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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 18:09:44 GMT -5
A few minutes of sniffles and hiccups went by until Ace managed to compose herself enough to talk. "I... I don't deserve this... but this means so much. You have no idea what I've been through over the past few years!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 18:19:41 GMT -5
Kendall just sighed and nodded. No, he didn't know what she had been through. He had never fallen, he had never been treated with as much hatred as she probably had, and even though his heart had been crushed before, he knew it wouldn't compare to what Ace had endured since her exile.
Of course, it wouldn't be fair for him to pry, so he just whispered, "Well, don't you worry. That's all behind you. I'm not gonna let you suffer anymore."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 18:29:39 GMT -5
Ace took a deep breath and pulled away to fully face Kendall. "Thank you. I... I need a break... from all this..." She sniffed and wiped her face off. "If I tell you everything, will you promise not to spread it around?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 18:36:36 GMT -5
"I promise," Kendall replied, taking a seat next to her on the pew.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 19:04:36 GMT -5
"Well, you know about the whole ordeal with me falling in love with Jack," Ace began. "I... Yeah, I made a mistake, but only because I didn't see right away that he was a grade-A douche nozzle!" She waited for her shout to stop echoing before she continued. "He taught me how to use my powers more efficiently and gave me my new weapons and nickname, and I've only been keeping my nickname because... it just sounds cool. I can't help but like it. But... that's where all the good stuff ended.
"Jack and his gang... none of them seemed to care about me that much. I always felt like they thought I was just a tool used to help them steal stuff, and from the start, that kind of life rubbed me the wrong way. As for Jack, it became pretty clear pretty quickly that he only liked me for my looks. He... He tried to... He touched me, and..." She fought back tears and looked away, not wanting to see Kendall's inevitable shock. "And yes, by that point, I decided to leave while I was still whole.
"The past few years, I've been wandering around without much to do. I've only just given up drinking a month ago, and I've also had a few brief moments of marijuana and... I think cocaine addiction. Or it might've been bath salts. I don't know; that was a long time ago. But I've had to resort to some really awful stuff to survive, and I hated every minute of it. There hasn't been a day when I haven't felt like scum. I wanted to seek redemption, but... I was just too frustrated with everything, and no one seemed to want to help me get better.
"And then, just a few days ago, I heard this voice... At first I thought it was God calling to me, but then there was this bright flash of light, and next thing I knew, I was here, in this city. I tried to ask this guy for help, and for a while, it seemed like he genuinely wanted to help me." She hesitated, biting her finger with anxiety. "H-He said his name was Fawkes, and he looked like an ordinary man, but his aura bothered me. I should've seen it coming, especially when he offered me a place to stay, but I let my guard down and he... he..."
She buried her face in her hands and wept some more, unable to say the dreaded word. All that needed to be known was that she was broken. She had been abused and beaten before, but now she was utterly broken.
"So I gave up and just came here. No one's bothered me since then, as I'd hoped. But now... now you're here."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 19:13:43 GMT -5
Kendall kept quiet throughout her story, responding with nothing more than the occasional nod or quiet exhale. When she got to the points where she spoke of the abuse brought on by Jack and this Fawkes character, his heart wrenched and he let out a tiny gasp.
He really hadn't been expecting this. It was common knowledge that the life of a fallen was not an easy one, but to hear Ace talk of how she had been molested or possibly even raped, that was just too much for his heart to bear. He wanted to reach out and comfort her again, but perhaps this wasn't the best time for physical contact.
Once her story was finished, Kendall stared at the floor and shed a tear for her. "I... I'm so sorry."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 19:17:11 GMT -5
"Don't be. You shouldn't apologize for something you didn't do."
Ace sighed. "I just don't know what to do anymore, Kenny."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 19:25:28 GMT -5
Kendall took a deep breath. "Well, since I am here, I think it's high time that things start turning around for you. You know that I'll do anything in my power to make you happy again, no matter what."
He leaned forward so he could see her face. "If anything, know this: The things that have happened since you fell are not your fault. You've done nothing to deserve them. The world is just a cruel place that'll try to pull you down even further. You can't let that happen. You have to get back up and keep going if you really want to regain your wings. And now that I've found you... I'm gonna help you do just that."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 19:31:21 GMT -5
"Look, I-I know you mean well..." Ace sat up. "...but are you sure this would be alright with the higher-ups? I said before that I didn't want you to get in trouble for associating with a fallen."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 19:39:32 GMT -5
"Ace, my whole purpose for being on Earth is to help people, spread the Word of God and make sure everything is as it should be. This is not how your life is supposed to be. I should know... I felt led to come here and ran into you. That's not a coincidence, Ace; everything happens for a reason, and me finding you is no exception. God is a loving god, and I'm sure that He wants you to be whole again just as much as I do."
Kendall stood up, giving Ace a look of warm determination. "So what do you say? Every fallen's journey towards redemption has to start somewhere. Are you ready to take that first step?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 19:49:54 GMT -5
Ace stared up at Kendall, not sure what to think. The sudden shift from being treated so lowly to being offered a chance to make it all better was welcoming but unexpected. Of course, they were both technically angels, regardless of their status, and it was nice to know that their friendship had held up after all that had happened, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that Kendall wanted to help her.
And in a way, it wasn't. His offer was nothing short of the best thing that had happened to Ace in years. Of course she wanted her wings back; she just had no idea how to do it. Now she finally had hope. Now she knew someone was still looking out for her. Now she could believe that she hadn't been totally abandoned and she still had a chance to fix what had been done.
Her mouth twitched before curving into a small smile. On shaky legs, she stood up and met Kendall's eyes. "Yes... Yes, I would like that a lot."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 19:54:58 GMT -5
Kendall smiled back. "Great." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And don't worry about me. It doesn't matter what you are or where you've been; God knows I'm helping you for a good reason."
After a deep breath, he said, "So, first things first. You deserve some time to relax. If you trust me, I might know the perfect place to do that."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 19:58:10 GMT -5
Ace chuckled once. "I think we've established that I trust you. So where would this place be?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Oct 11, 2013 20:18:02 GMT -5
"I have some friends who just moved into an apartment. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having you stay with them for a while."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Oct 11, 2013 20:23:20 GMT -5
"Oh..." Ace awkwardly rubbed her neck. "Well, if they just moved in, I'd hate to be a nuisance..."
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