❝ Shock Their System

"Boss." Is all the smaller, yet older, woman says as she's covering her eyes with the pink...disc that had shown in her hands when she woke up in the taxi that dropped her off. This place is far too bright.

It is an acknowledgement and greeting wrapped in one.

It was terribly bright outside. The Ground was never bathed in this much sunlight, even on the warmest days. Such conditions were not ideal for Cthoni's use of anima. . . He would need to keep this in mind for the future.

" As I expected, more of us have been brought to this place. It's a relief to see you, Cthoni, " Zodyl narrows his eyes in an observational manner. Cthoni would easily notice that he wasn't wearing Mishra-- instead, he cloaked himself in the black raincoat he had been given upon arrival.

"Moondust is a friendly creature, so he helps quite a bit to ease people's worry when they interact with me." Zodyl didnt seem too worried.

" Then, I will ask you this instead:

"Y'know, it's crazy Rudo didn't agree to work with you. You just have such a way with words." Riyo rolled her eyes, hoping to help the sarcasm of her words shine a little more easily. He sure liked to hear himself talk, but then again she understood he'd just been yapping to Riyo the entire time she'd been fighting Noerde and saving Zanka's ass back then.

"But what exactly am I gonna uncover that you haven't? Could it be that you have a higher opinion of me than I thought? Or does that mean you don't have any leads?" She did widen her gaze as she stared him down. She wasn't stupid. Zodyl would probably take whatever she said and try to extract intelligence from it. "I dunno how many of us there are. Are there more Raiders? Nah, you're not gonna answer that, right?" He'd probably love her to admit to how many Cleaners were around.

...Even though it was only Enjin and herself to her knowledge.

Everything had use. Someone's demeanor revealed a lot in a conversation. In Riyo's case, she was not behaving as someone who felt a sense of urgency, or danger-- but she was still being cautious. Natural, given the circumstances of how he and his Raiders had clashed with the Cleaners multiple times now.

" Underestimating an enemy would be as foolish as overestimating them, " Zodyl speaks in a matter-of-fact tone.

" My opinion of you is rooted in facts. You proved your capabilities against some of my most skilled allies. That alone was useful information to receive. It gives me insight on your strengths. . .

And your vulnerabilities. "

The timbre of his voice slows.

" Everyone here is leashed to a certain capacity. That is the common denominator. That puts each and every one of us on equal ground, until the Stars decide otherwise. But what is it that determines how someone's innate abilities are returned to them? If that is revealed, then the nature of our captors could be discovered.

It doesn't serve us much to remain divided against a common threat. "

He plucks the communication device from the pocket of his black coat. Zodyl was still without his piece of The Watchman Series, forcing him to rely on his wits to navigate the city.

" Ah but I'm not talking about telescope either - this stuff's all organic, something they've done since the beginning of time... "

Probably? Humans definitely would have, he chooses to believe. He's... not setting up something anticlimactic here is he?

Oh well!

Eiden shrugs that through off and simply slumps onto grass, back-first of course. From there he spreads his hand like it was a great reveal . If he's pushing for it he might as well play full into it!

Perhaps it had something to do with the angle then. Otherwise, laying down onto the ground did not sound all that pleasant. Comparatively, the surface was covered in soft looking green grass instead of rubbish and filth. Maybe he could give this a try.

And so he does. Zodyl sits onto the ground before awkwardly flopping back into the grass. Now his eyes were squinting to keep the sun rays out of his face.

What did Eiden do--?

He opened his hands out, and he said something. Words were important, so Zodyl decides to copy everything verbatum.

Zodyl opens his eyes properly to look up towards the sky, and spreads his arms out.

In the flattest tone possible, he says:

" Voilà. "

Chara laughs a little to themself, though they know the joke isn’t actually all that funny. Twirling the flowers in their lap together, the child hums.

The same determined shade of red was on this child's nose.

Zodyl takes a seat on the ground-- more so, he crouches, the tails of his black raincoat falling to the concrete.

"Tracen Academy's number one class rep is happy to help!" She exclaims, pointing at herself. Bakushin doesn't even ask about the pay.

A quick list was written down on a pad of paper that he pulled out of his coat pocket. It was all menial tasks: groceries, mapping out the neighborhood, and a request of the general schedule of community events. This was all simple enough for a teenage girl to handle. And while it was mundane work, it was less for Zodyl to have to worry about. He could focus on seeking out his stolen vital instrument.

" There you go. I will be in the area again in a few hours. Don't hesitate to contact me on these communication devices we've been given, " Zodyl hands over the paper, and turns on his heel.

"It is a bit both frightening and fascinating at the same time."

" Given that you look in tact, " he glances the man up and down.

" I presume you try to stay out of the trouble of others. Your partner here, " the void gaze shifts to the tiefling's dragon, " must help you to a degree. "

Prometheus Zarvos. He commmits that name to memory.

✂ "Great." What else was Riyo supposed to say to the leader of the Raiders? A guy who definitely shouldn't have been in the city, and definitely would end up causing problems eventually if not left alone. It had been a while since she'd seen him back home, not since their battle over the Information Broker.

Neither of them were skilled enough to be bulletproof. It was the simple reality of who this girl was; nobody is prepared for a concealed firearm.

And now, Zodyl stands before her, without any means of defending himself.

Logically, she has nothing to attack with either.

" Yes. The scenario that we share in our world is not applicable here. That does not mean there are no pressing issues to address. Being stripped of my coat. . .

And you, of your vital instrument,

is a shared problem.

If you were someone open to logical suggestion, you would be useful in getting to the bottom of how this city functions, and why we are being brought here. "

Zodyl expression remains still as stone.

" We. . . "

Rudo is not here. That would be pointless for the girl to lie about. But she hadn't said nothing about that loud mouthed, obnoxious blonde with his umbrella.

Another flower blooms; Chara plucks it and places it in their lap, now. That lie was worth it. It was funny. Too bad sarcasm technically counts as a lie.

“You are correct, though. The flowers are brought on by lies we tell. The simple solution would be to not speak, however, these flowers make you obligated to tell the truth; it is painful if you repress yourself. And frankly, I have had enough pain to last several lifetimes. I do not deserve to hurt.”

another flower presses against their teeth. Chara winces, spitting the flower out before correcting themself.

How peculiar though: the encroaching flowers crack out from the skin even when Chara declares that they do not deserve this pain.

They must had done something beyond forgiveness if that was true.

Unless Chara's internalized truth was stronger than reality's truth. That could very well play a factor in all of this.

" Adults shouldn't allow children to fester in pain. Most of them do though, " and there was a point where only so much could be done.