People you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley

[+ZincAboutIt]

On 9/29/2019 at 6:04 PM, Voidus said:

"So, sneaking into an unexplored cave system underneath the city to find something that can destroy or move an entire building without being noticed? Sounds like a pleasant break from paperwork." She said, smiling back at Lita. "I've read about a few caverns that were found a little further out, if this one is anything like those then be prepared for things to get weird."

Lita grinned, feeling a little laughter well up in her throat. She let it out, and there was a shocking catharsis to the sound, a release. A tension that she hadn't realized was there eased from between her shoulders; a small weight lifted from within her chest. Lita had missed this, missed the easy exchange of words with someone who was her equal, who was familiar. She'd gotten to know a fair number of the other agents in the DoCI, along with a few others in Departments like Acquisitions, but she'd never found anyone else quite like Laurelai.

The others had pushed her deeper into her own ambition, brought out a side to her that Lita hadn't realized was there. It wasn't as though Lita were ashamed of the last six months, that would be ridiculous. She wasn't ashamed. There was no shame in doing her job, after all, no shame in using the new power she'd bled and bargained for. And she held a wealth of secrets now, gathered through subtlety and force in equal measure. What was a little blood on her hands? That was the price of such things - and everything came with a price.

Lita's hand strayed almost unconsciously towards her side, where the steel spike lay between her ribs, and her other dipped into her pocket. Fingers brushed the cold surface of the Coin - cold and smooth and heavy. Many of her memories of that night six months ago were hazy at best, but the image of the Stranger blurring through the air, streaming shadows like a vengeful god, was burned into her mind. Such raw, bloody power. When everything had cleared, Lita and Laurelai had staggered back into the Alleys, and the Department Heads had resumed their preoccupations in seclusion. She'd barely seen Mac over the course of the last half year, let alone Voidus or the Stranger. Lita supposed she was grateful for that - their presence usually indicated disaster. But spending so much time in the presence of near-gods was a heady thing, and even now, the world still seemed dimmer. Like a flare of Tin, everything had momentarily sharpened and intensified. She'd been chasing that feeling ever since.

A vibration from her coat pocket jolted Lita out of her reverie, and she withdrew a small, aging burner phone with a raised eyebrow. Her other brow joined it as she read the text; it seemed that someone had left a message in her old mailbox. 

"Mind if we make a brief stop before we get ready to go exploring?" She asked Laurelai, tucking the phone back into her pocket. "Apparently, someone wants to have a chat."

---

Quote

Adding this second POV to avoid a double post  For the record, Shard of Thought, Vivica is 28, completely insane, and covered in blood. Vivica is a Bronze compounder and hasn't slept in about 10 years. Anything she begins talking to in the air in front of her is a hallucination - Sierra won't see it. Unless she's mad too, which is fun.

Vivica Alleytraveled through three separate Alleys in a matter of seconds, even darting briefly through one of the imaginary Alleys. That was risky, but she hoped it would trip up her pursuers; the HR Department had never been particularly imaginative. And she'd purposely tracked through the caustic molasses Alley as well - they'd be forced to stop and evaluate that safety hazard before continuing on to follow her. She turned a sharp corner and pressed herself up against the cool brick of one of the outer Alleys, listening to her heartbeat slow in her ears.

When she could breathe normally again, she took her yellow ruled notebook out of her coat pocket and slipped a pen from behind her ear, jotting down a quick note. She'd known it was a small risk, going through the lab with her hair loose, but she never imagined that she would get a random inspection, of all people. Vivica sniffed a bit in irritation, rubbing at one of her eyes and smearing something across her cheek. She glanced down absently. Hmm, was that red velvet batter all over her labcoat, or red velvet batter? Vivica shrugged, silpped her pen back behind her ear, and looked around.

She was close to the City now - she could tell by the way the air moved around here, carrying the scents of the vast metropolis of the outside world. Vivica chewed her lip for a moment, considering fleeing back into the deeper Alleys, back to where it was safe. Where things made sense. But the prospect of sitting through another 120-hour safety training session kept her where she was. It didn't matter that they compressed time during the training - it still felt like days. Days where she could be baking. She was nearing a breakthrough on her gingersnaps, she could feel it.

Something luminous and violet suddenly passed into view above her head, and she gave a cheerful grin.

"Hello Bennington," she said, greeting the small glowing octopus that now looped figure-eights through the air. Bennington wiggled two of his stubby little tentacles at her, then continued his loops. Vivica felt herself relax; if Bennington was here, that meant that everything was alright. She was just about to settle down onto the floor and do some more brainstorming when she heard something.

Vivica stilled, then burned Bronze. Nothing she could detect, but then, it was rare she did much Seeking these days. Bronze was far more useful to stave off sleep. She briefly counted the years it had been since she'd last slept, grinning when she lost count after ten. So much more time in the day for research when you didn't need to sleep. She turned back to her notepad, thoughts already distracted by the ratio of candied ginger to vanilla extract, when another sound caused her head to snap upwards. 

She walked forward, hand going to another pocket where she kept a spare spike, then peeked around the corner. It was a woman, sobbing over something that looked like - yes, it was a corpse. Vivica blinked at the watery light filtering in from... from the City. She stilled, then looked at the weeping woman again. Both her and the corpse were covered in blood. Perhaps she'd botched a spiking? That did tend to happen in the beginning, but it was nothing to cry over. 

"Miss the right bindpoint?" Vivica called, still peeking out around the wall, dirty-blonde hair drooping over one shoulder "I wouldn't worry, took me a bit of time too before I got the knack."

@Shard of Thought

Edited October 25, 2019 by ZincAboutIt

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

On 10/3/2019 at 3:43 PM, ZincAboutIt said:

Lita grinned, feeling a little laughter well up in her throat. She let it out, and there was a shocking catharsis to the sound, a release. A tension that she hadn't realized was there eased from between her shoulders; a small weight lifted from within her chest. Lita had missed this, missed the easy exchange of words with someone who was her equal, who was familiar. She'd gotten to know a fair number of the other agents in the DoCI, along with a few others in Departments like Acquisitions, but she'd never found anyone else quite like Laurelai.

The others had pushed her deeper into her own ambition, brought out a side to her that Lita hadn't realized was there. It wasn't as though Lita were ashamed of the last six months, that would be ridiculous. She wasn't ashamed. There was no shame in doing her job, after all, no shame in using the new power she'd bled and bargained for. And she held a wealth of secrets now, gathered through subtlety and force in equal measure. What was a little blood on her hands? That was the price of such things - and everything came with a price.

Lita's hand strayed almost unconsciously towards her side, where the steel spike lay between her ribs, and her other dipped into her pocket. Fingers brushed the cold surface of the Coin - cold and smooth and heavy. Many of her memories of that night six months ago were hazy at best, but the image of the Stranger blurring through the air, streaming shadows like a vengeful god, was burned into her mind. Such raw, bloody power. When everything had cleared, Lita and Laurelai had staggered back into the Alleys, and the Department Heads had resumed their preoccupations in seclusion. She'd barely seen Mac over the course of the last half year, let alone Voidus or the Stranger. Lita supposed she was grateful for that - their presence usually indicated disaster. But spending so much time in the presence of near-gods was a heady thing, and even now, the world still seemed dimmer. Like a flare of Tin, everything had momentarily sharpened and intensified. She'd been chasing that feeling ever since.

A vibration from her coat pocket jolted Lita out of her reverie, and she withdrew a small, aging burner phone with a raised eyebrow. Her other brow joined it as she read the text; it seemed that someone had left a message in her old mailbox. 

"Mind if we make a brief stop before we get ready to go exploring?" She asked Laurelai, tucking the phone back into her pocket. "Apparently, someone wants to have a chat."

---

Vivica Alleytraveled through three separate Alleys in a matter of seconds, even darting briefly through one of the imaginary Alleys. That was risky, but she hoped it would trip up her pursuers; the HR Department had never been particularly imaginative. And she'd purposely tracked through the caustic molasses Alley as well - they'd be forced to stop and evaluate that safety hazard before continuing on to follow her. She turned a sharp corner and pressed herself up against the cool brick of one of the outer Alleys, listening to her heartbeat slow in her ears.

When she could breathe normally again, she took her yellow ruled notebook out of her coat pocket and slipped a pen from behind her ear, jotting down a quick note. She'd known it was a small risk, going through the lab with her hair loose, but she never imagined that she would get a random inspection, of all people. Vivica sniffed a bit in irritation, rubbing at one of her eyes and smearing something across her cheek. She glanced down absently. Hmm, was that red velvet batter all over her labcoat, or red velvet batter? Vivica shrugged, silpped her pen back behind her ear, and looked around.

She was close to the City now - she could tell by the way the air moved around here, carrying the scents of the vast metropolis of the outside world. Vivica chewed her lip for a moment, considering fleeing back into the deeper Alleys, back to where it was safe. Where things made sense. But the prospect of sitting through another 120-hour safety training session kept her where she was. It didn't matter that they compressed time during the training - it still felt like days. Days where she could be baking. She was nearing a breakthrough on her gingersnaps, she could feel it.

Something luminous and violet suddenly passed into view above her head, and she gave a cheerful grin.

"Hello Bennington," she said, greeting the small glowing octopus that now looped figure-eights through the air. Bennington wiggled two of his stubby little tentacles at her, then continued his loops. Vivica felt herself relax; if Bennington was here, that meant that everything was alright. She was just about to settle down onto the floor and do some more brainstorming when she heard something.

Vivica stilled, then burned Bronze. Nothing she could detect, but then, it was rare she did much Seeking these days. Bronze was far more useful to stave off sleep. She briefly counted the years it had been since she'd last slept, grinning when she lost count after ten. So much more time in the day for research when you didn't need to sleep. She turned back to her notepad, thoughts already distracted by the ratio of candied ginger to vanilla extract, when another sound caused her head to snap upwards. 

She walked forward, hand going to another pocket where she kept a spare spike, then peeked around the corner. It was a woman, sobbing over something that looked like - yes, it was a corpse. Vivica blinked at the watery light filtering in from... from the City. She stilled, then looked at the weeping woman again. Both her and the corpse were covered in blood. Perhaps she'd botched a spiking? That did tend to happen in the beginning, but it was nothing to cry over. 

"Miss the right bindpoint?" Vivica called, still peeking out around the wall, dirty-blonde hair drooping over one shoulder "I wouldn't worry, took me a bit of time too before I got the knack."

@Shard of Thought

Sierra looked up, shocked out of her stupor by the voice. Sounds came back to life around her. She narrowed her eyes. "What...?" Her first instinct was to reach for her whip, but her fingers were still shaking and they felt numb. Plus the fact that they were slippery with her sister's blood. She shuddered, the situation sinking in fully. Had this woman just watched her kill? She paled, feeling afraid. She was vulnerable, sitting here. She wouldn't be able to fight back. Not that I have much to live for anyway...she thought, glancing at Theresa's corpse. She slowly rose to her feet, preparing to dash. 

[+ZincAboutIt]

Vivica watched the young woman stand, taking in the look of her. She was terribly thin - perhaps she’d forgotten to eat for a bit. Vivica did that sometimes; time was a funny thing in the Alleys. She smiled what was surely a reassuring smile, then beckoned her deeper into the Alley.

”Void alive, girl, how can you stand so close to the open like that? So much space, so much sky. Bad for the mind out there. Sunshine, wind.” Vivica wrinkled her nose.

”Come here, you can bring your research,” she pointed to the corpse. “I’ll show you the right points. It’ll be extra easy now - won’t even need to strap them down! That’s always nice, isn’t it Bennington?” 

She looked up towards the octopus, who wiggled in what appeared to be the affirmative. Vivica rubbed her nose, smearing more red over it. “I’ve got ginger snaps.” 

@Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Am I... going insane? It was a strange thought. But a valid one. "Bind points?" she asked. She was skeptical, but no longer afraid.

[+ZincAboutIt]

Vivica’s eyes widened. “You mean... you...” She cut off, then shook her head. It was unthinkable that there were people out there who wasted a perfectly ideal opportunity to charge a spike just for the sake of expediency. But this could be her chance to lead someone down the right path - the path of Science. She grinned, then beckoned the young woman with greater urgency this time.

“Blessed ovens girl, get in here! I’ve got a baking contest in..hmm.. a day? A week? I dunno. But I’ve got some spare time. Come here. I’ll help you put that stabbing talent to good use.”

@Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

For some reason, Sierra rolled forward on her skates. She didn't feel herself. She felt a little sick, actually. A little weak. If she was insane, she might as well embrace it. But there was a question to ask. Always this question. "Why me?" If this being in her head could answer that for her, that would be comforting. Then, she would have known the answer all along. Within her. Waiting for her. 

She shook herself. What was wrong with her? She had just killed her sister, she had just... 

Oh, but did that really matter? 

[+ZincAboutIt]

On 10/24/2019 at 6:24 PM, Shard of Thought said:

"Why me?"

Vivica blinked at the question, then looked down at the girl's feet. She was wearing skates. 

"Ooh, those are fancy aren't they?" She said, looking up at Bennington, who swam a few loops in agreement. Vivica ducked back around the corner, hoping the young woman would follow her away from the city, and pondered her question. "'Why you?' That's quite a question. Sounds like philosophy, which isn't usually my department. Hmm..." She rubbed her nose again, then fiddled with the spike in her pocket.

"Tell you what," she finally said, turning back to the young woman. "Let's go get some coffee, then we can give that question of yours a real good think, eh? I always like coffee when I'm thinking. Well, I mean, I don't really need it, y'know, because I don't sleep, but it's nice. Warm. Goes great with a biscotti - ooh, now that sounds like something I should really try. I'm thinking almond, and something special in there. What do you think? What sounds good with biscotti? Brass?"

A bright, manic grin spread across her mouth as she took the pen out from behind her ear and pulled her notepad back into her hand. She continued whispering as they walked, scribbling furiously. "...yes, yes, Feruchemical Brass, yes, so you could store the heat from your coffee while you were drinking it - perfect. These will be perfect!"

She turned again. "Do you have any idea the kind of breakthrough were are nearing here?" Vivica was practically shaking with excitement. "I like you. What did you say your name was? Do you have a name? It's okay if you don't, that sometimes happens. Or you forget your name - that happens too. Not a problem. We can find you a new one! I'm Vivica. At least - I'm pretty sure that's my name. It's what I call myself, and so far everyone else has called me that. So I'm pretty confident."

Bennington looked at her reproachfully. "Oh, right," Vivica said, looking a bit sheepish and gesturing to the very empty space above her left ear. "And this is Bennington."

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Sierra drew her eyes to the empty spot of air that Vivica was pointing to and furrowed her brow. Was her hallucination hallucinating? That was... beyond strange. All of this was strange. Still, she was following her for who knows why. And, well... coffee sounded kinda nice. "I'm Sierra," she said curtly. She twirled the end of her long braid in her fingers absent mindedly to deal with her apprehension. She still felt a little sick and a little cold. Not that that was very new to her... Still, it was enough that she pulled her coat a little tighter around her slight frame. 

[Voidus]

Voidus sat alone in a wooden-panelled room, the fireplace had long since burned out and the lamp was beginning to flicker as well but he seemed to pay it little mind. He sat quietly at his desk one hand gently tapping against the wood while he stared into the distance, eyes slowly shifting from one spot to another but not seeming to truly focus on anything until with a sudden start his gaze jumped to one spot and seemed almost about to burn through the wall with their intensity.

Voidus braced himself, arms gripping the chair as he leaned forwards, eyes not shifting from that same spot. He stared silently and intently for a handful of seconds before relaxing back once more. He cast his eyes to the ceiling but seemed to be lost in thought more than anything.

"Another one leaves." He said quietly, a rare note of true sadness to his voice. "Mac was ever the wanderer."

With a soft sigh he leaned forward once again, dragged a glass against the surface of the wooden table towards him, followed by a heavier bottle and then poured a small glass of crimson liquid. He was about to take a sip from the glass when he paused and gave the glass a melancholy smile.

"To whatever new adventures you find my friend. I wish you the best, and I hope that whatever world you find yourself on is ready for you."

He raised the glass towards the ceiling, staring off once more before pulling it back and draining the glass. Somehow it seemed heavier than it had when he picked it up, even with the liquid now drained from it.

The smile faded as he set the glass back down and began staring off once more. The DoCI would manage by itself for the moment, Mac had some capable people in his department and they were able to act independently for the most part. But Mac's growing skill with Voidmaking was not something that was so easily replaced. Gaining the ability itself was not a common occurrence, and most of those who did gain it failed to survive the experience. There was only one other that he'd seen in the past few decades, and she was likely not going to be receptive.

He looked back towards the bottle, staring at it in contemplation for a moment before sighing once more and setting it a little further away. Elariel Estate made a fine drink, but he couldn't spend the night with a bottle, as always there was work to do. Perhaps he could find someone else with the talent, someone else to teach. If he was exceptionally lucky he might even find one like that student from a different time. A different world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Voidus waited silently inside a room, fingers drumming absently on a wooden desk. His gaze shifted curiously over the room, catching every now and then on some device or interesting item. He reached out with one hand to grab a hold of a metallic ball suspended from string, with an amused smile he pulled it back and let it go, watching it fall and hit the next ball in the row to send a wave of force that finally pushed one at the opposite end away in a chain reaction. He watched the balls clack back and forth until he was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and a dishevelled man entered the room.

"So sorry to keep you waiting." The man said, a little out of sorts still. "I've been on leave for a while, only just got back today."

"It's fine Professor." Voidus said, standing up and walking over to shake the mans hand. "I understand you've been through quite a bit recently."

The man blinked in surprise, not seeming to be able to make sense of what Voidus had said. But after a moment in thought he seemed to shake himself out of it and give a forced smile.

"Yes, well we should get to the matter at hand. I saw you requested a meeting and I had it scheduled and you'll have to forgive my bluntness here but I don't actually have any details on what you wanted to discuss. Are you also a researcher? Or a reporter or something?"

The mans eyes trailed over Voidus' neat suit, trying to make some kind of judgement over who exactly he was meeting, he looked towards Voidus' eyes but then quickly looked away, deeply uncomfortable with what he saw there but unable to tell why.

"A researcher?" Voidus asked, amused. "Of sorts I suppose. You could think of me as a fellow educator. I hope that there is much I can teach you, and if we're lucky much that you can learn."

The man looked politely confused at first, looking around uncomfortably and unsure how to reply. He was on the verge of speaking again when he suddenly froze, watching the dark mist that seemed to rise from Voidus' body, absorbing the light in the room and creating an ominous pressure.

[AonEne]

34 minutes ago, Voidus said:

There was only one other that he'd seen in the past few decades, and she was likely not going to be receptive. 

Quote

Ha, accurate. 

Also, you’re causing me to make sad noises and this is not okay. Stop writing emotion well, Voidus! Arhghfibnfjlbbsflu 

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

"Sierra," Vivica repeated. "That'll be your given name, I imagine. No offense, I mean, it's nice. Quite...nice. Nice and... nice."

She kept scribbling as they walked; Vivica had the presence of mind not to try Alleytravelling with Sierra, and she had to admit, it was rather pleasant taking the long way round the place. They walked deeper and deeper into the Alleys proper, and with each step, Vivica felt herself relax more and more. The sky had deepened into its comforting, dark whirl of boiling grey clouds; she gave it a cheerful glance, enjoying that familiar tug on her soul. One day, she might just stare right into it and let the Void snap her up like a delicious piece of shortbread. But first, coffee.

They wended their way through Alleys of grey concrete, of cobblestone, of white, clean porcelain tiles, and grimy, wet brick. When they turned another corner into a long hallway resembling a bright, sterile hospital ward, Vivica knew they were getting close.

"We had the best coffee maker," Vivica said over her shoulder. "Someone had managed to connect it through dimensions to, quite literally, the best coffee in the multiverse. One of our interns broke it a few weeks back - that was a fun disciplinary hearing. Got lots of good research out of it." She smiled at the memory, lost in thought for a moment, before shaking herself out again.

"Oh, right. Anyway, if anyone knows whether or not it's been fixed, it'll be Grey. Sure does love his coffee, and he's got great taste. I wonder if the tentacles increase his palate sensitivity... Hmm. I'll have to ask him."

She stopped outside a plain wooden door, then looked at Sierra. "You just sit tight. We'll have coffee in hand and be ready for some real deep discussions in no time flat. Actually, we might even be able to go backwards in time, or stop time, if you want that. Kinda makes me feel queasy but that's all part of the fun. Oh - there's me babbling again."

Vivica grinned at Sierra, then rapped two knuckles against the door.

"Grey?" She called. "It's Viv. Checking on the coffee machine. Any updates?"

@Snipexe @Shard of Thought  

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Sierra stayed quiet. She hadn't actually decided what she was going to do after Theresa was killed. She'd thought.... Well, that was the problem, wasn't it? She hadn't thought at all. She'd rushed into things, like she always did. Like she was probably doing now. Her anxiety and indecision was clouding her already untrustworthy judgement skills. Sometimes, she was able to convince herself that she was only doing what anyone else would do in her precarious situation, but there was always that little voice in the back of her mind, the one she'd decided not to listen to anymore. It said, "You know better, Sierra. And you've always known better."

[Snipexe]

The knocks echoed through the empty break room, meeting Grey’s ears. He looked up from the book he was reading, and put down his coffee. It was rare that people visited the break room of the EHD, seeing as Grey had successfully petitioned for the various amenities that filled the room to be available in nearly all of the rooms in this section of the Alleys. The question as to who the knocker was was answered when Vivica’s voice drifted through the door. “Grey? It's Viv. Checking on the coffee machine. Any updates?” Grey smiled at the question. Viv was one of the few denizens that truly appreciated the finer points of good coffee.

“Ah yes, about that.” As he talked, he stood, walking up to the doorway of the break room. “You’d better see...”He opened the door, and trailed off realizing that Viv was joined by someone, and it wasn’t Bennington. He started, then added the young woman to the telepathic conversation, patting the faint outline of Bennington as he did so. “Sorry about that, I didn’t realize anyone would be here besides Viv. I’m Grey, and I assume you’re here for the coffee as well? Well you’re exceptionally lucky. The cosmic dice have rolled,” He paused for a bit a dramatic effect, “and you get to have, literally, the greatest coffee in existence.” He pointed to a rather average machine coffee machine in the corner.

@ZincAboutIt @Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Sierra was surprised. Another hallucination? She was beginning to doubt that she was actually insane. But... if she wasn't crazy then... These were real people. One covered in blood and babbling about baked goods, the other... Well, who knew what he was like. Sierra paled. These people were certifiably insane! What was she doing? She felt her breath shorten, but then her eyes fell on the coffee machine.

Food.

Her mouth began to water. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. And later that evening, she'd thrown it all up. Her stomach rumbled and she curled her fingers around one arm. Maybe these people were insane... But Vivica had been kind to her. That wasn't something that just happened. The question again - Why me? - rolled around in her head as she eyed Grey with her quiet, hard, amber eyes. She said nothing. 

[+ZincAboutIt]

Vivica's eyes lit up when she saw the coffee machine, and she beamed at Grey. Bennington seemed to share her enthusiasm, swimming three quick loops around Grey's head before floating back down near Vivica's left shoulder. Grey was one of the few denizens who could actually see Bennington - probably due to his telepathy. And he was always so polite. Bennington may have been a hallucination, but that didn't mean he didn't have feelings. Some people had even tried to tell Vivica that Bennington wasn't even real. That was just plain rude.

She let out a little squeak of joy, then looked back at Sierra. The young woman had gone rather stiff, looking from Vivica to Grey to the coffee maker with increasing levels of alarm. It was probably the prospect of drinking literally the best coffee ever. Surely, it couldn't be Vivica that had Sierra alarmed. She looked toward Grey, thinking. The man's face was a bit unorthodox, she supposed, covered as it was in grey tentacles. But his one red eye was just so full of character - it couldn't be him. Vivica gently prodded the girl in through the doorway, then shut the door behind them before darting across the breakroom floor.

"This is gonna knock your socks off," she said, preparing the coffee in the machine and setting out two cups. Bennington floated above the machine hopefully, but Vivica gave him a little shake of the head. "No, Bennington. Don't you remember the last time you tried coffee? I'm not going looking for you again. There's only so many imaginary Alleys a girl can walk through before she goes crazy! Do you want me to go crazy, Bennington?"

She looked over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about him," she said apologetically, then gestured towards Sierra. "Grey, this is Sierra. I found her in one of the outer Alleys - I think she was stabbing someone." Vivica shrugged. "Anyway, I really owe you one, Grey. I think I might be able to make it up to you though. I had the best biscotti idea. I think it could really take this coffee to a whole new level of immersive experience."

Vivica poured one cup of coffee, then handed it to Sierra before filling one for herself. She noticed that Grey already had a cup. The lucky duck, in here all day long with this thing. Clever, too. I bet he has to sleep almost as little as I do!

@Shard of Thought @Snipexe

[Voidus]

Voidus' eyes suddenly refocused. He realised he'd been lost in his reminiscence, who knew for how long. With such a skewed perception of time it wouldn't be difficult for him to become lost in memory for a year without noticing. But based on the state of the office it didn't seem to be that long, perhaps only a few minutes. Paperwork still awaited completion in a pile nearby, reports that needed to be viewed, requests that needed to be seen, experiments that needed to be conducted. The flood never seemed to cease.

But that professor... what was the name again? Forgotten. Like so much else it's lost to time. Will I forget this too if I live long enough? Forget the city, the DA, Mac?

He reluctantly pulled a sheet of paper towards himself, best not to get lost in thought again. Work would be something to do with his mind at least, something to stop his mental wandering. It was difficult but he forced his eyes to follow the writing, reading through the report in its entirety. Usually after having scanned it he would move on to the next, his intervention was rarely required, but on this report he stopped. The slightest of furrows formed at his brow as he reread the document.

"Missing buildings? Just one could be a mistake, but this recurrence..."

He tapped a pen against the desk as he read through the details, paying closer attention than he usually did with such reports. The fact that people were vanishing was nothing too concerning, people vanished every day in the city after all, but the possible implications of this were more troubling. If this was happening on a large scale then it could mean something was wrong, potentially very wrong.

"I thought we'd finished that machine before Plasmacore had done any damage." Voidus said, still tapping his pen thoughtfully. "Could we have missed something? Something small that cascaded over time?"

Time had a habit of causing problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A long time ago, etc.

A pair of wide eyes stared at Voidus, at the black substance that he seemed to be emitting. The eyes were a mix of confusion, incredulity and fear but it seemed that curiosity was what won out eventually. The owner of the eyes blinked and seemed to recover the mobility of his body, clearing his voice after a few failed at speaking he looked Voidus directly in the eyes.

"What is that?" The Professor asked.

Voidus gave a wide smile in response, holding both arms out to encompass the darkness that surrounded him. He seemed to almost fade into that darkness, to become one with the very concept itself. Darkness in human form, with a pair of grinning teeth.

"That is nothing." Voidus replied. "Well, more specifically it's what you might call a void. The Void."

The Professor just stared back in mute shock, unprepared for any of this explanation, unsure of how to react. Unsure if this was even real. He brought a hand up to his face, waving it around and staring at it as it moved. After a few repeated attempts at this he shook his head, either unsatisfied or realizing that it wouldn't prove anything.

"The void?" He asked. "But what is it? Some kind of trick? Smoke?"

He took a hesitant step forward, trying to examine where the darkness was coming from, what could possibly be causing it, but at the same time something primal in him told him to move back, move away. Curiosity and instinct warred with each other, leaving him paralyzed by indecision. But as Voidus continued to smile the fear seemed to win out this time and the Professor took a step back to where he had started.

"Am I seeing things?" He asked. "Head trauma from the accident?"

"Not quite." Voidus replied, still smiling. "Though I suppose in a way your 'accident' is the cause of all this. What you did in that moment is something few people rarely embrace, and those that do usually don't survive the experience."

The Professor's eyes stared blankly back, confused. He didn't seem to understand what was happening, where this conversation was going or who exactly Voidus was.

"This will take some time for you I'm sure." Voidus continued. "But in that moment you gained something, or access to something."

All of a sudden the darkness vanished as though it had never been. The lighting returned to normal, that strange pressure vanished. Nothing was disturbed, and for a moment it seemed to the Professor as though the entire thing had been his imagination. But then Voidus held one hand out, palm upwards. And resting in that palm was just the faintest trail of some kind of dark thread, a thread that extended from the palm directly into the Professor's chest.

"Voidmaking it's called." Voidus was staring intently now, eyes fixated on that tiny thread. "And if you're willing, I'd like to teach you a little more about it."

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

19 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

Vivica's eyes lit up when she saw the coffee machine, and she beamed at Grey. Bennington seemed to share her enthusiasm, swimming three quick loops around Grey's head before floating back down near Vivica's left shoulder. Grey was one of the few denizens who could actually see Bennington - probably due to his telepathy. And he was always so polite. Bennington may have been a hallucination, but that didn't mean he didn't have feelings. Some people had even tried to tell Vivica that Bennington wasn't even real. That was just plain rude.

She let out a little squeak of joy, then looked back at Sierra. The young woman had gone rather stiff, looking from Vivica to Grey to the coffee maker with increasing levels of alarm. It was probably the prospect of drinking literally the best coffee ever. Surely, it couldn't be Vivica that had Sierra alarmed. She looked toward Grey, thinking. The man's face was a bit unorthodox, she supposed, covered as it was in grey tentacles. But his one red eye was just so full of character - it couldn't be him. Vivica gently prodded the girl in through the doorway, then shut the door behind them before darting across the breakroom floor.

"This is gonna knock your socks off," she said, preparing the coffee in the machine and setting out two cups. Bennington floated above the machine hopefully, but Vivica gave him a little shake of the head. "No, Bennington. Don't you remember the last time you tried coffee? I'm not going looking for you again. There's only so many imaginary Alleys a girl can walk through before she goes crazy! Do you want me to go crazy, Bennington?"

She looked over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about him," she said apologetically, then gestured towards Sierra. "Grey, this is Sierra. I found her in one of the outer Alleys - I think she was stabbing someone." Vivica shrugged. "Anyway, I really owe you one, Grey. I think I might be able to make it up to you though. I had the best biscotti idea. I think it could really take this coffee to a whole new level of immersive experience."

Vivica poured one cup of coffee, then handed it to Sierra before filling one for herself. She noticed that Grey already had a cup. The lucky duck, in here all day long with this thing. Clever, too. I bet he has to sleep almost as little as I do!

@Shard of Thought @Snipexe

Sierra took the coffee. The cup felt comfortably warm in her bony fingers. She wetted her lips with her tongue and took a small sip, the warm liquid racing down her system. It pushed away her chills, calmed her. Her shoulders relaxed as some of her apprehension melted away. She quickly took another sip. And another. Then, she turned her eyes upward, at the two strangers who were with her, suddenly realizing that she wouldn't know where to run to if something happened. Her stomach rumbled and she took another sip, staying silent. 

[+ZincAboutIt]

Vivica cradled the cup of coffee in her hands, savoring the warmth that spread through her fingers, then took a sip.

As always, it was perfect. She stood there for a moment, eyes closed, just tasting it. Full-bodied but not bitter, and so many minute tastes it was like a symphony in her mouth. Vivica smiled, opened her eyes, and took another sip. Sierra seemed to have relaxed a little with the coffee in hand, which was good. This was the best coffee in existence, after all. If this couldn't comfort her, well, the girl might actually be dead.

"Right, well, I'm not sure about you, but I feel much better. Just what a brain needs for some thinking, eh? Actually, while we're here, maybe Grey will have an answer to your question. He's awfully clever, always thinking about things." Vivica smiled at Grey, watching as Bennington bobbed over to him and attempted to float into his cup of coffee. She shot the little octopus a warning look, and Bennington drooped a bit but kept himself up around Grey's shoulder.

"She wants to know 'Why me?' Or, well, why her, I assume. Not me, that wouldn't make any sense. Sierra's got some big questions - my kinda girl. Once we figure this one out, she'll be asking even better questions like, 'What happens when you give someone two sets of memories?' or 'Can you permanently transplant someone's ability to feel pain into another person?' or 'Can a walrus become a Tin Savant?' The answer to that last one is, unfortunately, yes, and I've been told that we should never replicate that experiment again, but, well, nothing ventured." 

She gave a little laugh. 

@Snipexe @Shard of Thought

[Voidus]

Quote

I think any DA experiment involving Arctic animals is doomed to failure. First the penguins, now the Walrus.

 

[Snipexe]

Grey watched Bennington spin through the air around him before responding to Vivica.

“Why you, Sierra? I think you know the answer. Vivica said she found you stabbing someone. I don’t know much about the killing, or much about you, but I can say this. It shook you to the core. I could see it in your face, as you entered, in the way you shy away form us, while hanging on our every word. Your world has begun to crumble. You’ve torn down one of the foundations and it turns out it was load bearing, and now the whole thing is coming down around you. Whether or not we are partially responsible for said demolition is besides the point, though I would suspect that it would come down anyway, with or without our help. This is fact, even if you’re denying it as I speak.” He paused, taking a sip of coffee with his tentacles, and letting his words sink in.
@ZincAboutIt @Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

A single tear escaped Sierra's eye, but she didn't feel it at all. Her already pallid face whitened further and she took another long, slow sip of coffee, trying to warm herself from his chilling words. She did want to deny it. She wanted to hide behind the collar of her coat, wanted to run away, to go back and prove to herself that Theresa wasn't dead. That she hadn't just murdered the one person who was ever kind to her and that she hadn't let her emotions get in the way of her three truths; she deserved everything that happened to her, Theresa was better than her (that's why she had been successful, after all, while Sierra had withered away), and there was nothing Sierra could do to change those things. She tried to move her fingers toward the handle of her whip, but found that her fingers were still numb and wet with her sister's blood. She couldn't deny it. And she hated that with all her heart. 

Sierra looked down at her skates. "How do you know those things?" she asked, a dangerous, yet broken tone in her voice. Her own vulnerability scared her. This wasn't her! Where was her ability to shove the emotions away? Why couldn't she find her resilience? 

@Snipexe @ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

Vivica nodded as Grey spoke, sipping her coffee and watching Sierra slowly fracture before the both of them. As usual, Grey was spot-on. There was a small part of her heart that felt some pity for the young woman, but it was tied to a place that Vivica did not wish to look at too closely. Breaking... yes, Vivica knew about breaking. The memories were strange, faded things, swirling and black like dark fog. Or smoke...

Smoke curling up under the door, smoke in the air, smoke clinging to Vivica's hair as she clawed her way free from the wreckage. So much noise, everywhere noise - screaming, crying, the hungry snap of fire chewing its way through wooden planking. A cold heat spreading down the left side of her head, running down into the collar of her night dress - 

She blinked herself out of the memory, shocked by a slight burning on her hand. Vivica looked down; she'd slopped coffee over the rim of her mug. Her hand was shaking. That was odd. Vivica could feel her heart starting to race, her breath coming a little harder now, a little shorter. Bennington lifted off from his place above Grey's shoulder and began zipping around in slight agitation, his wide luminous eyes taking on a hint of worry. The little octopus had started to fade, his body becoming more and more transparent with each passing second. He wiggled his tentacles in alarm, focusing on a spot behind Vivica. She took another sip of coffee, hands still shaking, trying to stave off what she knew was coming.

The memories continued to leak out of their prison, driving Vivica further and further away from the lovely lucidity she'd managed over the last few weeks. She'd escaped the dreams long ago, but her past would still demand its due one way or another. Vivica tried to calm herself, taking deep breaths, focusing on Grey, on the coffee, on Sierra - Sierra didn't need to see her like this. It was simply rude to come apart in front of a guest. She reached into a pocket, pulling out a ginger snap. No, wait, that was a spike. Oh, dear.

"Grey?" She said, voice shaking, coffee now splashing all over her wrist and dripping down onto the floor. The burning only fed her memories, driving her further and further toward terror. And once she was past terror, she would reach a place that no one would enjoy. "Do you perhaps have a closet I could stand in for a moment? Someplace small. There's just - just so much space out here, all of a sudden, you know?" 

@Snipexe @Shard of Thought

[Snipexe]

“How do I know? Because I see it here every day. Because there are many of us who have gone through what you have. And additionally, these aren’t just for looks.” He said, gesturing to his tentacles, then hearing Vivica’s question. “We have an existential crisis closet just this way,” he said leading her by the shoulder to the door and pointing down the hall to the door. “If someone has eaten the stock of cookies, just yell. People keep forgetting to replace them, so I have extras on hand.”
He returned and resumed what he had been saying. “The fact of the matter Sierra is, there are a lot of denizens here like you. However there is one thing that makes them different, one thing that sets them apart from the rest of the broken. They have drive. They have a desire to push themselves and the borders of understanding to new limits. They have taken the shards of their broken world and forged a new one. They’ve taken the broken wings that melted in the sun and used them to construct a interstellar spaceship So now we return to you. Do you have this drive, this desire. Do you, Sierra, think you can take your foundations, those few scraps that are left, tear them to ground and build something new? Or will you clutch onto the remnants like a shipwrecked survivor clutches to the wreckage of their ship ignoring the vessel on the horizon if they were only but willing to swim?”

@Shard of Thought @ZincAboutIt

Edited November 2, 2019 by Snipexe

[Zephrun’s Imperium]

Sierra tightened her jaw. "I don't have a life," she said, "because I don't have anything to live for. But if I find that..." Her shoulders drooped and some of the determination in her eyes melted away. "Then it'll be a miracle." She scoffed at her own words. She was beginning to come back to herself. "I don't want to be here. I... don't know what I want. But I do know that I don't like being picked apart and analyzed. Connections hurt you... And I don't get hurt." 

@Snipexe @ZincAboutIt

[Snipexe]

"You don't get hurt eh? I think your current emotional begs to differ, but that's besides the point." Grey said wryly. "You want something to desire, you want something to live for? You've been initiated into the Dark Alley, albeit not really by choice, but nonetheless, you're now an initiate member of the most powerful guild in the Alleyverse. Don't you want a little revenge on whoever gave that good ol' helping of emotional trauma? and if you've already done so, all the better! You need to stop pouting and smell the roses. You don't have to be sad about death. About murder. It happens. Whoever you killed was just as likely to die from a drunk driver, or a random abomination then they were to get brutally stabbed. You've just accelerated entropy a tad. Not even that much on the cosmic scales. And, now that it's over, you can move on, get a life. Take a class on cooking, maybe go to community college, whatever your cliched dreams are. It won't work out obviously, but it'll be something nice to hope for. As I said before, you've been given an invitation to the guild run by gods. Just accept, and take advantage of the perks. So, do you want to make a decision. Yes or No. Are you in, or do you want to hold onto false semblance of normalcy that will eventually collapse with you in an insane asylum. And, while they do tend to have good food, Asylums get rather boring after a while, so I know which I would choose.

Quote

Sorry, for the delay.

@Shard of Thought @ZincAboutIt