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....

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The cafe where the oddly familiar figure sits is in far nicer a neighborhood than she tends to frequent, but as one of the few real doctors in the Freehold, she quite frequently finds herself making house calls. She's on her way to the train station and thus back to her office when she passes by, and it's by chance that she catches a glimpse of the strangely magnetic man. If he hadn't had such magnetism, her eye might have slipped over him, but she lingers a moment more, curiosity piqued... and then caught, because that is Tachibana's face.

She slows, she stops, she stares for perhaps too-long a moment, and she turns away as though flustered, mind racing to try and make sense of this. Tachibana had told her of a creature copying the power of other supernatural beings, but this... without deliberating further, she slips her phone from her purse and sends Tachibana a quick text.

Please tell me that you haven't had a haircut since I last saw you.

The man at the cafe doesn't react, his phone making no sound as he idly swipes across the screen.

A moment later, however, Sayoko's phone vibrates.

'Haven't had one in 5 months at least. Why?'

She smiles in spite of her tension, getting that message back. Oh, Tachibana-kun...

Because there's someone that looks quite a lot like you with a new haircut sitting in this cafe.

She tries to steal a casual glance back in the mystery man's direction, notes that he's using his phone... but not in a way that would be consistent with texting, she's sure.

There is a brief pause before a very hastily composed text returns.

'Don't go hear him dangerous Osaka clone'

That catches her by surprise, and it takes a moment to mentally fill in what the right word should be. Isaka, Isaka, right...

I understand.

And, in understanding, she slips her phone back into her purse and takes another moment to consider her actions. There's a trod entrance nearby, if anything does go wrong. While there's no benefit in antagonizing an obvious opponent, getting a bit more information from one might be useful in the future. Yet another moment is taken to adjust her hair, for the wind has caught it, and another to shift her grip on her cane and assure herself that everything is stable. If he still hasn't noticed her, perhaps she'll head on her way, but if not...

"The wind seems to be making quite a lot of trouble today," the man remarked idly, a faint, pleasant smile on his lips and in his tone. The voice,much like his appearance, was both very much like, and at the same time very much unlike Tachibana's.

And so the decision is made for her. That was directed at her, wasn't it? When Sayoko turns her head to look at him, the expression of surprise on her face is quite earnest. "I'd hardly say a little wind in my hair is trouble." That's Tachibana's voice, but not his tone... It's almost uncomfortable to hear. If she were doing this bit of information-gathering properly, she'd feign a smile... but she can't bring herself to. It's all too unsettling, and to unsettle someone from the court of fear? That takes something quite frightful indeed.

"A bit strong of a word, perhaps," the man allowed, still smiling. "You did seem a bit rattled by it, my apologies."

"Did I?" And there's the smile she'd been planning on using. It's a thin and hesitant thing, but it's a smile none the less. "Are you sure that you're not just looking for an excuse to talk?" That... is probably the closest she feels she can get to coy teasing. Someone like her has no business teasing men coyly, she's sure...

A soft chuckle answered that question as he reached for his coffee. "Perhaps," he admitted. "I don't often have time off, so I suppose I am looking for a bit of an excuse to tease it out."

"Oh? Today's a rare appearance for you?" The more she tries, the lighter Sayoko can manage to get her tone. She's hoping it comes across as endearingly awkward.

The man nodded. "Work keeps me busy, most days. Responsibilities are often so heavy, you understand."

"I understand perfectly." It's easier when you can be a little bit genuine. And it's easier to be a little bit genuine when you're talking to someone that just seems so charming. Unease is giving way, little by little... her eyes lower and she idly toys with her hair. "What keeps you so busy?"

He chuckled softly. "Far too much. And you'll have to forgive me if I don't go into it. Talking about work when one is away from it just brings that weight back to ruin the moment, don't you think?"

Ah. Evasiveness. Either he knows perfectly well what she's trying to do, or whatever he does do is enough of an issue not to talk about. She does look mildly disappointed, but only mildly. "Aah, so work's not your real passion? I find it hard to put my work down, it's so much of what I do..."

The man shifted in his chair, looking almost thoughtful. "There is a passion in what I do, but it's not something I would want to spend my entire life toiling at," he answered. "A stepping stone, you could say," he smiled, reaching for his cup again.

How enigmatic. "Someday, you'll be able to spend more of your time in nice places like this, then?" Sayoko gives her head a curious tilt, her grip upon her cane growing the slightest bit tighter. With all this reflection on toil and goals, now seemed like a fine time to silently invoke an Autumn contract and learn a bit more about him. The Wyrd shifts gently, her gaze grows a little more focused, and she tries to catch a glimpse at a single fear of his.

"Preferably before retirement," he smiled before taking a sip.

There's no result from her attempt. He may as well not even be there for all her concentration.

No clever reply comes, and confusion flickers briefly across her face. She felt... nothing. No anxieties, no sharp horrors, not even a ripple of revulsion. Just nothing. But she had invoked the contract properly, and it wasn't in the habit of failing... what was this man?

"...well. I should stop imposing on your valuable time, I think." She lowers her eyes and tries to make it sound humble. She's gotten quite good at schooling fear of her own out of her voice.

"Didn't find what you were looking for?"

He head lifts, and her eyes widen. "...that would imply that I know what I'm looking for." Because you are such a mystery now, man-with-Tachibana's-face.

He chuckled lightly. "If you don't even know that, then you are indeed very lost."

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."

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

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...?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject