Trial of Trials : Act 2

[thequestgiver]

There's something uneasy that can be felt in the city, and seemingly no end to the rumors springing up in the wake of the downtown explosion that leveled BOARD's headquarters. Stories of an odd sickness where the afflicted suddenly winds up anemic, their blood levels dangerously low, despite feeling fine that morning have already taken root, others of strange animals seen roaming at night, and horrible screams and gunshots in one of the parking garages....

The space where the ill-fated headquarters lays silent, an empty patch of dirt and gravel that seemed to attract those drawn to stories and rumors. Police have already had to shoo away opportunists with metal detectors, hoping to find something interesting in the impressively quickly cleared wreckage, and others have reported something that just feels... wrong, when they walk by the site. The ghosts of those who hadn't made it out of the collapse? Or something else? Noone can really put a finger on it to explain.

And meanwhile, under the cover of shadows, things unknown to those who still walk in the light continue to move. Whispers of the rogue mage and a treasure trove of information, of upsets in the vampire hierarchy, and sworn revenge on the mages who had used one of their own for their gain.

And deep in a hidden lab, BOARD's remains and allies continue to work, twisting all they can get their hands on to create the perfect weapon; made of the very things they wish to cleanse from the world. The loss of the incapacitated vampire elder was only a small one, with how much they had already extracted and drawn from it. And if the rumors of their knowledge being in the hands of their enemies were true? They would just have to speed up their projected timeline. Or simply slow down that of the world. After all, they were mages. Reality bended to their will, not that of those who opposed them....

Comments

[peaceintheworld]

That's... far too apt a choice of words to be coincidental. Her grip upon her cane tightens all the more, as does her expression. "Well. You're certainly not."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

He chuckled once more. "Very observant of you to notice," he smiled warmly.

[peaceintheworld]

And this is where the feigned warmth finally leaves her. Her voice softens, lowers, and it's as though a cool autumn breeze has blown past. "Who are you...?"

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"Kouhei Hayami," the man answered, tone and smile warm in defiance of the cool breeze. "And you?"

[peaceintheworld]

There's a moment of hesitation before she speaks again. "Sayoko Fukazawa." Which he either already knows and will take with smug satisfaction... or doesn't know, and why he doesn't know may prove to be its own useful bit of information.

[through_fire_be_reborn]

There was a moment's pause as the man's eyes widened behind his shades. A second later, he lowered them, staring at her. "But that's..." he trailed off before understanding made his eyes widen even further.

[peaceintheworld]

It's satisfying to throw him so far off his game. Perhaps she'll regret having done it later, but for now, she'll enjoy that satisfaction. "I'm not as lost as you thought, am I?"

[through_fire_be_reborn]

The man was quiet a moment, expression hardening. "No. No matter who you were in the past... that Sayoko is lost," he replied firmly, frown tugging at his expression. "Dead and memorialized."

[peaceintheworld]

If she needed any more proof that this wasn't her Tachibana in the least, there it was. Not so much a hint of the heartbroken insistence that she was still the Sayoko that he knew. "I can't disagree with that." She smiles bitterly, eyes lowering. "And you certainly aren't someone that would have mourned her."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"I have no reason to mourn those I have not known," the man agreed, settling back in his chair before reaching for his coffee once more.

[peaceintheworld]

"But you know of her." She feigns a little more ignorance, that bitter smile still there as she tilts her head curiously. "What an odd man you are."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"When you share similar looks as someone who's made a spectacle of himself, it's not unheard of to look into the life your doppelganger has made such a mess of."

[peaceintheworld]

"And is that something professional, or personal?" In a roundabout way, she's determined to find a hint of what he's meant to do. Although given what he's said so far, she can make an educated guess....

[through_fire_be_reborn]

He chuckled, the sound somehow both unkind and pleasant at the same time. "So very curious, aren't you? Don't tell me you're still looking for the remains of your former life."

[peaceintheworld]

"Knowledge is power." That hint of a chill breeze manifests again, bitter smile finally fading. "If this is personal, than it's hardly my business. Professional... my associates have had poor experiences with people of your likely profession."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

The man chuckled once more. "Making guesses based on my face alone, are you?" he returned, taking another sip of his coffee.

[peaceintheworld]

"Among other things." And that's not a denial. That just smugness. She seems prepared to say more, but her phone goes off with a buzz and she reflexively moves a hand to it as though ready to answer it. She stops herself, though, frowning, eyes not leaving Hayami. No, not now...

[through_fire_be_reborn]

The man raised an eyebrow. "Not going to answer it?"

[peaceintheworld]

Sayoko's eyes narrow, now plainly letting her irritation show. "It would be rude to let a call interrupt a conversation." That said, she turns sharply, eyes still on him. "But I think this conversation is done."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

He gave a small nod. "If you insist. May your quest to recover your previous existence go better than it has until now."

[peaceintheworld]

Sayoko glares pointedly, and then turns and begins to walk away and the swiftest clip that she can. The conversation was done, and thus it would do her no good to tell him precisely where he can take those unpleasant and insincere well-wishes.

She'll wait until she's a solid distance away from that cafe and certain that she's not being followed before she pulls out her phone to check her messages.