[i][b]Collaboration Between Fallen and I.[/b][/i] [center]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [h2][u][b]Let The Games Begin[/b][/u][/h2] [b]Location: [i]Todder’s Manor Room 13[/i] Time: [i]9:30PM[/i][/b] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/center] Vaega stretched out his arms from side to side exposing a wing span of 6’ roughly proportionate to his height from the feet up. He sat comfortably in a rosewood chair with a desk in front of him, a lamp to his right illuminating the table top which supported a journal and book. He wasn’t more than a day out of his awakening, and already back to work. If he were to ring back the Maestri society, rid himself of this demon, and continue his father’s legacy, there’d be no time to rest. In his mind technically, he’d been resting for too long as is, with Baal nipping into his psyche. Room 13 in Todder Manor had underwent an immense transformation from when Vaega awoke, mainly in part due to his mother’s expectations of what her son’s residency experience should be like. Decor and items were brought to Vaega’s room on a fairly regular basis to outfit it with an atmosphere that best suited Vaega’s personality, and current state of mind. He needed items that grounded him, and promoted a certain state of direction such as study. This room would be his base of operations considering it was the most guarded location out of the Maestri society due to its activities. No one typically wants to enter a mental facility designed like the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Vaega’s index finger slipped between two pages and pushed the present page over to the next. He used his other hand to write some notes as he scanned through its content and made mental notes of what would be important to take with him into the next book. He was currently exploring the material of his own father, his mother along with the decor and items, sent him documents and books to explore that his father wrote before passing. It was an odd experience to dive into the mind of a man he aspired to be, since now it was no longer an aspiration but a duty to become him, and surpass him. “Knock knock!” Baal’s voice surged through the space behind Vaega’s eyes. “What is it?” the irritated voice of Vaega said with discontent to the timing while trying to focus on the literature in front of him. “I am beginning to become quite impatient, I give you time to get me my desire and you still doddle in a room, with a book, AND NO PROGRESS!” The last part of the comment boomed in Vaega’s head rattling whatever intentions of learning was left. “Fuck! You can’t rush this, we made a deal, I intend to hold my end, but if you push me to a point where I can’t be of use to even myself, then we lock back up in a place that neither of us want to be again.” The logic and assertiveness in Vaega’s voice silenced Baal for a moment, the reasoning was sound, Baal knew just as much as Vaega did that it wasn’t his show to run. His impatience was burning but it didn’t create any other outcome than frustration between the two of them. “Fine, but can we please -” Baal did not finish his sentence as both felt something different elevate in the energy of the room. “Somethings here.” Baal said redirecting his attention and fading his presence back into Vaega. [center]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [h2][u][b]Let The Games Begin[/b][/u][/h2] [b]Location: [i]Todder’s Manor Room 13[/i] Time: [i]10:00PM[/i][/b] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[/center] A child, thin and dressed in a 18th century fashion, stood outside the Todder Manor. His white skeleton suit was stained with darkened spots along his neck, chest and shoulders where water appeared to have engulfed his upper body. The skin held a sickly pale blue coloring even in the dim street lighting. Casually his ginger red head tilted upward to stare into a curtain covered window nearest Vaega’s room as if to see beyond the wall itself. He slowly closed his ringed eyes then opened them, appearing in the 13th room. Unfazed by his sudden trip, the boy reached into his pocket to pull forth a leather hacky-sack. Holding it out from him, his voice quietly asked a simple question. “Do you want to want to play a game?” Water dribbled from his blackened lip with each word. Vaega felt the presence emerge into his space and turned his gaze from the desk to the door, and there in the center of the room was a child in a skeleton suit. The child definitely appeared sinister in nature, but did not necessarily give off a threatening vibration. It almost seemed more curious than anything else. While Vaega and Baal both processed the emergence of this thing it spoke and cracked the silence with a question, “Do you want to play a game?” and at that moment it simultaneously revealed a hacky-sack. Vaega leaned back in his seat, he wasn’t feeling anxious, but he did feel an immediate interest in understanding the purpose behind this thing’s intention of coming here. Was it summoned by one of Vaega’s enemies within the Maestri community? Was it looking for Baal? Was it something all of its own volition? “I don’t play games with strangers little one, let’s start with names, what’s yours?” Vaega said using his inside voice. The child stared at Vaega a little longer then lowered his hand, resting it by his side. The hacks-sack still gripped in his cold, wet fingers. He inhaled, the water bubbling out and dribbled down his smiling face. “Why are names important? My mama called me Charlie…” Vaega really didn’t care for the name, but wished to open up some dialogue with “Charlie” as he now called himself. “Charlie is it? And what brings you to me, Charlie?” “You're…,” Charlie paused looking for the right word, “different. Not like the other humans. I was curious.” “Your motive is curiosity?” Vaega now became curious because this thing was curious, and he had to chuckle a little inside from the paradox of it all, “What game did you have in mind?” The child smiled. The atmosphere turned slightly colder and a heaviness weighed into the room’s air, his hand held the hacky-sack out once more. “What fun is knowing it?” Amusement laced into the boy’s voice. At this point Vaega knew the best thing to do was pull away from this thing’s appetite, but at the same time, Vaega survived a demonic possession from within, so maybe what this thing had to offer was another approach to the bigger picture that he was attempting to piece together. “I can tell there isn’t any for you in sharing it, so...I’ll entertain you for the moment.” Vaega lifted himself from out of the chair and reached his hand out with his palm facing down. He pressed his hand on to the hacky-sack, and looked Charlie in the eyes. Vaega had a feeling the next part was not going to be an actual game of hacky-sack. “It becomes warm when it is near something that will assist you in your search. This game is about finding those things or beings. It grows cold when I'm near and ready to assist you.” The boy released the toy into Vaega’s grip before turning to leave. He paused just in front of the wall before turning and adding one last nugget of wisdom. “I suggest exploring the world outside this room… your studies will only get you so far without the right tools.” Vaega grasped the hacky-sack, as Charlie mentioned the words warm, it became warm, and as he mentioned the words cold, it became cold. The usefulness of a such an item seemed to be without a catch, but Vaega knew there was one somewhere, it would reveal itself at some point...but in the meantime he needed all the help he could get. “Ok Charlie, let’s play.” Charlie vanished as quickly as he had appeared, and it was back to the silence. “Do you think he knows?” Baal whispered as he contemplated the little child’s intentions. Vaega walked over to the chair and sat down slouching in the seat pocket, “I don’t know, but I don’t think so either.” Vaega let out a sigh. *RING RING RING* Vaega looked over to his bed where his phone had been laying for sometime, given to him by his mother for emergencies. He looked over as the glass surface reflected the name, “Cae”. Quickly Vaega got right back up and answered the phone, “Caelum?” “Yes sir, I found the whereabouts of Desmond, I thought you might want to meet me at the North Safe House and attend the meeting he’s planning.” Caelum announced over the phone with a bit of enticement. “Awesome, thank you Caelum, I will be there soon.” Vaega hung up the phone and walked over to the door of his room, turning the knob to reveal a hallway with a few Maestri guards standing in the middle. “Roger, Caroline, and Dirk, can you please ready transportation to the North Safe House, and inform my mother of my leave, thank you.” The three nodded, Roger peeled off down the corridor to the elevator, Caroline pulled out her phone to inform Evelyn, and Dirk began approaching Vaega, “Are you sure it’s ok to leave?” Vaega shook his head, “No, but it’ll never be ok, and that’s why we have to.” Dirk nodded, “After you sir.”