Naughty

                                 but I am at fault for letting him become what he was

The look on W’s face briefly changed to that of incredulity. Was he…was he seriously asking if they were from space because of their powers? It was enough to render them from making an answer for a good 30 seconds. They wondered if he was always this flattering with new people or if they had just made a good first impression. “I am not, no.” They tried to keep their tone as polite as possible, but there was a slight edge to their tone. It was the same sense of incredulity that had briefly flashed across their face moments ago.

But then again, the logical part of them couldn’t exactly blame the boy for thinking W might not be human. They were accompanied by a Goddess and presumably, two bodyguards that weren’t exactly as human as they appeared.

Well that was somewhat reassuring. If he had some skills that didn’t revolve around the use of his magic then perhaps they could do this after all. However, they weren’t exactly convinced, perhaps they would need to get him to take a practice test for them to gauge where he was at. At least that way they knew what they were dealing with. “I do, but I would rather have something extra up my sleeve in case it doesn’t work.” Plan A had been their magic, Plan B had been the extra training they’d gotten in case their magic didn’t work. It never hurt to have a back up plan. “I don’t like relying on magic alone.” If they were going to be a team here, W wanted, no maybe needed, to know what their strengths and weaknesses were. Mazu hadn’t recruited them for their pretty face.

“Hm.” It was very nearly a ‘hmph’ but something shifted. Their tone was light enough to not be taken seriously. “I hope you don’t speak to your Goddess like this when she’s trying to offer you some advice.” Maybe that had been a bit brusque in return, but their intentions were never to be mean. Their concern at the moment was ensuring everyone’s safety, especially that of the one who had hired them. While Mazu undoubtably knew the sort of guardians she wanted to protect her, W still wanted to double check in case of any flaws. 

They cocked their head at the young man, eyeing them up for a few seconds. After, their arms crossed their chest and their eyes were brought up to meet dark eyes. Were they brown or black? W couldn’t say for sure. Not in at this distance or this light. “You may want to brush up on your hand-to-hand combat or have a back up plan before we encounter this thing. If your magic fails, I do not want to be responsible for cleaning you up off the carpet.” The implication being that he would get squashed like a bug. W’d had to do a couple of clean ups after a nasty fight and they weren’t pretty. They weren’t even sure what they’d prefer, the fight or the aftermath. 

They shrugged. “I suppose if you have magic, why would you need karate?” Then again, the same question could be posed to them. Why bothere learning how to defend yourself when you had magic? That was simple for W. Their magic wasn’t necessarily all for attacking. They’d picked up other methods of defending themselves in case their magic failed when they needed it the most.

“Oh?” That had piqued their attention. It seemed that if W ever ended up teaching the young man anything, they’d had their work cut out for them. He didn’t seem like the kind to be into boxing though. They supposed that if it was his dad watching it, perhaps he really wasn’t. It was weird that out of all the things he knew how to do, it was a punch. Hearing the word ‘boxing’ they expected him to be able to...what? Slam dunk someone onto the floor? Clothes line them? This was another thing they hadn’t really thought of before. A punch was a pretty simplistic thing to teach a child though. They blinked at him a couple of times as he explained what boxing had become. “I...am not sure. I was never one for boxing or wrestling, so I wouldn’t know.” It wasn’t something that had captured their interest. They’d had more important things to focus on. “I will take your word for it.” That was the best they could offer.

The mention of the deep sea made their heart flutter. Admittedly, it had been a while since they’d last gone swimming, for work or recreation. “Of course I know how to swim.” They knew how to, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were any good at it. They wondered how far down they were going to have to go to encounter this thing. Mazu, as far as W was concerned, was some sort of sea or water goddess. Could she not help them out with this? Get them to grow gills or something? They figured not. “Ghosts are not something I have had many encounters with, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve for when I do.” It was the truth. The time between each encounter varied. For some it was months, others weeks and in most cases, W went years without having to deal with a ghost. 

Now this was interesting. The Watcher was somewhat aware of the whole clone/bodydouble issue that Jack had going on, but they weren’t aware of it extending this far. As far as they were concerned, there was only one bodydouble left and they hadn’t been seen since the Vault on Elpis. Thie one couldn’t be them. 

At least this one had manners. To an extent. Though what manners one could extend to a being like The Watcher, they weren’t sure. At least it wasn’t getting shot at. Which seemed to be norm on Pandora. Equally, they had to bend their neck down a little bit to get a good enough look at the man. The height difference worked both ways. 

There was something almost pathetic about the way his voice sounded. The slight beeping from the pocket distracted them momentarily. Did human pockets beep? If there was any trace of thought that this man was who he should’ve looked like, it went. “I think you have just proved that.” Sarcasm. So much for manners. His voice did sound suspiciously similar to the other though. “You did not shoot me on sight. I think that proves a lot.” 

Gaze sliding off from the Eridian to the side, Teddy shrugs, his vocal chords seeming to tighten in his throat. Even if he did have a gun, he wouldn’t’ve shot her anyway (at least, he likes to think so – maybe level it at her out of fear, but not malice like he might’ve).

When more beeps sound out, he pats his shirt pocket and backpack respectively, and manages to regain his voice to tell them, “It’s alright, girls. Decent company.” Despite the reassurance, he can feel Adelaide shift from marble to ant (not a spider; she knows about his… odd snack habits and compulsion regarding spiders) and climb up and out to look, only for her to squeak, “Well, shit!” and drop back into the pocket.

“… That’s my… first daughter. Adelaide.” He pats the backpack again. “And my second girl, Bonnie, is in there.” He shrugs again. “In case you were… curious.”

It was that movement that stopped them from trying to take in every feature they possibly could. Well if anything, it seemed what passed as their sarcasm had made them decent company in his eyes. It was strange how certain humans seemed to adjust to being around a weird alien creature. For as much as he didn’t know about who or what they were, The Watcher could very easily kill him with their mind.

If they had eyebrows, they would’ve raised in surprise at the thing (for that was the only way The Watcher knew how to describe it) poke itself out of the pocket, speak and then scurry back in again. Before they had even gotten the chance to speak, their questions were answered. “Your...daughter?” Curioustly plagued their tone. Their head cocked to their side. “But...it is not human.” They stated it very matter of factly. Didn’t humans refer to their biological creations as children? Other humans that resembled them somehow? Confusion mixed itself in with the curiosity.

This feeling only dampened with the man’s next question. “That is correct.” The curiosity slipped away from their tone as quickly as a water slipped away from someone’s grasp. They only appeared in front of humans when it was necessary. It was surprising that this human knew that. “It is surprising you know this. Not too many have had an encounter with me.” They could count them on one hand. Though their job wasn’t necessarily to whisk people away from their lives. Sometimes it was to deliver information and then whisk themself away, not to be seen again by a living soul until a few months or years later.

The side eye that W gave the young man said more than words ever could. He couldn’t have sounded more petulant if he tried, though whether it was intentional, they weren’t quite sure. “W.” It wasn’t even a word, but a letter, that they spoke. Even with that, the tone they took on spoke volumes of the welcome they were currently receiving from one of Mazu’s favourites. Not that they expected much, but this was far beyond that. Their demeanour was still professional, but the look & tone indicate that their mind had already formed an idea of what this guy was like.

It certainly wasn’t intentional, for them to be there, much less being contacted by a goddess, of all things. It had all been circumstansial. The again, they’d been promised payment and times were rough at the moment. Not only could they use the cash, but it might be an opportunity for them to learn a thing or two, magic wise.

“I…” Nothing came out after that. No words formed in their throat or their mouth. “Hmph.” A smile pushed their lips upwards for a few seconds. “No. To both.” Their answers were always short and sweet. It wasn’t anything against the boy, but that’s how W had been trained. Long gone were the answers that rambled and trailed on for a while, sometimes feeling like they could never get to the point. “I am from a branch of celestial witches, that is where my magic comes from.” That was all he needed to know. He could’ve known a bit more, to help aid him on their collective mission. But W didn’t feel it necesary at this point. Perhaps when they were in situation more inclined to collective chatter, they would reveal the secrets of their powers. 

“However, these days, I am merely a bodyguard for those who need me.” They met the man’s gaze. Whether or not this godness needed a bodyguard when she had 3 other people at her side wasn’t something they were going to question. A job was a job, after all. “If you did not have your magic, how good would you be at defending those you hold dear?” They cocked their head to the side, their tone almost playful. They wondered how many of those that could use magic trained in other ways. If their magic failed them, could they use their body to attack and defend? 

   “ so you’re from space? ” surprisingly enough, this doesn’t really shock him; ‘W’ wasn’t the first ‘celestial’ witch he’d met. weird name, he thinks, but they were a bit of a weird person, he supposed– if they were a ‘person’ at all. they looked person-like, but that doesn’t mean much: the demons that also accompanied Mazu pulled off a human appearance seamlessly when it suited them, but were quite far from it. the ‘celestial’ part brings what they are into question, and upon second thought, he’s not even sure he’s on the right track at all: couldn’t celestial also mean gods or something, rather than of the stars? it would better explain how they met Mazu and became employed as a ‘bodyguard’…     their question feels a little like a jab, but it wasn’t outright rude or anything, so he doesn’t take it personal, answering it honestly and curiously. “ ‘depends what I was up against. I think I can handle myself– ? ” … against another human. but something stronger than that… well… he’d rather not think about that– “ why? don’t you use magic, too? ” he’s not sure what they were looking for in his answer. prepping to flex on the unpolished earth witch? 

   “ – if you’re getting ready to tell me how much stronger you are, don’t bother; I believe you. ” flippant and blunt, maybe, but he’s not trying to be outright rude, either. it’s just that he already knew that was most likely the case, so he didn’t need to be told. he’s used to being the novice out here. “ you don’t have to show off to me. ”   

The look on W’s face briefly changed to that of incredulity. Was he...was he seriously asking if they were from space because of their powers? It was enough to render them from making an answer for a good 30 seconds. They wondered if he was always this flattering with new people or if they had just made a good first impression. “I am not, no.” They tried to keep their tone as polite as possible, but there was a slight edge to their tone. It was the same sense of incredulity that had briefly flashed across their face moments ago.

But then again, the logical part of them couldn’t exactly blame the boy for thinking W might not be human. They were accompanied by a Goddess and presumably, two bodyguards that weren’t exactly as human as they appeared.

Well that was somewhat reassuring. If he had some skills that didn’t revolve around the use of his magic then perhaps they could do this after all. However, they weren’t exactly convinced, perhaps they would need to get him to take a practice test for them to gauge where he was at. At least that way they knew what they were dealing with. “I do, but I would rather have something extra up my sleeve in case it doesn’t work.” Plan A had been their magic, Plan B had been the extra training they’d gotten in case their magic didn’t work. It never hurt to have a back up plan. “I don’t like relying on magic alone.” If they were going to be a team here, W wanted, no maybe needed, to know what their strengths and weaknesses were. Mazu hadn’t recruited them for their pretty face.

“Hm.” It was very nearly a ‘hmph’ but something shifted. Their tone was light enough to not be taken seriously. “I hope you don’t speak to your Goddess like this when she’s trying to offer you some advice.” Maybe that had been a bit brusque in return, but their intentions were never to be mean. Their concern at the moment was ensuring everyone’s safety, especially that of the one who had hired them. While Mazu undoubtably knew the sort of guardians she wanted to protect her, W still wanted to double check in case of any flaws. 

When their companion stepped through, The Watcher stepped in behind her. They only had to duck ever so slightly, a difference and a rare sight. Being around human structures had made them more appreciative of being out in the open. 

When The Watcher had stepped through and was clear of the portal, the thing was deactivated. There was a slight whoosh as the portal closed and a bit of a fizz, but that was it. They were surprised the tech was still usable after all this time. It was rare that they used and while they’d had to fix it a couple of times to work out some kinks, The Watcher had always assumed it would fail one day and they wouldn’t be able to get it working again. It would be the end of their ‘friendship’ with The Overseer if it happened.

Their attention was snapped back to where the present time when their companion spoke. “The Eridians named them the Proving Grounds.” What constitued as eyes scanned the area. It looked no different to a multitude of places scattered across Pandora or Eden-6 if they were lucky. “They are a place unto themselves.”

Taking the opportunity, The Watcher started a gentle stroll forwards, hoping the woman would follow them. Figuring that she would anyway, The Watcher continued. They couldn’t give too much away, not yet, but the bare essentionals felt necessary. “They were created to give the Eridians and the Guardians a way to test themselves against the many creatures they may face, hence the name.” The Eridians were a creative bunch when naming things. To the point it almost seemed ironic. “They are overseen by The Overseer.” Case in point.

Their slow pace eventually brought the pair around a corner. Concrete steps sloaped upwards towards an almost windowlike, rectangular shape for someone to walk through. There was, however, a blue forcefield blocking them from walking through it. Floating just in front of this, was The Overseer.

“Humans have the potential find these places too, but they have not found the right tools to do so yet.” The Watcher stopped not too far from the concrete steps. Their neck craned so that their mask could face their companion. “We do not have to fight here, yet I figured it might help you relax to be away from a proper planet.”

“Ah, pocket dimensions,” Kar noted brightly, as one expected a life full of xenostudies and exotech research to respond. “Given the construction of the Vaults themselves…it would make sense the technology could be harnessed in other ways…”

Kwa Infinity Gates worked in a similar fashion, using the pocket dimensions as sort of corridor, allowing them to travel to planets without the use of starships– assuming the planet or space station had a gate installed. A gift from one of her distant relatives when they uplifted them, no doubt.

“I mean, I shouldn’t complain, ‘cause I got a whole planet no one can access…” Kar began, looking around at the greenery once more. “But a whole pocket dimension free of the laws of spacetime would be pretty sweet…”

Mortis still had the chance of the occasion wayward starship landing upon its surface, and then some, but a place only accessible by her for her? If only. She’d probably never leave. 

“I would much rather rest. Perhaps meditate upon things. I suspect we will have enough fill for battle sooner than we think.”

Then again, humans hadn’t even found this place yet.

“I suppose it would.” The Vaults were similar to the Proving Grounds. Pushed into a pocket dimensions so that nobody could stumble across it accidentally. One had to actively seek out the Vault, not the other way around.

If The Watcher had a nose, the sound they made next would be akin to that of humerously pushing air through it. The Eridans were not that fancy or concerned over whole worlds being put into a pocket dimension. It was only the Vaults and places like this that were deemed important enough to get put in one. “Perhaps it is something you could work on.” It wasn’t directed as a question, but if the woman had a whole world in a pocket dimension, what was stopping her from having a place like the proving grounds? If that happened, The Watcher might be inclined to come along and watch the process.

They nodded slowly at Kar’s words. It was understandable, there was a war coming after all. While The Watcher did like a fight once in a while, there was such a thing as too much. They were intrigued to see what their companion was like in battle, but that would have to wait as well. 

“It is understandable.” It was. This was Pandora and if a strange alien looking creature approached someone, they’d shoot first and ask questions later. The Watcher was considerably luckier than more that the man hadn’t opened fired on them. However, his guard dropped considerably considering what they’d just said. Not that they had an intentions of doing so, but this would’ve been a perfect opportunity to attack.

Some humans were so confusing.

Taking a few long strides over to the nearest pile of scrap, The Watcher knelt down, one knee touching the ground, the other bent. A long leg stretched out behind them to keep them balanced, the toes stretching. It felt good. Walking didn’t always stretch out every part of them. “You would not see something like me unless you are near a Vault.” And he didn’t seem like a man to go Vault hunting. Not with a small child. Long fingers plucked out a piece of metal, one that could potentially be useful. They twisted it round so they could get a good look at each side of it. It wasn’t useful and therefore, was placed back in the pile.

“I am a Guardian.” At least he hadn’t asked if they were an Eridian. Not that he’d know what one was, considering he hadn’t seen a Guardian before.

The mention of a Vault caught James’s attention… well it would catch anyone’s really. They were stuff of legend, stories made real. Whoever would find one and open it would be rewarded past their wildest dreams… or as far as he was aware.

Though James’s expression was not one of greed, no it was clear on his face it was one of discovery and curiosity. “You’re from a Vault?” He repeated back to them, eye’s wide. “Whats a Vault?” Hannah asked, her father’s attention turning back to his child. “Chambers left by an ancient alien race, advanced technology way past anything I could make and those who open them are remembered forever. You could count on two hands how many people have found and opened them, they’re always guarded by a dangerous creature.”

This was not the first time that humans thought they were from a Vault either. It would surely not be the last either. “I am not from a Vault, merely one of their protectors.” It was spoken over their shoulder, loud enough for the pair to hear. There was some times when The Watcher thought that clarifying further might help, but then again, would it do much good? Many humans tended to make up their mind about them before they had a chance to utter a word. Whether it was to shoot, to listen or to pass judgement, their minds were oft made up. Not that it mattered. They would pass their judgement on The Watcher long after they had passed through. 

The way he described what Vaults were to his daughter was impressive. Clearly she was no idiot. The Watcher let out a small laugh at his request as they pawed through more useless junk. The girl had big dreams if she wanted to go after a Vault. Whether there would be any left when she was of age was going to be another matter though. Humans seemed to be finding them all lately.

At the question, The Watcher paused as they were eyeing up a potential piece of scrap. The metal was clasped in both of their hands and tilted upwards, the sun gleaming off of whatever shine was left. Their long neck helped swivel their head towards the young girl. The whispering was all that filled the silence for a minute or two while The Watcher gathered the right words.

“Me.” Okay, it was an easy answer and The Watcher’s attempt at a joke. The child would become ever more curious if The Watcher didn’t give her some sort of answer. “We are what the Eridians created. Biomechanical...” Would a child know that word? “...Things made from mechical parts and living things. The Guardians were made to guard the Vaults, to keep those that intended to use the contents in the wrong way.” As they explained, their attention turned back to the piece of metal clasped in their hands. Examining it further, The Watcher placed it back into the pile and picked up something else. 

They had no question that their kind hadn’t always been this soft. The Eridians had always been able to be objective when they needed to be. This wasn’t by lack of emotion. The Eridians were very capable of showing emotion, but it was controlled. While it wasn’t a sign of weakness, it might as well have been treated as such. 

The Watcher nearly scoffed at their brother’s words. Instead a laugh escaped from behind the confines of their mask. It wasn’t a degrading one or one that was at the other’s expense. “When have we been concerned with humans being honest? Or rather, what the have felt when they have seen us?” The light feeling that The Watcher was unusual. It wasn’t something that they were used to feeling. They were unsure how to take the feeling. Because of that, they couldn’t ignore the unease that was in the pit of their stomach.

“Brother, I believe you have become more concerned about what the humans think of you than what you think of yourself.” They were being more honest with The Harvester than they had been with themselves after all these years. Whether that was the cause of the light feeling in their chest, The Watcher couldn’t say. “Have you fooled yoursef into thinking that they could still trust you, regardless of what you presented yourself as?” Regardless of what either of them were, both were still entities from beyond this planet. If either of them started explaing what they’d truely intended for the Sirens, as a human or in their true form, would humans trust them either way? Did it really matter?

“I did not ask why you side with them, that is understandable considering what lays ahead of us.” Surely they are both the same in that regard. The Eridians that The Watcher had left behind had sided with some humans, even if they were the Sirens, to aid in the sealing away of The Destroyer. “But I did not consider you foolish enough to think that this trust was worth sacrificing what makes you different. Their trust can be earned as easily in our form as it can be in theirs, or did you forget where we were?” It came to them then that it saddened them. The fact that the fake-human in front of them thought it would be easier to mask what they were in order to try and gain trust in humans. Pandora was a harsh environment, trust was no easier to earn amongst humans than it was amongst different spieces.

“You think that because you are an Eridian, you have no soul. You are wrong, brother, we were not born without one, we were taught to supress the things that made us recognise we had one. The programming you speak of is nothing more than the lessons we were taught growing up.” 

The Eridians were logical creatures. Ones that did not rely on emotions that often. The Watcher had no doubt supressed the majority of their emotions from the day that they were born into Eridian society. Did that mean they didn’t have souls? The Watcher didn’t believe so. If there was one thing that they learned after all this time, it was that souls came in many different forms, from many different cultures. For so long the Eridians had been focused on expanding their technological prowess, their weaponry and foohold in the galaxies, that maybe they’d forgotten how to have a soul.

Mazu didn’t come top-side often, but when she did, it was always with the same entourage; her two demon partners in tow. they had, of course, taken on a very human appearance for the occasion. Qianliyan was looking quite modest and serious, contrasting with Shufung’er and their usual decision to take on a human appearance that was ridiculously handsome, like a man fresh off of a runaway, dripping in unnecessary extravagance… but today the entourage was different than he was used to; there was a third at her side, someone Tida didn’t even recognize. added protection, he’d later been informed, and he can’t help but find their inclusion in that surprising and… a little bit objectionable. weren’t the three of them good enough to keep Mazu safe? they always had before! Mazu was no damsel in distress anyway: she was a goddess, and stronger than the three of them combined, so what did she need a fourth for… ? 

The side eye that W gave the young man said more than words ever could. He couldn’t have sounded more petulant if he tried, though whether it was intentional, they weren’t quite sure. “W.” It wasn’t even a word, but a letter, that they spoke. Even with that, the tone they took on spoke volumes of the welcome they were currently receiving from one of Mazu’s favourites. Not that they expected much, but this was far beyond that. Their demeanour was still professional, but the look & tone indicate that their mind had already formed an idea of what this guy was like.

It certainly wasn’t intentional, for them to be there, much less being contacted by a goddess, of all things. It had all been circumstansial. The again, they’d been promised payment and times were rough at the moment. Not only could they use the cash, but it might be an opportunity for them to learn a thing or two, magic wise.

“I...” Nothing came out after that. No words formed in their throat or their mouth. “Hmph.” A smile pushed their lips upwards for a few seconds. “No. To both.” Their answers were always short and sweet. It wasn’t anything against the boy, but that’s how W had been trained. Long gone were the answers that rambled and trailed on for a while, sometimes feeling like they could never get to the point. “I am from a branch of celestial witches, that is where my magic comes from.” That was all he needed to know. He could’ve known a bit more, to help aid him on their collective mission. But W didn’t feel it necesary at this point. Perhaps when they were in situation more inclined to collective chatter, they would reveal the secrets of their powers.