capeandcowllogs | it's been a long, a long time coming

Entry tags:

it's been a long, a long time coming

WHO: Rose Lalonde, Vector Prime, Alex Wilder
WHERE: City Hall, then the Warehouse District
WHEN: Friday night
WARNINGS: Intrigue!
SUMMARY: Someone knows what Alex did, and he's got a lot to answer for
FORMAT: WORDS

It had been a long week, but it was finally over. Any point he'd expected to make had been made, and it was time to close this job down. He could only hope he'd made enough ripples to last once it was all over.

He swung his book bag around next to him and headed out. He'd go straight to the warehouse from here, put everything back to normal for tomorrow.

He was planning to sleep for a whole year after this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She wasn't exactly surprised when she was contacted with who caused this whole problem. In fact, she was more amused than anything else and it wasn't a very astonishing twist. However, that didn't mean she would chase after him once he left the office, going wherever. But it did mean that she'd take out her cue ball and activate her Sight, easily finding his destination and letting her informer know.

After all, this had to be stopped and while she wasn't one for justice or even superheroing, she didn't appreciate having to deal with squabbling children all day long. So she let him go to his warehouse and twenty minutes later, she was flying high after him, a tiny black dot in the sky before coming close to the warehouse and hovering over.

This wasn't a matter of justice or superheroing, to Vector. This was a matter of putting things right...and, pure and simply, something that felt right to be doing.

The Keeper was already in the warehouse, Rhisling resting across his lap as he sat and waited.

In midair.

Above the entryway.

It gave a good point of view as the man entered, after which he dropped almost silently to the ground behind him, the only noise the rustle of clothing and the soles of his shoes touching the cold floor.

He jumped a bit at the sound, then whirled around a flipped his satchel to his back. All else fails, he couldn't let them get the Abstract. He couldn't help smiling.

"Took you long enough. Given how these things typically go, this is when we fight, isn't it? But I think we both know how that would end, so I'll just save you the trouble." He waves an almost dismissive hand toward Vector. "Instead, let's have a talk, that's something I'm a lot better at."

He turned his head toward the ceiling, almost like he was listening for something. "Not just yet, though. We're not all here yet."

Just as he spoke his last words, Rose slipped in through the entryway, dropping to the ground in her flight almost daintily, tiny compared to Vector. There was a rather amused smile upon her face as she twirled her Thorn between her fingers, skirt dragging behind her.

"Hello, Alex."

She took a moment to curtsy appropriately before her gaze turned towards his the satchel hanging off his shoulder.

"Shall we begin?"

"Clearly, you mistake us for typical beings." Vector's voice was laced with grim humor, but though Rhisling remained formed and held ready in hand...he did not raise the blade to point at Alex. Instead, he slung it across his shoulder, the sword's edge resting on the metal of his shoulderguard.

"I believe we shall," he agreed with Rose, without taking his eyes off their quarry. "Though I might suggest we move further inside."

Alex led them to the section on the second floor where he'd cast the spell last time, where he would be casting the reversal if not for this inevitable interruption. He did not move to prepare the spell, not yet. It wasn't quite the time, given the circumstances.

"Well, we might as well start off with what you know already, and what you expect to find out from there."

Rose waited at the entryway after trailing behind them, listening carefully with that small smile upon her painted lips, Needlwand held before her delicately though gaze focused on Alex.

"I believe what we do know is obvious. We know that you caused this spell, that it was used with magic, and that you will be reversing it."

Her smile widened, though her tone was almost dry.

"Shall we get on with it?"

It would be far too easy to let Alex reverse the spell, and then walk away. But that was a given.

For the moment, Vector remained silent, letting Rose take the initiative. What he had to say could wait until Alex's part was done.

"Good. Very good. But if you knew all that, you wouldn't be here just to waste both of our time by telling me unless you had a reason."

He swung his bag around and fished out a piece of chalk, and began drawing a large circle on the floor. He was a little satisfied with that. They'd come here to confront him, but he'd already taken the upper hand in the conversation. No one was bothering questioning him just yet, the ball was out of his court.

For a moment he played with the idea of preparing a completely different spell, just out of the chance they wouldn't notice, that he would get away with it. But he'd keep that one up his sleeve for now.

"There's still the why. You're a smart girl, Rose, why don't you take a stab at it? Or...it's Vector, right? What's your take on the whole thing, beyond being grouchy about how I messed with your domain?"

Her gaze was still focused on him carefully, taking in the process of how he worked this "magic". It wasn't magic that she was used to, not one taken in from the realms of the Horrorterrors or anything else. However, while she didn't mind the chance to answer his question, she smiled again and only barely glanced at Vector, choosing instead to float above Alex, almost dangerously with the way her scarf whipped around her.

He could attempt to attack them. He could cast something else instead.

But it wouldn't end well for him.

It was Vector who decided to go on the proverbial offensive. In an instant, he had stepped forward, the pointed edge of his sword only a few inches from Alex's face.

"You mistake the reason for why I am 'grouchy'," he said calmly, though with an edge as sharp as Rhisling in his voice. "It is not for myself or for my purview, but for the many others who have been affected by your game."

Alex backed up a few inches, not at all impressed with these shenanigans. "Why don't you get that thing out of my face, man? Physical threats aren't going to do you much good here. After all, you need someone who knows what he's doing to reverse all this." We lifted the chalk and waved it at Vector, he hadn't lost a single degree of control in this situation yet.

"But the affect isn't something that passed me by when I cooked up this scheme. They got to relive their childhoods for a week, and that'll mean different things for each person. Some will go through things well, maybe even better than the first time around. Others...not so much. Frankly, that wasn't my primary concern, I think some of them could use the reminder of what it was like."

He stood upright, though at a bit of an angle to avoid Vector's sword. "Can't help noticing you don't seem at all concerned with the people who were already kids. Who wants to guess what it means for them?"

He put a hand on his hip and made a dismissive gesture toward Rhisling's blade. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to continue preparing this. Where was I?" He looks at the partial circle he'd drawn so far, counting in his head. "Right, twenty-two."

Rose spoke up after he returned working on the circle, feet making a slight tapping sound as she landed right before him, looking down at him as he worked. "Ah."

She said at first, thinking over her words before continuing.

"It wasn't about that at all, was it? At least, that wasn't your intent, to help people relive their childhoods." She paused after a few words, tilting her head to the side and then smiling. "You made a comment when we first met in person, about showing what kids could really do. What we are capable of."

Rose took a moment to let her gaze follow his drawing, her words soft and almost gentle.

"Do you feel you succeeded?"

"But of course you are needed," Vector agreed. "Though again, you miss the point."

He would have continued, but Rose had started to speak; rather than talk over her, he merely lowered the blade, holding it loosely in his hand as he began to walk the perimeter of the circle.

Magic. All but taboo in Cybertronian culture, most of it easily explained away by science or by logic - even the Firstforged, capable of feats beyond comprehension of most, knew every piece of how and why their own powers worked.

This was different.

He did not like it.

"When you make it such a literal point, I wouldn't mind missing it."

He turned his attention to Rose. "Well, let's look at what just the two of us accomplished during this week. I think it's a decent bet that at least we got that part down. Look all over the Network at least, and you'll see kids from all over sticking together, taking care of each other, doing the jobs they need to. At least that phase I'm confident met its goals."

He moved past her and completed the circle, then moved on to draw a smaller one in the center. "Phase two is that the adults having been returned to their proper state, need to recognize the accomplishments of phase one." The inner circle completed, he stood up and glanced at them over his shoulder. "That one's going to be a lot trickier. I already know, for my part, I'll be getting little to nothing."

She glanced back at Vector again before once more, turning her attention towards Alex, watching what he was doing almost studiously. The smile never left her lips though and she nodded in agreement. Suffice to say, she wasn't completely against his goal or why he did this -- she knew that children were capable of taking care of themselves and other. After all, her life proved it and that was part of the reason she was so frustrated with being here.

"Yes, I believe they won't be too happy for what you've done."

Rose frowned before continuing.

"I doubt they'll address the accomplishments of the young. In fact, most will probably try to deny any of this as happening and children will probably not receive any benefit from this whatsoever." Another pause and she smiled sweetly again. "But I am just guessing."

"Their minds function differently." This, at least, he was aware of, having encountered the distinction in multiple dimensions. Pit, in closing the Singularity, the human trio that had come with them were invaluable for that very reason! "A child is still growing, still open to the world and its experience; it is more than possible that only those who were already children will take your 'lesson' to heart, no matter how much time or effort is given.

"But continue as if we both were wrong." Frowning, but keeping ire from coloring his words, Vector made a gesture with his free hand. "Phase three."

"Third phase? Maybe you missed something, this was just a demonstration. Trying to improve the state of affairs for kids in this City was the final goal, not to use that potential benefit for a future scheme." At least, there wasn't a third phase yet. But then, there was no telling what would happen with the kids inspired by phase one, only to be let down by the likely results of phase two.

He drew one more circle just inside the outer circle, and began filling the space between the two with various sigils. "I guess the real question is, what are you two going to do now that you know? You could ensure my downfall by making it public, informing the authorities, but doing so will also just about promise the failure of phase two. If anything, it would only damage attitudes toward kids."

He stood up and looked them both in the eyes. "That's just how people work sometimes. I take the hit, but nearly every single kid in the City's gonna pay for it, not to mention imPorts in general. Do either of you understand what it's like to be expected to be representative of everyone who looks like you? One falls, they try to make it about all of them."

He smirked and went back to his chalk drawing. "So I guess it all depends on if you want to make this whole week meaningless and get that whole cycle started."

Rose's smile turned thin ever so slightly, an almost dangerous look at his comment. Yes, she was fully aware of what it was like to represent everyone. But of course, there was no point in bringing attention that. After all, this wasn't about her issues, was it?

So all she said was, "I don't have plans to tell anyone. That is, as long as you don't have plans to attempt something like this again."

An arched brow made it clear how dubious Vector was of that statement. But he let it go.

Instead, he answered, "The cycle would not be on our hands, were it to start. Yours were the ones to begin this, even if your words suggest they were for a dream. A noble dream, perhaps," he noted. "Your Spark is in the right place...but this is not where my concern lies."

He tilted his head towards Rose in agreement with her.

"Why should you be trusted to not perform this sort of act in the future? Indeed - agreater act, stronger, more to cement the idea in such inflexible minds. And those who still cannot see - my "magic" may be that of Crafted Technology, but even there I know there are ways to...convince another."

Edited 2011-05-17 19:29 (UTC)

He had to smile at that. As if he'd need magic to directly manipulate anyone. It was just a tool as far as he cared. "Well, I'll have you watching me a little closer now, won't I?"

Rose didn't say anything to that, just smiled down at Alex again with that knowing little smirk of hers. "Someone has to, yes?"

Of course, with her powers and being the Seer of Light, she would be keeping an eye on his every move and that was infinitely easy for her. He wouldn't be able to sneeze without he knowing about it. But she had to hope that there would be no reason in the future to keep such a close eye on him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

it's been a long, a long time coming

no subject

no subject

no subject

LMFAO FUCK SORRY GUYS

/pat

no subject

no subject

/short

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

shffj phone posting. 8|

no subject

no subject