakes, cereal and other such things suited to breakfast entered the room, placed the food down in the midst of the table and left while bowing respectfully to the Queen.
You were reeling, you had just been told that man found, shackled and murdered the nearest it'd ever found to the god it always sought?
Just what did this mean for you?
Was man the thing YOU had to fear?
Were you going to silently, awkwardly eat breakfast and pretend you'd heard none of this, or did you have questions you wanted to ask?
Post by: Fallatus on June 19, 2015, 11:26:12 pm
Remember to remain composed. As for other questions:
May i ask a few questions ma'am?
Do you know what i can expect as my power grows?
Could the thousand soul have become "unshackled" when he died for the last time?
Could i have been "made" by the thousand soul?
...What sort of enemies can i expect to have?
Do you have any tips i might use?
The exact nature of the heat you could feel when using your powers have eluded so far. You thought it was just your own body heat, But now after receiving this new information it suddenly makes sense: You can feel the heat of creation, The fires that burns at the beginning of time and the universe itself.
And now.. You can feel it, subtly within you. Though it has always been there you only just noticed it. A deep warmth roaring from within, A distant echo that grows ever closer.
It is not the flames of the phoenix that burns within your life, But those of eternal creation itself.
Suffice it to say, This is an opportune moment to be slightly overwhelmed. If you are an "echo" of the thousand soul, could you grow to its power? Could you surpass it?
And what of the thousand soul? Are you connected to him? If so, could you potentially access his memories? His experience?
Were you just born in this lifetime or have you been a project in the making for longer?
So many questions, So few answers.
One day we shall become the greatest.
But we are just a child now, We must grow in power and experience before then. But in time... We shall become mightier than the force creation itself.
You are not a monster, But a force of nature. Similar yes, But not the same. Though the difference between you and nature is you have a choice.
As for humanity, We must not grow fearful of it. The thousand soul must have seen something very interesting in man for them to take their form.
Besides, You've seen way to many movies and played way to many games to know humanity is not something to be fucked with. Its only a matter of finding out what sort of genre you are in, So to say.
Nevertheless we shall remain good, For what other choice is there? "Evil" brings forth short term but immediate results. But while "Good" brings results later on but with greater effort, It also has the potential to have the greatest effect. Every life you touch is forever changed, use this knowledge to build forth an following of great power.
They must know that even though we put up a persona of aloofness and sarcasm we are kind and will protect them when needed. They must know to think for themselves, To learn of their own devices so as not be reliant on a single powerful being.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves, That's a long time from now. So for the time being, Just be nice to others.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 20, 2015, 08:33:00 am
"You need not stand upon ceremony, help yourself to that what you wish to have for breakfast," came the Monarchs response, though that wasn't what you wanted to ask. "You need not stand upon ceremony when it comes to addressing me, either, it is cumbersome and you are here as my guest to speak of yourself and your future," she added after a moment was taken to sip at her tea.
"By that, she means that you should address her as ma'am," came Minster Smith's words as he wrapped his hands about the glass of water he was holding, thumbs resting upon the rim.
"Do I?" challenged the Queen as she let out a weary sigh, one that should have sounded overly dramatic and yet, it was practiced and perfected. Everything about the womans emotions was concealed behind the facade of a royal, every gesture perfected in form, every expression there soley for you to read has she wished for you to read her.
While it was of no surprise, it was infuriating.
You'd dealt with agents who always had tell tale signs that they were deceiving you or moments where the person beneath the profession shone through regardless of what they were trying to do.
With her, with the Queen, you were completely in the dark.
Even Minister Smith seemed to be unreadable, though as a politician, a Tory at that, it was entirely possible that he was a souless monster.
No, you just had to remind yourself that the Queen was tutored and trained in her public image and Minister Smith had to deceive other politicians, this was why they were magnitudes above you figuring them out.
Everything was interconnected though, if you couldn't read emotion, you could read them in their answers.
"Ma'am, I wished to know if I may ask questions of you and of Minister Smith, if that is permissable," Awkward as that was for you to say, you'd not used manners of that sort since you were in school.
"Again, you are here as my guest for this very reason. Ask what you may, though do have the courtesy to answer that what may be asked of you."
"Yes ma'am," you responded as you crossed your hands over your lap beneath the table. You could help yourself, as you'd been told you may, to breakfast once you had addressed the main concerns. "I have concerns about my power, it seems... Unimaginable, hard for me to focus and control. I have moments where it seems to wish to escape from my grasp and burst out about me. Recently, I've realised that it roars like a fire wishing to reforge all I touch and... And..."
"You are afraid. It is natural to fear such power, the common man sees it as unnatural and wishes to control it so that it may not turn upon him. However, those in the agencies that I founded so long ago," she paused as she looked over at Tom to make a point. "Understand that such power is to be feared less than those that control it. Without discipline and purpose, one may easily turn in the times they bore of such peace and utilise those powers for less noble goals. The path from a figure of glory to that of a dastard is easy to go down, but hard to climb."
"What she means to say is-" Minister Smith started, only for a wave of the Queen's hand to silence him.
"Do not speak for me in these matters unless I request it, Minister," came the Queen's words as she gave him a withering stare.
"Yes, ma'am," came the mans words as he seemed to shrink against his chair.
"What can I expect though, ma'am, as my power grows?" you asked as the Queen this time deferred your question to the all too eager Minister.
"With power such as yours, Alyssa, you can accomplish almost anything you set your mind to. This is something that we wished to address, as while we're quite aware that you possess potential far beyond the realm of any we've seen in recent years, we're not sure if you have an actual limit to that potential," the Minister Paused to sip at his water, a pause simply to punctuate what he was saying. "This is why we feel it may be for the best that you work with us, so that we can offer you whatever training you require. The agency you're working with at this time is... Shall we say, inadequately equipped to handle anything more than the garden variety of extra-ordinary talent."
You tensed up at this question, though you did your best not to betray that you was uncomfortable with it. These were the same people who had agents turn rogue and try to snatch you, apparently, asking you to work with them, despite the fact that there was clearly some element of corruption inside their ranks?
Those efforts to conceal it were frankly futile however, as you could feel the Minister not just reading you like an open book, but finding the answer he needed before you, yourself, knew it.
"We'll leave that one on the table however, such offers are not to be snatched at or discarded with no more than a scant few seconds to decide upon them," he added as he adjusted his grip upon his glass.
"If I may change the subject, ma'am, to the subject of dreams, out of body experiences," you started, pausing to take a breath as you figured that a moments reprive from the issue of recruitment and your power to cover this would be what you required to gather yourself again. "I've experienced the latter recently, and the former... I had a dream of an entity that said it had brought me to its realm to tell me that... I needed to burn less brightly as I was getting too much attention. It was in an old farmland, and... Um... I'm sorry, I don't recall much more."
"Dreams are fleeting," came the Queen's initial response as she held her delicate looking teacup carefully before her. "That is why when they come, you should grasp them and hold onto them firmly. Do you have anything to say about her dream, Minister?" she added as she turned towards the man sat nearby.
"No, ma'am, there's nothing I have to say," came his response.
"Very well. Address then if you will, address the matter of her out of body experience," the Queen huffed as she sipped at her tea.
"Yes, ma'am," the Minister responded dutifully as he turned his attention back towards you. "Humans as a whole seem to have senses that extend beyond their mortal form, they can feel that they are being watched for example or when they are not alone. There are those that grow close, that bear a true connection to another, that know when something has happened to them. It is not uncommon with those that are more than human to have some form of sensetivity to more than this. Out of body experiences are not very well documented however, so there is little more that can be said other than it may well be an extension of the same sensetivity you had that permitted you to have such a dream as you did."
That wasn't very fruitful, though you'd at least gathered something from it.
That being that it wasn't unexpected.
"If I may get back to the subject of what I am, what I appear to be, ma'am, could it be possible that the thousand soul could have been unshackled when he was killed that last time?" you paused, to add something more "Could it even be possible that I was created by him, somehow?"
The long, withering stare you received from the Queen was one that had you feel as if you were shrinking into your chair to escape it, as if you had just asked the most inappropriate question you could at this moment.
"Miss Smith, we have already thoroughly investigated that matter. To lose a dear friend such as him was a blow, but to be told by the investigations, having called in every favour I could from every connection I had to be told time and time again that he had been fully extinguished drove me to despair. It is doubtful that he could have been behind your creation during the twilight of his existance, as he was simply much too weak at this point. The one responsible for his demise remains locked up to this day within the Tower of London."
Yes, Anxiety, you'd asked if they could arrange for you to meet her - the one locked within a noteworthy landmark.
The Tower of London had been used to imprison her, Big Ben was off limits due to reasons...
Landmarks had some bearing on things, perhaps Stone Henge had relevance, too?
Not that you could see how it connected to things yet, no.
You weren't even certain how these other things connected to other things just yet, but you had more parts to this jigsaw.
Though right now, you felt it was wise to eat breakfast before you dared ask anything else.
Still, there were connections just out of sight, suspicions you could address.
There was the matter of meeting Anxiety, too.
Did you wish to grasp at straws and address any specific suspicions?
Did you have other questions you'd ask after breakfast?
Or were you content for now and simply wished to to move onto the matter of Anxiety when it was appropriate?
---
You brushed against a plot point in there - while I won't say what one, I will say that if people hit certain ones head on, I'll let Alyssa unveil the point in the story sooner than she otherwise would have.
Post by: Fallatus on June 20, 2015, 11:44:26 am
Just this weekend my life was simply normal. There wasn't any monsters in the dark, No secret conspiracies or world shattering powers around. It was just me and my family.
I'm sorry if i am overstepping my boundaries, But i'm simply curious. The world that has been opened to me is frightening but also filled with wonders i could only have imagined to exist.
I have always had the desire to know more, Even as a kid. And now i have the chance to do so. I'm just trying to understand all of this that has been revealed to me, Even if it is just the same world with the veil lifted.
For now, Just eat. We are starving after all.
Maybe ask why it is your body that feels the burn of your powers?
Tom seems.. Uneasy. More so than normal. Is he alright?
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 20, 2015, 01:36:32 pm
"I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't meant to offend. It's just... everything that's happened over the past couple of days has pointed to some sort of connection between me and the thousand soul. The Jotunn gave me a piece of one of his weapons, claiming it was mine. Officer Joy said I reminded her of him. And my powers... they're not identical, I'm not him... but they're similar. Similar enough that I might have to worry about the same sort of enemies he faced, that I might end up facing the same sort of fate.
...
I know it's a difficult thing to ask, but... could I talk with the one responsible? It's hard to explain, but it just feels important."
Post by: Fallatus on June 20, 2015, 04:19:13 pm
After a few moments eating in silence, Alyssa spoke again,
"I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't meant to offend. It's just... everything that's happened over the past couple of days has pointed to some sort of connection between me and the thousand soul. The Jotunn gave me a piece of one of his weapons, claiming it was mine. Officer Joy said I reminded her of him. And my powers... they're not identical, I'm not him... but they're similar. Similar enough that I might have to worry about the same sort of enemies he faced, that I might end up facing the same sort of fate.
...
I know it's a difficult thing to ask, but... could I talk with the one responsible? It's hard to explain, but it just feels important."
Ooh, Nice. +1
Post by: Peradon on June 21, 2015, 12:43:34 am
+1After a few moments eating in silence, Alyssa spoke again,
"I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't meant to offend. It's just... everything that's happened over the past couple of days has pointed to some sort of connection between me and the thousand soul. The Jotunn gave me a piece of one of his weapons, claiming it was mine. Officer Joy said I reminded her of him. And my powers... they're not identical, I'm not him... but they're similar. Similar enough that I might have to worry about the same sort of enemies he faced, that I might end up facing the same sort of fate.
...
I know it's a difficult thing to ask, but... could I talk with the one responsible? It's hard to explain, but it just feels important."
Ooh, Nice. +1
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 22, 2015, 11:06:08 am
It wouldn't do to shame yourself before the Queen, to take slices of cake for breakfast as you would have otherwise done. No, while you had the kind of metabolism that could handle such a poor diet with ease, you were going to take a proper breakfast, the kind that was sensible and polite.
Toast, not your favourite thing, though you had no objections to it.
Tea, something you were quite content with.
Crumpets, because, well, why not add another savoury bread based thing to your plate?
And then an awkward silence in what you conducted yourself with as much grace as possible, nibbling daintily upon your breakfast and sipping in a measured manner at your tea.
You just had to give the moment a chance to pass before you addressed the monarch once more, to ask her something that was, you felt, an important matter that had to be dealt with as soon as possible.
You had to meet with Anxiety, get her side of things, learn the story from the point of view of the one that had betrayed the thousand soul.
While the Queen herself was busy with her breakfast, Minister Smith had made no effort to take anything more than his water. He wasn't watching you, however, despite being sat opposite you. No, he seemed to be watching Tom out of the corner of his eye.
This would have surprised you more if you hadn't ascertained from his knowledge of your... State of being, that he was a part of the agency that currently lay within the Queen's hands.
How odd though, that a politician would be a member of that agency, when the original agency had been taken away by polticians and mismanaged into the ground.
Or so you assumed, anyway.
Was he here to slowly wrest control away from the Queen?
No, he seemed to bow to her will, to address her as if he cared for her well being.
Not that you could tell if those gestures were real or not, the pair of them were beyond your comprehension.
You were sat here with a Queen who was two centuries old now, with a politician who was friends with the Queen and clearly trusted enough to be a part of her agency. There was a puzzle here, yet you couldn't see any pieces for it.
Yet.
You'd figure this out eventually, but here was neither the time nor the place for you to concern yourself over the affairs of the Queen or her company.
That was, unless it somehow threatened you, or her, or him for that matter.
Just how could she be this old and still be alive?
Perhaps it had something to do with the thousand soul, to do with the Enlightened, to do with... Anything.
You'd learn the answer sooner or later, but again, this wasn't the time or the place.
Right now you had more pressing matters to concern yourself with.
It was a long moment however before you mustered the courage to address the Queen, you didn't like to issue apologies at the best of times, but this time you were left feeling the crushing weight of anxiety upon your chest as you steeled yourself.
"Ma'am?" you started as you turned your attention towards the Queen. "I'd like to apologise for any offence I may have caused you. It wasn't my intent to upset you, it's just with everything that has happened I allowed myself to get carried away with my efforts to grasp at answers and as such I did not keep in mind such concerns as how what I may ask may distress you."
As you paused for breath the Monarch let out a weary sigh, her fingers interlaced about her teacup as she shook her head.
"You lack his presence, his way with words. Perhaps that is for the best, however, for an apology from him would have been accepted without second thought. I understand that this matter is a concern for you, and I thank you for realising, late as it may be, that it is a sore one for me. it will continue to be a sore one for me, but, I must come to terms with that should I ever want the rest of the answers to the mystery myself."
"Perhaps I can help with that then, given that I am so similar to him?"
"I do hope so, Miss Smith. I do truly hope so, as I cannot hold onto this grief without closure for centuries to come."
With the air of tension dissolving you figured now was a good moment to pause, to let this effort at warmth you had kindled linger as you addressed the Minister and made small talk. Or an effort at it.
At least after giving things a few moments longer before you moved onto the next topic.
"So," you started as you gave the Minister opposite you as polite a smile as you could muster. "I never dreamed I'd be sat at breakfast in such a manner. With the Queen of this fair land and a noteworthy member of the Tories. I'm not big on politics, so you'll have to forgive my ignorance on your position, but what exactly is it that you do within your party?"
"I assume you are a Labour voter, Miss Smith?" came the mans response as he gave you a warm smile in response. His attention was drawn away from Tom, that meant that your bodyguard had a moments breathing room as he was no longer under the scrutiny of this hawk eyed man.
"I am, though I feel it would be unfair to bring my political prejudice to play when in pleasant company. I was simply curious as to what your role is, as you're not one of the names ofen seen on the news."
"Fair enough. I handle aspects of culture, heritage, tourism and the like. Important sites need preserving, the culture of this island needs to be put on display, and tourists, well, they bring in some of the much needed revenue that we allocate to things such as public works, education and so on."
"That actually sounds like a nice job to have," you responded before you sipped at your tea.
"It is quite an exaustive one to hold, but, it is one that I am glad to perform. If we do not preserve some of the iconic landmarks we have, then they would fade into obscurity and leave a hole in the very soul of this land."
"Do you have a favourite landmark?"
"Hmm. I would have to say that stone henge is given the mystery that surrounds it. People are still divided over the function it played to our anscestors. Is there one you have yourself?"
"Not as such, but I do like some of the old cathedrals."
"I ensure they are preserved too, as they are are historical landmarks that show us how ancient engineers overcame the issues of making such grand buildings persist to this day."
There was further silence as you finished up your breakfast, as you finally turned your attention back towards the Queen, having figured now how you were going to address the matter of how you'd attain answers to the mystery, as it was.
"Ma'am, if I may make a request, as we both desire answers to this mystery over my identity-"
A hand was raised to silence you.
"I desire answers to the mysteries surrounding him, you however will get the answers ascertaining to your identity in due time," came the monarchs response as she shifted to place her tea cup down upon its saucer.
"Yes ma'am, as it is though, I have been told I was reminiscent of... Of him by officer Joy, I was given a piece of his revolver by a Jötunn that claimed it was mine. My powers are not the same as his, but I feel that they share a similar root. I am afraid of what I may face out there, what may come for me as it mistakes me for him."
There was a pause as the Queen turned her attention from you to the minister.
"Is there anything you have to say on this matter, Jack?" came the Queen's words as she addressed the Minister by name this time.
"No, ma'am. There's nothing I have to say at this time," the Minister responded as he shook his head.
"Very well. Alyssa, we do not know the extent of his enemies, though we do know that his enemies were numerous. Various immortals, the deathless, various civilisations. He was apt at making enemies, but there are things out there beyond mere men that he no doubt raised the ire of. There were nights over the many years I knew him for where he would vanish, only to return with the most haunted of looks in his eyes as he confided in me a pained voice how he had been too late, that he had seen and fought horrors. Each time it took him longer to recover, both physically and mentally from the ordeals."
"What ordeals where they, Ma'am?"
"He never told me, Miss Smith, he simply told me that he had ensured that I would be safe, that he would never permit harm to come to me. I am sorry, Miss Smith, that his legacy is to become yours in such a manner."
"If it is possible then, ma'am, may I... May I speak with the one responsible for his ultimate demise?" you paused as you took a breath to steady yourself for what you wished to say next. "If I am to deal with the issues that arise with my similarity to him then speaking with her will give me a chance to understand the mysteries that-"
"Miss Smith, she has not spoken to a soul since her imprisonment, but, if you wish to do such, I shall have you cleared to visit her. As it is, I believe breakfast is ove and we have no other matters to discuss, so, I shall bid you and your bodyguard farewell. By the time you reach the tower you shall be cleared to visit... Her." the last word was filled with disdain as the Monarch rose from the table and started to make her way towards one set of doors leading out of the dining area.
This left the Minister to guide you out of the doors you had entered by, leaving you with the waiting agents to be escorted back to the entrance to the palace by the same route they had brought you by.
The very thought of meeting with this woman filled you with dread however, as you didn't know what to expect. She had managed to kill one with a similar nature to you in the past - did this mean she was also the one who could kill you, too?
...Surprisingly still sane, given this lengthy imprisonment?
...Somewhat frayed around the edges, though that was hardly a surprise?
...Deranged, she'd snapped and in her madness she thought you were her victim returned to life?
Did you have any specific questions or matters you wished to address with Anxiety when you met her, or would you simply see where the meeting went?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 22, 2015, 12:23:23 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 22, 2015, 01:33:42 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 22, 2015, 02:17:20 pm
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 22, 2015, 02:37:44 pm
Post by: Peradon on June 22, 2015, 03:25:58 pm
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 23, 2015, 10:16:24 am
Once you had dreamed of being rich and famous, but those dreams had died with your innocence, many years ago.
Oh, how you had been disillusioned with that kind of world, that kind of lifestyle. You had seen the various stars you had looked up to as role models being pushed into rehab, falling out with the police, even dying as they indulged their self destructive lifestyles.
You had wanted nothing to do with it, no part of a lifestyle fueled by excess driven by an inability to be happy with what you had and an ego the size of the universe.
Of course, you'd had a taste of that ego and reigned yourself in, you knew that the taste of power was intoxicating, yet...
Yet, you couldn't justify becoming like those people you'd had pushed upon you as familiar figures you should have looked up to. You'd disconnected yourself from that particular treadmill and lived life as your own - somewhat paranoid - person.
No, you didn't want to be the next household name, the next starlet that the world aspired to be - you were just like the stars before fame got to their heads.
Flawed, in many ways, but still aware enough of your flaws to work towards overcoming them.
You would overcome them, too.
There was nothing you couldn't do if you put your mind to it.
Tom's discontent was apparent to you, yet you felt that it was far from the right moment to address how he was practically seething before you - no, you'd give him a little time on the road to cool off before you addressed this.
Your ability to deal with people online didn't translate smoothly into real world experiences after all - online you were queen of such, able to mediate and solve issues while in the real world you floundered and struggled as you'd been out of the loop somewhat since school.
You'd had a bright future ahead of you, your teachers had said.
You were a bright young lady who could get far, they'd said.
Work in your area had been something you'd never been able to get, and further education was something you couldn't afford without work to support it.
Perhaps, you dared to hope, if you were employed by one of these agencies, you'd be able to afford to pay for higher education. You'd be able to get your own place - not too far from your parents, you wanted to be close enough to visit. You'd be able to get further education, pick a subject and reach for the stars
You'd make your name known in whatever field you took for your accomplishments - you'd show them all that you were a genius who didn't need her damn near divine power to get ahead.
Of course, that power wouldn't hurt, but...
"Hey, Tom?" you ventured as the jeep pulled up to a set of traffic lights, as traffic rushed ahead of you. A few taxi's, a double decker bus and a fair amount of regular cars passed by before the man beside you finally turned to look at you, to utter but a single world in response to your attempt to gather his attention.
"Yes?"
"You were tense back there, what about the entire situation was getting to you?"
"That's need to know."
"Right, Thomas VICTORIA."
"That's not my surname," came his response as he tried to keep a straight face, though there was a hint of a smile.
"Damn, games and movies lied to me. You should have been the Queen's estranged son, furious that you had to return there and deal with her refusing to acknowledge your existance."
"I wish, I wouldn't have to work this job then."
"So, want to talk about it?"
"As I said-"
"Oh, yeah, sure, need to know. That's entirely bullshit you know, you were sent to tag along with me because your boss is grovelling at my feet right now as I present so many opportunities. This is personal, isn't it?"
"No."
"You don't like HMSO, that's a given. Can't blame you, bunch of egotistical assholes who don't operate properly. You were recruited from the armed forces, right?"
"Right."
"So, you get the value of a chain of command, you want order, accountability. They lack that. But it's not that, either. No..."
You fell silent for a long moment as the lights changed and you turned towards the river, towards what you presumed was the way towards the tower of london.
It wasn't really much of a tower, you expected with a name like that, that it would have towered on the skyline like some grim needle, but you had to keep in mind, you figured, that this was a tower built many centuries ago before they figured how to make a building stand as tall as a skyscraper would tumbling down.
"It wasn't the Queen either, she's just a grumpy old lady as far as you're concerned, it was the Minister, wasn't it?"
"Are you done grasping at straws?"
"Nope, it was the Minister. He's a monster with no soul."
"As a member of the Tories that's redundant."
"So, what was it?"
"It was the minister, he doesn't have a heartbeat."
"Oh."
"You say that as if you don't think it's signifigant at this point."
"Well, yeah, the Queen's two centuries old, I died recently and got better, Millicent wears peoples bodies as clothes and your boss sees dead people. You can blame modern media for how fast I get disillusioned and over everything."
"You do realise this means he's deathless, or worse?"
"Wait, deathless, as in-"
"Yeah, the people who will want to exact revenge upon you for things you never did."
"Well... Shit. What's the best way to kill them?"
"Varies, most of the ways involve shooting them in the head miss 'I play games and watch movies'. You should have known that."
"Yeah, and you're still evading the question. What bothers you about the deathless?"
"It's not so much what bothers me about them, it's the threat that they pose to you that bothers me. I'm here to make sure you come to no harm, and historically, the information we have on the deathless amounts to a whole lot of nothing."
"And you know this because...?"
"Combat training, I have to know how to take care of any unnatural entity efficiently."
You slumped back in your seat as those words were uttered in response.
Here you were with power beyond your wildest dreams at your fingertips and you couldn't use it effectively enough to defend yourself against these things.
So far, you'd managed a grand total of one kill with them - yourself.
When trying to manipulate air currents.
You needed an instruction manual to inform you how to do this stuff, as you didn't know how you'd accomplish control otherwise.
The journey continued in silence as you approached the Tower of London, as you took note of how the building you approached had a fair number of people going in and out of it.
It was a tourist attraction, this shouldn't have been a surprise for you.
Yet, the fact that this place was a tourist attraction and functionally acted as a prison for one very special inmate was what surprised you.
If the woman here had killed someone of immense - even if diminished - power, was it safe to have tourists come through this place if she was able to escape?
While you didn't have the answer for that, you knew that she hadn't spoken since being imprisoned, so it was potentially a fruitless endeavour for you to be here in the first place.
Perhaps the time she had spent here had dulled her, left her no longer capable of rationalising the concept of escape - perhaps she was as sharp as ever and simply had nothing to say to those that were here.
You'd know once you were face to face with the woman, you knew that much.
"So, the Queen said she'd have us cleared by the time we arrived," you started as the jeep pulled up into the parking lot nearby. "Does this mean you're just going to escort me with guns in plain sight?"
"Of course," came Tom's response as he pulled a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment of the jeep.
"Isn't that asking for trouble?"
"I have my identification on hand on hand to get us through security checks."
"Are you a Major?"
"No, why?"
"Just wondering, you could have been Major Tom."
"Oh, that song."
"Ground control to Major Tom..." you hummed to yourself as you hopped from the jeep, though your intent to follow behind the man was shattered as he gestured for you to take the lead. "Why?" you questioned, as he sighed in response.
"Just take the lead, I need to be able to keep you in sight while watching you in any public location. If you get snatched, it's hard for me to react as quickly if you're behind me."
"But-"
"No buts."
"That's what Millicent told me," you grumbled, remembering how she had been quite clear that you had no ass.
"What?"
"Nothing," you sighed as you stepped ahead of the man. "At least I know I have nothing to stare at. Fuck you Millicent."
You could feel the confusion washing off the man as he fell into step behind you, one hand upon the weapon slung about his neck. He didn't have context and you were content to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.
Potentially indefinately.
Perhaps as long as it took you to forgive Millicent for saying that your slender form was flat.
Maybe you should be worrying more about the fact you were being escorted by an armed man who could potentially look like he was using you as a human body shield.
Predictably, it was at the entrance to the Tower of London, a place that was more of a keep with a curtain wall surrounding it than a proper tower, that you were stopped by armed security.
They'd obviously seen you approaching before you had arrived via either the watchmen that stood atop the walls or the camera's they had placed within the various nooks and crannies that'd permit them to watch the surrounding area's without being entirely obvious.
It was as you approached the portcullis leading in that they became visible - they in this case being the Yeomen, the people that you'd thought were nothing more than people employed to dress up and look the part about the grounds of the place.
"Okay, stop there Alyssa, they're trained soldiers," Tom stated as he placed a hand against your shoulder, then stepped before you with his hands held out to the sides as not to appear threatening. "I believe you're expecting us?" Tom stated as he nodded back towards you. "I believe Her Royal Highness, Queen Victoria should have arranged for us to visit a certain individual in holding here?"
There was murmering amongst the ranks of the rifle armed guardsmen as they gestured for Tom to approach them and present his identification, something that had them quickly relax as they gestured for you to approach next.
"Follow us, we've been expecting you, but you can't be too careful these days," came the ones voice as you fell into step behind the group.
But this wasn't what you wanted now, no, you didn't want to simply follow the group when another idea was burning its way into the forefront of your mind.
"Hey, before we do that... I hate to be trouble, but do you sell camera's at a tourist stand or something here?" you asked, prompting the guardsmen to turn and face, giving you the chance now to see that each one of these men looked to be at least in their fourties. "It's silly, but I'd really like to get a photo of myself with you while I'm here," you added as you smiled sheepishly.
The group of men glanced at Tom as if to ask him if they really should, a nod from him being the sole response that they were given as he reached into his pockets to retreive a handful of bank notes.
As one hurried away to obtain the camera with the money they had been passed by Tom, Tom himself stood a short distance from you talking with the group about things as deployment and other such military things that you had little interest in. It was the perfect chance for you to look about, to take in the details of the tourist attraction you were in as you took note of the inner side of the curtain wall's details, as you glanced at the main keep - a palace, a fortress in its own right.
You still were't certain why it was called the Tower of London, but it did have a few towers on its corners that you presumed one of which served as the residence of Anxiety.
Before long had passed, standing in the pleasent heat of a summer giving way to autumn, the guardsman that had departed to obtain the camera returned, handing it to you while you reached over to pass it to Tom.
"Snap one of me with them first, I'll get one of you with them after," came Tom's response as he moved to pose with the group, saluting smartly as the camera was raised and with a flash of light, a picture of him was snapped with two guardsmen either side.
No sooner had that been done, he stepped back towards you to repeat the process with you - though you didn't want a picture that was so formal, no, you wanted some cheerful picture to send back home.
Your one had the men positioned about you as you smiled brightly for the camera.
As the group started leading the way once more, Tom reached to pass the camera to you, only for you to shake your head as you held a hand up to dismiss this.
"No, not until after I've met with Anxiety. I don't want to risk the camera being damaged as it'd suck to lose those pictures," you stated as Tom gave you a slight nod.
"Fair enough," came his response as he placed the camera's carry strap about his neck. "I'll return it to you once you've finished the meeting with her."
"I can't wait to be done so I can change out of these clothes," you mumbled as you idly straightened out the frilly clothing you wore.
"You look nice in that."
"Easy for you to say, it's not the kind of thing I'm used to wearing. I can't run in these shoes and this skirt," you mumbled in response as you entered the main keep - the difference in heat was immediately noticable as you felt the warmth on your face and the heat permeating your clothing give way to the coolness of the Tower itself.
"There's a few things to keep in mind while visiting the inmate, Miss Smith," came one of the group's voices as they turned you through one of the doors marked as being off limits. "While she has been restrained in advance and has shown little activity in the years she has been here, she is still to be treated as dangerous. Getting close is something you do so at your own peril."
The heavy door slammed behind you, reverberations echoing down the stone corridor as you were guided towards a spiralling stairwell.
"Similarly, she has not spoken in her time here, and while we have been informed that your presence may be enough to provoke a verbal reaction from her, we have also been informed that she may simply elect to remain silent, if she still remembers how to speak," they continued, their voice reverberating about the stairwell as they lead you upwards and past the doors leading off onto each floor.
You were being taken to the very top of the stairwell, to the top of the small tower.
"A final warning, the taint she bears is in an advanced stage, as such she is no longer entirely human. Do not allow her appearance to alarm you, however. If she grows rowdy or attacks you, shout and we will enter the room and provide you with assistance."
"You're not entering with me?"
"No Miss Smith, we've been informed to admit you alone, as it is unlikely she will speak with any other."
"What about me?" Tom immediately asked as a frown became visible behind his sunglasses.
"Sorry, you're not permitted entry either. In the event that Miss Smith is assaulted however, you're fully authorised to subdue the prisoner with any level of force you feel necessary given that she will recover swiftly from even lethal injuries."
"I see," Tom grumbled as the guardsmen placed a heavy key within the lock of the door at the top of the tower and opened the door.
The room that greeted you as you stepped through the heavy oak door was not entirely what you expected. It was bare, that much you expected, made of heavy stones, this you expected too, but it looked like something from the last century.
The room was littered with black feathers, straw and a few tattered books that sat in stacks gathering dust, it was illuminated by light filtering in through old latticed windows with glass panels set within, glass that was barely translucent enough to permit light through, let alone to permit you to see out.
There was an iron rung set into the floor beside a simple wooden bed frame with chains leading beneath the sparse covers, covers that bore a shape that was lumpy in a way that looked almost like a person, yet at the same time it was all wrong unless... Unless that person was a giant.
"Anxiety?" you ventured as you watched the shape beneath the covers shift lazily, the sound of those chains clinking followed by silence. "I have come to speak with you, if you'll permit such," you added after a long moment's silence.
The covers shifted again as a hand with delicate fingers tipped with claw like nails reached out, patted for the pillow that sat at the end of the bed, then in a futile gesture, flung it your way.
The pillow sailed past you by a wide margin, striking the wall as a cloud of dust burst forth.
"If you do not wish to speak with me, say so and I'll leave, Anxiety," you ventured once more as you watched the covers slowly pulled down. The form that was unveiled was one that lay on its side, facing the wall away from you - a figure that had to roll over towards the wall to turn to face you as not to roll over the large, unkempt wings that stood on its back.
That figure was one of a woman dressed in a plain, though by now grubby white dress, a woman with vast black wings on her back. A woman whom with a face framed by long, unkempt black hair, that gazed at you with solid black eyes that looked almost akin to those of a bird.
As she pushed the covers aside and sat up, you could see the short chain that restrained her sat about her ankle, preventing her moving more than a short distance from the bed - though as this room was small, you figured you barely had more than a few feet more that she couldn't reach into if she chose to leap at you.
"Do you recognise me?" you asked, hopefully as you watched the woman stretch out, her hands clasping above her head as her wings stretched out, fluttered and settled behind her back.
Yet there was still no response, only an alien expression as the woman regarded you as if you were an intruder in her territory.
"Of course not, you've been here so long you don't remember anything but the tower," you sighed as you turned towards the door.
This was fruitless, the woman was a dead end as she was dulled by the long years of imprisonment - the one time companion of the thousand soul, his killer, reduced to a caged bird with no song.
You'd tell the boss that she had ultimately been a dead end, that perhaps with further visits you'd get some result, but as it was... She was simply not going to be of much help until the peson she once was, was roused from the stupor of such lengthy imprisonment.
"W-waa-waaaait."
That slurred and stuttered word was just what you'd hoped for - some form of response, some form perhaps, of recognition.
You had hoped that she would respond to you and here was your window.
The chains clinked once more as she stood, as she clambered from the bed and stood there with her head tilted curiously as those alien eyes regarded you.
"Anxiety?" you whispered as you took a cautious step forward.
"Are... Are y-y-you here for-for me?" came her words as she rubbed at her throat gingerly, with the back of her hand. It was as if she trying to dismiss an unwelcome sensation.
"Yes Anxiety, I'm here to visit you," you responded in a gentle tone.
"Wh...Why are... Why are you... A woman, You-choo-keys?"
You-choo-who?
Oh. The thousand souls name, it was an awkward one, it was a wonder she even remembered it after all this time.
"I'm not-" you started, only for her to take a step forward. You couldn't help but feel intimidated, there was something distinctly predatory in her nature that had taken root in the absence of her humanity.
"It suits... Suits you. Always delicate. Delicate delicate. Pretty now. Like," came her stilted statement as she swallowed akwardly. You could see the light of recognition in her eyes shining through that haze as she seemed to be rapidly awakening from a deep slumber.
"So, you recognise me?"
"Yesss," she hissed. "Delicate girl. Slender, easily broken. Want... Want... Want to... Take me from... Cage and... Let me... Protect?" came her words as that predatory edge tainted them, a half step forward from her mirrored by you as you took half a step back.
"I don't think they'd let me take you from here," you whispered nervously in response.
"Ask... Nicely. Do thing with voice. Ask?"
"I'm not able to do that."
"Oh. Need remember how then, remember from last time and... Ask. Then... Then I will keep you safe. Never let you get... Hurt again," there was some hint of regret in those words, but the mention of remembering how to do something from last time struck your curiosity.
"What do you mean, remember how to do it from last time?"
"Yes."
"Could you explain?"
"Not remember?"
"I don't remember anything."
"Oh," she paused as she sniffed at you. "Yes. Just need remember, like did with... Past lives. Was able to... Make magic, talk to past self. Use past skills. Just need remember and... Do again?"
This was interesting, but you were pretty certain at this point that you had no means of accessing the skillset of a dead immortal. Still, if this thousand soul had different skills across different incarnations and was able to access them all somehow, that was a fairly formidable trick.
But you didn't want tricks, you wanted true power with what to change the world and get results.
"Anxiety, I... I don't remember anything," you started, you didn't like that you were lying to her, yet you knew that allowing her to believe you were the entity that she had once killed was your best chance to get her to co-operate. "What am I?"
"Delicate," came her solitary response.
"What am I, other than delicate?"
"Pr-eeee-tty," she cooed.
"Um. Thanks, I guess," you mumbled as you shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't a response you'd wanted from her of all people, you were fairly average.
"Face okay. Pretty under."
"Wait, what?" you hadn't meant to state this, but it seemed the shocked response was what she needed to hear to elaborate.
"I see... Colours. Pretty colours, like last time. Thousand colours. More colours than others. Not as smooth, maybe put back together wrong?"
"How could I be put back together wrong?"
"Not know, just see... Colours not flow together right."
"So, what am I?"
"Pr-eeee-tty," came her coo once more. This wasn't going to get you anywhere, you had to approach the question slightly differently.
"What does that make me?" you sighed as you slumped down and settled upon your knees on the hard wooden floor. You felt weary.
"Makes you... Put back together. Were broken. Most parts not original parts. Body new. Delicate. Colours old, but new. Not understand what that mean."
"How can you see those 'colours'?" you asked as you watched the woman settle down opposite you.
"Not sure what it mean. Maybe... Way of breaking cycle," she mumbled to herself, no longer listening to you. "If colours not smooth, maybe... Can't shatter colours," she continued as she made a stabbing gesture towards her neck with her finger, a gesture that had her draw a dark fluid that you could only assume was blood. That blood welled up only briefly as it darkened the neck of her dress before the flow stopped.
"Who am I, Anxiety?"
"Already say. Delicate. Pretty."
"People call me a monster, is this true?" you asked as you watched her eyes widen.
"No! You... You not monster, different. Not tired anymore. Not monster, no. Who call you monster, say so... Can make pay?"
"I don't want you to exact revenge upon-"
"Re-venge. Are... Are you... Are you here for revenge?" she asked as you saw realisation dawn across her features. She clearly remembered what she had done and had finally put two and two together with the puzzle pieces you had left her. If you had been that entity, it was possible, you supposed, but you didn't have any reason to wish to exact revenge on a woman you'd never met before now. "Did you... Stitch yourself back together so... So I couldn't stop you again and... Come to kill me for what I did?"
"No Anxiety," you breathed as you shook your head slowly. "I'm not here to hurt you, I just want answers."
"No... You're here to... To kill me. You always knew how, always saw dirty, dirty truth. Tainted soul, tainted body, broken immortal, needing you to live. Stolen power, but then you went and... My body adapted. Don't need you, don't need your stolen power. Ways you could kill me don't work now, sick, sick monster. Leave me here for longer than I remember, then come to kill me when you're done letting me suffer."
"Anxiety-"
"Won't let you, can't let you. Waited too long, your knowledge doesn't work now, not the same flesh you knew."
"Anxiety?"
"Leave me, I don't bow to a patchwork god born of stolen human parts, just because I can't see how you can be killed anymore doesn't mean you can't be. Try to kill me and I will tear your throat out and stab you a thousand times, I will break you again as I did so before-"
You stood and folded your arms about your chest, the more she raged the less intimidated you felt. She was dangerous, yet deep down you felt that the worst she could do was scream at you as long as you remained out of her reach.
"Goodbye, Anxiety. I'm leaving now, I don't think I'll return if this is how you're going to treat me," you stated as you turned towards the door, only for the woman to let out a wailing cry.
"Don't go, I'm sorry!" she screamed as she leapt forwards, the chain about her foot causing her to fall flat on the floor behind you as she scrabbled in vain to make up the meters distance it'd have taken to reach your foot. "Don't go," she sobbed over and over as she scratched at the floor, while you slowly sank down to sit before her once more.
Gingerly, against your better judgement you reached out with one hand to place it against the back of one of hers in a comforting gesture, a gesture that had her snatch your hand with both of hers, grasping it as you looked up at you with an expression that was almost childish in how innocently distraught she seemed.
"Please don't... Don't leave me. I can't take being alone anymore," she whimpered as she implored you with tear filled eyes to remain.
"Will you answer my questions?" you responded cooly as she nodded her head frantically in response.
"Anything, just don't... Don't go!"
"Why did you do what you did, Anxiety, why did you kill... Me?"
"I had to, I'm so, so sorry. I had to. If I didn't you'd... You'd leave and... And never come back for me. I didn't know you were too weak to... To come back again," she sobbed as she tugged on your hand, drawing you steadily towards her as she brought your hand to her cheek.
"How did I come back?" you asked as you brushed the back of your hand against her cheek.
"I don't know... Maybe... Maybe Jack stitched you back together. Always following you, calling you... Boss. Didn't need him, only needed me, didn't need Joy either, just me. Just us, always just.. Us."
"Who is Jack?"
"Calls himself... Lord of souls, lord of the dead... Was once here, people called him the ripper. Sometimes talks to me in dreams."
"What does he say?"
"Don't know, never listen to him. Never speak to him. Just... Sat there waiting, waiting for you to... To come back."
"I," you started as you rubbed at your stomach. You could feel nausea rising as the entire surreal experience started to get to you. Here you were, struggling not to let this situation overwhelm you as you turned paler than usual. The implications of what had been said, along with the frayed sanity of this woman were things you hadn't been ready for, and yet, you knew you were in for more of this in the future.
You just had to remain collected long enough to swallow that anxiety, to either present her with further questions or to bid her farewell with whatever promises it took to allow you to get out of the door safely.
You were going to make false promises, weren't you?
...You couldn't just promise the inevitable question of taking her with you, that you'd honestly talk with people about her being released, could you?
That was crazy, wasn't it?
What on earth were you going to do about this madness?
Post by: Fallatus on June 23, 2015, 11:44:53 am
Maybe he was "Jack"? Remember to ask him about that next time.
For now, Stay. She is broken and desperate and most likely if she kills us Tom will come in and subdue her and then we will just regenerate.
Haven't you ever done something you regretted? Something you desired greatly to do differently? To change? She has. For a loong long time. And look at her. She's afraid, Terrified. What do you see in her? Look.
And so far.. she has been the one being that has been completely straight forward with you, No lies or circles. Well, Except for that one fear driven outburst, But that was fear and fear is irrationality incarnate.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 24, 2015, 09:26:20 am
"Jack," you breathed as you furrowed your brow. That entity from your dream could well be Jack, he could well have a hand in all of this that ran deeper than you could see on the surface. "I had a dream that could well have been one in what I met him last night, it was too much of a coincidence to assume it had been mere chance that you'd dreamed it before meeting with the Queen - before meeting with Anxiety.
"Tell me?" came the womans voice as she rubbed her tear stained cheeks against her shoulders. "What did Jack say?"
"He," you paused as you took a deep breath, furrowing your brow a little further now as you reflected quickly upon just who you had dealt with to date. The agency, Millicent, they were making you jump through hoops to give you little bits and pieces. They said it was in your best interests, yet they were leading you in circles, promising to help you every time you threatened to pull away.
There was the Queen and her agency, an agency that wasn't even fully under her control given how some of them had turned rogue to snatch you. They had been somewhat more forthcoming with information, yet that was soley because you were too valuable to them to burn bridges with.
And then there was whomever those agents turned rogue worked for. They could have been anyone, anything.
And so here you were, an echo of the original immortal, with the half crazed companion who had killed him time and time again through history while his other one now worked for the LPD, for the Guardians. She had potentially come a full circle there, if she had been one before.
"I think I met him in a dream last night, he told me that I need to stop trying to use my power so much as I'm too... Bright, it shines too bright even when the results are minor. He took the appearance of a farmhand, there was a shed that some... Man ran out of, after shooting something inside."
"Things used to haunt your sleep, came for you when you were alone. Told me about this once, once woke up in a shed on a farm where they had brought you. Stopped being haunted by them when others were around, they didn't like coming for you when you were not alone."
"I," you swallowed as your blood ran cold. Had you witnessed an echo of that incident in the dream before what you presumted to be Jack spoke with you?
"Hmm?" Anxiety responded as she tilted her head.
"Moving on, the entity I spoke with took the form of a farmhand there, in the middle of a field filled with wheat. After he was done speaking with me he pushed me through the ground and I... I woke up with the taste of dirt in my mouth."
"Not a dream then. Not entirely. It was a dream, but also not. Sounds like Jack. Flimsy straw man, stalks with puppet bodies. Hate, hate."
"Why does he call me boss?"
"Don't know, maybe he works for you or he's... Acknowledging natural order or... Something."
The woman tugged at your hand briefly as she drew you closer, something that you permitted against your better judgement as she pulled you close enough that she was able to lay her head upon your lap.
Could it be that Jack had a hand in your existance, that while you weren't the thousand soul, that you had been pieced together from what had been left of him, that the pieces that were missing had been filled in somehow?
A patchwork god, as Anxiety had put it.
This was why Anxiety was completely comfortable with you as you were, she saw you as good enough to be him, even if you were not, as you were possibly made from what was scavanged of him.
It was like some vast cosmic joke, that you, a relatively normal and unassuming woman, would turn out to be gifted with power beyond your comprehension for some reason or another.
Was it that the power that was 'stolen' from the thousand soul needed to continue to exist?
Was it that aspects of you coming into being were so that those that 'stole' that power to exist could continue to do so?
You could be little more than a living battery, there to provide a charge for the weary immortals that needed it to exist, warned not to shine so bright because something could come and snuff you out like a candle, leaving Jack with the task of creating another like you from what pieces still remained.
Anxiety seemed to have settled down in this moments silence, prompting you to gently brush your fingers over her hair, an action that coaxed an unintelligable murmer from her as she turned to look up at you.
"Why," she asked as she sighed softly. "Did he bring you back?"
It was a rhetorical question, yet it was one that mirrored your own thoughts at this moment.
You weren't the thousand soul, you were a replacement for it, you were certain of this now.
You'd seen creatures that wore people like a skin, you'd seen giant river monsters covered in scales and the once human counterparts that echoed them, you'd seen the tainted birds that haunted the night and you'd met an ancient entity that haunted the dream world, when you thought about it that way, the winged woman who sought comfort from you wasn't all that strange.
The time you spent with her dragged out as you sat there stroking her hair, reflecting over how all she had known for longer than you could comprehend was the walls of this tower.
No desire to speak with others, no mental stimulation, nothing but imprisonment.
What did someone who had been here this long even dream?
"Anxiety?" you whispered after a long moment's silence with just your thoughts.
"Mm?" came an almost sleepy response from her as she opened one eye.
"I'll have to go at some point, would you like me to come back and visit you when I am able?" you asked, not entirely certain if you could even get authorised for such a visit again. It didn't hurt to try though, did it?
She had clearly retained more knowledge of the era she was from than you could have dreamed of, remembered more of the things she had seen than books would tell you about.
"No... Don't go." she whispered back to you as she frowned. "Take me with you, don't... Don't leave me here," came her words as she wrapped her arms about your waist you hold you in place with a surprisingly gentle insistance.
"How about if I talk with the Queen about having you moved from here?"
"Released?"
"I'll see what I can get her to agree to."
"She won't let me leave. I killed you, she never forgave me," she mumbled as her grip about your waist tightened. "Take me with you, I'll... I'll protect you."
"There's five armed men on the other side of the door, I don't think we could take them."
"I could."
"Then we'd have more of them chasing us, we'd have the Guardian's after us too."
"I could keep you safe."
"How about we do things peacefully first, see if the Queen will change her mind about keeping you here?" you asked as you looked down at her. "Then we won't be on the run for the rest of forever."
"I... I guess." she mumbled as her grip tightened that little more, contrary to her words.
It was a few long moments more before her grip was relinquished, before she looked up at you with damp eyes. Even with the alien appearance the avian eyes she had gave her, there was something about that, about the situation she'd been left in that made your heart sink.
"Promise you'll return?" she asked, as she allowed her arms to release their grip about your waist, as she took your hand in her own once more. "Promise you'll try for me?" she added, as her fingers interlaced with your own one last time before her hand was drawn away.
As you stood and made your way towards the door your heart sunk all the further, you'd promised her what she wanted, what she needed to hear, and yet, you had no idea if you could deliver upon that promise.
You would try though, wouldn't you?
Amidst the other things you had plans to do like... Like... Like what?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 24, 2015, 10:00:04 am
It also might be good to just call our parents, tell them everything that has happened. Who knows, they might have some long-witheld tale from our childhood that will answer the "Why me?" question.
On another note, we need to start training our power at some point, for self defense if nothing else.
Post by: Fallatus on June 24, 2015, 10:02:22 am
We could try to contact "Jack" again. We could try to learn more or train our powers. Maybe call our family? Eat? Learn to use "the voice"?
One thing is for certain. We want to help anxiety. Or at least visit her again.
We need to talk to Joy again, I think. Just what did she do with the thousand soul's body when she disappeared with it? I feel like there has to be some link between that and what happened to us.
It also might be good to just call our parents, tell them everything that has happened. Who knows, they might have some long-witheld tale from our childhood that will answer the "Why me?" question.
On another note, we need to start training our power at some point, for self defense if nothing else.
Yes, we should probably do that. +1
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 25, 2015, 12:05:36 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 25, 2015, 01:26:43 am
You needed to call your parents, speak with them to ground yourself, to see if they had any hidden secrets about your past that bore relevance. You doubted it, but you weren't going to rule the possibility of it out at this point given all that had happened.
Joy was another person you needed to speak with, to see what had happened after she was dredged up with the body of the thousand soul - to get answers there that would give you more of the picture.
Beyond this, you needed to find some middle ground between exerting yourself and flexing your powers and concealing them, so you could safely train them without drawing too much attention - where you attacked at this point, you were uncertain if you would be more of a threat to the individuals attacking you or yourself.
Possibly yourself.
"I'll see what I can do for you," you uttered once more in an effort to reassure the woman behind you as you gave her a soft smile.
"Before... Before you go... I..." she started, fumbling her words as she looked down almost if ashamed.
"What is it?" you asked as you turned towards her, maintaining a friendly posture as you watched her become bashful.
"Could I... Could I have a hug?"
"A... Hug?" you echoed, somewhat taken aback by this request. It was somewhat out of the blue.
"A hug. I don't know... How long I have been here, or if you'll be back, I just... Want this as it's something... Something... Something nice."
Oh, that expression on her face broke your heart, it was one of someone who had long since lost hope and seemed only now to have dared to dream once more - someone who had been broken by their long imprisonment.
Someone who you felt if nothing else, you should do what little you could for.
This was part of that little you could attempt to do for her, wasn't it?
Of course it was.
A few steps was all it took for you to cross the wooden floor that stretched between the pair of you, to bring you close to the kneeling woman who hung her head now as if she had requested something unthinkable of you.
"It's easier if you stand," came your words in soft tones as you watched the woman slowly but steadily rise to her feet - her head still hung as you reached beneath her chin with one finger to lift her head up, to have her gaze meet your own. "Better," you stated reassuringly as you moved to wrap your arms about her, carefully finding a way to hold her that didn't press your arms up against her haphazardly folded wings.
"Thank you," she whispered as she pressed close, her form feeling lighter against you than it should have - Avian bones were a possible mutation, you reasoned. "I think I like you more like this," she added after a moments silence.
"Why's that?" you asked, allowing genuine curiosity to colour your words.
"You're pretty."
"I'm pretty average," you laughed softly.
"I think you're pretty," she huffed as she leaned back to look at you.
"I don't swing that way-" you started only it was her turn to laugh this time.
"If you mean what I think you do, you never swung either way. You were always weird. Thank you for this, though. I feel better for it."
"I'll see if I can talk some sense into people, see about getting them to relent on keeping you imprisoned here in such a cruel manner," you stated as you slipped back and away from the other woman, a gesture that had her let out a plaintive whine as she reluctantly relinquished her grasp upon you.
You could hear her sighing as you made your way towards the door leading from the chamber at the top of the tower and back towards the stairwell, as you swung the door open to find the waiting men on the other side giving you the strangest of looks.
"What?" you challenged as you stepped through the door. You presumed the looks were because they could hear you through the door. "It's rude you listen in on a personal conversation," you added as you stepped through the midst of the group and started making your way down the stairs ahead of them.
You needed air, you needed chocolate, you needed a cigarette.
No, you didn't need the last one, that was a habit you had no desire to start at this time.
"I trust that you recorded that, so I don't have to repeat the entire thing to your boss?" you called back as you listened to a single set of footsteps falling behind you. That must have been Tom.
"It was recorded. I'm sure he'll have plenty of questions regardless."
"I might answer them, though I don't see what he could possibly get by asking me further questions when that was all new to me."
"Your attitude's changed again. Mood swings?" there was a pause. "Manic depression?"
"You know how to make a girl swoon, you smooth talker, you."
"I'll put a recommendation in for the medical team to do a pyschological examination, then."
"Pretty sure you can't make me do that," you responded as you swung the door at the bottom of the stairs open. "Besides, you're the one who has had a complete turn of attitude akin to a moodswing. Either you have a problem with me, or you're giving me shit suddenly for no good reason. How do I even know you're the same person I left outside at this point?"
"If I didn't know better, I'd have sworn that you were simply getting friendly with the prisoner and telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. As it is, you're trying to cirvcumvent-"
"Seriously?" you interrupted as you turned back to look at the man. "Compassionately wishing to see if I can improve someone elses lot is an attempt to circumvent authority or some such thing?" you laughed, mirthlessly.
"She's in there for treason," came Tom's response as he frowned at you, the expression visible over the rim of his sunglasses.
"She has been in there for treason for over a hundred years, I'm the first person she has spoken with since going in there. I saw a frightened woman who had lost everything she ever knew, then forgotten it. If you want to give me shit for consorting with the enemy or whatever your issue is, then-"
"Then what?"
"Then," you paused as you turned towards Tom. "I'll walk back to the damn agency as I don't want to be in a vehicle with someone giving me shit every time I open my mouth. What's gotten into you?"
"You showed your true colours in there-"
"Let me guess, I'm everything you and your agency hates?"
"No, you-"
"Oh, so it's not about my compassion towards a woman who responded soley because she thought I was someone else, so it's not because I made promises to see if her suffering could be eased because she was straight with me where nobody else had been?"
"No, it's-"
"You don't even know what it is, you're probably just having a knee jerk reaction to the fact I feel wrong to you somehow. Welcome to my fucking world, last week I was a perfectly normal girl, now I'm some fucking monster, but you're used to dealing with people who aren't normal. What's the real issue here, Tom?"
"She confirmed that you're a worst case scenario," Tom breathed as you felt him staring at you from behind his sunglasses.
"Care to elaborate on that?" you asked as you folded your arms.
"Need to know," he responded, as he mimicked your stance.
"Of course, I don't need to know how much your agency wants to shoot me for some check list I'm not privvy to."
"That isn't what-"
"Of course it's what you're saying, worst case scenario means you have a plan for dealing with me tucked away in a secret file some place."
"We don't-"
"Sure you don't. What's the issue, that I've been confirmed by her to be some patchwork fucking god?"
"I can't say."
"Of course you can't, you can't because you can't give me a straight answer. What is it, that something like Jack the fucking Ripper came up as a possible reason for my existance?"
"Again, I can't say."
"I'm done with you, I'm going to go for a walk."
"I can't allow that."
"I suppose that means you're going to stop me somehow, then?"
"If I must."
"Four guys up there, I'll scream."
"They won't stop me subduing you and taking you back in."
"Then I'll run, simple as that."
"I can run faster than you in full battle gear."
A step was taken backwards as you watched the man advance a step upon you in an attempt to intimidate you, to menace you into believing that whatever course of action you took would be met with failure.
No, you wouldn't believe this, perhaps he was physically in better shape than you were, perhaps he was capable of subduing you if he got his hands on you, but he had to get his hands on you first, and you, well...
You believed that it was better to try and fail, to make it clear that you were defiant, than it was to meekly surrender.
He was a soldier, he lacked the ability to charm you as Millicent could and furthermore he was an asshole who clearly didn't care to sugar coat things and get you to co-operate favourably.
You ticked all the boxes that he feared, you ticked all the boxes that his agency feared.
You had no plans to fail.
As you took another few steps backwards, matched by him as he kept pace with you, you commanded your body to your very will. You would find a way of channeling that power you had, to make it work for you for once without causing you to fling yourself into a book case or something of the like.
You didn't care if this went against how you had been warned, at this point you simply had to get away from this man, to get someplace safe, to wait for his boss to try and smooth it all over while you called the question of your safety with the agency into the spotlight.
At this point, it felt as if the agency themselves could potentially be one of those enemies that you had to worry about if one of them was going to so openly attempt to intimidate you after calling you a worst case scenario.
A hand lunged for you, a hand that you twisted away from as you kicked backwards off of one of the nearby walls, twisting and turning as you broke into a full - though admittedly pathetic sprint.
Fight or flight, and again you chose flight.
It was at this point that you willed your body to yield to you, begging it almost to respond to the energies you had yet to figure a means of controlling as you willed them to channel through you.
Almost immediately the burn of those energies started to spread through your legs and chest, threatening to steal your breath from you as you started to stave off the familiar and immediate onset of fatigue that accompanied them.
You didn't care, they would bow to you.
Those energies would bow to you until you were spooked enough to collapse and deal with the consequences of pushing them upon yourself without consideration.
But not without thought, no, you willed them to suffuse your being, to empower you as you told the world about you that the puny muscles in your legs were better than that - you were an olympic level athlete, you were running for your life, you wouldn't stop until you had to.
You needed more lung capacity, you needed to carry more oxygen in your blood, you needed to be the very peak of human fitness.
And so you were.
Reality could scream all it wanted as you perverted natural order, but here you were the best nature could offer for the brief time you needed to be.
You'd crossed a hundred meters in ten seconds.
It wasn't enough though.
Two hundred meters in eighteen seconds.
Three hundred in twenty five.
Four hundred in thirty.
You could feel the intense pressure in your chest from this level of exertion telling you that you'd not just hit a wall you shouldn't have approached, but you'd far surpassed it and that when you stopped you were going to pay for it heavily.
But you didn't care, you were racing from the grounds of the Tower of London and back into the city at a speed you knew had to be impossible for a human.
You could feel the empowered impact of your feet against the tarmac as you took to the road and ran alongside the traffic causing microfractures in the structure of the road.
You could feel all eyes upon you from the pavements and the surrounding cars as you ignored all safety and ran through the traffic lights you encountered.
The pain in your chest blossomed as it became a molten heat, threatening to consume you from within, yet you didn't stop.
You couldn't stop - you were surrendering to panic, milking the effects of adrenaline for all they were worth as you pushed your body beyond any reasonable limit.
Following instinct you rounded a corner, ignoring the manner in what your vision was starting to fade at the edges as oxygen deprivation started to kick in - you were pushing yourself beyond your physical ability to compensate, but you just needed to push a little longer.
Who needed air, anyway?
Oh, right, you did.
A spray of dislodged tarmac followed the impact of your rapid deceleration, the small impact crater absorbing the energy as you broke into a sprint down the new road, as you wheezed for breath now.
You couldn't figure how to trick your body into accepting the little oxygen it got as sufficient, but you didn't care - you knew exactly where you were, exactly where you were about to be in several seconds time.
A chain link fence greeted you as you ploughed headlong into the compound you had instinctively aimed to reach - followed by your entire body colliding with a metallic obstacle, sending the already faded world tumbling about you as you rolled over the bonnet of a parked car.
Reality reasserted its hold with brutal relish as the damage the impact had done to you, as well as the damage your run had done to your body kicked in.
All you could feel was a dull warmth spreading through you as you lay there, a moment taken to try and catch your breath - your laboured breathing coming in gasps as you struggled in vain to move. Your body was unresponsive, yet you were... Alive?
You were bleeding, however.
You could see red pooling beneath the side of your face from what you presumed to be your nose bleeding.
Right on cue, the front of the building you'd ran toward's front doors burst open as armed police poured from the station to see, well, you, laying there all contorted.
You couldn't tell why they looked so horrified, you couldn't feel a thing after all!
Well, apart from that spreading sensation of warmth that had thankfully replaced all other sensation.
"We need a medic out here!" came a distant sounding voice as several armed officers ran over to your side.
"You're going to be okay, just don't panic and... Don't move," came another voice as an officer carrying first aid supplies ran out of the buildings front.
"Don't panic, you've been in an accident, but I'm here to help you," came the voice of the officer with the medical supplies. "Can you talk?" they asked as they reached for your wrist, recoiling away they made an effort to find your pulse.
"I... I'm really tired... I'm going to sleep this... Off," you mumbled in response as you blinked a few times.
"No, I need you to stay awake, keep talking to me. What's your name?"
"I'm Alyssa, but I'm really... Really tired," you mumbled as you inwardly grumbled to yourself. Why wouldn't they let you sleep off how tired you were and then talk with Joy, like you'd come here for?
"Alyssa, you're badly hurt. You need to stay with me while we get an ambulance-"
Your eyes refused to co-operate with the mans wishes, however as they drooped down and closed, while the officer tried to rouse you with timid motions and blood all over his hands.
Must've put his hands down where your nose had been bleeding.
The look of horror on his face would have been funny if you weren't so tired, and well, if you didn't think it made him look like a total drama queen.
You just wanted to sleep off this exertion and hide from Tom and the Agency here, what was so hard to understand about that?
Well, apart from you not having told them that yet, oops.
The heat that suffused your form built into a raging crescendo focused in your chest, one that had you uncomfortably roll over to clutch at yourself as you felt discomfort centered around your heart - and a fair sense of exaustion.
There were shocked screams too, from the officers that didn't want you to sleep because-
Oh.
They...
There was a scorch pattern focused about you on the pavement and several of the officers were dancing back away from you as they tried to pat out flames.
"Um, sorry if I did that," you offered lamely as you struggled to your feet. "I ran here to come talk with Joy and... Get away from some agents who're trouble, and... Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You..." came the voice of the officer who had been handling with the medical supplies. "You were just laying there a second ago dying, you were like a sack of meat full of broken glass, your bones had been broken that badly, how are you... How are you alive, how are you fine now?" came his words as you saw awe and terror dance in his eyes.
"I wasn't hurt that bad. Can I talk to officer Joy now?" you paused as you looked down at your attire.
That was... That was a lot of blood.
Just how badly had you been hurt?
"Oh. I want to call my family too. Maybe eat, too, I'm kinda hungry..." you mumbled as you shook your head slowly, as if trying to clear away a mental fog that had you feeling dizzy.
"Ah, it's the lovely Miss Smith again, you can all stand down," came the voice of a familiar balding man in a suit stood at the entrance.
You were sure he was Edgar or something from what you briefly saw of him prior.
"Can I speak with Joy?" you asked, as you turned your attention towards the man. You felt so light headed right now.
"Director, I don't think it's wise to-" came a voice from behind you.
"Stand down, men and inform officer Joy that she's to question Miss Smith here."
"I want to question her, actually," you responded petulantly as you staggered towards the front entrance.
"I'm sure you can do so at the same time," the man responded as he stepped back inside.
Perfect! You could ask Joy about what she had done with the body- no, that sounded wrong. You'd ask her about what had happened to the body of the thousand soul after she'd been recovered.
Then you could ask her other questions like... What did you want to ask after that, actually?
Well, regardless, after that was handled, you'd call your parents, then handle things like... What did you want to handle after that for that matter?
Post by: Fallatus on June 25, 2015, 08:34:08 am
I don't think you like me , Heck, I wouldn't like me, But i need help and right now i am not sure who to trust."
"I may not be your old friend, But i am what remains of him."
Other than that, Try to talk or discuss about this "jack" and the possible hand he may have in your creation.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 25, 2015, 10:38:15 am
Other topics to go over include asking if the thousand soul ever had mood swings (aka: Does this come with immortal territory, or is it something we need to be concerned about?), checking if she knows anything about Jack, and of course, asking what she did with the thousand soul's body after his death. Regarding her questions for us, cooperate fully and answer whatever she asks to the best of our ability.
Finally, if she starts condemning Anxiety, tell her the following.
"So that's it then? One mistake and she can rot in a cell for the rest of eternity? It's not like she enslaved and trapped hundreds of your kind in bronze war machines... oh wait. Yes, she did a terrible thing, but don't you think she's suffered enough? Don't you think she'd leap at the chance to make things right, to you, to me, to everyone? Don't you think that after all this time, the least you could do is give her that chance?
...
She needs help, Joy. And I want to give it to her."
Post by: Fallatus on June 25, 2015, 12:21:01 pm
"Joy. I talked with Anxiety. She thought I was him reborn, saying that my colors were his... but put back together wrong, not as "smooth". You're also enlightened, and you knew the thousand soul, so I need to ask... do you see the same things? Do you have any idea what it means or who would know?"
Other topics to go over include asking if the thousand soul ever had mood swings (aka: Does this come with immortal territory, or is it something we need to be concerned about?), checking if she knows anything about Jack, and of course, asking what she did with the thousand soul's body after his death. Regarding her questions for us, cooperate fully and answer whatever she asks to the best of our ability.
Finally, if she starts condemning Anxiety, tell her the following.
"So that's it then? One mistake and she can rot in a cell for the rest of eternity? It's not like she enslaved and trapped hundreds of your kind in bronze war machines... oh wait. Yes, she did a terrible thing, but don't you think she's suffered enough? Don't you think she'd leap at the chance to make things right, to you, to me, to everyone? Don't you think that after all this time, the least you could do is give her that chance?
...
She needs help, Joy. And I want to give it to her."
Oh much better! Yes. +1
Post by: endlessblaze on June 25, 2015, 12:23:31 pm
"Joy. I talked with Anxiety. She thought I was him reborn, saying that my colors were his... but put back together wrong, not as "smooth". You're also enlightened, and you knew the thousand soul, so I need to ask... do you see the same things? Do you have any idea what it means or who would know?"
Other topics to go over include asking if the thousand soul ever had mood swings (aka: Does this come with immortal territory, or is it something we need to be concerned about?), checking if she knows anything about Jack, and of course, asking what she did with the thousand soul's body after his death. Regarding her questions for us, cooperate fully and answer whatever she asks to the best of our ability.
Finally, if she starts condemning Anxiety, tell her the following.
"So that's it then? One mistake and she can rot in a cell for the rest of eternity? It's not like she enslaved and trapped hundreds of your kind in bronze war machines... oh wait. Yes, she did a terrible thing, but don't you think she's suffered enough? Don't you think she'd leap at the chance to make things right, to you, to me, to everyone? Don't you think that after all this time, the least you could do is give her that chance?
...
She needs help, Joy. And I want to give it to her."
Oh much better! Yes. +1
this. and I would also like to point out that anxiety did not even know that he was to weak to reincarnate again.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 26, 2015, 11:06:28 am
This was something that you were going to have to get used to it seemed, that no matter how you used your powers, that regardless of if something went wrong you'd be off balance afterwards. The sheer punishment that it put your body under, the stress of whatever spark you felt blossoming within you was exausting to deal with and you, you weren't ready for it.
Yet.
You would be one day, you were sure of that, but that day was neither here nor soon.
You stumbled left and right as you tripped over your feet on the way to the front entrance, the hands of the armed police that had only moments prior had the order to stand down catching you as they ensured you didn't fall. All you could do was offer apologetic smiles and half mumbled thanks as you permitted them to assist you back to your feet.
Even now the punishment of pushing your body as you had was but a fading memory as the memory of the roads rushing by as you'd sprinted down the roads, though the sensation of the wind against your face had been dulled when you'd done this.
Was it because you'd already hit a point where your senses where too overwhelmed to register it due to the burning sensation you had felt inside, or was it because you'd managed to diminish it subconsciously with the very same power you were using?
You couldn't tell at this point, or but you were frankly amazed with yourself.
You'd been running as fast as a car, so fast that Tom hadn't been able to stop you from turning and leaving when he'd gone all creepy on you.
You supposed you couldn't blame him for being offput by what you'd revealed in your talk with anxiety, private a talk as that was, but you still didn't appreciate how he had turned on you in the manner he had.
Public Relations, he had failed that obviously.
Not that you were exactly the public, come to think of it.
But still, the thought stood.
With the dull ache in your chest and legs joining the mental fog that clouded your thoughts, you slumped down in one of the chairs in the waiting room - uncaring of how you could feel the cold and clammy material of the skirt, blouse and overcoat pressing against your back and legs.
You didn't care if it was wet with blood, you didn't care if it was your blood.
Here, you had a chance to rest for just a moment before the inevitable meeting with the angry woman who'd be thrilled to see you.
Absolutely thrilled, you'd been given the feeling last time you'd met with her that she had no desire to ever see you again.
Not that you could blame her, it seemed to be a running theme by this point that people didn't want to know about you beyond what you could provide for them. The agency had gotten weird with you, the Queen's agency seemed to only want you for your power, Millicent was out of comission at this time and Anxiety was half crazed.
You couldn't help but feel for her though, she was as much a victim in this situation as anyone else who had been affected by the entire mess you were unwravelling.
Some moments passed in silence - silence punctuated by the horrified expressions of people coming and going as they saw you sat there with somewhat upscale clothing soaked in blood and a thousand yard stare. They must have assumed you were a witness to a horrific murder, that someone had quite literally exploded over you and that you had such a blank expression at this time as you were in shock.
Not because you were fatigued.
Not as fatigued as the prior times, mind, that meant that you were making progress on that front at least.
Hooray, progress.
"Alyssa-" came the familiar voice of officer Joy as she stepped into the waiting area. She was angry, yet the anger gave way to shock the moment she set eyes upon you.
"Hi," you did you best to smile brightly, figuring that it'd reassure her, though you could feel the muscles in your face protest that they simply couldn't hold such a smile at this moment, causing it to unevenly falter and fade.
"Are you hurt?" came her words as she paced towards you, tucking her grey streaked hair back behind her shoulders as she did so.
"Just dizzy and... I wish I had a change of clothes," you mubled as you pushed yourself to your feet.
"What the hell happened to you?" she asked ith clear concern in her voice. Maybe she didn't hate you as much as you'd assumed.
"I hit a car," you mumbled sheepishly as you rubbed at the back of your arm with one hand.
"You were hit by a car!?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low as she looked at you wide eyed. "Why the fuck did they tell me I have to speak with you as soon as possible instead of sending you to hospital?"
"I hit the car, couldn't see it, I was blacking out," you corrected her. This did wonders for her already evident concern.
"How badly hurt are you?"
"I'm fine, just dizzy, I was laying funny after though, I think I broke my back. I got better though. Can we talk?" you winced as you watched the disbelief on her face grow all then more plain. "It's important, I spoke with Anxiety and then... Then the bodyguard the agency sent with me got threatening with me and..."
"Oh... Oh fuck no. I don't want to do this now," came her words as her expression hardened. "I don't care what she said," came Joy's words as she turned to walk away from you. You weren't letting go of this that easily, you had to talk with her - you had to make it clear that you had found out something that put you at risk.
"Damnit, Joy, she thinks I'm him, she thinks that I am him reborn and-"
"I told you, I don't want to talk about this," Joy hissed as she walked through doors leading deeper into the station.
"This is important, everyone thinks I'm similar enough to him to come after me, I'm sure you know how many enemies that give me for being played a shitty hand by some cosmic joker."
Joy froze for a moment as she brought her hands up to her head, a soft, though somewhat inhuman sounding whine escaping her before she stood up straight, turned to face you and thumbed along the corridor behind her.
"Right. Me, you, my office, you have until I kick you through a window to convince me that listening to you wasn't a mistake."
"What is your problem with me?"
"You offend my senses."
"Why does everyone want to hurt me today?" you continued as you felt tears well up in your eyes, this wasn't the time to get emotional, yet here you were - too tired to keep a grip on yourself. "All I want is for things to make sense, to know I'm safe. I have powers I can't control, people that's immediate reaction to me is to want to hurt me, people that think i'm a threat to be pre-emptively dealt with. I bet even the Queen's making plans to dispose of me after meeting me today."
"Wait... You met..." Joy looked conflicted as she took a step away from you. "I'm sorry, please stop crying, we can talk about..."
"I dreamed before of having the power to make a difference to people, to be able to improve things and now I have it," you continued between sobs as you slumped back against the wall. "Now I have it, and I just want to wake up from this nightmare. When am I going to wake up?"
"Alyssa, please... Lets go to my office to talk, I'm sorry I threatened you," Joy sighed as she moved to place an arm about your shoulders.
You weren't entirely certain where she'd taken you as you spent much of the time walking through the corridors towards her office with your head hung in shame.
Another emotional outburst, your frustration bubbling over and causing you to respond in such a manner - what was it with you these days?
As the door to her office was closed behind you, you finally looked up.
It was dimly illuminated, sparse, with no decoration or pictures family - only of her and what you presumed to be people she worked with.
With the blinds down over the windows looking outside the room was dimly illuminated by the baleful glow of an overhead light tube that seemed to be battling to heat up so that it could bathe you with incadescence.
"You wanted to talk, so lets talk," came Joy's words as she settled behind her desk, her hands clasped before her. "I'll try and keep my temper in check, but please forgive any outbursts. I'm one of the Enlightened, specifically, I'm a Jötunn. This means that part of me is a monster. The rest of me is a sleepy river dwelling giant that occasionally smashes things," she half smiled as she attempted to lighten the mood.
"She... She told me I have his colours, do you see them, too?"
"I don't really see things in the same way as her, my senses are different. She's a vulture based strain, there's a lot of difference between the various types of taint we bear. The older the member of the Enlightened is, the more developed that corruption becomes typically. Your senses change, your way of thinking changes. The thoughts you used to have become increasingly alien to you."
"Is everyone with that kind of taint Enlightened?"
"No, it's more a group of like minded individuals these days than a classification like it used to be. There's people out there that will be lumped in with us, though they're not registered with us, simply because the root of what changed them and empowered them is the same."
"The taint?"
"Yes, but this isn't what you wanted to talk about. I told you, you can talk, you don't have to meander about it."
"Okay..." you breathed as you slumped back against the hard chair you'd been seated in. "She saw his colours in me, thought I was him reborn, told me that it looked like I'd been patched back together wrong, not as smooth as before. I don't know what that means exactly, and I guess you probably don't either, but, you knew him," you paused once again as you rubbed at your face. "I feel familiar enough to him to you to remind you of him, but you ultimately think I'm not him."
"You're not, but, could you elaborate on what she saw?"
"I think by colours, she was implying... A soul?" you paused as you shrugged. "She saw a soul patched back together wrong, not smooth would mean... She could see where all the pieces had been stitched back together and... That'd mean that I'm possibly pieced together from him, with a few replacement pieces and... It's..."
"That's rather morbid."
"Yeah... I don't think I want to think about that any further, really."
"It'd explain why you're so familiar, you're like some... Frankenstein's monster."
You cringed at the mention of that word, the implication once more there that you were a monster - a reminder that people were afraid of you, that they possibly wanted to destroy you pre-emptively.
"Oh... Sorry. I mean you'd be an equivilent to that literary figure, not that you're a monster," Joy added as she saw the discomfort written plainly on your features.
"Are... Are mood swings common amongst immortals?" you asked, attempting to change the subject for a moment while you gathered yourself.
"I couldn't say, I only met a handful of true immortals that I'm aware of. You seem prone to them, is this a new development?"
"Yeah..."
"Eurochkoles was somewhat prone to them too, occasional moments of mania where he was driven, followed by periods of exaustion where he just seemed to shut down. I never thought of it much at the time, but many, many years later it struck me how unstable he was. If I was to make a guess at why, I'd say that it was because of the fluctuating nature of his power. I know it affects me like that too at times, even though mine's different to yours."
"What about... Jack?"
"I don't know," came Joy's words as she tensed up. "Jack's dangerous, and you smell of his work."
"That's why I offend your senses?"
"Yeah... The king of scarecrows, harvester of souls. Mostly vanished after Eurochkoles died, from what I've heard. I bet he just occupied himself with something new, other than harassing Eurochkoles."
"Anxiety says he called Eurochkoles 'boss', you say I smell of his work, I saw what I think was him in a dream and he called me 'boss' too. do you think he's behind me being this way?"
"I... That's a... That's a horrifying thought," this was all Joy said on the subject, though you could see the clear look of discomfort on her face as she looked you over carefully. If this was a dead end you were going to need a change of subject to get things moving again.
At least now you'd highlighted more of what you needed to about what you were.
"What happened to his body, if I may ask?" you started as you drew your arms about yourself. "After you were recovered with him, what happened to him?"
"Queen Victoria arranged for him to be laid to rest, there was a minor fuss about how the remains of a hero from the war were recovered and being laid to rest with honour. She even went as far as getting a bronze statue of him erected at the memorial for the war. Visited it a few times, doesn't feel right. He was a bastard sometimes, he had moments where he thought he was the greatest person in the world, but he would never have agreed to a statue like that, not when nobody'd remember him anyway."
"So, he's buried there?"
"Right beneath that damn statue."
There was a long moments silence before you spoke again, one in what you could see Joy deflated from the vicious beast that sought to intimidate you to prevent you from learning what you wished, to a woman who seemed small, a woman who didn't enjoy facing the reality of the world she was now a part of.
"Alyssa," she started as she brought herself to look you in the eyes once more. "You said you're in danger, you said you were hit by a car-"
"I hit one of your cars, I was running and I was blacking out so I couldn't see where I was going."
"...Just how fast where you running?"
"Uh, maybe... twenty five-thirty meters a second?"
"Uh... One second," Joy grumbled as she reached for a small tablet computer sat on one corner of her desk. A few moments were taken tapping at the screen before she looked up at you with disbelief written over her face. "Are you sure you were moving that fast?"
"Yeah, fairly certain, why?"
"You were moving somewhere between fifty five and seventy miles per hour. I can't believe-"
"Does this window face the front?"
"Yeah, why?"
You clambered to your feet as you reached for the blinds over the window, pausing to fiddle with the tassel that opened them. As the angle of the slats that composed the blinds shiftyed, permitting you sight through, you gestured down into the parking lot where one of the segments of the chain fence had been torn away, where the bonnet of one of the police cars had been smashed inwards, where a pool of blood lay on a scorched set of ground a fair distance behind the car.
This was all it took to have her expression to go from disbelief to shock as she pointed down at the damage that had been caused.
"You did that?"
"Yeah, they said my bones were shattered by it,"
"How the fuck did you recover from that so fast?"
"I don't know, I don't know anything about my powers beyond that they seem to come from the same source as-"
"Okay, okay. Jesus, Alyssa, even I can't recover from my bones being shattered that quickly."
"I... Wait, you've had your bones shattered before?"
"Yeah, it's not fun, takes longer for me to repair broken bones than it does cuts. Why's the ground blackened?"
"I don't know," you responded. "I passed out briefly, then came too with people patting out fires."
"Uh..."
"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense to me, either."
"Yeah, moving on... You spoke with Anxiety, she told you things, then... What happened next?"
"I left the room she's held in after promising her I'd try and get her some help-"
"Why would you do that?"
"She has been imprisoned for over a century, I was showing compassion."
"She murdered Eurochkoles, she went completely off the deep end and killed him in the middle of the war while saying that she had to, that she couldn't help it. He'd known from the start that she could do so, he'd given her a chance to change, he'd told her she didn't have to do that and she still went and did so."
"I saw someone who regretted and wished they could have changed what they did, someone who has been left damaged by their long imprisonment-"
"Good, then she knows that she has reason to be there."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, she killed the one person that ever accepted either of us without judging us for being tainted monsters."
"She makes one mistake, a mistake that she may not have even had a full choice in and she deserves to spend the rest of her existance going insane in the most drawn out and inhumane way?" you snapped in response. "Yes, it's terrible that she took a life, much, much worse than the time hundreds, maybe even thousands of your kind were tortured and used to make brass war machines," you continued as you raised your voice. You suffered, she's suffering, have you ever fully recovered from the damage that such an experience did to you?"
"...No."
"Do you think she's ever going to recover from this, if she's released?"
"I..."
"Joy, she needs help, she needs a chance. She needs compassion, that nobody else has been willing to give her as there's the stigma of her actions attached to her even now. How much longer do you think she'll last before she's driven completely insane by her isolation?"
"I... I'm sorry, I can't..."
"Do you care for her at all, Joy?"
"I..."
"I saw the shell of a person who craved a chance to simply touch someone, she wanted to escape with me and protect me from everyone, she's no longer grounded in reality, Joy."
The other woman moved unsteadily back towards her desk, slumping down in her chair as her head came to rest in her hands.
She was conflicted and you felt for her, you were dealing with two people here who had been wronged in one way or another.
You simply hoped that Joy would be able to see this too, that she would understand that Anxiety needed compassion - that as you were planning to help her as you could, that you would do your best to ensure that if nothing else, she would be treated like a person once again.
You made your way towards Joy's side as you placed a hand on her shoulder, sighing as you did so.
"I'm sorry Joy, I didn't want to upset you but... She's a wreck, she needs-"
"No, you're... You're right," Joy interrupted as she slumped forward against her desk. "A lot of what happened back then was... Was just wrong, but she doesn't deserve to be subjected to an eternity of slowly losing herself for what she did."
Before you could gather your thoughts, while you were still waiting for the moment to pass so you could bring the subject of how Tom had acted towards you up, the door to Joy's office opened.
"Wonderful, Miss Smith, you've reduced officer Joy to tears again. You have quite the knack at upsetting her, it seems. Regardless, we have had a call from the agency inquiring over why you're here," came the voice of that familiar balding man.
"Fuck off Ego," Joy grumbled as she lifted her head to look the man in the eyes. Ego, that was it. Why had you thought he was Edgar?
"Off is long dead, Joy, it'll be better for you when you can accept that. Now, as I was saying, you were reported missing by your assigned bodyguard after he left to make a report upon the findings of your meeting with a prisoner in the Tower of London. After returning to find you had vanished, they tracked you to here and have sent him to pick you up. If you'll follow me to the front desk, I'll ensure that they can sign papers accepting responsibility for you and that you can be passed off to them with minimal fuss."
You stared in disbelief at the man for a moment as he waited for you to comply, the implications of this were troubling as well as confusing.
What did you make of this?
What were you going to do about it, for that matter?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 26, 2015, 01:26:57 pm
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 26, 2015, 04:02:30 pm
"Reported missing? Did he happen to also report the parts where he accused me of trying to 'circumvent authority' for showing compassion, wanted to force me into a psychological examination, and threatened to 'forcibly subdue' and kidnap me because I didn't want to get into his car? He wouldn't even answer any questions beyond claiming I'm a worst-case scenario, whatever that means. For crying out loud, the reason I collapsed bleeding at your front door was because I was trying to get away from him!
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
all of the ones
Post by: Fallatus on June 26, 2015, 07:09:24 pm
"Reported missing? Did he happen to also report the parts where he accused me of trying to 'circumvent authority' for showing compassion, wanted to force me into a psychological examination, and threatened to 'forcibly subdue' and kidnap me because I didn't want to get into his car? He wouldn't even answer any questions beyond claiming I'm a worst-case scenario, whatever that means. For crying out loud, the reason I collapsed bleeding at your front door was because I was trying to get away from him!
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
+1
And if they still doesn't do... If they still want to force you away back into their hands... Channel your voice.
Anxiety told us that the thousand soul could use his "voice" and the queen mentioned that any apology from him would be accepted without a second thought, Likely for the same reason.
Channel your energy, Through your memory, Through your connection and then through your voice. And use it to say a single word:
No.
Post by: Peradon on June 27, 2015, 01:10:18 am
Better yet, just say: "This is not the girl you are looking for""Reported missing? Did he happen to also report the parts where he accused me of trying to 'circumvent authority' for showing compassion, wanted to force me into a psychological examination, and threatened to 'forcibly subdue' and kidnap me because I didn't want to get into his car? He wouldn't even answer any questions beyond claiming I'm a worst-case scenario, whatever that means. For crying out loud, the reason I collapsed bleeding at your front door was because I was trying to get away from him!
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
+1
And if they still doesn't do... If they still want to force you away back into their hands... Channel your voice.
Anxiety told us that the thousand soul could use his "voice" and the queen mentioned that any apology from him would be accepted without a second thought, Likely for the same reason.
Channel your energy, Through your memory, Through your connection and then through your voice. And use it to say a single word:No.
Post by: Fallatus on June 27, 2015, 09:34:31 am
Better yet, just say: "This is not the girl you are looking for"That might be better to say if we are trying to escape or hide.
Post by: endlessblaze on June 27, 2015, 10:37:24 am
"Reported missing? Did he happen to also report the parts where he accused me of trying to 'circumvent authority' for showing compassion, wanted to force me into a psychological examination, and threatened to 'forcibly subdue' and kidnap me because I didn't want to get into his car? He wouldn't even answer any questions beyond claiming I'm a worst-case scenario, whatever that means. For crying out loud, the reason I collapsed bleeding at your front door was because I was trying to get away from him!
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
+1
And if they still doesn't do... If they still want to force you away back into their hands... Channel your voice.
Anxiety told us that the thousand soul could use his "voice" and the queen mentioned that any apology from him would be accepted without a second thought, Likely for the same reason.
Channel your energy, Through your memory, Through your connection and then through your voice. And use it to say a single word:No.
+1
Post by: Kashyyk on June 27, 2015, 04:43:32 pm
He has a point, although we now need to say at this at the right moment.Better yet, just say: "This is not the girl you are looking for"That might be better to say if we are trying to escape or hide.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 27, 2015, 06:28:11 pm
+1"Reported missing? Did he happen to also report the parts where he accused me of trying to 'circumvent authority' for showing compassion, wanted to force me into a psychological examination, and threatened to 'forcibly subdue' and kidnap me because I didn't want to get into his car? He wouldn't even answer any questions beyond claiming I'm a worst-case scenario, whatever that means. For crying out loud, the reason I collapsed bleeding at your front door was because I was trying to get away from him!
I will not cooperate with him, and I do not want him or his agency responsible for me."
Next, formally request, "Officer Joy, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with Pride?"
After the fireworks die down, turn to Joy and say, "Sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, the past few days have been rough. Is there anything you want to ask me or that I can do to make up for it?"
TLDR: Outline why we're not going with Tom, request a meeting with Pride through Joy, apologize to her after the fact for the trouble we've put her through, and ask her if there's anything we can do as thanks.
Also, I support the idea of calling Ego Edgar, as if we can't remember his name.
+1
And if they still doesn't do... If they still want to force you away back into their hands... Channel your voice.
Anxiety told us that the thousand soul could use his "voice" and the queen mentioned that any apology from him would be accepted without a second thought, Likely for the same reason.
Channel your energy, Through your memory, Through your connection and then through your voice. And use it to say a single word:No.
Better yet, just say: "This is not the girl you are looking for"-1
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 28, 2015, 10:33:34 am
"You sound surprised," came Ego's words as he craned his head forward ever so slightly. "Is there a problem with this, Miss Smith?" he inquired in a cold and professional tone. It wasn't that he didn't care, you told yourself as you shrank away from the man, no, it was that he was likely remaining disconnected from any feelings he had upon the matter as he was in a higher up position than most.
"Is that all he said?"
"The message hasn't suffered from a series of chinese whispers, Miss Smith."
"So he didn't report that by showing compassion to Anxiety, that I was circumventing authority, or that-" A hand was raised, cutting you off as the faintest hint of curiosity crossed over ego's features.
"Forgive the interruption Miss Smith, you can continue your emotional tirade momentarily," there was a pause as he stepped into Joy's office fully, closing the door behind him. "Could you elaborate upon the situation with Anxiety?"
"Why?" you grumbled as you stared back at the man. "Why should I, when you won't even let me finish trying to tell me how I think I'm in danger?"
"Because, Miss Smith, you have all the time in the world while you are here. They will not dare venture beyond the front desk without prior permission-" he paused, though you took this opportunity to challenge the point he had just made.
"Why won't they dare do such a thing?"
"Because, Miss Smith, I, Director Ego, am in charge of the Guardian two point oh programme, if they step out of line, they are fully aware that I have the authority to send some of the most advanced war machines in the world - en masse at that, to besiege their decrepit headquarters," came the mans words as he delivered what he had to say in a matter of fact tone.
"Now you sound like you're trying to play up how you'd respond just to appease me."
"Perhaps, but it remains factual that this station is not one that they wish to attempt to cirucmvent the authority of. Perhaps you have noted the response time we have towards dealing with internal threats. Should they provide such a threat to you, to us, they will be neutralised. Now, Miss Smith, please answer my question. What condition was Anxiety in?"
"She," you sighed as you rubbed at your arm. You could feel the clammy sensation of cold blood soaking the sleeve of your attire against your hand. "She was a mess. I'm the first person she has spoken to since her imprisonment, apparently. She thinks I'm someone else, had an outburst in what she threatened to kill me, then she was terrified of being alone again. She regrets how she ended up there and she has suffered for it, so I promised to speak with people about stopping her being the victim of such inhumane treatment."
"I see. Now, how does this relate to the issue you have with the agency?"
You turned your head to the side, looking towards the window as you took a deep breath.
How didn't this relate to your issue with the agency?
You'd had them turn on you the moment you were done with Anxiety, you'd been told you were a worst case scenario.
You'd been made to feel afraid of how they would handle you.
"When I left her holding area after I was done speaking with her, Tom, my assigned bodyguard, told me that I was attempting to circumvent authority with the manner I had spoke with her and promised her what help I could as another living being. He wanted to forcibly subdue me as I wouldn't get in his jeep and return to the agency without question, to force me through psychological examinations. He told me that I was a worst case scenario, based upon what had been overheard from the conversation I had with her and told me that need to know means I didn't need to know what that means," you frowned as you turned back towards the man. "This is the reason I collapsed, bleeding, outside the front of the station. I was trying to get away from him and the agency, I was-"
"If I may, Miss Smith, you didn't collapse outside the station, you had a high speed collision with one of our cars that resulted in you temporarily expiring. Continue."
"I," you mumbled, thrown off by this. There was a sense of finality that you couldn't quite shake in the concept of you having expired, even if you had recovered from it. This was twice you'd done so. "I was scared, that was why I came here. There's always posters up trying to improve the image of the police, telling people that when they're in trouble that they can rely on you, that you're not the bogey men that you're sometimes used as. I don't know what the agency will do with me and I don't want to find out. As far as i'm aware they don't have any claim to me, I'm not their property or responsibility. I'm not leaving with them."
You backed towards the window as you finished speaking, your mind echoing how you had 'temporarily' expired. If you were going to be forced to leave with the agency, you could jump, you could pray that you'd only temporarily be down from the fall onto the ground outside.
It was a strange and desperate plan, but it was the only plan you had at this point - if you used the power you had inside the stations grounds, armed police would no doubt swarm you.
If you dived, they'd no doubt swarm you as you came too, but you'd have a chance to run that way at least.
"Curious," came his sole response as he made his way towards the window, standing beside you as he looked out over the built up skyline with you. "You have no other accomodation in this city, no money?"
"No, I don't," you mumbled in response as you looked up at the man.
"Again, curious. If you will permit me a moment to think on this, I'll have a course of action given the circumstances worked out in short order."
With that the man seemed to lose all interest in you, instead focusing his attention upon the city skyline as you turned your attention towards Joy.
"Joy, I'm sorry for all the trouble i've caused you, it has been rough for you, for me, for everyone involved. Is there any way I can make it up to you?" you asked, as you turned your attention towards the other woman.
"You don't need to make it up to me," Joy responded as she glanced over at Ego.
"I need to make it up to him?" you asked, not entirely following her bodylanguage.
"No, no. He doesn't often take this long to think of a course of action. Then again, he normally has nice easy situations where he deploys one of the various suits we have againts the things that go bump in the night."
"Why do you call them that?"
"They've always been called that, ever since they first turned up."
"When did they turn up?"
"Back in the eighteen hundreds, they're probably part of a cycle where something turns up in a new form every so often though."
"Joy, do you think it'd be possible for me to meet with... Pride?" you asked, watching as the womans expression changed to one of extreme discomfort.
"Alyssa, I don't think that's wise, you're... You see... How do I put this?" Joy sighed as she rubbed at her face. "Eurochkoles wasn't exactly on good terms with any of those that bore the title of Pride and you, having such a similar vibe to him might... Complicate things."
"I'm not him though, I'm-"
"I have come to a conclusion," Ego interrupted as he turned to face the pair of you. "Miss Smith, I am placing you under arrest for vagrancy. By your own admission, you are such. Given the circumstances of this development you are to be taken to the-"
"Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say," Joy snapped as she glared at Ego.
"-Guiding light shelters and kitchens for the unfortunate," he finished, while Joy visibly fumed. "I know that you wish to keep Pride safe, that you wished to ensure that Miss Smith here understood the gravity of what it was to meet with them given the historical emnity that may have been involved, but, Pride seemed quite delighted that Miss Smith here was requesting an audience with her."
"You were talking with Pride all this time?" Joy spat in response.
"Yes. I am aware that you lack the same capability as I do to commune over such distances with like-minded individuals, but Pride herself has her warmest welcome and to extend her hospitality to Miss Smith until it is no longer desired."
"That's bullshit, how come you get to skip protocol and-"
"Officer, please stand down. Circumstances dictate that Miss Smith here requires accomodation, safety and guidance. Pride will offer all of those things in the measures she requires, without attempting to ensnare her for her own ends as the agencies are prone to."
Of course, they would say that they were better than that infront of you - they wouldn't admit if they were as bad as the agencies before you while trying to push you into their hands.
Joy seemed rather unhappy with this development however, as if the last thing she had honestly wanted was for you to meet with Pride.
Technically though as you were currently under arrest, the agency couldn't simply take you from the custody of the LPD and back to their headquarters without causing a scene.
A scene that would go very poorly for them given the amount of firepower that existed within the grounds of the station.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I shall escort Miss Smith to-"
"No, no you don't. I'm taking her," Joy snapped as she moved to stand between you and the door.
"If you insist Officer, then I shall allow you to accompany us," Ego responded in an almost detatched manner.
"No. I'm taking her."
"I have given you the compromise I am willing to make, either stand aside or fall in line, Officer."
There was a long moments delay where you could almost feel the way that Joy was sizing the pair of you up, as if working out what options were available to her at this moment.
You were honestly certain that the petite woman was a lot more powerful than she looked, yet there was a relucatance in her eyes to go against Ego physically.
Was this because he was greater than her, or because she knew that he could have half the station come along and subdue her with a single thought?
For that matter, could he read your mind?
Was that even possible?
"Fine. I'm coming with you," Joy eventually grumbled as she opened the door to her office and stepped from it.
"I am glad we came to an agreeable conclusion, Officer Joy, as I would not have taken any pleasure in the disciplinary action that would have followed your inevitable attempt to assault me.
"Shut up, Ego."
You were getting what you wanted, you reflected as the pair of them bickered, though not quite in the way you had envisioned it.
You were lead down the corridors and back towards the front of the station, back towards the waiting area where Tom stood with the most serious expression on his face you'd ever seen.
You could tell that he was waiting for you, for them to hand you over to him, yet as he moved to intercept you and your escorts, Ego simply raised a hand to indicate for you to stop.
"May I help you?" he asked as he stood before Tom completely at ease.
"I'm here for Alyssa Smith, if you'll hand her over I'll be on my way," came Tom's response as he glanced past Ego towards you.
"I'm afraid I cannot relinquish her into your custody as she is currently under arrest," Ego responed as Tom frowned visibly.
"The agency wants her back, step aside," came his words as he moved to shove Ego aside, only for Ego to step back in the way.
"I would advise against such a course of action. Miss Smith does not wish to-"
There was the impact of flesh against flesh as Tom swung for Ego, striking him forcibly.
Yet Ego simply turned his head back to face the other man, his voice completely impassive still as he resumed speaking.
"-be involved with your agency at this time. However, as you have chosen to assault me, I can only suggest that you surrender peacefully-"
Tom swung again, only this time Ego effortlessly deflected the blow with one hand as he gracefully twisted Tom's arm behind his back and moved to put him in a choke hold with his free arm.
Tom just as rapidly countered this by bucking to flip the other man over him, only for Ego to surprisingly roll over him as he used the momentum to fling Tom across the waiting room.
The room reverberated with the sound of his body impacting against the wall, though Tom, with a black substance oozing from his nose, sprang back to his feet as he reached for the handgun on his belt.
"Surrender her, or else-" Tom started as Ego sighed.
"Do you see this, Officer?" came Ego's words as he turned to look at Joy.
"I do. We have a problem, don't we," she growled as she moved to stand between you and Tom.
"We do, now, if you will co-operate with us and place your weapon down-"
"This is your final chance, surrender her."
Ego simply advanced upon Tom as he was given this final warning, the sound of the handgun echoed about the room out as Ego's hand became a blur of motion, snatching the discharged bullet from the air with deceptive ease.
"Do tell Pride that I am sorry I could not make it, Joy, you'll have to take Miss Smith alone while I handle the paperwork from this apparent attempted suicide."
"The only suicide here is-" Tom started as Ego darted forwards, batting the gun out of his hand before he could take aim once more.
"Silence, you," Ego responded as he lifted the man up by his neck. "Either you will co-operate or I will crush the life from you. Now, let us start with the basics..."
With that Joy ushered you from the waiting room, pushing you out the door towards the parking lot and one of the police cars there.
This was done in silence, silence in what you found yourself wondering just what you'd witnessed - just what you'd been caught up in.
"Get in the car," came Joy's words, her evident disgruntlement over the fact she had been told to take you to see Pride still registering despite the scene she had left behind. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions for her, but let me make it clear. You hurt her, I'll hurt you. Are we clear?"
"We're clear," you responded as Joy settled down in the drivers seat, while you stood by the open passenger side door.
So, now you just had to get in and then you could...
Then you could be taken to meet Pride, discuss whatever you needed to with her. Whatever that was.
You had a bad feeling though - everything about everything was... Off, and you couldn't tell if you had enough pieces to this puzzle to figure what was out of place yet.
What was your plan to be?
Post by: Fallatus on June 28, 2015, 01:42:05 pm
Also try to introspect in such a way that you attempt to unlock access to "your" past memories.
Also ask a little about pride. If you can.
Post by: Peradon on June 29, 2015, 01:42:52 am
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 29, 2015, 12:58:29 pm
This was to be joined by blood, you knew, as you were going to get your own blood all over the seat - yet there had been little concern about such a thing from Joy or Ego, that told you that this was likely either a detail they'd honestly glossed over on, or it had been accounted for and they believed time was of the essence.
Things were strange, things were...
More than strange, and they seemed to be getting stranger still as time progressed, as if you had become the center point for an assortment of supernatural events to take place.
It was this thought that haunted you as the engine of the car started, as Joy awkwardly, with all the familiarity of one who was used to operating something much different, had the car pull out of the parking lot and onto the road.
"I'd have preferred to take my suit," she grumbled to herself as she shifted the gearstick. "But no, if I'd even dared bring that up, I'd have been reminded how expensive they are."
"If you'd used your suit, wouldn't I have-"
"You'd have been on the outside of it, yes. They're one person suits."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you want to subject me to that?"
"Subject you to it?" Joy laughed briefly. "I could maintain a comfortable speed, cut straight across the river and the roads and be there in half the time we could if the roads were empty," she simply responded as she reached out her window to adjust the mirror there.
"Oh," you mumbled as you reached down to wind your window down, only to find to your surprise that there was a handle for it instead of a button.
"Old car, they're in the middle of modernising, but they keep a few of these relics around for antiques like me, so they say. Assholes. Never had anything even close to this in my day."
As the window decended in awkward bursts, you took a deep breath of the city air and almost immediately found yourself missing home. Home hadn't been great, but the streets were less polluted than this.
Home, the home you had left behind back when this had all begun.
All with that fateful train ride coupled with the promise that they were going to run some quick tests, that it was likely nothing, that you'd be sent home with compensation for your time.
Since then, everything had gone from bad to worse as you found yourself with an awakening power at your fingertips that these people all seemed to covet and fear in equal measure.
You had died twice.
You had experienced serious injury.
You had seen your own broken body.
You had met with entities you had never believed existed.
The woman you were, the woman who froze up fearfully with situations that cast doubt upon her capabilities was gone. No more would you be a slave to your fears, no more would you chose inaction out of fear, when you could choose what suited your interests best at the time.
Fear had its place, fear taught you not to expose your throat, figuratively, to the dangers that were waiting out there for you, but fear wasn't your master any longer.
There were two worlds, the world of apathetic humans who remained uncaring and oblivious to the dangers that lurked outside of their sight and the world that you now had started to enter - the world of horrors that had never quite gone away, of folk tales that had truths to them.
The world of men and monsters.
You had found you didn't just have some random power at your fingertips, you had found that you, Alyssa, had the power of creation itself at your fingertips.
Creation herself, you corrected, as you didn't believe that the masculine form that had weilded the power before you was proof of anything to the contrary.
How you had come to gain this power, how you had been chosen was of no consequence.
This was your power now and there was clearly some reason it had chosen you, or you had been chosen for it.
Perhaps you were the most suited to it, perhaps you had the greatest potenail of accomplishing something with it.
It didn't matter, you, Alyssa, you reminded yourself once more, now possessed this power to do what you believed to be right with.
You'd find what hand Jack had in this and you'd decide then what role he had to play in your future - you were done with people wishing for you to be their puppets. You'd further any cause that you felt was worthy of your attention, but you wouldn't be beholden to petty mortals and their petty power games.
No, you'd find out if you had some weakness that would ultimately permit them to kill you, then you would, through the application of your will, remove it from yourself.
Assuming you had one, Anxiety had seemed to imply that she couldn't see the same one she had known before.
There were other things to mull over, there was the matter of the twin agencies, of the Queen and the Minister that accompanied her.
The agencies were not your friends, they were filled with individuals that were corrupt and inconsistant at best, and hostile to you at worst.
The ones beneath the authority of the Queen herself had been compromised and you were starting to wonder if the agency that had first found you had been too.
"Alyssa?" came Joy's voice, piercing your reverie as you snapped back to attention.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just thinking. Why?" you asked as you glanced at the woman, taking note of how you were driving alongside the builtup area's near the river now.
"The look of determination you had on your face was worrying me, I've seen that look before..."
"I'm just reflecting on my flaws and how to overcome them," you shrugged.
"Yeah, I was worried about that," Joy mumbled as she twisted the wheel, turning the car to head over one of the bridges that stretched out over the river's muddy waters.
If this power was yours, if the prior owner of it had been able to access past lives to circumvent the fact that he was consistantly killed every thousand years, did that mean you were able to do such yourself?
Perhaps, if you reflected on the past, allowed yourself to unwind...
Forgot everything that you knew and held onto...
You could...
Could...
Remember a time before now, a time where the sea's breeze didn't bring with it the stench of pollution, a time when the world was lush and green in parts, barren and parched in others.
A time when this land was filled with marshes and settlements of men.
A time before that, when humanity banded together in a different way.
If you just let go, perhaps you could see these things.
And so, your eyes closed as you did your best to relax and allow yourself to drift away on the the sea of your calmed thoughts, seeking things that were out of place, thoughts that you couldn't have possibly had yourself. Thoughts that you knew to be out of place, not just mere concepts such as you envisioning things that you wished to be true and would later delude yourself into thinking had been such.
Yet nothing was forthcoming, you noted as you scoured your thoughts.
Though... It wasn't your thoughts you had to examine, it was your very self.
Deeper still your attention turned as you wondered how the sound of your heartbeat'd have sounded in your chest in another lifetime, how a voice that wasn't your own would have sounded in your ears.
What sights, what scents, what experiences had been lost to time, simply because you couldn't remember them?
If you were in possession of what remained of this entity, what experiences had come with their power?
Yet nothing came forth.
Perhaps it was because you didn't know how to meditate properly, how to reflect upon such a thing. Perhaps it was because you were in an unsuitable location to do such, given this was a moving vehicle. It could have been any number of factors, factors that you'd have to either have help eliminating, or find a way to work around at a later date.
Just trying had made you feel weird though, as if your body wasn't sure how to push in the manner you were asking it to - it was akin to asking your muscles to push and pull in directions that didn't exist.
Incomprehensible, impossible to comprehend, and yet, you felt it.
"Joy," you eventually breathed as you rubbed at your chest. You could feel the sensation of that same heat you had experienced before lingering now in a none too unpleasent manner. "I'm curious, why are you concerned about me meeting with pride?" you asked as you watched the woman out of the corner of your eyes.
"You're what remains of the man who lead Guardians to exterminate one of the most powerful individuals to hold the title of Pride. I have reason to be wary given that basically meant turning Enlightened such as myself, trapped inside brass shells, upon the person that guided them."
"That's... That's pretty irrational."
"Is it?"
"Yeah, I'm not him, she's not the same Pride as before, the Guardians aren't trapped in shells like before. How'd he even manage that?"
"How?" Joy laughed bitterly. "You're asking how someone who figured how to turn living, breathing people into abominations of brass, could have them turn upon their own kind?" she shook her head "We were enslaved, commanded and controlled. He could over-ride those commands himself. Fortunately, he saw how morally wrong what he had done was and alongside Ego..." she fell silent for a long moment. "He died... He died during the war he ordered those still trapped in the shells they were in to repoprt to Ego... To be decomissioned and returned to civilian life. He never lived to see that evil of his undone."
"You never really forgave him, did you?"
"I forgave some of what he did. He was still a monster, still a man. Still flawed and prone to acting like an idiot and... He was an example of how even the best intentions can drive someone to commit horrific acts and... And... I don't want you to turn out like him. I don't want to see history repeat itself with you, marching into Pride's inner sanctum and seeing her fall."
"Joy, I have one thing to say to you. That's bullshit, you're judging me guilty by another persons merit, before giving me a chance. I'm not better or worse than him, as I'm not him. You're profiling me as a criminal, based upon the behaviour of someone that, lets say is a distant relative in this case. If it was profiling based on skin colour, you'd be racist, if it was profiling based upon gender, it'd be sexist. Stop trying to warn me out of following a path I've never considered as if I'm predispositioned towards it."
"I... I'm sorry, you... You're right. It's just hard for me to look at you and..."
Joy fell silent as she gripped the wheel, her shoulders raised as she moved to wipe the corners of her eyes against them.
It was in that silence that you turned your attention to the window, glancing out of it as you turned to rest your arms against the open window frame, to turn and look behind you and...
And...
Was that a Jeep following a few cars behind you?
It was.
And it was one with the ASP emblem upon its hood, one that...
"Shit. Joy, Tom's following us."
"Wait, what?" Joy pasued as she reached for a radio concealed inside the LPD issued jacket she was wearing. "This is Officer Jay-Zero-One-Three-Seven-Zero, over."
There was a pause as she tapped at the back of the radio with her thumb.
"I repeat, this is Officer Jay-Zero-One-Three-Seven-Zero, over," she grumbled as she glanced at the various mirrors in quick succession. "Great, the radio's dead and he's supposed to have been subdued, I can't just lead him to the shelter... Not when he could hurt innocents. Alyssa, I'm going to stop the car and deal with him. While I do that, I want you to stay in the car. Got that?"
There was a saying, nescessity was the other of invetion. Invention was a form of creation, and adversity bred nescessity. You'd been subjected to adverity time and time again and you could feel that desire to rise to the challenge burning away within you once more.
Yet, you knew at the same time you had been warned away from using your power, making you wonder if it was better in this case to permit Joy to deal with this issue - and with whatever Tom actually was.
You didn't know at this point who or what he really was, all you knew was that he was trouble and one of you had to act.
Post by: Peradon on June 29, 2015, 01:54:12 pm
Also, just stay in the car. Do warn Joy about what you know of Tom, and his weak point....
Post by: endlessblaze on June 29, 2015, 04:21:19 pm
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 29, 2015, 04:24:38 pm
ask for a gun. get out and assist-1
Allysia, stop yer power mongering. Seriously, you may have power, but you're still human. You have to stop thinking like you are a separate and superior species. Act like a human being...+1
Also, just stay in the car. Do warn Joy about what you know of Tom, and his weak point....
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 29, 2015, 04:40:13 pm
Allysia, stop yer power mongering. Seriously, you may have power, but you're still human. You have to stop thinking like you are a separate and superior species. Act like a human being...
Also, just stay in the car. Do warn Joy about what you know of Tom, and his weak point....
+1 to this, but...
Get in the driver's seat. If Joy is having trouble with Tom, and it's a reasonably open area, yell for her to get away, then ram him with the car. Then focus your power and hit him with as much fire as you can summon. Yeah, you'll probably end up unconscious, but you'll live, and if you can do enough damage, he won't. Just make sure not to hit Joy in the crossfire. (If the area is too congested to maneuver the car around, just skip the car-ramming step.)
Post by: endlessblaze on June 29, 2015, 04:44:13 pm
Allysia, stop yer power mongering. Seriously, you may have power, but you're still human. You have to stop thinking like you are a separate and superior species. Act like a human being...
Also, just stay in the car. Do warn Joy about what you know of Tom, and his weak point....
+1 to this, but...
Get in the driver's seat. If Joy is having trouble with Tom, and it's a reasonably open area, yell for her to get away, then ram him with the car. Then focus your power and hit him with as much fire as you can summon. Yeah, you'll probably end up unconscious, but you'll live, and if you can do enough damage, he won't. Just make sure not to hit Joy in the crossfire. (If the area is too congested to maneuver the car around, just skip the car-ramming step.)
TISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Post by: Fallatus on June 29, 2015, 05:26:47 pm
"Phase" through him, Extend that power over him and "phase" him into the ground. And then, Just let go.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 29, 2015, 09:54:16 pm
If he grabs you, Remember how you grabbed that speaker way back? through a wall or how you walked right trough a table?No vote here (for or against), but holy shit is that cold. I'm pretty sure that'll be murder.
"Phase" through him, Extend that power over him and "phase" him into the ground. And then, Just let go.
Post by: Peradon on June 29, 2015, 11:09:09 pm
Also, I'm getting the feeling that this Joy lady isnt going to be much of a threat to us. She had a positive relationship with this other dude, and we're too much like him. I suggest we add her to our trust list, alongside Milicent.
Post by: Silleh Boy on June 30, 2015, 10:34:07 am
"It's for your own safety, I don't care how powerful you might be, you're an untrained civilian and he's either a trained soldier, or worse. This is bad, though," came Joy's words as she swung the car over to one of the layby spots on the road to park the car.
"Why is it bad?"
"Do you know anything about him?"
"He's a military trained bodyguard, and he... He's powered in some way I guess?"
"Yeah, about that. The agency he's from declared only a handful of supernaturally talented entities amongst their ranks and he wasn't one of them."
"So, they... They hid him from you?" you responded in disbelief.
"Alyssa... I don't know what he is, but that might not even be the 'Tom' you knew," Joy sighed as she adjusted the mirror, watching as the agency jeep pulled up in the road behind you.
This was a nice area you told yourself as you glanced at the surrounding buildings, it was a shame it was about to see conflict.
You could see heavy stone facades on the buildings and exposed brickwork, a combination of old properties intermingled with more modern ones that had been built up over time to turn this into a posher neighbourhood.
It must, given its proximity to the river, been an expensive place to live.
"He's after you Alyssa, so if he gets past me, take the wheel and get the fuck out of here," Joy stated as she unfastened her steatbelt.
"I... I don't know how to drive," you mumbled in response as Joy pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You... Shit. You can't drive, I can't get backup. You're supposed to have been accompanied by two officers for reasons exactly like this. Okay, you stay here, I'll deal with him and then we'll get back underway."
"You'll be okay, right?"
"I'll be fine."
"He's armed like a soldier."
"I'll be fine."
"You're not wearing body armour right now," you pointed out as Joy turned to look at you, one hand on the door as she shrugged.
"I've been shot before, I'll recover. What I'm worried about is that he might be able to recover as fast as I can."
"What'll you do then?"
"Shatter his bones and tie his legs in a knot so they have to be rebroken to heal right."
"That's..."
"A fast way of incapacitating him in a worst case scenario."
"No, that's not going to work, if he-"
"Alyssa, shut up and keep your head down."
"Okay..."
The prior mania you had been feeling faded as you slowly felt the reality of the situation setting in - the heat you felt in your chest diminishing alongside the belief you had fostered that you could have accomplished anything.
As Joy exited the vehicle you felt very small, pressing yourself into the seat as you twisted about to look about the headrest at the jeep that had pulled up behind you - the occupant of what, Tom, if you could really call him that, finally climbing from the vehicle he had arrived in to meet with Joy.
From here you could hear them both talking, faintly, but with enough clarity for you to catch the entire exchange.
"Hand the girl over," came Tom's words as he came to a halt a distance from Joy, his hand resting in a threatening manner upon his assault rifle.
"How did you get past Ego, how did you follow us?"
"That is of no concern to you. Hand the girl over or I will dispose of you as well."
"I somehow doubt you disposed of Ego."
"He screamed for mercy as I-"
"Ego, scream for mercy?" Joy laughed, mirthlessly as she rolled her head, audiably popping her neck. "Don't try and feed me that crap, how'd you escape him?"
"Surrender the-"
"Did you turn into a mouse and meekly run away?"
"This is your final chance."
"No, this is YOUR final chance. Who do you work for, who are you, why shouldn't I leave your carcass to be picked clean by the vultures?"
A burst of gunfire was the sole response Joy was given as Tom raised his assault rifle, leaving Joy staggering backwards as she laughed, gurgling laughter as she raised a hand to her chest. A second burst followed as Joy stopped staggering, striking her across the chest again as she started to lumber forwards.
Even from here you could see the shift in her bodylanguage as she took on a hunched stance, her shoulders rolling as the jacket she was wearing was disarded.
Across her shoulders and down the back of her arms as far as her elbows were silvery scales that glinted where the sun caught them, scales that cover the back of her neck and vanished beneath her hair.
Even so, a third burst of gunfire was fired at the small woman as she laughed one more, her laughter roaring and mocking now as she advanced upon the uncertain looking soldier.
One hand was brought back and swung overhead in a clumbsy and easily predictable manner as she retaliated, a blow that Tom effortlessly stepped aside from - yet it wasn't clear if she was just slow, or he hadn't been the target of that initial retaliation from her all along as the blow never changed from its initial trajectory.
The bonnet of the jeep buckled as it was crushed inwards, the front wheels popping from beneath it as that blow left the vehicle in a clearly inoperable state.
A further attempt to shoot Joy was met by her swinging her other arm outwards as she batted the gun from the soldiers hands, the force of the blow snapping the strap that held it about his neck. The buckled gun sailed from his grasp as he leapt backwards, his fingers contorted grotesquely.
Brielfy.
A quick wave of his hands and they snapped back into place, appearing little more than bruised as he reached behind himself, drawing a machete now.
"A knife, really?" Joy taunted as she growled at the man, a growl that you could see was accompanied by a malicious grin from this angle.
"It's treated with an elixier of immortality, it's more than sufficient to bring you down, Jötunn," came Tom's response as he paced about Joy while twirling the blade in as intimidating a manner as he could manage.
"That stuff needs injecting like a venom, not slapping on me like a poison," came Joy's response as she sneered at the man.
"What?" came Tom's response as a look of confusion with a tinge of concern crossed his features.
"You can't even get close to a lethal dose of that coating your blade, i'd know, i've been injected with a lethal dose before. Didn't work either," she growled as she stepped towards the man. "Gave me a hell of an appetite though," she snarled as she batted at the blade tauntingly with one hand.
Tom was fast to take advantage of the opening, twirling about as he gained momentum, the blade raised as he lashed out at her neck.
Fast as he was, Joy had barely any time to react to the blade as it met her neck - even as the blade failed to bite deeply, catching against her scales as sparks flew her head came down to trap the blade against her shoulder, her shoulder pushing up as the sound of metal giving under the immense pressure she was applying was coupled with Tom drawing away maybe six inches of blade.
The rest of it clattered against the road as Joy released it, her dark blood flowing briefly from the wound to her neck, before it slowed as it started to knit.
Her retaliation had Tom batted off his feet as she used a backhanded slap to his chest to propel him into the side of the crippled jeep.
Even from here you could see him reaching for a new weapon amidst the various straps and pouches, one you couldn't see the nature of from this angle - though it didn't matter.
You were decided, you were going to get into the drivers seat and pray you could learn to drive fast in the event that this man somehow came out atop Joy.
You barely took your eyes off them as you clambered into the drivers seat, shifting the gearstick as you glanced down at the peddels and prayed you'd picked up enough knowledge of how a car worked over time to be able to do this.
You had to press the clutch in and... then the accelerator and... Then...
No, you had no idea, you'd just have to pray it was as easy as those two steps.
"Lights out, Jötunn," came Tom's words as he vaulted towards Joy, his hand thrusting towards her head as you caught sight of a palm sized green object in his hand.
Was that a-
You felt the rumble of the grenade going off shaking you as the deafening explosion echoed through the streets, car alarms and horns going off as...
As Joy's body - or what was left of it from the chest down - flopped down in the middle of the road.
Tom wasn't unscathed either, he had been thrown backwards by the explosion, streams of black oozing from his shredded bodyarmour and the stump of the arm that had been holding the grenade.
He rose unsteadily as you stared in shock, his face streaked with black blood from a myriad of gashes from the grenades shrapnel, shrapnel that you knew you had been hit by as shock gave way to warmth, as you felt blood welling up from an injury to your shoulder.
It had to have passed through the back of the chair, but that wasn't important.
Right now, you had to get out of here.
Foot on the clutch, then the accelerator, tires squealing-
Then the car lurched backwards as it slammed into Tom as he staggered unsteadily forwards - followed by the jeep as you pinned him against it.
This hadn't been what you'd intended, you'd planned to drive forwards, pull out of the layby and get out of here - you hadn't realised you'd put the car into reverse.
Worse still, your efforts to change gear and start moving forward were met with grinding sounds from the engine, telling you that you were going nowhere.
It was just you and him, as Joy was dead in th-
No... You could see bone reforming, you could see muscle knitting up over those bones as her body...
Joy could recover from THAT?
You stumbled from the driver side of the car as you patted at your back, feeling for whatever it was that had gone into you, though all you managed to do was find pain and blood where your fingers brushed against the entry wound.
"You're... You're coming with... Me... Alyssa..." came Tom's defiant though weary sounding words. "When I recover from this, I will... Will bring you in. Surrender now, save... Save yourself the... Trouble."
His words would have been of no concern if you couldn't have seen his injuries actively knitting - it was plain to see that he would recover much sooner than Joy could possibly do so.
You were being threatened by a one armed man pinned between to vehicles while the Guardian whom had been trying to protect you lay headless in the road - and merely, you truly hoped, incapacitated from such an injury.
For now you had the upper hand yet you knew it wouldn't last at the rate that Tom was recovering - you had to act and fast.
---
I enjoy reading some of the things you propose - creative uses of power vs creative ways of handling a situation without it make for an interesting balance.
Post by: Kashyyk on June 30, 2015, 10:50:02 am
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 30, 2015, 11:25:49 am
I don't suppose we could find some way to set him on fire, powers or otherwise? He'll probably survive, but it should slow down his regeneration, hopefully to the point where Joy regenerates first.You mean, other than dying? :P
Post by: Kashyyk on June 30, 2015, 11:31:26 am
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 30, 2015, 11:37:44 am
But really, there's gotta be a way to do this without resorting to suicide. Maybe the whole "Shove him in the ground" plan isn't entirely without merit?
Post by: Nicholas1024 on June 30, 2015, 11:51:00 am
Another possibility is attempting telekinesis. If we can "convince" gravity that it should drag him upwards and sideways for a minute or two, that should physically drag him far enough away to deal with the problem for the moment.
The third idea is freezing him. If we can totally encase him in ice, it might be enough to trap him or slow his regeneration.
And finally, there's fire. The best chance of actually killing him, and a big enough display is certain to attract other guardians, but if he survives there may be trouble.
Post by: Peradon on June 30, 2015, 03:37:43 pm
Ok, but if no one likes that, I suggest we find a way to throw him away from us, hopefully to the other side of the planet. Just, shove our arms outward towards him in an act of desperation.
That is, if we dont want to just use the "voice" thingy...
Post by: XXXXYYYY on June 30, 2015, 03:40:47 pm
Here's a thought. Remember how in the first game Joy incapacitated a rapidly regenerating assailant by sticking a blade into his spinal cord and leaving it there? He couldn't heal because the blade was still there, and as long as the blade there he was paralyzed. Since Tom is pinned at the moment, perhaps we can take advantage of it?This is probably the best plan. Mundane and effective (hopefully). +1
Post by: Peradon on June 30, 2015, 08:09:36 pm
I dont like Metagaming like this..... so, sorry, but -1...Here's a thought. Remember how in the first game Joy incapacitated a rapidly regenerating assailant by sticking a blade into his spinal cord and leaving it there? He couldn't heal because the blade was still there, and as long as the blade there he was paralyzed. Since Tom is pinned at the moment, perhaps we can take advantage of it?This is probably the best plan. Mundane and effective (hopefully). +1
Post by: endlessblaze on July 01, 2015, 08:28:00 pm
this guys enlightened right?
use our power to take away his taint. we will fall unconscious but he will probly die so it wont matter
Post by: Peradon on July 01, 2015, 08:38:37 pm
I have an idea.Thats... a good idea. +1.
this guys enlightened right?
use our power to take away his taint. we will fall unconscious but he will probly die so it wont matter
Post by: Nicholas1024 on July 01, 2015, 09:56:26 pm
I have an idea.
this guys enlightened right?
use our power to take away his taint. we will fall unconscious but he will probly die so it wont matter
-1, our power may not be able to do that, else the thousand soul would have just purified anxiety.
Post by: Fallatus on July 02, 2015, 09:13:31 am
But we are not the thousand soul, And we wont know if we don't try.I have an idea.
this guys enlightened right?
use our power to take away his taint. we will fall unconscious but he will probly die so it wont matter
-1, our power may not be able to do that, else the thousand soul would have just purified anxiety.
Use our power to remove his taint. Not by destroying what is, But by creating through its destruction.
Purge the taint, So that he may be reborn.
No harm in trying, Right?
Post by: Silleh Boy on July 02, 2015, 10:27:19 am
This was so far outside of what you'd ever expected to find yourself involved in and doing that it wasn't funny. You knew you couldn't let that stop you however, as the man before you wasn't going to make any allowances for the fact that you were mentally unprepared to take whatever steps were required to incapacitate him further.
You had to take those steps, you had to deal with this man in a fashion that would prevent him from recovering to the point where he could take you back to the agency - to ensure whatever grim fate awaited you there was carried out.
"You can't do that, we're in puiblic, people'll see," you challenged as you tried to buy time to think of some manner of dealing with him that was within your capabilities.
"Look around you... Nobodies stopping for this scene. Nobody wants to... Get involved," came Tom's response as you glanced about. There were a few people around, cowering fearfully in their parked cars as they watched, a few peering out of windows. The vast majority didn't care to do more than slow their cars to do more than get a brief glance at the scene.
Worse, Tom already sounded better, the prior breathless efforts to taunt you into surrender were already sounding stronger than they had prior.
"Make it easy on... On yourself. Surrender now," Tom continued as the injuries on his face finished knitting and the stump of his arm started to knit as the flesh there twitched. It was going to take him time to regenerate his arm and here you had shrapnel embedded in your shoulder. You didn't want to think about that though, you didn't want to think about the injury you had taken - focusing on the growing sensation of pain from it as adrenaline and shock faded was going to distract you from the task at hand.
You had to survive.
How could you deal with this entity though when you couldn't even control your powers?
Those powers were something you'd have liked to be able to count upon at this time, to simply wrench this man from between these two vehicles and cast him skywards.
You could have tossed him over the river, into the far buildings.
Almost in response to the desire to do such, you could feel the sensation of heat building in your chest and radiating down towards your fingers. You weren't calling upon this power, yet...
Yet, it felt as if something had changed about you, as if that power could flow a little more freely through you without exausting you - as if you yourself had changed deep inside to better accomodate it.
You didn't understand how that was possible, you still didn't know how you were supposed to control it but it was something that you found reassuring. This was the sole thing that you had in the way of reassurance at the moment - that you, Alyssa, weren't completely without options.
Though this was an option you had been warned from, told that it could attract things words than you could possibly comprehend to come after you.
A more mundane solution would have been to cause him further injury, yet you didn't know how you were meant to do that - you had ideas, ranging from simply bludgeoning him with whatever you could find in the area, to finding something to stab him, yet...
You didn't know what injuries would most effectively slow him down - and quite honestly, the concept of dealing such injuries to somebody was rather unsettling. The lurid scene before you was already more than you could stomach, so adding further to it was something you would take no delight in.
Before this power had awoken within you, the worst you had ever done was in games and there was a vast disconnect between the world of a game and its tiresome and over the top gore and the actual blood you were shedding and whatever this man was bleeding everywhere.
Nausea wasn't something you could afford to give in to at this point, however.
"You should be the one surrendering to me," you challenged as you attempted to buy further time - or even get this man to stand down and accept defeat in a situation he had the potential upper hand in. "When Joy recovers from-"
"Jötunn or not, she won't recover in time to stop me," came his calm response as he pushed weakly at the car trapping his legs with his remaining arm. This was both good and bad news, the good news was that he had just made it clear that she would actually recover from this injury.
The bad news was that he was sure he was going to recover faster.
"I wouldn't try running again if I were you. In a few minutes I'll be recovered to the point I can overpower you and running will simply have me take you in tired."
A few minutes, you had to come up with a means of incapacitating him in that space of time.
Joy was out of comission, your powers were unreliable at best, your ability to injure him was limited at best.
Perhaps you could look deep inside, take this moment to search yourself for reseves you never knew you had.
Perhaps, in this moment of need, you could find some power deep inside yourself, some knowledge that had been obtained through the ghastly manner in what you had evidently been stitched together.
Deep down, there had to be an answer, a memory of the kind of power that you had at your fingertips - a way to deal with this man, perhaps even render him powerless in a way that'd completely neutralise him.
If you could just neutralise the very root of his power, you'd be able to prevent him from threatening you on terms beyond your own limited ones.
Yes, this was a great answer to the problem.
But you didn't have the time to see if it was more than just a theory that you could find such an answer, such memories or answers deep within you.
Right now you needed a more immediate solution, that was why you quickly hurried around the back of the jeep, thanking whatever gods were watching over you as you found the boot had been popped open by how you'd ran the police car into it.
Moments, precious moments that you couldn't afford to waste were spent sorting through the boot of this jeep as you found a first aid kit amongst a number of locked chromed metal boxes, boxes that many heavy objects shifted about in with heavy, metallic clunks as you shifted them about.
Perhaps these were boxes with weapons in them?
If this was a gun box, you could... Well, you didn't want to think about the step that followed in detail, but you could shoot the man.
You just hoped this box had ammo in it, too.
And that you could figure from games how you'd played just how to actually load and fire the weapon.
The heavy box was raised from the boot of the jeep as you shifted towards the edge of the layby, raising the box as you turned the locked side towards the curb and swung it downwards.
Your head turned before the moment of impact, a shuddering impact that reverberated through you as you heard the clatter of metal against paving, as you briefly dared to feel hope at having found a solution to the problem you had to deal with.
Only for your heart to sink into your stomach as that brief moment of elation faded.
The boxes lock had indeed given way, yet inside the box wasn't a weapon as you'd hoped - inside that box was a number of tools that looked as if they were intended for repairing the jeep or replacing its wheels or other such things.
There was laughter too, laughter at your crestfallen expression as Tom struggled weakly to turn and face you.
"Didn't find what you were hoping for, Alyssa?" he taunted as he tapped his body armour. "If you were looking for a gun, all the ones you'd find are on me. Why don't you come take one?"
No, this was too much for you.
Here you were with pain blossoming in your shoulder anew from your efforts to open the box, a box that had let you down in your moment of need. Here, you had Tom taunting you as he was certain that he was going to come out of this atop you, that he was the one that had the upper hand now.
"You're pathetic," he continued as he watched you sink down onto your knees, your good hand raising to your face as you started to wipe away at the tears you could feel running down your cheeks.
"Pathetic woman, crying hot tears of shame. I suppose it's all that you're capable of now. All I need to do is push these cars apart and-" Tom's taunting continued as you felt something snap inside you.
"Excuse me?" you responded unbidden, your voice a growl as you snapped your head back to look at the man.
"Oh look, the puppy learned to bark. You're going to need teeth before you can bite though," Tom snorted as he started to slam his palm into the back of the police car, seeking leverage as he dismissed you with his attitude.
No, you weren't going to tolerate this, you weren't going to let him simply laugh at you now of all times.
You felt disconnected from your actions as you saw youir hand reach out for the nearest of the fallen toolboxes contents - a large wrench, something that you could feel the cool of in your hand, the weight of as you hefted it upwards.
You rose, knowing that at this point you had to be the most ghastly of sights given how you were injured, given how you were soaked with the mostly dried blood from your prior injuries. A sight that was to be this mans last, you found yourself thinking as you paced towards the pair of vehicles.
"I have teeth you condescending piece of shit," you hissed as you came up alongside the junction of the two vehicles, the wrench hefted over your shoulder as you tilted your head. "It's a shame I have to get them dirty by biting you, though," you hissed as you shifted your weight from one foot to the other. You'd picked the side where he had lost his arm - a blind side more or less to assault him from, knowing that he couldn't protect himself with an arm that wasn't there.
He twisted, he turned, he attempted to defend himself, yet pinned as he was there was little he could do as that glancing blow struck his head.
There was a gasp as he slumped forward, stunned by the blow as his remaining arm rose to cradle his head, to cover it from behind.
The wrench rose and fell once more, this time aimed for the mans arm as you aimed for the joint of his elbow, telling yourself if you could break his arm, that he couldn't protect his head.
Tom's voice rang out as a howl of agony as your blow struck against his upper arm, missing his elbow by a few inches. It had the desired effect however, you could see that you'd managed to break his arm as he twisted and attempted to protect himself from the heavy wrench in vain.
"Lights out, asshole," came your words as the wrench rose again.
You slumped down against the side of the police car, the blood stained blouse you wore showing the worst of the black blood - the ichor - that had splattered against you as you'd laid into Tom with the wrench.
You were numb, shocked that you had found yourself to be capable of such a horrific act.
The man that had threatened you now lay slumped over the back of the police car, a wrench embedded in his skull, something that the very thought of having done had you feel nauseous.
You had just...
No, you didn't want to think about it, you just wanted to stare up at the skies, the skies, so far away from here, so disconnected from now.
The skies, that bore witness to the horrific and brutal act you had-
No, you'd...
You'd get to your feet, yes, and move over to the railing that would let you look down at the river and...
Those muddy waters had Jötunn in them, Jötunn like Joy, who had-
It wasn't your most dignified of moments as you sank to your knees, pushed yourself through the lower part of the railings and added to the rivers pollution - it didn't help much with how nauseous you felt either. Emptying your stomach in such a manner simply left you feeling nauseous in a whole new manner.
This was how Joy found you, Joy, who pried you away from the railing you had clung to for an unknown amount of time.
Joy, whom turned you away from the scene as she ushered you into the passenger side of the car.
"Alyssa," she whispered as she knelt beside you, her tattered uniform contrasting against her newly regenerated flesh. "I have the worst headache right now, so I'm going to cut the crap about protocol, justifiable force and such. I'd ask if you're okay, but I can see you're not, i've called reinforcements in, I'm not sure how the radio was being blocked earlier, but... Do you still wish to meet with Pride or would you prefer to put that off for now, given the circumstances?"
Even as Joy asked that question you started to turn, a morbid sense of curiosity over if the man you'd assaulted with that heavy metal tool was showing any signs of recovery yet - something that Joy was fast to prevent as she raised a hand to cup your cheek.
"It'd be better if you don't - It's not a pretty sight," she whispered as she turned your face towards her.
"Your hair-" you mumbled as you pointed at it, shocked.
"Yeah, it regrows as well," Joy smiled, weakly.
"No... It's... Your hair's... Completely grey now."
"What?" Joy paused as she glanced in the mirror "Son of a..." she sighed as she brushed her fingers through her hair. "I was hoping I had at least a few more years before that happened."
"You could... You could dye it?"
"It doesn't take to my hair," she laughed, weakly as she brushed her fingers through it. "They told me when it started going grey that it wasn't age or stress, it's something to do with pigments and... Keratin and... Things being replaced by metallic elements."
"Your hair's... Metal?"
"My hair and scales have traces of metal and other such impurities in them."
"So... They're really tough then?"
"No tougher than usual, it's not enough to make a meaningful difference. Anyway, enough about me looking like an old woman now-"
"You don't look like an old woman, your skins too smooth."
"Hey, I said enough, I wanted to know if we're going to see Pride or not?"
"I'm... I'm a mess," you mumbled as you looked down at yourself.
"Sure, but we run a shelter for the homeless and such, for some reason beyond my comprehension. There's facilities for you to clean up at, and spare clothes there."
"Oh..."
You felt lethargy setting in, an indifferent sense of disconnected depression threatening to swallow you as you tried to block out how you felt. It was different from the exaustion you had felt before when you'd exausted yourself with your powers.
Joy had softened to you considerably, her reaction to this suggesting that she wasn't exactly surprised - though she was being insistant on getting an answer from you.
An answer you didn't want to give.
You just wanted to sit here and remain disconnected from it all until it all went away.
Yet you knew you had to answer in some manner.
Just how would you answer, though?
---
Sorry! Your reply came some time during my write-up. Prior to that it was pretty much evenly split as far as I could tell at a glance between the various courses of action.
Post by: Doomblade187 on July 02, 2015, 02:40:40 pm
Post by: Nicholas1024 on July 02, 2015, 04:16:49 pm
Regardless, the shelter is our best bet, though it might be wise to take some time to recover before talking to Pride. Maybe we can finally get off that phone call to our family.
Post by: Fallatus on July 02, 2015, 07:54:28 pm
Post by: Peradon on July 05, 2015, 01:12:58 am
Make a dark joke. Nothing to light up the mood than with some gallows humor.-1. We just killed someone, I dont think we're cruel enough to joke about it.
Post by: Fallatus on July 05, 2015, 01:28:03 am
Oh, But there's no need for cruelty to be involved. A cruel joke would have been closer to ripping his arm of and using it like a puppet to badmouth him (I'm a big dummy that picks dumb fight with those i shouldn't, Bweh bweh.)Make a dark joke. Nothing to light up the mood than with some gallows humor.-1. We just killed someone, I dont think we're cruel enough to joke about it.
No, Dark jokes are certainly more benign than that.
Post by: Nicholas1024 on July 05, 2015, 08:40:47 am
+1 to the -1.Make a dark joke. Nothing to light up the mood than with some gallows humor.-1. We just killed someone, I dont think we're cruel enough to joke about it.
Post by: XXXXYYYY on July 05, 2015, 02:08:17 pm
Indeed.+1 to the -1.Make a dark joke. Nothing to light up the mood than with some gallows humor.-1. We just killed someone, I dont think we're cruel enough to joke about it.
Post by: Silleh Boy on July 06, 2015, 10:54:08 am
I'll update in a day or two, hopefully. Heat's picked up here (again) and made me sick.
Sorry!
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 06, 2015, 12:41:30 pm
Anywho.
No to that joke. Just, no.
At this point, you need to speak to Pride. People are trying to kill you, you need answers. Hopefully he/she has them.
And won't hide them behind need-to-know until you needed to know five minutes ago.
But first, you should clean up.
Shelter to clean up, then go speak to Pride. Inquire about Tom's current state.
Also, in general, stop being such a pretentious [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. Except when you have to. Keep it ready for when you need it, but seriously, just because you're the awesomest, doesn't mean that you're going to be catered to, every time, all the time. Nor should you expect it. Down that road is becoming the monster you aren't.
Post by: Fallatus on July 06, 2015, 06:07:45 pm
No to that joke. Just, no.Wait, What joke? i didn't make any jokes. Except from that one, But that was an example of what not to joke about.
I was talking about something lighthearted but dark themed to light up the mood, Not an overly grotesque mockery of the situation.
We could have died too after all and laughter is said to be the best medicine. So sorry if i did(said) something offending i guess?
At this point, you need to speak to Pride. People are trying to kill you, you need answers. Hopefully he/she has them.And yes to that. +1
And won't hide them behind need-to-know until you needed to know five minutes ago.
But first, you should clean up.
Shelter to clean up, then go speak to Pride. Inquire about Tom's current state.
Also, in general, stop being such a pretentious [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. Except when you have to. Keep it ready for when you need it, but seriously, just because you're the awesomest, doesn't mean that you're going to be catered to, every time, all the time. Nor should you expect it. Down that road is becoming the monster you aren't.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 06, 2015, 06:14:06 pm
The concept of making a dark joke, in general, was what I was against.No to that joke. Just, no.Wait, What joke? i didn't make any jokes. Except from that one, But that was an example of what not to joke about.
I was talking about something lighthearted but dark themed to light up the mood, Not an overly grotesque mockery of the situation.
We could have died too after all and laughter is said to be the best medicine. So sorry if i did(said) something offending i guess?
Post by: Fallatus on July 06, 2015, 07:59:37 pm
The concept of making a dark joke, in general, was what I was against.Ah, Alright.
In hindsight, After processing the circumstances i agree that a dark joke might be unfitting. Maybe a light joke? Or no joke. I guess this isn't the best place for laughter, Or time for that matter.
Heh, Hey at least were not dead, Right? Might get a mood swing into uncontrollable mirthfulness though. Knowing fate we'll make a bad joke and laugh ourselves half to death from it.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 06, 2015, 08:34:42 pm
That's not actually far off...The concept of making a dark joke, in general, was what I was against.Ah, Alright.
In hindsight, After processing the circumstances i agree that a dark joke might be unfitting. Maybe a light joke? Or no joke. I guess this isn't the best place for laughter, Or time for that matter.
Heh, Hey at least were not dead, Right? Might get a mood swing into uncontrollable mirthfulness though. Knowing fate we'll make a bad joke and laugh ourselves half to death from it.
Adrenaline can do strange things.
Post by: Doomblade187 on July 07, 2015, 01:01:33 pm
OOC:I hope you feel better!
I'll update in a day or two, hopefully. Heat's picked up here (again) and made me sick.
Sorry!
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 07, 2015, 06:15:32 pm
+1.OOC:I hope you feel better!
I'll update in a day or two, hopefully. Heat's picked up here (again) and made me sick.
Sorry!
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 11, 2015, 11:06:52 am
GM: Get unsick.To bring the game back to the fore of this thread, repostitude of my suggested action.
Anywho.
No to that joke. Just, no.
At this point, you need to speak to Pride. People are trying to kill you, you need answers. Hopefully he/she has them.
And won't hide them behind need-to-know until you needed to know five minutes ago.
But first, you should clean up.
Shelter to clean up, then go speak to Pride. Inquire about Tom's current state.
Also, in general, stop being such a pretentious [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. Except when you have to. Keep it ready for when you need it, but seriously, just because you're the awesomest, doesn't mean that you're going to be catered to, every time, all the time. Nor should you expect it. Down that road is becoming the monster you aren't.
Post by: Doomblade187 on July 11, 2015, 05:09:31 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 11, 2015, 05:27:51 pm
I agree with the above reposted action. GM status update?I'm gonna guess he's still heatsick.
Although, you know, it has been that couple days he asked for.
Why does the weather have to interfere with this...
Anywho, anyone here who can art? Fanart depiction of Alyssa in Phoenix Flames as she regenerates would be quite epic to see.
/null
/nocanart
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 14, 2015, 10:42:51 am
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: Peradon on July 18, 2015, 04:25:48 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 20, 2015, 05:28:57 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 22, 2015, 03:05:55 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 28, 2015, 08:35:38 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 31, 2015, 06:16:51 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
Post by: Peradon on July 31, 2015, 06:53:15 pm
*shameless bump because this story is awesome*
((Where are you, author...))
(http://assets.diylol.com/hfs/9af/030/f69/resized/jim-meme-generator-he-s-dead-jim-d987d6.jpg?1401902858.jpg)
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 31, 2015, 07:14:33 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on August 09, 2015, 11:04:16 pm
((I'm still here. Please, start back up, this story is too good to sit forever unfinished.))
Post by: TheBiggerFish on August 14, 2015, 01:30:57 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on August 29, 2015, 08:01:18 pm
Are you alive over there?
Is anyone else still watching?
Is this actually the end?
Post by: endlessblaze on August 29, 2015, 10:09:29 pm
Post by: XXXXYYYY on August 30, 2015, 10:56:45 am