unholy-salvation:

“Mr. Descole?”

A soft whisper of a question, from a nun who was currently rubbing her shoulder. A simple walk was all Double had wanted: Staying inside her home made her restless, uncomfortable. And all that unneeded stress caused tight knots to form in her muscle — quite literally. Outside air seem to help melt them away, usually.

Of course, going outside meant chance encounters. Chance encounters with men who seemed rather… upset.

“Please forgive me. My thoughts were somewhere else.” Her voice drifted off as she tilted her head, her eyebrows knitted in light confusion. Although the two of them had met only once before, the man had left a very strong impression — polite, confident, intelligent. Not one to rush, not one to be impatient. Had she made the wrong assumption?

“… I must ask that you forgive me again for intruding. But are you alright?”

A voice so familiar caught Descole by surprise.  Double, the woman he’s only met a while back, once again crossed paths with him. It’s quite surprising, if not relieving. If it were a stranger, he may as well push past and exit the scene. 

“Do forgive me, miss Double. There is a very good reason for my rise in temperament.” The calmness in his tone returned. There was no need to snap, especially not at a woman like Double. In some aspects, she intrigued him, the typically inquisitive scientist, himself wishing to learn more about her. There must be something behind the quaint and polite shell, he would think. And thinking… eased him. Distracted him from physical, outside woes. 

There is no need to lie to a lady. 

“I’m not impressed with the library’s selection.”

“The history texts I’ve uncovered are either terribly abridged or simply filled to the cover with lies. There is no possible way an area this modern and populated could’ve existed for this long and have little to know knowledge of its existence outside of this area.”

He spoke sternly, sure of his words and determined to add reason to his theory. Descole was not one to enjoy being left in the dark, nor did he take kindly to having to live in a world shrouded in falsified infromation.

“I’m in a bit of a hurry, as well.”

(Source: detragigante)

Cote Celeste.

It’s funny how he’s heard nothing of this town before receiving the letter, Descole thought. He housed himself within the library, books upon books bricked together as a literary fortress, housing within its hardcover walls a musician-archaeologist hard at work.

How could the library be so sparse of visitors? One would guess that the rest of the civilians would even question the sudden appearance of this town. Descole did. It’s impossible for such a culturally advanced township to exist overnight. There had to be more to this coastal town than meets the eye.

Of course. Research yielded nothing. The books all claim that this town had been established long ago, and yet knowledge thereof only surfaced the other week. How? 

The masked king grew impatient within his walls of research. Nothing these words could reveal to him was useful. Nothing. Thoroughly enraged, the man stood. His hands were violent on the desk, the only source of sound in the room a harsh slamming of skin muscle and bones on wood.

The books were left alone, a flashy flutter of his cloak and he was off. His mind wandered as he left the facility. If the library yielded no useful information, then he will have to search himself.

He knew where to start, as well. The one place untouched by civilian hands.

“The Abandoned Place”

He was well on the way, as well, prior to his shoulder brushing upon some bystander. Descole’s mood hadn’t improved since, the man now offering a nasty scowl behind his mask, though maintaining a “friendly” tone.

“Please be mindful of where you’re going.”

unholy-salvation:

No beads of sweat. No tinge of fear in that voice. Not even a twitch of a finger or lip to show his unease. He shook off the threat of Cote Celeste’s wrath easily and, even more impressive, he paid little mind to her… ‘slip up.’ Whether it was a front of bravado or not, the man was well-deserving of some respect. She placed a hand over her chest, tilting her head to the side in thought.

“Courage… A very admirable trait in the hands of wise men.” And reckless for the foolish. Either option worked in Double’s favor, as long as she received information in return. And that was all that matter in the end, wasn’t it? Whether this man or any others died for such endeavors weighed little on her mind.

“Still, mere words will not sweep away these worries… would it be alright to accompany you during these times? Or I could meet up with you again, to hear the details of what happened?

Whichever you’re more comfortable with, Mr. Descole. If I’m not intruding, that is.”

His ambitions knew no bounds. He knew well that he’s faced tougher obstacles, albeit… thwarted many a times. Descole could not say that he did not go far— he’s reached an inch’s difference between him and his ultimate prizes many a times. He has confidence that he’ll be able to uncover some details without interruption here. 

Of course here, in Cote Celeste, he might have made a very good ally. This Double woman, albeit kind and reserved, had an odd air about her, one Descole could not pass off as “normal”. Well, nothing’s “normal” here, but… ah well, he would brush off the curiosities for now. Her words triggered a coy smile, his hand over his chest as he spoke.

“You flatter me.”

His tone, though standard and formal, hinted sincerity to his words. He would enjoy this alliance, so to speak, choosing to partner with a woman just as curious of this town’s origins as he was. Her motives, he wasn’t very sure of. The access trade of information may as well be filtered— he would want to know exactly why she desired them.

“Accompany, you say? I suppose it would be beneficial in the case where something does go awry. I will allow this team-up, miss Double.”

“Perhaps in the near future we will meet again. Hopefully by then, I will at least have some leads.”

respectmahauthoriteh:

So far, today wasn’t a very good day for Hidetoshi. Firstly, he’d had to wake up at 3 am to catch his flight to whichever foreign country this was. Madame President had helped him arrange the flight, but the gray haired teen had been stuck between two bawling infants and a crotchety old woman who’d snapped at him when he tried to help her into her seat. That had been the most horrible and stressful journey of his life, and it had been twelve hours. Twelve. HOURS.

After that there was supposed to be a car there to pick him up. Unfortunately, as luck would have it the car got a flat tire on the road. So he’d had to awkwardly wait at the parking lot of the airport, nearly getting mugged TWICE while he did so. Thankfully, or maybe not, most of the would-be muggers had mistaken him for an old man, and had instead tried to help him cross the street.

Then, once all that commotion was done, it turned out that the car was merely dropping him off at a train station, and not Cote Celeste itself. So there was another journey to make, with the young man barely able to keep his eyes open. Drifting into the throes of slumber, he jumped with a start and banged his head on the window as the train came to a halt.

So… here it was. Cote Celeste. The thing was, the young man didn’t belong here. It was a nuisance, really. He had things to do back at school; standards had to be maintained, for heaven’s sake! But no, Madame President had figured that it would be his final gift to her, seeing as she was graduating. Why Arisato-kun couldn’t be the only representative from Iwatodai the young man simply didn’t know. But this was the path he was taking… for now at least.

Someone needed to maintain order, after all.

Smoothing back his grey hair and taking his sparsely packed suitcase in hand, the young man stepped off the train and onto the platform. “Now… where in the world could Beguile Avenue be…?”

Descole’s curiosity hit its high point today. Already he has seen man and woman, big and small, demonstrating both “normal” and “abnormal” appearances in his eyes. He had to wonder— what would today’s batch of newcomers look like? What surprises would behold the scientist, a breed of job that required an inquisitive mind and a motive to chase those thoughts in hopes to prove or disprove whatever theories he may have.

It took a few dozen minutes to walk to the stations from Wrest Street, but he made it. His heavy dress style lessened the effects of today’s chilly weather, form warmly tucked beneath his cloak and boa. He peeked about, an eye open for any new arrivals to this still quiet community. 

There.

He drew closer, offering a smile in greeting to the grey-haired individual. The opposite male didn’t look very pleased to be here in the first place; that’s completely understandable.

“Welcome,” he began, “are you looking for something? Your place of residence, perhaps? I could be of assistance.”

creteaxe:

Giving her consent with a nod, Labrys straightened up and started to walk stiffly behind him. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. The man himself was simply too much of a mystery that it irked her. Always keeping records on all of the students back home, it was already a habit to know everything about every one. Thus, she wasn’t used to strangers, especially him.

Intending to ‘break the ice’ as they called it, the android decided to start with the basics. Since they were headed the same way by chance, why not? She could collect his information for her database and if he talked about himself, she would be able to at least trust him.

“I’m Labrys.” A pause. She could already read the awkward atmosphere when she couldn’t arrive to her next sentence after saying her name. Looking at him from the corner of her eye, her eyes darted back and focused ahead.

“… What about you?”

Descole wasn’t the type of man to simply hand out his information as a normal person would. The only thing “true” about his being is his name, everything else remained a mystery to the vast majority save for perhaps his butler back home. Was it a matter of trust? Vanity? Paranoia? It could be anything, any such incentive to keep as much of his existence an enigma from the rest.

Upon hearing the woman’s (albeit odd) name, the scientist’s brows perked. Labrys, he repeated in his mind, I’ve never heard such a name before. Nevertheless, he would introduce himself as any “gentleman” would to a young lady.

“Descole. It’s my surname, however I prefer to be addressed as such. So long as we’re exchanging information, where are you from? I’ve never heard such a name before.”

His curiosity piqued. Descole wondered of the oddly-named individuals whom began trickling into this town, little by little. 

sorry for being so lazy, boy what a model mod i am

okay, i have two replies on descole to get to, one on thor, and i got my eye on an OP or two, so let’s get this bitch rollin

unholy-salvation:

So he had drawn the same conclusion as her… It would be an interesting find, if it turned out to be truth. The children here were gifted, some more so than the others: The exceptional of the exceptional. While many held simple abilities such as telekinesis or empathy, there were a few that could warp the very fabric of reality. They were the pinnacle of humanity, those could defy logic with a simple flick of the wrist!

If there were something beneath the town that could prevent a catastrophe caused by dissenters, it would be worth looking into.

“Rambling… no, you’ve piqued my interest.” Double shook her head, waving such a thought away with a quick motion of her hand.

“…However, I wouldn’t imagine the caretakers of Cote Celeste allowing a person to dig up such a mystery so easily. Gifted or not, humans have many ways to protect their secrets by any means necessary. The price you pay for such a find may be costly.

A̴̢ǹ͟͏d͡ ҉̶͠b̷l̴͝o̧o̧̨͠d́ ̕̕i̸͜s̡͘ ̶͘t͝h̡e ̧͝r̨įc͠h̢e͢st͏̶̀ ̕p͢a̛͏y̧͟m͏̀ent̴̡̀ ̸͜͞o͠f̨͢ ą̕l̡̕͟l̶͢.͢͠”̵…. I wouldn’t wish for anything to happen to you, Mr. Descole.” 

Such conclusions weren’t hard to deduce. How many pounds could he bet under Cote Celeste’s denizens not so much as passing a thought over why the township would be situated in lands unknown. His interests were piqued rather quickly, however, the man needed leads. He needed a further incentive to prove his theories to be correct. Towns had libraries, did they not? Careless mistakes exist— there could be documents involving the history of whatever land Cote Celeste rests on…

Plus, he couldn’t carry out this baseless mission on his own.

He’s piqued her interest… this may work out for the better in due time, Descole thought. Still, he could not ramble on about things he knew so minimal of. These thoughts will remain in the back of his head for the time being. For now, he will either continue or conclude this friendly conversation.

“I’m prepared to face turmoil to see through my goals, miss Double. I’m not the kind of man to let a deterrence or two halt my studies.”

The second to last bit, however… Perhaps he shouldn’t stay around this woman for too long— so suddenly did the scientist gain a sense of illness, a desire to leave her company out of fear. No, it must’ve been nothing.

“You needn’t worry for me. I know well how to handle myself.”

unholy-salvation:

Double was unsatisfied by his answer.

What could she deduce from this information? What kind of abilities could you hold that were related to such a hobby? If they were related at all, that is. Though she was sure it wasn’t his intention, she felt… played. Teeth clenched tightly under her small, tight smile… and under the palms of her hands, the skin cracking and splitting under stress, numerous teeth clacking together. What opportune timing.

She squeezed her hands together, pushing those rows of teeth back inside before speaking quietly.

“Yes… although how will you accomplish that here? Do you have artifacts to study in your possession? Or is this town brimming with treasures, cloaked from the naked eye?” It was ordinary enough from the surface. But then, if it was made to house the most exceptional of individuals, there must have been something extraordinary.

…

But if not, then Descole had her thinking useless things.

…

“I apologize for all the questions. I’m not usually so inquisitive, I assure you.”

She’s quite the inquisitive one, isn’t she?

He allowed silence to dilute between them, feeling his answer would be less than satisfactory to the other woman. That was acceptable, he thought. After all, being too open to a complete stranger most often proves to be the most ill of moves in life’s grand game. 

Grinding.

The tune of two objects gnashing upon one another were picked up, already sensitive hearing amplifying the sounds, distorting them to nigh unrecognizable white noise, origins unknown, brushed off as white noise from the town. Silence must be unheard of in every known location.

With a twitch of the brow hidden behind his barrier from the real world, his focus returned in time to give attention to Double’s question.

“You never know. I have the tools, but I must learn a few things about this location before putting plans into action. Have you given thought to a possibility that a town meant to house the superhuman would be put here for a reason? A location not on any conventional map? There must be something special about this very spot for it to be chosen as our so-called “safe haven”.”

Perhaps his logic was misguided here. Côte Céleste may very well be placed in yet another generic location.

Who knows for sure?

“It’s quite alright. Forgive me if I begin to ramble.”

unholy-salvation:

“Do not worry yourself. The map and information they have provided were more than enough to satisfy my curiousity. For the moment, at least.” She ended her sentence with a small chuckle, covering her lips with the back of her hand. A school, a market place, an entertainment area… all places necessary for the mundane life. But the only location that had truly peaked her interest was the abandoned place, at the edge of the town.

While the roads filled with bustling crowds were ideal for people watching, improving social skills and recruiting followers of the Great Mother, Double felt that true privacy could only be found there. If she could stake out the area and find the perfect building for a church, then—

Oh, but she couldn’t ask him to take her there, if it were just the two of them… how indecent!

“You would be correct in that assumption. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been a bud… life was difficult but I believe I have turned out well.” Her voice drifted off quietly, as she grew lost in thought.

“… I received the proper guidance. I can only hope that I will be able to repay that favor by guiding the children here, if they wish for my help. That is my only goal.

But I speak too much. What do you hope to gain by coming here, Mr. Descole?

“Of course.”

Descole had yet to see the entirety of the town himself. As a whole, it struck him as nothing special, a simple safe haven for the so-called special folk, the super-powered individuals either worshiped or feared by the average human being. Nothing was different, not from the outside. 

The town struck the scientist as nothing short of exactly what it advertised itself as— a town for super-human individuals. 

“I see. A rough upbringing is quite commonplace in individuals differing from the norm.” That was just his thoughts. The man was blessed enough to have such a discreet ability. How this Penniworth man learned of it and invited him here, though, was beyond his understanding. Will the others come to be able to meet their savior? Their kidnapper? 

This woman, so giving and pure by her stature alone— already he wondered what made this woman so “special”. Nothing was visibly “off” about her— she could easily pass off as a normal human and live life normally without being cast off in some carnival of freaks disguised as a reserve for mutated individuals.

Her intentions are just. She wished to give back what she is given, but… Never mind. He shall not waste his energy thinking about a stranger’s reasons.

She asked for his. Descole’s goals for his new life…

“All I wish to accomplish is a better understanding of society’s past.”

That’s innocent enough, he thought. It wasn’t far from the truth, either; the pieces missing from the equation were too many to list. He won’t bother piecing them together, not for a stranger, not for Double. 

“I am a scientist— an archaeologist, if you will. I find a certain thrill in discovering relics of ancient times. Perhaps here, I could go about this hobby in peace. Does that answer your question adequately?”

shadow-walking:

[ The raven found himself in music.

When he was hidden away, hiding from the world and  abusive ‘parents’, music and books were the other realities that welcomed him and maybe even adored him. He loved being in both dearly, and wasted his life away in those notes and crinkled pages. Thus, once a piano’s tender keys were played beyond a glass window, Leo’s interest was immediately caught.

The raven had been considering working at this very store, as he was a piano expert and managed to hold all three of the saxophones with ease. If he didn’t become a writer, a musician he’d be.

His ears loved the melody that softly blew out of the piano, and his eyes were focused on the man whom was playing. ]

“I have to say, you’re rather excellent at playing the piano. Do you own this shop, mister…?”

[ Ah, Leo hadn’t caught the man’s name. But perhaps the gentleman would inform him of his name when answering the first question. ]

A spectator.

The music stopped, tenseness that had been settling in the masked man’s body now loosening up with the absence of sound, Descole turned his head. My my, was his playing that phenomenal to attract an audience? (Even a singular spectator counted as an audience— they are indeed here for the show, metaphorically speaking.) 

He had only wished that the playing hadn’t gotten so sloppy the more he’s played. If this town could allow him better grasp and control over this ability, then his keystrokes would improve drastically. That wasn’t the highest on his agenda, though.

“Descole. And no, I don’t own this establishment. I was only passing by, and this instrument caught my attention. I wanted to know how it played.”

(Source: detragigante)