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Post by Everleigh Mason on Jan 1, 2012 23:27:45 GMT -5
Ok, so the kid had no money but hey, when you're hungry, you're hungry. Everleigh shuffled her way into the diner with her head down so she wouldn't draw attention. She sat herself down in a booth in the back and snatched a menu. She really wanted a burger but it was one of the most expensive things on the menu. She didn't want to push it.
She finally decided on a bowl of soup and fries and put the menu away again. This diner wasn't too busy but then again it was midnight. There really weren't many people out and about but truckers really. Everleigh rested herself against the back of the booth and rummaged through her backpack for her book. She cracked it open and was just gonna read until the waitress showed up to take her order.
When the waitress came she ordered her food then settled back to read again when the door opened. She watched several men walk through, laughing and joking. They were loud and appeared drunk. Ever rolled her eyes at them and when one of them looked in her direction she quickly looked down and pretended to be very interested in her book again.
She could sense that the man approached her table and she cringed away from the sense of annoyance and drunkenness that came with him. "Whatchu lookin' at?" He slurred. Everleigh tried to scoot further into the booth but the man reached out and grabbed her arm. "I'm talkin' to you, kid." Ever tried to move her arm out of his grip but couldn't. He was too strong. She could only hope that someone would see what was going on and help her.
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Post by Malach Ra on Jan 18, 2012 21:36:06 GMT -5
I love the romance of crime and I wonder does anybody feel the way I do? Is evil just something you are or something you do? ☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦A large pale hand with a spider web tattoo wrapped itself around the noisy redneck‘s forearm, squeezing until he released the girl in the booth. “Move it along, Bubba.”
Mal was used to odd little conflicts like these - his very presence fuelled them. Sometimes the humans would sort it out between each other. Sometimes stranger forces intervened. But no one that night, from the tired waitress to the trucker sat in the corner, dared to even say anything. Test failed. “She’s a little young, even f’you.”
“Get your hand offa me!” The drunken man sneered and the smile dropped from Mal’s face. “No one tells me what t’do, ’specially some nancy boy in need of a hair cut.”
Mal leaned forward a little, glaring in a way few people lived long enough to even look away from. “Better to be needin’ a haircut than a hospital.” He growled. The brown of his borrowed eyes darkened and the air pressure thickened around them. It was as if gravity itself was protesting the Angel’s presence. The contemptuous gaze took hold of it’s subject like a vice, squeezing with relentless force. Blood vessels began to pop in the redneck’s eyes, thin lines of blood tricking down either side of his nose, and then from his nostrils too. The pain grew but when his mouth opened to scream nothing came out, the same crushing force gripping his vocal chords. He staggered backwards, searching frantically for the door, his vision turning red with dark spots from lack of oxygen. With one last push he desperately flung himself back out into the night. His friends looked at each other, at the Angel, and then cautiously filed out the same way they had come in.
Mal watched the door swing closed. “Y’all stare too long inta the abyss, the abyss stares back inta you.” He muttered to himself, “Nihilism 101, dipshit.” The weight and heat surrounding him faded and then, as if nothing had happened, he turned back to give Everleigh a rakish smile. “You okay, shortstack?”☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦Music: I imagine there’s a TV on a wall bracket showing an ice hockey game with the commentary still just about audible Clothes: lives in his simple grey T-shirt, checkered trousers & boots Notes: Mal’s there for a reason... Word Count: Around 340ish
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Post by Everleigh Mason on Jan 19, 2012 12:54:19 GMT -5
The sudden appearance of the man with the tattoos was a comfort at first. The poor child was afraid that no one was going to react. It wasn't until the sense of danger and evil coming from this new person settled on her that she cowered back in the booth, both knees against her chest as she sat with her eyes locked on both men.
It wasn't a total surprise that the redneck was belligerent and tried to fight back. Really, what could you expect from a drunk that would pick a confrontation with a child in a public place? The reaction from the man trying to save her, however, only scared her more. Of course, she had no way of knowing that the change in air pressure around her was caused by the stranger but it was startling nonetheless. Having her whole attention on the confrontation, she could swear that the guy's eyes changed color but that was silly. It had to be the lighting. Her breath caught in her throat as the air around her seemed to push away and directly at the two men. She gripped both her knees with her arms, not able to take her eyes away from the situation in front of her.
Everleigh had never seen blood vessels just pop like that and blood just spontaneously come out of someone's face. All the stranger had done was tighten his grip slightly. At least that's how it appeared to the child. She had to close her eyes against the sight and didn't open them again until she heard the door close and the man who helped her mumble something to himself. Her eyes flicked back up at him when he asked if she was ok but all she could do was nod and look around at everyone else as if questioning them with her eyes, did you see what I just saw? Her attention again went back to the stranger and she finally found her voice after another moment. ”I'm fine now....thank you,” she managed meekly.
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Post by Malach Ra on Jan 21, 2012 21:04:09 GMT -5
☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦
Most humans only ever saw what they wanted to see, what their fragile little monkey brains could cope with. So when the Angel of Evil came close to crushing a man where he stood, the nighthawks still haunting the diner only saw a tall, pale man face down a loudmouth drunk. Then they carried on with their own blissfully ignorant existences.
Looking at Everleigh, Mal saw that the child didn’t quite have the same luxury. “I'm fine now....thank you,” she managed meekly. He’d tried to push the man back from the booth a bit but clearly hadn’t gone far enough. Her anxiety was a good sign in one respect though. It went towards proving she was the one he’d been looking for.
“Your welcome.” His expression softened into a good imitation of ‘amused but concerned’, the way an older brother might look. His height probably wasn’t doing him any favours so he sank to one knee, like a knight swearing loyalty to a princess. “S’alright, I ain’t gonna hurt ya. You gotta get kinda fierce with guys like that, they’re too drunk t’take hints.”
Mal made an obvious gesture of looking around the diner. “You here all on your ownsome? I could join you ‘till your done with them fries. Y’know, just in case Mr Motormouth comes back.”
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Notes: Sorry it's a bit short but I think this is as far as I could get before needing another response from Ever Word Count: Around 210 are my own
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Post by Everleigh Mason on Jan 22, 2012 11:47:27 GMT -5
The child definitely didn't have the luxury of only seeing what other people saw. More than anything she wished she was normal, lived in the same ignorant bliss as everyone else but she didn't. Not since the day her uncle had almost murdered her. Everleigh had no idea why the switch was flipped during that experience. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she was almost killed but she'll never know for sure. It didn't matter anyway. She was stuck with her psychic ability whether she liked it or not. Her empathic ability was different. That's been with her forever but it was still a pain in the butt, though sometimes it could be useful, like now.
She could still sense that there was something “off” about this man but her empathic ability was warring with the part of her that was telling her that he had just saved her from who knows what. To trust him or not to trust him... In the end she just watched him closely for a moment, only nodding when he commented about having to get rough with guys like that drunk. Everleigh wouldn't deny that. She was very sure that no one else was going to step in and that the drunk wasn't going to let go unless someone made him.
It did make her feel slightly better when he kneeled down in front of her but when he asked if she was alone she hesitated. After a moment of thought she decided that it was probably obvious that she was alone given that no one but this stranger moved to help her. ”Yeah, I'm here alone,” she admitted finally. Her eyes flickered to the door when he mentioned that that guy could come back. Common sense would say that he probably wouldn't but drunks didn't usually have a whole lot of common sense. ”Alright. Thanks.” At least it made her feel better to know that she was with someone that wouldn't stand by and watch something happen to her, though she was still wondering why she was getting the vibes from him that she was. Notes: That's ok. I understand.
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Post by Malach Ra on Jan 24, 2012 21:33:48 GMT -5
☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦
Mal beamed and held his finger up in a ‘just a minute’ gesture as he returned to his place at the bar seating. He came back with his jacket draped over his arm, a bowl of half eaten extra-hot chilli rice in one hand and a tall glass of iced tea in the other. His father’s favourite human food was pizza but he didn‘t really share the Reaper‘s taste. Pepperoni was all well and good but the Angel had always preferred things with a bit more spice.
“There.” he said, setting his food down opposite the girl’s. “My name’s Mal, by the way.” He settled onto the seat opposite rather than offering his hand for her to shake. He knew better than to risk a touch.
“And you must be Everleigh, right?” He spoke gently, trying his hardest not to sound intimidating. “That‘s a real pretty name, by the way. Your daddy must’a had some good taste.” He picked up his fork, scooping up mouthfuls of chilli between sentences. “I know you’ve seen some pretty nasty stuff in your short time. I don’t want y’all to be scared’ve me though. So, I ain’t gonna lie t’you…” He paused briefly to take a gulp of drink, making an involuntary ‘mm‘ noise of approval. “I’m not strictly human. I‘m an Angel.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, dark eyes fixed on hers. If she ran then the meeting wouldn’t be a total loss, but if she could stay calm then it made his life a whole lot easier.
Being an Angel allowed him the luxury (or burden) of insight just as much as Everleigh, but psychics always seemed to carry a certain amount of… static around their thoughts. At face value, she was like a block of marble to him, just waiting for all the good and evil of the world to shape her character and carve her into a masterpiece. The first few strikes had already been chipped away, leaving a touch of destiny about her, something that was drawing her into encounters that near-enough defied coincidence. That was the mark of her power. If she lived into her adult years, she was either going to be an extremely useful woman, or a lunatic like her uncle Drake. Mal preferred the former but would still have uses for the latter.
Trying not to startle her, he leaned to the side and reached across the table to the condiments for the hot sauce. Gripping the dusty bottle, he shook fiery drops of orange onto a dish that was already strong enough to blow the sinuses out of the hardiest trucker. As an afterthought, he decided to show the child a little trick. He shook a spatter of hot sauce onto the table top, just a random pattern. The big paw that had gripped the drunkard’s arm earlier passed over the sauce, obscuring it from Everleigh’s view. In it’s wake, the orange blobs had coalesced into a neat shape, a round smiley face. Mal passed his hand over it again and this time the smiley face was winking. Not exactly loaves and fishes but it was something.
When he met Everleigh’s eyes again it was with a hopeful expression. He meant what he said. If she wanted to ask anything he’d do his damnedest not to lie. Those who thought they knew Mal for what he was always expected outright dishonesty. But the point of evil was that free will had to choose it. It wasn’t a fair test if he lied. He could carefully select or omit facts, of course, but lies never sat well with him.
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Notes: This is probably as close to a moment of truth as Mal gets... Word Count: Around 420 are my own
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Post by Everleigh Mason on Jan 25, 2012 10:20:37 GMT -5
Everleigh's eyes watched Mal as he went to get his food from the bar. As he got closer with his meal she could smell how spicy the chilli was and she raised an eyebrow. She was only ten and there weren't a lot of children her age that were that into spicy food but judging from the scent of that chilli, she was guessing that there wouldn't be a lot of adults that would be able to handle it either. He sat opposite her and introduced himself and she smiled politely. It gave her some peace of mind to at least have a name now. He didn't feel so much like a stranger anymore.
She was going to introduce herself but apparently she didn't have to. She nearly choked on the half chewed fry in her mouth. ”How...who told you my na-...” Oh, he's an angel. Anyone else probably would have laughed or grilled him more on the subject but Everleigh's life had become so strange that she almost wasn't that surprised...almost. Still, all the angels she had ever heard of had wings and halos and stuff. They didn't have tattoos of spiders and look like rockstars.
As she processed this news she sipped her water and continued to watch Mal. Her eyes followed him again as he reached for the hot sauce. Normally she would have laughed considering how hot his food already was but she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to even crack a smile. The girl watched as he applied even more spice to his already flaming hot food then frowned in confusion when he dripped some onto the table top. She had no clue what he was doing but watched his hand closely. It was the smilie face that finally made her smile. In spite of the bad feeling that wouldn't go away she was relaxing a bit around Mal now. The memory of what he had done to the drunk was still rolling in her mind though. It was hard for her to come to terms with the idea that an angel would so that. Weren't angels supposed to be nice and not hurt people? Well, so far Mal was very nice to her but she was still confused.
Yes, the child definitely had questions but was trying to figure out what to ask first. ”So...what kind of angel are you?” That seemed like a good place to start. Everleigh didn't know a lot about angels but she knew there were different kinds. ”And why did you wanna find me? I mean obviously you did since you already know my name. Hey, do you know why all this weird stuff has been happening to me? I mean, like meeting the hunters and stuff...” Now that she finally had the chance to ask questions she couldn't seem to stop. This was the first “higher being” she had ever met, after all so she assumed he naturally would have more knowledge on everything than anyone else.
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Post by Malach Ra on Jan 29, 2012 20:00:39 GMT -5
☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦☦
"So...what kind of angel are you?"
"There's about ten 'kinds' but I don't think they ever settled on a name for what I am... 'Bene Ayn Sof' maybe?" Mal offered, pleased at how the kid unfurled from a tight little ball of fear into a flurry of questions. That was the beauty of children, how their curiosity usually seemed to trump their fear. "We all walk 'round in human bodies, no wings, no halos. Down here we all just look like regular folks, or as near to." He smiled, gesturing at his own vessel.
"And why did you wanna find me?" Everleigh pressed on. "I mean obviously you did since you already know my name."
"Well as I recall, I was here before you, shortstack," the Angel countered. "Technically, you found me." He threw back another gulp of iced tea. "You're right though. I came here 'cause I'd sensed someone like you was around these parts."
"Hey, do you know why all this weird stuff has been happening to me? I mean, like meeting the hunters and stuff..."
Mal hesitated. He had been about to shovel in another fork-full of chilli but the mention of Hunters gave him pause for thought. It was a reminder that of course he wasn't going to be the only one she met imparting occult wisdom. He had to make sure that nothing he said directly contradicted what they might tell her, but still put himself in a better light. "Coincidence. Fate. Instinct. A little of all three, I'd wager."
Without even looking down he casually waved his hand over the hot sauce smiley face a third time. It disappeared completely. "See, here's the thing Ever... Do you mind if I call you Ever? It's got an 'always and any time' ring I kinda like..." He dumped his fork back in the steaming bowl, freeing both his hands up. "You've got a special God-given talent." He tapped his own vessel's temples to underline what kind. "I reckon sometimes you're drawn to weird stuff before y'even know it's weird, right? An' sometimes Powers-That-Be could'a steered you where y'all need t'go in their little cosmic chess games. Take y'pick tonight. Came out for a midnight snack an' you found an Angel who don't mind staring down drunks an' payin' for the food y'all ordered with no money."
A conspiratorial glint lit up his eyes. He knew full well Everleigh's only option after eating would have been a sneaky retreat or a great deal of trouble. He liked that she was old enough to understand that and had chosen junk food over virtue anyway. It boded well for the future. His amusement covered up the resentment that boiled in his gut (much like chilli-fuelled indigestion) whenever he had to say the A-word out loud. Referring to himself as an Angel these days, there was a slight urge to say 'Fallen Angel'. Being bound to flesh could make you think that way. But he'd never fallen, never would fall, never cut out the strange shadowy Grace he'd been molded around. He'd always embraced what he was, been true to his purpose and joyfully did exactly what he was made to do. His problem was that, unlike most of his brethren, he worked without compromise. Lucifer was the same really, but ultimately he'd had gotten away with much less before he'd been stuffed a cage under Hell. Death probably locked Mal inside a Human vessel knowing full well God would have invented something infinitely crueler given enough time. Of course, that was assuming God would ever give enough of a rat's ass. And there was that word 'Ever' again. Always and any time.
Beckoning the waitress over he ordered another iced tea and whatever milkshake his little companion felt like. Once she was out of earshot he continued. "Angels like me, we understand it's a gift you got. Granted, it's difficult to master sometimes but it's amazin' when you do. With Hunters you gotta be careful 'cause a lot don't like the idea've folks with 'special' powers. Their kind always assume the worst; like bein' able to see what others don't is somehow gonna be a bad thing." Mal narrowed his senses down, trying to cut through the static surrounding Everleigh's memories. "It's like how most Hunters'll shoot a person possessed by a Demon rather than exocise 'em. They figure the Demon's already done 'em in; always assumin' the worst again. But y'know a few words've Latin, the Demon goes away and the person's totally fine. You ever seen that kinda thing go down?"
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Notes: There is a kind've point but things might take a bit of a meander before Mal gets to it... Word Count: Around 690 are my own
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