Business Deal [Aurora]

One nice thing about meeting with Aurora was Azoth had good warning before she arrived. When she caught sight of the colors in the distant sky, she stood from where she sat and settled atop a planter facing a slightly more open section of the roof. When Aurora landed, she stood.

Azoth had to suppress a flinch at the super’s shortness. Unlike any unpowered she dealt with, or even the majority of supers, Aurora still intimidated her. That she had recently killed a powerful super did not help this impression. While normally she did some brief setup to her deals - enough so that the person could fully understand what she was suggesting without dropping anything too large too soon on them, for the sake of possibly saving time and backtracking further into the conversation - something told her to be particularly quick about it with Aurora. She spoke immediately.

“Bluntly, I am looking for allies, Aurora Dicisio, and your power and influence are undeniable. I wish to offer you a partnership of sorts; as the leader of Pandaemonium, you have forces. I do not. As a Keeper and with my skillset, I have access to or means of obtaining valuable information. Some of which may prove useful to you.” She stated this matter-of-factly, not leadingly as some might. Azoth adjusted her spectacles. “I wish to be a provider of information for you. What this means I will supply you with information I come across that may prove useful to you and your causes. But more importantly, if you are in need or want of information on a certain topic, you have only to make the request and I will do my best to acquire it for you. I give my word I will not withhold or alter any such information, however if you wish to send a member of your faction with me or come along personally to ensure this, that is fine.

“For me, this means that should I come across information that needs to be acted upon, I have a connection with someone who has means to do so. Whether or not you do act upon information I may provide you is your own choice, but it is unlikely I will be coming to you unless the issue is dire. I would also like to ask for some basic immunity in my standard information gathering, from you personally. Your faction is large enough that I cannot rightfully ask for full protection from all of them; to attempt to enforce such a request would be more trouble than it is worth, and it may not sit well with other Pandaemoniums and Keepers should a deal such as this between us be made as public as it would require. Further, should you come to disagree with something I am attempting to secure, something that may jeopardize Pandaemonium for instance, I have no right to request that you do not attempt to stop me. However, I would like to request protection from Pandaemonium if I am seeking information specifically on your behest.”

She had gone on a little longer than she would have liked, given Aurora’s expression, tone of voice, and general air, but she believed the details of deals were deeply important and needed to be stated outright. The size of what she was offering - her services at little more than a word from Aurora - only added to the necessity.

“I am open to negotiations.” She said, in fear of a flat out ‘no’. “But, are those terms agreeable to you?”

Azoth shifted her weight to her other foot. She would have been surprised if Aurora had agreed immediately, and moreso if she hadn’t had any questions. Neither was particularly hard, but Azoth was aware she was selling this idea to someone who might not necessarily be interested in buying. Nor was she sure Aurora would necessarily like the answers Azoth had. What precisely she would ask, Azoth didn’t know Aurora well enough to fully predict, so she had not bothered with preparing answers any more than to the most common ones she was asked. Absently lacing and unlacing her fingers, Azoth looked sideways up at the sky. Lying would get her nowhere and she respected Aurora too much to give her a half-truth, but to fully and properly explain everything would take too long. After a couple seconds of silence, Azoth decided on her approach and looked back at Aurora, speaking certainly.

“My overarching personal goal is to gain power.” She said bluntly. “There are several smaller goals which I am working towards in accomplishing this, only some of which relate to this deal. Your goal is to create a space that is safe for supers, where we might simply exist without the hostility we presently face, is it not?” She gestured with her hand at the slight change in topic. “By means of force, it seems. It is a personal belief of mine that the way supers are currently treated is unjust on several accounts, and is perpetrated by mistaken fear of the part of the masses. Changing that is one such goal of mine. Even if it does not help me in entirety, I believe strongly that supers are entitled to the safety, even power, you are striving for. It is ridiculous to me that these unpowereds whom sit upon their piles of money or elected office think and are perceived by the masses to be the proper ruling class. Their power is false, placed in intangible measurements; ours is real, visible in our actions and what we are each capable of. I wish for that to be reflected in our society, and I have discerned that helping you with your goals is the most efficient and likely way to help me, on this issue, achieve mine.

“It would be inaccurate to say that is my only reason for offering this deal, however.” She sighed. “Having a connection with you, a faction leader, even one that is outwardly weighed in your favor, has the potential to increase my power both now and later down the line. Building a network of such connections is another of my goals, and you would be a very strong point on it, even if my intention is for most of my interactions with you to revolve around my previous reason in place of my direct personal gain. If that is what I’m seeking, I already have other connections that I can simply ask for aid in place of what I would have to do to trick you. I would be coming to you on issues that affect the super community as a whole, which, by addressing them, will by extension help me.”

Azoth paused for a moment, wondering if there was anything else she wanted to add. There was not. Giving herself a single, completing nod, she waited on Aurora.

Azoth clicked her tongue. It was one thing to be turned down, but to not only put out one of her most generous offers in a very long while in an attempt to primarily help supers as a whole, but to be struck down with insults and threats; it was a blow to her pride and her goodwill. Could Aurora not see a good deal when one was before her? Were her personal beliefs so blinding that she could not set them aside to make an objective choice? Azoth clenched her fists. She had thought more of Aurora Disicio. It seemed the small amount of respect she had set on the woman who constantly exuded confidence Azoth had not once held, had shown efficient determination towards her goals, bolstered by pure willpower to achieve them, unwavering to anything in her path, and whom was a fellow matter manipulator was misplaced.

Azoth wanted to strike back, return what Aurora had dealt; but that look in the woman’s eye, and the swirling aurora above, they sent a chill down Azoth’s back. She did not want to initiate combat if it could be avoided. Even if her stomach burned and her teeth were tight enough to make her jaw hurt. This was a grave trespass upon her name, and it was only in fear of the display before her that kept her from commanding Aurora to prove it.

It bothered Azoth deeply that fear was the reason; that she was afraid of Aurora at all. That timidness in face of Aurora was what made her unclench her fist, break eye contact, and silently turn away, even after being called a ‘scumbag’ for taking what seemed a perfectly reasonable and rational step, and Aurora insinuated she could so easily sway her by means of force. It was these, however, that made her pause in her first step away.

“I had thought better of you, Aurora Disicio.” She began quietly. “But it is clear to me now you know nothing of power and how to maintain and control it. I suppose it is not surprising, seeing as you have come into your position of power only by means of brute force. The intricacies appear to be beyond you, and the necessary means lost somewhere among your zealous ideologies. It appears I have romantically hoped for more intelligence than you possess. Your counter offer is accepted. I have nothing to gain from a clueless leader destined for failure.”

She ended bitterly. But, in speaking it, she felt relieved. For all of her intents and purposes that was all she had to say, and her mind now was to depart. Straightening the sleeve of her undershirt, she began to take steady steps for the staircase leading down into the building, her boots clacking lightly on the roof.