Broken Trust

"What if I told you I could whisk you away from your pitiful life and give you a new purpose?" Shiro asked without missing a beat. He settled back down on the floor, feet making no sound as they touched the hard wood, and folded his arms in front of him. He was confident that she was the right choice. She had no real connections to anyone but the ones made by the foster care system, and he was fairly sure that she wouldn't mind leaving those behind. "I could give you the abilities you'd need to hide if you wanted, and teach you to live on your own instead of relying on parents that other people force on you. You're capable of so much more than this life, Alina. I can feel it."
 
While Alina was still on the fence about gaining magic abilities that would likely be a hassle to hide, living on her own a few months earlier than expected certainly sounded tempting, along with getting away from the mess of her life. It all sounded very tempting, having the burden of going from foster to foster lifted off her shoulders..., but then again, he could just be playing off of her desires. Soon enough he'd discard her too, whether it was because he was done with her or because she really wasn't that 'capable' after all. She wasn't used to her suppressed feelings arguing like this, but she still kept her stoic mask, the only sign of her struggle was her hand gripping her dress.

She looked down, contemplating for a few moments. Should she, or should she not? Would she risk trusting him, only for it to be broken again? Finally she looked up, having made her decision. After swallowing, she quietly said, "Alright."
 
Shiro gave a nod, his expression a solemn one, giving the gesture a feeling of finality and importance. Without really asking her for any kind of permission, he reached forward, grabbing Alina's shoulder with one hand to hold her in place and lightly moving the other forward, touching the tips of his fingers to the center of her chest. His skin was freezing to the touch, a bitter sort of ice-cold that creeped into her body as he held the contact. "This won't hurt," he stated simply, closing his eyes.

With a small press of his fingers, he let the energy stored within him flow outwards, down his arm to her chest, a slight tingling sensation sweeping through the both of them. There was no visible indication of the one-sided transaction that took place, only a faint, unearthly sound somewhat like that of a rushing wave that they could hear from no particular source. The process was over in seconds, and Shiro withdrew both his hands, letting them fall to his sides.

"I've given you the power of invisibility. Concentrate," he told her. "Will yourself to fade from sight. Magic is driven by thoughts, and if you can envision the skills you possess, they will happen."
 
Alina knew that now she couldn't back out of this- He probably wouldn't let her. Alina's natural reaction to him suddenly gripping her shoulder was to try and resist; not shaking out of his grip, but instead squirming in it, feeling his cold fingertips through her dress, it was unnatural, just like the rest of him was.

"This won't hurt," Oh, sure, she doubted that.

But he was truthful for the most part, she didn't feel any pain, but instead a weird sensation that went all through her body, and she swore that there was some sort of sound, like a rushing wave, that came from nowhere. Her deadpan expression almost fell, but then just like that, it was over, and apparently she had the power of invisibility now.

Alina still had some doubt in her, but to access this power, if it really was there, she had to get past that and concentrate. Believe that it really existed inside of her now.

She looked at the palms of her hands, I don't exist, I don't... She stopped herself. That was a stupid thought, since things that you couldn't see still existed, so what should she think then? What could she concentrate on? Disappearing, like she had disappeared but was still there...? She remembered Shiro and his transparency, deciding that she should aim for that then. If she could. Maybe she wouldn't do anything at all, just look like an idiot staring at their hands, but still, she decided that she'd try. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine herself as a ghost... metaphorically you could say she was one, but she tried to focus on the physical aspect. She wanted to be transparent, seen through, like she didn't actually exist...

Slowly but surely, she seemed to be disappearing slightly, managing to attain the same transparency that Shiro had.
 
"Hm," Shiro hummed, his expression unchanging. "Not bad for a beginner. It will become second nature to you with practice." That was no lie. It wasn't easy for someone unfamiliar with magic to start using it, although once you got accustomed to the thought process involved, using new skills became progressively simpler. As though to demonstrate, he folded his arms again, and all at once, his body simply vanished from sight, reappearing after a second or so. Sure, he could have used his invisibility to sneak around, especially with his naturally silent footsteps, but he was always paranoid about someone walking into him. It would be like bumping into an unseen wall of ice, and anyone would get suspicious immediately. Plus it was mentally exhausting to hold invisibility for long periods of time regardless.

"Try again," he said, his tone firm but not too harsh. "Picture yourself fully invisible. Imagine it as clearly as you can, and hold tightly onto that thought until you can't see your own two hands."
 
Shiro's voice broke her out of her concentration, and Alina soon realized that she could see the floor through her hands. It was a bit... surprising to see yourself like that, as if you were some sort of ghost, but soon enough she appeared to be solid again, in contrast to Shiro who easily faded in and out.

Listening to Shiro, she wondered if he just said that she wasn't 'bad for a beginner' in an attempt to string her along with compliments, or perhaps it was just some sort of stock phrase, but she still listened to his advice... but then again, how could you picture yourself as being invisible anyways? Wasn't that some sort of paradox?

Putting away her snark, she closed her eyes, trying to really imagine herself as being invisible. Maybe it might actually come in handy, if she actually had anywhere to go. But still, she continued to do this, trying to imagine herself slowly fading to see if it might help. And slowly but surely, she started to fade again, until finally, starting with her hands, she began to disappear completely... from sight, that is.
 
Shiro watched her body fade until he was completely unable to see her. The girl learned fast. He was grateful he wouldn't have to worry about getting himself worked up teaching a near-hopeless student. Arrow was quick to learn how to control the energy Shiro had planted within him, but other spells had always proved more difficult for the boy. It was frustrating, watching a person with such brilliant potential only able to control one element. And, of course, the two that naturally composed it. Twilight was a tricky thing. It required perfect balance between light and darkness to use, and as a result, very few people in the world could control it. Shiro's meddling with Arrow's energies had allowed him to make use of the powerful element, but it had caused a rather conflicting personality as well. Arrow's attitude was often frustrating as a result.

Shiro resisted the urge to sigh and merely averted his lifeless eyes. Alina reminded him so much of his previous trusted. He wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or a very bad one, but one thing was for sure, the personalities of the two could not have been more different. Arrow had been so energetic at times, always asking questions like a child.

At that point, it was fairly obvious that Shiro's mind was elsewhere. Realizing that Alina might think he was ignoring her, he snapped himself back to the present and waited for her to reappear, saying nothing in the meantime. He wanted to see how long she would hold it. The average beginner could only muster a few minutes at the most before they began to feel very tired, though that time would climb exponentially with practice. Shiro could hold his invisibility for several hours before it became hard to focus, and an hour more before physical symptoms arose.
 
Alina kept her invisibility, almost waiting for him to say something, but he never did. Was he judging her? No, he didn't appear to be looking at her..., but she supposed that invisibility might not be one of the more 'exciting' powers, and he must have taught this a thousand times before. If she didn't learn fast enough, then would he just get frustrated and abandon her?

A few moments after, it was starting to become a bit hard to maintain the invisibility; was this supposed to happen? Invisibility seemed so simple to hold up, so surely she'd seem like a dimwit if she gave up now. She tried to hold up her form, despite the fact that she was beginning to fade back to visibility, it was like holding her breath underwater.
 
Shiro saw her energy was fading, and he decided to cut it short, lest she push herself too hard and fall unconscious. What an annoyance that would be; he'd have to wait for her to wake up, or else he supposed he could possess her and see if she was dreaming. The dreams were an excellent place to learn about a person's deepest desires and fears, but at the same time, he put himself at risk. He knew very well what dangers lurked there.

But that didn't matter now anyway. "Good," he said, breaking the silence. "You can relax now." It wasn't quite as long a time as usual, but that was fine, she would get better. He waited for her to return to full visibility before continuing. "You'll be able to hold it longer if you practice. It should become easier each time, if only by a slight amount."
 
Alina was tempted to try and hold her form longer, but she finally gave up, letting herself be seen again, which in truth was like taking a breath of fresh air. Apparently she'd be able to do it longer with practice. She questioned if she should do this on her own, so that she might be able to keep up with what he expected of her.

There was a clicking sound, and Alina soon realized that must have meant that Roberto was home, or that someone was trying to break in. Either way, she didn't think that Roberto or the intruder would take Shiro's appearance kindly.
 
Shiro's head snapped towards the door. He had two options: hide himself, or hide them both. Alina had agreed to be spirited away, so the choice was obvious.

He reacted quickly, shooting straight into Alina's body, sending a wave of cold through her. Her mind was pushed into the back seat, so to speak, and all her motor control went dead in an instant. Shiro was careful not to deaden her consciousness completely, though, allowing her access to her senses, despite Shiro's control over her body. He - they - ran for the corner of the room, and Shiro triggered the invisibility he had just given her. His own power combined with it, strengthening the effect beyond what either of them could manage. "Alina" blinked out of sight instantaneously.

He hoped the visitor would leave soon when they saw no one around. If they didn't, which was more likely, then there were...other ways to force them away. Or, of course, Shiro could simply sneak out unseen with Alina's body. Either way was fine with him.
 
Alina barely had time to react when Shiro suddenly flew towards her. She felt something envelop her, and soon enough, she lost control completely. 'Unsettling' didn't even begin to describe the feeling of having all your senses still there, but you weren't in control of them. This must have been his ulterior motive, she decided; tempt her, lead her along, and then take over as a parasite to a host, she should have learned by now!

'She', or maybe rather 'Shiro' as she soon figured out, ran to a corner of the room. She almost didn't see herself go invisible from how quick it was, perhaps him controlling her somehow enhanced her abilities, or maybe it was the old trope of 'Powers With Possession'.

"Alena? Lina? Someone like that, you in here?" a man said as he entered the apartment, looking around, "It's Roberto." he said. He spotted Alina's backpack dropped off somewhere, along with a note dropped on the floor, "Alina, you better be in here." he said, moving forward towards the hallway, "I swear to god Alina, if you went out..." he said through the walls of the apartment.

She wasn't sure about if she was in control enough to flinch when he hit the wall.
 
Shiro didn't stop to think. As soon as Roberto was in the next room, he opened the front door to the apartment and sped through it, taking Alina with him, not bothering to close it behind him. Sure, their footsteps were clearly audible as long as Shiro was controlling his suddenly acquired apprentice, but he didn't care. Roberto wouldn't find them as long as Alina was invisible. Or unless he was a mage himself, and recognized the strategy Shiro had used. That would be quite the inconvenience, but there wasn't time to worry about that now.

He slowed his pace considerably once they were outside the apartment, trying to keep the volume down as he made his way down the stairs. Once they were at the bottom of the staircase, he pinned Alina's body up against the side of it, hiding anyone who might come storming down the stairs in a rage in an attempt to follow them. Shiro wasn't sure if Roberto had heard him running, but just in case, it would be better if Roberto passed them before they left.

Sorry about that, Shiro said to Alina, speaking with his mind in a special sort of telepathy naturally shared between two souls inhabiting the same body. It was the only way to swiftly hide us both without Roberto seeing. Responding should be easy enough for her to figure out; though it was a bit difficult to explain, it was something like talking without moving one's mouth, or thinking in a particularly clear voice.
 
Alina felt herself being moved out of the apartment, she wondered what he might use her body for. However, it seemed they didn't go far, as soon enough she felt herself being pinned near the staircase.

She didn't quite believe his apology, mainly because she didn't think she was inclined to believe anyone who could just steal her body like that. She was silent, partly because she didn't feel like talking (she was more upset than she wanted to admit or show), and because she wasn't sure of how to respond back. It seemed like he just talked to her in her head, in fact..., What are you planning? she finally asked through some sort of telepathy. That was weird and unsettling too.

She was about to utter something else in her head, but instantly clammed up upon hearing angry footsteps, as if Roberto might hear them somehow. She could see Roberto walking out. Even from here his rantings to the secretary could be heard, though she couldn't decipher his angrish.
 
I'm just waiting for the danger to pass, Shiro said back, sounding relatively calm for all the trouble he was putting Alina through. He could tell that she was wary of him, and while that was understandable, she would just need to trust him for the time being. He could hide easily, but she needed the boost of power he was giving her to stay invisible herself. She had only just learned the skill, after all. He couldn't ask her to stay out of sight for this long.

Just then, an idea occurred to him. Why hide? Roberto was right there. If they waited for him to head back up the stairs, or anywhere out of sight for that matter, Shiro could speed from Alina's body to his, and they could both leave without fear of being discovered. Shiro mentally voiced his plan to Alina, wanting to know what she thought of it before he tried anything. Might as well show a little respect.
 
Oh, sure he was. Would he still be waiting for whatever 'danger' there was to pass after a few days of inhabiting her body? A few weeks? Months? He must have known that she'd be the perfect target. She was in the foster care system, a system for kids who didn't matter. She had no family, at least none that actually cared about her. No friends, none that didn't turn out to be fake in the end.

Alright. Alina thought, giving the verbal equivalent of a shrug. Why would he care about what she thought? He was the one in control, after all. Roberto did have more contacts, but he might not be cared about either. It must have been the perfect plan, having two vessels to control.

From here, she could understand some of the conversation.

"Rob, calm down. If you chase after her she won't be eager to come back, and you wouldn't want the CPS getting on your ass."

Ha. Did everyone else really believe that?

'Rob' spouted out some more angrish.

"Look, just go back upstairs, I'll even call the police if she gets out too late, alright?"

Mumbling something in more angrish, it seemed that he was walking back towards the stairs, swinging open the door and walking towards them.
 
Shiro watched Roberto carefully, silently inching away from him largely out of paranoia, waiting for the man to pass them up the stairs...and just as he was facing away from them, Shiro made his move. He left Alina's body in a flash, instantly returning her control to her, and ran into Roberto's instead. For a moment, they simply stood there, Roberto's eyes wide and his body completely still. Anger had strengthened his will, Shiro realized, and his mind was harder to take over than normal...but in the end, he proved too weak for Alina's ghostly companion, and "Roberto" relaxed visibly.

"Are you alright?" Shiro asked in his own voice, turning around to face Alina. She might have felt a bit tired from all the running he'd just done in her body, but adverse effects really only showed themselves when he applied a little more...force upon possession, just as he had just done to his latest target. Roberto saw and heard nothing, for his mind had been shoved under by Shiro's power. For all intents and purposes, the man was unconscious underneath Shiro's will.
 
Alina felt her movement return back to her and she stumbled, she felt disoriented more than anything else. She wanted to tell him to never do that again, but was she really in the authority to do that? He might agree, only to go back on it and do it again because of some danger. As usual, Alina elected to keep her thoughts to herself.

She stayed hidden, just in case Roberto might not be as easy and would go raging at the first sight of her (though by now she was used to some yelling, even a slap here and there), but was instead met with a much more calm 'Rob', who technically was Shiro from the voice used.

"Fine." Alina said, coming out of the hiding spot.
 
"Good," Shiro replied flatly. He was thankful that Roberto wasn't the brightest man. All he really had in the form of resistance was his indignant fury, so once Shiro got past that, Roberto's mind was easy to submerge. "Let's get out of here, then. I'll just have to make this believable..."

Doing his best impression of Roberto's earlier anger, he grabbed Alina's wrist and dragged her out into the lobby. "That's the last time you run away from me, you got that?" he growled, perfectly imitating Roberto's voice as he stomped towards the front entrance of the apartment complex with Alina in tow.
 
"Of course." Alina said blankly as she was led out. In truth, once the threatening part was gone, it was actually sort of funny to watch Shiro imitate Rob's anger, but she kept her face blank, her eyes only showing a faint hint of amusement.

"Hey, Rob, promise me you won't be too hard on her, alright?" the secretary lady said, watching as they walked out.

(( Erm, sorry about this being so short. ))
 
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