maskeddarkness | Trial of Trials : Act 2

Trial of Trials : Act 2

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....

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The man chuckled, reaching out with unnatural speed to rescue his cup from the breeze. "So angry from such a simple observation," he mused.

Look, Hajime's Summer. The anger is just a given. He tries again to at least stir some napkins on the table, but he's rattled enough to want to try to change tactics.

The wind retreats for now--Hajime doesn't want to give whatever this is the satisfaction of seeing him materialize out of thin air. He'll watch from a distance for the time being, though he badly wants to approach in a more solid state. This will facilitate punching; it's a solid plan.

The man's expression doesn't change, continuing to be mild and pleasant as he goes back to paying attention to his phone. Waiting.

After about ten minutes have passed, a super casual and totally not at all suspicious short man in a trench coat comes around the corner in the opposite direction from the one the wind used to leave. He is a completely normal human out for a day of completely normal human things, nothing to worry about. Don't mind his perpetually windswept hair or the way his trench coat can't help but billow out behind him as he walks.

He's going to take a seat at another table in that cafe and get a cup of coffee. Super normal and unsuspicious human things.

The man glances up from his phone before there's a touch of a smirk ever so briefly on his lips.

But it's gone swiftly as he simply calls over to the waitress for a refill.

Hajime's now ~~scowling over the top of~~ reading a newspaper someone else left on his table. He is definitely not watching this guy or anything.

"You might try putting a little milk in it. You'll find it less bitter," the man advised with light amusement.

Look, the coffee was only there for show and because Hajime figured they wouldn't let anyone who wasn't a paying customer sit and ~~scowl at other customers~~ read this random newspaper. He hadn't cared about drinking it one way or another.

"It's fine." Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but that coffee looked like it was starting to boil a bit when Hajime reached out and touched the mug, and he did not react at all to the apparent heat when he irritably drank some.

"Yet, you act as if it's angered you. Or is it simply that you have too much anger that it simply... boils out." There's a pointed glance at Hajime's mug. "Either way, it can't be very good for your health."

"I manage." Hajime ignored the glance at his mug with equal pointedness. "Doctor says I'm healthy as a horse." A very angry horse. There's a gesture at the paper. "There are other things here to get angry with."

There's got to be some generic news that could be excusable there, at least. Some kind of stock tanking, a sports team losing, a politician saying something stupid, a celebrity being a jackass, all rage-inducing things for normal people.

Granted, being put on the defensive like this wasn't helping Hajime's mood at all--but he couldn't just attack this guy at the moment without causing a scene. Troubling.

"Being compared to a beast even by those who tend to you doesn't seem like something to be proud of," came the idle reply as the man took another small sip of his coffee. "But then again, one can get used to all sorts of indignities."

"It's an expression." Hajime somehow managed to get that out in the blandest tone he could manage...which was still not all that bland. "Or are you too sheltered to have heard it?"

And yet it was a reaction to an expression that pushed a few buttons, of wondering if he were anything more than a mindless force of nature when he got really wound up.

"Yes, of course. Just one that's... distasteful. Especially considering your...circumstances." The smile was charming as ever, but something behind his sunglasses seemed to almost glimmer with the words.

"...my circumstances?" There was no hiding the sudden dangerous edge in Hajime's voice, even if he was trying to continue keeping his voice even.

The breeze around them picked up.

"The heat of the Summer sun isn't well known for subtlety," the man replied idly, taking another sip of his coffee.

What the hell kind of Fetch is he dealing with here? Hajime's bristling now. "I have no idea what you're talking about." If only they weren't in such a public area...then he'd really show this guy the meaning of the Summer sun.

"Of course, of course. My mistake for being so direct about such a sensitive issue."

"I'm not sensitive." He was still bristling. "Would you care to discuss this somewhere else, since you seem to know something?"

Somewhere private, where Hajime could quietly dispose of the problem...

The man lets out a soft sigh, setting his cup down. "If you insist. I would hate for my favorite cafe to come to harm simply because I choose to enjoy its fair."

That was a sentiment that Hajime could understand, and that he could pissed him off even more because this thing was so very wrong and should not exist. "Yeah, I insist."

"So be it, then." With another sigh, the man rose to his feet. "Where do you suggest?"

Finally. The wind swirled around them as Hajime got to his own feet and started to leave. "This way." He knew of a particularly good, lightly-traveled alley nearby. Perfect place to kill someone.

The man followed, expression calm and nonchalant, the pleasant smile still lingering as he watches Hajime intently through his shades.

Hajime probably should have tried to at least try something subtle, but as soon as they're in the alley, he's swinging at whatever this was with a ferocious punch.

There's a flicker as the man seems to simply vanish, only to appear behind Hajime, expression unchanged. "I expected about as much from someone such as you," he observed, tone still the same; annoyingly even and pleasant. "Not much of your human mind left, is there?"

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