video; seelie/unseelie

[individualist]

[The brown haired girl who's in view right now can't possibly be more than seventeen or so, with a uniform that definitely looks out of place compared to her surroundings. Before she says anything, she moves a finger to her hair and curls a lock of it thoughtfully.

Eventually, she speaks.]

So uh, Hey.

[Places her hand back down, huffing.]

I gotta be honest, I don't really have anything cool or interesting to say but...I felt like I really ought to introduce myself, especially seeing people I saw at that big feast doing the same.

So...I'm Hikaru. I was in Tokyo before I came here, I'm big into occult stuff and I like talking to people. Yeah, three things sounds good, doesn't it?

If you've got time to kill, you should say hi. I think in a situation like this it's good to know people, and I'm more than willing to talk a few ears off.

[She almost ends it there, before deciding to add on one last thing.]

Oh, uh, one thing now that I think about it...there aren't any Angels here, are there? I know that's really specific, but I've had a few bad experiences with them before I got here, so I'd rather know so I can keep my distance. No offense or anything if you are one; blame the ones launching ICBMs in the name of God or whoever. They're giving you a bad rep.

[Sure did say that super casually.]

Guess that's it. So, by-or, uh. Should I be more formal to fit in? "Good evening" I guess.

Comments

[scramasax]

[Ooh dear it's still that bad, is it.]

Ah -- yes, I er - apologize, 'm sorry.

["I apologize, I'm sorry". Shakes his head.]

I -- it's, er. Poor habit, I suppose; it - isn't any excuse. Please excuse me... ["It isn't any excuse, please excuse me". Clears his throat, quick wincing subject change!]

-- Surely, my la -- ! Ah... Hikaru. But it's, uhm, doubtful -- that angels would be the... only creatures here who may see themselves as ah - above. Humanity...

[He manages a weak bashful smile there - that wasn't much neater than anything he's already said.]

[individualist]

[Hm...she isn't entirely sure how to handle that, so she decides against saying anything else. Maybe he'll loosen up after time? Only one way to find out.]

Oh, it's a very specific kind of superiority. They'll feel like mentioning how, and that usually involves talking about what they are. It's all "righteous fury!!" this and "divine judgement!!" that.

You'll know, trust me.

[scramasax]

Always?

[Faintly trailing only because he still isn't certain where to gauge he stands, but that seems like an inconveniently overt way of doing business.]

[individualist]

[God somehow expected Lucifer to obey Him after the whole original rebellion, Heaven is stupidly naive.

This Heaven, anyway.]

Mhm! They don't really know how to function in the human world. They're not used to it. I think they still expect people to cower in awe and do exactly as they're told, but that kind of reaction's been out of style for centuries.

[scramasax]

I. Err --

[Centuries, she says!]

Um. From where -- from where does your knowledge of angels come? How did you - how did you find yourself in position to deal with them -- I mean.

[individualist]

Well, after I got kicked out of my home by my Dad, demons took me in. I've lived among them ever since.

So it was only natural I'd bump into some Angels eventually. They aren't really that nice about that.

[scramasax]

[A flash-chill and he visibly balks.] -- I imagine they wouldn't be!

I --

[Good heavens, why this odd - vibrating in his voice; he doesn't know if those words mean the same thing to them, exactly, if a comparison's even relevant - loosens up with an "uh..." and clears his throat - shakes his head, brow knit. A nonverbal "please pardon me".]

-- I'm Christian, I apologize. Lived in an empire, where -- we revered angels, in my time. Er --

[Coughs again, into the side of his fist.] I, s--

Was, uhm. Brought into the service, of... -- something else, er. However. I'm -- ...not sure how comparisons between, the -- otherworldly. Forces. -- That we knew compare...

[individualist]

[The reaction isn't all that surprising; the devout are outnumbered here by people who don't even know what Angels are, but she's met more people like him in a lifetime (and a lengthy one at that) than people who aren't. So the outburst, well...it doesn't spur a reaction. Not at all.

Yet the rest of his response does, visibly brightening her expression.]

Well it's a good way to learn then! Tell me all about it, the "something else" of yours.

[scramasax]

[He shouldn't be surprised, but still, he internally rattles - gulps, next words come out - not exactly hitching, but bumping.]

The -- the Ancients...?

I -- [Swallows again, quietly - doesn't hurt to talk about them, why slow down... Mumbles himself back into momentum.]

...Beings from outer realms, pagan cults drew magic from them and - corrupted human politics, er --

Mantorok. -- He was the one, who - enlisted us. Occasionally. Humans, to keep the - others. -- Out of his - its... domain...

[He'll - start there, he reckons.]

[individualist]

Mantorok...never heard of him. But it's possible he might have been around, once.

[Most demons were just Old Gods stripped of their power and form by That God, so. Anything's possible.]

So did he enlist you?

[He did say "us" so...]

[scramasax]

Uhm. One could - say so, yes. [Words trail and muffle at the ends.]

Still isn't -- [Redo that.] -- It's difficult to explain, I apologize.

-- Or it isn't. But, uhm. What it means is...

[Which was the end of that sentence; he realizes he's probably not making sense, torn between wanting to give her the details and not wanting to overdo them, take them any further than she actually wants (or needs, for all that it may matter), and his brow's furrowed a bit - he's sorry for that ditheriness, too.]

[individualist]

It's fine...really.

[Gosh guy, take a chill pill. It's just the devil.

Wait noone knows that yet]

You mean you don't wanna go into it? Am I close?

[scramasax]

I --

[Sharp cough into fist to undo the hitch. Wince - sorry 'bout that, eyes flick to shake it off...

Back on. Start again.]

My loyalty isn't --

[She didn't say it was, boy, spit it out.]

-- yes, I er -- suppose so. [Shakes his head.] Mm. My mission was - to fail. -- So it would seem. In life. I was a - a spirit, before I - be - before I came here.

[This is probably unnecessarily expository without getting to the heart of the matter, clear it up...]

-- A-at Mantorok's command, if - [Clears his throat again.] If, that...

If I'm. ...Making myself understood.

[individualist]

Ah, kinda like a thrall...yeah, they tend to do that. Was it against your will? Or did you want to serve it?