Friends in the Void [1x1 RP]

[Rasteva]

This was not good.

This was in fact, probably the farthest one could get from good.

The cool fall evening meant that many people would not be out at a time like this which was just as well, Rasteva would hate to be seen like THIS. Leaves rustled wildly as something small and dark zipped over them. A cloud of smoke so black that it absorbed all light coiled and darted across the ground. This in and of itself was already odd. Even odder that the cloud of smoke as talking.

"Absolutely unacceptable! To think that I would be degraded in such a manner!" The Cloud darted across the ground erratically, all the while a deep voice bellowed from within. "Such an embarrassment, that is all this is. To be laid to ruin by WEAKLINGS, my power stolen by the unworthy. How could I allow such a thing to happen?" Only the wind answered the cloud of smoke, and it was an unwelcome answer at that. The cloud began to thin, almost in danger of dissipating completely.

Needless to say, the voice was not amused.

"Unbelievable! To think that I would be stricken down by a mere breeze! I must hurry if I cannot find a form I-"

The voice stopped short, taking sudden notice in the sound of footsteps approaching them. Someone was coming.

This was good, better than their current predicament. Whoever it was that approached was sure to have something on them that Rasteva could use as a temporary form. Once there they could make plans to regain their former strength.

But they had to act quickly.

The wind was beginning to pick up tremendously and Rasteva cursed themselves internally. Each gust of air only dissipated their smoke form further and they were getting dangerously close to falling apart altogether. The Daemon tried to collect their form as much as they could only to have someone walk straight through their body, causing them to unwind once more. The Daemon let out a sound of irritation as the Human rushed past "How rude! If I had a good and proper body, you'd be regretting that!"Rasteva silenced themselves, realizing that the human had long since left and wouldn't have heard the Daemon anyway. And what could have Rasteva done if they had? Given them a severe coughing fit? The Daemon's ego shrunk a few sizes, the realization of how powerless they were fully hitting them. When they had a body they were strong, but now they were nothing.

Less than nothing.

But that could all change.

Shaking off the intrusive thoughts Rasteva resumed their previous course of action. "A body. I need a body. Any body will do. And once I am strong enough I can begin regaining my former glory. But until I have a physical form-" The Daemon cut themselves short, taking notice of a human idling nearby.

Perfect.

Or at the very least, better than nothing. The wisp of smoke darted towards the unwary Human, quick as a Viper hunting their prey. All the while the Daemon was hoping, praying, that the Human held the one thing they needed.

Only then could their real work begin.

[Natora]

Damage control. That was all this meeting was. Impromptu to start, having asked for the meeting two minutes before it began, and then beginning with a rush of anger as Sidca entered the room. She had stood to accept the man into the room but had yet for him to stop fuming long enough to ask him to sit down. And so she stood, the wall that this battering ram was hitting and not able to break. "What the fuck is his issue? Does he not see that the shit he is doing is affecting the entire company?! Again! He makes a rash and important decision without checking with any of the councillors or people that are there to make sure this place runs. This time, he's gone too far! I-" were just some of the highlights of the irate man standing in front of her.

She knew what was about to come. She knew he was about to quit from what had happened. Instead of allowing it to happen...again...she stopped him. "Sidca," she said calmly, cutting him off before he was able to finish the last sentence. It was the first time she had spoken during the meeting and the calm understanding of her voice was thankfully able to stop him. "Please don't. If you say it, you can't take it back. As frustrating as I know it can be, we do need you. Please don't say that last word. I can't undo it if you do," she calmed him. It was true. She had lost more than one council member this way. An irate stance leading to a quick meeting and a resignation. She liked Sidca more than the last one that quit so she wasn't letting him become the third member this quarter to quit. It was only October. The pool of people willing to become council members was dwindling a little more each time.

Five minutes later and the damage control meeting was over. Sidca would stay and Natalia had yet again fixed the idiotic mistake that Christian had made. Once he had left, she heaved a great sigh and then made a quick and easy decision. She needed a walk. As she walked out of her office she let Sarah know, "I'll be back shortly. When I do, it will be your lunch." Without waiting for acknowledgement, she walked out of her office and then down the elevator and onto the street. She stood in front of Alliance International and thought for a moment about where to go. It didn't take her long to decide that the near park was the perfect place to allow herself to relieve some of the stress. Nature was always good for you.

The park was a good place to be, she decided as she stood with the brisk air kissing her skin that was bare. She hadn't thought to put a jacket on but had a sweater on anyways. The cold air was welcome where she wasn't covered though. It kept her awake and aware. Closing her eyes in an effort to help her relax, she took a deep cold breath. This wouldn't last forever. She was vice-president of this company and as long as she could eventually find a way to get the president out, she would have control and run the place properly. Of course, When he created Alliance international, he had chosen to call himself the "president" for a reason. That was what he felt he deserved in this lifetime as he refused to listen to anyone else. She was the third vice president he had had, the three before her retiring very early. She was the youngest councillor to move up to this position. It was hoped that she would reign him in. Hopefully she could.

Her relaxing was broken when she heard yelling in the distance. She scanned the area, looking for the source of the noise. All she thought she saw was a person walking away very quickly. The level of sound didn't make sense for how far away he was. That was when she noticed a strange looking black cloud moving quickly towards her. She stepped back a few paces as she realised that it was coming towards her. Of course, after a few steps she stood her ground and watched it closely. It only made sense, as little sense as it made, that this was the thing that spoke.

"What do you want?" she asked with as much force in her tone as she could muster.

[Rasteva]

They were rapidly fading, and new that they could wait no longer. They had to act, and soon if they wanted to survive.


"Where...Where....anyone...WAIT."


Rasteva set their gaze on a Human standing nearby, certain that she was looking at them. Had they been spotted? The Daemon was sure that they hadn't. Countless Humans had passed the Daemon by without even sparing them a glance, something that only served to infuriate Ratsteva as they thought about it. The Daemon pushed aside their irritation and slithered across the ground towards the woman, their irritation giving way to curiosity. The woman seemed to be alone, a good sign. Rasteva wasn't sure if they wanted their presence revealed so openly yet, and so latching onto a lone human was their safest option.


The Daemon stalled however when the human spoke. At first, Rasteva presumed that she was talking to herself, or worse yet a person that they hadn't noticed earlier but a quick glance around proved that to be false.


"What do you want?" The woman's tone was aggressive, overly so and the Daemon could not resist a spiteful chuckle. At another time she might have been less courageous. But Rasteva knew that a small cloud was the least threatening thing a Human could face.


"Bold you are. I'll give you that, Human. Courage in the face of the unknown is not common in your ilk." The Daemon's deep voice resonated from within the cloud, almost comically mismatched compared to their current state. The small cloud drew closer to the woman so that the Daemon could inspect her. She had seen Rasteva by now, there was no point in pretending otherwise. They felt a small sense of trepidation revealing themselves to a Human so readily, but there was nothing to be done. At the very least, she might prove useful, and so they drew closer to inspect her further.


Rasteva was not sure what to make of the Human, never having observed one up close. She was odd looking, but the Daemon was of the opinion that ALL Humans looked strange. They could sense no power coming from her either, so Rasteva was safe under the assumption that she'd not come across any other Daemons. This was good, thus far. In their present state, Rasteva could not afford to clash with another of their kind. Especially after what had happened.


The Daemon felt a surge of rage at the thought. Their power had been torn from them, unrightfully so. And now it rested in hands that didn't deserve it, scattered all over the planet. Rasteva was not sure HOW they would go about locating even the smallest fraction of it. But the Daemon would not rest until they'd regained their former strength and glory.


But how to go about wrenching it from the unworthy?


The Daemon regarded the Human again, mulling over every available option laid before them.


The Human. She was the key. She would be the one to uplift the Daemon.


There was only the small matter of convincing her.


"I should not debase myself so, but what options do I have left?" The Daemon thought.


Another small breeze gusted down the street, causing the smoke cloud to waver dangerously. They would have to be quick about their business with the woman, as each passing moment saw them closer and closer to dissipating altogether. The inky cloud drew itself up and drifted closer to the woman's eye level. There was no going back now, and Rasteva hoped that the Human was worth the effort of speaking.


"I sense rage in you, Human. A great deal." The Daemon mused gently. "I know the feeling well, but I also know that I am not the reason for it." The cloud drifted lazily over the woman's head, its gravelly voice almost singsong in its tone. "Now why would that be, hrmm?"


All sense of urgency had left Rasteva now and they could not place why. Earlier they'd been desperate and impatient, but now they could not resist taunting the unknown woman. It was odd, truly. But there was something almost enjoyable about it. She hadn't run away screaming the moment that Rasteva began to speak, so her courage wasn't wholly doubtful now. The Daemon surmised that it was curiosity that drove their actions. They'd never approached a Human before, much less spoken to one. And despite their distaste for Humans, it was an....interesting experience.


The woman's anger was quite palpable to the Daemon and Rasteva knew that it would be useful to them. They'd learned from watching their kin for so long and while the concept disgusted them, it was their greatest option.


"Tell me then. The source of your anger. Where does it stem from? Perhaps I might assist you, Human."

[Natora]

As much as she had been expecting it, the chuckle surprised her. There had been voices and she had reasoned a moment ago that the most logical conclusion from what she had experienced was that the cloud had made them. Despite all the reason she had made, a sound coming from a cloud didn't make enough sense to her. Her eyes widened and she pulled her torso back slightly but stood her ground. The voice that followed was oddly disproportionate to the cloud, the deep, booming tone that was compared to the thin wisp of a dark cloud that looked little more than the smoke from a wood fire.

She had heard of such a think before though, fighters and powerful people who bear the semblance of another being working with them. She had long suspected that even Christian kept company with one. Never before though had she seen one in person and associated them more often as a force rather than a being. And never had she ever pictured one as a cloud. Odd didn't begin to describe the situation.

With the situation she currently found herself in, there was a cap on her rage as the more prominent emotion that was currently giving way was curiosity and confusion. She watched, but stood still, as the cloud circled her. It was like it was inspecting her, but for what? The cloud had only just found her a moment ago and now it was claiming to know her thoughts. Of course, it wasn't wrong. And what if this wasn't the first time it had seen her? Maybe this cloud had been stalking her for days. How would she know? She hadn't noticed it in the first place for more reason than that it was talking.

Now it was talking to her. She had been quietly dumbfounded up to this point. Now it wanted information. The source of her rage? An odd question at best. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously from her earlier surprise. Was this perhaps a source of espionage? Of course, she came out to the park whenever she got frustrated with Christian but someone would have needed to been watching a while to pick up that pattern, she figured. She thought for a moment before finally being willing to give it an answer.

"Another human that runs a company foolishly," she answered. It was both specific and vague. Vague enough that if someone was listening in, they wouldn't know she was talking about her own boss but specific enough to name a certain source to the rage he found. "What would a cloud be able to do to help me?" she asked curiously. She sounded doubtful that he would actually be able to do anything. She hadn't experienced what a Daemon could do personally, after all.

[Rasteva]

The woman seemed wary of Rasteva's approach, but that was to be expected. She most likely hadn't encountered a Daemon before, and her guarded nature seemed proof of that. But she wasn't running away screaming. A good sign, as the conversation would have been cut awkwardly short as a result.

Rasteva wondered what she could have been thinking at that moment. This too, the Daemon did not doubt. Despite their less than generous opinion of Humanity's intelligence, they knew that Humans were almost always consumed by their own thoughts. Always plotting one thing or another. Rasteva only hoped that the woman in front of them wasn't planning anything that would inconvenience them.

They continued their lazy circuit around the woman's head and she tracked their movements with a suspicious glare. Clearly, this particular Human wasn't as dull-witted as Rasteva had assumed. And her lack of fear was of particular interest to the Daemon. They were slightly miffed at the prospect of treading lightly around a HUMAN of all things, but Rasteva supposed that she was better than anything else.

Her answer to their question confused the Daemon momentarily. "Another human that runs a company foolishly." It came as no shock to them that another Human was the source of her irritation. They were all irritating in the Daemon's opinion, but her statement still confused them somewhat. "Company? What do you mean? A Human thing, I'd wager, but I am not familiar with the term." Rasteva could not make sense of it, but it must have been of some importance for the woman to be skulking around angrily. They wanted to prod her further, but her following question caught the Daemon's attention before they could.


"What would a cloud be able to do to help me?"

"Hrmm...You really don't know much, do you? I am a Daemon. One of many, though I am truly of a higher caliber than the rest." It had been true at one point, but it was less so now. The woman did not have to know that, however. "And no mere cloud can give you what I can. This...other Human, you do not like them that is obvious. My power is....not quite as grand as it once was but I can assist you in removing them. For a price of course."

Their survival hinged upon this deal, and if the woman refused Rasteva would be stranded once again. Their offer wasn't made without intent to deliver. Despite being so weak, a mere Human would be easy enough to dispatch.

Provided the woman wasn't squeamish of course.

The ever-present breeze picked up suddenly and the cloud wavered dangerously thin. "But before I can even assist you, I need...A body. A vessel, anything will do. But you must hurry before I fall apart completely. Do this, and I will help you and perhaps we might make an agreement in the long term. One that will grant you anything you desire."

Richard watched the digital display over the Elevator's doors in silence, the numbers on it changing at what felt like a Snail's pace. He wasn't late for his meeting with the CEO. He was never late. But that didn't make the wait any more bearable. The Chief of Security grumbled softly, a gloved hand coming up to fiddle with his tie. These meetings were not uncommon, Lorette took the safety of the building and all inside of it as seriously as she did the rest of her duties. However, she rarely called Richard to her Office so late in the evening, especially without making sure to schedule an appointment with him beforehand. He knew that the matter had to be serious if Lorette was willing to go off schedule and mentally prepared himself for the worst.

The Elevator dinged softly as it finally reached the top floor, and the doors had barely opened before Richard stepped through them. The floor was eerily silent, the Receptionist's desk empty in the dimly lit area. The Chief of Security set off at a brisk pace towards the imposing double doors situated just beyond the large desk, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpet on the floor. He didn't even make ready to knock as the CEO's voice rang loudly from within her office. She had expected him to arrive on time as he always did and wasted no time in bidding him to enter. Years ago, Robert had found her perception and timing unsettling, but now he could only appreciate the efficiency it afforded him. The massive office was as dimly lit as the rest of the floor and Richard could make out Lorette's form as she stood facing the floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end of the room. The many lights illuminating Arnvista cast a soft glow around the room, and for a moment the CEO was silent as she stared out at the busy streets.

"Lorette, think you NOT be dramatic tonight, and just tell me why I'm here?" Richard closed the heavy wooden door with a small grunt before turning to face the woman once more. Lorette pivoted sharply on a heel to face Richard, a stern glare leveled on him. A lesser man might have shrunk back from her gaze, but Richard had found himself under it for many years now and it had long since become exhausting to constantly cower before her. Instead, the taller man grunted softly at her trudging towards the plush chair situated behind her desk and seating himself into it heavily. The woman wasted no time, moving forward unflinchingly as was her custom.

"I will be leaving for Tokyo in a few hours. Ms. Oshiro will be accompanying me there. As you are well aware by now, Sato-Yamasaki Genetics will be doing business with us going forward and I will be visiting their Headquarters to finalize our agreement."

Richard sighed and sank into the chair seated in front of Lorette's imposing black desk. "I'm going to go ahead and assume there's more. I can't imagine that you'd call me all the way up here for something you could have just texted me." Richard leaned back in the plush chair, spinning it side to side as he eyed the CEO carefully. As was usual, her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts, but the man was not stupid enough to believe that she had nothing else planned for him.

"This is a very crucial time for us Mr.Solberg. Sato-Yamasaki will, of course, be sending some of their own people overseas to assist in future projects here in the States. And while I have the utmost trust in them you are well aware of what is at risk should we allow anything to slip past our notice." The Chief of Security nodded silently, waiting for her to continue. "I need you to go about finding a security force for our new Research facility. Nikhil will give you the details on what he needs specifically."

Richard leaned back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling in silence for a moment, not quite ready to voice his thoughts. He could feel Lorette's gaze continuing to bore into him and knew that she would not wait all night for a response. "So, you're taking the Lieutenant on a vacation overseas and leaving me to round up some new people along with maintaining the security of this building AND a Research Facility out in the middle of nowhere with Nikhil?"

Richard only slumped farther down in Lorette's desk chair, his over-sized bulk nearly sprawling onto the floor at the realization that he'd be sleeping in his office for at least the next month. "Lorette, did you know that I have a house? I wanna see it sometime this year." Lorette's expression did not change, seeming unbothered by the man's concerns. "Junior Officer Kinnaird is more than capable of carrying the workload with you, Richard. Her....exuberance aside, she's proven to be more than effective at her job. And I'm sure she'll be able to handle things while we're away. Besides she won't be completely alone. You worry too much." Richard scowled deeply at the Businesswoman. "That's what you hired me for, Lorette. It's why you pay me. To worry about all the crazy shit that could possibly happen. You damn sure didn't hire me for my good company."


Lorette moved away from the windows, her footsteps ringing loudly on the polished stone floor as she approached the sulking Chief of Security. A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine Richard. I know I'm asking a lot of you right now, but it's because you're best suited to the job. You've always been" Richard glanced up at the woman, the small smile gracing the edge of her mouth not escaping his notice. "And besides, it's not as if I sleep in my own house any more than you do in yours. Sometimes I wonder if I'll forget where it is one day." The hand moved away along with Lorette as she walked away before coming to pause before the double doors of her office."I'll get in touch when we land. Please turn the lights off when you leave." Richard didn't bother watching her as she left, and once the doors had slammed shut the office descended back into silence.


Richard rubbed tiredly at his face and resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no point in crying over things as they were. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen, pulling up a familiar number. The phone rang twice before the person on the other side picked up. The voice on the other end was thick with exhaustion, no doubt its owner had been asleep before Richard had called, but he wasted no time on that. "Kinnaird. I know you're off but I need you back at the Office. Something has come up-Are you crying? If you want to cry, then do it on your way over here. Now move your ass." Richard ended the call to loud tearful protests on the other side before tucking his phone away, muttering balefully to himself. "At least she got to sleep tonight...."

[Natora]

A cloud that hadn't heard of a company before. It wasn't completely ridiculous. About as ridiculous as talking to a cloud in the first place. It would have been easy enough to explain but the cloud was continuing with the idea of helping her. A Daemon, not a cloud. She corrected herself. It was understandable, she assumed, to make this sort of mistake here. Of course, she had heard rumours of Daemons helping humans. Sometimes it almost seemed like the help they offered was more of a trick than assistance from the stories she had heard.

But the company was slowly dying and as it had been partly her own brain child, she couldn't let that happen. Desperate times came for desperate measures. And if he was as powerful as he claimed to be, perhaps she could as him to help her with something else as well. It all depended. There was a price. She could have guessed as much, but what could she do for him that he couldn't do for herself? He had wondered what a company was. Maybe he was trying to get into the human market for some semblance of power. Did it really matter? Did she care to know?

Then she thought of Sidca and the reason she was outside in the first place. The idiot had to be stopped. There was only one way of doing it right now. She thought about what she might have on her person that she could offer him as a place to stay. She had no jacket, but really all that was in there was her lipstick. She was wearing a skirt that fit her form well and had no pockets. Putting her hand on her hips to see what was in pockets that weren't there, she thought longer.

Then looked to her hand. Glinting on the pointer finger of her right hand was a ring. It was her family ring. One that had been passed down through only two generations. There were three stones, two diamonds surrounding an emerald, set on a white gold ring. Could she really offer it as a place for a Daemon to find residence? She couldn't entirely tell if it would be an honour or a curse for the family ring to say that it once housed one. If she didn't offer him something soon, though, this blustery day would push her only chance away.

Holding out her hand, she looked back at the cloud. "Would this work?" she asked him. "We'll go back up to my office and we will talk about what you mean by a price. If it's agreeable, I will accept your help," she formalized. There had to be a limit on making this company run. She wouldn't want to give her life in exchange for his but she was sure there was some sort of deal that they could work out. There had to be. She wasn't going to be the 4th V.P. to be pushed out of office.

[Rasteva]

She seemed to be skeptical of Rasteva's offer. This was both a blessing and a curse to them. The woman was proving to be far more clever then they'd originally assumed, and knew enough not to trust any deal set before her. This meant that their inevitable run-ins with other Daemons (and they were indeed inevitable) would not see her abandoning Rasteva on a whim to join forces with another.


But in the same vein that skepticism could possibly hinder the Daemon's plans in unforeseen ways. If she found what they had to offer not worth the risks involved they'd be back at square one. She would no doubt have countless questions for Rasteva as well, and there was only so much that Rasteva could or would be willing to tell her at all. 'One thing at a time.' The Daemon thought as the woman lifted her hand towards them, holding it out in a somewhat expectant manner.


The ring she offered forth was certainly more ostentatious than Rasteva would have liked, they'd never been a fan of gemstones. But the plain metal of the band appealed to them deeply. It was still better than nothing, and their options were indeed few at this point. Another breeze struck Rasteva's steadily weakening form and they knew that there was no more time to waste, and so the small cloud zipped forward and dissipated wholly into the ring adorning the woman's finger. Despite being so small, the feel of cold metal did calm Rasteva somewhat. It was simple and easy to understand, far preferable to the strange and all-consuming world they'd been thrust into.


She'd done as they asked, without question. Though the woman was still staring at them with that same expectant gaze. Ah, that was right. Nothing came free, of course, as evidenced by her desire to further clarify the terms of their 'agreement.' Rasteva emitted a small 'hurrumph' and an even smaller 'Thank you' to the woman as they settled into their new form. "They studied her in silence for a moment before continuing hesitantly. "Though I suppose that is not your name, is it? You do have one, yes? Well, while we're on the matter I am called Rasteva." The Daemon sighed gently, knowing that somehow they were in for a somewhat exhausting evening. But they'd chosen this. For better or for worse.


"I can assure you that the price is not....too great. At least it shouldn't be for you. I am sure that you're quite capable of doing as I ask, given your lack of fear otherwise." Rasteva was not sure at all if they were to be quite honest. Humans were and had always been notoriously fragile and the Daemon wondered if the woman would even survive the most basic of steps in their plan. Courage was all well and good, but if she lacked the degree of strength required to do what the Daemon needed her to do, then what was even the point of enlisting her help? Rasteva tried to shake off their negative thoughts and resigned themselves to the fate that had been dealt to them. Though it was also a fate they'd willingly chosen. If the Human was a clever as she seemed to be, then navigating the dangers that lay ahead would prove to be a simple task for her.


Or so they hoped.




Matsuko grinned stupidly at her phone's screen, a string of expletive-riddled messages displayed prominently on the backlit surface. "To the surprise of no one, Audrey's pissed. She's probably going to set headquarters on fire, you know." She looked across the aisle towards Lorette, the CEO's expression as unreadable as always. "Tell the Junior Officer that if she plans to burn HQ to the ground, she'd best be prepared to pay the millions of dollars needed to rebuild it." Matsuko let out a short laugh, tapping idly at her phone. "So what's the plan once we get there? I'm not sure that I'll be of much help, Allister usually goes with you to these things and I don't like leaving Richard and Audrey unattended." Lorette continued staring out the plane's window, her voice even as she watched the clouds roll by. "Don't be ridiculous Ms. Oshiro. Your presence will be indispensable at this meeting. I will need you to remain observant once we arrive at Sato-Yamasaki Headquarters. Pay very close attention to their Security measures, and keep a close eye on the people that they choose to present to us. We are there to forge an agreement with them, but I'd feel better knowing how they operate."


A gloved finger tapped idly at the armrest of her seat, and Lorette pressed on. "And I need you to translate for me." Matsuko arched a brow, eyeing the CEO quizzically. "You speak Japanese pretty decently if I remember. What do you need me to translate for?" Lorette's gaze slid over to the Lieutenant, her voice remaining even. "I speak the language well enough, but not enough to catch any subtle nuances in everyday conversation. Something that is quite important when conducting business." Lorette resumed staring out the plane's window. "And as far as they know, I don't speak it at all. I want them lulled into enough of a false sense of security that they might think me ignorant of everything that's going on. They may very well let slip something that they don't want me to hear."


Matsuko pursed her lips, brows knitted together. "You think they might be up to something?" Lorette did not make any movement to confirm or deny the other woman's question."Hanshiro Sato does good business, but I hear that he enjoys stringing along potential suitors. He has no love for Americans either, though you wouldn't know it. Currently, I don't know if he plans to make the same offer that he's giving us to any of our competition. But I do know that if given the opportunity to gain the upper hand, he will take it. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open while we are there Ms. Oshiro. Is that understood?" Matsko nodded silently, knowing that Lorette would see it one way or the other. "You've got it." Matsuko grinned at Lorette. "I hope you aren't keeping tabs on me like this, you know."


"No, I am not. I've seen how you live Matsuko and the thought of having to watch you depresses me."


"That's pretty rude coming from someone needing my help as much as you do!"


"If you thought that by leaving Audrey and Richard behind, that you'd be free of any suffering, you were wrong Ms. Oshiro."


Right...Great."

[Natora]

Once Rasteva had enveloped himself into the band on her hand, she looked at it strangely. It didn't feel any different. It was entirely the same as it had been before. How peculiar. It seemed that there really was no good way to tell if someone was harboring a Daemon at any given time. Of course there was also the question about whether or not he would be able to hear her if she spoke to her ring. When she heard his voice emanating from the heirloom, she figured it wouldn't be a one way street. "My name is Natalia," she told her ring.

Realizing how strange that must have looked, she looked around her worriedly, wondering if anyone was watching. She was in a public park after all and it was a crisp fall day. Thankfully, she was a lone soul here. No one would be thinking she looked like an insane patient. "Maybe we should stay quiet until we get back," she suggested. The chill was starting to get to her. Her rage was tamed and she wasn't about to explode at those around her anymore. It was time to head back. Sarah would be wanting to go for lunch anyway. It would give them some privacy to have a conversation about what he needed.

Looking around one more time, she crossed her arms and turned back to walk towards the large office building that she called "home". It was one of the two places that she spent most of her time. Most of the time that she was awake was spent here. Alliance International was a very tall glass building. There were 45 floors, five of which housed the different offices of the company she worked for. The 40 floors below that were an assortment of offices from lawyers to investment firms to a plastic surgery clinic. Even with all those businesses, it was Alliance International's name that was on the front of the building in large white letters.

Walking in, the part of the building that faced the world was an impressive front of a light brown wood broken up by white beams and white tiled floors. There was nothing but clean cut beauty in the front. If you walked past the elevators you would find the famous Starbucks that seemed to be in the floor of every building and another cafe for the workers to eat lunch in if they so chose. that was not Natalia's current course, however. She went for the stainless steel grey elevators and waited impatiently for it to come down. Part of her seemed almost nervous knowing what she carried on her finger. Once she did get in, it seemed to take another hour before she was able to step off on the 45th floor.

By the time she had gotten to the top floor, her arms were more loose at her side. Her own floor mirrored the appearance of the entrance, done so to show that the building really was their own. She walked past the double doors of the "presidential suite", as Christian liked to call it, and to her own area where Sarah was patiently waiting for her.

"Mr. Kidd called while you were out. He wanted to ask about his budget for next quarter to see if he could start research into a second product," Sarah helpfully filled Natalia in.

Natalia smiled gently and nodded to her. "I'll call him back later," she said. She didn't need to ask for a number. Sarah would have a sticky note on her desk ready for when it was needed. "I believe I said it would be time for lunch when I got back. I'll see you in a half hour," Natalia offered kindly. It never helped to be rude to Sarah. She was always around and very efficient. She was a great asset to her.

As Sarah started packing up, Natalia walked back into her office and closed and locked the door. "So. We were going to talk about this price you would need," she said before putting the ring down on her desk and sitting in front of it.

[Rasteva]

"Natalia...That seems odd for a Human name, but I cannot be sure." Rasteva would not consider themselves an expert on Humans in any capacity, but the woman's name was one they were having some difficulty grasping. They mused over it for a moment longer, trying to get used to the sound before they were satisfied. It would not do for Rasteva to forget the name of the person assisting them, loathe as they were to do so.


They couldn't even say that it was a pleasure to meet Natalia in turn, though if they were honest, Rasteva could not recall EVER being pleased to meet someone. The Daemon, however at least TRIED to be pleasant, lest their rudeness cause her to rethink helping them. "It is....not entirely awful to meet you, Natalia." She still did not seem very pleased, though Rasteva could pin down exactly why. Usually, the presence of a Daemon in a Human's life heralded misfortune at best, and utter doom at worst. Even if she were unaware of what Rasteva was and how many more like them existed, she was right to be concerned. Her concern, however, extended to the world around her as well. Talking to one's jewelry was not normal behavior, and that reflected in the woman's mannerisms. Her insistence that Rasteva remains silent until they could find some privacy elicited no response from the Daemon, though they agreed silently.


Without any further comment, the woman took off to an undisclosed location. Rasteva would have been lying to themselves if they said that they weren't nervous about the whole thing, but there was nothing to be done for it. They only prayed that nothing horrible waited for them at wherever the woman was dragging them.


The Daemon managed to calm their raging thoughts long enough to take note of their surroundings. They'd arrived at wherever they needed to be as Natalia wasted no time in entering the massive structure. Rasteva still had no real knowledge of Human architecture, though they were of the opinion that not all of it was good. The building they were in was quite vast, and Rasteva wondered how the Humans managed to navigate it without getting lost. The woman they clung to was not of the same opinion, striding about confidently. They met only one human within the winding halls of the massive structure, and Rasteva noted that she seemed to defer to Natalia in some fashion. Even without the aid of a Daemon, Humans could still hold a specific power over their lesser kin. It was one of the reasons. Daemons with ill intent flocked to them at all. Humanity built and maintained entire structures around the acquisition of power and Rasteva could see that Natalia was no different in that regard.


Though she was notably different in it all, despite having few interactions with their kind, Rasteva had never missed an opportunity to lord their immense strength over those weaker than themselves. And they were not alone in this behavior. Daemons did not bother with structuring their existence for any reason. The only law that existed, that had always existed was the law of strength. Those weaker than yourself were either consumed wholly or cast aside without a care.


Natalia, almost infuriatingly enough, did none of those things.


She seemed to care for the person under her charge in some capacity, speaking kindly and looking after the other woman's well-being. The entire interaction was somewhat alien to the Daemon. The last time they'd even bothered to address other Daemons, they'd been shouting at full volume.


They'd also killed a great deal of them, but like shouting it was the best thing to do at the time.


Seeing as Natalia neither yelled her orders or followed them up with physical violence Rasteva concluded that it just wasn't the manner of the woman to behave in. Despite Humanity's overall obsession with bloodshed, there was a great deal of them that avoided it altogether. Natalia seemed to be cut from the same cloth, and it bothered Rasteva slightly. All the same, the Daemon knew honestly that a fight was the last thing they needed right now, so they begrudgingly accepted that these habits were for the best at the moment.


They were whisked away then to another room, and the woman securely closed the doors behind her. It became apparent then that this was where they were to conduct their business. The other Human had left, and Rasteva doubted that Natalia's privacy would be infringed upon without her prior consent, and so they felt safe in unfurling themselves from the ring the moment she'd set it upon the desk. Rasteva had never been inside any kind of Human structure before, and the proud Daemon could not help the curiosity that took hold of them. Here there was no breeze to assault them, and so the small cloud drifted around the confines of the room to inspect it. Humans indeed collected all manner of odd things, and the Daemon could not help asking about them. "What is all of this? What are any of these things for?" Rasteva would pause their exploration to settle their form in one object or another, almost testing them in some manner. Thus far nothing had proven to be a better vessel than Natalia's ring, but they continue to explore aimlessly.


It wasn't until Natalia mentioned the terms of their agreement that the Daemon ceased their prodding as they suddenly recalled WHY they were even there in the first place. "Yes. You have done something for me, and so now I will do something for you." Rasteva settled their smoke like form over the woman's head to facilitate their conversation better. It was an odd sight, a smoking halo floating there and speaking to the woman as if it had always been so. Rasteva was sure that any other human would be put off by the whole affair, but Natalia had proven to be not just any other human so far. "My power may not be as great as it once was, but a small echo of it remains. And my knowledge of combat is vast. You spoke of another human that roused your ire. At best I can assist you in disposing of them. Permanently."


The final word was spoken evenly, and the Daemon's level tone left no room to question their seriousness. Natalia would most likely be against killing the other Human, but she might not. Humans were full of all sorts of unpleasant surprises after all. One never knew the killing intent that lie beneath the surface until it was too late. "As for the rest? Well..." They paused then, unsure of how much the woman needed to not only know but how much she could reasonably handle. They settled for the watered-down version, not wishing to overload the woman with too much information. "As broken as I am now, it was not always so. Something was taken from me.
Something that I need to be whole once more. It lies all over this blasted rock of a planet, clutched in hands that have no business holding it." Rasteva attempted to quell their fury, but it was difficult. The mere thought of what they'd endured was enough to send the Daemon into a rage again and again. But they fought back that anger. If they couldn't control their own emotions, Natalia was likely to see them as more of a liability than anything. "My power must be returned to me. And the stronger I grow, the more I can assist you in....whatever it is that you need to do I suppose. But my greatest gift is the same as any of my kind. More than once have we shaped your history in favor of those that wielded our power. Help me to regain what is truly mine. After all, is said and done, you can have anything that your heart desires."


The Daemon paused then, deciding to clarify further. "ALMOST anything. A lot of you have asked for Divinity to be granted upon you but that is not something a Daemon can do. We cannot give you what we cannot grant to ourselves." They weren't sure WHAT Natalia would want from Rasteva after everything was said and done. Laying waste to her enemies would be easy enough, it certainly wouldn't have been the first war Daemons had a hand in. But some things would be more difficult to do. Rasteva had never been subtle a day in their life and wasn't looking to keep trying it. As such undermining the current Human power structure wasn't something they were equipped for. But they knew that Humans were all too happy to take even the smallest piece of a Daemon's power for themselves and go on their merry way. Increased strength, higher perception, greater intellect. These things didn't require a Daemon's constant presence to maintain, and Natalia might be sated with taking one of these things for herself before sending Rasteva away. But if ANY of that were to happen, then she would be required to put in amounts of work that might change her mind on the matter altogether. The Daemon's power did lay scattered everywhere, and gathering their full strength was sure to take a great deal of work. No doubt the Daemons that had stolen it were in hiding and weeding them out was sure to be a monumental task. They only hoped that it was one Natalia was up to.