Moving Forward (w/Wooseog Ryu)

[CanaryCry]

Name: Evelyn
Age: 27
Superpowers: Evelyn has what is referred to in her universe as Sight with a capital S (known as elemental scrying by the superpowers wiki). If she is touching water, she can then see into areas she isn't physically present in through any other source of still water. This creates a very small, faint glow of blue light in whatever source of water she is looking through, and a more pronounced blue glow in her own eyes.
On top of this, she also has what she refers to as Insight (also known as claircognizance), wherein she gains knowledge of facts she's never learned on her own, most often without her consent or control (i.e. when she first meets a person she can get no insight whatsoever, or she can tell that they're about to get divorced, or thinking of starting a new job, or other such things). Touching an object someone else has touched can give her glimpses into what happened around it.
Third and finally, she has a somewhat weak technopathy, enough to send untraceable messages or give electronics simple commands like on/off.
History/Storyline: Evelyn grew up with a therapist mother and a lawyer father, so suffice to say her childhood wasn't exactly normal, but she was well loved and cared for. After being used by supposed friends and boyfriends as a party trick and, in more black corners of her life, a tool, she moved far away from home to start a new life. In this new city, she used the combination of her abilities to become known simply as The Informant. If someone wanted information on their enemies, business partners or opponents, and knew the right people to get in touch with, they would contact her. As her messages can't be traced, no one knew her identity.
One day, she noticed someone using Sight just like hers to look at her in her home, and out of curiosity she decided to communicate with them. When she was finally able to follow the source with her own Sight, she found an exhausted looking young man in a dark, somewhat bare room, and after days of communicating in writing and simple yes or no questions, discovered he was being kept against his will and had been for a long time. Her Insight eventually told her how many people he had killed, but she knew something was wrong and set about finding someone to free him. She revealed her identity to this person and part of the organization they worked for, and was able to reveal the fact that the killer (Luca) was under the mental control of the man keeping him and not truly responsible for all the deaths in time to have the right person taken down. Since then, she's spent a great deal of her time trying to take care of Luca and help him re-enter the world.
Personality: Calm, calculating, and hates not being in control. Evelyn generally seems content and self-assured. With strangers she is rather stiff and resistant, but for known entities she will relax. Friends are treated softly, but having been taken advantage of before she treads lightly around anyone that asks too many favors.
Other: As a defining visual trait, Evelyn always walks with an umbrella or parasol. Rain makes her Sight difficult and temperamental, and on sunny days she burns easily.



Name: Luca
Age: 21
Superpowers: Luca has the same Sight as Evelyn (Elemental scrying via water), as well as the ability to form energy constructs which he refers to as The Shadow. The Shadow will sometimes act on its own should he come under attack and not react in time. He forms black energy into walls, ropes, or sharp tendrils that can crush most wood and stone, but cant cut straight through metal - bash and dent it, yes, but not cut through. This energy has mainly been developed for brute force, slamming or slicing through human opponents, and not for anything that requires more care or precision. Luca has learned to be a battering ram, and is still working on more gentle ways to use to his strength.
History/Storyline: Since he was a small child, around 10, Luca has been kept by a man who kept him compliant through mind control, sedation, and psychological manipulation. His parents were first, to make sure no one was looking for him, and after the few years it took to make Luca give up and stop fighting the man used his power to slaughter countless people. As Luca was always dressed in a full face motorcycle helmet and leather jacket - both to hide his identity and mask his young age before he grew up - and his powers left no evidence behind, authorities had been scrambling to find him before Evelyn did. Trapped as he was, he often used his Sight to take random glimpses of the outside world, and she was the first not to panic at his Sight's presence, to calmly invite him to stay instead. When she eventually found him and got someone to save him from the man that controlled him, he refused to speak to anyone until he could see her again, and trusts no one more than her, and the person that physically freed him.
Personality: Quiet. With very little experience with people Luca is confused by most social interaction and highly naive. He'll go along with most anything without questioning whether it's normal or not, and doesn't appear to care what's happening to or around him as long as he isn't being attacked or otherwise hurt. After so long living in captivity like he did, Luca is a confusing mix of touch-starved and uncomfortable with people. He will let people he trusts do just about anything as long as they'll be in physical contact with him somehow.
Other: Afraid of sleeping alone in the dark

 

[CanaryCry]

For weeks after initial contact, Evelyn had been leaving a bowl of water on the ottoman in her living room, waiting for the moments Luca was alone long enough to visit her. She had taken to keeping a large notebook and marker nearby to ask yes or no questions, or to tell him something she thought might cheer him up. He was always so tired, always so distant, and only a handful of times had he tried to mime anything at her to ask anything back. After a while, he had taken to drawing hesitant letters in the air, and she did her best to decipher them and answer. In the end, she had all the information she needed: Luca was being kept. Trapped. Used. She had to help him.

Despite a long streak of stubborn independence, she knew she was in over her head. Not only were her physical fighting skills sorely lacking, she didn't know what kind of gift could possibly keep someone as strong as Luca so thoroughly contained. Surely if it held him, it would have no trouble with her. Out of necessity, she spent another painfully long week gathering as much information as she could on prospective candidates, finding someone she was relatively certain would be perfect for the job - a young detective, famous in the right circles for her powers of deduction and skill in solving cases involving powered people, and with a gift that would completely nullify the threat of both Luca and the man holding him. On top of it all, she had been trying to solve the puzzle of the Ghost for years already. She would jump at the prospect of stopping him.

It wasn't very easy, tracking the woman down, but once she had, all Evelyn had to do was walk within a block's distance of her. All it took was a casual stroll, barely a glance needed to make contact with her cell phone. Later on, in the middle of an otherwise average morning, she sent the detective a message with no source, a known trademark amongst any locals that had ever used her services, or any who heard from those who had.

I have information for you about your Ghost. It read. I'd like to meet in person. Come alone to Grand Bell Park, 12:30, and have a seat. I'll find you.

If mention of the Ghost Killer wasn't enough, she was sure the added lure of being the only one to meet the mysterious Informant in person would draw the detective in, and as long as she came alone Evelyn would let her. For a camouflage, of sorts, she dressed in business attire, a brown plaid skirt, a black blouse, a deep purple sweater, black tights and small heels. Disarmingly similar to the number of office workers who often took walks through the park for their lunch, if not for the black and purple parasol perched above her head. Still, "Umbrella Girl" was a somewhat known figure to some of the more observant, long-time locals, and seen as harmlessly eclectic, largely ignored. Like a magician's misdirecting hands, the moniker drew attention to all the wrong places.

The detective was sitting on a bench, as instructed, and Evelyn walked down the paved path in her direction with eyes that wandered, looking up into the trees as she went, as if she hadn't noticed the woman at all. They drifted to a mother and child sitting on a blanket in the grass as she took a seat on the opposite end of his bench, settled in with crossed legs and began casually scrolling through art on her phone. She let the detective stew in annoyance at her presence a little while, surely thinking she would scare off The Informant and ruin her meeting. Before she could choose another bench, and without so much as touching her screen, Evelyn sent the woman another message.

On your left.

"Hello, detective." She said aloud once the woman had time to read it, and when she turned to see Evelyn more clearly she gave the detective a small smile, not quite mocking enough to be called a smirk. "Did you suspect me?"

She was sure that none of her clients pictured anyone that looked like her, when they worked together. She was taking a risk by letting even this one learn her face, but it couldn't matter enough to stop her, not when Luca was still suffering.

"I'll get right to business. You've been chasing the Ghost for a long time." She didn't make it a question. It was her reputation and her business to know things, not guess them. "I can give him to you. But only if you're willing to accept my words as truth, above all else. Do you think you can do that, Detective?"

If she was going to keep Luca safe, this woman was going to have to believe her when she said that all the death and destruction wasn't his fault, and that he deserved to be freed rather than imprisoned. If she wouldn't believe Evelyn's reputation for complete and total accuracy, it wasn't going to work, and she was going to have to find out how to walk away after saying she had the information the other woman wanted most.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Name: Nayami Grace Harper
Alias: "Shiver"



Superpower: Nayami's greatest gift is her voice, which is capable of completely shutting down the powers of others. This power is called "Cancel". And it can range from a low hum that will simply dampen the powers of another, to her whistling and singing, which she wields like a weapon

Her whistle is a shield, that can immediately stay the powers of another. Her voice is her sword, which can entirely pacify a person who can hear her.

History: Nayami reveals little of her history, given that she isn't even willing to share her name. She lives by the name "Shiver". She was once used by the government to work on cases that involved people like her, with power that posed a threat. There came a point where Shiver had found enough success that she could retire, and forget about the woes of the world.

The final case Shiver worked on was a young boy who had been inadvertently killing those he loved. Shiver didn't show him an inkling of kindness, and was eventually able to suss out the child's ability. She had gone into retirement since, reachable only by confusing back channels.

Personality: Nayami tries to present herself as cold and distant, but that is very far from the truth. She is an extremely empathetic person, which she has viewed as a weakness her entire life. She has recently taught herself to live for herself; she doesn't work on cases that don't fascinate her.

Appearance: Her looks rendered her an outcast from birth. She has an unnatural alabaster pigment to her skin, and her eyes are not only red in the iris, but also bloodshot, as if she were perpetually weeping. When she does try to look professional, she ties her frizzy mess of hair into a ponytail, and wears buttoned-down black clothing. No matter what, Nayami stands out in a crowd. There is a reason she uses an alias and rarely leaves her home.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

A part of Shiver hated that she had been contacted. She was someone who valued her privacy more than most; she knew how easy it was to violate privacy. But some things were more important than her sensibilities. When she received a message regarding Ghost, from a possible lead, there was no way she could ignore it. Every instinct she had told her to send a subordinate. But she had a feeling, and most of the time, her feelings were right. The message told her to come alone, but she denied the insistence of her subordinates to support her.

"I have this entirely under control." She had explained. Now here she was, at the agreed upon place, at the agreed upon time. She had been combing the area for hours, looking for a hint of suspicious activity; or a hint of her mysterious lead revealing themselves. At a point she became comfortable that her life wasn't in danger, and sat down on an available bench.

It was hard for Shiver not to draw attention to herself. She wore sunglasses, and a large hat to cast shade over her alabaster skin. She dressed professionally with mild greys that distracted from her odd appearance. She could be pulled from a crowd immediately, but made her business in anonymity. Showing up at the park was already a loss in her books. If this was Ghost luring her to a trap, then she deserved to die. But instead of a trap, it seemed like a waste of time instead. She smiled watching the mother and child, remembering a time when she liked being picked up and hugged.

It didn't take long before her little mystery appeared. Apparently she was choosing not to talk, expecting Shiver to make the first move. The second her suspect had sat down next to her, Shiver began to hum. Somewhere Over the Rainbow was her song of choice, anyone in earshot with powers would find themselves struggling to use such powers. Then her phone rang. She didn't have to look at her text before turning towards Evelyn. She stared for a second, and then took off her sunglasses. Her eyes were sanguine red, and crawling with veins.

"What part of my reputation made you think it was pertinent to waste my time?" Shiver asked in a friendly, but frank voice. She was stoic, and betrayed little emotion with her words, but it was obvious she thought of herself in high regard. Though any advice involving Ghost was something she couldn't ignore. When Evelyn dove into her situation, Nayami's humming morphed into a soft whistle from her nose.

"I have been chasing Ghost for some time." Shiver didn't argue the fact, this woman already knew. But in the moment her demands seemed ludicrous.

"I am almost entirely sure you are being honest with me." Shiver said politely, avoiding eye contact when she could. "Yet for some reason you sat me down here, on this bench, and scrolled through your apps, despite the fact I came here for you. I hate that, you know. And because of that, I am entirely inclined not to trust you." Shiver said, holding an inquisitive expression before letting it fall.

"I think you're genuine. I think you have a relationship with Ghost, I mean it's obvious. You are probably the only one championing their well-being, and I could be the second. Is that an accurate description of this situation?" Shiver asked, her voice still neutral.

"No more cloak and dagger shit unless I call for it. Now what are you going to do? To prove to me I can trust your word. I showed up. I put myself at risk. Give me one reason to trust you or I will walk. And I will figure this out without you." Shiver bluffed but knew her bluff wasn't far from truth. If this Evelyn had any information, Shiver needed all of it desperately. But she wasn't going to come off as weak.

Even in the silence her nose whistled, and the sound disrupted the flow of power.

 

[CanaryCry]

Icy. It was the only word that came to mind when this "Shiver" started to speak, and for a moment the thought was almost funny. Evelyn was silent, listening, expression neutral despite the tone being given to her. The humming did not escape her, once she noticed it, and while it was a reasonable defense given they were unknown to each other, it made her think that this woman was afraid of her. When Shiver was done demanding, Evelyn only gave an amused little smile and didn't ask her to stop.

"So impatient," she murmured, as if she herself had all the time in the world, as if she didn't also need this meeting to work. "You had me pegged me from the start, then? I'm impressed. You'll have to forgive the stalling. The wait was merely to be sure you were serious. If you'd gotten annoyed and left, it would have been a safe bet to simply give up on you."

Just as Shiver was testing her with her not quite subtle voice, Evelyn had to perform her own little tricks. Meeting in a public place with a lot of people around had been for her own safety, her own anonymity, so no one would identify her or suspect anything strange was happening. They were just two women, sitting on a bench, having a chat on their lunch. If not for Shiver's looks, and Evelyn's choice in accessories, no one would have looked at them twice

"Trust isn't something that can just be handed over so easily," Evelyn said with a little shake of her head, as if unconcerned, "and nothing I say now is going to make you feel better, so here's what I'll give you. Truths. Just as you say you took risks in coming to meet me, so have I. I've shown you my face, and I'll go so far as to tell you my name - Evelyn Kohl."

As far as information worth anything at all, her identity as The Informant was all she had to give. Anything else couldn't be proven. It was a big risk, and one she didn't take lightly, but she just had to hope that Shiver's sense of virtue would keep her from telling anyone. For Luca, Evelyn reminded herself. He had more to lose than she did.

"Please do me the courtesy of not thinking I'm an idiot," Evelyn continued, tone mild, unoffended. "I know you're desperate to find him, and I'm prepared to tell you his name, his exact location - I'll even show you his face, unlike the blurry stills of a helmet you've managed to pull from security cameras." She gave a little shrug, tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. "They're just sketches, mind you, but they're as accurate as they can get, and much better than anything you have if you're still calling him 'they'." Already she had given Shiver something she apparently didn't have in revealing Luca's gender.

Evelyn paused, briefly, wary of Shiver's apparent impatience but considering her words. "If you are 'championing his well-being', I'd like you to prove it. What makes you think his well-being is worth anything? I know why I believe in his innocence, but why do you? I can't very well hand him over to you if I think you're going to do him harm."

That part was the one she hadn't expected. She had been prepared to have to convince Shiver of Luca's innocence, and the fact that all those arguments were now null and void had admittedly thrown her for a bit of a loop, but no matter. This was a good sign, hopefully, and not just Shiver trying to cater to her. This meeting of theirs had potential already.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

"Impatient is a good word for it," Shiver said, continuing to keep up a callous and distant attitude. But when Evelyn began talking to her, and her attitude would quickly shift. Shiver was almost venerated in her field. She viewed herself as a sort of final resort; once the rest of the world failed, that was when she was called in. So she could talk down to people, she could be short with people. Interactions tended to go a lot faster when people didn't like her. It was a technique.

But Evelyn was different. Shiver wasn't used to being spoken to like an equal. And Evelyn's reasoning, of course, made sense. But even if Shiver was impatient enough to want to leave, she wouldn't, not if it meant she lost a lead on Ghost. Evelyn knew she was desperate, and Shiver knew that she was the same. When she gave her name, Shiver repeated it.

"Evelyn Kohl… You can continue to call me Shiver, for now. Thank you." It was the first hint of true politeness she showed; Nayami was not ready to give out her name. And she would be searching up Evelyn Kohl on her database. "Well if you are in fact telling the truth I'm impressed with your honesty. I don't normally do names Evelyn Kohl. These truths, just know I'm inclined to believe you right now. It can all change in a second." Shiver said cryptically, before actually quieting down to listen to Evelyn's situation. Everything quiet but her nose.

Shiver was mildly amused when Evelyn spoke up about how condescending the conversation had been so far. She dipped her head in respect, though. She had already decided not to treat Evelyn like an idiot. "I would never assume anyone an idiot." She said in a facetious way. "I'm listening."

Then Evelyn divulged everything she could give her. It reminded her of an old quote:

"If something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Ghosts name? His location? Evelyn was taking every single risk taking this meeting, tenfold the risk Shiver was taking. Shiver didn't want to let this woman know how at a loss for words she was. She was caught, she hadn't even known Luca's gender. They were a man, if Evelyn was being truthful. It was usually men.

"I didn't know the gender." Shiver admitted. But of course there was a catch. Shiver would have to share her own thoughts on the case before getting anything from Evelyn. She had let it slip earlier that she might be on her side. Shiver was quiet for a while after that. She had been pushing her bangs out of her face while she was thinking, but pulled them straight back down when she began talking.

"I have been- I've been trying to trust myself more. And this Ghost is just, different. It's unlike any M.O. I have seen before, the videos are always-" Shiver couldn't reveal too much. "But you're right, they're blurry. It feels like something other than calculated murder. Extortion, blackmail, framing, perhaps? Hmmmmmm…" Shiver hummed loudly for a moment, her dampening powers becoming even stronger, as a precaution.

"I have used police resources on this case, but have not assisted the police. To be honest I'm disillusioned with their work, and their guilty until proven innocent mindset. I have helped a lot of bastards." Shiver rambled. "And you're either planning to murder me alongside Ghost, or you are sincerely in need of help for a situation that is entirely out of your hands." Shiver scanned the park, it had already been cleared, and it still was.

"I'm not dead." Shiver once again smiled, it was a little warmer than her fake smile, but not by much. "I will set up the time and place of the meeting. It will be the three of us, unarmed. You have my word I will say nothing to the police, or even my team for that matter…"

"Nayami." She finally said. "My name is Nayami. This case has been… Very close to maddening. "

 

[CanaryCry]

Hearing her name repeated had anxiety curling tight in her chest, but Evelyn had known the risks going into this meeting. She could ruin her entire life by revealing her identity, have to change occupations, have to move across states - but it had to be worth it. She would risk her own freedom and stability if it meant getting Luca free.

Without access to her gifts, she was quiet while Shiver spoke, watching quietly and taking note of the little tics the other woman had. Interpreting tone and body language was all Evelyn had left, after all, and she had to size up her prospective partner to be sure that there wouldn't be any problems later on. For now, it seemed Shiver's attitude was slowly changing towards her as they went on, and Evelyn knew that continuing to tell only truths would pay off for her in the long run, no matter how painful.

When Shiver - Nayami - accused her of potential murder, Evelyn couldn't help giving a small, amused smile despite the seriousness of the situation. "I assure you, even without your ability to nullify my power, none of it is any good for offense. If I were any danger to you, it would be with my hands." And, clearly, she was not a very large or strong person. She and Nayami were about the same size, and she was sure neither of them posed a true physical threat to the other.

"I think you're mistaking the purpose for this meeting," Evelyn stated plainly after a pause. "The Ghost is not your murderer, not really. He is a puppet. A weapon, aimed by someone else's hand. The real killer Is the man in control, and I can't tell what kind of gift is doing it. That's why I need your help, Nayami. We aren't here to organize a meet up - we're here to organize a rescue."

She opened her phone once more, flipping through her photos to the scans she had taken of her sketches, and handed it to Nayami for her perusal. They artwork was life-like enough, one simply an image of Luca from the shoulders up, facing forward for identification purposes, the other a more candid depiction of him lying curled up on his side in bed, an arm dangling to the ground to touch a glass of water. He looked tired, but that was how she always saw him. More importantly, he looked very young. When his first kills had been recorded, he couldn't have been older than 15 or 16.

"His name is Luca," She said softly, "and he found me with his Sight weeks ago. I managed to follow him with my own, and I've been communicating with him as best I can ever since. He can't meet with us because he's not allowed to leave, not unless it's time to use him. This is why I came to you, Nayami. Without you, any attempt to reach him would end in death."

There it was, her cards on the table. Evelyn could get up and walk away, but the truth of the matter was that she needed Nayami's help.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Nayami had given her name, which was something she'd done very few times. But the more she revealed the more her personality changed. She had been, quite purposely, abrasive when she first spoke to Evelyn, then became much more open and honest. But there was a point she switched into a robotic mode: She blinked in a quite disinterested way when Evelyn mentioned her power, and either of their fighting prowess.

"You know my ability? So it's nullification is it?" Nayami spoke now with genuine curiosity instead of any accusatory tone. "Do you think neither of us are any danger with our hands alone?" Nayami tilted her head to the side, brushing the bangs out of her bloodshot eyes to meet with Evelyn's. "I figured you had a latent ability, so it is called 'Sight?'" She asked. She hadn't been entirely sure going into this that Evelyn had an ability not unlike hers, but she was fairly confident she did. So whatever "Sight" was, Evelyn had been unable to access it since the two met.

But they hadn't come to discuss their gifts, in fact it was probably better they didn't. She maintained steady eye contact as Evelyn attempted to clear the situation up, but her eyes began to thin the clearer things became. She wasn't skeptical, stranger things in the world had happened, but she didn't like this situation. Now her search wasn't for a killer, it was for a weapon, and the one manipulating the weapon. And to put a rescue on top of that? "Well, if what you're saying is true," Nayami paused and clicked her tongue. "This is all going to be infinitely more difficult than it already was." She took the phone from Evelyn when it was offered.

"Luca?" Nayami repeated the name, a habit of hers. She zoomed in on the photo-realistic drawings of the boy. "He's a child." She observed while flipping through them. The smallest details were catching her eye. Instead of concern for the boy curled up in the fetal position, she focused on the glass of water on the ground. She was curious why he would be dipping his, probably filthy, fingers into his water. How much was he being given? "He's not what I pictured Ghost to look like." She continued looking through the drawings as long as Evelyn would let her.

She didn't need to let Evelyn continue on with her plea for help, but she did anyways. In fact, Nayami had decided before the meeting that if there was a chance to stop the killings she would do whatever it took. "Even if it's my life..." She whispered under her breath, her eye twitched.

"I have an obligation to myself to accept, and offer what I can to, ah..." She couldn't find the word. It was far more than a simple case to be solved. And it wasn't only the rescue of a child in peril; there was a separate entity with powers they knew nothing of. There was a chance her ability to nullify the gifts of others would not work on this entity; then she would call it a suicide mission. "To execute justice."

Nayami cleared her throat, and stood up. Everything she knew, had thought she'd known now meant so little. Luca was the answer, and now, together, she and Evelyn would have to physically find him. "The logistics of this are, far more complicated than I had expected." In the distance, a man was walking through the trail, Nayami put her sunglasses back on, and hushed her voice.

"We can't discuss this here." She took out her phone, and pressed a couple buttons, and then took out a pad of paper, jotting down an address, a date that was one day from today, and a time. 3:00 AM.

"Does that work for you?"

 

[CanaryCry]

Evelyn was watching the way Nayami reacted as they spoke, taking in the way her attitude changed seemingly from sentence to sentence. She wasn't sure what to think of it yet, but in her line of work it was important to pay attention to detail. It was also her business to know things, which was why when Nayami questioned her knowledge of the other woman's gift, Evelyn only smiled. Her Insight had at least given her that much, though not Nayami's name.

"Perhaps it's not that neither of us could be a danger to the other," she conceded, "but at the very least you would see it coming." It felt a bit odd that Nayami had never encountered someone with Sight before - though Evelyn couldn't pin down the statistical likelihood of her and Luca both using water as their medium, and successfully, at that, it wasn't as if the ability itself were unheard of. For now, she didn't feel the need to explain. Given time, she would likely reveal more about herself, but for now she gave only what information was necessary.

"Difficult is correct," Evelyn said after a pause, calm and seemingly unaffected even when Nayami made a point of making more intense eye contact, as if her appearance would frighten Evelyn away. "Your gift is why I sought you out. Without it, any attempt to get close would be futile. The weapon would simply turn our way the moment we were noticed." If she hadn't any concern for her own safety, she at least didn't want Luca to have to live with being used to kill her, too.

Evelyn watched closely as Nayami studied the drawings, wondering just what was going on inside the other woman's head, and only reached to take her phone back when it was given up. Luca couldn't have been older than his early twenties, she was sure, and while she knew some wouldn't consider him a child at that age, she couldn't help but agree. He had been used for so long that he could hardly have had the time to mature freely as others did.

Clearly, Nayami was recalculating what she knew about the Ghost, and about how finding him would go. Evelyn allowed her that without comment, only tucking her cell phone away and accepting the note handed to her. 3 am was very early, and she didn't want to risk showing her face to more people, but if it was what had to be done to get Luca free she would do it.

"I'll be there," she said rather than protest, and smoothed out her clothes as she got to her feet, resettled her purse on her shoulder and her parasol above her head. The picture of calm despite all the potential turmoil swirling around in her head, she gave Nayami a polite little smile and turned to walk away. "It was nice meeting you. Have a safe trip home."

For now, despite not having instant answers, she would have to be satisfied with Nayami's apparent interest in helping. It was time to go home, regroup, and make sure she was ready for their next meeting.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Nayami knew her gift was a shield and not a sword. If she was to lend her power to a cause, she would need more than just herself. This meant trusting Evelyn, and Luca at face value. She didn't betray any of this with her blank facial expressions.

"Good to meet you too. Drive safe."

——

Shiver could not have picked a less inviting address had she tried. The location Evelyn was sent to at 3:00 AM was an industrial crossroads, between two warehouses and a train track. There was no bench to sit on, just bleak concrete buildings to stare at. It wasn't until 3:05 the silence was disturbed by the roar of an engine, and a blinding set of high beams piercing through the fog. Shiver had also not chosen subtlety this time around.

The truck that arrived was a massive twelve-wheeler. It made it's presence known, but looked like one of the tens of thousands other trucks driving around the country at any given time. There was a non-descript white container on the back, with a few numbers spray-painted on. It rolled to a stop in front of Evelyn, and then cut the engine. The driver door opened and shut, slow footsteps made their way to the other side. It wasn't Nayami who had come to greet Evelyn.

The man who came around the corner was a far cry from the woman Evelyn had met earlier. He was a towering presence at almost seven feet, and had the muscular build that could only be developed with a life of labour. He had a heavy-lidded, weary face, but looked serene in a way; he had an inexplicably calming presence despite his stature. He looked down at Evelyn, and nodded his head respectfully. He had a folded piece of paper on it, with the letters "EK" written on it. The man gave the paper to Evelyn, along with a lighter.

"E.K.

Hunter is my driver, he cannot speak. He will bring you to me.

Burn this.

-Nayami"

The note read simply. The handwriting was so fine it could have been typed. The man called Hunter watched her read it, but made no attempt to glance at the contents. He had been given several orders to follow, and conditions to be met. If Evelyn did not burn the note, he was to get back in the truck, and leave immediately. That would be it. But upon completing the task, Hunter opened the passenger door for Evelyn, and closed it behind her.

He was back in the drivers seat, and the they would be on the road quickly, but not before he started up an unmarked CD. It was white noise, no doubt blended with some sound Nayami was making.

He had a messy mop of brown hair that fell in front of his eyes, but he never broke concentration from the road. It only took twenty minutes until they were out of the city, and that is when the drive became much longer. Time lost its meaning driving down empty stretches of country road. Hunter didn't speak, nor would he allow Evelyn to put on anything that might obscure the CD. Minutes felt like hours, and it wasn't until the hour mark something finally happened. The white noise stopped.

"Evelyn. Hello, thank you for your patience, if you've made it here. You're not far now. I will see you soon."

It was definitely Nayami's voice, sounding as robotic as ever. The white noise continued after that, but it wasn't long before they arrived at their destination. They left the main road to drive down a gravel path, which eventually lead them to a seeming endlessly spacious ranch. The sun was rising, but men and animals alike were already getting ready to face the day. They wore clothes similar to Hunter, muddy jeans and simple tees, but all seemed to take notice of the truck. Hunter leaned on the horn, and the men got back to work.

Even after arriving on the property, it took another twenty minutes before they got to the hub. The estate was larger than a mansion, with tens of structures surrounding it to support the farm. Hunter drove his truck to a designated spot, close to the largest barn, and finally parked. He was careful to take the CD out of the drive and pack it away, and then smiled at Evelyn before hopping out of the truck. He hustled over to her side to open the door for the woman, and offered her a hand down.

To her credit, Nayami was not going to make her wait any more. She was in the barn to meet Evelyn when Hunter helped her down. She was also in jeans, and a plaid shirt, she also wore a cowboy hat that seemed slightly over the top, but she was in her element. Evelyn was on her territory now, and they had business to attend to.

"How was your trip? Sorry for the distance. I obviously couldn't give you my address. I hope Hunter wasn't too chatty." Nayami said jokingly, an attempt to be disarming. "Now, we have to figure out how little time we have to prevent another murder."

She wasted little time on pleasantries. Ghost, Luca, the monster in charge of this all, had to be stopped.

 

[CanaryCry]

What the hell is going on?

It was a phrase Evelyn would find herself repeating over and over in the hours that followed her supposed meeting with Nayami. It was just as she was considering checking whether or not they should be meeting inside one of the buildings nearby that the large truck pulled up and stopped so close to her that she wondered if she should be running or not. The only thing that stopped her from leaving was her gift, telling her that this was right, that it was meant for her. It didn't mean she hated it any less.

"Is she serious?" Evelyn asked of the man who had handed her paper and a lighter, an irritable confusion in her voice, but when no answer was forthcoming she simply sighed and was careful to hold the paper by a corner as she lit it on fire, waiting until only the smallest shred she could manage remained to drop it to the cement. It seemed the right course of action, apparently, as the next thing she knew she was stepping into one of the least subtle and least comforting vehicles she had ever entered before.

Who uses CDs anymore? Was her next incredulous thought, but with the note in mind she didn't speak aloud. It wasn't as if she would get a response, and she was sure the white noise and the silence of her driver was meant to put Evelyn on edge - it worked, annoyingly so, but she was in this for the long haul and couldn't give up. Her own safety and comfort weren't so important as her purpose. She held on to that idea as the drive stretched on, too uncomfortable to sleep despite the early hour and the very long trip.

Nayami's voice in the quiet made her jump, and Evelyn had a very surreal moment in which she had the visceral urge to slap the woman next time she saw her, but she supposed that was the anxiety talking. All it meant was that by the time she reached her destination she was very, very upset. Irritated, perhaps angry, and even a little incredulous at the lengths Nayami had gone to inconvenience her. How could the detective balk at Evelyn's wait on a park bench when she had all of this in store? It felt unfair, and that was the notion that made Evelyn bite her tongue. It was childish, letting the anxious fear of the unknown, frankly creepy situation rile her. Nayami was testing her, wasn't she?

For Luca, Evelyn thought. For Luca.

She took a long, careful breath before exiting the vehicle, let it out slowly and pushed down on the uneasiness at being so fully at someone else's mercy so as not to take it out on the man that helped her down. As much as she wanted to march right in and tell Nayami to her face how unnecessary it had all been, she needed this partnership to work. If anything was going to go her way, she had to grit her teeth and bear it.

Despite being calm as she was brought to Nayami's side, Evelyn did not hide the way her fingers clenched around the strap of her purse for lack of anything else to do, and most definitely did not laugh at her 'joke'. "Straight to business, then," she said instead, and was rather proud of herself for keeping her frazzled nerves out of her voice, at least. "Before we start planning anything, I wanted to go over something I wasn't able to address the last time we met."

She paused for only a moment, just to be sure she actually had Nayami's attention, then pressed on. "If we are successful, Luca is going to need to be housed somewhere. I propose that it will be less traumatic for him if he stays with me." He knew her face, and knew she was on his side. If he was ever going to transition back into the world at large, he needed to start somewhere where he needn't be scared immediately after finding freedom. "I have space for him, and a reputable therapist already lined up for when he's ready to speak."

It was a woman she'd managed to find through contacts of her mother's, which had been a difficult, secretive conversation in order to obtain, but the woman Evelyn had chosen specialized in manipulation-based trauma similar to the things Luca had been through and had both Evelyn and her mother's approval. She would be safe for Luca to speak to openly.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Nayami didn't know how Evelyn was going to react to the ordeal she had been put through that night. She looked to Hunter to see if she's could gather anything, but as usual he betrayed no emotion. "Thank you, Hunter. Please enjoy the rest of the day buddy. I'll see you later." She dismissed the man with a gentle smile, he simply turned and left the two women.

Nayami was expecting an earful. She was expecting anything, but Evelyn didn't bother balking at her. As she suspected; Evelyn cared far too much about Luca to care about the minutia of her operation.

"Straight to business then." Nayami responded. She had already began humming to dampen the "Sight" ability, not trusting anything she didn't fully understand. But her humming faltered for just a second, when Evelyn mentioned something she hadn't brought up in their first meeting. Obviously their initial meeting was done in truncated time, there was no way they could have discussed everything. But Nayami was deeply mistrusting. "Oh?" She inquired. Even Hunter stopped walking away, looking back to make sure Nayami was still safe.

It was a simple request Evelyn made, that Ghost, upon liberation, be allowed to stay with her. Her proposed idea made sense; Evelyn was most likely the only person Luca could associate with, apart from his captor. Evelyn was a safe space for him, and she had gone out of her way to find a therapist for the boy too. Agreeing to let Luca stay with Evelyn was the obvious choice. How could she argue with that?

Easily. But Nayami most likely wouldn't have thought to object, if Evelyn hadn't brought it up.

"You're saying Luca will be okay to stay with you, entirely broken of his curse the moment we procure him? There may not be a lingering element to his captors gift? And your therapist, how versed are they in understanding the stakes we face?" Nayami fired a barrage of questions, in an awkwardly confrontational manner. "I'm glad you just proposed the idea. Because I can't accept these as conditions, as things are now." Nayami was firm, but understood Evelyn might still be sour with her for the early morning drive.

"This is my land, Evelyn. One-hundred fifty acres of beautiful earth's natural beauty. I can't think of somewhere less traumatic; this is also a controlled environment where I can monitor and dampen his gift. Obviously his transit will be far more hospitable, I could even send the limousine." Nayami could have sent Evelyn the limousine, too. Everything had been a test up until now. Now, Nayami was making her claim, in a move she knew would frustrate Evelyn.

"I propose he stay here. Of course you, and your therapist would be invited as well. We are better equipped to face this together rather than apart, yes? And I guarantee whatever accommodations you have made will not be sufficient for me, I'm a very private person." Nayami said simply. They hadn't even left the barn and they had already come to ahead. Nayami wouldn't back down, but she would offer an out.

"Or. We can cross that bridge when we come to it. But I don't think I'm wrong here."

 

[CanaryCry]

Out of everything that had happened, it was Nayami's calm, superior nature that compounded it all. Evelyn had been ready to let go of the tests, to look past her own discomfort and get back to the matter at hand, but the distrust apparent in the way Nayami immediately started to hum, in a place where the other woman had the home field advantage, surrounded by people that would keep her safe and Evelyn off balance, was maddening. The roiling upset in her chest had a lid on it, but it was ready to boil over.

It was, perhaps, the limousine that broke her.

"Hospitable?" Though she didn't raise her voice, there was fury in her tone and her eyes had narrowed into a venomous glare. "I cannot think of a less hospitable person than you." She all but stomped her foot when she took a step forward to point a finger in Nayami's face like a scolding parent, a solid foot of space between it and her still and with no attempts at striking her. Evelyn was angry; she was not a violent person. She hated every second of this, losing her hard won control, but the situation had put her off balance. With Nayami suppressing her gifts she had no way of truly knowing she was safe in this infuriating place beyond educated guesses, and it had her all but shaking with anxiety-driven rage. The worst part was knowing it was all on purpose.

"I was perfectly civil when we met," she continued, feeling unable to stop and allowing no room for interruptions as she ticked off points on her fingers, "I chose neutral ground, in an open space, with plenty of witnesses, I came on my own - I would ask if you knew how fucking terrifying it was to be picked up like that and dragged off into the middle of nowhere but I'm aware you did it intentionally and if I were anyone but me I would've slapped you across the face the second I saw you." Part of her still wanted to.

"How I feel doesn't matter anymore," She pressed on with a shake of her head, trying to swallow it all down but furious still, "but If you're going to do that to me, who presents little to no threat to you at all, what will you do to him? Will you lock him up again? Suppress his gift constantly so he never has a chance to learn how to deal with it on his own? What are you going to do if he's scared? If he wakes up in the night sobbing at the thought of all the things he's been made to do, are you going to hold his hand and tell him it wasn't his fault? If he's triggered by the sight of - of car keys, are you going to make everyone who comes through here hide them until he can get over it? Who's going to teach him how to cook, to clean, to make friends, to function in the real world? You? That would require you to live in it." That part was caustic and bitter, but she was doing her best to stay away from personal insults.

"The worst fucking part is that you're right." There was a pause then, finally, and though Evelyn did not quite deflate or calm down, the glare was fading away and she had crossed her arms tight to her body rather than continue gesturing angrily in the air between them. "This physical space might be good for him - but only in the short term. So here is my counteroffer: we stay here for a while, long enough to determine whether he is fully under his own control and not going to hurt anyone accidentally, and for him to understand that he's free, then he stays with me. And I want it agreed upon now, not later. Or are you forgetting that you still don't know how to find him? What will you do if I refuse to tell you? Make me walk home? Beat it out of me?"

She did not, truly, think Nayami was violent, and the sentiment was delivered with incredulous sarcasm, but without her Insight it was impossible to know for sure. Anxiety had her thinking that perhaps the woman in front of her might see fit to try and keep her there until she gave in, or else to simply strand her with no way home. Still, Evelyn stood her ground. She wanted Luca free, but if there were no plans to truly care for him she would keep looking for someone else to help her. She would not exchange one prison for another.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Shiver's smile tightened as Evelyn's fury spilled out, her hands resting idly at her sides as if the outburst were a moment she'd been waiting for. She didn't interrupt, didn't bristle—just stood there, taking in every word with a calm, measured gaze. It was only when Evelyn finally crossed her arms and stood firm that Nayami allowed herself a soft, exhaled laugh, almost too quiet to catch.

"You're right." She spoke gently, her tone devoid of mockery now, but still carrying that maddening air of composure. She let the words hang in the air, as if savoring the tension between them, before continuing. "I wasn't... fully right. Not about everything. But don't mistake me for someone who acts without knowing exactly what I'm doing."

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes catching Evelyn's like a predator who'd already decided the hunt was over. "You were always supposed to be here, Evelyn. I knew that the moment we met. I needed you to be here. Do you think I would've gone through the trouble of inviting you otherwise?"

Her smile loosened, just a little—not from guilt, but from a calculated effort to seem earnest. "You're right about him needing you. He does. And I know what you're thinking:" she held her finger up to me punctuate her thoughts. "That I don't care, that I didn't trust you to do what's best for him. But the truth is, I've known all along that Luca would need more than me. And I've been counting on you to fill in the gaps I can't."

Nayami took a small step closer, her hands clasping lightly in front of her, her voice softening. "Seeing you lose your patience with me? That's what I needed. Not for some petty power play, but to know that you're as committed to this, to him, as I am. That you won't walk away just because I've made this hard for you. Because if you can't handle me, Evelyn, how will you handle what's coming for him?"

She let the words sink in, her expression shifting into something less coy, more thoughtful. "So, no—I wasn't fully right. But I wasn't wrong either. He does need to stay here for a while, to heal, to grow. But you're a part of that, and I should've said so from the start."

Her gaze softened further, and this time the smile she offered was closer to genuine. "We'll do this together. He stays here, with both of us. I'll handle the things I'm equipped to handle, and you'll handle the rest. And when he's ready? He'll leave with you. That's what's best for him, and that's what we're going to do."

Nayami paused, leaning back slightly, offering Evelyn a bit of space now that the heat between them had settled. "Does that satisfy you, Evelyn? Or shall we go another round before we find a way to agree on the inevitable?"

The words were teasing but soft, delivered with the air of someone finally willing to share control—on her own terms.

 

[CanaryCry]

The way Nayami stood so still and quiet as the rant went on had something curdling like sour milk in Evelyn's stomach, as if she were the one overreacting, as if she had just fallen into a trap. Another test. The thought made her want to tear her hair out for the pure frustration of it just as much as it made her want to make herself appear completely calm to spite the theory that she had reacted as intended. It was a no win situation, she was sure, and she did her best to find a middle ground of just swallowing the part of her that wanted to swipe the smug look off the other woman's face.

Being told she was right did nothing to soothe her. Evelyn knew that there were things that Nayami would never be prepared for, just from meeting twice. There were things she would be able to intuit that Nayami wouldn't, and even more that Insight would bring to her that she had no right of knowing. If they succeeded - and they had to, she couldn't stand the idea of anything else - Luca was going to come to them with a great deal of baggage, traumas they could never fully understand and that he likely wouldn't divulge on his own. If Evelyn was there with Insight, at least, they could see some of the mines in the field they were about to walk.

And, she loathed to admit, Nayami could at least keep him from killing her accidentally. The aggravating woman was an unfortunate necessity, and Evelyn needed her help. For Luca. She had to keep reminding herself still.

"Inviting," she repeated with a little scoff, just barely fighting down the urge to roll her eyes at the ridiculous idea that anything Nayami had done had been more than only the literal definition of the word, and made herself listen. She did not for a moment believe the way the other woman smiled, or any proclamations that she might think they were equals, or that someone like the person Nayami had shown her so far cared about anyone's feelings. Insight, frustratingly, didn't work directly on her, giving Evelyn no information even should the woman stop humming, so she had only her own intuition and lingering fury to go off of.

It was a handful of words that hit her the hardest. How will you handle what's coming for him? Even after Luca was freed, how long would it be until he was no longer in danger, until they stopped trying to get him back? She still had no idea who exactly it was that pulled his strings, or how. As much as she wanted to save Luca with all her heart, she was going to have to admit that she couldn't protect him. For a time, she was going to have to swallow her pride and her nerves, and let someone else do the work.

Nayami insisting the balance of power was 'inevitable' made Evelyn want to bristle again, and it took her a moment to metaphorically bite her tongue, take a slow, deep breath, and compose herself before speaking. "No. It does not 'satisfy me'," she answered, with no warm or amused feelings but at least with the caustic edge to her tone under control. "But for now I acknowledge that it's the best I'm going to get."

Nayami would never be done with her tests, her need to push people's buttons for her own devises regardless of how the other party felt about it. Evelyn would endure. Grit her teeth and bear through, until the moment came that it was safe to take Luca home. Then, with any luck, she could get away from this place, and take him with her to where they could both find peace.

"Now, in the interest of this partnership," she continued, and was proud of herself for sounding mildly annoyed rather than sarcastic, "If I explain to you what my gifts entail, will you stop nullifying them each time we meet?"

As much as she would have preferred to hold her cards close to her chest she had already given up her identity as the Informant. If it convinced Nayami to stop using her gift-silencing voice while they were together, Evelyn would have to withstand giving up a bit more. Half of the information she had on Luca had come from Insight, after all, if not more. If she was going to figure out who exactly was holding him, how they controlled him, and what opposition they would face in retrieving him, she was going to need to use it.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Shiver exhaled slowly, tilting her head as she studied Evelyn—not with the sharp amusement from before, but something that seemed a little more thoughtful. "You really would endure anything for him, wouldn't you?" she mused, as if she had been measuring Evelyn's limits all along.

She let a smile linger, smaller now, more curious than teasing. "I wasn't fully right, then. You should be here." The words were a quiet concession, but a deliberate one. "And I don't intend to get in your way—at least, not in any way that isn't necessary."

Her gaze flickered toward Evelyn's, testing, weighing, before she gave a small shrug. "Fine. Use your gifts if you must. I won't stop you." She let that hang in the air for a beat before adding, smoothly, "I'd like a warning. A simple courtesy. Consider it a sign of trust. More than I've given you."

She rocked on her feet for a moment. They were still in her garage—a building that alone looked like it had taken months to construct. And beyond it, the rest of the compound stretched in careful, deliberate design. Every piece of this place was hers, built to her needs, to her plans. Just as she had planned for Evelyn.

"And while we're at it, I'd also like a written document detailing exactly how your abilities work. Just so there are no misunderstandings." The casual lilt of her voice made it sound like an afterthought, but there was something sharp beneath it—another test, another reminder that while she was conceding, she still expected control.

"Now, if we're to be partners in this, you'll need somewhere to stay. I had quarters prepared for you—before you insisted on proving yourself." A glint of amusement returned to her eyes. "Let me show you."

 

[CanaryCry]

It was a bit like being a child in school, Evelyn thought, having her every move watched over and analyzed by people who believed they had power over her. Or, perhaps more aptly, like prey being circled slowly by a predator, just waiting to find a weakness, to pick the right moment to strike. If she gave any ground, Nayami would snatch it up without a thought, push further and further until she had taken everything she wanted from Evelyn and could be rid of her. But she wouldn't go down without a fight. The concessions she made were for a purpose, and anything that didn't directly serve that purpose didn't need to be given up.

"If you knew what I knew," she said with a shake of her head, something more morose in the way her eyes drifted down and away than continuing rage, "You wouldn't need to ask."

For someone that had suffered so much for so long, she would give up small pieces of herself to set him free. In the process, they would both of them be removing a deadly element from the world, rendering inert a weapon someone had used to slaughter dozens, perhaps hundreds in the years they'd had him. She didn't have to choose what was more worth her effort or struggle, the many or the few - what ground she gave would be for both causes at once. If Nayami had any sort of heart in her at all, she would eventually understand.

As Nayami studied her, Evelyn met her gaze once more - she was giving up what was necessary, but that didn't mean she was going down on bended knee for the woman. As it was, it took all her hard won self control not to bristle visibly at the word trust. Nayami said it herself with no shame: she wanted Evelyn to give her a sign of trust, when Nayami herself refused to give one first. What a joke.

"I don't give up secrets in writing," She answered firmly, and didn't bother to apologize. "But I'll explain as we walk, if it worries you."

Anything to soothe your delicate feelings, she thought with thankfully only an imagined roll of her eyes rather than actually looking heavenward as they started to make their way out of the strange building. The fact that there was already supposedly a room available to her was a strange mix of reassuring and unsettling. Her place in this rescue operation of theirs seemed solid, for the time being, but the advance preparation made her feel like a rat in a maze, following only paths that had been predetermined for her. It made her want to leave immediately, and she had to swallow it down and follow through on her own promises to herself, and to Luca. Thinking of what he was going through every moment she spent not reaching for him, she could bear it.

"Strange as it may be, I have three separate abilities," she explained, letting Nayami lead the way but keeping abreast of her rather than trailing behind. "The first I've mentioned already, and I would be shocked if you hadn't heard of it before. Sight is simple; I touch a medium - in my case, water, though it's different for each user - and can cast my vision to other sources of the same. You won't need a warning if you're paying attention. At the other end, wherever my Sight has come to rest will have a small but noticeable blue light on the surface.

"The second is technopathy. I can't accomplish much, I'm afraid, only enough to cut off simple signals for most things, turn devices on and off if they're within range. Cell phones I'm more familiar with, enough to send data with my calling card, or lack thereof, or occasionally disrupt signals, but you won't find me hacking into anything complicated, most certainly not without permission." If she had need of anything more she had a contact she could get in touch with, but her own abilities weren't incredibly complex.

"The third is the hardest to explain," she continued, without much care for whether or not Nayami was truly concerned for the safety of her data. "Insight, or if you must have scientific terms claircognizance. I can look at or touch objects or people, even read written passages on specific subjects, and obtain information not revealed by what's in front of me, though I have little control over what, in particular, I glean. It can be anything from a person's shoe size to the skeletons in their closet; the vin, owner's name, and previous travels of a vehicle or just that it's low on gas. Simply put, I know without learning. And before you ask, no, it doesn't work directly on you. For quite obvious reasons, you disrupt it."

She paused, finally, giving Nayami a measured look and raising an eyebrow in question. "Need I say more, or does that 'satisfy you'?"

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Shiver exhaled, tilting her head as Evelyn spoke, but at those last words—

"If you knew what I knew, you wouldn't need to ask."

A smirk pulled at her lips. "I had no idea…" she murmured, dry amusement lacing the joke she seemed to make for her own benefit.

She didn't push the demand for a written document any further, merely nodding when Evelyn dismissed it. A test, and one Evelyn had passed. Good. People who put things in writing made it easy for them to be stolen. Evelyn wasn't careless.

As she listened, she pieced together some parts of what she already knew and what she hadn't yet uncovered. Insight. She'd gleaned as much, before Evelyn had named it. Evelyn knew how to find her, and was the only credible lead she had met for this case. But technomancy… That was new. A useful skill, something they could hone. Already, her mind turned over the possibilities.

And then came the last ability. Claircognizance.

Shiver stilled. A second passed where she didn't react at all, save for the subtle shift in her hum—a barely perceptible change, yet it made the air feel heavier, as if the soundwaves themselves had condensed around them. Not enough for a threat, but a tell. She didn't like that. Didn't like that one bit.

There was no dismissing it outright, though. If they were going to work together, they had to work together, and binding Evelyn too tightly would only make them weaker. Restricting her weakens the investigation, but she won't let her be unchecked.

Shiver breathed out slowly and let her smirk return, lighter now, but not entirely forced. "Then we'll find a way to manage. Maybe I wear sunglasses. Maybe we use distance. We'll figure it out." She gave a vague gesture, as if brushing away the tension. "Your well-being comes first. I wouldn't want to weaken our investigation, after all."

She let that sit for a moment before rocking back on her heels, shifting the subject with ease. "Now. I appreciate you telling me this. You understand, if I didn't take these precautions, I would be of no help to you. Yes?" She admitted.

"Ask me any questions you may have. I may answer some." She said as they turned a corner and arrived at a small patch of land with some small cabins. The space was peaceful, and seemed like the opposite a place that Shiver would build her compound.

 

[CanaryCry]

It took a great deal of self control not to glare at Nayami's tone, to bristle at the joking lilt to her words. Evelyn had decided already that the other woman cared very little for who was behind the mask, and what kind of life one could speculate he had without seeing or communicating with him. If Luca had been at all willing to commit atrocities, it should be clear that Evelyn wouldn't be trying to rescue him, only to stop him. If one followed that logic, then it wasn't a far leap to assume that there was something forcing him to use his gifts and hurt people. There were all manner of ways to get someone to do a criminal's bidding, from blackmail, to pain compliance, to hypnotic persuasion. The fact that Nayami seemed not to think there was anything at all to feel pity or compassion for made Evelyn want to leave right then and there. But her nullifying abilities were going to be the key to pulling off the rescue, and Evelyn would have been lying if she said the other woman's resources weren't also going to play a vital part.

Explaining her own abilities when she had kept them quiet for so many years was strange in and of itself, but the way Nayami reacted made Evelyn think she should have kept quiet. It wasn't an option, not really, given how she would need all of her abilities to gain intel, but the thought was there. Still, at the same time it made her feel almost a little bit smug. Finally, something that made Nayami uncomfortable, rather than the other way around.

'Your wellbeing comes first' nearly broke Evelyn's control over the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes heavenward, but she managed by a hairs breadth. After the brief interactions they'd already had, she very much doubted her own wellbeing was of any concern at all.

"Make no mistake," she explained further instead, stopping when Nayami did, "if you would cease actively nullifying, Insight will work just fine in your presence. It just doesn't work on you." Perhaps that would be enough of a comfort to the woman to get her to stop being so concerned about it. Evelyn supposed her own perspective on the matter was wholly different, given she'd had it her whole life, but since Insight was a passive ability that worked even if she wasn't trying to use it, she'd simply gotten used to pretending she didn't know things to make other people more comfortable.

Rather than dignify Nayami's question about understanding her motives with an answer, Evelyn moved on, looking around at the cabins as they walked. "Do you host very many people here each year?" She asked, though it was more a question borne of surprise than any pressing need to know. It felt strange to have such a large complex full of different buildings, but she supposed they suited her needs for now. "Is this where you'll have us stay, once we have him?"

She did expect to stay with Luca once they'd found him, worried how he would feel being shut up in a room by himself after living that way for so long - a separate bedroom next to his would be ideal, but if she had to sleep in the same room as him she would make do. Still, there were more important and more time sensitive matters to discuss, and after a pause to look thoughtfully over the grounds before her she turned back to Nayami once more.

"Your nullifying gift," she began, curious on her own but also questing for information that might be crucial in the future. "Does it rely on someone's ability to hear it, or does it transmit through the sound waves themselves? I only wonder, if someone used earplugs that blocked all sound, would it still work?" Her theory was that it would, that only the sound permeating through the air needed to reach the intended target, but the distinction could be useful.

 

[Wooseog Ryu]

Nayami's lips curled slightly, not quite a smirk, but close enough to continue to betray some amusement. It wasn't difficult to see how Evelyn felt about her—there was always something tight in her posture, a restrained exasperation barely hidden beneath the surface. She was used to people tolerating her presence out of necessity rather than fondness. It never bothered her much. What did, however, was how confident Evelyn sounded when she spoke about her abilities, about the way they would work, even in Nayami's presence.

That was bold of her.

"Well," she said, slowing her steps just slightly, "then I suppose you'll be happy to know I'm not so unreasonable. I can stop nullifying you if that would make things easier." Her head tilted to the side, considering. "Though you're quite sure it won't work on me, are you?" Her tone was light, but there was something unreadable in the way she watched Evelyn, something keen and testing, like she was weighing whether or not that was truly the case.

Still, she let it drop. For now.

At the mention of the cabins, Nayami shifted, glancing at the buildings with something almost akin to uncertainty. "You'll have to tell me if they're adequate," she admitted, rather matter-of-factly. "They were only just built, so you'll be among the first to stay here. I expected there'd be adjustments, depending on what you and Luca need." She spoke about it as if this were the simplest thing in the world, as if any modifications, no matter how extensive, would be a minor inconvenience at most. And to her, they likely were. Money had never been an obstacle.

It was the next question, however, that made her exhale, a short, almost amused breath as she turned her attention back to Evelyn. "Ah. That." There was something distinctly pleased about her expression, as though she'd been expecting the inquiry. "No, blocking the sound wouldn't be enough." She didn't elaborate further, didn't explain whether it was the sound waves themselves or something more elusive at play, only offering what she deemed necessary. Not that she wouldn't entertain further inquiries from Evelyn.

"You'd have to be quite creative if you wanted to circumvent it."

But, despite her usual evasiveness, she did something rare—she stopped humming. It wasn't dramatic, wasn't marked by any visible shift in her demeanor, but the difference was immediate. The air felt lighter, the weight that had settled over the conversation suddenly gone. Nayami observed Evelyn closely, gauging her reaction as if she found the entire thing vaguely entertaining.

"Better?" she asked, feigning innocence, though there was an unmistakable edge of curiosity beneath it.