|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 22, 2019 18:48:18 GMT -5
"Mmh..." Paul sat up in his chair, roused from what one couldn't exactly call slumber; more like a state of deep thought conducted with his eyes closed. He acknowledged the knock on the door, but didn't respond to it right away, taking a moment to rub his pounding cranium and adjust to the morning light. Today was going to be hell, he could already feel it.
He glanced over at Kelsey. She was still sound asleep, tucked into bed right where Paul had left her. The first thing he noticed was that her demonic traits had vanished entirely; her wings were gone, her horns were retracted, and her skin was restored to a more human tone, albeit with a sickly pallor. On top of that, the self-inflicted wounds that had refused to heal the last time Paul checked were gone; aside from a single, subtle white line that trailed along Kelsey's left cheek, there were no scars and nary a trace that any injuries had been there in the first place. At the risk of sounding biased towards her human half, and despite the apparent state of misery she was still in even as she slept, Paul had to concede that Kelsey was looking better already.
"Uh, yeah..." Paul finally spoke up, standing up and opening the door for Mino, his movements sluggish and fatigued. A morning checkup was probably called for, certainly for Kelsey, and maybe for him too. "Come on in."
---------------------------
Arrhythmic footsteps descended the staircase, signalling El-Sayal's entrance. The Freman woman wore the same robes as yesterday, not to mention the same somber expression. She carried several tools with her, namely two large, metallic hooks that vaguely resembled crochet hooks, and what could only be described as a spring-loaded stake.
El-Sayal stopped at the edge of the living room, gazing into the study on the other side. Cautiously approaching, she took a closer peek inside and found her guest seated at the desk, keeping her footsteps just loud enough for him to hear her approach.
"Jordan...?"
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Aug 22, 2019 19:10:49 GMT -5
"Mmph."
Before turning around to acknowledge the woman in the brown pajamas, Jordan took one last look at the two letters that, with any luck, would never be read. Well... if they were... dead men didn't feel anything. Sealing both away into envelopes, he marked each one with the intended recipient's name. "Thanks for the paper," he said, turning to face El-Sayal. Well, since she was nice enough to lend him the materials he needed, and she seemed like a bit of a homebody anyway...
"I have a favour to ask of you," Jordan continued. Picking up the envelopes, he held them towards her. "With any skill, these will never be read. But I'm a paranoid man. I like to have a few extra knives up my sleeve, if you know what I mean. Pretend that I actually wear a shirt. Or rather, a way to settle loose ends in a worst-case scenario." He paused at the uncomfortable prospect. "If I die, make sure these get to my brother and sister. I've drawn a rough approximation of what they look like on each." Jordan bit his lip. "... I want to say some things. Apologize. If it goes well, I will. But just in case."
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Aug 22, 2019 20:30:13 GMT -5
"Thanks," Mino mumbled as he entered the bedroom, his focus immediately landing on Kelsey. The corner of his emotionless frown twitched slightly at the sight of the slumbering young woman. "So you actually got her to go to sleep. Impressive."
Mino leaned over Kelsey, casually inspecting her. "Demonic attributes are gone, I see. Wounds are healed. Mostly." He traced a finger along the scar on Kelsey's cheek. "Jury's out on whether that will go away. Just gonna have to wait and see on that one. Blood flow is still decreased... Heart rate seems better... Breathing a little rough..."
Then Mino snapped his fingers right next to each of Kelsey's ears in turn. "Kelsey? Rise and shine."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 22, 2019 21:03:38 GMT -5
"Y-Yeah... I think it was about three o'clock when she finally fell asleep and stayed asleep..." Paul stated uncomfortably, unconsciously rubbing his chest. His latest concern was still fresh in his mind, but one thing at a time.
He mostly kept silent and let Mino do his work, nodding at every other remark the angel made, wincing at some of the more negative ones. Partway through, Paul did opt to provide Mino with at least a little information. He of course felt bad about breaking his promise to Kelsey, but for the sake of her health, it was probably best not to withhold anything from the doctor. "You should probably know that she's only human today. Her demon powers are basically shut down until sundown. Not sure how that might affect her current state."
Then Mino attempted to rouse Kelsey, earning a soft, croaky moan in response. Kelsey's face tightened slightly as she squirmed in place, then she slowly started to open her eyes. It didn't take long for her to close them again with a visible flinch, curling back into the bed as the morning light practically burned her retinas. And with the sudden, sharp movements came an unpleasant gurgling noise from her stomach.
"Oh boy..." Thinking quickly, Paul dashed over to Kelsey, picked up the nearby waste basket, and held it level with the bedside.
In nearly perfect sync, Kelsey rolled over, blindly grabbed the bin being offered to her, and promptly, loudly emptied the contents of her stomach in a series of violent lurches. Paul let out a deep sigh and rubbed Kelsey's back, ready for the worst, knowing this had been building up for a while now.
Once the vomiting finally seemed to stop, Kelsey rolled onto her back again, still coughing for a good, long while. Then she looked up at Paul and Mino through dim blue eyes and a stream of tears.
---------------------------
"You're welcome," El-Sayal gently replied, nodding to Jordan as she stepped a bit closer. She could only imagine what he needed to write –Jordan didn't feel inclined to explain last night, and she was empathetic enough not to pry– but she could sense that none of it was especially pleasant.
She listened in respectful silence as Jordan stated his request to her and offered her the envelopes. El-Sayal simply stared at them for a moment, somewhat taken aback. Then she accepted the letters, gripping them gently as if out of fear that she would rip them. There were a surprising number of emotions present in her face, none more pronounced than remorse.
"Of course." El-Sayal nodded again, straining not to get choked up. About what exactly was not clear. "I'm certain Paul and Kelsey can point me in the right direction. One way or another, I... will see to it."
After staring at the two envelopes again for another few seconds, El-Sayal turned slightly and prepared to walk away, looking back at Jordan out of the corner of her eye. "I have a few errands to run today. You can help yourself to any of the food in my kitchen if you like. And... whatever happens today, do stay safe."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Aug 24, 2019 16:42:03 GMT -5
"Staying safe is kinda hard considering where I'm from, but 'preciate the concern anyway," Jordan muttered once El-Sayal was out of earshot, with her brown onesie and the hooks that looked like the belts their mum used to discipline him and Will when they were being naughty. Hmm, he wondered if there was anything spicy in that fridge contraption. Maybe tuna eyeballs?
(Spoiler alert. There were no tuna eyeballs.)
Well, at least he had some more time to think.
---
Taking a bite out of his makeshift breakfast, taking advantage of this rare bit of true solitude, Jordan allowed himself to speak, to finally say the things he wanted to say.
"... Forrest," he said, a slight tinge of venom in his voice. "You can hide behind that stoner mask all you like. I know who raised you. I know what you really are. I know you better than anyone else except perhaps that beast who raised you." Perhaps that bite was a bit more feral than called for. "I did some digging of my own when you wouldn't answer my questions. Beneath that laid-back mask, you're just a beast that craves blood. I know it's rich of me to speak of anyone that way when my own hands are stained with blood. But I did it for money, money that would help Leanne stay in a place with a roof over her head. You killed for nothing but your own sick pleasure. I'm looking forward to the time where I can finally..."
His voice hesitated, before he decided to drop the issue altogether. "... And you, Will..." Jordan stared at the wall, as if carefully thinking about what to say next. "... We don't know where you came from. I'm not even sure if you know where you came from. I... I'm sorry about all the times we fought. I'd miss you if you, well..." That's an unpleasant thought. "I called you a savage wolf several times. I... I just remembered the worst thing about you. The first time we took a job together. You just... you just snapped. You enjoyed every last moment of the carnage you created, especially when you snapped a grown man's neck with just one hand. And you had no recollection after."
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Aug 24, 2019 17:10:03 GMT -5
"Hm. Yeah, I could see how that might influence her healing process," Mino murmured, taking into consideration Paul's explanation of Kelsey's current lack of demonic influence. "On one hand, losing the accelerated healing factor could slow down the recovery, but on the other, this is an infection by divine energy, so it might actually be easier on her now."
Soon after Mino snapped his fingers in her ears, Kelsey started stirring. So there was that, at least. "Well, she seems to be responding to stimuli normally now..." Didn't change the fact that her pupils were still abnormally dilated.
And then came the vomiting. That was still a thing. Once Kelsey was finished and Paul had set the waste basket down, Mino took a look inside the sullied receptacle, looking largely unbothered by the copious bodily fluids inside. "Still a little blood... Probably should get her something new to puke in."
Standing up straight again, Mino waved his hand in front of Kelsey's face to get her attention again. "Kelsey? Do you remember who I am?"
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 9, 2020 19:42:34 GMT -5
Paul slowly, cautiously set aside the wastebasket, taking a brief moment to wipe his hand off on his pants before placing that hand on Kelsey's pillow. He was hesitant to offer her comfort just yet. Not when he could still very well be a stranger to her.
Kelsey sunk into the bed slightly, recoiling from Mino's hand. She seemed timid and uncomfortable, but not wholly scared. Through the tears, she studied the two men standing over her bed, moaning from a combination of nausea and mental strain. Looking at the green angel and the blue dragon man triggered a sense of déjà vu, but nothing more.
"I... I'm sorry," Kelsey mumbled, pulling the covers up until she was buried from the nose down. "I feel like I should know, but... I just... can't put a name to anything yet."
"That's okay, Kelsey." Paul held his hand up again, looking deep into Kelsey's eyes. When they met his, a shimmer of comfort seemed to appear in the cerulean orbs, giving Paul the go-ahead to soothingly brush her hair. "Don't overwork yourself. Just relax and let your body reset. Your mind will follow suit in due time."
"Y-Yeah..." The tenseness in Kelsey's shoulders eased. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I... think I'm starting to feel better."
---------------------------
El-Sayal offered Jordan one last nod, saying nothing more. She then plugged in her nosepiece, slipped her scarf over her mouth and stepped outside.
Once alone on the dusty street, she glanced down at Mino's house. She couldn't hear anything from her position. She wondered how Kelsey was doing. How Mino and Paul were dealing with her. If Mic had found her delivery.
Exhaling sadly through her nose, El-Sayal turned away from the abode and stared down at Jordan's letters again. For a long while, she didn't move, simply taking a moment to wrack her brain. She needed to keep these safe. How best to do so...?
"Words fail, words fail
There's nothing I can say
Except sometimes you see everything you wanted
And sometimes you see everything you wish you had
And it's right there, right there, right there
In front of you"
In an instance, the envelopes disappeared...
"And you want to believe it's true..."
She slowly looked up, staring out at the desert horizon.
"So you... make it true"
Then, without looking back, El-Sayal walked out into the dunes.
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 9, 2020 20:47:46 GMT -5
"... Heh..."
Jordan ran a hand through the lank hair so unlike his siblings', a sad smile on his face. "Look at me, ma. I'm actually engaging in this introspective thing. And you know what?"
He got to his feet, knocking the plate that held what was left of his breakfast to the ground. "It fucking sucks! I'm not the type to let my past drag me down. What's past is past. I'm alive. That's what matters. Doesn't matter how I got here." He reached for his cloak, pulling it over his shoulders.
"The dead are dead. They can't hurt you. The living can, and that's what matters. Now... I wonder how our puking princess is doing..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 9, 2020 22:03:50 GMT -5
"I suppose some progress is better than none..." Mino mumbled as he looked inside Kelsey's mouth, completing his checkup. "Looks like we'll just have to leave it up to some more rest for now. Do you think you can down some water? We don't want this constant purging to dehydrate you."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 10, 2020 12:11:17 GMT -5
"I can... I can try, yeah," Kelsey mumbled, running her sandpaper tongue along the roof of her mouth. Now that it had been brought up, it was really starting to occur to her just how thirsty she was. Part of her was burning up, in dire need of refreshment, yet the other part was freezing cold and practically drowning.
Paul took a deep breath as he continued to rub Kelsey's head. At least she was engaging in coherent conversations now. It was a small amount of comfort that he wasn't about to take for granted.
---------------------------
A set of armor lay symmetrically on the kitchen table. Odd bits of scrap metal, wires, nuts and bolts were scattered about all around it. An uncomfortably tuneless whistle filled the room as Mic, now dressed in his familiar, sleeveless red tanktop with his jacket hanging on the back of his chair, tinkered with a piece of his machinery, one that looked like a metallic model of wing bones.
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 10, 2020 12:49:46 GMT -5
"..."
Just... just what was this guy doing?
"... What is that?" Jordan asked, not caring how many years/decades/centuries/millennia he scared off Mic's life with his arrival. "Is that armour?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 10, 2020 17:14:54 GMT -5
"Okay. I'll be right back," Mino sighed, picking up the overused waste basket. "Try not to throw up again in the meantime..."
Mino quickly left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen, wanting little more than to get this routine out of the way. He found Mic sitting at the table, up to his usual technical business, and opted to say nothing of it. After setting the puke bucket aside and dousing his hands in a healthy amount of sanitizer, Mino grabbed a glass out of a cupboard, pointed a finger into it, and near instantly filled it with clean, cold water. Then for courtesy's sake, he grabbed a straw as well; probably would make it easier on Kelsey.
Jordan arrived just as Mino started making his way back upstairs, prompting him to cast a quick glance at the human and his brother. "Pardon the smell. I'll clean that up in a moment."
He continued on his way without another word, making one last, quick stop at his room to grab a new trash can, then slipping back into Kelsey's room with little fanfare. "Okay, here we go... Anything else?"
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 10, 2020 18:16:55 GMT -5
"Hm?" Mic glanced through the corner of his eye when he heard someone approaching, quickly spotting his brother. "Oh! Hi, Mino!" He wasn't too broken up when Mino didn't respond. He was clearly focused on a task, and Mic was certainly in his own zone as well. No big deal.
When Jordan entered the house, though, Mic's initial good mood turned awkward and wary. "Ah. Jordan. Hi."
Hearing Jordan ask about the armor, however, perked him right back up. "Yes! Yes it is! It's the prototype lightning armor that I've been working on for several years now! I designed it to absorb electricity-based attacks without causing harm to the wearer, as well as store it for counterattacks! But, uh... haven't got it working quite right so far."
---------------------------
"Thanks, Mino," Paul sighed as the angel returned with water and a new wastebasket. He and Kelsey were still in the same position, with Kelsey timidly cuddled beneath the blankets and Paul offering whatever comfort he could.
Kelsey looked up at Mino, reaching out with shaky fingers and accepting the glass of water. "Thanks..." She took only a few measly sips before setting the glass down on her side table, then she sunk back into the bed. "I think... I think I'm gonna try going back to sleep..."
"You do that, Kelsey. I'll be right here if you need anything," Paul gently offered. He turned to Mino with a light nod. "I can't think of anything else right now. You've been a big help. I'll let you know if anything else comes up."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jan 10, 2020 19:45:16 GMT -5
"Oh, right. Lightning fucks you guys up real good. Almost forgot 'bout that..." Jordan muttered, taking a look at just what Mickey D was building. Certainly didn't look like human armour. "So. What's it for? Is there a bounty on your head or something? 'Cuz I'd like it myself... Hey, don't give me that look." He shook his head, making a 'tsk' sound. "I think some dark humour is a price to pay for keeping my sanity. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
Tap tap.
"So, how is our puking princess?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jan 10, 2020 21:36:03 GMT -5
"Fair enough," Mino grunted, rubbing a hand through his hair and turning away from Paul and Kelsey. "I have a little bit of running around to do this morning, so... if you can't find me, just know that I don't plan on staying out past sun high. Worst-case scenario, just head on out into the desert with Mic and have him scream my name for a while. It's unlikely I'll miss that. Anyway... rest easy."
He stepped out of the room again, passing by Jordan with little acknowledgement. He reentered the kitchen and grabbed the puke-stained waste bin. Then he headed towards the front door, calling to Mic all the while, "I'm heading into the desert. Don't follow me unless it's an emergency."
|
|
