각시도깨비

ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ   [   ...   ]   𝐘𝐎𝐎   𝐆𝐎𝐄𝐔𝐍   ᴀᴋᴀ   𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓   𝐆𝐀𝐊𝐒𝐈

featuring   imagery   pertaining,   but   not   limited   to   :   lost   girls,   empty   palms,   missing   childhoods,   feminine   rage,   nature   vs.   nurture,   girlhood   as   godhood,   art   as   a   way   of   expression,   the   learned   language   to   making   yourself   more   palatable,   the   yearning   for   acceptance.

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Sometimes she would wonder if it was easy to notice how her being was constantly mesmerized by the setting they were usually heading to during missions; and how her beautiful light hues would light up when those missions happened in Latin America. Though it was a mission under a cave and she wasn’t necessarily comfortable at being underground, she was in Peru. Appreciating history and being part of something grand. It was worth anything.

With her hair on a high ponytail and comfortable clothing, Pandora followed Charons guiding them further into the cave, and conversations were always welcomed, reasons why whether it was directed to her or not, she ended up replying to the other person. “Allah, Allah! Don’t even joke about something like that. I’d say Indiana Jones is a better option, but do you remember the amount of trouble he’s always getting himself into? Isn’t there a third option?” A safer one, that’s what Pandora wanted for that day. “Still is beautiful here, isn’t it? I wish we had more time in here so I could explore the country a little bit more.” Casual topics to make the descent a little bit better.

-

“ honestly? i haven’t seen either of them. " she knows the basics as most, if not all people do. indiana jones, cultural icon && as much a proper archeologist as she is a baseball player [ ... ] his trusty whip by his side && a wealth of adventures under his belt that always end up with him as the victor. as above, so below might be a bit fuzzier in her mind, but the gist of the plot is easy to grasp : unsuspecting cave people go underground && open a portal the hell. truthfully, given the religious background of the area, gaksi would be unsurprised if something truly dwelled in the cave. who is she to doubt the mythology of a people?

-

"je peux gérer ça.” I can handle this. A confirmation of what Gaski points out. A rather obvious take, but it’s an important distinction to make. For Apollo’s, arrogance takes a different form. Whereas the Charon’s and Nemesis’ laud their strength and ferocity, they hone in on their ability to adapt. In working together with her, it’s clear that both share in that wavelength. There is confidence, but an absence of pomp and circumstance. She shakes her own head, long finger gently pushing away the scans. A kiss of her teeth at the 3D model. No inspiration to be gained, that’s for certain. A detached yet wry smirk emerges all the same, one foot already moving towards the secret stash of their fellow agent. Their companion is known to move it on occasion, but what is an Apollo but not a skilled spy? “This amount of togetherness is too close for comfort. Too many cooks in the kitchen. The dead weight of every moldy crew will surely be the death of me.”

-

they are artists in their own right. women who weave the world around their whims [ ... ] it is nice, in some design of the word, to be around someone trained in the same manner she was. who can be everything && anything all at once in a manner that can be just as terrifying, if not more so, than the agents whose primary weapons are, well ----- weapons. their skillset is more subdues [ ... ] their words, their faces, their actions. their ability to slip into the skin of others flawlessly. it might not be explosive, necessarily, but they could be capable of bringing the universe down to its knees should they so desire. it is nice, not being judged with every breath she takes, measured for sincerity.

The explosion has West’s head ringing long after the first boom hits. Gunfire and smaller explosions echo off the large cavern roofs, making it sound like every inch of the cave is under attack. It is an awful, the ricocheting noise, and it reminds West of an awful situation during his four months spent in North Korea. His body switches into fight mode without any conscious thought, ready to gun down the first enemy tango that approaches him, and that immediate flip is something for West to unpack later. In the safety of his own apartment, far away from everyone else. Once everyone is safe.

For right now, the ruined stitches in his arm throb, his hands feel sticky with the blood of agents he has successfully evacuated, and his eyes scan for another face. Agent Gaksi isn’t something that West has worked with personally, but he recognizes her face as a Godsend crew member immediately.

“Nothin’ good. Are you injured?” His normal, goofy nature has been completely overridden, and the West in the cave right now would be unrecognizable to a lot of Sainthood. There is no mirth in his eyes or smile on his face. He is in soldier mode, a relic from the past that has no business here, and he moves on autopilot. West does a quick assessment of her, not seeing any critical wounds that would stop her from moving. Even if she is injured worse than West can tell, she won’t be the first agent he has had to carry away from the caves today. “Let’s get you outta here.”

-

she's used to danger. they all are, she thinks [ ... ] it comes with the territory of their chosen line of work. you never know who is going to want to get their hands on whatever it is pantheon has their eye on ----- who will do anything to keep an artifact in their possession. this is different, however. this is not a small number of snipers on a roof or a group of guys firing pistols or revolvers [ ... ] in times like that she has backup, she has people whose primary objective is to make sure they all get out safe if possible && even then, a group of six at most has an easier time during extraction that this many crews all at once.

he's recognized through basic knowledge, not personal. it is mutual, she's sure. with such a large operation, it is not unusual to know others by their face && crew && not much more, if at all. he's not one of hers && that's all that matters even at a time like this. something inside of her, a sweet little girl whisper presses against inner curve of her skull. ' go back ' it says. ' make sure your own is safe. ' but it is not what she is to do, not what has been pounded into her during training && life before that. she does not go back for stragglers, to search for potential survivors. it is not the apollo way.

she's already geared up. belt hooked over slim fit hiking pants tucked neatly into her boots, gloves slipped casually into a pocket for easy access once it's time to begin, jacket tied around waist awaiting their descent into cooler air. a few other assorted items stashed in various pockets because you never know what you'll need during more active events. a small knife, a flashlight, carabiners, extra water flask etc. etc. etc. missions like this don't require much effort on her part appearance wise [ ... ] hair, makeup && the like all negligible which leaves her time spent getting ready lessened by great amounts.

the quake in her limbs is nothing but adrenaline. at least, that's what she tells herself, a strong refusal to even acknowledge the fear building a knot within innards as a thing that exists. has experience tamping things that have no place down but here, now, it keeps popping up no matter how hard she knocks it down like a twisted game of whack-a-mole.

she's aching. whole body feels little more than a giant, woman shaped bruise beneath gear, complete with assorted cuts whose origins she cannot even begin to place. this whole thing feels like chaos causing gaksi to feel like she's teetering on a ledge, the edge of a frightfully high cliff [ ... ] one misstep && she'll come tumbling down, shattering to pieces on the rock.

Kawi looked at her with amusement, though perhaps it was more because he had the knowledge that someone who was open about their relationships to others, was more unlikely to actually do something about it. It was the ones who talked about you behind your back that you had to look out for. So to be on her list sometimes, that was good, in his book. “That’s fair,” he answered. “And glad to know I never make it too high on that list,” he added. The gesture was a kind one, the bumping of shoulders, the look she gave him, he played into it, as much as he could. Growing too close to people, it was one of his main worries. The fear that something might go wrong. “Though if I ever do, you’ll give me a warning, right?”

-

Kawi looked with just the barest bit of amusement in looking at her responses, trying to determine if she would say yes to the offer or deflect. He wondered because he liked to figure people out, to see in their eyes when they weighed their options. And he was never sure with her, making the studying even more interesting. He nodded when she had come to the conclusion, then shook his head slightly. “Of course,” he said, then left the room to get some aspirin, returning with that and a glass of water like some kind of peace offering. “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “What happened?” He asked, despite already knowing the details. Sometimes it helped asking it from the person who got hurt.

-

-

“Hm. Here.” At this point, she’s convinced that she’s seeing circles where the images are. The corners of her eye growing weary from sheer exhaustion. Hers is a disciplined form, always one to stretch and focus on her physical health. But there’s something to be said about the rigors of the job. In her attempts to stay sharp, she feels it now. A hum of annoyance as she settles onto a nearby stool, bringing one leg up to her knee. A tentative balance as she nods in agreements with Agent Gaski. “Interesting. Not even some the ancient languages?” The history is pervasive, and it was a small hunch. Still - she’s not a Hermes for a reason. Her expertise were in stealth, and putting paintbrush to canvas. With a small chortle, she runs her fingertips along the chain of her necklace in speculative thought. “Why wait? I’m certain we can find something in Agent Proteus’ never-ending supply. Maybe it’ll make this brainstorming process more fruitful.”

-

His eyebrows raise at her answer, forcing his lips not to curl up in a smile as she stares him down, face completely serious even though the words had been humorous enough for him. He doesn’t ponder too much on what would actually happen if it came to that, if the night took a wrong turn and they were all forced to act. But at least he could find solace on the fact nothing in her eyes made him believe she was unprepared. If anything, between both of them, he was the one that dreaded this mission the closer they got to it.

“ The right answer was come rescue me, but I’ll let you off easy this time. ”     He nods, more to himself than to her. Lingering more than he needed to, he was well aware of it.     “ If things do get chaotic though, I’ll be on exit 2. So make your way there, okay? ”

-

something inside her speaks of patting his cheek && stepping close but he is not a mark && the mission still has yet to start. gaksi has no desire to coax echo in a manner similar to what she has employed against marks in the past or at all if she's being truthful. views her crew as untouchable in that manner [ ... ] as they should be. manipulation may come easy, but there are times where she has no intention of tipping the scales.

still, it is a nice feeling. the knowledge that someone has your back. there are still parts of being a member of pantheon where she struggles, but the idea that there are others there should things turn nasty, even if it is in their job description, is something that she appreciates. " yeah. " a smile, small && appreciative. it's real [ ... ] cannot help but wonder, in a part of her brain that's always grotesquely curious, as to whether echo will recognize it as such.