Issoria Feinberg

[She’s hungry. That’s what this feeling is, she’s decided. Why was she hungry? She usually only eats to avoid getting yelled at, and she’s been so busy between the glitches and being forced to stay in the infirmary that she hasn’t had a chance to even pretend. But gosh, she’s so hungry now. She thinks she’ll be able to sneak down to the dining hall to grab something small. Hopefully.

When she gets there, she sees a young woman scrubbing a table. And she almost forgets about being hungry as something clicks in her mind, like she’s sparked back into part of who she was without the glitches.] I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. [She doesn’t comment on what she’d said before. There’s nothing really for her to say. Mira smiles some, hoping it comes off well. She’s not sure. She’s been feeling so off. Like she was hanging on by a thread before her malfunctions made her break down–physically and/or mentally.] Would you like some help with the tables? I’d be happy to help.

[Their eyes meet, and for a second, Isha wonders if the girl was talking to someone behind her. She glances behind her shoulder for a quick second before returning her gaze back to the stranger. Isha takes note of the glazed-over look in her eyes but dismisses it as a  side effect of all the sickness that has been going around. The blonde gives the girl a polite smile.] You’re fine. I was just talking to myself. 

[Isha takes another strongly-scented wipe out of the container and continues wiping down the tables, less aggressively this time. When the girl asks if the blonde would like some help, Isha looks up at her briefly before returning to her work.] Oh no, you don’t have to. I was just one of the lucky ones who got over the sickness quickly and had to resume chores. 

[He had been staring. Blatantly. A dark expression of a scowl painted over his features as he drank her in. This couldn’t possibly be happening, Kaiser knew for a fact that he was hydrated. That he was getting better… albeit considerably without fucking powers. Something of which he fully placed the goddamned blame at the feet of those who pretended to lead this glorified prison. Kaiser knew for a fact, however, that he wasn’t as weak as he’d been when he’d mistaken Kip for his son.

And yet there she was.

He hadn’t seen Issoria since the night of the awards. Where they’d barely crossed paths and even then, Kaiser had been barely able to put his thoughts into words. Or do more than stare like a fool. Silver eyes were narrowed in a nearly feverish intensity upon the young blonde as the German willed this hallucination away. He hadn’t been able to find or see her since, though on occasion he’d thought he’d caught a glimpse of that white blonde hair. Of familiar blue eyes.. not that it mattered. He’d never been right.

Until her bright blue eyes settled on him, her head whipping, and the young woman spoke. His expression twisted into one of confusion for a moment, before Kaiser seemed to realize that this time, it hadn’t been a hallucination. There was a stutter of breathe, a moment too long of silence, before he gave a gruff clearing of his throat, a jut of his chin as he glanced around.]

It’s often a mistake to assume that around here, but it isn’t as if you’re wrong.

[He stated, his tone gravelly and the tease of a grin curving the sharp edge of his mouth as he registered her caustic words and tone.]

[When Isha turned around to find Kaiser her stomach dropped a little. She had seen the way he looks at her, the way his eyes follow every move she makes. It made her uncomfortable but there wasn’t much she could do about it. He had always kept his distance and never seemed to be want to hurt her, so there wasn’t much to report to anyone. The last time she had seen him was after the awards ceremony when he tried to talk to her, but not very successfully. A part of her was curious as to what he could possibly want to say to her.

After a brief moment of the two staring at one another, Isha finally spoke up. Her irritation seeping into her tone.]

What? Did you come here to stare at me some more?

[[ Ah, well. Going unrecognized was nice while it lasted. Which was all of two minutes.

Alois pulls an unavoidable face as he tugs one of the intensely-scented wipes from the container he’d caught neatly in his left hand, and he’s wondering if he should regret offering to help if he’s about to catch an earful. ]] I am, and I was. [[ The past tense is important here. He’s tired of the line of people trotting out his family’s baggage when there’s nothing, literally nothing, that can be done about it anymore. Alois isn’t in the market for atonement. He likely never was. At least, not about this. ]]

You have me at a disadvantage; I don’t know your name. [[ He raises his eyebrows curiously in the young woman’s direction even if there’s a burgeoning air of guardedness about him. She’s hard to read and Alois never knows what to expect when people recognize him to begin with, so he sets about wiping down the portion of the table in front of him with a feigned nonchalance. ]]

[Isha pretended to be hard at work, wiping away every speck of bacteria left on the tables. When he confirmed his identity, Isha glanced up at him for a second, meeting his eyes before letting them fall on his beautiful, fiberglass arm.] Hm. 

[For a second, she began wondering about the story the Van Asch’s told about their little boy conveniently falling from a cliff on vacation, only to be saved by his father’s masterpiece. Isha began to speculate if there was a darker twist to that story. Every family has its secrets, but she felt that to be especially true the richer and more successful the families were. But Isha wasn’t going to ask him about it, at least not now. At least she was somewhat aware it wasn’t really her business. After a few moments of silence, the girl was just about to open her mouth to ask for more wipes when she heard the boy say he was at a disadvantage for not knowing her name and a small smirk began to pull at the corner of her lips.]

Maybe I don’t mind you being at a disadvantage. 

[[ She’s studying him, brow creasing with a vague recollection as Alois starts to feel mildly uncomfortable under her gaze. There’s an elegant softness to her features that doesn’t quite jive with the analytical look she’s giving him, and Alois finds himself praying to… whatever deity may exist that she doesn’t recognize him. He’s had enough of that this week on both ends of the spectrum, so he automatically shakes his head when she asks if they’ve met before. ]] Don’t think so. I’m sure I’d remember you if we had. I’m Alois. [[ Hopefully that doesn’t prompt any additional recall. ]]

And– yeah. [[ He casts an absent look around the room, partially to avoid the scrutiny in her eyes, and glosses over what it was he ‘had.’ Thoughts on his lost hearing fall into two categories: bad memories, or a constant undercurrent of dread that it could return at any moment. So, he tries to avoid thoughts on it altogether. ]] Had increased senses. But I think I had a secondary chore assignment. [[ Alois typically does, he’s just bad at remembering it. Or caring. Especially this past week, with everything so disrupted.

Of course, now that he’s faced with someone actually doing their due diligence – however irately – Alois has the wherewithal to feel a little guilty about it. He pushes his right hand through his hair, then gestures at the container of wipes she’s using. ]] You, uh. Want some help? Could be my assignment, I don’t know.

[Isha shamelessly continued to search his demeanor for clues, unsatisfied with his answer. Alois. The name struck her, his connection to her just on the tip of her tongue. The girl’s eyes flickered down to his shiny, white arm; the puzzle pieces suddenly coming together. 

While she was living in Belgium, there was a girl she worked with at the bookstore who only ever talked about boys, sex, and celebrities. And one of her main obsessions for an entire month was the van Asch heir: the living and breathing example of what owning an Asch product could buy you. The wealthy family wasn’t just selling medical equipment and supplies, they were selling beauty and success. In other words, they were preying on the public’s health for profit, jacking up the market standard for prosthetic limbs all in the sake of status. It was disgusting to the girl, a fat cat getting fatter as people all over the world struggled to make ends meet just so they could keep up with the van Asch boy. 

For a second, Isha doubted if he was as guilty as the rest of them. Maybe, he too was just a victim of their careless exploitation. But anyone who carried the van Asch name, who encouraged the sale of health products for profit, who wore that prosthetic proudly, was just as culpable as the rest of them. 

So there she had it. She was sure Alois van Asch was the man standing in front of her. Isha, realizing she had been staring at him way too long, glanced away focusing on a stubborn spot of grime that even her wipes couldn’t take away. The girl began scrubbing the table, not even realizing she was drowning out his voice until it stopped. She looked up at him curiously, suddenly coming to the conclusion that he had asked her a question. The blonde took a second but was successfully able to recall that he had asked her if she wanted help cleaning. How noble of him, she thought. She contemplated it for a second before nodding her head and tossing the container of wipes to the boy. He might as well make himself useful.] Yeah. Here, catch.

[Isha turned her attention back to the table, making long swipes across the surface.] I remember where I know you from. [The girl took a small break, glancing up at him expectantly.] You’re the van Asch boy, right? Heir to the Asch Prosthetics throne?

[[ It was an exciting time for Alois, and that wasn’t even counting the fact that his Infection was still MIA: he was finally feeling well enough to make an attempt at some kind of solid food, and he was desperate for anything that wasn’t water or a thin, largely flavorless broth they’d been doling out. Of course, by the time he realized the sounds his stomach were making were hungry sounds and not dying from the inside sounds, it was between mealtimes. Alois made his way to the mess hall regardless, hoping he could at least find someone to charm into giving him one of those dry, crumbly protein bars.

Pushing through the doors he’s only mildly surprised to see a young woman, roughly his age, he presumes, muttering to herself as she buffs a tabletop with the kind of resentment that could scrape the faded paint right off of it. Alois doesn’t catch every word, but ‘chancellor’ and a sprinkling of profanities provides him with the gist. A hint of a smile tugs at Alois’s lips before he clears his throat.

When she catches his eye and apologizes, he offers little more than raised eyebrows and a lazy shrug. ]] Preaching to the choir. If they thought I was bad at hunting before, I’m going to be even worse at it now. [[ Alois had already been considering what they’d do to him if he refused to attend, and if it’d be any worse than going along like the dead weight he always had. The jury was still out. ]]

[With reddened cheeks, Isha initially glanced away, too embarrassed about being caught talking to herself to make eye contact with the stranger. But then, the smallest of recognition washed over her, and the urge to examine his features came to the forefront of her mind. 

The first thing that caught her eye was the sleek, white, fiberglass arm that seemed to move just as any other limb would. His high cheekbones, the dark golden hair, the smug smirk plastered on his face, it was all so familiar to her but the girl couldn’t quite place where she knew the young man from. 

Isha visibly scanned his face, her eyebrows furrowing with every passing second. As he spoke she listened for a hint of an accent, there was something there but once again she wasn’t able to place it.]

Hm. [Isha didn’t return his smile, but remained amicable, still curious as to who he was.] Hunting? So you have — I mean, had increased senses? Does that mean you’re off the hook for chores until they sort this whole thing out? 

[The girl was honestly going to be a little jealous if it were true. Isha waited a few seconds before scanning him over once more.] Have we met before? You look familiar.