Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
A continuation of
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Un/Lucky Partners (TucanSam x Lenaara)
- Thread starter Lenaara
- Start date
TucanSam
Junior Member
Justin only watched silently as he launched into his monologue, something he was sure that Sam thought must be quite terrifying. An amused smirk was his response as he heard the doors close behind him, and felt the presence of the other man as he stepped uncomfortably close. If Justin had to count the times that somebody had tried to threaten him, to intimidate him into doing what they wanted and claiming that they would kill him it would take him days to get through all of the names. This was nothing new, nothing he had not seen before. "Would me having killed them on accident make anything different? Does the circumstances surrounding their deaths change the fact that they are dead, or make their death somehow less terrible?" Justin shook his head, gazing into the reflection of himself in this mans mask. "You don't want to hear me explain away their deaths, you don't even want to hear me be sorry about what happened. All you want is to hear something that makes you feel less powerless to stop me, some reason for you to carry out a crusade against me that you know you are unable to do. This?" He stretched his hand out, waving it around the room. "An enclosed space? You are trying to threaten me inside of an enclosed space? Are you an idiot?" The same hand that had been waving stopped, and he gripped the fingers of it with his other hand, pulling it loose with a leathery scrape. "Oh look, I'm not fully clothed anymore. Your master plan, spoiled."
The smooth skin of his hand felt refreshing as he ran it through his hair. How long had it been since he had taken any part of his wardrobe off? Two days now? Transferring had been nothing but a whirlwind of movement, and despite a few naps that were less than an hour he had not slept in that time, the only part of the day he was permitted to undress. A sigh escaped him as he thrust the palm of his hand into his eye, rubbing furiously. "Look, I know you must think you are very intimidating, and that somehow you will protect this woman you apparently are very fond of. But," he dropped his hand, letting his eyes adjust before fixing his gaze on that emotionless mask, his reflection almost as cold and emotionless. "The truth is you can't. Fight me here, now, and one of us may survive. But it's more likely neither of us will. If you can have me transferred, go for it. I honestly do not give a single fuck which district I am in or where I go. As for Ellenia?" Justin shrugged at the man. "She will either die or she won't, that's more in her hands than anything else. But this," A finger lifted to draw an imaginary circle around the man. "This little act here only makes me want to piss you off more, and while I can't promise her safety, I can promise that I do not care at all what happens to her. Perhaps you should think twice about making me angry. I'm quite unstable."
With that he turned, punching his ungloved fist against the door. A soft clicking sound echoed into the hallway as the door slowly slid open. Justin left, closing it behind him and returning to his "office" without another word. His own office door slid open moments later, and Alice sat up a little straighter as he strode in, her face a mixture of concern and anger. "You let yourself get a little riled up didn't you?" Justin said nothing, crossing to the desk to sit in the chair behind it. A hand raised towards his door to lock it shut, and he waited a few beats after it had before he allowed himself to relax, leaning back into his chair as it reclined.
"If he was afraid of you, he did a really good job at hiding it. I know how that triggers you. I'm proud that you kept it together." A soft grunt was the only answer she received. People fearing him was easy to deal with; he'd been doing it for years now. It wasn't that meeting someone who didn't fear him made him angry, it was more of a frustration. When somebody was afraid of him it was easy to predict what they were thinking, what they would try to do. People who operated without that fear were unpredictable, and that made it harder to deal with them. Justin already had a hard enough time dealing with normal people as it was. "I'll contact the office later and try to get his file. I doubt he's any sort of real threat though." Another grunt was all he gave again as he focused himself on the noises around him. Down time was a luxury, and if he could fit a nap in here he would jump on the chance.
The smooth skin of his hand felt refreshing as he ran it through his hair. How long had it been since he had taken any part of his wardrobe off? Two days now? Transferring had been nothing but a whirlwind of movement, and despite a few naps that were less than an hour he had not slept in that time, the only part of the day he was permitted to undress. A sigh escaped him as he thrust the palm of his hand into his eye, rubbing furiously. "Look, I know you must think you are very intimidating, and that somehow you will protect this woman you apparently are very fond of. But," he dropped his hand, letting his eyes adjust before fixing his gaze on that emotionless mask, his reflection almost as cold and emotionless. "The truth is you can't. Fight me here, now, and one of us may survive. But it's more likely neither of us will. If you can have me transferred, go for it. I honestly do not give a single fuck which district I am in or where I go. As for Ellenia?" Justin shrugged at the man. "She will either die or she won't, that's more in her hands than anything else. But this," A finger lifted to draw an imaginary circle around the man. "This little act here only makes me want to piss you off more, and while I can't promise her safety, I can promise that I do not care at all what happens to her. Perhaps you should think twice about making me angry. I'm quite unstable."
With that he turned, punching his ungloved fist against the door. A soft clicking sound echoed into the hallway as the door slowly slid open. Justin left, closing it behind him and returning to his "office" without another word. His own office door slid open moments later, and Alice sat up a little straighter as he strode in, her face a mixture of concern and anger. "You let yourself get a little riled up didn't you?" Justin said nothing, crossing to the desk to sit in the chair behind it. A hand raised towards his door to lock it shut, and he waited a few beats after it had before he allowed himself to relax, leaning back into his chair as it reclined.
"If he was afraid of you, he did a really good job at hiding it. I know how that triggers you. I'm proud that you kept it together." A soft grunt was the only answer she received. People fearing him was easy to deal with; he'd been doing it for years now. It wasn't that meeting someone who didn't fear him made him angry, it was more of a frustration. When somebody was afraid of him it was easy to predict what they were thinking, what they would try to do. People who operated without that fear were unpredictable, and that made it harder to deal with them. Justin already had a hard enough time dealing with normal people as it was. "I'll contact the office later and try to get his file. I doubt he's any sort of real threat though." Another grunt was all he gave again as he focused himself on the noises around him. Down time was a luxury, and if he could fit a nap in here he would jump on the chance.
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
Ellenia tapped impatiently on the car’s hood as she leaned against it, both hands braced on the warming surface of the car. It was hot. The air rippled over the ground and it was not the ward this time that heated up the air. The sun was beating down mercilessly and Ellenia chose to shrug off her coat. Justin was not nearby; if needed, pulling the coat back on was a matter of seconds, enough time to prepare herself for the man’s arrival if he chose to go outside.
Justin. Bloody hell, she left him alone in the office. Sidonis was there, typing away at his computer doing god knows what, probably talking to himself at the same time as if in discussion of some formula or code that he was struggling with. He always did that if there was no one nearby to listen to his burble.
It was a bad idea leaving the most talkative – and possibly insane – member of her crew with a man who could kill through touch. Though a part of her mind wondered if Justin’s presence would make Sidonis shut up, lest he annoyed the other man with his endless chatter.
Running her hands – now ungloved, for the heat was unbearable – through her hair Ellenia exhaled loudly and in annoyance. Sidonis was probably prodding Justin with all sorts of questions, not fearing for his own wellbeing in the least. Sidonis was like that. Not a care in the world, save for the technology that he kept making and experiments that he kept conducting. She sometimes wondered if he got hit with an electrical current too many times before, or maybe his magic made the man lose his sanity throughout the years.
For Sam she did not worry about. The man was dressed in that bodysuit that she expected took skill taking on and off. If he ever did take it off. Justin was no threat to him. It was likely the other way around. Sam was one of the best fighters she’s ever met.
Though time went by slowly and quietly. The sun warmed her head and made her forehead and temples break out in sweat that made the shorter strands of her hair cling to her face. Lifting her hair, Ellenia wiped her neck and face with the palm of her hand and eyed the office warily.
Just as she was about to step away from the car, Sam appeared. He rounded the corner, walking towards her. His shoulders squared and hands curled into fists, the man closed the distance between him and Ellenia quickly in wide soundless strides. Even without seeing his expression, Ellenia could guess that Sam was angry.
“We’re leaving,” he announced as he slid a hand over the window of the passenger’s seat and the door opened with a smooth hiss.
“What?” Taken aback, Ellenia gaped at Sam. He jerked his head at the seat and when Ellenia did not move he reached for her wrist. She pulled away before he could grab her. “What happened?”
“He is going to kill you,” Sam said as he stepped back, abandoning the idea of pulling the confused woman into his car.
His answer only earned a blank stare. “He told you that?”
“He may as well have.”
Frowning, Ellenia turned to look at the Division. It was as quiet as it always was. She was never bothered by the lack of activity happening in the office; as long as the work was done, what did it matter who entered or left the building. Though now the silence appeared eerie, tense, uncomfortable.
“I know what he can do, Sam,” Ellenia said quietly. “There is no way I am letting him stay in my Division. Transfer’s going to happen one way or another.”
Through the mask it was impossible to see Sam’s reaction to her words. He stood like a statue, unmovable. “There are other ways to dispose of him,” he offered.
“There are,” Ellenia agreed though with a frown, as if she’s already considered the idea and hated even thinking about it. “And I am not going down that path. One dead partner is enough on my record.”
Sam was silent. They stood like that, one by the still opened passenger door, the other with one hand on her hip and the other rubbing her eyes.
“This isn’t Anthony,” Sam finally said. For once, there was a hint of emotion in his mechanical voice. Sadness, desperation. “There is no guarantee your immunity is going to save you. Leave now. Avoid finding out.”
“And then what?” Ellenia demanded, tired from the day’s events and the conversation that shouldn’t even be taking place. “Leave the rest alone with him? Sidonis won’t give a fuck, we both know that. He’s going to steal tissue samples from Justin. Stephen barely shows up in the office, but he brings others here. Women, civilians. If I am not around to keep Justin away, what is going to happen to all of them? One death, and Lake is going to shoot Justin himself.” Whirling around, Ellenia stared at Sam. “There are no more districts to demote me to.”
“This is not the time to be a martyr, Lene,” Sam said, his voice once again cold, mechanical, emotionless.
“I am not. This is my job.” Reaching up, Ellenia intended to place her hands on the man’s arms but he shifted away uncomfortably and she stepped back. “Look, I am as pissed as you are—“
“The transfer will be approved,” Sam cut her off and closed the passenger’s door with a flick of his wrist. He rounded the car, opened the door and braced a hand on the car’s roof. “I will see to it.” With a soft click, the door closed behind the man as he slid into the car.
As the car pulled out of the parking lot, blinding Ellenia momentarily with the reflected sunlight, she turned and breathed out a sigh. The parking lot felt empty. The streets felt empty. The last bit of life was driving away from Ellenia in the car belonging to District 2. While her team was full of life in their own way, their shenanigans did little to liven her spirit. She trusted them all, sure. But Sam was much more. Was much more.
Maybe it was for the best that he left. District 36 was not for him. He’d suffered enough.
With a surprisingly clear mind Ellenia returned to the building and closed the door behind her. As she checked the lock to make sure that the door was secured, someone was walking down the hallway between the cubicles.
“Didn’t go well with lover boy?” Sidonis asked teasingly. He meant well, Ellenia knew that. And still, it didn’t stop her from glaring coolly at the old man. “Takin’ he didn’t approve of the new addition to the crew?”
“No,” Ellenia breathed. “Where is he, anyway?”
“Ah, the new kid?” Sidonis pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the closed door across from Ellenia’s office. “Locked up with the chick.”
“Kid? He’s my age.” Ellenia quirked a brow at Sidonis and began walking towards Justin’s cubicle.
“Truly? You look thirty.”
“You look eighty.”
Sidonis tutted at her, waving his hand dismissively. “Nah. Forty, max. Women keep complimentin’ me on my skin. They asked me what kind of moisturizer I am using.”
"Ask Stephen, he smells like a perfume shop.”
Ellenia stopped by Justin’s door, raised a hand and knocked. He’d have heard her and Sidonis talking, anyway. The matted glass walls did little to soundproof the office, unless one used their magic to adjust the glass. She couldn’t, so she was always stuck listening on the team talking. That was partly the reason why she chose to put Stephen and Sidonis to the far side of the office floor.
“Justin? Come out. I have to show you your room,” she said at the glass.
Looking back at Sidonis, Ellenia rested her shoulder against the glass wall and folded her arms over her chest.
“Speaking of which. Where is he? I told him to clean the kitchen,” she asked Sidonis.
The man shrugged, putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Went out with some chick. Red head, I think. Wears that skimpy outfit all the time. Margarita, was it? The waitress?”
Ellenia did not recognize the name or the vague description. There were so many women going in and out of Stephen’s office that she scarcely paid attention to them, only if to glare them out of the building on a particularly bad day. That happened more often than she liked to admit.
“Is that underwear hers?” Ellenia asked, trying to mask her disgust. Maybe she should make Alice clean out the lounge, help her get a better feel of just what Ellenia’s team liked and how it thought. Throwing out some stranger’s thongs might prove useful information to the shrink.
“Well it’s not mine. You probably wear military grade camouflage lingerie,” Sidonis looked at Ellenia, as if truly wondering what colour undergarments she preferred.
Ellenia ignored his stare and knocked on Justin’s door again. “If you prefer to sleep in your office, be my guest,” Ellenia called out.
“So what’s for dinner?” Sidonis asked.
“Justin’s cooking. Ask him.” Ellenia jerked her chin at Justin’s office.
“New kid, what’s for dinner?” If Sidonis was aware of Justin’s abilities, Ellenia did not know though chances were, he did. The man had memorized the files of each of her team members, even the fairly heavy folder that belonged to Ellenia. She’d never seen Sidonis be bothered by anyone, not her or Sam. Apparently, he wasn’t at all bothered by Justin’s presence or his lethal magic.
Ellenia tapped impatiently on the car’s hood as she leaned against it, both hands braced on the warming surface of the car. It was hot. The air rippled over the ground and it was not the ward this time that heated up the air. The sun was beating down mercilessly and Ellenia chose to shrug off her coat. Justin was not nearby; if needed, pulling the coat back on was a matter of seconds, enough time to prepare herself for the man’s arrival if he chose to go outside.
Justin. Bloody hell, she left him alone in the office. Sidonis was there, typing away at his computer doing god knows what, probably talking to himself at the same time as if in discussion of some formula or code that he was struggling with. He always did that if there was no one nearby to listen to his burble.
It was a bad idea leaving the most talkative – and possibly insane – member of her crew with a man who could kill through touch. Though a part of her mind wondered if Justin’s presence would make Sidonis shut up, lest he annoyed the other man with his endless chatter.
Running her hands – now ungloved, for the heat was unbearable – through her hair Ellenia exhaled loudly and in annoyance. Sidonis was probably prodding Justin with all sorts of questions, not fearing for his own wellbeing in the least. Sidonis was like that. Not a care in the world, save for the technology that he kept making and experiments that he kept conducting. She sometimes wondered if he got hit with an electrical current too many times before, or maybe his magic made the man lose his sanity throughout the years.
For Sam she did not worry about. The man was dressed in that bodysuit that she expected took skill taking on and off. If he ever did take it off. Justin was no threat to him. It was likely the other way around. Sam was one of the best fighters she’s ever met.
Though time went by slowly and quietly. The sun warmed her head and made her forehead and temples break out in sweat that made the shorter strands of her hair cling to her face. Lifting her hair, Ellenia wiped her neck and face with the palm of her hand and eyed the office warily.
Just as she was about to step away from the car, Sam appeared. He rounded the corner, walking towards her. His shoulders squared and hands curled into fists, the man closed the distance between him and Ellenia quickly in wide soundless strides. Even without seeing his expression, Ellenia could guess that Sam was angry.
“We’re leaving,” he announced as he slid a hand over the window of the passenger’s seat and the door opened with a smooth hiss.
“What?” Taken aback, Ellenia gaped at Sam. He jerked his head at the seat and when Ellenia did not move he reached for her wrist. She pulled away before he could grab her. “What happened?”
“He is going to kill you,” Sam said as he stepped back, abandoning the idea of pulling the confused woman into his car.
His answer only earned a blank stare. “He told you that?”
“He may as well have.”
Frowning, Ellenia turned to look at the Division. It was as quiet as it always was. She was never bothered by the lack of activity happening in the office; as long as the work was done, what did it matter who entered or left the building. Though now the silence appeared eerie, tense, uncomfortable.
“I know what he can do, Sam,” Ellenia said quietly. “There is no way I am letting him stay in my Division. Transfer’s going to happen one way or another.”
Through the mask it was impossible to see Sam’s reaction to her words. He stood like a statue, unmovable. “There are other ways to dispose of him,” he offered.
“There are,” Ellenia agreed though with a frown, as if she’s already considered the idea and hated even thinking about it. “And I am not going down that path. One dead partner is enough on my record.”
Sam was silent. They stood like that, one by the still opened passenger door, the other with one hand on her hip and the other rubbing her eyes.
“This isn’t Anthony,” Sam finally said. For once, there was a hint of emotion in his mechanical voice. Sadness, desperation. “There is no guarantee your immunity is going to save you. Leave now. Avoid finding out.”
“And then what?” Ellenia demanded, tired from the day’s events and the conversation that shouldn’t even be taking place. “Leave the rest alone with him? Sidonis won’t give a fuck, we both know that. He’s going to steal tissue samples from Justin. Stephen barely shows up in the office, but he brings others here. Women, civilians. If I am not around to keep Justin away, what is going to happen to all of them? One death, and Lake is going to shoot Justin himself.” Whirling around, Ellenia stared at Sam. “There are no more districts to demote me to.”
“This is not the time to be a martyr, Lene,” Sam said, his voice once again cold, mechanical, emotionless.
“I am not. This is my job.” Reaching up, Ellenia intended to place her hands on the man’s arms but he shifted away uncomfortably and she stepped back. “Look, I am as pissed as you are—“
“The transfer will be approved,” Sam cut her off and closed the passenger’s door with a flick of his wrist. He rounded the car, opened the door and braced a hand on the car’s roof. “I will see to it.” With a soft click, the door closed behind the man as he slid into the car.
As the car pulled out of the parking lot, blinding Ellenia momentarily with the reflected sunlight, she turned and breathed out a sigh. The parking lot felt empty. The streets felt empty. The last bit of life was driving away from Ellenia in the car belonging to District 2. While her team was full of life in their own way, their shenanigans did little to liven her spirit. She trusted them all, sure. But Sam was much more. Was much more.
Maybe it was for the best that he left. District 36 was not for him. He’d suffered enough.
With a surprisingly clear mind Ellenia returned to the building and closed the door behind her. As she checked the lock to make sure that the door was secured, someone was walking down the hallway between the cubicles.
“Didn’t go well with lover boy?” Sidonis asked teasingly. He meant well, Ellenia knew that. And still, it didn’t stop her from glaring coolly at the old man. “Takin’ he didn’t approve of the new addition to the crew?”
“No,” Ellenia breathed. “Where is he, anyway?”
“Ah, the new kid?” Sidonis pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the closed door across from Ellenia’s office. “Locked up with the chick.”
“Kid? He’s my age.” Ellenia quirked a brow at Sidonis and began walking towards Justin’s cubicle.
“Truly? You look thirty.”
“You look eighty.”
Sidonis tutted at her, waving his hand dismissively. “Nah. Forty, max. Women keep complimentin’ me on my skin. They asked me what kind of moisturizer I am using.”
"Ask Stephen, he smells like a perfume shop.”
Ellenia stopped by Justin’s door, raised a hand and knocked. He’d have heard her and Sidonis talking, anyway. The matted glass walls did little to soundproof the office, unless one used their magic to adjust the glass. She couldn’t, so she was always stuck listening on the team talking. That was partly the reason why she chose to put Stephen and Sidonis to the far side of the office floor.
“Justin? Come out. I have to show you your room,” she said at the glass.
Looking back at Sidonis, Ellenia rested her shoulder against the glass wall and folded her arms over her chest.
“Speaking of which. Where is he? I told him to clean the kitchen,” she asked Sidonis.
The man shrugged, putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Went out with some chick. Red head, I think. Wears that skimpy outfit all the time. Margarita, was it? The waitress?”
Ellenia did not recognize the name or the vague description. There were so many women going in and out of Stephen’s office that she scarcely paid attention to them, only if to glare them out of the building on a particularly bad day. That happened more often than she liked to admit.
“Is that underwear hers?” Ellenia asked, trying to mask her disgust. Maybe she should make Alice clean out the lounge, help her get a better feel of just what Ellenia’s team liked and how it thought. Throwing out some stranger’s thongs might prove useful information to the shrink.
“Well it’s not mine. You probably wear military grade camouflage lingerie,” Sidonis looked at Ellenia, as if truly wondering what colour undergarments she preferred.
Ellenia ignored his stare and knocked on Justin’s door again. “If you prefer to sleep in your office, be my guest,” Ellenia called out.
“So what’s for dinner?” Sidonis asked.
“Justin’s cooking. Ask him.” Ellenia jerked her chin at Justin’s office.
“New kid, what’s for dinner?” If Sidonis was aware of Justin’s abilities, Ellenia did not know though chances were, he did. The man had memorized the files of each of her team members, even the fairly heavy folder that belonged to Ellenia. She’d never seen Sidonis be bothered by anyone, not her or Sam. Apparently, he wasn’t at all bothered by Justin’s presence or his lethal magic.
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Deep wrinkles appeared on the bridge of his nose as Justin groaned, his hands immediately rubbing his eyes as he tried to will the people outside his office to just go away. How long had they been here? An hour maybe? Less? So far he'd had some snob from a higher district try to intimidate him, like a dog pissing on his territory, been shoved into a small dirty cubicle, been met by a pair of what he assumed were used panties sitting on the couch, and now they were asking him to make dinner. An amused giggle filtered over from Alice's side of the room, and he spared a second to shoot her a nasty glance before pulling himself up and out of his chair. Most of the dust had settled or been moved, and Alice had even found herself brave enough to lay back on the couch fully, a magazine of some sort propped up on her chest as she read it. "Should you tell them you haven't cooked a meal for yourself in three years or should I?"
Teasing words meant to lighten his mood, Justin was sure. Alice had always been able to balance herself on the razors edge, somehow managing to be playful without annoying. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the new conditions he found himself in, or both, but the look he gave her must have been particularly nasty as the mocking smile vanished from her face when she saw it. A pang of guilt shot through his body when he saw that, and he opened his mouth to apologize before closing it quickly again. Saying you were sorry to Alice was never really necessary, not for him at least. Her abilities meant that he never really had the option of hiding anything from her, not that he wanted to anyway, and had quickly taken a lot of the verbal communication between the two of them away. It worked out well for the both of them; Justin generally hated talking to people anyway.
A soft hiss sounded from the door as he slid it open, regarding the two people standing outside of it with a less than mild interest. Ellenia looked sweatier than normal, as if she had spent time outside for god knew what reason, and the man standing beside her looked like the normal book worm type. hardly anything to get excited about. The wrinkled on his face had disappeared as he slowly woke himself up from his nap, being replaced instead by a nagging headache that was his bodies way of reminding him he needed to sleep more. A hand reached up to rub the side of his temples as he let the silence linger between them for a moment. "If you need somebody to cook, you're asking the wrong guy," His gloved hand paused for a moment before jabbing a thumb backwards in the direction of Alice. "Along with being a personal headshrinker, she's also decided that I cannot cook for myself. Something about people being afraid i'll kill them." A couple fingers of his right hand wiggled as to remind everybody just what he was.
"Ask them what they have in the kitchen!" Alice's voice shouted out at them from the office. Justin paused for a moment, looking at the two of them before turning his head back towards the office and shouting "No!" back into it. An exaggerated harrumph matched the sound of her heels clicking down onto the floor as she pulled herself into view, straightening her dress back down into place before pulling her hair back behind her head. "Well I can't cook what you don't have. Unless you want something boxed or canned, I'll need some sort of ingredients in order to cook something. Judging by the..." He eyes traveled the office quickly "conditions of this place, I doubt you have much. Oh," Alice paused for a second, her eyes taking Sidonis in quickly. "didn't see you there. Alice Walker, pleased to meet you," Her soft white hand reached out gently to shake his own.
"As for the room," her attention turned quickly back to Ellenia. "judging by the size of this building and the lack of, well, anybody actually working here, I think I can assume that you have some empty rooms somewhere yes?" A glance in the direction of where the panties had lay open to the public caused her nose to wrinkle slightly. "I'm not one to judge people.." Justin snorted at the comment, earning him a quick jab in the ribs from Alice's elbow. "But it does not seem like you have the type of employees I would feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with. No offense, sir," She offered Sidonis a pat on the shoulder. "It's clear those panties aren't from you. But whoever else may work here has already given a bad first impression, and i'm not very forgiving. So, if you want to show me where the kitchen is, I'm sure we can find a room for ourselves later on our own. We're both adults, sweetie. We can make it to the bathroom on our own as well."
Deep wrinkles appeared on the bridge of his nose as Justin groaned, his hands immediately rubbing his eyes as he tried to will the people outside his office to just go away. How long had they been here? An hour maybe? Less? So far he'd had some snob from a higher district try to intimidate him, like a dog pissing on his territory, been shoved into a small dirty cubicle, been met by a pair of what he assumed were used panties sitting on the couch, and now they were asking him to make dinner. An amused giggle filtered over from Alice's side of the room, and he spared a second to shoot her a nasty glance before pulling himself up and out of his chair. Most of the dust had settled or been moved, and Alice had even found herself brave enough to lay back on the couch fully, a magazine of some sort propped up on her chest as she read it. "Should you tell them you haven't cooked a meal for yourself in three years or should I?"
Teasing words meant to lighten his mood, Justin was sure. Alice had always been able to balance herself on the razors edge, somehow managing to be playful without annoying. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the new conditions he found himself in, or both, but the look he gave her must have been particularly nasty as the mocking smile vanished from her face when she saw it. A pang of guilt shot through his body when he saw that, and he opened his mouth to apologize before closing it quickly again. Saying you were sorry to Alice was never really necessary, not for him at least. Her abilities meant that he never really had the option of hiding anything from her, not that he wanted to anyway, and had quickly taken a lot of the verbal communication between the two of them away. It worked out well for the both of them; Justin generally hated talking to people anyway.
A soft hiss sounded from the door as he slid it open, regarding the two people standing outside of it with a less than mild interest. Ellenia looked sweatier than normal, as if she had spent time outside for god knew what reason, and the man standing beside her looked like the normal book worm type. hardly anything to get excited about. The wrinkled on his face had disappeared as he slowly woke himself up from his nap, being replaced instead by a nagging headache that was his bodies way of reminding him he needed to sleep more. A hand reached up to rub the side of his temples as he let the silence linger between them for a moment. "If you need somebody to cook, you're asking the wrong guy," His gloved hand paused for a moment before jabbing a thumb backwards in the direction of Alice. "Along with being a personal headshrinker, she's also decided that I cannot cook for myself. Something about people being afraid i'll kill them." A couple fingers of his right hand wiggled as to remind everybody just what he was.
"Ask them what they have in the kitchen!" Alice's voice shouted out at them from the office. Justin paused for a moment, looking at the two of them before turning his head back towards the office and shouting "No!" back into it. An exaggerated harrumph matched the sound of her heels clicking down onto the floor as she pulled herself into view, straightening her dress back down into place before pulling her hair back behind her head. "Well I can't cook what you don't have. Unless you want something boxed or canned, I'll need some sort of ingredients in order to cook something. Judging by the..." He eyes traveled the office quickly "conditions of this place, I doubt you have much. Oh," Alice paused for a second, her eyes taking Sidonis in quickly. "didn't see you there. Alice Walker, pleased to meet you," Her soft white hand reached out gently to shake his own.
"As for the room," her attention turned quickly back to Ellenia. "judging by the size of this building and the lack of, well, anybody actually working here, I think I can assume that you have some empty rooms somewhere yes?" A glance in the direction of where the panties had lay open to the public caused her nose to wrinkle slightly. "I'm not one to judge people.." Justin snorted at the comment, earning him a quick jab in the ribs from Alice's elbow. "But it does not seem like you have the type of employees I would feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with. No offense, sir," She offered Sidonis a pat on the shoulder. "It's clear those panties aren't from you. But whoever else may work here has already given a bad first impression, and i'm not very forgiving. So, if you want to show me where the kitchen is, I'm sure we can find a room for ourselves later on our own. We're both adults, sweetie. We can make it to the bathroom on our own as well."
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Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis beamed at Justin as he looked the man over from head to toe. “You the new kid?” He turned his head to glance at Ellenia, who continued to stand leaning against the matted glass partition. She regarded the older man with a quirked brow, noticing the stare that he gave her as he looked from her and to Justin and back. “Nah, you look younger than Boss here.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Thanks, Sidonis,” Ellenia grumped. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I can lend you my moisturiser—“ Before Sidonis could finish the thought – he could have been serious or just teasing, Ellenia could only guess – Alice’s voice came from the cubicle and Sidonis turned back to look at Justin, the grin returning to his features. “So how do you—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Alice came out of the office just as Sidonis reached towards Justin, about to take the other man’s hand. Instead, he changed his target and clasped Alice’s hand as she introduced herself. Sidonis had glanced at Ellenia when Alice spoke to her, probably expecting some sort of reaction to the other woman’s words.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia snorted softly at Alice’s introduction. “You weren’t as pleasant greeting me,” she muttered under her breath. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You’re both women, it’s expected, Boss,” Sidonis said, his lips still curved in that bright grin of his. Before Alice could pull her hand away after a small shake was given, Sidonis pulled the woman into a hug and patted her back. Hollow thumps echoed through the hallway, so heavy and loud that Ellenia wondered if Alice was alright. He did not look like it, but Sidonis had a strong grip and her back still remembered the way he patted her during introductions when she got transferred to this Division. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Sidonis pulled back from Alice he left both of his hands on the woman’s shoulders and gave her another pat, softer this time, though given Alice’s small physique, it still must have hurt. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“None taken, none taken, Miss Walker,” Sidonis mused as he took another step back. “My name’s Sidonis Mallory, the pleasure is mine.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Turning, Sidonis reached for Justin’s hand and before the other man could so much as glare in protest, pulled him into a hug as well. The outburst of physical contact felt awkward and Ellenia turned away from the scene, patiently waiting for Sidonis to finish his traditional greeting of new members of their team. It happened rarely, and Sidonis meant well, so she did not tell him to cut it off and focus. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Instead of completely releasing the man, Sidonis pulled back from Justin and patted the other’s shoulders and arms before he took his hand and pulled against the glove. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“So how does it work, exactly? Does your magic transfer to the objects of your choosing, or must it be accidental or automatic?” The leather scraped as the older man pulled against the piece of clothing. “Would you terribly mind if I take a blood sample? And some tissue samples? For analysis, of course. I have a theory that if we use your ability and infuse the magic into a machine then—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis,” Ellenia said coolly as she glared at the older man. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“...though it could potentially disrupt the magical surge within the sensitive to the average magic metal…” Sidonis continued. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis,” snapping through gritted teeth at the man, Ellenia reached towards him and grabbed him by the wrist. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Only when Ellenia pulled against his arm did he turn to look at her and stopped trying to free Justin’s hand from the glove. He released the glove, pursing his lips momentarily at the woman who dared interrupt him mid-conversation, however one-sided. He looked devastatingly similar to a child whose candy had just been taken away. The look Ellenia gave him must have been enough to make him realize what he was doing and he looked at Justin apologetically.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Calm down.” Ellenia’s voice was laced with practiced authority. She released Sidonis after making sure that he was not intending to grab Justin once again. Freed, he began rubbing small circles into his thin wrist. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Pushing herself from the wall, Ellenia regarded Sidonis for another moment before turning to Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“There are two more people who work here,” Ellenia said calmly, though with mild annoyance. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Work [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt]was a strong word to use, given that the other two men were not in the office and one of them was doing anything but work when he was present in his designated cubicle. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Given your tendency to trespass onto people’s property,” she continued, her eyes slightly narrowing as she emphasized the word ‘property’, “I am going to show Justin the three available rooms. You two decide between yourselves which ones you like.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was apparent that Ellenia did not enjoy Alice’s company. Their first meeting was not the best beginning of their friendship, and Alice’s attempt at intimidation wouldn’t be forgotten for a while yet. Neither would the threat, that still hung heavily between the two of them. Alice’s words appeared patronizing, as was the nickname that she used to address Ellenia, though maybe it was the lack of sleep that drained her patience when Alice was around. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She never enjoyed the company of those who made money from getting into other’s heads. One shrink in her life was enough, and now she had to live under one roof with another. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The older man appeared to have recovered from being snapped at and he pointed over his shoulder towards the cubicle that had a blanket draped over the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Panties are Stephen’s. Not his. Though maybe he is into something kinky, I am not one to judge the boy’s fashion sense. Either way, not gonna touch them.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It is Stephen’s turn to clean, anyway,” Ellenia breathed, knowing fully well that the man in question has probably never picked up a broom and whenever it was his turn to clean, the duty was pushed off to someone else. It was no surprise that the office was in this state. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Taking a step back, Ellenia turned and gave Justin a side glance. “Come,” she told him and nodded in the direction of the vacant secretary table and the staircase behind it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“The kitchen’s here,” Sidonis said to Alice, his voice soft. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Light footsteps followed Ellenia until they disappeared into the dining area, where Sidonis led Alice into. A cupboard creaked loudly and the door of a fridge rattled as the man searched for food. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]His voice was muffled as he said, “We have…pasta, more pasta, some rice. Canned soup. Is that more pasta? Oh, and a premade sandwich. A case of beer – Boss’s gonna kill Stephen for bringing this here.” His words trailed off and grew quiet, though they still drifted through the silent office. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Making a mental note to throw the case of beer out the window when she got the chance, Ellenia began walking up the stairs to the second floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Feeling uneasy with having Justin following behind her, she slowed her pace to walk side by side with the man and pulled the collar of her coat closer. She’d taken the coat and the gloves on before she entered the building and urged herself to be patient. It was hot in the office, so hot that her skin uncomfortably rubbed against her already damp clothing. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Lock your door at night,” Ellenia said midway up the stairs. “Sidonis broke into my room the first night I was here to take a reading of my markings. Concept of personal space is foreign to him.” The hugging should have been an apparent indicator of that, Ellenia supposed, though she did not wish to find Sidonis’s corpse the morning after Justin’s arrival into the District. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Once upstairs, they were greeted by a long hallway lined with uniform dark doors of sleek metal. Only the door at the back was of plain polished wood. Ellenia gestured at the first three doors, two on the left and one on the right. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“These are vacant. The two bathrooms are there,” she pointed at the two doors of lighter grey that were located in the middle of the hallway, both framed by narrow niches in the walls. “My room’s at the end.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sunlight peeked through the blinds of the sole two windows at both ends of the hallway. The dim light fell onto the soft blue carpet and the crème coloured walls, giving the hallway a comfortable atmosphere. The air appeared hotter and thicker, the fans under the ceiling hummed lazily. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had to run a hand over her face to stop herself from yawning. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I’m going to sleep. There is paperwork on my desk to finalise your transfer. Find it; fill it.” It was best not to mention that even she had no idea which one of those folders held Justin’s transfer papers. “Anyone calls, you are not to leave without me. Questions?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis beamed at Justin as he looked the man over from head to toe. “You the new kid?” He turned his head to glance at Ellenia, who continued to stand leaning against the matted glass partition. She regarded the older man with a quirked brow, noticing the stare that he gave her as he looked from her and to Justin and back. “Nah, you look younger than Boss here.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Thanks, Sidonis,” Ellenia grumped. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I can lend you my moisturiser—“ Before Sidonis could finish the thought – he could have been serious or just teasing, Ellenia could only guess – Alice’s voice came from the cubicle and Sidonis turned back to look at Justin, the grin returning to his features. “So how do you—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Alice came out of the office just as Sidonis reached towards Justin, about to take the other man’s hand. Instead, he changed his target and clasped Alice’s hand as she introduced herself. Sidonis had glanced at Ellenia when Alice spoke to her, probably expecting some sort of reaction to the other woman’s words.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia snorted softly at Alice’s introduction. “You weren’t as pleasant greeting me,” she muttered under her breath. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You’re both women, it’s expected, Boss,” Sidonis said, his lips still curved in that bright grin of his. Before Alice could pull her hand away after a small shake was given, Sidonis pulled the woman into a hug and patted her back. Hollow thumps echoed through the hallway, so heavy and loud that Ellenia wondered if Alice was alright. He did not look like it, but Sidonis had a strong grip and her back still remembered the way he patted her during introductions when she got transferred to this Division. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Sidonis pulled back from Alice he left both of his hands on the woman’s shoulders and gave her another pat, softer this time, though given Alice’s small physique, it still must have hurt. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“None taken, none taken, Miss Walker,” Sidonis mused as he took another step back. “My name’s Sidonis Mallory, the pleasure is mine.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Turning, Sidonis reached for Justin’s hand and before the other man could so much as glare in protest, pulled him into a hug as well. The outburst of physical contact felt awkward and Ellenia turned away from the scene, patiently waiting for Sidonis to finish his traditional greeting of new members of their team. It happened rarely, and Sidonis meant well, so she did not tell him to cut it off and focus. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Instead of completely releasing the man, Sidonis pulled back from Justin and patted the other’s shoulders and arms before he took his hand and pulled against the glove. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“So how does it work, exactly? Does your magic transfer to the objects of your choosing, or must it be accidental or automatic?” The leather scraped as the older man pulled against the piece of clothing. “Would you terribly mind if I take a blood sample? And some tissue samples? For analysis, of course. I have a theory that if we use your ability and infuse the magic into a machine then—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis,” Ellenia said coolly as she glared at the older man. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“...though it could potentially disrupt the magical surge within the sensitive to the average magic metal…” Sidonis continued. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis,” snapping through gritted teeth at the man, Ellenia reached towards him and grabbed him by the wrist. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Only when Ellenia pulled against his arm did he turn to look at her and stopped trying to free Justin’s hand from the glove. He released the glove, pursing his lips momentarily at the woman who dared interrupt him mid-conversation, however one-sided. He looked devastatingly similar to a child whose candy had just been taken away. The look Ellenia gave him must have been enough to make him realize what he was doing and he looked at Justin apologetically.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Calm down.” Ellenia’s voice was laced with practiced authority. She released Sidonis after making sure that he was not intending to grab Justin once again. Freed, he began rubbing small circles into his thin wrist. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Pushing herself from the wall, Ellenia regarded Sidonis for another moment before turning to Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“There are two more people who work here,” Ellenia said calmly, though with mild annoyance. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Work [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt]was a strong word to use, given that the other two men were not in the office and one of them was doing anything but work when he was present in his designated cubicle. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Given your tendency to trespass onto people’s property,” she continued, her eyes slightly narrowing as she emphasized the word ‘property’, “I am going to show Justin the three available rooms. You two decide between yourselves which ones you like.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was apparent that Ellenia did not enjoy Alice’s company. Their first meeting was not the best beginning of their friendship, and Alice’s attempt at intimidation wouldn’t be forgotten for a while yet. Neither would the threat, that still hung heavily between the two of them. Alice’s words appeared patronizing, as was the nickname that she used to address Ellenia, though maybe it was the lack of sleep that drained her patience when Alice was around. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She never enjoyed the company of those who made money from getting into other’s heads. One shrink in her life was enough, and now she had to live under one roof with another. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The older man appeared to have recovered from being snapped at and he pointed over his shoulder towards the cubicle that had a blanket draped over the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Panties are Stephen’s. Not his. Though maybe he is into something kinky, I am not one to judge the boy’s fashion sense. Either way, not gonna touch them.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It is Stephen’s turn to clean, anyway,” Ellenia breathed, knowing fully well that the man in question has probably never picked up a broom and whenever it was his turn to clean, the duty was pushed off to someone else. It was no surprise that the office was in this state. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Taking a step back, Ellenia turned and gave Justin a side glance. “Come,” she told him and nodded in the direction of the vacant secretary table and the staircase behind it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“The kitchen’s here,” Sidonis said to Alice, his voice soft. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Light footsteps followed Ellenia until they disappeared into the dining area, where Sidonis led Alice into. A cupboard creaked loudly and the door of a fridge rattled as the man searched for food. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]His voice was muffled as he said, “We have…pasta, more pasta, some rice. Canned soup. Is that more pasta? Oh, and a premade sandwich. A case of beer – Boss’s gonna kill Stephen for bringing this here.” His words trailed off and grew quiet, though they still drifted through the silent office. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Making a mental note to throw the case of beer out the window when she got the chance, Ellenia began walking up the stairs to the second floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Feeling uneasy with having Justin following behind her, she slowed her pace to walk side by side with the man and pulled the collar of her coat closer. She’d taken the coat and the gloves on before she entered the building and urged herself to be patient. It was hot in the office, so hot that her skin uncomfortably rubbed against her already damp clothing. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Lock your door at night,” Ellenia said midway up the stairs. “Sidonis broke into my room the first night I was here to take a reading of my markings. Concept of personal space is foreign to him.” The hugging should have been an apparent indicator of that, Ellenia supposed, though she did not wish to find Sidonis’s corpse the morning after Justin’s arrival into the District. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Once upstairs, they were greeted by a long hallway lined with uniform dark doors of sleek metal. Only the door at the back was of plain polished wood. Ellenia gestured at the first three doors, two on the left and one on the right. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“These are vacant. The two bathrooms are there,” she pointed at the two doors of lighter grey that were located in the middle of the hallway, both framed by narrow niches in the walls. “My room’s at the end.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sunlight peeked through the blinds of the sole two windows at both ends of the hallway. The dim light fell onto the soft blue carpet and the crème coloured walls, giving the hallway a comfortable atmosphere. The air appeared hotter and thicker, the fans under the ceiling hummed lazily. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had to run a hand over her face to stop herself from yawning. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I’m going to sleep. There is paperwork on my desk to finalise your transfer. Find it; fill it.” It was best not to mention that even she had no idea which one of those folders held Justin’s transfer papers. “Anyone calls, you are not to leave without me. Questions?” [/SIZE]
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TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Muscles in his back and legs slowly began to loosen as he took the hallway in, glancing at the doors as if the decision he would make really mattered. Soft electronic buzzing from the fans on the ceiling hummed as they tried futilely to circulate some air into the building, but the noise was calming, and Justin could feel himself shaking off the strange sensation of being embraced by the man named Sidonis. The mans medical intrigue was not something new, doctors tended to want to study something they did not understand, but even then they had always kept more than an arms distance whenever possible. How long had it been since somebody other than Alice had voluntarily hugged him? More years than Justin cared to count at the moment. The leather of his gloved squaked gently as he grabbed the doorknob of one of the rooms, twisting it gently and shoving the door inward. Spartan decorations covered the walls, a small desk and a light tucked into one of the corners and a small bed with a plain white sheet sat in the other. Not exaclty luxury, but Justin had seen much worse.
When she had finally finished talking, he shook his head gently, thankful for the silence that settled on the both of them. Justin had thought her nagging would be solely reserved for him, but judging by the way she had handled the other man downstairs, it was clear that she was controlling of everybody. Usually he had much more patience for that kind of thing, but the combination of Alice, Sidonis and Ellenia had driven his nerves to near the edge, and he had to forcefully stop himself from saying something smart that he would regret later. "No, I don't think so. Keep to myself, don't go out clubbing. Easy enough." The door slid shut silently as he closed it behind him, glancing back at the stairs that led down to the first floor. Your men are eccentric it seems. With me around, that's not always a good thing." A pair of fingers gripped his hand, tightening the glove where Sidonis had loosened it. "If they act reckless, I won't be held responsible for their deaths. Just so we are clear". A quick nod of his head pointed towards the door she had indicated was hers. "I'll have someone wake you when dinner is done."
~~~~~~
Alice watched the older man putter around the kitchen quietly, leaning herself against one of the counters as she took in her surroundings. "It seems like Ellenia runs an uncomfortably tight ship," She pointed to the beer as Sidonis mentioned her coming disapproval of it. Though it was not necessarily her drink of choice, it was still alcohol and she gave reaching it some strong consideration before thinking better of it. "But only for certain things, it seems. you are a medical doctor I presume?" Soft clicks echoed through the room as she paced the area, her hand running along the counters as she enjoyed the feeling of the worn wood. Pans of various sizes hung from a rack above a small island, and though the stove was ordinary and small, it was at least relatively clean. At least this one room did not show the signs of neglect the rest of the office had. "Well, maybe not a doctor. but you clearly have some interest in the field." Her shoulders shrugged as she pulled her hair tight into a ponytail behind her head. A small bottle of soap stood near the sink, and she applied it generously to her hands before washing them vigorously. Housework was not something she always enjoyed, but cooking was different.
"I guess we are making pasta then. Would you mind handling the sauce? I usually have Justin help me with it, but I fear your hug probably has him quite on the edge." Alice favored the older man with a smirk as she pulled the pans she would need down from the rack. "It will also give us some time to talk about your boss. I too am intrigued in.." she paused" the medical field. Do you have her records on file somewhere that I can take a glance at? And that of the other men of course. You can keep yours private if you wish, I doubt there's anything in there I haven't seen before" The corners of her eyes turned up as she gave him a wink before turning her attention fully to preparing dinner.
~~~~~~
A melodic jingle woke Justin from his slumber for the second time today, and he jammed his finger furiously against his comm device as he grumbled an angry "What?" into it. The soft voice of Alice on the other side chided him for being so irritated before letting him know that dinner was ready. Shutting the device off and shoving it into his pocket, Justin hauled himself up and off of the bed, his body groaning nearly as much as the boxspring, before heading for the stairs, hoping the other members of the force would be absent as usual. He'd met enough annoying people for one day.
Muscles in his back and legs slowly began to loosen as he took the hallway in, glancing at the doors as if the decision he would make really mattered. Soft electronic buzzing from the fans on the ceiling hummed as they tried futilely to circulate some air into the building, but the noise was calming, and Justin could feel himself shaking off the strange sensation of being embraced by the man named Sidonis. The mans medical intrigue was not something new, doctors tended to want to study something they did not understand, but even then they had always kept more than an arms distance whenever possible. How long had it been since somebody other than Alice had voluntarily hugged him? More years than Justin cared to count at the moment. The leather of his gloved squaked gently as he grabbed the doorknob of one of the rooms, twisting it gently and shoving the door inward. Spartan decorations covered the walls, a small desk and a light tucked into one of the corners and a small bed with a plain white sheet sat in the other. Not exaclty luxury, but Justin had seen much worse.
When she had finally finished talking, he shook his head gently, thankful for the silence that settled on the both of them. Justin had thought her nagging would be solely reserved for him, but judging by the way she had handled the other man downstairs, it was clear that she was controlling of everybody. Usually he had much more patience for that kind of thing, but the combination of Alice, Sidonis and Ellenia had driven his nerves to near the edge, and he had to forcefully stop himself from saying something smart that he would regret later. "No, I don't think so. Keep to myself, don't go out clubbing. Easy enough." The door slid shut silently as he closed it behind him, glancing back at the stairs that led down to the first floor. Your men are eccentric it seems. With me around, that's not always a good thing." A pair of fingers gripped his hand, tightening the glove where Sidonis had loosened it. "If they act reckless, I won't be held responsible for their deaths. Just so we are clear". A quick nod of his head pointed towards the door she had indicated was hers. "I'll have someone wake you when dinner is done."
~~~~~~
Alice watched the older man putter around the kitchen quietly, leaning herself against one of the counters as she took in her surroundings. "It seems like Ellenia runs an uncomfortably tight ship," She pointed to the beer as Sidonis mentioned her coming disapproval of it. Though it was not necessarily her drink of choice, it was still alcohol and she gave reaching it some strong consideration before thinking better of it. "But only for certain things, it seems. you are a medical doctor I presume?" Soft clicks echoed through the room as she paced the area, her hand running along the counters as she enjoyed the feeling of the worn wood. Pans of various sizes hung from a rack above a small island, and though the stove was ordinary and small, it was at least relatively clean. At least this one room did not show the signs of neglect the rest of the office had. "Well, maybe not a doctor. but you clearly have some interest in the field." Her shoulders shrugged as she pulled her hair tight into a ponytail behind her head. A small bottle of soap stood near the sink, and she applied it generously to her hands before washing them vigorously. Housework was not something she always enjoyed, but cooking was different.
"I guess we are making pasta then. Would you mind handling the sauce? I usually have Justin help me with it, but I fear your hug probably has him quite on the edge." Alice favored the older man with a smirk as she pulled the pans she would need down from the rack. "It will also give us some time to talk about your boss. I too am intrigued in.." she paused" the medical field. Do you have her records on file somewhere that I can take a glance at? And that of the other men of course. You can keep yours private if you wish, I doubt there's anything in there I haven't seen before" The corners of her eyes turned up as she gave him a wink before turning her attention fully to preparing dinner.
~~~~~~
A melodic jingle woke Justin from his slumber for the second time today, and he jammed his finger furiously against his comm device as he grumbled an angry "What?" into it. The soft voice of Alice on the other side chided him for being so irritated before letting him know that dinner was ready. Shutting the device off and shoving it into his pocket, Justin hauled himself up and off of the bed, his body groaning nearly as much as the boxspring, before heading for the stairs, hoping the other members of the force would be absent as usual. He'd met enough annoying people for one day.
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
[SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis heaved as he pulled down a packet of pasta from the top shelf of the cupboard. The packet was wedged between several large boxes that sported bright signs of canned beans. They were also empty. When he had opened the cupboard and seen them, anticipation of a good dinner lifted his spirits until he moved one of the boxes and found that it was strangely light. So pasta it would be, then. It was better than what they ate most days, which was half-cold pizza or other take outs that were more or less of good repute around the area. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ordering food in District 36 proved to be a lottery. Some establishments wished to keep their work going and thus they delivered decent meals to the officers who could potentially close them. Others, less smart and more conniving, sent over orders so messed up that even he did not wish to touch it. Those meals were only good for researching bacteria. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia proved to be no different from the rest of the Division, as she, too, cared little in what she ate. Or at least she stopped caring after finding out it to be difficult to cook anything relatively healthy on her own. Sandwiches and premade salads cluttered her desk more often than not, surrounded by cups of coffee and paperwork. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Maybe her busy and hectic schedule made the woman realize that three course meals multiple times a day was bordering fantasy. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis pulled down the packet of pasta and handed it to Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No, no,” Sidonis waved a hand at Alice, “not a doctor. Tried to be one, once. Many years who when I was a wee lad,” he lowered his hand towards his thigh, holding it horizontally to show the height that he once sported as a child. “Jack of all trades, master of none. Medicine, engineering, programming, as long as it’s related to magic I’ll crack it.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]He seemed proud as he spoke, puffing out his chest and giving Alice another bright smile that faded when she asked him to make the pasta sauce. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sauce? From what?” He eyed the can of tomato puree soup. Well that could work. There was nothing else to use around the kitchen. They haven’t gone grocery shopping in over a week since only Ellenia ate in, if she was in. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Reaching towards a pan with one hand and the can of soup with the other, Sidonis turned on the stovetop by jamming his elbow onto a button on the dash. Several wires stuck out of the corner of the stove, proving to be not at all safe or sanitary, but he never got around to fixing the counter after trying to make it Ellenia-friendly. He almost succeeded. Almost. Not only did the damn thing not rely on magic any longer, but it also refused to work most of the time. He’d never seen Ellenia use it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Boss? Fascinating, is she not?” Sidonis looked at Alice from over his shoulder as he opened the can of soup and dumped its contents into the pan. That done, he turned up the heat and while he waited for the soup to start boiling he began dicing up an onion that he found hidden within a pot in one of the drawers. The onion looked edible. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“There is no magic within her, can you imagine? Not a single drop. She is literally an object from a magical perspective. The magical current treats her as it would treat a chair. I tried to conduct several experiments to define to which magic she is truly resistant and—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis entered into a monologue as his hands diced the onion, barely paying attention to the knife as he waved his hand around to accompany his words. He spoke of nothing at all substantial, at least not to Alice who was looking for a completely different information from the man. He shared his findings that in the end pointed to nothing that they did not already know – Ellenia is resistant to magic of all forms, physical or mental, for a little over two and a half minutes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]He mentioned how her file was surprisingly well hidden, the treatment that she underwent making it very difficult to get access to her full file. That topic launched Sidonis into another lecture of how he wished to duplicate the treatment with less side effects. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Sidonis talked, he spoke quickly and enthusiastically. With one hand he stirred the sauce wooden spoon, adding more seasoning than it needed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“...Ask the Boss for our records. She finds out I gave access to them, and I am stuck filling in her paperwork for a month. Been there, done that. Never again. Your Officer and Personnel Division should have given you access anyway, Miss Walker.” He reached towards the pasta, drained it and then let it fall into the sauce to mix everything together. It smelled strongly of tomatoes and basil. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Footsteps echoed down the soft carpet of the second floor and through the matte partition Sidonis couldn’t see who was coming down. He had to flick a wooden spoon at the partition – which resulted in some of the sauce splashing onto the matte glass – to let it be see-through. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Her records are not at all that interesting to read, let me tell you that,” Sidonis continued as he looked at Alice, letting the spoon fall back into the pan unceremoniously. “By the book. Commendations, awards, top notch marks. Boring. Then,” his voice lowered, “that dark spot that is Anthony Walsh. Lover boy still didn’t get over that man, even if he’s dead. Took me some diggin’, but it is an interesting read if you’re into sad romance novels.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The pan was pulled off the fire and Sidonis observed their dinner. It looked and smelled edible, though he did not taste it. He had already done more than he ever did when it came to making dinner. Maybe he should have added more salt. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“So have you and the kid been together long?” Sidonis asked as he turned around and braced his hands on the kitchen counter behind him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The front door softly hissed as it opened and heels clicked against the wooden floorboards of the reception area. Giggling followed, along with someone’s husky whispering. Clothing rustled and from the kitchen’s area it was impossible to see who had entered. Before Sidonis could check, however, the giggling subsided and the front door closed as a man strode into the main room, running a hand through his curly light brown hair that was already standing on end. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was a tall and thin man with fair skin and dark grey eyes that gleamed with amusement from behind spectacles perched on a hooked nose. He wore a light blue button up with pulled up sleeves and a pair of jeans; the first three buttons of his shirt were open and the collar was pulled to the side. Sweat glistened on his neck and forehead and a current of hot air entered the office behind the man. He appeared to be no older than thirty-five. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I smell dinner. Don’t tell me Ellenia cooked?” The man exhaled loudly and his eyes settled on Alice, whom he could see through the now see-through partition. He grinned at her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I cooked. Well, we.” Sidonis waved a hand at Alice. “This is Alice Walker. Handler of the Boss’s new partner.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The newcomer rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, offering his hand to Alice. He smelled strongly of fresh cologne mixed with a sweet hint of some woman’s perfume. The talk that Sidonis and Ellenia had came to mind, as they did comment on a member of their team smelling like a perfume shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Stephen Johnson,” he offered Alice a grin that transferred to his eyes. He did not appear overly handsome, though he spoke softly and carried himself with great confidence. “Then where’s the partner? Don’t tell me Ellenia has left him somewhere? And where’s she?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sleeping,” Sidonis said and quickly added, raising his hands palms forward. “I ain’t waking her up.” He turned his head and called out, “Kid! Wake the Boss up!”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis heaved as he pulled down a packet of pasta from the top shelf of the cupboard. The packet was wedged between several large boxes that sported bright signs of canned beans. They were also empty. When he had opened the cupboard and seen them, anticipation of a good dinner lifted his spirits until he moved one of the boxes and found that it was strangely light. So pasta it would be, then. It was better than what they ate most days, which was half-cold pizza or other take outs that were more or less of good repute around the area. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ordering food in District 36 proved to be a lottery. Some establishments wished to keep their work going and thus they delivered decent meals to the officers who could potentially close them. Others, less smart and more conniving, sent over orders so messed up that even he did not wish to touch it. Those meals were only good for researching bacteria. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia proved to be no different from the rest of the Division, as she, too, cared little in what she ate. Or at least she stopped caring after finding out it to be difficult to cook anything relatively healthy on her own. Sandwiches and premade salads cluttered her desk more often than not, surrounded by cups of coffee and paperwork. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Maybe her busy and hectic schedule made the woman realize that three course meals multiple times a day was bordering fantasy. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis pulled down the packet of pasta and handed it to Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No, no,” Sidonis waved a hand at Alice, “not a doctor. Tried to be one, once. Many years who when I was a wee lad,” he lowered his hand towards his thigh, holding it horizontally to show the height that he once sported as a child. “Jack of all trades, master of none. Medicine, engineering, programming, as long as it’s related to magic I’ll crack it.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]He seemed proud as he spoke, puffing out his chest and giving Alice another bright smile that faded when she asked him to make the pasta sauce. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sauce? From what?” He eyed the can of tomato puree soup. Well that could work. There was nothing else to use around the kitchen. They haven’t gone grocery shopping in over a week since only Ellenia ate in, if she was in. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Reaching towards a pan with one hand and the can of soup with the other, Sidonis turned on the stovetop by jamming his elbow onto a button on the dash. Several wires stuck out of the corner of the stove, proving to be not at all safe or sanitary, but he never got around to fixing the counter after trying to make it Ellenia-friendly. He almost succeeded. Almost. Not only did the damn thing not rely on magic any longer, but it also refused to work most of the time. He’d never seen Ellenia use it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Boss? Fascinating, is she not?” Sidonis looked at Alice from over his shoulder as he opened the can of soup and dumped its contents into the pan. That done, he turned up the heat and while he waited for the soup to start boiling he began dicing up an onion that he found hidden within a pot in one of the drawers. The onion looked edible. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“There is no magic within her, can you imagine? Not a single drop. She is literally an object from a magical perspective. The magical current treats her as it would treat a chair. I tried to conduct several experiments to define to which magic she is truly resistant and—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis entered into a monologue as his hands diced the onion, barely paying attention to the knife as he waved his hand around to accompany his words. He spoke of nothing at all substantial, at least not to Alice who was looking for a completely different information from the man. He shared his findings that in the end pointed to nothing that they did not already know – Ellenia is resistant to magic of all forms, physical or mental, for a little over two and a half minutes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]He mentioned how her file was surprisingly well hidden, the treatment that she underwent making it very difficult to get access to her full file. That topic launched Sidonis into another lecture of how he wished to duplicate the treatment with less side effects. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Sidonis talked, he spoke quickly and enthusiastically. With one hand he stirred the sauce wooden spoon, adding more seasoning than it needed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“...Ask the Boss for our records. She finds out I gave access to them, and I am stuck filling in her paperwork for a month. Been there, done that. Never again. Your Officer and Personnel Division should have given you access anyway, Miss Walker.” He reached towards the pasta, drained it and then let it fall into the sauce to mix everything together. It smelled strongly of tomatoes and basil. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Footsteps echoed down the soft carpet of the second floor and through the matte partition Sidonis couldn’t see who was coming down. He had to flick a wooden spoon at the partition – which resulted in some of the sauce splashing onto the matte glass – to let it be see-through. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Her records are not at all that interesting to read, let me tell you that,” Sidonis continued as he looked at Alice, letting the spoon fall back into the pan unceremoniously. “By the book. Commendations, awards, top notch marks. Boring. Then,” his voice lowered, “that dark spot that is Anthony Walsh. Lover boy still didn’t get over that man, even if he’s dead. Took me some diggin’, but it is an interesting read if you’re into sad romance novels.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The pan was pulled off the fire and Sidonis observed their dinner. It looked and smelled edible, though he did not taste it. He had already done more than he ever did when it came to making dinner. Maybe he should have added more salt. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“So have you and the kid been together long?” Sidonis asked as he turned around and braced his hands on the kitchen counter behind him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The front door softly hissed as it opened and heels clicked against the wooden floorboards of the reception area. Giggling followed, along with someone’s husky whispering. Clothing rustled and from the kitchen’s area it was impossible to see who had entered. Before Sidonis could check, however, the giggling subsided and the front door closed as a man strode into the main room, running a hand through his curly light brown hair that was already standing on end. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was a tall and thin man with fair skin and dark grey eyes that gleamed with amusement from behind spectacles perched on a hooked nose. He wore a light blue button up with pulled up sleeves and a pair of jeans; the first three buttons of his shirt were open and the collar was pulled to the side. Sweat glistened on his neck and forehead and a current of hot air entered the office behind the man. He appeared to be no older than thirty-five. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I smell dinner. Don’t tell me Ellenia cooked?” The man exhaled loudly and his eyes settled on Alice, whom he could see through the now see-through partition. He grinned at her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I cooked. Well, we.” Sidonis waved a hand at Alice. “This is Alice Walker. Handler of the Boss’s new partner.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The newcomer rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, offering his hand to Alice. He smelled strongly of fresh cologne mixed with a sweet hint of some woman’s perfume. The talk that Sidonis and Ellenia had came to mind, as they did comment on a member of their team smelling like a perfume shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Stephen Johnson,” he offered Alice a grin that transferred to his eyes. He did not appear overly handsome, though he spoke softly and carried himself with great confidence. “Then where’s the partner? Don’t tell me Ellenia has left him somewhere? And where’s she?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sleeping,” Sidonis said and quickly added, raising his hands palms forward. “I ain’t waking her up.” He turned his head and called out, “Kid! Wake the Boss up!”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
"I do not mean her official medical records," Alice corrected him quickly, placing plates on the table and settling a pair of silverware next to each. "I mean your own personal records and thoughts on her. Surely a man of your curiosities must have some sort of personal folder for everyone in here. Based on your fascination with Justin, I cannot imagine you would let anyone enter without doing some sort of research on them, right?" Her line of questioning was solid, if a bit forthright, but Alice had never been very good at being coy. The quickest way to get what she wanted was by asking for it, and it turned out well for her most of the time. Sidonis did not seem like the devious sort, and she felt no need to try and deceive him or go over his head to get what she wanted to. Hopefully he felt the same way.
"I'm a psychiatrist. I like to know how people think if I'm going to be working with them, or they're going to be working with my guy." She glanced over at Sidonis quickly. "Justin has an unusual temperament that does not get along well with everybody. He won't cause any trouble on his own, but if he's pushed into it.. Well, things can get messy real fast. I'd like to know more about all of you so I can prepare him to deal with you better on a daily basis. And if there is anyone here who poses a threat to his own mental health, it would be great if I could act quickly on it. You'll help me, won't you?" The tones of her voice took a softer, more feminine quality at the end of her speech. Men were easy to manipulate, and her looks had always made it even easier. Usually all she had to do was puff out her breasts a little and lower her voice to something more sultry.
Their conversation however was cut short by the man called Stephen entering the building. Middle aged and dressed as if he was trying to impress, he gave off an air of arrogant confidence that immediately had alice narrowing her eyes at him. A soft feminine giggling meant he was likely the reason there were panties lying on the couch in the lounge, and the man reeked of sweat mixed with a perfume that was clearly not his own. She greeted him a polite nod, her face contorting into a smile she reserved for people she didn't like but didn't want to piss off. This office was turning out to have too many people she didn't like it in.
"Shouting won't do anything to wake him," She chided Sidonis softly as she grabbed her phone from where she had left it on the counter. "The man sleeps like a log. I'll call him."
~~~~~~
Justin paused at the top of the stairs as he remembered what Alice had told him only a few seconds before. Mornings were tough on him already, and being woken up mid nap was even worse. Dinner was not something he was altogether worried about honestly, and if they had let him sleep and skip it all together he would have been entirely fine. Fate was not on his side it seemed. Leather meeting the wooden stairs gave out a sharp squeak as he made an abrupt one eighty, heading back up the few steps he had descended and heading towards the end of the hall. If not for her inability to open doors with magic it may have been hard to guess which room was hers. Thankfully it wasn't and he didn't have to search long; hers was the only one that required an actual key lock on the knob.
Pausing for a few moments to let the fog clear from his mind completely, he reached a leather hand to rap harshly on the wooden door. There was no need to shout, and he did not feel like raising his voice among strangers. Surely the knock would wake her up on its own.
"I do not mean her official medical records," Alice corrected him quickly, placing plates on the table and settling a pair of silverware next to each. "I mean your own personal records and thoughts on her. Surely a man of your curiosities must have some sort of personal folder for everyone in here. Based on your fascination with Justin, I cannot imagine you would let anyone enter without doing some sort of research on them, right?" Her line of questioning was solid, if a bit forthright, but Alice had never been very good at being coy. The quickest way to get what she wanted was by asking for it, and it turned out well for her most of the time. Sidonis did not seem like the devious sort, and she felt no need to try and deceive him or go over his head to get what she wanted to. Hopefully he felt the same way.
"I'm a psychiatrist. I like to know how people think if I'm going to be working with them, or they're going to be working with my guy." She glanced over at Sidonis quickly. "Justin has an unusual temperament that does not get along well with everybody. He won't cause any trouble on his own, but if he's pushed into it.. Well, things can get messy real fast. I'd like to know more about all of you so I can prepare him to deal with you better on a daily basis. And if there is anyone here who poses a threat to his own mental health, it would be great if I could act quickly on it. You'll help me, won't you?" The tones of her voice took a softer, more feminine quality at the end of her speech. Men were easy to manipulate, and her looks had always made it even easier. Usually all she had to do was puff out her breasts a little and lower her voice to something more sultry.
Their conversation however was cut short by the man called Stephen entering the building. Middle aged and dressed as if he was trying to impress, he gave off an air of arrogant confidence that immediately had alice narrowing her eyes at him. A soft feminine giggling meant he was likely the reason there were panties lying on the couch in the lounge, and the man reeked of sweat mixed with a perfume that was clearly not his own. She greeted him a polite nod, her face contorting into a smile she reserved for people she didn't like but didn't want to piss off. This office was turning out to have too many people she didn't like it in.
"Shouting won't do anything to wake him," She chided Sidonis softly as she grabbed her phone from where she had left it on the counter. "The man sleeps like a log. I'll call him."
~~~~~~
Justin paused at the top of the stairs as he remembered what Alice had told him only a few seconds before. Mornings were tough on him already, and being woken up mid nap was even worse. Dinner was not something he was altogether worried about honestly, and if they had let him sleep and skip it all together he would have been entirely fine. Fate was not on his side it seemed. Leather meeting the wooden stairs gave out a sharp squeak as he made an abrupt one eighty, heading back up the few steps he had descended and heading towards the end of the hall. If not for her inability to open doors with magic it may have been hard to guess which room was hers. Thankfully it wasn't and he didn't have to search long; hers was the only one that required an actual key lock on the knob.
Pausing for a few moments to let the fog clear from his mind completely, he reached a leather hand to rap harshly on the wooden door. There was no need to shout, and he did not feel like raising his voice among strangers. Surely the knock would wake her up on its own.
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]It took her a while to fall asleep. The bed appeared uncomfortable, hard, and no matter on what side she turned she felt exposed. Sheets were kicked off, the pillow turned around at least twice as if that could make a difference, and Ellenia pressed her back to the wall to greedily drink in the cold. None of these things helped and she spent a good twenty minutes staring at the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Paranoia had taken root in her mind, spreading like a disease that kept her awake despite the fatigue that made her eyes hurt just by keeping them open. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Justin was in this building, in his room not even twenty feet from her. She’d locked the door, but it was a mechanical lock. Nothing a magic user couldn’t easily break. She supposed the lock was a way to ensure her safety, give her a false sense of privacy. At least that is what her shrink told her. It worked and everyone respected her enough not to come storming into her room by waving their hand at the door to slam it open. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]But Justin was a different matter. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Or maybe it is because he’s your partner? [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The steady hum of the ceiling fans lulled her to sleep before the uneasy thoughts and imagined scenarios made the urge to get dressed and go downstairs to her men impossible to ignore. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Dreamless sleep was welcomed, but it was cut short by harsh knock that she at first disregarded as some noise from the outside or downstairs. The Division’s walls were fairly thin, sound isolation was not the best. But the knock was too loud to ignore and it came from the other side of her door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Propping herself up on her elbows Ellenia barely stopped herself from groaning. Working on too little sleep had made her body sluggish, her head hurt and felt heavy. A glance over her shoulder at the window proved her right in assuming that no more than an hour or two had passed since she’d fallen asleep. It was still light outside, with the sky tinted slightly orange-pink in an early sunset. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Just like her car, Ellenia’s room was a mess that indicated that it was used rarely and only to change and to sleep. There were no items on the shelves, no books or some trinkets that one would have to decorate their private quarters. Instead, there was clothing strewn all over the room. Shirts and pairs of pants lay on top of the chair, at the foot of the bed and over the half opened doors of the half-empty closet. The desk was bare, save for a few sheets of paper with quickly scribbled notes. A collection of empty water bottles in the corner was waiting to be thrown out. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“A moment,” Ellenia rasped to whoever it was that knocked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Falling back onto the bed once more, Ellenia ran her hands over her face in an attempt to rub off the sleepiness. It helped little. Allowing herself to close her eyes, she lay like that for another selfish minute. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ceiling fans hummed and the floor shook ever so slightly as the main door opened and closed below. Somehow must have come back to the office. They rarely got visitors, so Ellenia did not even consider that possibility. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A pair of jeans and a sleeveless shirt was pulled off the nearby chair and Ellenia quickly got dressed, pulling the shirt onto herself while walking to the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes?” She asked as the lock clicked and the handle turned. The door opened wide enough until Ellenia could brace a hand on it and rest with her shoulder against the cold wall by the frame. With her other hand she rubbed her eyes, thinking they were probably red from exhaustion. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A man clad in dark leathers from head to toe appeared in front of her, standing just a few feet from the door. Justin. It took a moment for the reality of the situation to sink in. A moment during which she just stared at the man, all hints of sleepiness gone. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]And then, she nearly slammed the door in his face. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Some sane part of her mind spoke up, telling her that the man was fully clothed. The same sane part also told her that she was not. It was not the revealed markings – that went down from the sides of her neck down her arms and sides – that made her wish to pull on a coat, or even better a turtleneck, but rather the skin itself. All Justin had to do was reach out and grab her bare arm. She might as well have gone out naked; it wouldn’t have made a difference. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The knuckles on her hand turned white as she clutched at the door to stop herself from closing it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Dinner. [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Is dinner ready?” She asked nonchalantly and cringed inwardly at the attempt to act casual. “Let me—“ A glance was thrown over her shoulder and she scanned the discarded clothing in an attempt to find a coat, a turtleneck, a bloody bodysuit if need be, to take on. “Let me get dressed.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was summer, and despite the hour it was still hot outside. What she was currently wearing would have been fine. Would have, had it not been for the only man in the country whose touch was lethal.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The door was closed and Ellenia quickly went to grab a coat to pull on herself as well as a pair of gloves. There was supposed to be a scarf somewhere, but the mess in her room did a fantastic job in making it hard to find anything. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Assured that she looked more or less protected from her own partner, Ellenia opened the door once more and passed by Justin, shutting the door behind her but not locking it. In an office full of magic users, a non-magic lock was a formality. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Something smelled good, edible. A strong scent of tomatoes and herbs drifted upstairs from their little kitchen. It was strange, unusual. It was also a welcoming change that made her stomach suddenly feel very empty. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Down the stairs they went and into the main room. Voices could be heard, muffled by the glass wall that was now see through. Through it Ellenia could see Sidonis standing by the stove, holding a pan from which he began to unload some pasta in tomato sauce onto the plates. Beside him was Stephen who was eyeing the dinner with suspicion and had Sidonis put little in his plate. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You cooked.” Ellenia stared at the food in suspicion. Her words were not a question, rather a statement of fact that was hard to believe in. Yet, dinner was there and it looked good. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Alice here helped me out,” Sidonis mused, heavily patting Alice on the shoulder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You mean she did all the work?” Ellenia corrected as she pulled back a chair and sat down. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No.” The older man frowned. “The sauce is my doing and—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen pushed against Sidonis’s chest, stopping him mid-sentence and also having him step back as Stephen sat down and propped his elbows on the table to lean towards Ellenia. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis we all know you can’t cook,” Stephen shot over his shoulder and then beamed at Ellenia. “What matters is this – I got us a job.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia, who had been poking at the pasta, trying to decide if it was truly a good idea to eat it if Sidonis was the one who made it, looked up and quirked a brow at Stephen. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What job?” She asked slowly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Here’s this. There is a clerk at the Berky’s convenience store that had—“ Stephen lifted his eyed from Ellenia and his smile disappeared almost instantly. “This him?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There was no need to look over her shoulder to see that Justin was the one who caught Stephen’s attention, and she said a calm, “Yes,” as she forked some pasta. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]With a scrape the chair was pushed back and Stephen stood up, one hand braced on the table and the other reached across it towards Justin. “Stephen Johnson,” he said and added, “What?” as he noticed Ellenia staring at his outstretched hand. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“That’s Justin Sadler,” Ellenia said matter-of-factly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen mouthed an, “Oh,” and stepped away from the table. He did not look as enthusiastic as he was before when he launched into his story, which he appeared to have forgotten. “So you’re fine with this?” He gestured at Justin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. I’m filing for a transfer.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Transfer?” Sidonis frowned. “The kid’s fine.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You call his condition fine?” Stephen nearly chocked at the words. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“We are not having this discussion now,” Ellenia said sternly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Silence followed as Sidonis pulled back a chair and sat down. The metal chair creaked and scraped against the tiles. Stephen did not step towards the table. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]After taking a mouthful of pasta, Sidonis broke the awkward and tense silence. “So, Alice. How long have you and the kid been together, then?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It took her a while to fall asleep. The bed appeared uncomfortable, hard, and no matter on what side she turned she felt exposed. Sheets were kicked off, the pillow turned around at least twice as if that could make a difference, and Ellenia pressed her back to the wall to greedily drink in the cold. None of these things helped and she spent a good twenty minutes staring at the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Paranoia had taken root in her mind, spreading like a disease that kept her awake despite the fatigue that made her eyes hurt just by keeping them open. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Justin was in this building, in his room not even twenty feet from her. She’d locked the door, but it was a mechanical lock. Nothing a magic user couldn’t easily break. She supposed the lock was a way to ensure her safety, give her a false sense of privacy. At least that is what her shrink told her. It worked and everyone respected her enough not to come storming into her room by waving their hand at the door to slam it open. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]But Justin was a different matter. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Or maybe it is because he’s your partner? [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The steady hum of the ceiling fans lulled her to sleep before the uneasy thoughts and imagined scenarios made the urge to get dressed and go downstairs to her men impossible to ignore. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Dreamless sleep was welcomed, but it was cut short by harsh knock that she at first disregarded as some noise from the outside or downstairs. The Division’s walls were fairly thin, sound isolation was not the best. But the knock was too loud to ignore and it came from the other side of her door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Propping herself up on her elbows Ellenia barely stopped herself from groaning. Working on too little sleep had made her body sluggish, her head hurt and felt heavy. A glance over her shoulder at the window proved her right in assuming that no more than an hour or two had passed since she’d fallen asleep. It was still light outside, with the sky tinted slightly orange-pink in an early sunset. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Just like her car, Ellenia’s room was a mess that indicated that it was used rarely and only to change and to sleep. There were no items on the shelves, no books or some trinkets that one would have to decorate their private quarters. Instead, there was clothing strewn all over the room. Shirts and pairs of pants lay on top of the chair, at the foot of the bed and over the half opened doors of the half-empty closet. The desk was bare, save for a few sheets of paper with quickly scribbled notes. A collection of empty water bottles in the corner was waiting to be thrown out. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“A moment,” Ellenia rasped to whoever it was that knocked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Falling back onto the bed once more, Ellenia ran her hands over her face in an attempt to rub off the sleepiness. It helped little. Allowing herself to close her eyes, she lay like that for another selfish minute. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ceiling fans hummed and the floor shook ever so slightly as the main door opened and closed below. Somehow must have come back to the office. They rarely got visitors, so Ellenia did not even consider that possibility. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A pair of jeans and a sleeveless shirt was pulled off the nearby chair and Ellenia quickly got dressed, pulling the shirt onto herself while walking to the door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes?” She asked as the lock clicked and the handle turned. The door opened wide enough until Ellenia could brace a hand on it and rest with her shoulder against the cold wall by the frame. With her other hand she rubbed her eyes, thinking they were probably red from exhaustion. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A man clad in dark leathers from head to toe appeared in front of her, standing just a few feet from the door. Justin. It took a moment for the reality of the situation to sink in. A moment during which she just stared at the man, all hints of sleepiness gone. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]And then, she nearly slammed the door in his face. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Some sane part of her mind spoke up, telling her that the man was fully clothed. The same sane part also told her that she was not. It was not the revealed markings – that went down from the sides of her neck down her arms and sides – that made her wish to pull on a coat, or even better a turtleneck, but rather the skin itself. All Justin had to do was reach out and grab her bare arm. She might as well have gone out naked; it wouldn’t have made a difference. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The knuckles on her hand turned white as she clutched at the door to stop herself from closing it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Dinner. [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Is dinner ready?” She asked nonchalantly and cringed inwardly at the attempt to act casual. “Let me—“ A glance was thrown over her shoulder and she scanned the discarded clothing in an attempt to find a coat, a turtleneck, a bloody bodysuit if need be, to take on. “Let me get dressed.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was summer, and despite the hour it was still hot outside. What she was currently wearing would have been fine. Would have, had it not been for the only man in the country whose touch was lethal.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The door was closed and Ellenia quickly went to grab a coat to pull on herself as well as a pair of gloves. There was supposed to be a scarf somewhere, but the mess in her room did a fantastic job in making it hard to find anything. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Assured that she looked more or less protected from her own partner, Ellenia opened the door once more and passed by Justin, shutting the door behind her but not locking it. In an office full of magic users, a non-magic lock was a formality. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Something smelled good, edible. A strong scent of tomatoes and herbs drifted upstairs from their little kitchen. It was strange, unusual. It was also a welcoming change that made her stomach suddenly feel very empty. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Down the stairs they went and into the main room. Voices could be heard, muffled by the glass wall that was now see through. Through it Ellenia could see Sidonis standing by the stove, holding a pan from which he began to unload some pasta in tomato sauce onto the plates. Beside him was Stephen who was eyeing the dinner with suspicion and had Sidonis put little in his plate. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You cooked.” Ellenia stared at the food in suspicion. Her words were not a question, rather a statement of fact that was hard to believe in. Yet, dinner was there and it looked good. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Alice here helped me out,” Sidonis mused, heavily patting Alice on the shoulder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You mean she did all the work?” Ellenia corrected as she pulled back a chair and sat down. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No.” The older man frowned. “The sauce is my doing and—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen pushed against Sidonis’s chest, stopping him mid-sentence and also having him step back as Stephen sat down and propped his elbows on the table to lean towards Ellenia. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sidonis we all know you can’t cook,” Stephen shot over his shoulder and then beamed at Ellenia. “What matters is this – I got us a job.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia, who had been poking at the pasta, trying to decide if it was truly a good idea to eat it if Sidonis was the one who made it, looked up and quirked a brow at Stephen. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What job?” She asked slowly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Here’s this. There is a clerk at the Berky’s convenience store that had—“ Stephen lifted his eyed from Ellenia and his smile disappeared almost instantly. “This him?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There was no need to look over her shoulder to see that Justin was the one who caught Stephen’s attention, and she said a calm, “Yes,” as she forked some pasta. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]With a scrape the chair was pushed back and Stephen stood up, one hand braced on the table and the other reached across it towards Justin. “Stephen Johnson,” he said and added, “What?” as he noticed Ellenia staring at his outstretched hand. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“That’s Justin Sadler,” Ellenia said matter-of-factly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen mouthed an, “Oh,” and stepped away from the table. He did not look as enthusiastic as he was before when he launched into his story, which he appeared to have forgotten. “So you’re fine with this?” He gestured at Justin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. I’m filing for a transfer.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Transfer?” Sidonis frowned. “The kid’s fine.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You call his condition fine?” Stephen nearly chocked at the words. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“We are not having this discussion now,” Ellenia said sternly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Silence followed as Sidonis pulled back a chair and sat down. The metal chair creaked and scraped against the tiles. Stephen did not step towards the table. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]After taking a mouthful of pasta, Sidonis broke the awkward and tense silence. “So, Alice. How long have you and the kid been together, then?”[/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
Dinnerware clanked noisily against the cheap plates as they ate, neither Justin nor Alice paying much attention to those around them. It was clear that they were the odd ones out here, the black sheep that no one save for Sidonis really seemed to want to have around. Typical of these sorts of situations, really. As they talked about Justin as if he was only an object that was not in their presence, Alice could sense the frustration building up inside him from across the table, and she offered him only a small smile to calm his nerves. They were not here to make friends, after all; they didn't really need anybody but each other and that fact had not changed.
"About a two years now," Alice set down her silverware so as to not be tempted to talk while eating. "When I graduated from the institute they gave me his case file as my first patient. Only a temporary thing they said, but since I was able to achieve such great results with him, they made it a temporary thing." She offered Justin another warm smile. "Since then we've been together just about as much as could be expected, and while I can't say that your fears are unwarranted Mr. Johnson, I can say that the beast has been controlled. I have Justin on a pretty tight leash, and he is no real danger to any of you." Alice cast a sideways glance at Sidonis, ignoring the glare cast her way by Justin. "Unless you are to do something extremely foolish. I imagine none of you are that stupid though."
Delicate white hands gripped her silverware once more as she began to eat again, ignoring those around her as she did. So far the only one to strike any sort of interest in her was Sidnois, and the man seemed to be only slightly more competent than the others; though his recklessness in his pursuit of knowledge was a singularly troubling trait. One she would have to break him of soon when it came to Justin. "As for this job," She paused eating long enough to glance at Stephen. "I was not aware that the district peace keeping force was available for hire. Do your jobs here not come from Central?"
"About a two years now," Alice set down her silverware so as to not be tempted to talk while eating. "When I graduated from the institute they gave me his case file as my first patient. Only a temporary thing they said, but since I was able to achieve such great results with him, they made it a temporary thing." She offered Justin another warm smile. "Since then we've been together just about as much as could be expected, and while I can't say that your fears are unwarranted Mr. Johnson, I can say that the beast has been controlled. I have Justin on a pretty tight leash, and he is no real danger to any of you." Alice cast a sideways glance at Sidonis, ignoring the glare cast her way by Justin. "Unless you are to do something extremely foolish. I imagine none of you are that stupid though."
Delicate white hands gripped her silverware once more as she began to eat again, ignoring those around her as she did. So far the only one to strike any sort of interest in her was Sidnois, and the man seemed to be only slightly more competent than the others; though his recklessness in his pursuit of knowledge was a singularly troubling trait. One she would have to break him of soon when it came to Justin. "As for this job," She paused eating long enough to glance at Stephen. "I was not aware that the district peace keeping force was available for hire. Do your jobs here not come from Central?"
Last edited by a moderator:
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]“First patient a Grim Reaper made flesh?” Stephen scoffed at the back, still standing by the kitchen counter and refusing to near the table. As Justin sat down, Stephen inched back as much as the small kitchen space permitted him without outright climbing the stovetop. “Someone must have hated your guts.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis chocked on his pasta and had to set down his silverware to hit his chest with a fist a couple of times to clear his throat. Coughing, he got up from the table and went towards the counter to fill a glass of water. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Bracing a hand on the countertop, Sidonis glared at Stephen while his chest still contracted in coughs in a poor attempt to clear his throat. Reaching for the sink, he filled a glass of tap water that he downed quickly. Dragging the back of his hand over his mouth, the old man wheezed but his breathing troubles did not stop from glaring coolly at Stephen. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis had soft features of a man that smiled more often than frowned, the fine lines fanning at the corners of his eyes a clear sign of that. As such, his cold stare did little to intimidate or warn Stephen to shut his mouth. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Can you be more of an ass?” Sidonis rasped. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen looked at the older man and rolled his eyes, shrugging. “Can’t be worse than the guy who paired her up with him.” He gestured at Justin.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It worked out, no? Kid here didn’t kill her, and they’re sleeping together,” Sidonis said as he nodded at Justin while refilling another glass, which he brought with him to the table this time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen stared at Sidonis, then his eyes darted from Alice to Justin, and back to the older man. “They are?” He asked at the same time as Ellenia said, “You are?” as she looked up at Justin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Didn’t he tell her that Alice was not his lover? Far from it, or something or other? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As the men talked, Ellenia was poking at the pasta with the fork. She’d eaten some of it, only to force herself to choke down the last mouthful of the over-salted dinner. It was food; it gave her energy to work. That alone should have been enough to convince her to just finish her plate, and she would have, had the sauce not been so salty that she nearly choked the moment she tried it. Sidonis, on the other hand, was devouring his share with the look of someone who was immensely proud in their cooking skills. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis was about to have another forkful of pasta when Stephen and Ellenia spoke, and he paused, looking up from his plate and closed his mouth. “Aren’t they?” He quirked a brow and waved the fork at Justin, making small droplets of tomato sauce fly. Thankfully, the pasta that he’d picked up earlier had slid off the fork onto his plate before he pointed at Justin and Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen shrugged in reply, while Ellenia looked at Justin and said, “Unless he lied to me, no.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Control the beast?” Sidonis raised his brows, leaning forward on his elbows as he looked at Ellenia as if she was a child that didn’t quite understand the simplest of things. “Tight leash? Together just as it could be expected? No? Really, Boss, you’re an adult. You should catch onto these things.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Had Ellenia been eating, it would have been her turn to choke. Instead, there was a crinkle to her brow as she looked at Justin and Alice in contemplation, as if truly assessing whether or not the two were together and what it meant, for them and for the team. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No sex in the office,” Ellenia said matter-of-factly, as if they were discussing the weather. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Behind her, Stephen shifted his weight from foot to foot, his lips thinning as he tried to hide a grin. Sidonis laughed loudly and leaned back into his chair. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“They do come from Central,” Ellenia added after a moment, wishing to change the subject. “Petty theft, trespassing, little things. Things that aren’t enough to show the district that a couple of officers are able to make a difference. They take time, a shit ton of paperwork, and give me a headache. Here, crime is an everyday occurrence. People are so used to it, and so used to the Guardians not giving a damn, that they don’t call in when something major happens – like murder. Instead they rely on others; thugs, big gangs, hired muscle.” She leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs and rested a forearm on the back of the plastic chair. “It is up to us to research bigger crime. We’re spread thin; I’m the only field officer. Sidonis makes the tech for me, Stephen gathers information, Lake negotiates with those of power to not stand in my way. We don’t have enough manpower to take care of every bar brawl or convenience store theft.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sic the Grim Reaper at ‘em,” Stephen grunted. “That’ll solve the crime rate.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia ignored the man’s comment, while Sidonis glared at the other man once more (the stare was anything but intimidating, as Sidonis was devouring another forkful of pasta at the time). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“If you’re so talkative, Stephen,” Ellenia said sternly, “tell me about that job.” She tilted her head to look at the man from the corner of her eye. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen hesitated for a moment, his arms unfolding and he braced a hand on the countertop. “Alright, so,” he began, enthusiasm from earlier slowly coming back to his voice. “There is a convenience store on the 14th and 8th. Berky’s. The one near Rouge?” Ellenia nodded, indicating that she remembered the place. “Samantha, the clerk, told me that something’s weird been happening in the store. She’d lock up for the night, and the next morning come back to the aisles being turned upside down. Literally. Products would be all over the floor, others mixed up, some missing completely. And, get this, scratches appear on the floor. From claw marks.” He paused, expecting a reaction. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Instead, he got a slight shrug from Ellenia. “So it’s a dog,” she deadpanned. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No,” Stephen frowned, waving a hand in front of him. “Samantha here isn’t stupid. Or maybe she is. Either way, she decided to stay for the night once. It could be kids; you know? Some teens messing around. That’s what she thought, as she waited in the pantry armed with a revolver.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia raised a brow and turned towards Stephen, her lips thin. “She thinks there are kids messing with her store and she gets a revolver?” She asked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What can I say? Samantha is a serious woman that loves her store,” Stephen said, raising both hands in defence.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Clearly. So what happened?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“That’s the tricky part. She doesn’t know. There were no kids in her store, that’s for sure. There were sounds and voices and scratching, but the lights were out and she couldn’t leave because the door was locked. She didn’t lock it; thought it would be easier for the kids to get in, prove her right. Samantha thinks the store’s haunted.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Haunted?” Ellenia stared at Justin, as did Sidonis who was busy switching his now empty plate with Ellenia’s. “Is this a joke?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. Would I joke over something like this?” Stephen looked offended and rolled his eyes at Ellenia, who gave him a look that she did expect him to joke over something as idiotic as a haunted convenience store. “Go check it out yourself. Samantha will be locking for the night in,” he checked the time by taking out his phone and thumbing it to bring out the screen, “an hour.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Rubbing her eyes with her thumb and index finger, Ellenia sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. After a moment of sitting like that, she looked at Justin. “You ready to go?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“First patient a Grim Reaper made flesh?” Stephen scoffed at the back, still standing by the kitchen counter and refusing to near the table. As Justin sat down, Stephen inched back as much as the small kitchen space permitted him without outright climbing the stovetop. “Someone must have hated your guts.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis chocked on his pasta and had to set down his silverware to hit his chest with a fist a couple of times to clear his throat. Coughing, he got up from the table and went towards the counter to fill a glass of water. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Bracing a hand on the countertop, Sidonis glared at Stephen while his chest still contracted in coughs in a poor attempt to clear his throat. Reaching for the sink, he filled a glass of tap water that he downed quickly. Dragging the back of his hand over his mouth, the old man wheezed but his breathing troubles did not stop from glaring coolly at Stephen. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis had soft features of a man that smiled more often than frowned, the fine lines fanning at the corners of his eyes a clear sign of that. As such, his cold stare did little to intimidate or warn Stephen to shut his mouth. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Can you be more of an ass?” Sidonis rasped. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen looked at the older man and rolled his eyes, shrugging. “Can’t be worse than the guy who paired her up with him.” He gestured at Justin.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It worked out, no? Kid here didn’t kill her, and they’re sleeping together,” Sidonis said as he nodded at Justin while refilling another glass, which he brought with him to the table this time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen stared at Sidonis, then his eyes darted from Alice to Justin, and back to the older man. “They are?” He asked at the same time as Ellenia said, “You are?” as she looked up at Justin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Didn’t he tell her that Alice was not his lover? Far from it, or something or other? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As the men talked, Ellenia was poking at the pasta with the fork. She’d eaten some of it, only to force herself to choke down the last mouthful of the over-salted dinner. It was food; it gave her energy to work. That alone should have been enough to convince her to just finish her plate, and she would have, had the sauce not been so salty that she nearly choked the moment she tried it. Sidonis, on the other hand, was devouring his share with the look of someone who was immensely proud in their cooking skills. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Sidonis was about to have another forkful of pasta when Stephen and Ellenia spoke, and he paused, looking up from his plate and closed his mouth. “Aren’t they?” He quirked a brow and waved the fork at Justin, making small droplets of tomato sauce fly. Thankfully, the pasta that he’d picked up earlier had slid off the fork onto his plate before he pointed at Justin and Alice. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen shrugged in reply, while Ellenia looked at Justin and said, “Unless he lied to me, no.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Control the beast?” Sidonis raised his brows, leaning forward on his elbows as he looked at Ellenia as if she was a child that didn’t quite understand the simplest of things. “Tight leash? Together just as it could be expected? No? Really, Boss, you’re an adult. You should catch onto these things.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Had Ellenia been eating, it would have been her turn to choke. Instead, there was a crinkle to her brow as she looked at Justin and Alice in contemplation, as if truly assessing whether or not the two were together and what it meant, for them and for the team. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No sex in the office,” Ellenia said matter-of-factly, as if they were discussing the weather. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Behind her, Stephen shifted his weight from foot to foot, his lips thinning as he tried to hide a grin. Sidonis laughed loudly and leaned back into his chair. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“They do come from Central,” Ellenia added after a moment, wishing to change the subject. “Petty theft, trespassing, little things. Things that aren’t enough to show the district that a couple of officers are able to make a difference. They take time, a shit ton of paperwork, and give me a headache. Here, crime is an everyday occurrence. People are so used to it, and so used to the Guardians not giving a damn, that they don’t call in when something major happens – like murder. Instead they rely on others; thugs, big gangs, hired muscle.” She leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs and rested a forearm on the back of the plastic chair. “It is up to us to research bigger crime. We’re spread thin; I’m the only field officer. Sidonis makes the tech for me, Stephen gathers information, Lake negotiates with those of power to not stand in my way. We don’t have enough manpower to take care of every bar brawl or convenience store theft.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Sic the Grim Reaper at ‘em,” Stephen grunted. “That’ll solve the crime rate.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia ignored the man’s comment, while Sidonis glared at the other man once more (the stare was anything but intimidating, as Sidonis was devouring another forkful of pasta at the time). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“If you’re so talkative, Stephen,” Ellenia said sternly, “tell me about that job.” She tilted her head to look at the man from the corner of her eye. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Stephen hesitated for a moment, his arms unfolding and he braced a hand on the countertop. “Alright, so,” he began, enthusiasm from earlier slowly coming back to his voice. “There is a convenience store on the 14th and 8th. Berky’s. The one near Rouge?” Ellenia nodded, indicating that she remembered the place. “Samantha, the clerk, told me that something’s weird been happening in the store. She’d lock up for the night, and the next morning come back to the aisles being turned upside down. Literally. Products would be all over the floor, others mixed up, some missing completely. And, get this, scratches appear on the floor. From claw marks.” He paused, expecting a reaction. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Instead, he got a slight shrug from Ellenia. “So it’s a dog,” she deadpanned. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No,” Stephen frowned, waving a hand in front of him. “Samantha here isn’t stupid. Or maybe she is. Either way, she decided to stay for the night once. It could be kids; you know? Some teens messing around. That’s what she thought, as she waited in the pantry armed with a revolver.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia raised a brow and turned towards Stephen, her lips thin. “She thinks there are kids messing with her store and she gets a revolver?” She asked. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What can I say? Samantha is a serious woman that loves her store,” Stephen said, raising both hands in defence.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Clearly. So what happened?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“That’s the tricky part. She doesn’t know. There were no kids in her store, that’s for sure. There were sounds and voices and scratching, but the lights were out and she couldn’t leave because the door was locked. She didn’t lock it; thought it would be easier for the kids to get in, prove her right. Samantha thinks the store’s haunted.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Haunted?” Ellenia stared at Justin, as did Sidonis who was busy switching his now empty plate with Ellenia’s. “Is this a joke?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. Would I joke over something like this?” Stephen looked offended and rolled his eyes at Ellenia, who gave him a look that she did expect him to joke over something as idiotic as a haunted convenience store. “Go check it out yourself. Samantha will be locking for the night in,” he checked the time by taking out his phone and thumbing it to bring out the screen, “an hour.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Rubbing her eyes with her thumb and index finger, Ellenia sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. After a moment of sitting like that, she looked at Justin. “You ready to go?” [/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Alice ate quietly as they talked about her at the table, the only response she gave the movement of her fork to her mouth. Whether it was a way to block out something she did not want to hear, or just another way for her to try and antagonize the people around her Justin wasn't sure, but it was something she was very good at, and something he absolutely disliked her doing. The subject had taken a strange turn and, whether her choice of words were deliberate or not, he could see how they had been taken one way by Sidonis. Silence was not the response he wanted to give, but the likelihood of him saying anything to make things better was very low. Besides, they were not completely far from the truth. While it was impossible for him and Alice to have anything close to a physical relationship, what they had was far too much to be called a simple friendship. Symbiotic maybe? It was true they needed each other in a way that only a couple might, but Justin had never viewed themselves through that kind of filter. The topic was making him very uncomfortable, and he was glad that somebody changed the subject eventually.
"So we're to be ghost hunters now, huh?" Justin grumbled through a mouthful of food. The pasta itself was cooked well, soft enough to chew easily but with a hint of resistance that made it enjoyable to chew. Hints of seasoning added to it made it clear who it was that cooked it, and the overabundance in of salt in the sauce made it clear who hadn't. Something so simple as that was a mistake that Alice would have never made in her own cooking, and Justin wondered why she had let Sidonis do any of the cooking in the first place. Whenever he shared a kitchen with her he was mostly relegated to prep duty, slicing vegetables or preparing ingredients for her to do the actual cooking. Maybe she had been trying to build some goodwill with the older man? It was not unusual for Alice to try to gain allies where possible. Justin shook his head slightly.
"I guess it's better than sitting around doing nothing," He shot a quick glance towards Stephen as he pushed his chair back, standing up abruptly with his plate in hand. Walking slowly to the sink he emptied the remains of his dinner into the disposal before running water over it briefly. Alice followed behind him quickly, doing the same with her own plate before setting it in the sink gently. Her small hand reached up to grip his shoulder, pulling his head closer down to her level so she could speak quietly.
"Behave yourself out there, understand?" The soft breath from her mouth grazed his ear, and he had to fight the urge to scratch at the tickle it caused. "There's enough reason here for them to dislike us, and I don't enjoy fighting against the whole world all the time."
Justin nodded before pausing, turning his head to look at her. "You aren't coming with us?"
Alice shook her head gently, sweeping a wet strand of hair from her forehead. "Not this time. It's too damn hot out there, and I've been sweating too much to not take a shower soon. hopefully Central will deliver on their promise to send a repair unit out to fix the air conditioning, but you never know." She smiled gently, patting him on the shoulder once more. "You'll be fine out there together though, and I'll be perfectly fine here. It's not the first time I've been in a building full of people I couldn't trust." With that she took off towards the stairs, shouting a quick "good luck" over her shoulder before disappearing into the dark.
He watched her go for a moment, suddenly feeling alone for the first time since they had arrived. Going on a fools errand did not scare him, he had long since grown out of his fear of the unknown, but being left alone with someone who may actually be able to do him harm was suddenly unnerving. Not that he expected her to ever actually be able to hurt him, but the possibility of this being some sort of trap had not been lost on him. Not that it would be the first time, but it was always a hassle to deal with, and it was possible that this Stephen character may come along to provide support. The edges of his glove slid looser as he unconsciously relaxed his hand, turning back to the table curtly.
"ready whenever you are, then."
Alice ate quietly as they talked about her at the table, the only response she gave the movement of her fork to her mouth. Whether it was a way to block out something she did not want to hear, or just another way for her to try and antagonize the people around her Justin wasn't sure, but it was something she was very good at, and something he absolutely disliked her doing. The subject had taken a strange turn and, whether her choice of words were deliberate or not, he could see how they had been taken one way by Sidonis. Silence was not the response he wanted to give, but the likelihood of him saying anything to make things better was very low. Besides, they were not completely far from the truth. While it was impossible for him and Alice to have anything close to a physical relationship, what they had was far too much to be called a simple friendship. Symbiotic maybe? It was true they needed each other in a way that only a couple might, but Justin had never viewed themselves through that kind of filter. The topic was making him very uncomfortable, and he was glad that somebody changed the subject eventually.
"So we're to be ghost hunters now, huh?" Justin grumbled through a mouthful of food. The pasta itself was cooked well, soft enough to chew easily but with a hint of resistance that made it enjoyable to chew. Hints of seasoning added to it made it clear who it was that cooked it, and the overabundance in of salt in the sauce made it clear who hadn't. Something so simple as that was a mistake that Alice would have never made in her own cooking, and Justin wondered why she had let Sidonis do any of the cooking in the first place. Whenever he shared a kitchen with her he was mostly relegated to prep duty, slicing vegetables or preparing ingredients for her to do the actual cooking. Maybe she had been trying to build some goodwill with the older man? It was not unusual for Alice to try to gain allies where possible. Justin shook his head slightly.
"I guess it's better than sitting around doing nothing," He shot a quick glance towards Stephen as he pushed his chair back, standing up abruptly with his plate in hand. Walking slowly to the sink he emptied the remains of his dinner into the disposal before running water over it briefly. Alice followed behind him quickly, doing the same with her own plate before setting it in the sink gently. Her small hand reached up to grip his shoulder, pulling his head closer down to her level so she could speak quietly.
"Behave yourself out there, understand?" The soft breath from her mouth grazed his ear, and he had to fight the urge to scratch at the tickle it caused. "There's enough reason here for them to dislike us, and I don't enjoy fighting against the whole world all the time."
Justin nodded before pausing, turning his head to look at her. "You aren't coming with us?"
Alice shook her head gently, sweeping a wet strand of hair from her forehead. "Not this time. It's too damn hot out there, and I've been sweating too much to not take a shower soon. hopefully Central will deliver on their promise to send a repair unit out to fix the air conditioning, but you never know." She smiled gently, patting him on the shoulder once more. "You'll be fine out there together though, and I'll be perfectly fine here. It's not the first time I've been in a building full of people I couldn't trust." With that she took off towards the stairs, shouting a quick "good luck" over her shoulder before disappearing into the dark.
He watched her go for a moment, suddenly feeling alone for the first time since they had arrived. Going on a fools errand did not scare him, he had long since grown out of his fear of the unknown, but being left alone with someone who may actually be able to do him harm was suddenly unnerving. Not that he expected her to ever actually be able to hurt him, but the possibility of this being some sort of trap had not been lost on him. Not that it would be the first time, but it was always a hassle to deal with, and it was possible that this Stephen character may come along to provide support. The edges of his glove slid looser as he unconsciously relaxed his hand, turning back to the table curtly.
"ready whenever you are, then."
Last edited by a moderator:
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]They arrived at the convenience store just in time to see its door being closed and the shutters rolling down from the other side. The little sign on the door glowed in bright blue letters over the glass that smoothly changed into a word Closed. From the other side of the door Ellenia could see a woman’s silhouette, a bright dot beside her head that she assumed to be the lit end of a cigarette. The lights were off and in the darkness she could only see the beginning of several aisles of products, standing tall and full on the tiled floor coloured in a black-white chess board pattern. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The little parking lot in front of Berky’s was shared with several other small shops. One was some sort of a cutlery shop, called Shaver and Others, beside it looming over the pavement with a large deep green sign, was HTR Clothing. Narrow stripes of lawn and gravel separated the shops, though the lawn was dried up and the gravel was intermixed with all sorts of rubbish like cigarette butts and bottle caps. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The shops stood in a semi-circle around the parking lot, which was empty save for Ellenia’s car, and they were all closed. Berky’s was the last one to close, apparently, and the shop’s clerk was tapping impatiently with her foot and the darting light of the cigarette showed that she was constantly looking behind her shoulder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia climbed out of the car and frowned as the hot current of air slid over her skin. Summer’s heat refused to give in even to the late hour. The setting sun above coloured the sky a peachy orange hue, and the only few clouds were ablaze with deep reds and yellows. Air rippled over the heated during the day cement roads. While the working on maximum setting air conditioner of Ellenia’s car did little to cool down the interior of her vehicle, it was much cooler in the car than it was in the streets. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Patting the gun at her side, Ellenia locked the car after Justin had closed the passenger’s door behind himself. They did not speak on the way to the store. Ellenia did not even look at the man. The silence was interrupted by the stuttering radio that spew out some song, to which Ellenia did not pay attention to, focusing her attention on the road and keeping herself awake. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The hot air was nauseating and it threatened to lull her back to sleep. Sweat slid down in narrow rivulets down her back and she wished for nothing more than to get rid of the coat and gloves. Hopefully, the store had working air conditioning. They could turn it on full power if Samantha wished not to spend another night in the supposedly haunted building. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]When Ellenia stepped towards the door the shutters did not stop sliding down, so she knocked a couple of times on the glass. Either Samantha did not hear or see Ellenia, or she was intent on ignoring her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“For fuck’s sake…” Ellenia muttered under her breath, fell down on her knee and pressed her Guardian’s badge, that she fished out of the back pocket of her jeans, against the glass. Loudly it thumped against the door and Ellenia knocked again, now with the badge itself. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The shutters continued closing for another moment, threatening to completely cover the door, but stopped a couple of inches above the place where Ellenia held the badge. The shutters shook and the handle turned, yet the door remained locked. A myriad of profanities was heard from the other side, at which Ellenia rose a brow either impressed with the combination of words or confused at whether they were directed at her. Slowly standing up, she glanced at Justin over her shoulder, and pocketed the badge. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Another moment passed before the door opened, revealing the dark store and a heavily built woman. She was as tall as Justin, with broad plump shoulders and a wide neck. Her hair was cut short and a great deal of product was applied to it, for the bangs lay across her forehead in straight strands that did not move at all when the woman cocked her head and regarded the two Guardians at the doorstep. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha was very pale, her white skin smooth and sporting at least half a dozen of tattoos over her arms and exposed cleavage. From beneath a low cut black tank top a large part of her pink undergarments could be seen, and the shirt did a poor job in covering her stomach that fell over the waistband of the short jean skirt. In comparison to fully clothed Ellenia and Justin, Samantha looked out of place. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What do you want?” Samantha asked sternly, exhaling the smoke that lingered before her face. Her bright blue eyes bore into Ellenia and Justin and she rose a drawn on brow (for her own were missing) at the attire that both Guardians wore. “You two cold or somethin’?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Are you Samantha?” Ellenia ignored the clerk’s question and peered over the woman’s shoulder – which was no small feat, as the woman was taller – to look at the store. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes. What do you want?” The clerk repeated. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I was told you have a…haunting problem,” Ellenia said with a frown, realizing just how stupid she sounded. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha chewed on her bottom lip in contemplation, smearing the remaining red lipstick over her teeth. “You Stephen’s men?” She looked at Justin and let Ellenia enter the store, eyeing the woman from head to toe in an assessing way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You can say that,” Ellenia replied. Maybe she ought to tell Stephen that it was not he who was in charge of the Division. This was not the first time she was referred to as someone who worked for Stephen, instead of the other way around. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The store was empty and small. About half a dozen aisles were in the middle of the shop, while at the back and sides the coolers housed all sorts of drinks and chilled products. Everything was switched off, along with the air conditioning that appeared not to have been working the entire day. It was very hot in the store, with the air heavy and smelling of sweat and old air fresheners. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Ellenia entered a row between two floor to ceiling shelves (the one to her left held packets of rice, pasta and flower; the one on the right a variety of spices) she scanned the floor in the dim lightning that lit the store through the opened door. Everything appeared to be in order, except for—[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia halted and crouched down by the end of the left aisle. There were marks on the floor, visible only on the white tiles. Someone had moved the shelves, leaving dark streaks. Ellenia followed the path, her eyes straining to see through the darkness, her gloved hand skirting over the marks. They were little dents in the tiles, becoming deeper closer to where the shelves now stood. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A momentary glance was thrown on her shoulder. Samantha was fidgeting a lot, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she continued to chew on her bottom lip and played around with the still lit cigarette. Warily she looked at what Ellenia was doing, though did not move from her spot by the door as if she was ready to run out at any second. Noticing Ellenia’s stare, Samantha looked at Justin as if waiting for confirmation that she was allowed to come closer to the female officer, and gingerly neared Ellenia. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What’s this?” Ellenia pointed at the marks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I don’t know,” Samantha answered and pursed her lips. “Been there since last night. Don’t know how it got there.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Slowly, Ellenia pulled off her glove and brushed her fingers over the scratches on the floor. They were not deep, though rough and not caused by moving the shelves around, as she had guessed at first. This was done by something much heavier. And something magical, for she felt a prickling sensation at the tips of her fingers. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Nice tats,” Samantha said. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Thanks.” Ellenia pulled the glove back on. “Tell me how it all began.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha was hesitant at first, chewing on her lip to stop only to finish her cigarette that she extinguished back at the cashier’s counter. Rounding the counter, she cracked her plump fingers and remained quiet for the longest moment, during which Ellenia examined the scratches and the products on the shelves beside her, looking for anything that could have made such dents in the tiles. Unless some other items lined the shelves before, the pasta packets and boxes of bagged rice did not look heavy enough to fall and ruin the floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The clerk launched into her monologue that did not tell Ellenia anything new. It all began a couple of days ago, happening only during the night when Samantha was not present in the shop. The missing products were all random and she found some of them all over the shop during inspection the following day. Some shelves were moved, so she had to put them back in their respective places. No money was missing, or anything else of value for that matter. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was when Samantha reached the part of the other night that she stopped, lit another cigarette and moved closer to the shop’s exit. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Why isn’t the smoke alarm working?” Ellenia asked, looking at the ceiling. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Been broken since this started happening,” Samantha explained, tapping the ash onto the ground outside the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was becoming dark outside and maybe the late hour made the clerk continue her story. She’d hidden in the pantry some nights ago, waiting for the intruder to arrive so she’d confront them. Instead, no teenagers or any people for that matter entered the shop. She had not heard the front door open, and the windows could not be opened from any side unless the glass was broken. There was a backdoor, it was nailed shut years ago. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The sounds, apparently, started happening starting eleven o’clock in the evening. They were whispers of words that Samantha could not quite hear, in a language that she did not know. Laughter, too. It was then that she opened the pantry and switched on the lights, only to find them not working. The sounds at that moment stopped. Then the shelves began moving, the products flying in all directions and some even hit her (at that part of the story she pointed at her shin, which was bruised). She’d spent the rest of the night locked up in the pantry, with something trying to break in. All the commotion stopped around three in the morning, and she dared go out only when the first customer began knocking on the front door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No one got in,” Samantha stuttered, her eyes wide with panic. “I checked the cams, and they were broken. Can I go now?” Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had been pacing down an aisle, her hands in the pockets of her coat. “Justin, thoughts?” She called out. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]They arrived at the convenience store just in time to see its door being closed and the shutters rolling down from the other side. The little sign on the door glowed in bright blue letters over the glass that smoothly changed into a word Closed. From the other side of the door Ellenia could see a woman’s silhouette, a bright dot beside her head that she assumed to be the lit end of a cigarette. The lights were off and in the darkness she could only see the beginning of several aisles of products, standing tall and full on the tiled floor coloured in a black-white chess board pattern. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The little parking lot in front of Berky’s was shared with several other small shops. One was some sort of a cutlery shop, called Shaver and Others, beside it looming over the pavement with a large deep green sign, was HTR Clothing. Narrow stripes of lawn and gravel separated the shops, though the lawn was dried up and the gravel was intermixed with all sorts of rubbish like cigarette butts and bottle caps. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The shops stood in a semi-circle around the parking lot, which was empty save for Ellenia’s car, and they were all closed. Berky’s was the last one to close, apparently, and the shop’s clerk was tapping impatiently with her foot and the darting light of the cigarette showed that she was constantly looking behind her shoulder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia climbed out of the car and frowned as the hot current of air slid over her skin. Summer’s heat refused to give in even to the late hour. The setting sun above coloured the sky a peachy orange hue, and the only few clouds were ablaze with deep reds and yellows. Air rippled over the heated during the day cement roads. While the working on maximum setting air conditioner of Ellenia’s car did little to cool down the interior of her vehicle, it was much cooler in the car than it was in the streets. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Patting the gun at her side, Ellenia locked the car after Justin had closed the passenger’s door behind himself. They did not speak on the way to the store. Ellenia did not even look at the man. The silence was interrupted by the stuttering radio that spew out some song, to which Ellenia did not pay attention to, focusing her attention on the road and keeping herself awake. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The hot air was nauseating and it threatened to lull her back to sleep. Sweat slid down in narrow rivulets down her back and she wished for nothing more than to get rid of the coat and gloves. Hopefully, the store had working air conditioning. They could turn it on full power if Samantha wished not to spend another night in the supposedly haunted building. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]When Ellenia stepped towards the door the shutters did not stop sliding down, so she knocked a couple of times on the glass. Either Samantha did not hear or see Ellenia, or she was intent on ignoring her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“For fuck’s sake…” Ellenia muttered under her breath, fell down on her knee and pressed her Guardian’s badge, that she fished out of the back pocket of her jeans, against the glass. Loudly it thumped against the door and Ellenia knocked again, now with the badge itself. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The shutters continued closing for another moment, threatening to completely cover the door, but stopped a couple of inches above the place where Ellenia held the badge. The shutters shook and the handle turned, yet the door remained locked. A myriad of profanities was heard from the other side, at which Ellenia rose a brow either impressed with the combination of words or confused at whether they were directed at her. Slowly standing up, she glanced at Justin over her shoulder, and pocketed the badge. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Another moment passed before the door opened, revealing the dark store and a heavily built woman. She was as tall as Justin, with broad plump shoulders and a wide neck. Her hair was cut short and a great deal of product was applied to it, for the bangs lay across her forehead in straight strands that did not move at all when the woman cocked her head and regarded the two Guardians at the doorstep. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha was very pale, her white skin smooth and sporting at least half a dozen of tattoos over her arms and exposed cleavage. From beneath a low cut black tank top a large part of her pink undergarments could be seen, and the shirt did a poor job in covering her stomach that fell over the waistband of the short jean skirt. In comparison to fully clothed Ellenia and Justin, Samantha looked out of place. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What do you want?” Samantha asked sternly, exhaling the smoke that lingered before her face. Her bright blue eyes bore into Ellenia and Justin and she rose a drawn on brow (for her own were missing) at the attire that both Guardians wore. “You two cold or somethin’?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Are you Samantha?” Ellenia ignored the clerk’s question and peered over the woman’s shoulder – which was no small feat, as the woman was taller – to look at the store. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes. What do you want?” The clerk repeated. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I was told you have a…haunting problem,” Ellenia said with a frown, realizing just how stupid she sounded. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha chewed on her bottom lip in contemplation, smearing the remaining red lipstick over her teeth. “You Stephen’s men?” She looked at Justin and let Ellenia enter the store, eyeing the woman from head to toe in an assessing way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You can say that,” Ellenia replied. Maybe she ought to tell Stephen that it was not he who was in charge of the Division. This was not the first time she was referred to as someone who worked for Stephen, instead of the other way around. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The store was empty and small. About half a dozen aisles were in the middle of the shop, while at the back and sides the coolers housed all sorts of drinks and chilled products. Everything was switched off, along with the air conditioning that appeared not to have been working the entire day. It was very hot in the store, with the air heavy and smelling of sweat and old air fresheners. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As Ellenia entered a row between two floor to ceiling shelves (the one to her left held packets of rice, pasta and flower; the one on the right a variety of spices) she scanned the floor in the dim lightning that lit the store through the opened door. Everything appeared to be in order, except for—[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia halted and crouched down by the end of the left aisle. There were marks on the floor, visible only on the white tiles. Someone had moved the shelves, leaving dark streaks. Ellenia followed the path, her eyes straining to see through the darkness, her gloved hand skirting over the marks. They were little dents in the tiles, becoming deeper closer to where the shelves now stood. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A momentary glance was thrown on her shoulder. Samantha was fidgeting a lot, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she continued to chew on her bottom lip and played around with the still lit cigarette. Warily she looked at what Ellenia was doing, though did not move from her spot by the door as if she was ready to run out at any second. Noticing Ellenia’s stare, Samantha looked at Justin as if waiting for confirmation that she was allowed to come closer to the female officer, and gingerly neared Ellenia. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“What’s this?” Ellenia pointed at the marks. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I don’t know,” Samantha answered and pursed her lips. “Been there since last night. Don’t know how it got there.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Slowly, Ellenia pulled off her glove and brushed her fingers over the scratches on the floor. They were not deep, though rough and not caused by moving the shelves around, as she had guessed at first. This was done by something much heavier. And something magical, for she felt a prickling sensation at the tips of her fingers. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Nice tats,” Samantha said. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Thanks.” Ellenia pulled the glove back on. “Tell me how it all began.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha was hesitant at first, chewing on her lip to stop only to finish her cigarette that she extinguished back at the cashier’s counter. Rounding the counter, she cracked her plump fingers and remained quiet for the longest moment, during which Ellenia examined the scratches and the products on the shelves beside her, looking for anything that could have made such dents in the tiles. Unless some other items lined the shelves before, the pasta packets and boxes of bagged rice did not look heavy enough to fall and ruin the floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The clerk launched into her monologue that did not tell Ellenia anything new. It all began a couple of days ago, happening only during the night when Samantha was not present in the shop. The missing products were all random and she found some of them all over the shop during inspection the following day. Some shelves were moved, so she had to put them back in their respective places. No money was missing, or anything else of value for that matter. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was when Samantha reached the part of the other night that she stopped, lit another cigarette and moved closer to the shop’s exit. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Why isn’t the smoke alarm working?” Ellenia asked, looking at the ceiling. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Been broken since this started happening,” Samantha explained, tapping the ash onto the ground outside the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was becoming dark outside and maybe the late hour made the clerk continue her story. She’d hidden in the pantry some nights ago, waiting for the intruder to arrive so she’d confront them. Instead, no teenagers or any people for that matter entered the shop. She had not heard the front door open, and the windows could not be opened from any side unless the glass was broken. There was a backdoor, it was nailed shut years ago. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The sounds, apparently, started happening starting eleven o’clock in the evening. They were whispers of words that Samantha could not quite hear, in a language that she did not know. Laughter, too. It was then that she opened the pantry and switched on the lights, only to find them not working. The sounds at that moment stopped. Then the shelves began moving, the products flying in all directions and some even hit her (at that part of the story she pointed at her shin, which was bruised). She’d spent the rest of the night locked up in the pantry, with something trying to break in. All the commotion stopped around three in the morning, and she dared go out only when the first customer began knocking on the front door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No one got in,” Samantha stuttered, her eyes wide with panic. “I checked the cams, and they were broken. Can I go now?” Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had been pacing down an aisle, her hands in the pockets of her coat. “Justin, thoughts?” She called out. [/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Air cooled by its movement followed them in through the door, the only relief from the heat he had felt all day, even if it was only temporary. Justin allowed himself to enjoy it, standing near the door with his eyes closed as he listened to the near hysterical womans story. Ghost tales, things that went bump in the night. The pair of eyes watching from the shadows as you tried to sleep. Hogwash, all of it. There were things in this world that you should absolutely be terrified of, Justin knew that better than most people, but they were all explainable, all observable and, in most cases just plain old human beings. When his eyes finally opened at the end of the story, he regarded her calmly, drinking in her appearance and mannerisms with a detached, uninterested gaze. Trashy, low self esteem but the confidence to act like that wasn't true. A smoker, unable to resist addiction or requiring the comfort to get through her life. Fear. Irrational fear.
"Justin, thoughts?"
Turning his attention to wear she knelt near the ground, he frowned slightly as she stuck her finger into the divots in the floor. Too rough to be made by the feet of the shelves, not deep enough to be made by some sort of tool. They were visceral, like that of some sort of beast. If the person causing this commotion had not brought some sort of animal in with him, he had gone out of his way to make it seem like he had in order to distill fear in this woman. It had worked perfectly. "If the door was not broken down, and no windows were opened or shattered, then the person must have already been in the building. A back closet perhaps, or behind some shelving." His words were low and muttered, more of him conversing with himself than either of the woman. Stephen had seemed pretty sure that this woman was dealing with the paranormal and, while her story was entirely odd and the circumstances before him were not entirely easy to explain, Justin saw no signs of anything extraordinary happening here.
"It's likely someone is just trying to scare you, perhaps cause you to close your business or move away." Justin raised his voice to a normal level, speaking clearly into the silence of the building. "If you have any known enemies, I'd start there. If you can't think of any, then it may be someone who has not made themselves apparent yet. But ghosts aren't real, miss. You're far too old to believe in that stuff anymore." Rounding the corner silently, he slipped his gloves off, laying them on the counter top gently before leaning against the wall. A red light above flickered on, then quickly off, the stuttering attempt at the smoke alarm to restart itself. A soft tick from the clock on the wall drew his attention, and his eyes caught Samantha doing the same, her expression on of eagerness to escape."Do they always come at the same time?"
"More or less," she said between drags, blowing the smoke out slowly as to try and calm herself. "It's usually a little bit after I close up, though that's not always very consistent these days. It's never happened when the store was open though"
Justins eyes narrowed as he regarded her lightly, the light in his eyes disappearing briefly as he retreated into his own thoughts. Scaring her seemed to be the biggest intent here, but if so, why would they wait until the building was presumably closed? It was clear she was here alone closing up most nights, so why not do it simply when she was here alone? To make it seem paranormal? Effective, but slow. Unless this person had more patience than anyone else he had met in the world, they surely would have wanted her to leave as soon as possible. Scaring her in a very physical way, one she was able to see and experience would have been a much simpler way to go about it.
"Go," his hand waved softly at the door. "If you want me to catch this person for you, I will. But it's clear that you are no longer going to be useful, and all you'll be able to do here is get in my way." Justin paused long enough to pull his other glove off before setting it on top of the other. "Lock your door, keep your lights on and your gun nearby. If this person doesn't show tonight, it's likely he will escalate things to the next level, and attacking you at home is a likely next step. Give us a call if he does."
Air cooled by its movement followed them in through the door, the only relief from the heat he had felt all day, even if it was only temporary. Justin allowed himself to enjoy it, standing near the door with his eyes closed as he listened to the near hysterical womans story. Ghost tales, things that went bump in the night. The pair of eyes watching from the shadows as you tried to sleep. Hogwash, all of it. There were things in this world that you should absolutely be terrified of, Justin knew that better than most people, but they were all explainable, all observable and, in most cases just plain old human beings. When his eyes finally opened at the end of the story, he regarded her calmly, drinking in her appearance and mannerisms with a detached, uninterested gaze. Trashy, low self esteem but the confidence to act like that wasn't true. A smoker, unable to resist addiction or requiring the comfort to get through her life. Fear. Irrational fear.
"Justin, thoughts?"
Turning his attention to wear she knelt near the ground, he frowned slightly as she stuck her finger into the divots in the floor. Too rough to be made by the feet of the shelves, not deep enough to be made by some sort of tool. They were visceral, like that of some sort of beast. If the person causing this commotion had not brought some sort of animal in with him, he had gone out of his way to make it seem like he had in order to distill fear in this woman. It had worked perfectly. "If the door was not broken down, and no windows were opened or shattered, then the person must have already been in the building. A back closet perhaps, or behind some shelving." His words were low and muttered, more of him conversing with himself than either of the woman. Stephen had seemed pretty sure that this woman was dealing with the paranormal and, while her story was entirely odd and the circumstances before him were not entirely easy to explain, Justin saw no signs of anything extraordinary happening here.
"It's likely someone is just trying to scare you, perhaps cause you to close your business or move away." Justin raised his voice to a normal level, speaking clearly into the silence of the building. "If you have any known enemies, I'd start there. If you can't think of any, then it may be someone who has not made themselves apparent yet. But ghosts aren't real, miss. You're far too old to believe in that stuff anymore." Rounding the corner silently, he slipped his gloves off, laying them on the counter top gently before leaning against the wall. A red light above flickered on, then quickly off, the stuttering attempt at the smoke alarm to restart itself. A soft tick from the clock on the wall drew his attention, and his eyes caught Samantha doing the same, her expression on of eagerness to escape."Do they always come at the same time?"
"More or less," she said between drags, blowing the smoke out slowly as to try and calm herself. "It's usually a little bit after I close up, though that's not always very consistent these days. It's never happened when the store was open though"
Justins eyes narrowed as he regarded her lightly, the light in his eyes disappearing briefly as he retreated into his own thoughts. Scaring her seemed to be the biggest intent here, but if so, why would they wait until the building was presumably closed? It was clear she was here alone closing up most nights, so why not do it simply when she was here alone? To make it seem paranormal? Effective, but slow. Unless this person had more patience than anyone else he had met in the world, they surely would have wanted her to leave as soon as possible. Scaring her in a very physical way, one she was able to see and experience would have been a much simpler way to go about it.
"Go," his hand waved softly at the door. "If you want me to catch this person for you, I will. But it's clear that you are no longer going to be useful, and all you'll be able to do here is get in my way." Justin paused long enough to pull his other glove off before setting it on top of the other. "Lock your door, keep your lights on and your gun nearby. If this person doesn't show tonight, it's likely he will escalate things to the next level, and attacking you at home is a likely next step. Give us a call if he does."
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Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had gotten to her feet when Justin spoke, his voice slightly muffled by the distance and the shelves between them. Pacing through the aisle, Ellenia surveyed the store again. Carefully and slowly this time, looking at the smallest of details that could point her (them, now, she supposed; it wasn’t just her on the case) to the culprit. The shop looked normal, serene, an everyday little convenience store that people who lived nearby visited often to buy some groceries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There was nothing out of the ordinary. Save for the unusual cleanliness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The floors were shining, bright and polished, especially around the areas where the dents marred the floor. Oh, there were many. One under a shelf carrying some canned soups and vegetables. Another by the counter, going up towards the paint that began to chip off around the divots. Some were on the walls, hidden by the shadows and the shelves of cigarettes or some trinkets that tourists would have favoured had District 36 any. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha, Ellenia guessed, tried to hide the damage to her shop. The woman herself looked anything but a clean-freak. The way she tapped the ash onto the floor spoke for itself. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Continuing to pace through the store, both hands in her pockets for the time being, Ellenia nodded to herself a couple of times as she listened to Justin. His opinion should have mattered, but it didn’t. Not when it was so…common. A theory of a mysterious someone who was harassing the shop clerk. Obvious. Clear-cut. Boring. There were too many holes in that story, missing pieces of a puzzle that Ellenia was trying to build in her mind from having seen the scratches on the walls and the floor and the occasional stains from, what she assumed to be, thrown around grocery products. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She wasn’t one to believe in supernatural. Not the kind of ghosts and monsters under the bed, at least. No, there might be something strange out there. Something made with magic. After all, Justin and her weren’t quite normal themselves. What were the chances of something else being out there, in the world, made and moulded by magic? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]If there was, then the world has a strange sense of humour to put a supernatural being in a little convenience store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]When Justin moved to the counter, Ellenia was on the other end of the shop, looking up at the wall where the paint was newer. It was a few shades darker than the original. Coincidence, perhaps, but she ran her hand over the paint anyway. And felt nothing. Just a prickle of cold surface of the wall against her fingertips. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]This case would either turn out very interesting or very boring. The night would tell. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You think it’s someone?” Ellenia heard Samantha say to Justin, her words distorted as she blew the smoke out slowly. “It can’t be. There was scratching in the middle of the night, I’m telling you. Someone was trying to get through that door.” When Ellenia rounded a shelf she could see Samantha pointing at the back of the shop, at the pantry door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It looks fine to me,” Ellenia claimed, eyeing the door with a crinkle to her brow. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Because I had to change it. The middle was broken through,” Samantha said, sounding as much annoyed as she was scared. When Ellenia raised a brow at the clerk, she continued with a shaky voice as her fingers played around with the cigarette. “I hid inside of the pantry, right? Waited for whoever it was to come over, do what they usually did at night. Then it started happening and I opened the door, went to go check on the shop, shoot a few blanks at the kids. You know, to threaten them, scare them, I don’t know I was pissed. There was only darkness when I opened the door, and then some…shade darted to the door. I closed it and it…it ran at it over and over, trying to break through. It was a thin door, see. An old one, of wood. Not those fancy metal doors that you open with magic. Well I changed it to the new one now, not to have it broken again. They cost a lot.” She spoke through drags, her thumb continuing to play with the end of the nearly finished cigarette. “It stopped when it nearly broke through. I hid there until dawn. What I am saying is, it can’t be someone. Not unless that someone hates me so much. I mean, I pissed off some people. Don’t we all? They wouldn’t do this though. Who would? Beat me up, sure. Harass me to pay back the debt, I can understand. But to mess up my shop? No, this isn’t no someone.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Has this been happening in your house too?” Ellenia asked and turned to look at Samantha but instead her gaze froze on Justin’s hands and Ellenia felt herself become a shade paler. With thinned lips she regarded Justin and moved her hand towards the gun. Just in case.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha did not seem to care. Of course, the clerk didn’t know that Justin could bump into her on accident and end her life in a moment. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. Not yet. Will it?” Samantha said and stepped onto the cigarette as she let it drop outside the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Maybe. Call the Guardians if you hear or see something strange,” she repeated Justin’s words. “Let’s go to my car, I need your signature on some papers.” Ellenia gestured for Samantha to exit the shop but instead the clerk stayed still and raised her hands to put them on Ellenia’s shoulders. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You staying here? For the night?” The clerk asked, her eyes wide and darting from Ellenia to the clock above their heads.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes,” Ellenia said as she shook off the hold. Or tried to. Samantha, for all her plumpness and softness, had a steel grip that would warrant a compliment from Sam. “Give me the keys. Tomorrow morning come to work as you usually would and we will discuss what happened. Alright? Let’s go. The longer we stay here, the less is the chance that whoever is doing this sees us and doesn’t visit tonight.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]After another shocked glare, the clerk obeyed, snatched a leather jacket from a hook by the door, and left the store. Ellenia left without a word as well, though she did eye Justin coldly, promising him a conversation that he wouldn’t like when she came back after dealing with the paperwork. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia returned a short while after. It was getting dark outside at that point, with the sky turning into a hue of dark blue and bloody orange on the horizon. Samantha was fidgeting the entire time they were by the car. The clerk would eye the shop warily and chew on her bottom lip and on occasion mention that Justin shouldn’t stay alone in the shop for too long by himself. Ellenia only grumped a response that her partner would be fine, her words sounding more annoyed than she intended. She’d been searching the backseats for the paperwork until she’d found the right papers to fill out. Perhaps it was time to clean the car. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Closing she door behind her, Ellenia left it unlocked and pocketed the keys (given to her by the clerk) into the back pocket of her jeans. She headed for the counter and eyed Justin’s hands warily.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Put them on,” she said coldly and jerked her chin at the gloves. “I am no nanny to watch if you are fully clothed and warm. If someone really is terrorizing this store, for whatever fucked up reason, I don’t want to end up with a dead suspect by the end of the night. Understood?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia had gotten to her feet when Justin spoke, his voice slightly muffled by the distance and the shelves between them. Pacing through the aisle, Ellenia surveyed the store again. Carefully and slowly this time, looking at the smallest of details that could point her (them, now, she supposed; it wasn’t just her on the case) to the culprit. The shop looked normal, serene, an everyday little convenience store that people who lived nearby visited often to buy some groceries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There was nothing out of the ordinary. Save for the unusual cleanliness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The floors were shining, bright and polished, especially around the areas where the dents marred the floor. Oh, there were many. One under a shelf carrying some canned soups and vegetables. Another by the counter, going up towards the paint that began to chip off around the divots. Some were on the walls, hidden by the shadows and the shelves of cigarettes or some trinkets that tourists would have favoured had District 36 any. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha, Ellenia guessed, tried to hide the damage to her shop. The woman herself looked anything but a clean-freak. The way she tapped the ash onto the floor spoke for itself. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Continuing to pace through the store, both hands in her pockets for the time being, Ellenia nodded to herself a couple of times as she listened to Justin. His opinion should have mattered, but it didn’t. Not when it was so…common. A theory of a mysterious someone who was harassing the shop clerk. Obvious. Clear-cut. Boring. There were too many holes in that story, missing pieces of a puzzle that Ellenia was trying to build in her mind from having seen the scratches on the walls and the floor and the occasional stains from, what she assumed to be, thrown around grocery products. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She wasn’t one to believe in supernatural. Not the kind of ghosts and monsters under the bed, at least. No, there might be something strange out there. Something made with magic. After all, Justin and her weren’t quite normal themselves. What were the chances of something else being out there, in the world, made and moulded by magic? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]If there was, then the world has a strange sense of humour to put a supernatural being in a little convenience store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]When Justin moved to the counter, Ellenia was on the other end of the shop, looking up at the wall where the paint was newer. It was a few shades darker than the original. Coincidence, perhaps, but she ran her hand over the paint anyway. And felt nothing. Just a prickle of cold surface of the wall against her fingertips. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]This case would either turn out very interesting or very boring. The night would tell. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You think it’s someone?” Ellenia heard Samantha say to Justin, her words distorted as she blew the smoke out slowly. “It can’t be. There was scratching in the middle of the night, I’m telling you. Someone was trying to get through that door.” When Ellenia rounded a shelf she could see Samantha pointing at the back of the shop, at the pantry door. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“It looks fine to me,” Ellenia claimed, eyeing the door with a crinkle to her brow. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Because I had to change it. The middle was broken through,” Samantha said, sounding as much annoyed as she was scared. When Ellenia raised a brow at the clerk, she continued with a shaky voice as her fingers played around with the cigarette. “I hid inside of the pantry, right? Waited for whoever it was to come over, do what they usually did at night. Then it started happening and I opened the door, went to go check on the shop, shoot a few blanks at the kids. You know, to threaten them, scare them, I don’t know I was pissed. There was only darkness when I opened the door, and then some…shade darted to the door. I closed it and it…it ran at it over and over, trying to break through. It was a thin door, see. An old one, of wood. Not those fancy metal doors that you open with magic. Well I changed it to the new one now, not to have it broken again. They cost a lot.” She spoke through drags, her thumb continuing to play with the end of the nearly finished cigarette. “It stopped when it nearly broke through. I hid there until dawn. What I am saying is, it can’t be someone. Not unless that someone hates me so much. I mean, I pissed off some people. Don’t we all? They wouldn’t do this though. Who would? Beat me up, sure. Harass me to pay back the debt, I can understand. But to mess up my shop? No, this isn’t no someone.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Has this been happening in your house too?” Ellenia asked and turned to look at Samantha but instead her gaze froze on Justin’s hands and Ellenia felt herself become a shade paler. With thinned lips she regarded Justin and moved her hand towards the gun. Just in case.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Samantha did not seem to care. Of course, the clerk didn’t know that Justin could bump into her on accident and end her life in a moment. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“No. Not yet. Will it?” Samantha said and stepped onto the cigarette as she let it drop outside the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Maybe. Call the Guardians if you hear or see something strange,” she repeated Justin’s words. “Let’s go to my car, I need your signature on some papers.” Ellenia gestured for Samantha to exit the shop but instead the clerk stayed still and raised her hands to put them on Ellenia’s shoulders. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You staying here? For the night?” The clerk asked, her eyes wide and darting from Ellenia to the clock above their heads.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Yes,” Ellenia said as she shook off the hold. Or tried to. Samantha, for all her plumpness and softness, had a steel grip that would warrant a compliment from Sam. “Give me the keys. Tomorrow morning come to work as you usually would and we will discuss what happened. Alright? Let’s go. The longer we stay here, the less is the chance that whoever is doing this sees us and doesn’t visit tonight.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]After another shocked glare, the clerk obeyed, snatched a leather jacket from a hook by the door, and left the store. Ellenia left without a word as well, though she did eye Justin coldly, promising him a conversation that he wouldn’t like when she came back after dealing with the paperwork. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia returned a short while after. It was getting dark outside at that point, with the sky turning into a hue of dark blue and bloody orange on the horizon. Samantha was fidgeting the entire time they were by the car. The clerk would eye the shop warily and chew on her bottom lip and on occasion mention that Justin shouldn’t stay alone in the shop for too long by himself. Ellenia only grumped a response that her partner would be fine, her words sounding more annoyed than she intended. She’d been searching the backseats for the paperwork until she’d found the right papers to fill out. Perhaps it was time to clean the car. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Closing she door behind her, Ellenia left it unlocked and pocketed the keys (given to her by the clerk) into the back pocket of her jeans. She headed for the counter and eyed Justin’s hands warily.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Put them on,” she said coldly and jerked her chin at the gloves. “I am no nanny to watch if you are fully clothed and warm. If someone really is terrorizing this store, for whatever fucked up reason, I don’t want to end up with a dead suspect by the end of the night. Understood?” [/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Justin ignored her silently, cracking his knuckles slowly as he rested his back against the wall. In her perfect world of Law and Order, he was sure that everything ended up perfectly, that every suspect went down without a fight and every villain surrendered when they were beat. This was not that world though, and the things that Justin had seen done to this shop had made him very aware that whomever this was, and whatever animal they were using to bring with them, were not likely to just give up because a couple of cops told them to. "And what will you do if they do allow you to arrest them? If they've brought some sort of animal with them and decide that it would be better for them to fight?" His eyes moved to the clock, counting how long they had left before... something was supposed to happen.
"Your ability might make it so that simple magic cannot harm you. But how about a gun? Or teeth? Will it deflect a large dog, or whatever else this person may have brought with them?" An eye roll was the only attention she got from him. "A dead dog is better than a dead cop, and you don't seem capable enough to keep yourself in one piece. I might be very good at killing people, but I'm also very good at keeping others alive. If the time comes, me taking a moment to remove my clothes might mean you don't come back. Not that I would particularly care, but my file is already large enough."
Soft sounds of an engine revving up filtered through the walls, the tires squeaking gently as Samantha pulled out and away from the shop. If the perpetrator had seen her leave, it was a possibility nothing would happen tonight. The effort it took to break down a door, even of thin wood, meant things were likely escalating, and if Samantha had managed to catch any sort of glimpse of who had done it, the stakes for her stalker went up significantly. If nobody came tonight, the chances of her being in real danger at home would go up significantly. Staying here was a gamble.
"Almost time to find out if you're right," He remarked softly, watching the clock intently as the hands counted down the final moments of the hour. "Maybe they'll give you a reward for catching the first real ghost. Wouldn't that be something." Justin's delivery was flat and emotionless, a side effect of him either not caring or being focused; which one was not clear. The sarcasm was though. If this turned out as mundane as he thought it would, it was only slightly more than a total waste of time. it was likely Samantha had angered some ex boyfriend, or some business rival and they were doing what they could to make her life a living hell. Violence demanded police attention, sure. But you could only clean up the mistakes a persons stupidity caused so many times before you stopped caring.
The clock on the wall chimed suddenly, announcing the passing of the hour. Tension in his arms and shoulders relaxed briefly as nobody appeared, but tightened once more as a soft gush of wind blew across the room. The air conditioning was off or not working, and the small single fan on the ceiling was not enough to move any noticeable amount of air. No windows or doors were open that he could see, but surely there were entrances somewhere in the back. Justin's eyes narrowed and his hands tightened into fists. "Someone's coming."
Justin ignored her silently, cracking his knuckles slowly as he rested his back against the wall. In her perfect world of Law and Order, he was sure that everything ended up perfectly, that every suspect went down without a fight and every villain surrendered when they were beat. This was not that world though, and the things that Justin had seen done to this shop had made him very aware that whomever this was, and whatever animal they were using to bring with them, were not likely to just give up because a couple of cops told them to. "And what will you do if they do allow you to arrest them? If they've brought some sort of animal with them and decide that it would be better for them to fight?" His eyes moved to the clock, counting how long they had left before... something was supposed to happen.
"Your ability might make it so that simple magic cannot harm you. But how about a gun? Or teeth? Will it deflect a large dog, or whatever else this person may have brought with them?" An eye roll was the only attention she got from him. "A dead dog is better than a dead cop, and you don't seem capable enough to keep yourself in one piece. I might be very good at killing people, but I'm also very good at keeping others alive. If the time comes, me taking a moment to remove my clothes might mean you don't come back. Not that I would particularly care, but my file is already large enough."
Soft sounds of an engine revving up filtered through the walls, the tires squeaking gently as Samantha pulled out and away from the shop. If the perpetrator had seen her leave, it was a possibility nothing would happen tonight. The effort it took to break down a door, even of thin wood, meant things were likely escalating, and if Samantha had managed to catch any sort of glimpse of who had done it, the stakes for her stalker went up significantly. If nobody came tonight, the chances of her being in real danger at home would go up significantly. Staying here was a gamble.
"Almost time to find out if you're right," He remarked softly, watching the clock intently as the hands counted down the final moments of the hour. "Maybe they'll give you a reward for catching the first real ghost. Wouldn't that be something." Justin's delivery was flat and emotionless, a side effect of him either not caring or being focused; which one was not clear. The sarcasm was though. If this turned out as mundane as he thought it would, it was only slightly more than a total waste of time. it was likely Samantha had angered some ex boyfriend, or some business rival and they were doing what they could to make her life a living hell. Violence demanded police attention, sure. But you could only clean up the mistakes a persons stupidity caused so many times before you stopped caring.
The clock on the wall chimed suddenly, announcing the passing of the hour. Tension in his arms and shoulders relaxed briefly as nobody appeared, but tightened once more as a soft gush of wind blew across the room. The air conditioning was off or not working, and the small single fan on the ceiling was not enough to move any noticeable amount of air. No windows or doors were open that he could see, but surely there were entrances somewhere in the back. Justin's eyes narrowed and his hands tightened into fists. "Someone's coming."
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Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I was trained,” Ellenia said as she rose a brow at Justin. “Different programs, different training. If someone points a gun at me, I am not going to be a deer in a headlight. If an animal attacks me, I will shoot at it. I’m not a rookie right out of the academy, you know.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia listened to Justin silently, her hands on her hips and her stance falsely relaxed. The gun was only an inch from her hand. If the man tried to reach for her, she’d grab the gun faster. She was already regretting bringing Justin with her. Other than the supposed someone who was terrorizing the shop, she also had to watch out for her own partner not to kill her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You’ve lost four partners. That isn’t what I see as “keeping others alive,” Ellenia offered coolly and turned around, heading for the aisle that led towards a coffee machine at the back that she’d spotted while pacing around the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I’d rather have faith in my gun than in a person who can bump into me and kill me instantly,” she said over her shoulder as she neared the coffee machine. The lights on it weren’t blinking; it was not working. Noticing that, Ellenia did a sharp turn and went for the small room behind the counter, where she’d spotted a small kitchen area before. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Never fought a dog though. Not that it matters. The one who made those markings isn’t a common animal. I felt magic in them. Whatever it is, whoever it is, they went out of their way to scratch up the place pretty bad. Or maybe they are fucking stupid. It makes no sense why they’d wait for Samantha to be out of the shop before turning the place upside down.” Ellenia thumbed the button on the kettle and let the water boil. When the kettle began to shake she took it off the pad and poured herself a cup of instant coffee. “Good to know you care about me, Justin. Stripping for my safety. Careful not to mention this to Alice. She’d threatened me once, this time she is going to go for my hair.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The walls did little to muffle the sarcasm as Ellenia spoke over her shoulder, stirring the coffee. Picking up the cup, she carried it over to the counter. She leaned against it and set the cup down, making a mental note to throw the hot liquid at Justin if he attempted to reach for her. Justin’s bare hands sent off alarm bells in her mind. It was worse when Samantha was in the store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]They watched the clock together and Ellenia offered a snort in response to Justin’s remark about a reward.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Or another shrink,” she said quietly and sipped on the coffee. It was going to be a long night. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It had turned dark. The only illumination was the sole ceiling light in the kitchen area. From the outside the shop it wouldn’t be seen, with the blinds covering the windows and the door, and the main shopping area was lit well enough to allow Ellenia and Justin to see through the shadows. The back of the shop where the built in fridges hummed softly couldn’t be seen at all from their position, hidden by a dark shadow.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Beads of sweat appeared on Ellenia’s forehead and temples and dampened her shirt at the back. It was very hot in the shop. With the air conditioning not working it had gotten progressively hotter in the shop, and she blamed the coffee at first thinking that the hot liquid warmed her up. She’d finished the coffee by the time the soft breeze passed through the room and she was more alarmed by it than grateful for the momentary relief it offered from the hot stuffy air. Reaching for the gun was a matter of instinct and Ellenia pressed her back against one of the shelves, the gun raised to her chest and her finger resting on the safety.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“The only entrance is the main door,” Ellenia told Justin quietly, her eyes trained on the door. Had someone entered the store, they would have seen them. It had not moved and Ellenia did not spot any shadows on the other side at the bottom where the blinds did not quite reach the floor.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She frowned. The backdoor was nailed years ago, as Samantha had told them. Then…[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Momentarily her eyes widened and she looked at Justin. “Either they were waiting inside, or there is another way in.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Minutes passed by slowly and silently. Nothing changed. It was quiet, with the fridges humming in the back and Ellenia’s heartbeat in her ears. She’d tensed up, waiting for the sounds to give away the position of the intruder. Nothing happened. Shifting her eyes to the clock, which was lit by the lights from the kitchen area, Ellenia noted that fifteen minutes have passed. Fifteen minutes of standing still and waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She relaxed her shoulders and turned her head to look at Justin, her brow raised quizzically. “Lets—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]With a click, the lights in the kitchen were turned off. The store was engulfed in darkness and the last thing Ellenia could see was Justin’s pale face. She did not dare move from her position by the shelf, her muscles tense and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. With sight taken away from her, she focused on the sounds and couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. Just humming of the fridges and faint creaking of the ceiling fan. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As her eyes adjusted to the dim light that penetrated the blinds over the windows, Ellenia could spot the outlines of the shelves and the counter. No strange shapes appeared in her vision, no footsteps or shifting of clothing that could point her to the direction of the one who switched off the lights. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She looked at the clock again, its white circle vividly standing out in the shadows. The time did not change since she’d looked at it last and inwardly she’d breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a power outage. That’d explain the turned off lights. The backup was probably powering the fridges at the back and the creaking ceiling fan—[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was then that she’d spotted the fan. It was not working. The creaking, however, continued. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia felt all blood drain from her face and her heart skip a beat. Something was creaking at the back of the room. It was uneven and strange, like something was trying to move a large piece of furniture out of the way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Without the lights, Ellenia couldn’t signal Justin to wait for her by the counter and she did not dare speak to him when sounds so vividly penetrated the darkness. She couldn’t see him, either. In the darkness his clothed hid him, made him blend in with the shadows. She was alone. And it scared her. No, the darkness scared her. The inability to see scared her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Not allowing panic to take over, Ellenia forced herself to shift and round the corner to enter the aisle. Her back pressed against the shelves, she headed slowly for the back of the store where she could hear the creaking. If someone was there, she’d better get this assignment over with quickly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I was trained,” Ellenia said as she rose a brow at Justin. “Different programs, different training. If someone points a gun at me, I am not going to be a deer in a headlight. If an animal attacks me, I will shoot at it. I’m not a rookie right out of the academy, you know.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia listened to Justin silently, her hands on her hips and her stance falsely relaxed. The gun was only an inch from her hand. If the man tried to reach for her, she’d grab the gun faster. She was already regretting bringing Justin with her. Other than the supposed someone who was terrorizing the shop, she also had to watch out for her own partner not to kill her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“You’ve lost four partners. That isn’t what I see as “keeping others alive,” Ellenia offered coolly and turned around, heading for the aisle that led towards a coffee machine at the back that she’d spotted while pacing around the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“I’d rather have faith in my gun than in a person who can bump into me and kill me instantly,” she said over her shoulder as she neared the coffee machine. The lights on it weren’t blinking; it was not working. Noticing that, Ellenia did a sharp turn and went for the small room behind the counter, where she’d spotted a small kitchen area before. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Never fought a dog though. Not that it matters. The one who made those markings isn’t a common animal. I felt magic in them. Whatever it is, whoever it is, they went out of their way to scratch up the place pretty bad. Or maybe they are fucking stupid. It makes no sense why they’d wait for Samantha to be out of the shop before turning the place upside down.” Ellenia thumbed the button on the kettle and let the water boil. When the kettle began to shake she took it off the pad and poured herself a cup of instant coffee. “Good to know you care about me, Justin. Stripping for my safety. Careful not to mention this to Alice. She’d threatened me once, this time she is going to go for my hair.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The walls did little to muffle the sarcasm as Ellenia spoke over her shoulder, stirring the coffee. Picking up the cup, she carried it over to the counter. She leaned against it and set the cup down, making a mental note to throw the hot liquid at Justin if he attempted to reach for her. Justin’s bare hands sent off alarm bells in her mind. It was worse when Samantha was in the store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]They watched the clock together and Ellenia offered a snort in response to Justin’s remark about a reward.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Or another shrink,” she said quietly and sipped on the coffee. It was going to be a long night. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It had turned dark. The only illumination was the sole ceiling light in the kitchen area. From the outside the shop it wouldn’t be seen, with the blinds covering the windows and the door, and the main shopping area was lit well enough to allow Ellenia and Justin to see through the shadows. The back of the shop where the built in fridges hummed softly couldn’t be seen at all from their position, hidden by a dark shadow.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Beads of sweat appeared on Ellenia’s forehead and temples and dampened her shirt at the back. It was very hot in the shop. With the air conditioning not working it had gotten progressively hotter in the shop, and she blamed the coffee at first thinking that the hot liquid warmed her up. She’d finished the coffee by the time the soft breeze passed through the room and she was more alarmed by it than grateful for the momentary relief it offered from the hot stuffy air. Reaching for the gun was a matter of instinct and Ellenia pressed her back against one of the shelves, the gun raised to her chest and her finger resting on the safety.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“The only entrance is the main door,” Ellenia told Justin quietly, her eyes trained on the door. Had someone entered the store, they would have seen them. It had not moved and Ellenia did not spot any shadows on the other side at the bottom where the blinds did not quite reach the floor.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She frowned. The backdoor was nailed years ago, as Samantha had told them. Then…[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Momentarily her eyes widened and she looked at Justin. “Either they were waiting inside, or there is another way in.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Minutes passed by slowly and silently. Nothing changed. It was quiet, with the fridges humming in the back and Ellenia’s heartbeat in her ears. She’d tensed up, waiting for the sounds to give away the position of the intruder. Nothing happened. Shifting her eyes to the clock, which was lit by the lights from the kitchen area, Ellenia noted that fifteen minutes have passed. Fifteen minutes of standing still and waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She relaxed her shoulders and turned her head to look at Justin, her brow raised quizzically. “Lets—“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]With a click, the lights in the kitchen were turned off. The store was engulfed in darkness and the last thing Ellenia could see was Justin’s pale face. She did not dare move from her position by the shelf, her muscles tense and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. With sight taken away from her, she focused on the sounds and couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. Just humming of the fridges and faint creaking of the ceiling fan. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]As her eyes adjusted to the dim light that penetrated the blinds over the windows, Ellenia could spot the outlines of the shelves and the counter. No strange shapes appeared in her vision, no footsteps or shifting of clothing that could point her to the direction of the one who switched off the lights. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]She looked at the clock again, its white circle vividly standing out in the shadows. The time did not change since she’d looked at it last and inwardly she’d breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a power outage. That’d explain the turned off lights. The backup was probably powering the fridges at the back and the creaking ceiling fan—[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was then that she’d spotted the fan. It was not working. The creaking, however, continued. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia felt all blood drain from her face and her heart skip a beat. Something was creaking at the back of the room. It was uneven and strange, like something was trying to move a large piece of furniture out of the way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Without the lights, Ellenia couldn’t signal Justin to wait for her by the counter and she did not dare speak to him when sounds so vividly penetrated the darkness. She couldn’t see him, either. In the darkness his clothed hid him, made him blend in with the shadows. She was alone. And it scared her. No, the darkness scared her. The inability to see scared her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Not allowing panic to take over, Ellenia forced herself to shift and round the corner to enter the aisle. Her back pressed against the shelves, she headed slowly for the back of the store where she could hear the creaking. If someone was there, she’d better get this assignment over with quickly. [/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Ellenia's voice droned quietly at the back of his mind while he strafed his vision across the shop. Yes, there was only one entrance, but that wind had come from somewhere that led outside; some other are must have opened up to allow it in. no glass had been broken, no wood had made a splintering sound in the back. It was entirely possible the person had made the windows or doors appear to be nailed shut while having a way to open them, but in that case the effort going into this ruse was far beyond what any sane person would put themselves up to. So what then?
A shock of electricity rippled through his body as the lights went out, the muscles in his back tightening and his mind sharpening into focus. The city grid was not spectacular, and at times overworked. But it was consistent, as most tech was in this age. Barring a massive fire or explosion, the power would not have simply gone out on it's own.With the late hour and most of the lights already have been turned off or low, there was only one reason to extinguish them altogether. Someone had known they were there already, and was trying to even the odds.
Not that it would help them, not against him. Steady hands reached up to his collar, lifting his coat up and sliding it off of his body. The thick leather made a soft thumping noise as it hit the ground, his hands continuing to his sleeves to roll them up.
"Interesting.."
Justin paused, his ears turning towards a soft voice echoing from the back of the room, A cold air billowed back at him in response, winding like a snake up his body until it had surrounded him, expanding like cellophane wrapping until it had covered nearly every inch of his body. Like air being let out of a balloon, it began to contract around him, closing on his body like a finely fit bodysuit. The cooling sensation of air on his skin soon disappeared, replaced by the realization that the air was still there, he just couldn't feel it anymore. As more of it began to form to his body, Justin could realize what was happening. Like following a rising tide he could trace its movement across his body by what parts of him went numb next. Up his legs, across his chest, over his shoulders until every part of his body was covered. Unable to move his chest, Justin struggled to take breaths, his body fighting to live and his mind fighting the panic growing in his body.
This must be what it's like to drown, his mind turned towards the morbid quite quickly. i never thought of that as a way I could die.
A soft chuckle, like a friend at the other end of a large room interrupted his requiem. The voice was high, like that of a young woman, and very gentle. Justin would not have minded listening to it in other circumstances. "No, you aren't going to die. Not yet, at least." The veil of air began to drain like water off of his body, and he took in a feq big breaths as it retreated from his chest. "You're far too interesting for that."
As the last of the sensation disappeared, dissipating with the voice into the void, Justin found himself doubling over, his hair soaked with sweat that was unrelated to the heat of the room. A shake had found its way into his hands when he was able to move again, and even without looking in the mirror he could tell that the blood had drained from his face. Ghosts were not real; Justin had never been so sure of something in his life, and that had not changed. Whatever that was though, whoever that was had been very real. Powerful. Menacing. Terrifying. Samantha had gotten herself into something he was not prepared to deal with, something he was not willing to deal with. Not now.
"Ellenia?" Justin shouted breathlessly into the dark, his bearing of where he was in the room completely gone at this point. . "I-" A crack in his voice gave away the state he was in, and he had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. "I don't think we should be here. I don't think we are prepared for..." Another pause as he tried to find the words to describe just exactly... this was. "We need to go." His hands clasped together tightly, trying to get rid of the shakes. "We need to go now-"
A crushing weight hit Justin squarely in the chest, interrupting his words and sending him flying backwards into the wall behind him. Wooden shelves cracked and broke underneath his weight showering him with the wares that had sat on them. With a groan, Justin tried to push himself up, scanning hopelessly into the darkness, trying to see whatever had hit him. Another blow hit him as his eyes tried to adjust, pinning his arms to his chest and pushing him tightly against the wall. A new set of panting sounds joined his as whatever was holding him struggled to get past his arms and to his face. Foul smelling breathe radiated over his arms, filling his nose with the putrid smell of sulfur. With a heave, he pushed back against the weight of the creature, only to find his hands sliding off of its fine fur. "Ellenia.." The words left his mouth in a quiet groan. "Shoot this thing".
Ellenia's voice droned quietly at the back of his mind while he strafed his vision across the shop. Yes, there was only one entrance, but that wind had come from somewhere that led outside; some other are must have opened up to allow it in. no glass had been broken, no wood had made a splintering sound in the back. It was entirely possible the person had made the windows or doors appear to be nailed shut while having a way to open them, but in that case the effort going into this ruse was far beyond what any sane person would put themselves up to. So what then?
A shock of electricity rippled through his body as the lights went out, the muscles in his back tightening and his mind sharpening into focus. The city grid was not spectacular, and at times overworked. But it was consistent, as most tech was in this age. Barring a massive fire or explosion, the power would not have simply gone out on it's own.With the late hour and most of the lights already have been turned off or low, there was only one reason to extinguish them altogether. Someone had known they were there already, and was trying to even the odds.
Not that it would help them, not against him. Steady hands reached up to his collar, lifting his coat up and sliding it off of his body. The thick leather made a soft thumping noise as it hit the ground, his hands continuing to his sleeves to roll them up.
"Interesting.."
Justin paused, his ears turning towards a soft voice echoing from the back of the room, A cold air billowed back at him in response, winding like a snake up his body until it had surrounded him, expanding like cellophane wrapping until it had covered nearly every inch of his body. Like air being let out of a balloon, it began to contract around him, closing on his body like a finely fit bodysuit. The cooling sensation of air on his skin soon disappeared, replaced by the realization that the air was still there, he just couldn't feel it anymore. As more of it began to form to his body, Justin could realize what was happening. Like following a rising tide he could trace its movement across his body by what parts of him went numb next. Up his legs, across his chest, over his shoulders until every part of his body was covered. Unable to move his chest, Justin struggled to take breaths, his body fighting to live and his mind fighting the panic growing in his body.
This must be what it's like to drown, his mind turned towards the morbid quite quickly. i never thought of that as a way I could die.
A soft chuckle, like a friend at the other end of a large room interrupted his requiem. The voice was high, like that of a young woman, and very gentle. Justin would not have minded listening to it in other circumstances. "No, you aren't going to die. Not yet, at least." The veil of air began to drain like water off of his body, and he took in a feq big breaths as it retreated from his chest. "You're far too interesting for that."
As the last of the sensation disappeared, dissipating with the voice into the void, Justin found himself doubling over, his hair soaked with sweat that was unrelated to the heat of the room. A shake had found its way into his hands when he was able to move again, and even without looking in the mirror he could tell that the blood had drained from his face. Ghosts were not real; Justin had never been so sure of something in his life, and that had not changed. Whatever that was though, whoever that was had been very real. Powerful. Menacing. Terrifying. Samantha had gotten herself into something he was not prepared to deal with, something he was not willing to deal with. Not now.
"Ellenia?" Justin shouted breathlessly into the dark, his bearing of where he was in the room completely gone at this point. . "I-" A crack in his voice gave away the state he was in, and he had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. "I don't think we should be here. I don't think we are prepared for..." Another pause as he tried to find the words to describe just exactly... this was. "We need to go." His hands clasped together tightly, trying to get rid of the shakes. "We need to go now-"
A crushing weight hit Justin squarely in the chest, interrupting his words and sending him flying backwards into the wall behind him. Wooden shelves cracked and broke underneath his weight showering him with the wares that had sat on them. With a groan, Justin tried to push himself up, scanning hopelessly into the darkness, trying to see whatever had hit him. Another blow hit him as his eyes tried to adjust, pinning his arms to his chest and pushing him tightly against the wall. A new set of panting sounds joined his as whatever was holding him struggled to get past his arms and to his face. Foul smelling breathe radiated over his arms, filling his nose with the putrid smell of sulfur. With a heave, he pushed back against the weight of the creature, only to find his hands sliding off of its fine fur. "Ellenia.." The words left his mouth in a quiet groan. "Shoot this thing".
Last edited by a moderator:
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=11.5pt]Darkness made Ellenia’s imagination run wild. Not one to believe in monsters under the bed or ghosts prowling the cemeteries, she tried to eliminate the possibilities of something supernatural terrorizing the store. However, her mind jumped from one horror scene and to another. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Soundlessly she continued down the aisle, her body turned sideways to allow her shoulder brush against the shelves and use them as a guide. Only faint silhouettes were visible to her, large and menacing in the darkness, and Ellenia kept her eyes wide for…for something. She couldn’t see and couldn’t speak, careful not to give out her position to the trespasser. It made her feel alone, vulnerable. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Arms outstretched and steadily holding the gun, Ellenia wished she brought a flashlight with her. As it was, she was careful not to keep her finger on the trigger in case she bumped into a crate or a sign to then promptly shoot it, thinking it to be the intruder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the darkness the aisle seemed to have stretched on for an eternity. Only the small squares of white tiles at the end indicated a clearing where the aisle ended and then she’d be able to turn to the source of the creaking sounds that got nearer and louder with each step that Ellenia took. One step, then another. Careful, footfalls light and soundless, sliding over the tiles to help herself navigate and prevent from tripping over. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]At the back something fell to the floor with a soft thump and folding of…leather? Ellenia momentarily frowned, pausing in her tracks and turning her head to put her ear to the sound. Did Justin just remove his coat? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the silence the fall of Justin’s coat seemed loud and Ellenia hoped that the source of the creaking at the back of the shop did not hear it. She’d been listening to it, trying to find a pattern and assess what it could be from. Maybe it was the trespasser trying to move a large item to enter the shop. Or maybe it was a rat. The creaking continued without pause, continuing its uneven morbid melody, and Ellenia continued down the aisle a few more steps before pressing her back against the shelf and peeking over the corner. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There were moments when Ellenia passed by the lounge in the division to spot Stephen and Sidonis watching a movie. Side by side on the couch, each holding a beer and a tub of popcorn wedged in between them and wrapped into a blanket to prevent it from tipping over. During those times Ellenia caught a glimpse of scenes from a horror movie. She’d never watched one from start to end, too busy being stuck behind her desk or in the field, but the short snippets were enough to give her the impression of whatever terror was portrayed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Back then she’d continue down the hallway to her office, unfazed by the monstrosity that supposedly tried killing the protagonists. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Now, she felt herself to be one of those stupid protagonists who went to scout out the strange sound in the darkness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]But this was not a movie and she was not an actress and the shape pulling itself through a wall at the back of the shop was not a magically made special effect. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the darkness she could only spot a silhouette against the background of the light wall. It was a large black shape, shifting and turning, pulling itself through the wall and moving the stacked crates and shelves in the process. What could be considered its arms were outstretched and pressed against the floor, digging its claws into the tiles to help pull itself into the store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]This was no large dog nor a pissed off ex-boyfriend. Whatever this thing was, it was nothing she could describe that did not make her appear mentally unstable. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia felt her blood go cold and her hands numb, though she remained a firm grip on the gun. As if that weapon would do her good in the darkness. She was good but not that good to shoot whilst blinded.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Ellenia?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The creature paused, its body by then already by the wall and its shape mixing with the darkness. Ellenia felt herself tense up, her head whipping around to look in the direction from where Justin’s voice called her, and she pressed herself hard against the shelves. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Shifting she peered over the shelves and froze. The creature wasn’t there. It was gone. She didn’t hear it run or move and it terrified her. That shape was large, how did it not make any sound?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]At the back of the store Justin continued speaking and Ellenia turned and ran through the aisle back towards the counter. Whatever the creature was, it heard Justin.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Heartbeat loudly in her ears, Ellenia used Justin’s voice as her beacon. His words were disregarded. They did not matter. All that mattered was his voice and the creature that, just like Ellenia, used the sound of the man’s voice as its beacon in the darkness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The crash deafened her momentarily, the shelves breaking beneath the weight of something heavy. She’d stopped before the counter, by luck or skill or chance not crashing into the cash register as she tried to reach Justin, and raised her gun to point in the direction of the crash. Her eyes darter from one shadow and to another to find her partner and she couldn’t see anything. No pale figure of a tall man. Only looming darkness that made her mind think that more of those large shapes hid around the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A shadow shifted and Ellenia redirected the gun to aim at it, finger against the trigger and ready to shoot. It was Justin’s voice that made her pause. He was behind the creature. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]What if she missed? Or shot Justin instead? What if the bullet hit the creature and did nothing but fuel its rage? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Justin is dead either way then. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was dark. She couldn’t see. Only Justin’s groan guided her and the large shape of the creature melted with the shadows. Ellenia felt helpless, unsure of her aim for possibly the first time since she her rookie years. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia shifted her foot and felt it hit something metal and small. It rolled away from her over the tiles, hitting the spilled contents from the broken shelves. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The creature jerked and its head (what she thought to be its head at least) turned in the direction of the sound. Its body moved, as if readying to leap at the source of the sound. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia pressed on the trigger and the bullet pierced the silence like a shooting star. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Darkness made Ellenia’s imagination run wild. Not one to believe in monsters under the bed or ghosts prowling the cemeteries, she tried to eliminate the possibilities of something supernatural terrorizing the store. However, her mind jumped from one horror scene and to another. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Soundlessly she continued down the aisle, her body turned sideways to allow her shoulder brush against the shelves and use them as a guide. Only faint silhouettes were visible to her, large and menacing in the darkness, and Ellenia kept her eyes wide for…for something. She couldn’t see and couldn’t speak, careful not to give out her position to the trespasser. It made her feel alone, vulnerable. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Arms outstretched and steadily holding the gun, Ellenia wished she brought a flashlight with her. As it was, she was careful not to keep her finger on the trigger in case she bumped into a crate or a sign to then promptly shoot it, thinking it to be the intruder. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the darkness the aisle seemed to have stretched on for an eternity. Only the small squares of white tiles at the end indicated a clearing where the aisle ended and then she’d be able to turn to the source of the creaking sounds that got nearer and louder with each step that Ellenia took. One step, then another. Careful, footfalls light and soundless, sliding over the tiles to help herself navigate and prevent from tripping over. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]At the back something fell to the floor with a soft thump and folding of…leather? Ellenia momentarily frowned, pausing in her tracks and turning her head to put her ear to the sound. Did Justin just remove his coat? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the silence the fall of Justin’s coat seemed loud and Ellenia hoped that the source of the creaking at the back of the shop did not hear it. She’d been listening to it, trying to find a pattern and assess what it could be from. Maybe it was the trespasser trying to move a large item to enter the shop. Or maybe it was a rat. The creaking continued without pause, continuing its uneven morbid melody, and Ellenia continued down the aisle a few more steps before pressing her back against the shelf and peeking over the corner. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]There were moments when Ellenia passed by the lounge in the division to spot Stephen and Sidonis watching a movie. Side by side on the couch, each holding a beer and a tub of popcorn wedged in between them and wrapped into a blanket to prevent it from tipping over. During those times Ellenia caught a glimpse of scenes from a horror movie. She’d never watched one from start to end, too busy being stuck behind her desk or in the field, but the short snippets were enough to give her the impression of whatever terror was portrayed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Back then she’d continue down the hallway to her office, unfazed by the monstrosity that supposedly tried killing the protagonists. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Now, she felt herself to be one of those stupid protagonists who went to scout out the strange sound in the darkness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]But this was not a movie and she was not an actress and the shape pulling itself through a wall at the back of the shop was not a magically made special effect. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]In the darkness she could only spot a silhouette against the background of the light wall. It was a large black shape, shifting and turning, pulling itself through the wall and moving the stacked crates and shelves in the process. What could be considered its arms were outstretched and pressed against the floor, digging its claws into the tiles to help pull itself into the store. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]This was no large dog nor a pissed off ex-boyfriend. Whatever this thing was, it was nothing she could describe that did not make her appear mentally unstable. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia felt her blood go cold and her hands numb, though she remained a firm grip on the gun. As if that weapon would do her good in the darkness. She was good but not that good to shoot whilst blinded.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]“Ellenia?” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The creature paused, its body by then already by the wall and its shape mixing with the darkness. Ellenia felt herself tense up, her head whipping around to look in the direction from where Justin’s voice called her, and she pressed herself hard against the shelves. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Shifting she peered over the shelves and froze. The creature wasn’t there. It was gone. She didn’t hear it run or move and it terrified her. That shape was large, how did it not make any sound?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]At the back of the store Justin continued speaking and Ellenia turned and ran through the aisle back towards the counter. Whatever the creature was, it heard Justin.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Heartbeat loudly in her ears, Ellenia used Justin’s voice as her beacon. His words were disregarded. They did not matter. All that mattered was his voice and the creature that, just like Ellenia, used the sound of the man’s voice as its beacon in the darkness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The crash deafened her momentarily, the shelves breaking beneath the weight of something heavy. She’d stopped before the counter, by luck or skill or chance not crashing into the cash register as she tried to reach Justin, and raised her gun to point in the direction of the crash. Her eyes darter from one shadow and to another to find her partner and she couldn’t see anything. No pale figure of a tall man. Only looming darkness that made her mind think that more of those large shapes hid around the shop. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]A shadow shifted and Ellenia redirected the gun to aim at it, finger against the trigger and ready to shoot. It was Justin’s voice that made her pause. He was behind the creature. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]What if she missed? Or shot Justin instead? What if the bullet hit the creature and did nothing but fuel its rage? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Justin is dead either way then. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]It was dark. She couldn’t see. Only Justin’s groan guided her and the large shape of the creature melted with the shadows. Ellenia felt helpless, unsure of her aim for possibly the first time since she her rookie years. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia shifted her foot and felt it hit something metal and small. It rolled away from her over the tiles, hitting the spilled contents from the broken shelves. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]The creature jerked and its head (what she thought to be its head at least) turned in the direction of the sound. Its body moved, as if readying to leap at the source of the sound. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11.5pt]Ellenia pressed on the trigger and the bullet pierced the silence like a shooting star. [/SIZE]
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Justin felt the beast haul itself off of him with a snarl, turning its attention to what had to be Ellenia being as graceful as a giraffe. Taking the chance to get back on his feet, he chided himself mentally for expecting her to be anything other than useless. Ellenias powers made her a glorified meat shield, she ran a shitty office in a shitty town with shitty officers who barely paid any attention to her authority. Why would she be able to flank quietly? Why would he expect her to? With his mind turning darker and more frustrated, he barely registered the crack of her pistol as it rang out in the dark, nor the agitated growl of the creature as it deftly moved to the side, avoiding it altogether. The sharp pang as it hit the shelving above him clarified how deeply she had missed, and Justin felt himself sinking deeper into the black void of anger.
"just don't" He wanted to shout at her as the shelving unit before him collapsed, its last bit of structural integrity torn to shreds by her horrible shot. Somehow he managed to keep his mouth shut though, rolling his shoulders and trying to concentrate less on the shackle of a human being she was and more on the creature in front of him. All animals had magic in them in some quantity, and except for cats, any animal he had met had wilted and died underneath his touch much the way humans had. Dogs, birds, even one very unfortunate horse had all been victim to his powers the same way his partners had in the past. This creature though? Several scratches on his arms proved that whatever this was, it was different. Maybe her bullet wouldn't have even hurt it, He found himself musing as he tracked its movement across the room. It sure would have been nice to find out though.
A feral growl from the creature interrupted his thoughts as it turned its head back and forth, considering both he and Ellenia as if choosing which which meal looked tastier. Thick bristles, like that of a horse, covered its body from head to tail, which must have been a good six feet long. Claws that looked too small to fit its body dug into the floor as it flexed its muscles, belying their lethalness. Justin was lucky to have gotten away with only a few minor scratches, but that was of no concern to him. Central Operations had deemed him too dangerous to give him a weapon, something about wanting to make sure he didn't compensate by shooting people rather than just touching them, so Justin never had been able to carry a gun. Normally it was not an issue, but if he couldn't kill this thing by touch, his options narrowed dramatically.
Another snarl, and the fangs of its wolf-like head open and shut in a menacing snap. The thing must weigh a good two hundred pounds or so, but like the wolves and tigers it resembled, most of its weapons were confined to the front of its own body. Pin a wolf to the ground on its stomach and it had no way to reach you with its claws or fangs. The same principle should apply here, but given its size Justin doubted it would be for more than a moment. "Ellenia," the beasts head snapped to glare at Justin in the dark, its eyes two small reflections of what little light there was in the room. "I'm going to jump on its back now. Try not to miss this time, even if you have to hit me as well." He paused for a moment, considering the stupidity of his plan and the fact that he was going to go through with it anyway. "Empty the clip."
And with that he leapt, his arms gripping the things neck tightly as he brought his body weight down onto it.
Justin felt the beast haul itself off of him with a snarl, turning its attention to what had to be Ellenia being as graceful as a giraffe. Taking the chance to get back on his feet, he chided himself mentally for expecting her to be anything other than useless. Ellenias powers made her a glorified meat shield, she ran a shitty office in a shitty town with shitty officers who barely paid any attention to her authority. Why would she be able to flank quietly? Why would he expect her to? With his mind turning darker and more frustrated, he barely registered the crack of her pistol as it rang out in the dark, nor the agitated growl of the creature as it deftly moved to the side, avoiding it altogether. The sharp pang as it hit the shelving above him clarified how deeply she had missed, and Justin felt himself sinking deeper into the black void of anger.
"just don't" He wanted to shout at her as the shelving unit before him collapsed, its last bit of structural integrity torn to shreds by her horrible shot. Somehow he managed to keep his mouth shut though, rolling his shoulders and trying to concentrate less on the shackle of a human being she was and more on the creature in front of him. All animals had magic in them in some quantity, and except for cats, any animal he had met had wilted and died underneath his touch much the way humans had. Dogs, birds, even one very unfortunate horse had all been victim to his powers the same way his partners had in the past. This creature though? Several scratches on his arms proved that whatever this was, it was different. Maybe her bullet wouldn't have even hurt it, He found himself musing as he tracked its movement across the room. It sure would have been nice to find out though.
A feral growl from the creature interrupted his thoughts as it turned its head back and forth, considering both he and Ellenia as if choosing which which meal looked tastier. Thick bristles, like that of a horse, covered its body from head to tail, which must have been a good six feet long. Claws that looked too small to fit its body dug into the floor as it flexed its muscles, belying their lethalness. Justin was lucky to have gotten away with only a few minor scratches, but that was of no concern to him. Central Operations had deemed him too dangerous to give him a weapon, something about wanting to make sure he didn't compensate by shooting people rather than just touching them, so Justin never had been able to carry a gun. Normally it was not an issue, but if he couldn't kill this thing by touch, his options narrowed dramatically.
Another snarl, and the fangs of its wolf-like head open and shut in a menacing snap. The thing must weigh a good two hundred pounds or so, but like the wolves and tigers it resembled, most of its weapons were confined to the front of its own body. Pin a wolf to the ground on its stomach and it had no way to reach you with its claws or fangs. The same principle should apply here, but given its size Justin doubted it would be for more than a moment. "Ellenia," the beasts head snapped to glare at Justin in the dark, its eyes two small reflections of what little light there was in the room. "I'm going to jump on its back now. Try not to miss this time, even if you have to hit me as well." He paused for a moment, considering the stupidity of his plan and the fact that he was going to go through with it anyway. "Empty the clip."
And with that he leapt, his arms gripping the things neck tightly as he brought his body weight down onto it.
Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
[SIZE=10pt][/SIZE]
The loud clutter that followed Ellenia’s shot was enough to tell her that she’d missed terribly. Items fell from the broken shelves, spilling over the floor and rolling over the tiles. A jar broke, a can rolled and hit Ellenia’s foot. She could only see vague outlines of the items as they rolled over the white tiles and the shelving disappeared into the darkness after the momentary light provided by her gun was gone. During that moment Ellenia saw the creature and froze.
It was large, something between a wolf or a tiger, and covered in fur. Darkness made its body all the more menacing and bigger and its snarling and growling sent chills down Ellenia’s spine. Shadows enveloped the creature once more and Ellenia’s eyes darted over the area where she’d seen the monster last and couldn’t see its outline clearly. It terrified her. She was all the more aware that her back was exposed and the darkness could be hiding something else.
Justin’s words reached Ellenia as if through a haze and she grasped onto them to pull herself out of stupor. She nodded to his command and in her panicked state did not realize that Justin could not see her. She’d pointed the gun at the monster, using its large frame and growl to guide her aim, and the moment Justin fell onto the creature she fell onto her knees, pressing the barrel of the gun against what she assumed to be the monster’s head.
As her finger pulled the trigger the thought that she might be shooting Justin in the leg nearly stopped her.
This isn’t Justin. Feel the fur. This isn’t your partner.
The voice of sanity did little to quell her panic. The creature did not let the short pause go to waste and struggled to free itself from Justin’s hold. It wriggled and thrashed. A guttural growl escaped its maw and it turned Ellenia’s blood cold. Some primal part of her nature took over and Ellenia pulled the trigger before the creature could break free. Three shots sounded, quick and back to back. The bullets hit the tiles and dust flew up into the air.
Ellenia did not realize that she was holding her breath. At least she didn’t close her eyes. The shots were deafening and her ears rang. Dust obscured her vision and made her eyes water. Silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity and Ellenia moved the gun to feel no pressure against it. She twitched her hand experimentally, probing the air. There was nothing there. Only empty space. Dust settled down and Ellenia could spot three round dark holes in the white tile.
The creature was gone.
Panic took over sanity and Ellenia sat back looking around the shop to peer into the shadows as she continued to crouch on the floor. She could have sworn the gun was pressed against the creature. She could hear its quick breaths and smelled the sulphur in the air. Where did it go?
Glass shattered at the back of the shop. Ellenia nearly jumped out of her skin, raised the gun and shot in the direction of the sound before she could stop herself. The bullet hit some shelving unit and at the back claws scraped against the tile as the creature darted to the side. Ellenia shot again, twice now.
Breathing heavily, Ellenia stopped herself from pulling on the trigger for the third time and listened. It was dark. Too dark. She couldn’t see and it terrified her more than it should have. Inability to predict the creature’s actions terrified her. This was no human. Something, large and covered in fur, hid in the shadows. It could be anywhere.
Creak.
A shadow stirred to the side and the sound alerted Ellenia to snap her head up and look at the large shelving unit on the wall just in time to see it crack beneath something large and dark. Light reflected in the eyes and fangs of the creature.
The creature leapt at them and the shelves creaked louder beneath its heavy weight. Ellenia reached out and grabbed Justin by his wrist to pull him to his feet. The two of them darted out of the way just in time for the creature to land and skid across the tiles, its claws scraping against the floor. A crash sounded behind them, the shelves breaking and falling to the floor.
Ellenia forced Justin to run behind her, her gloved hand holding his bare one in a steel grip. They entered an aisle and Ellenia hit one of the shelves hard with her shoulder as she turned a corner to try and lose the creature in the darkness. She ignored the pain but it did make her stumble and lose momentum and precious time.
Could the creature see them? Or was it blinded by darkness as much as they were? Did it navigate by sound only?
She’d always relied on the procedures drilled into her during her training. It was like a beacon that showed her the way, the right way. Now this beacon wasn’t there, its light swallowed by the darkness and the monstrous shape. She was blinded in more ways than one. How could she deal with this thing? Shoot the creature, whatever it was? Tell it its rights? Detain it? She couldn’t even predict its actions for this creature was no human. It was…more.
Another corner, another aisle. Ellenia stopped and pressed her back against the shelves, a hand raised to cover her mouth to muffle her loud and quick breaths. If this creature navigated by sound they had to be quiet. It was easier said than done for her body refused to calm the rapid heartbeat and panicked breaths that only got worse the more Ellenia focused her gaze on the large shadows. They were exposed. No matter where they were, Justin and she were exposed. If she was wrong and the creature could see in the dark—
Ellenia winced and closed her eyes tightly. She sunk to the floor, a hand still over her mouth and another raised to cover her head as she hid her face in between her knees. By some miracle she didn’t drop the gun. Panic was hard to ignore now and it was getting worse, spreading waves of anxiety and fear quickly through her mind and body. They had to run, to keep moving, but all her body wanted to do was curl up into a ball and stay still. All of her training flew out the window, pushed out by the darkness that enveloped her.
Desperate for human contact, Ellenia reached into the darkness until she felt Justin’s presence and grabbed the fabric of his pants tightly into her hand. She didn’t dare speak, not when the creature could hear them.
[SIZE=10pt][/SIZE]
The loud clutter that followed Ellenia’s shot was enough to tell her that she’d missed terribly. Items fell from the broken shelves, spilling over the floor and rolling over the tiles. A jar broke, a can rolled and hit Ellenia’s foot. She could only see vague outlines of the items as they rolled over the white tiles and the shelving disappeared into the darkness after the momentary light provided by her gun was gone. During that moment Ellenia saw the creature and froze.
It was large, something between a wolf or a tiger, and covered in fur. Darkness made its body all the more menacing and bigger and its snarling and growling sent chills down Ellenia’s spine. Shadows enveloped the creature once more and Ellenia’s eyes darted over the area where she’d seen the monster last and couldn’t see its outline clearly. It terrified her. She was all the more aware that her back was exposed and the darkness could be hiding something else.
Justin’s words reached Ellenia as if through a haze and she grasped onto them to pull herself out of stupor. She nodded to his command and in her panicked state did not realize that Justin could not see her. She’d pointed the gun at the monster, using its large frame and growl to guide her aim, and the moment Justin fell onto the creature she fell onto her knees, pressing the barrel of the gun against what she assumed to be the monster’s head.
As her finger pulled the trigger the thought that she might be shooting Justin in the leg nearly stopped her.
This isn’t Justin. Feel the fur. This isn’t your partner.
The voice of sanity did little to quell her panic. The creature did not let the short pause go to waste and struggled to free itself from Justin’s hold. It wriggled and thrashed. A guttural growl escaped its maw and it turned Ellenia’s blood cold. Some primal part of her nature took over and Ellenia pulled the trigger before the creature could break free. Three shots sounded, quick and back to back. The bullets hit the tiles and dust flew up into the air.
Ellenia did not realize that she was holding her breath. At least she didn’t close her eyes. The shots were deafening and her ears rang. Dust obscured her vision and made her eyes water. Silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity and Ellenia moved the gun to feel no pressure against it. She twitched her hand experimentally, probing the air. There was nothing there. Only empty space. Dust settled down and Ellenia could spot three round dark holes in the white tile.
The creature was gone.
Panic took over sanity and Ellenia sat back looking around the shop to peer into the shadows as she continued to crouch on the floor. She could have sworn the gun was pressed against the creature. She could hear its quick breaths and smelled the sulphur in the air. Where did it go?
Glass shattered at the back of the shop. Ellenia nearly jumped out of her skin, raised the gun and shot in the direction of the sound before she could stop herself. The bullet hit some shelving unit and at the back claws scraped against the tile as the creature darted to the side. Ellenia shot again, twice now.
Breathing heavily, Ellenia stopped herself from pulling on the trigger for the third time and listened. It was dark. Too dark. She couldn’t see and it terrified her more than it should have. Inability to predict the creature’s actions terrified her. This was no human. Something, large and covered in fur, hid in the shadows. It could be anywhere.
Creak.
A shadow stirred to the side and the sound alerted Ellenia to snap her head up and look at the large shelving unit on the wall just in time to see it crack beneath something large and dark. Light reflected in the eyes and fangs of the creature.
The creature leapt at them and the shelves creaked louder beneath its heavy weight. Ellenia reached out and grabbed Justin by his wrist to pull him to his feet. The two of them darted out of the way just in time for the creature to land and skid across the tiles, its claws scraping against the floor. A crash sounded behind them, the shelves breaking and falling to the floor.
Ellenia forced Justin to run behind her, her gloved hand holding his bare one in a steel grip. They entered an aisle and Ellenia hit one of the shelves hard with her shoulder as she turned a corner to try and lose the creature in the darkness. She ignored the pain but it did make her stumble and lose momentum and precious time.
Could the creature see them? Or was it blinded by darkness as much as they were? Did it navigate by sound only?
She’d always relied on the procedures drilled into her during her training. It was like a beacon that showed her the way, the right way. Now this beacon wasn’t there, its light swallowed by the darkness and the monstrous shape. She was blinded in more ways than one. How could she deal with this thing? Shoot the creature, whatever it was? Tell it its rights? Detain it? She couldn’t even predict its actions for this creature was no human. It was…more.
Another corner, another aisle. Ellenia stopped and pressed her back against the shelves, a hand raised to cover her mouth to muffle her loud and quick breaths. If this creature navigated by sound they had to be quiet. It was easier said than done for her body refused to calm the rapid heartbeat and panicked breaths that only got worse the more Ellenia focused her gaze on the large shadows. They were exposed. No matter where they were, Justin and she were exposed. If she was wrong and the creature could see in the dark—
Ellenia winced and closed her eyes tightly. She sunk to the floor, a hand still over her mouth and another raised to cover her head as she hid her face in between her knees. By some miracle she didn’t drop the gun. Panic was hard to ignore now and it was getting worse, spreading waves of anxiety and fear quickly through her mind and body. They had to run, to keep moving, but all her body wanted to do was curl up into a ball and stay still. All of her training flew out the window, pushed out by the darkness that enveloped her.
Desperate for human contact, Ellenia reached into the darkness until she felt Justin’s presence and grabbed the fabric of his pants tightly into her hand. She didn’t dare speak, not when the creature could hear them.
TucanSam
Junior Member
@lenaara
Darkness swallowed them as they paused, Justin's breathing matching that of his partners subconsciously. It was ragged, uncontrolled, but the quick and sudden fall to the ground had left him breathless, and their panicked run as she pulled him from the floor had left him little time to breathe deeply. His body was desperate for the air and he could feel his muscles relaxing as they took a moment to be still. What had happened was still a mystery ; the thing had not teleported, he would have been able to tell from touching the thing had it used any magic. Nor had it moved, his grip was too tight on it for it to simply wriggle free and dodge three bullets. It had simply.. Ceased to be. Disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. Ellenia was panicking next to him, and had he not long ago become numb to this sort of thing he may have been on the ground joining her. But this was not the first fight he had against something he didn't understand. And he knew there were worse things in the world to waste his fear on.
"Whatever this is, it's not natural," his hands reached down to pat the top of hers as he felt it latch on to his pants leg. This must be the first time she had encountered something worse than a perp with a gun. He could spare her at least that amount of sympathy. "But it's still a living, breathing creature. Which means it can die. Preferably before we do. Gather yourself officer, we will have a job to do".
He pulled himself free from her grasp with that, focusing his spotty vision in the dark on front of him, trying to ignore the painful ringing in his ears. The bullets she had fired had been too close to not ring his bell a bit, and he was still trying to banish the bright yellow spots from his vision, but there was no time. Movement in the distance meant the creature was still out there, circling them, waiting for the right moment to strike. Without the ability to see in the dark, with only the slightest sounds to go off of as to its location, all they could really do was wait for it to strike and try to be ready. The muscles in his arms tensed once more, the cuts on the hands and forearms bleeding slightly with the exertion.
"I've never met something I couldn't kill before, " he laughed gently, trying to break her out of her panic. "It's kind of exciting isn't it?" Justin knew the basic theory behind what he was able to do. How magic intertwined itself with a person's soul, giving them the power they needed to live and use their abilities, how he was able to touch that force and drain it away, leaving their bodies empty shells. This creature definitely had magic, he could feel as much. Most living creatures did. Theoretically he should be able to kill it, and he had no idea why he couldn't. A shattered piece of wood lay at his feet, and he bent to pick it up. There was more than one way to kill something.
"If you have any ammo left, try to find a place to fire from. If you don't, get outside and try to get some backup." He knew she must be running low on bullets, but even then she should have some sort of extra clip given away in her pockets. This was an easy way of for her, a way to get free and not lose face. Justin wouldn't blame her for taking it. "If I can't kill it, I'll at least slow it down a bit."
A snarl from his left signaled the closeness of his foe, and he turned, walking towards it, his tiny spear in his hand. Hopefully if she shot this time she wouldn't miss again.
Darkness swallowed them as they paused, Justin's breathing matching that of his partners subconsciously. It was ragged, uncontrolled, but the quick and sudden fall to the ground had left him breathless, and their panicked run as she pulled him from the floor had left him little time to breathe deeply. His body was desperate for the air and he could feel his muscles relaxing as they took a moment to be still. What had happened was still a mystery ; the thing had not teleported, he would have been able to tell from touching the thing had it used any magic. Nor had it moved, his grip was too tight on it for it to simply wriggle free and dodge three bullets. It had simply.. Ceased to be. Disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. Ellenia was panicking next to him, and had he not long ago become numb to this sort of thing he may have been on the ground joining her. But this was not the first fight he had against something he didn't understand. And he knew there were worse things in the world to waste his fear on.
"Whatever this is, it's not natural," his hands reached down to pat the top of hers as he felt it latch on to his pants leg. This must be the first time she had encountered something worse than a perp with a gun. He could spare her at least that amount of sympathy. "But it's still a living, breathing creature. Which means it can die. Preferably before we do. Gather yourself officer, we will have a job to do".
He pulled himself free from her grasp with that, focusing his spotty vision in the dark on front of him, trying to ignore the painful ringing in his ears. The bullets she had fired had been too close to not ring his bell a bit, and he was still trying to banish the bright yellow spots from his vision, but there was no time. Movement in the distance meant the creature was still out there, circling them, waiting for the right moment to strike. Without the ability to see in the dark, with only the slightest sounds to go off of as to its location, all they could really do was wait for it to strike and try to be ready. The muscles in his arms tensed once more, the cuts on the hands and forearms bleeding slightly with the exertion.
"I've never met something I couldn't kill before, " he laughed gently, trying to break her out of her panic. "It's kind of exciting isn't it?" Justin knew the basic theory behind what he was able to do. How magic intertwined itself with a person's soul, giving them the power they needed to live and use their abilities, how he was able to touch that force and drain it away, leaving their bodies empty shells. This creature definitely had magic, he could feel as much. Most living creatures did. Theoretically he should be able to kill it, and he had no idea why he couldn't. A shattered piece of wood lay at his feet, and he bent to pick it up. There was more than one way to kill something.
"If you have any ammo left, try to find a place to fire from. If you don't, get outside and try to get some backup." He knew she must be running low on bullets, but even then she should have some sort of extra clip given away in her pockets. This was an easy way of for her, a way to get free and not lose face. Justin wouldn't blame her for taking it. "If I can't kill it, I'll at least slow it down a bit."
A snarl from his left signaled the closeness of his foe, and he turned, walking towards it, his tiny spear in his hand. Hopefully if she shot this time she wouldn't miss again.
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Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
Ellenia barely felt Justin’s touch. It wasn’t comforting. His presence, on the other hand, was. Someone whom she knew for a fact was human and friendly, who was nearby and whom she could see (even if scarcely). It calmed her panicked heartbeat and the frantic breaths that she was struggling to take from beneath her hand, which she’d later moved from her mouth to put atop her head. She’d curled up into a ball, resting against the shelves behind her, and avoided looking up. The shadows moved menacingly, becoming larger and darker, each given form by her mind. In one she’d see a giant human, in another a monster akin to the one they were fighting.
She didn’t care that she was losing face, that this wasn’t how a leader should act. This thought didn’t even cross her mind. All that mattered was the darkness.
So when Justin broke free of her grasp Ellenia looked up. His silhouette towered above her, enhanced by the shadows that enveloped him like a cloak. She would have been afraid of it too had he not continued to speak. It was Justin, not some creature from the shadows.
Pulled out of her panic, that still threatened to pull her under the waves of anxiety, Ellenia bit her lip and raised a hand to cover her forehead, leaning against the palm.
Pull yourself together.
It was easier said than done. Each glance at the shadows made her gut twist and her heart skip a beat. She tried to ignore the growing panic and pressed her back hard against the shelves, focusing her gaze on the only thing she could see clearly – her knees. Taking steady breaths, Ellenia avoided looking at her surroundings but that did not stop her from noticing the darting shadow on the other end of the aisle. The creature was still there, lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Once again Justin’s voice calmed her and she focused on it. Some faint voice in her mind reprimanded Justin for talking. They were in complete darkness. Sounds gave away their position. As odd as it was, she welcomed the mild irritation with Justin’s stupidity. It meant she was focusing on work instead of blind panic.
She didn’t see what he picked off the floor but when he begun to step away from her Ellenia hurried to her feet, guessing what her partner was going to do.
“No,” she said in a loud raspy whisper. Her hand darted out and she intended to grab Justin by the wrist but instead her hand collided with his back. She’d recovered quickly and wrapped a hand around his arm, pulling back to stop the man in his tracks. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
For the first time since the attack on the shop began, Ellenia sounded confident. Her words were cold and matter-of-factly, laced with the same stubbornness that was present in her voice before. Though as deadest as she was on staying, Ellenia’s heart continued its frantic dance in her chest.
At the far end of the aisle the creature did not stop its advance. Ellenia could hear its claws scraping against the tile. Despite knowing that she’d not be able to see it anyway, Ellenia’s eyes darted to the area where she’d heard the ominous sound.
“I need light. Without it I can’t aim and shoot,” she said quickly and quietly, pulling Justin towards her and stepping closer herself until her chest was against his arm. Maybe Justin’s voice didn’t give away their position yet. Maybe the creature was observing them already. Maybe it was behind them. Ellenia pushed the paranoia away once again and even closed her eyes tightly to stop herself from seeing the monster in every shadow.
“Distract it. I will get a flashlight. Lure it to the counter. I will shoot it the moment the light is on. Otherwise it might,” she paused, wondering how to describe what the creature had done before without sounding like a delusional madwoman, “vanish.” Not the best example, but it conveyed the meaning well. “Good luck. Don’t die.”
Before she turned around, Ellenia gave Justin’s elbow a light squeeze and her words were quieter than before. If the shop was lit, he’d be able to see the furrow to Ellenia’s brow and the way her eyes filled with worry. No matter how much she hated Justin as a partner, he was still her partner. They had to look out for one another. Even if they started off on the wrong foot.
Ellenia stepped silently away from Justin and headed around the aisle, using one hand to touch the shelves to guide her in the darkness. In her mind she was gathering the remnants of her sanity and searched her memory for the information she needed.
The gun fired seven times. That left her with three bullets, plus 10 more rounds in her pocket. It was more than enough. She’d needed only one if this plan was to work.
The aisle she needed was the third one from the entrance. She’d remembered it for its odd stock of different tools like tweezers and plyers. In a world of magic rarely did anyone use such materials anymore. Only in District 36, it seemed, people required such manual tools. Among those tools were several flashlights. She’d only hoped they did not require magic to work.
Ellenia had rounded the second aisle, pausing long enough to rest her back against the shelves and peer outside. Her imagination worked against her, making her think that the monster was right around the corner, waiting in the middle of the aisle, ready to leap and tear out her throat or drag her to wherever it had crawled out of. She was moving quickly, though, afraid of succumbing to panic again and of leaving Justin with the creature for too long. To Ellenia it seemed like hours had passed since she’d left Justin, but it’d scarcely been a minute.
In the silence each sound felt louder than it seemed. Each breath too raspy, each rustle of clothing too obvious to give away her position. Only one more aisle.
Ellenia barely felt Justin’s touch. It wasn’t comforting. His presence, on the other hand, was. Someone whom she knew for a fact was human and friendly, who was nearby and whom she could see (even if scarcely). It calmed her panicked heartbeat and the frantic breaths that she was struggling to take from beneath her hand, which she’d later moved from her mouth to put atop her head. She’d curled up into a ball, resting against the shelves behind her, and avoided looking up. The shadows moved menacingly, becoming larger and darker, each given form by her mind. In one she’d see a giant human, in another a monster akin to the one they were fighting.
She didn’t care that she was losing face, that this wasn’t how a leader should act. This thought didn’t even cross her mind. All that mattered was the darkness.
So when Justin broke free of her grasp Ellenia looked up. His silhouette towered above her, enhanced by the shadows that enveloped him like a cloak. She would have been afraid of it too had he not continued to speak. It was Justin, not some creature from the shadows.
Pulled out of her panic, that still threatened to pull her under the waves of anxiety, Ellenia bit her lip and raised a hand to cover her forehead, leaning against the palm.
Pull yourself together.
It was easier said than done. Each glance at the shadows made her gut twist and her heart skip a beat. She tried to ignore the growing panic and pressed her back hard against the shelves, focusing her gaze on the only thing she could see clearly – her knees. Taking steady breaths, Ellenia avoided looking at her surroundings but that did not stop her from noticing the darting shadow on the other end of the aisle. The creature was still there, lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Once again Justin’s voice calmed her and she focused on it. Some faint voice in her mind reprimanded Justin for talking. They were in complete darkness. Sounds gave away their position. As odd as it was, she welcomed the mild irritation with Justin’s stupidity. It meant she was focusing on work instead of blind panic.
She didn’t see what he picked off the floor but when he begun to step away from her Ellenia hurried to her feet, guessing what her partner was going to do.
“No,” she said in a loud raspy whisper. Her hand darted out and she intended to grab Justin by the wrist but instead her hand collided with his back. She’d recovered quickly and wrapped a hand around his arm, pulling back to stop the man in his tracks. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
For the first time since the attack on the shop began, Ellenia sounded confident. Her words were cold and matter-of-factly, laced with the same stubbornness that was present in her voice before. Though as deadest as she was on staying, Ellenia’s heart continued its frantic dance in her chest.
At the far end of the aisle the creature did not stop its advance. Ellenia could hear its claws scraping against the tile. Despite knowing that she’d not be able to see it anyway, Ellenia’s eyes darted to the area where she’d heard the ominous sound.
“I need light. Without it I can’t aim and shoot,” she said quickly and quietly, pulling Justin towards her and stepping closer herself until her chest was against his arm. Maybe Justin’s voice didn’t give away their position yet. Maybe the creature was observing them already. Maybe it was behind them. Ellenia pushed the paranoia away once again and even closed her eyes tightly to stop herself from seeing the monster in every shadow.
“Distract it. I will get a flashlight. Lure it to the counter. I will shoot it the moment the light is on. Otherwise it might,” she paused, wondering how to describe what the creature had done before without sounding like a delusional madwoman, “vanish.” Not the best example, but it conveyed the meaning well. “Good luck. Don’t die.”
Before she turned around, Ellenia gave Justin’s elbow a light squeeze and her words were quieter than before. If the shop was lit, he’d be able to see the furrow to Ellenia’s brow and the way her eyes filled with worry. No matter how much she hated Justin as a partner, he was still her partner. They had to look out for one another. Even if they started off on the wrong foot.
Ellenia stepped silently away from Justin and headed around the aisle, using one hand to touch the shelves to guide her in the darkness. In her mind she was gathering the remnants of her sanity and searched her memory for the information she needed.
The gun fired seven times. That left her with three bullets, plus 10 more rounds in her pocket. It was more than enough. She’d needed only one if this plan was to work.
The aisle she needed was the third one from the entrance. She’d remembered it for its odd stock of different tools like tweezers and plyers. In a world of magic rarely did anyone use such materials anymore. Only in District 36, it seemed, people required such manual tools. Among those tools were several flashlights. She’d only hoped they did not require magic to work.
Ellenia had rounded the second aisle, pausing long enough to rest her back against the shelves and peer outside. Her imagination worked against her, making her think that the monster was right around the corner, waiting in the middle of the aisle, ready to leap and tear out her throat or drag her to wherever it had crawled out of. She was moving quickly, though, afraid of succumbing to panic again and of leaving Justin with the creature for too long. To Ellenia it seemed like hours had passed since she’d left Justin, but it’d scarcely been a minute.
In the silence each sound felt louder than it seemed. Each breath too raspy, each rustle of clothing too obvious to give away her position. Only one more aisle.
TucanSam
Junior Member
@Lenaara
Silenced stretched on as Ellenia walked away, the only sounds disturbing it her soft footsteps and the low, guttural breathing of the creature before him. Rough wood scraped against the skin of his hand as he rolled the small stake he had picked up around in his fingers. The sense of teamwork that he had with Ellenia in the moment, the camaraderie, the comfortable closeness, they were all illusions. It was amusing how people feared a power they did not understand one moment, but when their lives were threatened by something else they suddenly grasped onto that thing they once feared as their savior. Justin imagined this must be what a lot of famous figures felt at some point in their lives; being ostracized by society, but finding moments where they were expected to be the savior of the people. A smile played across his lips as he stared down the aisle at the creature. Was this his moment to be the hero then? Maybe, but he'd be the villain soon enough after it had ended.
A snarl from the creature punctuated the tension of the moment, its large bear like paws padding softly over the carnage it had visited on the small shop. Muscles writhed under its skin as it neared him, moving like a snake in a bag. No, this creature surely wasn't natural. A science experiment then? Some creature summoned from somebodies magic? The idea was not preposterous, but he had heard of nothing like it happening before. Justin did not know how to fight it, nor how to kill it or if it could even be killed. That fact didn't entirely matter at the moment though, and his grip tightened fiercely around his tiny little wooden knife as the creature gathered itself into a crouch, its muscles tight and coiled, before it took a powerful leap forward at him. The weight of the creature caught him in the chest, and as it drove him to the ground he remembered Ellenia's words. Lure it to the counter? He'd be lucky if he could keep it from killing him immediately.
Hot breath flowed over his face as Justin brought his arms up to shield himself, pushing back frantically against the animals gnashing teeth. A tooth caught the edge of his hand as he screamed, putting all of his strength behind a push that sent the animal staggering back slightly. Justin used the moment to crawl backwards, kicking his feet out in front of him as it approached him once more. Again it flung himself against his body, but this time he was ready, wrapping an arm around its chest as he rolled slightly out of the way. It pulled him with it as it stumbled past, pinning his arm underneath its body as it fell to the floor. Justin gasped as he felt something in his arm crush, a deep pain shooting up his arm and into his shoulder. With another grunt he brought his small wooden spear up, plunging it towards the creatures back. Soft spongy flesh gave way underneath the thrust, and a gush of blood filled the room with the scent of copper as the animal roared, rearing its head back and biting at his hand.
Justin rolled away once more, cradling his damaged arm underneath him as he retreated towards the center of the aisle. Low growls and mewls erupted into the room as the creature frantically tried to remove the stake from its back, staggering into shelving and knocking them to the ground as its desperation destroyed anything around it. Taking the moment of reprieve, Justin tucked his arm into its sleeve, holding it tight against his body; it would do him no more good in the fight, and he didn't need a useless limb flopping around inviting a bite from the animal. Another mewl followed a soft thumping noise as the creature shook the stake from its back, taking a moment to lick at its wound before turning its attention back to its prey, the irises of its eyes wide and narrowed in anger. Honestly, Justin had not expected the stake to be effective, or to cause such damage. The hide of the animal felt thick and rubbery, like a snake or a garden hose. Blood meant it was, indeed, mortal and the amount of damage he had done meant it was much frailer than it had initially looked. All useful information, just not to him in this moment.
It took a step forward, its fangs bared and saliva dripping from its open maw. Justin hesitated, taking a step back before he knocked into a shelving unit behind him. Most of his tricks had been spent at this point, and with a hurt arm he would be unable to dodge out of the way in time. A loud clatter erupted as the creature lunged again, pushing both of them back into the shelving. Justin took the blow with his one good arm, but his ability to hold the creatures weight back was much less than before. Snapping teeth neared his face, saliva dripping down his cheek and into his clothing. Desperately he kicked at the creatures legs, hoping to knock it off balance, maybe drive it back and off of him. If it noticed his kicks it did not react, instead only pushing down on him harder, crushing him against the wall of shelving behind him. This was it. Justin had no idea where the counter was, or how close they were to it, but this was the best he could do, the most he could corral this creature before it got the better of him.
A loud pop sounded from his shoulder, and he felt his arm go limp with a blossom of fiery pain as the creature pushed him off the wall and to the ground, towering above him. Standing over him, the difference in size between the two of them was starkly clear. Whatever this was, it had a good hundred pounds on him. How he'd been able to hold it back at all was a mystery, but there were no arms standing in its path now. Teeth snapped angrily as it sniffed him, sizing up its meal before striking the final blow to kill him. Justin glanced around behind him, hoping Ellenia had been serious after all about not leaving him here alone. This would be a real shitty way to die.
Silenced stretched on as Ellenia walked away, the only sounds disturbing it her soft footsteps and the low, guttural breathing of the creature before him. Rough wood scraped against the skin of his hand as he rolled the small stake he had picked up around in his fingers. The sense of teamwork that he had with Ellenia in the moment, the camaraderie, the comfortable closeness, they were all illusions. It was amusing how people feared a power they did not understand one moment, but when their lives were threatened by something else they suddenly grasped onto that thing they once feared as their savior. Justin imagined this must be what a lot of famous figures felt at some point in their lives; being ostracized by society, but finding moments where they were expected to be the savior of the people. A smile played across his lips as he stared down the aisle at the creature. Was this his moment to be the hero then? Maybe, but he'd be the villain soon enough after it had ended.
A snarl from the creature punctuated the tension of the moment, its large bear like paws padding softly over the carnage it had visited on the small shop. Muscles writhed under its skin as it neared him, moving like a snake in a bag. No, this creature surely wasn't natural. A science experiment then? Some creature summoned from somebodies magic? The idea was not preposterous, but he had heard of nothing like it happening before. Justin did not know how to fight it, nor how to kill it or if it could even be killed. That fact didn't entirely matter at the moment though, and his grip tightened fiercely around his tiny little wooden knife as the creature gathered itself into a crouch, its muscles tight and coiled, before it took a powerful leap forward at him. The weight of the creature caught him in the chest, and as it drove him to the ground he remembered Ellenia's words. Lure it to the counter? He'd be lucky if he could keep it from killing him immediately.
Hot breath flowed over his face as Justin brought his arms up to shield himself, pushing back frantically against the animals gnashing teeth. A tooth caught the edge of his hand as he screamed, putting all of his strength behind a push that sent the animal staggering back slightly. Justin used the moment to crawl backwards, kicking his feet out in front of him as it approached him once more. Again it flung himself against his body, but this time he was ready, wrapping an arm around its chest as he rolled slightly out of the way. It pulled him with it as it stumbled past, pinning his arm underneath its body as it fell to the floor. Justin gasped as he felt something in his arm crush, a deep pain shooting up his arm and into his shoulder. With another grunt he brought his small wooden spear up, plunging it towards the creatures back. Soft spongy flesh gave way underneath the thrust, and a gush of blood filled the room with the scent of copper as the animal roared, rearing its head back and biting at his hand.
Justin rolled away once more, cradling his damaged arm underneath him as he retreated towards the center of the aisle. Low growls and mewls erupted into the room as the creature frantically tried to remove the stake from its back, staggering into shelving and knocking them to the ground as its desperation destroyed anything around it. Taking the moment of reprieve, Justin tucked his arm into its sleeve, holding it tight against his body; it would do him no more good in the fight, and he didn't need a useless limb flopping around inviting a bite from the animal. Another mewl followed a soft thumping noise as the creature shook the stake from its back, taking a moment to lick at its wound before turning its attention back to its prey, the irises of its eyes wide and narrowed in anger. Honestly, Justin had not expected the stake to be effective, or to cause such damage. The hide of the animal felt thick and rubbery, like a snake or a garden hose. Blood meant it was, indeed, mortal and the amount of damage he had done meant it was much frailer than it had initially looked. All useful information, just not to him in this moment.
It took a step forward, its fangs bared and saliva dripping from its open maw. Justin hesitated, taking a step back before he knocked into a shelving unit behind him. Most of his tricks had been spent at this point, and with a hurt arm he would be unable to dodge out of the way in time. A loud clatter erupted as the creature lunged again, pushing both of them back into the shelving. Justin took the blow with his one good arm, but his ability to hold the creatures weight back was much less than before. Snapping teeth neared his face, saliva dripping down his cheek and into his clothing. Desperately he kicked at the creatures legs, hoping to knock it off balance, maybe drive it back and off of him. If it noticed his kicks it did not react, instead only pushing down on him harder, crushing him against the wall of shelving behind him. This was it. Justin had no idea where the counter was, or how close they were to it, but this was the best he could do, the most he could corral this creature before it got the better of him.
A loud pop sounded from his shoulder, and he felt his arm go limp with a blossom of fiery pain as the creature pushed him off the wall and to the ground, towering above him. Standing over him, the difference in size between the two of them was starkly clear. Whatever this was, it had a good hundred pounds on him. How he'd been able to hold it back at all was a mystery, but there were no arms standing in its path now. Teeth snapped angrily as it sniffed him, sizing up its meal before striking the final blow to kill him. Justin glanced around behind him, hoping Ellenia had been serious after all about not leaving him here alone. This would be a real shitty way to die.
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Lenaara
Dreaming of honey cakes.
@TucanSam
The darkness wasn’t silent. It maintained its looming presence over her, enveloping Ellenia in a blanket of shadows that played with her mind. The muffled growls behind Ellenia were like fuel to her limbs, keeping her alert, focused and moving. Had she not been hearing those menacing sounds from just a few rows of shelves behind her, Ellenia would have thought she’d seen the creature at least twice by the time she reached her destination.
The pauses she took were excruciatingly long. Back pressed against the shelves, Ellenia peered around the corner and scanned the dark shadows for movement. Maybe it wasn’t the creature that was fighting Justin. Maybe there were more things in the shop, unnatural and beastly things that could kill the two officers when they got enough of this game of hide and seek. Uncomfortable thought, that.
Ellenia ignored the menacing growls, the direction of which she could barely pinpoint, and focused on her task. Justin would be fine, she told herself. You can trust him. He was trained.
Trained to fight humans. And kill them by touch.
Trust was hard to come by. She had to trust Justin. But she did not. Ellenia couldn’t trust Justin to lure the creature to the counter. Unless she focused, neither of them would survive through the night. What she had to do was find the flashlight and kill the creature in any way possible.
With darkness pressing from all sides, Ellenia entered the aisle and jogged softly towards the middle. A gloved hand ran over the shelves lightly, trying to find the flashlight by touch. Rows of shelves held different merchandise that by some miracle did not fall onto the floor during the commotion. In the middle of the unit was a large opening (Ellenia’s hand dove slightly into it, shocking her momentarily but she recovered) where small hooks were occupied by a variety of scissors, plyers and tools the names of which Ellenia did not know. The flashlights were somewhere in the middle. Maybe down?
As Ellenia lowered her hand and felt a cylindrical object contract with her fingertips, Justin screamed.
It took a moment for Ellenia to fall to her knee and spin around, gun raised and elbow on her knee for support. She aimed into the darkness in the direction of the scream and the following roar. It sent cold shivers down her spine and she felt herself become a shade paler. Throat tight and jaw set, Ellenia realized she’d been holding her breath and staring into the aisle opening, her back pressed painfully against the shelves behind her.
Frozen and silent, she listened. Muffled growling reached her from across the shop. Faint footfalls echoed through the darkness only to be interrupted by a loud crash in Ellenia’s direction. It was deafening and heavy, smashing loudly into the shelving unit one row from Ellenia’s position.
Items fell onto the floor; the shelves creaked and broke against the tiles. Another crash followed, closer. It was slow, lazy. Something dull and heavy hit the wall of shelving in front of Ellenia and in the darkness she could see the items rattle and shake. Boxes and all sorts of packaging fell onto the floor masking all sounds coming from Justin and the creature.
Ellenia looked up, straining to see in the darkness. The silhouette of the shelving unit rocked forward. It was giving up under the weight of the shelves that fell against it. Her mind flashed to an image of toppling domino tiles.
Not giving herself time to think, she spun around on her knee and grabbed the item that she thought was the flashlight. Holding it tightly in one hand, she lunged to the side and turned in mid-air to slide against the floor with her back. Arms outstretched, she aimed the gun at the shelves and thumbed the button of the flashlight.
A narrow beam of light blinded her for a split second as it illuminated the shelves falling down and crashing above her. Metal and wood creaked. Boxes rained on Ellenia and she had to turn with her shoulder to protect herself. She hissed as something heavy fell against her shin and head.
Turning the light up, Ellenia illuminated the carcass of the broken shelving unit. Its top was leaning heavily against the empty middle of the shelves where scissors remained on their hooks in awkward and crooked positions. Ellenia’s head was there just a moment ago.
Ready to use the fallen over shelves as her shield, Ellenia ran the beam of light over the shelves above her to spot the creature. Nothing sat atop the broken unit. With arms pressed tightly to her as she lay on her side, Ellenia tilted her head to look up the aisle. The way was clear, albeit blocked by fallen items.
It took her a painful minute to crawl out without making too much sound. There was no more than two feet between the floor and the broken shelves, and the remaining items threatened to fall down on Ellenia with every moment that the woman made.
Scrambling to her feet, Ellenia forced herself to switch off the light. The darkness hid her as much as it hid the creature. The sounds had stopped on the other end of the shop by the time Ellenia ran to the counter, nearly colliding with its surface in her haste to reach it. The area around the counter was not cluttered with fallen merchandise and the open space allowed better movement. She’d thought it to be the best place to confront the monster. Here, there was no threat of being crushed by a fallen shelving unit.
But the creature was not here. The area was empty. Justin was nowhere to be seen either.
Lifting her arms up, Ellenia pressed a thumb over the flashlight’s end but did not switch on the light. Her mind screamed at her for not illuminating the menacing shadows but she ignored the panic and aimed into the darkness. Softly she followed the only sounds she could hear. The loud sniffs.
There was little cover left in the shop. Half the shelves fell and the shadows were pushed back. Ellenia felt herself exposed now more than ever. She’d followed the counter, hoping the shadows from behind her would cloak her better. It took but a few steps to round the fallen shelves and see the large creeping shadow over a fallen form of a man.
Stench of sulphur and copper saturated the air. It made Ellenia’s stomach churn. She’d adjusted her aim, bent her knees slightly to become a smaller target and took a deep breath. And switched on the flashlight.
The beam of light illuminated the creature’s head. It resembled a wolf, large and covered in fur, with an elongated nose. Its lip was curled into a snarl, exposing large yellowish canines. Its large beady eyes lifted in Ellenia’s direction, staring at the light. The creature’s muscles turned beneath the thick cover of fur and it reared back, readying a jump. Before it was given a chance, Ellenia pressed the trigger and shot the creature.
A loud roar reverberated around the store. It was bone-chilling. Some primal part of Ellenia wanted to run, far and away, and hide. She did not. Instead she shot again at the already moving body of the creature as it jumped back and disappeared quickly behind the carcass of the fallen shelves. But she did not breathe out a sigh of relief.
The creature bellowed more so in rage, not pain. And she’d shot the thing in the eye. She knew she did.
Before the creature could recover, Ellenia moved from her crouch and ran over to Justin. She fell on a knee beside him, the light pointed at the man’s face and then down. One of his arms was at an odd angle and limp, and a hand was bleeding profusely onto the tiles. The other arm wasn’t in a much better condition.
Lips drawn into a tight line, Ellenia wished she had a hand free to run it over her hair and face. But she doubted that the usually calming quirk would work its magic in this situation. She looked up at Justin’s face once more.
“Can you move?” She asked and without waiting for an answer, pressed a gun into her other hand that held the flashlight, and pulled on Justin’s arm to place around her shoulders to help him up. As she did that she pointed the light into the shadows to search for the creature. “There is a pantry at the other end. We can hide there. You’re injured.” Maybe that new door could stop the creature from breaking through. Or maybe they’d be trapped.
The darkness wasn’t silent. It maintained its looming presence over her, enveloping Ellenia in a blanket of shadows that played with her mind. The muffled growls behind Ellenia were like fuel to her limbs, keeping her alert, focused and moving. Had she not been hearing those menacing sounds from just a few rows of shelves behind her, Ellenia would have thought she’d seen the creature at least twice by the time she reached her destination.
The pauses she took were excruciatingly long. Back pressed against the shelves, Ellenia peered around the corner and scanned the dark shadows for movement. Maybe it wasn’t the creature that was fighting Justin. Maybe there were more things in the shop, unnatural and beastly things that could kill the two officers when they got enough of this game of hide and seek. Uncomfortable thought, that.
Ellenia ignored the menacing growls, the direction of which she could barely pinpoint, and focused on her task. Justin would be fine, she told herself. You can trust him. He was trained.
Trained to fight humans. And kill them by touch.
Trust was hard to come by. She had to trust Justin. But she did not. Ellenia couldn’t trust Justin to lure the creature to the counter. Unless she focused, neither of them would survive through the night. What she had to do was find the flashlight and kill the creature in any way possible.
With darkness pressing from all sides, Ellenia entered the aisle and jogged softly towards the middle. A gloved hand ran over the shelves lightly, trying to find the flashlight by touch. Rows of shelves held different merchandise that by some miracle did not fall onto the floor during the commotion. In the middle of the unit was a large opening (Ellenia’s hand dove slightly into it, shocking her momentarily but she recovered) where small hooks were occupied by a variety of scissors, plyers and tools the names of which Ellenia did not know. The flashlights were somewhere in the middle. Maybe down?
As Ellenia lowered her hand and felt a cylindrical object contract with her fingertips, Justin screamed.
It took a moment for Ellenia to fall to her knee and spin around, gun raised and elbow on her knee for support. She aimed into the darkness in the direction of the scream and the following roar. It sent cold shivers down her spine and she felt herself become a shade paler. Throat tight and jaw set, Ellenia realized she’d been holding her breath and staring into the aisle opening, her back pressed painfully against the shelves behind her.
Frozen and silent, she listened. Muffled growling reached her from across the shop. Faint footfalls echoed through the darkness only to be interrupted by a loud crash in Ellenia’s direction. It was deafening and heavy, smashing loudly into the shelving unit one row from Ellenia’s position.
Items fell onto the floor; the shelves creaked and broke against the tiles. Another crash followed, closer. It was slow, lazy. Something dull and heavy hit the wall of shelving in front of Ellenia and in the darkness she could see the items rattle and shake. Boxes and all sorts of packaging fell onto the floor masking all sounds coming from Justin and the creature.
Ellenia looked up, straining to see in the darkness. The silhouette of the shelving unit rocked forward. It was giving up under the weight of the shelves that fell against it. Her mind flashed to an image of toppling domino tiles.
Not giving herself time to think, she spun around on her knee and grabbed the item that she thought was the flashlight. Holding it tightly in one hand, she lunged to the side and turned in mid-air to slide against the floor with her back. Arms outstretched, she aimed the gun at the shelves and thumbed the button of the flashlight.
A narrow beam of light blinded her for a split second as it illuminated the shelves falling down and crashing above her. Metal and wood creaked. Boxes rained on Ellenia and she had to turn with her shoulder to protect herself. She hissed as something heavy fell against her shin and head.
Turning the light up, Ellenia illuminated the carcass of the broken shelving unit. Its top was leaning heavily against the empty middle of the shelves where scissors remained on their hooks in awkward and crooked positions. Ellenia’s head was there just a moment ago.
Ready to use the fallen over shelves as her shield, Ellenia ran the beam of light over the shelves above her to spot the creature. Nothing sat atop the broken unit. With arms pressed tightly to her as she lay on her side, Ellenia tilted her head to look up the aisle. The way was clear, albeit blocked by fallen items.
It took her a painful minute to crawl out without making too much sound. There was no more than two feet between the floor and the broken shelves, and the remaining items threatened to fall down on Ellenia with every moment that the woman made.
Scrambling to her feet, Ellenia forced herself to switch off the light. The darkness hid her as much as it hid the creature. The sounds had stopped on the other end of the shop by the time Ellenia ran to the counter, nearly colliding with its surface in her haste to reach it. The area around the counter was not cluttered with fallen merchandise and the open space allowed better movement. She’d thought it to be the best place to confront the monster. Here, there was no threat of being crushed by a fallen shelving unit.
But the creature was not here. The area was empty. Justin was nowhere to be seen either.
Lifting her arms up, Ellenia pressed a thumb over the flashlight’s end but did not switch on the light. Her mind screamed at her for not illuminating the menacing shadows but she ignored the panic and aimed into the darkness. Softly she followed the only sounds she could hear. The loud sniffs.
There was little cover left in the shop. Half the shelves fell and the shadows were pushed back. Ellenia felt herself exposed now more than ever. She’d followed the counter, hoping the shadows from behind her would cloak her better. It took but a few steps to round the fallen shelves and see the large creeping shadow over a fallen form of a man.
Stench of sulphur and copper saturated the air. It made Ellenia’s stomach churn. She’d adjusted her aim, bent her knees slightly to become a smaller target and took a deep breath. And switched on the flashlight.
The beam of light illuminated the creature’s head. It resembled a wolf, large and covered in fur, with an elongated nose. Its lip was curled into a snarl, exposing large yellowish canines. Its large beady eyes lifted in Ellenia’s direction, staring at the light. The creature’s muscles turned beneath the thick cover of fur and it reared back, readying a jump. Before it was given a chance, Ellenia pressed the trigger and shot the creature.
A loud roar reverberated around the store. It was bone-chilling. Some primal part of Ellenia wanted to run, far and away, and hide. She did not. Instead she shot again at the already moving body of the creature as it jumped back and disappeared quickly behind the carcass of the fallen shelves. But she did not breathe out a sigh of relief.
The creature bellowed more so in rage, not pain. And she’d shot the thing in the eye. She knew she did.
Before the creature could recover, Ellenia moved from her crouch and ran over to Justin. She fell on a knee beside him, the light pointed at the man’s face and then down. One of his arms was at an odd angle and limp, and a hand was bleeding profusely onto the tiles. The other arm wasn’t in a much better condition.
Lips drawn into a tight line, Ellenia wished she had a hand free to run it over her hair and face. But she doubted that the usually calming quirk would work its magic in this situation. She looked up at Justin’s face once more.
“Can you move?” She asked and without waiting for an answer, pressed a gun into her other hand that held the flashlight, and pulled on Justin’s arm to place around her shoulders to help him up. As she did that she pointed the light into the shadows to search for the creature. “There is a pantry at the other end. We can hide there. You’re injured.” Maybe that new door could stop the creature from breaking through. Or maybe they’d be trapped.
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