The Keepers
Posts 234
Power Level 31
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Post by Azoth on Jul 12, 2016 21:20:44 GMT -7
It had been a night and a day since the dragon’s attack. The moon was again high in the sky, its tone less tinted red from the smoke than the previous night. Many stars had been visible suburbs where the destruction had happened, giving rise to many a dramatic poem, Azoth was sure. The sky on the comparatively untouched Isle, however, was about as starless as always. Azoth walked through the entrance of the abandoned theme park. She visited here on occasion, enough so that she was acquainted with the place, but not enough so that navigating through it was a habit she could zone out to. It felt strange, walking down a place so familiar and unchanged in the wake of so much upheaval. If one ignored the cityscape beyond the ocean, one might be able to pretend nothing had changed at all. It was what had changed that was what brought Azoth here tonight. This morning, she had done some contemplation on what had happened with a specific Keeper and research on the area of the fight. She’d done more contemplating on what she had found, and after an hour of leaning back in a chair that was not meant to be leaned back in, she made some arrangements. It’d taken her the whole of the day and likely wouldn’t have been possible in the current chaos, but with some bribing and insiders and more than one phone call in which someone had yelled at her (before she put another zero on the end of their check), she had succeeded in everything she had set out to do. All that was left was to find them. This was fairly easy, as it turned out, since Unhallow was known for spending the nights in the same place. It would’ve been faster for her to locate them had she brought her goggles. She would’ve only needed to search for the one other blob of heat in the otherwise cold amusement park with their heat-vision setting, but the recent battle had damaged them and she had yet to have the time to repair them. Her spectacles and standard eyes would have to do. She expected Unhallow had seen her coming long before Azoth had seen them, so when she did at last spot the black-clad super, she approached wordlessly and took a seat beside them, about three meters to their left. She took a moment to settle herself and straighten her coat. “Unhallow.” She settled for her greeting. “I’ve been curious as to the reason behind your sudden change in tactics before engaging the dragon yesterday. Considering the residential location we were in at the time, as well as the outcomes of the dragon’s initial attack and your unusual reaction to what seemed to be a street not different to those we’d passed through before, I’ve come to a conclusion. Am I correct in assuming you’ve lost your home?” Unhallow
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The Keepers
Posts 206
Power Level 30
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Post by Unhallow on Jul 13, 2016 20:42:57 GMT -7
When Unhallow woke up after the dragon was defeated, they expected life to just go back to normal after. Nevermind what actually happened there, they just couldn't picture any other type of life. Once the night ended and it actually came time to figure out what to do, Unhallow was at a loss. They had no home to go back to, not that they spent much time at home anymore. They had no family to go back to, not that they spent much time with their family anymore anyway. They didn't even have any clothes to change into anymore, they were all buried under rubble they couldn't get to and by the time it was cleared everything was gone. Everything they owned was gone. It was disturbing, everything they knew was just gone and they were at a loss about what to do.
Unhallow made due by wandering around the city seeing how everything was going. Malachite Isle was almost pristine somehow, but the rest of the city didn't fare so well. It was even more disturbing to see, but there wasn't much they could do. It wasn't like they'd be physically capable of helping the rebuilding efforts thanks to their power. Several hours passed and they eventually got hungry. That was another gut punch. Unhallow had no money, and now had no means to get any. They couldn't go to their parents for food and water, they couldn't get a job because they were too young, they couldn't just go to the police or an orphanage or anything like that due to being a super with a power like theirs, so what options did they have? How were they even supposed to eat at this point? They didn't even have any normal clothes, so they couldn't just walk in somewhere and grab something at this time of day, they'd be spotted too quickly in a getup as ridiculous as this. Unhallow's shoulders slumped as their stomach continued to growl. There was nothing they could do about it
By the time night fell, they still hadn't gotten any food or water. By this point their mouth was dry, they had a headache, and they just felt weak. Sin Eater's power healed all the damage to their muscles from the dragon fight, but they didn't feel much better right now. All Unhallow wanted to do was sleep. They felt a familiar person enter their sensory range, but at this point it was so big that it didn't really mean anything. It wasn't until Azoth made their way to the pavilion they slept in that Unhallow realized that she was indeed looking for them. The vibration of their voice was enough to startle them into sitting up. The question made them slump their shoulders again, and a knot formed in their stomach. Their breathing became a bit more uneven, and they bit their lower lip. Part of Unhallow just wanted to break down crying, or throw up, but they did neither. Instead, they just sat on the beat up mattress they slept on, silent, while they worked up the ability to talk.
"Y-Yes. It's gone. Everything's gone."
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The Keepers
Posts 234
Power Level 31
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Post by Azoth on Jul 14, 2016 15:15:30 GMT -7
Azoth was beginning to wonder if Unhallow had heard them, given how long it took them to respond. Should she repeat herself? No, they had proven in the past that they could hear her when she all but whispered to herself from meters away. Perhaps they were ignoring her? Or, they had lost their ability to speak during the battle? She pondered the chance of actuality of either of these (ultimately landing on ‘neither is likely for several reasons each’), until Unhallow finally spoke.
Azoth nodded to her suspicions being confirmed. “I thought so.” She held her balled hand out in front of her chest and allowed a small piece of metal to form in her palm. “Here.” She said, tossing the finished item to Unhallow.
It was a standard key, of the sort one might use for a mailbox. Or, as was this case, a house. Finely engraved in the rounded top of the key was an address, its listed zip code a property on the isle. “I cannot guarantee the quality of this estate as I haven’t had time to visit it personally. Also of concern was apparently it’s sat unbought on the market for a couple of months, but there wasn’t much available for immediate purchase. It was what my realtor suggested when I asked her for the most durable house available.” she offered. “The past residents were supposedly ‘apocalypse preppers’. She said there was supposed to be a bunker in the yard.” She tapped the hand that still rested on her thigh against her leg a few times. “I don’t know your name, so I made the purchase out under the alias ‘Adele Langley’. My apologies if the house has issues. I didn’t know this realtor before today, and, as I said, I haven’t had time to check the property personally.”
Her tone had remained flat as she spoke. Her gaze had settled on the distant skyline. Again Azoth held her hand out in front of her chest, and a second item began to form between her thumb and index finger. Despite not being much larger than the key, the little rectangle of plastic took several seconds longer to fully appear. Rather than throw it as she had the last, Azoth slid the card along the ground towards Unhallow.
“That is also for you. I don’t know your means of funding, but I assumed if you are here, sleeping on a,” she looked at the... moderately disgusting thing Unhallow was sitting on, “decrepit mattress, then it isn’t much. The bank account is also in Adele Langley’s name. The pin is 0001. I put two hundred thousand dollars on it in the hopes that that would be enough to get you through at least the next two months, but let me know if you are in need of more.”
Content, Azoth paced both of her hands in her lap and crossed her ankles. She was glad to pass the two items onto Unhallow in the same way she was glad the amount of smoke rising from the city had lessened from the night prior. She wasn’t a stickler to routine like some people were, but a great upset in the status quo bothered her like anyone else. Setting things back in order was relieving.
“Also let me know if you want or require more copies of either.” She continued soon after. “My one request is that I have your previous copy returned to me.”
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The Keepers
Posts 206
Power Level 30
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Post by Unhallow on Jul 15, 2016 18:10:38 GMT -7
Unhallow watched Azoth carefully as she used her power. Azoth's power was always confusing to Unhallow's senses, but it was especially bad right now. They weren't quite sure what was going on with their senses right now, but they could tell that they were seeing everything on a much smaller scale now. The feeling they got wasn't that different from when they first got their powers; there was a lot of extra information they hadn't figured out how to deal with yet, thus making them do the mental equivalent of squinting in order to make out anything. If they didn't, it'd be like looking really closely at a painting done in pointillism. The key finished forming long before Unhallow could tell what it was, or that it was being thrown at them. The key collided with their helmet with a ting, and Unhallow let out a surprised yelp. It was times like this that they considered just taking off the helmet. Was there even any reason to hide her identity anymore?
The second item at least hit the edge of their mattress, and thus could be picked up more easily once they were able to locate it. The explanation brought about some relief, but didn't do much to alleviate the sadness. In the end, they were still going to be on their own because a dragon took another family away from them. All it meant is that they'd have a bit empty house, or maybe a smaller empty bunker, to themselves, and it was unlikely they'd be able to stay there for long periods of time. It was starting to become less likely that they'd even be able to stay at HappyWorld for long periods of time anymore because of how big their range was getting. It was a little disturbing. But once they got some proper clothes at least they would be able to get something to eat. That was progress.
Once the initial wave of relief washed over them, they tensed up a bit and started to awkwardly fiddle with the key. This would be unusual from any of the Keepers, but it coming from Azoth was just really weird. Unhallow thought about the implications for a moment before responding. It was clear that they were grateful for everything, but there were signs of nervousness in their voice too. If Azoth was willing to give this much she must have needed something big and important.
"Th-Thank you. R-Really, thank you very much. What did you need from me?"
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The Keepers
Posts 234
Power Level 31
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Post by Azoth on Jul 21, 2016 1:51:09 GMT -7
Unhallow’s query actually gave Azoth pause. Normally she’d have that all lined up, exactly what she wanted in exchange for what she was giving, room for bartering preplanned and plan of attack laid out. She’d have everything she was willing to offer and things she knew they were going to ask for but didn’t want to trade figured out, already weighed what she’d be willing to part with for what. What to offer if she made them mad. What to get mad at them for demanding. If her offer was fair - this was part of why she always showed up thirty minutes early to her meetings.
But, for once, she hadn’t put an ounce of thought into what she wanted in return. It was this fact, almost more than what she actually wanted in return, that left Azoth absolutely silent with her hand on her chin in contemplation. What did she want? An even more root question came to mind; why had she done this in the first place? She couldn’t remember putting any thought into that fundamental question either. She’d woken up this morning, done a bit of research on the data she’d gotten from the dragon, and gotten to work. She could say she’d been too busy negotiating with bankers and realtors to focus on the other end of the bargain, blame it on a pressing time limit and an occupied mind, but that didn’t explain why she’d done it.
When she did answer the given question, it was honestly the only thing she could think of. “I wish for free access to come over on occasion to eat dinner in your company or play a game of chess.” She paused again, gaze up towards the city and hand still on her chin, thinking over what she’d said and if there was anything else. Ultimately, she nodded. “Yes, that will do.”
Returning her hand to her lap, she nodded again. That seemed fair.
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The Keepers
Posts 206
Power Level 30
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Post by Unhallow on Jul 22, 2016 10:56:59 GMT -7
Unhallow was expecting a pretty quick response because of their dealings with Azoth in the past. When it didn't come, they were confused, and then afraid that they said something wrong. They thought that was a pretty standard way to handle things. It was just how things were right? When one Keeper helped them, they were supposed to help them too right? Were they forgetting something important? Azoth wasn't offended at this right? When she finally did respond, the apprehension vanished, but the confusion only got stronger. It was times like this that they were glad they wore a helmet like this. Unhallow's jaw hung open for a moment, and they were sure they would look totally ridiculous if they were seen like this. After a few false starts, Unhallow managed to get out something coherent.
"Um...W-Well, I don't mind as long as you're careful for, um, o-obvious reasons but," Unhallow paused for a second to think about how to say this. "Um...well I don't know how to play chess, and I don't cook much, so dinner will probably be instant noodles most of the time. Is...Is that good enough?"
If Unhallow couldn't see all the intricate details of her body, they would have questioned if this was actually Azoth or not. A lot of things could be faked, but a person's insides weren't one that could be faked easily. Unhallow didn't quite understand what she was after. It was almost like Azoth actually wanted to be her friend.
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The Keepers
Posts 234
Power Level 31
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Post by Azoth on Jul 22, 2016 20:44:44 GMT -7
Unhallow seemed to take her time pondering her demands. Azoth was worried she’d said something unreasonable - there was the fear of her arriving at a time that threatened to reveal Unhallow’s civilian identity, or perhaps there were things that would tell her more about Unhallow than they cared for her to know. She had a couple stacks of documents she would prefer to keep to herself, each for different reasons. There might also be subtler, unexpected reasons; perhaps Unhallow only ate racoons and didn’t wish for anyone to know. Perhaps her abilities required several hours of solitude to recharge - that would explain why she spent her nights in an abandoned amusement park.
A smile came to Azoth’s features when she got Unhallow’s response. “I will bring a chief and will explain the rules to you.” She crossed her arms and nodded again. It was that simple; this problem was solved and this plan was set.
She wondered if she was supposed to set up a time of meeting with Unhallow prior, as she did with her clients and informants, or, if this was a more casual meeting, she was supposed to simply arrive. She felt like she’d heard the latter to be the case somewhere, but in truth, Azoth hadn’t any idea. Such a meeting would be the first time she personally arranged a more casual get together with one other person herself. Her parents had taken care of setting up her social gatherings when she was a child, and since moving to Emerald City had little reason to meet for anything outside of business. She would have to make guesses and hope for the best.
Azoth stood. “If that is all, I believe my business is done.” She concluded, taking a moment to straighten her jacket and brush off her pants. What she had come to accomplish was successfully accomplished, and she was beginning to feel the effects of Unhallow’s powers. Perhaps she should bring her doctor along as well, just in case. The effects of long exposure to Unhallow’s abilities were still unknown to her and it was always better, she’d found and as Unhallow had suggested, to error on the side of safety. Besides, perhaps she could learn the effects of long-term exposure to Unhallow’s powers.
For the sake of any business of Unhallow’s still left unfinished, Azoth hesitated to leave, instead looking expectantly at the other Keeper.
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The Keepers
Posts 206
Power Level 30
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Post by Unhallow on Jul 23, 2016 14:51:19 GMT -7
"U-Um..." Unhallow had to think a bit again, still somewhat stunned by what they were hearing. "Yeah, that's fine. Don't be afraid to bring anything else that would make you more comfortable. I'm not exactly going to have a lot of stuff." When Azoth started to leave they were a little sad, but there really was nothing left to talk about. "I guess that's everything then. You probably shouldn't spend more time around me than you need to in the end...I guess I'll see you when you want?"
In the end, Unhallow wasn't quite sure what happened, but for once they didn't mind too much. Everything was actually okay for once. This meant that they might not even have to come to this stupid place anymore given they'd be able to go to another deserted place where their power wouldn't be any more of a threat than it was here. It'd be a nice reprieve from all the people that kept coming here looking for them, and even if they were found they could at least lock the door now. It was nice to think about. This entire conversation was confusing though. Unhallow had never seen Azoth like that before and couldn't help but think that they were misinterpreting her intentions.
Once Azoth was out of sight, Unhallow thought about trying to go back to sleep, only to remember that they didn't have to sleep here anymore. A small smile crept onto their face, as they picked up their beat up mattress and set off to see where they would be living now.
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