Friends in the Void

Ramjammer

Always tired
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
Online Availability
12am EST Mon-Fri. All day Sat-Sun
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Scifi. I'm partial to Modern day fantasy as well.
OOC Board/Character Sheets


This was not good.

This was in fact, probably the farthest one could get from good.

The cool fall evening meant that many people would not be out at a time like this which was just as well, Rasteva would hate to be seen like this. Leaves rustled wildly as something small and dark zipped over them. A cloud of smoke so black that it absorbed all light coiled and darted across the ground. This in and of itself was already odd. Even odder that the cloud of smoke as talking.

"Absolutely unacceptable! To think that I would be degraded in such a manner!" The Cloud darted across the ground erratically, all the while a deep voice bellowed from within. "Such an embarrassment, that is all this is. To be laid to ruin by WEAKLINGS, my power stolen by the unworthy. How could I allow such a thing to happen?" Only the wind answered the cloud of smoke, and it was an unwelcome answer at that. The cloud began to thin, almost in danger of dissipating completely.

Needless to say, the voice was not amused.

"Unbelievable! To think that I would be stricken down by a mere breeze! I must hurry if I cannot find a form I-"

The voice stopped short, taking sudden notice in the sound of footsteps approaching them. Someone was coming.

This was good, better than their current predicament. Whoever it was that approached was sure to have something on them that Rasteva could use as a temporary form. Once there they could make plans to regain their former strength.

But they had to act quickly.

The wind was beginning to pick up tremendously and Rasteva cursed themselves internally. Each gust of air only dissipated their smoke form further and they were getting dangerously close to falling apart altogether. The Daemon tried to collect their form as much as they could only to have someone walk straight through their body, causing them to unwind once more. The Daemon let out a sound of irritation as the Human rushed past "How rude! If I had a good and proper body, you'd be regretting that!" Rasteva silenced themselves, realizing that the human had long since left and wouldn't have heard the Daemon anyway. And what could have Rasteva done if they had? Given them a severe coughing fit? The Daemon's ego shrunk a few sizes, the realization of how powerless they were fully hitting them. When they had a body they were strong, but now they were nothing.

Less than nothing.

But that could all change.

Shaking off the intrusive thoughts Rasteva resumed their previous course of action. "A body. I need a body. Any body will do. And once I am strong enough I can begin regaining my former glory. But until I have a physical form-" The Daemon cut themselves short, taking notice of a human idling nearby.

Perfect.

Or at the very least, better than nothing. The wisp of smoke darted towards the unwary Human, quick as a Viper hunting their prey. All the while the Daemon was hoping, praying, that the Human held the one thing they needed.

Only then could their real work begin.


Richard watched the digital display over the Elevator's doors in silence, the numbers on it changing at what felt like a Snail's pace. He wasn't late for his meeting with the CEO. He was never late. But that didn't make the wait any more bearable. The Chief of Security grumbled softly, a gloved hand coming up to fiddle with his tie. These meetings were not uncommon as Lorette took the safety of the building and all inside of it as seriously as she did the rest of her duties. However, she rarely called Richard to her Office so late in the evening, especially without making sure to schedule an appointment with him beforehand. He knew that the matter had to be serious if Lorette was willing to go off schedule and mentally prepared himself for the worst.

The Elevator dinged softly as it finally reached the top floor, and the doors had barely opened before Richard stepped through them. The floor was eerily silent, the Receptionist's desk empty in the dimly lit area. The Chief of Security set off at a brisk pace towards the imposing double doors situated just beyond the large desk, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpet on the floor. He didn't even make ready to knock as the CEO's voice rang loudly from within her office. She had expected him to arrive on time as he always did and wasted no time in bidding him enter. Years ago, Richard had found her perception and timing unsettling, but now he could only appreciate the efficiency it afforded him. The massive office was as dimly lit as the rest of the floor and Richard could make out Lorette's form as she stood facing the floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end of the room. The many lights illuminating Arnvista cast a soft glow around the room, and for a moment the CEO was silent as she stared out at the busy streets.

"Lorette, do you think you could stop bein' dramatic tonight and just tell me why I'm here?" Richard closed the heavy wooden door with a small grunt before turning to face the woman once more. Lorette pivoted sharply on a heel to face Richard, a stern glare leveled on him. A lesser man might have shrunk back from her gaze, but Richard had found himself under it for many years now and it had long since become exhausting to constantly cower before her. Instead, the man grunted softly at her before trudging towards the plush chair situated behind her desk and seating himself into it heavily. The woman wasted no time, moving forward unflinchingly as was her custom.

"There's been another murder. In the Slums, naturally. The Police will undoubtedly chalk it up to another mugging, but the Jackals have already been out there and confirmed it."

Richard sighed and sank further into the plush black chair and eyed Lorette carefully for a moment before speaking. "Same guy, or guys I should say?" Lorette only nodded in response and Richard allowed another sigh to slip from his mouth. "This is gettin' to be a real mess yanno."

"There's no need to state the obvious to me." Came the curt reply. Richard could not help a rueful chuckle despite the atmosphere. "Fucker's been poppin' up all over the damn city. And 'm not gonna try to beat around the bush then. I can tell yer chompin' at the bit to get ahold of him." He leaned back in the plush chair, spinning it side to side as he eyed the CEO carefully. As was usual, her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts, but the man was not stupid enough to believe that she had nothing planned for him. She resumed staring out the window, eyes affixed on the cars passing on the dark streets far below them.

"I want you to find them." The quiet statement did not surprise Richard in the slightest and he was less surprised by what came next. "I don't care what you do with what's left behind. They're probably more trouble than they're worth. What concerns Apex is the Daemon, or Daemons that they're putting to work."

Richard mumbled something incomprehensible to himself and lifted a hand to rub thoughtfully at his chin. He needed to shave soon. His beard was starting to become unmanageable, but he knew he wouldn't be doing anything about it in the near future. He foresaw more than a few nights spent sleeping in his office in the near future. "So we're still finding multiple signatures...That ain't good."

"Again, you don't need to state the obvious, Richard."

The man chuckled gruffly at his Superior's dour mood. "Well, you don't pay me to consider shit neither of us know. That's Nikhil's job." Lorette rolled her eyes before steepling her fingers together and Richard found himself sitting up straighter. The woman did not have many obvious tells, but the hand gesture, in particular, meant that she was speaking plainly and that it was in his best interests to listen. "Cerberus is to be prepped for transport and eventual release into the area. But I want you and Afnet to head down there and take a look at the scene before then."

The man's eyebrows shot up in sudden surprise and his voice did nothing to hide it either. "Cerberus? Are you sure he's ready for an Urban environment? He's only done woodlands tracking." Lorette only nodded at the man's query before pressing on. "If he's not, he will be when this is over. He's not going out alone, though. Send a few Harriers out with him." The man hummed in thought and resumed scratching at his still growing beard. "Well, it'll be good practice for him then. We can get eyes on their base, or nest or whatever the fuck they got goin' on out there before moving in."

The woman nodded tersely, and though her face didn't reveal it quite as much, the line of her body relayed visible tension. "I don't have to remind you to not draw attention to yourselves while you're out there. We need a better understanding of exactly who and what we're dealing with before we go about deciding how to contain it. As always, I leave that to you, Richard."

Richard slumped further into the chair upon the realization that he'd be camping alongside mountains of paperwork in his office for at least the next few weeks. "Lorette, did you know that I have a house? I wanna see it sometime this year and you are doin' your damndest to not make that possible."

Lorette moved away from the windows, her footsteps ringing loudly on the polished stone floor as she approached the sulking Chief of Security. A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. "I know I'm asking a lot of you right now, but it's because you're best suited to the job. You've always been" Richard glanced up at the woman, the small smile gracing the edge of her mouth not escaping his notice. "And besides, it's not as if I sleep in my own house any more than you do in yours. Sometimes I wonder if I'll forget where it is one day." The hand moved away along with Lorette as she walked away before coming to pause before the double doors of her office."I'll get in touch tomorrow. Be ready to head out first thing in the morning. And please turn the lights off when you leave." Richard didn't bother watching her as she left, and once the doors had slammed shut the office descended back into silence.

Richard rubbed tiredly at his face and resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no point in crying over things as they were. He knew that there was no stopping Lorette and he knew that no matter the decision she made, he would have to deal with it one way or another.

"Afnet."

The man spoke, but there was no one in the room to hear him. That did not stop the voices from answering. "Yessssssss?" Came the hissing reply. "I don't need to tell you what needs to be done tomorrow. Find the scent and then relay what you know to Cerberus. And keep all seven of those heads down while you're at it. We'll find this asshole, one way or another."

A shadow rippled along one of the far walls and for a split second the man caught the pattern of reptilian spines displayed against it. "Very well. We watch, and we listen."

"Good." Was the man's only reply.

"And Richard?"

The man sighed, seeming to already know what was coming. "Yes?"

"May we eat them?" The voices queried.

"We'll see."[/hr][/hr]
 
  • Nice Execution!
Reactions: Astroblaze
Lydia
Lydia McReona
mid-fall | evening | park

"Yes, I know. I'm working on it. I don't have a lot of information to work with right now."

The soft but agitated voice of PI Lydia McReona emanated throughout the vacant park as the woman paced energetically before a wooden bench bolted alongside the walkway, one hand shoved deep in the pocket of her jacket while the other held her phone to her ear.

She huffed irritably at the response her retort received. "Okay, fine, whatever," she snapped. "Just go do your job and let me alone to do mine."

Abruptly pulling the phone from her ear, she ended the call with a sharp tap on the screen, then spun on one heel and dropped her slight frame next to her messenger bag on the bench behind her, posture slouched with the device still clutched in the hand resting on her thighs as she withdrew her other hand from her pocket to pinch the bridge of her nose with an irritated grimace.

"Damnit," the young investigator muttered under her breath.
 
The surging wind irritated Rasteva more than words could ever hope to express and the Daemon grew more an more desperate with each gust. They were rapidly fading, and new that they could wait no longer. They had to act, and soon if they wanted to survive.

"Where...Where....anyone...WAIT."

Rasteva set their gaze on a Human standing nearby, the woman did not seem at all aware of her surroundings as she was occupied with a small device pressed to her ear. For a split second, the Daemon reconsidered approaching at all, sure that the Human would notice a cloud of smoke closing in on her, but another breeze spurred Rasteva into action.

The cloud zipped forward, surging up and around the unwary woman and dissipating wholly into the rectangular device she held in her hand. It did not seem as if she'd noticed what had happened, and so Rasteva allowed themselves to relax for the moment.

Their new form was small. It was weak. But it was the best that Rasteva could do on such short notice. They simply lacked the power to channel and project a form of their own, though they hoped that they would be able to discard their current body for a more dignified one later one. Rasteva allowed their power and consciousness to course through the device, taking note of every wire and piece of metal held within. They heard a voice speaking from within and for a moment, the Daemon was fearful that they'd been discovered. They soon realized that the Human was talking into the device, another Human somehow speaking from within. Had they been at all capable, Rasteva would have breathed a sigh of relief, and so they settled into their new (and hopefully temporary) home.

Rasteva was not sure what to make of the Human, never having observed one up close. She was odd looking, but the Daemon was of the opinion that ALL Humans looked strange. They could sense no power coming from her either, so Rasteva was safe under the assumption that she'd not come across any other Daemons. This was good, thus far. In their present state, Rasteva could not afford to clash with another of their kind. Especially after what had happened.

The Daemon felt a surge of rage at the thought. Their power had been torn from them, unrightfully so. And now it rested in hands that didn't deserve them, scattered all over the planet. Rasteva was not sure HOW they would go about locating even the smallest fraction of it. But the Daemon would not rest until they'd regained their former strength and glory.

But how to go about wrenching it from the unworthy?

The Daemon regarded the Human again, mulling over every available option laid before them.

The Human. She was the key. He would be the one to uplift the Daemon.

There was only the small matter of convincing her.
 
Lydia
Lydia McReona
mid-fall | evening | park - coffee shop

A sudden tickle in the back of Lydia's throat forced a cough from the young woman. She blinked a couple times in surprise, shaking her head and massaging away the lingering scratchiness. That was strange and out of the blue. She shrugged slightly to herself—probably just something on the wind. In such a heavily forested area such a thing wasn't so unusual. She turned her attention to the phone still in her hand. The audio had gone disconcertingly staticky near the end of the call, though the device seemed fine now. It was probably just the connection acting up due to the thick foliage overhead.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she dropped her phone into the front pocket of her bag and stood, slinging the canvas strap over one shoulder. With one hand resting at the base of the strap and the other hidden in her jacket pocket, she followed the park trails to where she'd left her old, nondescript coupe parked on the outskirts. Unceremoniously slinging the bag into shotgun once she'd retrieved her keys, she stepped into the driver's seat and started up the vehicle with the low, wheezing rasp of a worn-out engine, pulling away from the park back onto the highway.

A short drive later found her sitting in a familiar corner at a local coffee shop, sipping at a steaming cup and scrolling through files on her phone as the low murmuring of the few fellow patrons mingled with soft radio in the background. Halfway through the paragraph she was scanning, the screen suddenly went black. She stopped, frowning skeptically at the unresponsive glass. Damnit, did it just die on her? Last she'd checked, the battery had- the screen reactivated, displaying the previous content as though nothing had happened. What.
 
The distance that Allister Schoen was willing to travel for a good cup of coffee could not be understated. He was a man of particular tastes after all. Allister preferred only the finest that life had to offer him. But the matter of coffee was wholly subjective. The most expensive brand didn't necessarily produce the best product. There were countless factors to take into account when searching for the best drink one could find, and Allister took all of them into account during his search.

Unsurprisingly, Allister was also a man of dedication. His desire to find what was to become his favorite cup of coffee had taken all over the City. He'd taken care to avoid chain establishments headed by a corporate office, knowing that only a locally owned cafe would meet his standards. It had naturally led him to a few places that he would deem too shabby for his tastes, but the foppish man felt that it was a sacrifice worth making in the end. He was even willing to dress slightly less than perfectly to blend in on his quest to find that glorious, legendary mug of coffee. The city was so very big, and Allister was so very, very tired. It would all be worth it in the end.

And so he sat at a small table crammed into a corner, the dim lights of the room casting a cozy air about everything. Allister perched on the well-worn chair afford to him as he waited for his over, fiddling with the rolled up sleeve of his dress shirt. He'd forgone his usual jacket and dress pants this evening to avoid standing out too starkly. Instead, he chose the button up shirt, not buttoned TOO tightly, of course, paired with a pair of form hugging jeans. JEANS of all things! His Father would be rolling in his grave to see his eldest son's state of disarray. Not that Allister cared of course. But still, it was a drastic change in apparel for the uptight man. He'd naturally pulled his long hair back, as was his custom whenever he ate. It wouldn't do for blonde locks to suddenly find themselves swimming in his drink, it would ruin the drama and mystique of everything.

He decided to pass the time people watching while he waited for his order. The small cafe wasn't overly full, or even close to it. Very few patrons milled around, and all in all the small room was mostly quiet. Allister had seen and heard some rather interesting things during his weeks-long journey across the city. But no one caught his attention and it was looking like he'd be having a quiet evening this time around. Not that he minded that. The past month had been more than exhausting, necessitating Allister's urgency to find a brand of coffee he could settle on. He would be needing it on a constant basis for the foreseeable future. Work had become more hectic than usual, which in and of itself wasn't a problem. But the murders.....They were a problem and Lorette was growing more irritable with each passing day.

Allister allowed a small frown to settle over his face as he replayed his conversation with Lorette earlier in his mind. She did not vocally express it, but he'd know the woman long enough to tell when she was angry. The Police were floundering. Unsurprising, given the nature of the cases. But each day that went by without the perpetrator caught meant more lives at risk. And more pressing, it meant more time to consolidate power.

He'd offered to come in that evening to assist in whatever way that he could. But Lorette had ultimately declined his offer. Richard had been set on the trail and would see things taken care of. On one hand, Allister was pleased, knowing that the surly head of security wouldn't allow his quarry to slip away. On the other, it was telling that the need was so dire that Lorette had wasted no time in setting the surly man loose on the city. The whole thing wasn't quite what Allister would call a mess, but it certainly had the potential to become a massive one if something wasn't done soon.

The sound of the bell situated over the cafe's doorway jingling heralded a new arrival, though it barely registered on Allister's radar. He'd turned his attention to his phone during his wait and was prepared to stay just that way until his order arrived, but a light tugging at his temple drew his attention immediately. Faendr did not call upon him for just any reason, especially not in a public place like this. Allister stilled his movements for a second, cocking his head slightly and waiting. The tugging resumed, though this time more insistent. Allister let his gaze wander over the room before it finally settled on a woman seated several tables away. Like him, she was hunched over her phone, not taking any notice to her surroundings but Allister made an effort to not stare lest he be deemed suspicious. The tugging at his temple still persisted, but it wasn't urgent. Faendr was calling his attention to the woman, and really there were only a handful of reasons for them to do so.

A Barista calling his name suddenly gave the man all the cover he needed to get closer to the woman. He squeezed himself out of the corner, shuffling through the cramped spaces created by the haphazardly placed chairs and tables. The man made a conscious effort to not look at the woman as he passed her table. But the tugging increased in frequency the closer he got. Allister retained his senses enough to afford the Barista a smile and a word of thanks as he accepted his order, and took a prolonged sip of his coffee to give himself another moment near the strange woman.

The drink, sadly, wasn't as good as he'd hoped it would be. But that paled in comparison to what he'd found. Faendr was never wrong. The woman had a Daemon clinging to her, there was no mistaking it. If the frequency of his companion's mental prodding was any indication, the other Daemon wasn't particularly strong or notable. Certainly not strong enough to bother reporting, but Allister had always felt a certain thrill when he randomly encountered someone with a Daemon. It was like a game. One never knew where a supernatural creature was hiding, and so literally bumping into one during his day to business was always exciting.

He knew that he'd dawdled long enough and prepared to make his way back to his seat. He could finish his less than stellar drink there, and muse over what he'd found. But as he passed the woman again, he was struck by a sudden urge.

'Well. A little peek wouldn't hurt.' He thought.

Of all Faendr's abilities, his cognitive powers were the most impressive. Allister had made great use of them during their partnership more times than he could count. But the ability to see what the Daemon could see even briefly was by far his favorite. Diamond Mirror was also a very simple ability to use. All the man had to do was concentrate, and he'd be able to see the other Daemon's true form through Faendr's mind's eye. 'It's small. Maybe a bird?' He mused. Such a weak Daemon wouldn't have a particularly impressive form, but curiosity drove him on. Just one look and he'd be satisfied......

'Well, this isn't right.'

Whatever Faendr was seeing never did reach Allister's vision. Almost as soon as he'd pulled back the veil to peer beyond it, Allister was pushed away. Violently. The man could only describe the sensation as being punched straight in the brain. It was as if he'd been overcome by a sudden migraine. A sharp pain struck his temples, causing him to gasp. But more pressing was the sensation that his literal consciousness had been assaulted. Allister stumbled jerkily, his hip striking a chair as he dropped to a knee with a loud yelp. He'd dropped his coffee in the chaos, and the man had enough clarity of mind to bemoan the fact that both his shirt and jeans were now ruined. Someone, either one of the staff or another customer rushed over to try and assist him up but he shakily waved them away. "It's nothing, please. Just a migraine, the pain makes me a bit clumsy. I'm fine."

As he kneeled on the floor kneading his temples, Allister struggled to make sense of what had just happened. There'd been the usual smoky haze filling his sight whenever he used Faendr's Diamond Mirror. And Allister was positive that the woman had a Daemon. Otherwise, Faendr wouldn't have bothered activating it. There'd be no use if there was nothing at all to see. But it had been there. Whatever IT was, and it saw Allister and Faendr looking. The other Daemon clearly didn't take kindly to being stared at and had responded poorly. How it had done just that, was utterly beyond the man's comprehension. But that was a problem he'd have to deal with later.

Allister realized that he was still kneeling on the floor, and rose weakly amidst a few worried murmurs from staff. Someone offered to make him another drink, and he nodded silently in response. Another staff member shooed him away to begin cleaning up his mess, and the man sighed before slumping into the closest chair he could while remaining well out of the way. The woman he'd been eyeing was sure to be staring now. There was no way that she'd missed his little episode, and Allister felt a pang of embarrassment strike him full force.

'I should have just gone to work.'




The device they'd possessed was incredibly strange. Bits of metal and plastic wound throughout the inside while simultaneously holding the whole thing together. Rasteva struggled to make sense of it as best they could, but their going was slow. The Daemon's knowledge of Human devices was close to nil, never bothering to consider them before. Electric currents coursed through Rasteva's frame as they settled within the device. It wasn't what they'd call painful, but the sensation wasn't entirely pleasant either. The tried their best to ignore the feeling, more concerned with making themselves at home.

More pressing was that the human the device belonged to insisted on looking at it constantly. Rasteva had been terrified at first. Worried that they'd been discovered mere moments after taking hold of it. But the longer she stared at the device, the more it dawned on Rasteva that there was something else about it that caught her attention. The fact that she'd been speaking into it prior to Rasteva's arrival had to mean something, though they weren't sure what. Rasteva decided to shift their focus inside of the device, staring up at the Human from where they lay flat on a table. Their vision was momentarily dazzled by a bright light and it took them a few seconds to adjust. Once they had, the Daemon puzzled over what they were seeing. Lines of text scrolled continuously in their mind's eye, written obviously in the Human's language. What that language was, Rasteva could not name. Nor could they read the text itself, but it still interested them a great deal.

The opportunity to learn something about Humans was a valuable one. Despite their utter disdain for the species as a whole, Rasteva knew that any information that they could gain would be a great help to them in the long run. Unfortunately, they had no idea how to go about that. The Daemon paused to consider their new form. The Human's attachment to it, along with her constant staring had to have meant that it was relaying information to her. What it was, they could not say. But with them possessing it, Rasteva surely had access to that information. Rasteva sharpened their focus and took stock of their new body. They'd gotten used to it on a strictly physical level, foreign as it was. Rasteva's old body had been but a shell containing their essence. That's all a body really was in the end. The woman's device had to be the same way in some manner. The metal casing was the shell, and the information it relayed was the essence of a sort.

With that in mind, Rasteva set to work. The strange energy coursing through the device had to be its essence, and so the Daemon attempted to harness it. It was messy work, and it still jolted their weakened frame unpleasantly. Slowly, but surely they began to make sense of it. Rasteva surmised that the strange energy controlled the device and tried to test that theory by blocking its flow. The Daemon allowed themselves a brief moment of pride as the glass surface dimmed. They'd been right. (Naturally. Rasteva was always right.) And the device's sudden lack of energy forced it to stop working. The human's puzzled expression further proved this as she stared at the now blank screen. Rasteva allowed the power to resume flowing, lest she grow suspicious. It wouldn't do for her to throw away what she presumed to be a malfunctioning object, after all.

They were prepared to continue their experiments, but they paused when something pricked at their consciousness. It was another Daemon, and Rasteva mentally cursed themselves for failing to spot it, especially when it was so close. A closer inspection revealed that the other Daemon was hiding, something their kind did best. But what made this one so peculiar was how muddled its Aura seemed to be. Daemon Auras were usually defined. Moreso, the stronger the Daemon was. While Rastvea was loathe to admit it, but the one staring at them was certainly powerful. But it took special care to mask its presence, and their Aura darted and flitted around as if unwilling to be viewed in any matter.

Naturally, this infuriated Rasteva. The newcomer had the gall to stare straight at them but hid away to avoid the same treatment. It was infuriating and it was puzzling. What could they be hiding from? A cursory glance around revealed that they and Rasteva were the only Daemons in the area. And powerful as they were, they surely couldn't be hiding due to fear. It made no sense at all. Their anger gave way to curiosity and Rasteva could not resist the urge to observe the other Daemon more closely. Something suddenly struck them as being very off about the newcomer. Even despite the constantly shifting power surrounding them, the other Daemon's form could be somewhat made out. They couldn't quite tell what it looked like, but there was a definite form there. But something else was shielded behind it.

Rasteva pressed forward, straining to make out what could be hiding just beyond the fog of the other Daemon's Aura. It was certain, and inquisitive but different from the strange Daemon's prodding.

They'd almost recoiled in fear and disgust when they realized that the second consciousness belonged to the Human that the other Daemon was clinging to. The man lingering near Rasteva and the woman they'd latched onto was using the other Daemon's power as a means to inspect Rasteva. Why, and for what they could not say. Alarm was forefront in the proud Daemon's mind. An inquisitive human would pry where he wasn't wanted and Rasteva could not afford an altercation. They certainly couldn't afford to be found out. Not when they'd just gained a modicum of safety.

Their response was instantaneous. Rasteva focused as best they could in the circumstances and mentally lashed out at the man. There were no words exchanged, not that there could be anyway. If what happened next could be called a psychic conversation, then Rasteva's actions were the equivalent of throwing a chair at another person. Both the Daemon's and the Human's mental reach fell back abruptly. The Human took the worst of it, falling over with a pained shout. Several Humans gathered around to tend to him, and mercifully the other Daemon did not reach out again.

Rasteva allowed themselves a small bit of relief as the other Daemon and their Human left them alone. But they didn't allow themselves to relax completely. The man was still far too close for the Daemon's comfort, and Rasteva knew that they wouldn't be able to rest at all until he was well out of sight. They mentally scolded themselves for being so careless. Another Daemon had caught them utterly unaware, and they hadn't even noticed. They'd been lucky thus far, but experience had long since taught Rasteva that luck could and would run out at a moment's notice.

And they really didn't have that much to spare.
 
Lydia
Lydia McReona
mid-fall | evening | coffee shop - Lydia's apartment

Allister

A sudden yelp mere feet to her left startled Lydia back into the present, the woman quickly twisting in her seat to stare at the youthful blond man doubled over on one knee beside her. His soft, pale features were twisted in pain, slender fingertips pressed into his temples as coffee dripped from his shirt onto his jeans and from a toppled cup forgotten on the floor before him. Her momentary, instinctive but distant concern for his state was soon overpowered by a strange but powerful sense of uneasy suspicion at his proximity to her. How long had he been standing there? What did he want? Something in the pit of her stomach told her she needed to leave and quickly.

Well-accustomed to gut instinct leading her rightly, she tossed back her last swallow of coffee and, dropping her phone into her bag, slung the canvas strap over her shoulder as she skirted around the employees scurrying to clean the spill and assist the man. With a wave to the barista behind the counter, she pushed open the door, finding herself stiffening warily at the soft chime that unwittingly announced her escape, and stepped out into the chill and brisk evening. With a glance to the sky darkening to crimson and maroon beyond the high-rising structures around her as she pulled her jacket closer about her, Lydia tossed her bag into her car parked quietly on the curb and stepped into the driver's seat.


At the end of a commute that was just edging on too long for the tired woman's liking and too crowded for her patience, she turned off the highway into the low concrete ramp of a parking garage, rolling up through the levels until she finally pulled into the spot the predictable rhythm of many years had labeled as her own. With her keys secure in the palm of her hand, she stepped out into the quiet chill of the garage, a quiet beep from the vehicle behind her seeming almost to see her off in response to the remote lock on her key-ring before the ring disappeared into the bag again hanging against her hip.

A half-flight of stairs and an enclosed bridge over the busy highway later, she stopped to call one of the elevators running through the huge and somewhat dingy apartment complex. When the doors slid open after a brief wait, she stepped inside with a murmured greeting to the man sharing the car as she pressed the button for her floor and moved to stand beside him as the doors slid shut behind her and the car resumed its smooth upward progression.

After a moment riding in comfortable silence, the man beside her released a quiet humph, hazel eyes glancing over Lydia. "If looks could kill... Bad day?"

Lydia slumped where she stood, releasing a groan that summarized the insufferably long day better than her words ever could.

"You have no idea. Gabe's managed to pin even more shit on me, and he won't ever shut up about it."

"Don't let him get to you," the man calmly reminded her. "Just let him be a dick if he's going to be thataway inclined. All water, right?"

Lydia sighed, nodding in defeated agreement. "Yeah, I know."

"So," he continued more brightly, "how's dance been going?"

Lydia pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Pretty well. We've got a performance coming up soon."

The brunet's eyes darted from the numbers rolling through the elevator display to cast her a look of surprised intrigue. "Oh cool. What date?"

"Last Thursday of the month, last I was told. I'm looking forward to it." Lydia glanced back to him with a wry grimace. "Dance is probably just about the only thing that keeps me sane anymore, honestly."

The man released something of a disparaging snort at that remark. "I'd say you're a tad more resilient than that." He turned to her, lips parting in the full and cheery grin she knew so well as his. "You're too stubborn to go insane."

Lydia let her gaze fall with a soft chuckle, his words encouraging a rare smile of her own, but soon returned her attention to him. "How's your book coming along?"

"Nicely," he recounted, smile turning thoughtful with a slight nod to himself. "I'm a few chapters into the first draft and so far everything's going according to plan."

"Sounds good. Hit me up whenever you need beta-readers, right?"

He turned a grateful smile back to her. "Sure. Thanks, Lydia."

With that, the elevator slowed to a halt, the doors sliding open to a warmly lit hall. The man shrugged the bag resting against his leg back onto one shoulder. "Well, nice talking to you."

"You too, Arthur," Lydia murmured as he set off down the hall, the doors closing between them.

A couple floors later, the doors slid open once more and she walked down a nearly identical hall, practically on auto-pilot as she retrieved her keys and let herself through a left-hand door into a darkened entrance, the sturdy wood swinging shut behind her with a quiet click. She sighed into the stillness, lifting the key-ring to its hook beside the light-switch in the same motion that she clicked on the softly yellow overhead. Letting her bag fall to the carpet, she shrugged off her jacket and hung it on the wall-mounted rack immediately beyond the door, then carried the bag along with her into her simple and sparsely decorated but cozy apartment, turning on lights as she walked.

Once she had returned the contents of her bag to its proper places, most of which consisting of the desk set under a window in the meager office area off of her living-room and particularly setting her phone on the raised section of the structure in question, she dropped her bag in the closet and wandered into the darkened kitchen in search of food.
 
'What the Hell. What the HELL. What was that?' Allister thought. But the question didn't really need asking. The man knew what had happened, and the realization was grim. 'That was a level three Cognitive Assault. That's literally impossible for such a weak Daemon.' It was indeed unprecedented, Allister knew this. He'd read the dossier front to back. He'd sat in on more than one of Nikhil's lectures. He could recite Apex's Power Threshold in his sleep. For all intents and purposes, what had just happened to him was not at all in line with what Apex knew.

'I should at least file a report. Nikhil will want to know. And the woman, she's-'

He'd forgotten all about her.

Allister's head snapped up, his gaze zipping towards where the unknown woman was seated. Her chair was empty, and her mug abandoned. She'd clearly fled during the mere moments that Allister was out of commission. He couldn't exactly blame her for it either. Despite what the Internet told anyone, men making absolute asses of themselves did NOT attract a woman. Allister assumed that she'd watched the scene he caused and decided that she wanted no part of it.

But that could only be the case if she was unaware of her little passenger.

Given the sheer violence of the other Daemon's assault, Allister knew that it had something to hide. A great deal in fact. But the question of whether or not the woman knew was one the man could not answer. Not now at least. That would require a great deal of digging and Allister was hesitant to have Apex set on yet another wild goose chase through the city.

'I can at least report what I encountered here. But we can't afford to go chasing after a woman who may know nothing at all.' He mused. It was certainly interesting, but it could wait. At least for the moment.

Deeming the evening to be a disappointment, and wanting nothing more than a shower and a change of clothes, Allister stood and made ready to leave. He waved down the establishment's employees as one prepared to approach him. Merely smiling at them and thanking them for their fine service. He assured them, that he would be back but had no wish to trouble them anymore this evening. He had to come back. Even if he hadn't found what he'd been looking for, Allister had encountered something far more intriguing. Stalking random people wasn't really in his contract, that was a job best left to the Security forces at Apex. But a lead was a lead. Bumping into the strange woman was not something that he'd count on happening again without some effort on his part. Whether she knew it or not, the woman possessed something quite special and Allister was still eager to take a closer look.

The bell over the Cafe's door jingled softly, and the man was assaulted by a rush of wind the moment he stepped outside. Allister shivered slightly and made all haste to his car, wanting to spare himself from the chill as quickly as possible. Before anything else could happen, it was imperative that he get comfortable in his own home. The rest could be put aside a little while longer.

'Hmm. Usually spotting an interesting woman in a Coffee shop means good things. This time, I'm not a hundred percent sure.' The man thought dourly. But, there was the possibility that Allister was simply overthinking the matter. What was the worst that could happen after all?

They were safe, for now. Rasteva thanked whatever forces that bothered to listen for the woman's haste in leaving the small building she'd brought them too. She seemed nervous, undoubtedly put off by the unknown man's proximity to her and had fled immediately. Just as well in the Daemon's opinion. His lingering closeness and the other Daemon's mental prodding were not at all welcome to Rasteva and they were glad for the space put between them.

It had been a rather close call. Rasteva could not understand the other Daemon's pointed interest in them. Much less the Human man's. Rasteva knew of their kin's meddling in Human affairs and so the odd duo they'd encountered wasn't completely far fetched. But the Human had a Daemon. A strong one, Rasteva was forced to admit bitterly. His mind had seemed inquisitive, searching for answers almost.

What answers he wanted, and the questions he posed were far beyond Rasteva, however.

'It is passed now. I only hope that I never meet either of them again.' The Daemon thought darkly.

The woman seemed to have calmed down at least. Though now and then Rasteva felt irritation prick at their own mind. A puzzling development to be sure. While it was a solid fact that irritation was one of Rasteva's chief emotions, it seemed...separate from their own consciousness in this case. It was a thread that the Daemon would have been content to pick at, but all too suddenly, they felt jostled by movement. Where they were, the Daemon could not hope to tell. The woman had thrown the device they possessed into a bag, and Rasteva was left to the dark. They could do little but be carried to parts unknown by the whims of the Human and it was rather nerve-wracking.

They could hear voices now, close but muffled slightly. The woman's voice was recognizable at this point to Rasteva. But there was another who's pitch was completely different. The Daemon was of the mind that the fewer humans they had to deal with, the better. Fortunately, this one seemed to have no Daemon with them and Rasteva allowed themselves to relax marginally. They couldn't quite understand what the two were talking about. Undoubtedly Human nonsense, in Rasteva's opinion and so it made no difference in the end.

The two voices bid each other farewell, and Rasteva's curiosity was piqued. Where were they headed now? Hopefully somewhere more peaceful, but it getting to be dull within the confines of the woman's bag. The Daemon hoped that she would stop soon.

It truly wasn't long after. Soon enough Rasteva was pulled from the bag and left on a table of sorts in a strange room. The woman wandered off to parts unknown, seeming to know the layout of the area personally. Was this her dwelling? And more importantly, did she live alone? Rasteva didn't really want to deal with the threat of another Human stumbling across them and so took caution. They waited for an undetermined amount of time after the woman left, listening closely to her movements from elsewhere in the dwelling. She either wasn't coming back or was at least heavily preoccupied and so Rasteva took the opportunity to free themselves from the device.

With no harsh winds to assault them, Rasteva's smokelike form held together with no effort. Inside, they could move about easily and without fear. Still, the Daemon clung to corners and shadows as they moved around. They inspected the dwelling curiously, eyeing strange items that they'd never even seen before. Humans certainly collected a lot of things. For what, Rasteva would never know.

'Surely, these aren't all of use to her.' The thought. It didn't make sense for a Human to fill their space with useless items, but the Daemon was struggling to consider a use for even half of them.

A movement at the edge of their gaze drew the Daemon's attention, and they spied the woman moving about the dwelling carelessly. Rasteva crept closer, keeping themselves low to the ground and out of sight. She was still an odd-looking creature, but the Daemon had to admit to some curiosity. She moved confidently about the small space, handling more unknown items and seeming distracted by a yet named task. What was she doing? Rasteva had no knowledge of Human customs or activities, and so they resolved to watch her. At least for a moment.
 
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