[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/c1zyZkRj/abbatoir.jpg[/img][/center] [indent][b][u]January 1st, 11:15 PM Smitty’s Fine Meats, Mealtide District, Bludhaven, NJ.[/u][/b][/indent] [color=#5566db]”Vistara mo tana lo?”[/color] asked Aelia, her hands hovering over the girl’s injured ankle. An orchid filament wrapped itself around the injured limb, conjured seemingly from thin air by the mage. Though it hissed like a raw steak that had been thrown onto a skillet, it didn’t seem to cause the girl any notable pain. After roughly a minute, Aelia stood and dusted her gloved hands of the dirt that was never on them. [color=#5566db]“Volkra ton!”[/color] Still eyeing the hooded figure with no small amount of suspicion, the tiny albino child nonetheless gave a few experimental swings of her leg. Eliciting just the most miniscule sigh of relief from the flak-clad (and still a little bloodied) figure behind the two girls— Frankly, between turning the oni into a modern art piece and that big damn red lightning bolt earlier, some part of his psyche was half expecting the poor kid to explode... or melt... or turn into a buncha friggin’ spiders or something at Aelia’s touch. His eyes shifted slightly over to the hooded woman in question. Still not entirely sure what to make of her, but just a [i]teensy[/i] bit more at ease now that he’d seen her do something that [i]wasn’t[/i] absolutely wrecking a drug-fueled, magical berserker or [i]dancing about a room filled with body parts.[/i] [b][i]A teensy bit.[/i][/b] That train of thought came to an abrupt halt, however, as the young one, apparently satisfied that her ankle was not completely fubar’d, gave the previous magic murder bird a curt little nod of thanks before kicking off the counter-top… where she stayed, hovering a solid two feet off the ground. [color=orangered][i]’...Okay, what?’[/i][/color] [color=#5566db]“It’s called magic, mortal,”[/color] said Aelia, smirking. Before Mal could let fly with the [i]particularly[/i] sarcastic selection of words he had for Miss Lumena in that moment in time, the half-pint albino had locked eyes with him and was now floating less than half a foot from his face. Staring into his own with [i]grim determination.[/i] The lad, for his part, just stared back. [color=orangered]”...And [i]this[/i] is?”[/color] The increasingly tired-sounding hero asked, around the same time the girl’s expression went from ‘determined’ to ‘downright constipated’. Apparently dissatisfied with the effort from… [i]whatever the hell it was she was doing.[/i] The girl placed a hand on his forehead. And then both on the sides of his head, looking increasingly frustrated as she went. “Ta… vad… siorchaedh!?” [color=orangered]”Uhh… sure?”[/color] Aelia tilted her head as she observed this exchange, stepping between the pair. Quirking a brow at Malcolm, she then turned to the girl and smiled, lowering her head slightly as if to offer it up to the child. [color=#5566db]”Kava mo vad na? Makala ‘English’ so vana nas.”[/color] At… whatever Aelia had just said, the child relented in her efforts to do whatever it was she was trying to perform on the boy’s skull and, after a moment of sighing, gave the hooded figure a little rap on the noggin’ with her knuckle, clearly still a little frustrated about the whole affair, if her face was any indication. “Pray tell, is there something wrong with your brain, [i]Peasant?”[/i] A beat of silence passed after that. Save for yet [i]another[/i] sigh from Malcolm. [color=orangered][i]’Oh, great… [b]Stereo.’[/b][/i][/color] [color=#5566db]“You needn’t touch him to reach that conclusion, ohoho!”[/color] chortled Aelia, covering her mouth. [color=#5566db]“But levity aside, we really ought to free the other prisoners here. I’m sure they’ve had their fill of the scent of their peers’ freshly carved backsides.”[/color] For the first time in the fifteen minutes he’d known her, Malcolm and Aelia were actually on the same page, as he nodded and retrieved his knife from the hand of that hobgoblin he’d made acquainted with the table earlier. [color=orangered]”Agreed.”[/color] [hr] [indent][b][u]January 1st, 11:45 PM Corner of Fifth and Keele, Mealtide District, Bludhaven, NJ.[/u][/b][/indent] [color=orangered][i]’Well, [b]that[/b] was a new sensation…’[/i][/color] Mal thought, just staring down at the street below, where the odd blend of Bludhaven’s finest, parts of the fire department and even a few lay-sisters of a local, but familiar coven of white mages were tending to the at least four-dozen terrans— human, non-human and mage alike— he and [i]that crazy woman who was occasionally a bird[/i] had rescued about twenty minutes prior. Even though she’d vanished into thin air immediately afterward. He was… somewhat unused to that kind of attention. There was a hell of a lot more eyes and cameras pointing at him the moment he’d walked out that door, Sasha’s boy in his arms and everyone else in tow, than there had ever been in the past [i]seven years…[/i] There was also that split second where he honestly thought he was going to be abruptly evaporated by all those guns and magic pointed his way the minute he walked out the door, but that was beside the point. It was… [i]odd.[/i] So odd in fact that the minute he had put Bobby down, he had fired off his grapple line and got scarce as quickly as he could, simply out of impulse. But now, sitting there on that same water tower as earlier and staring down at Sasha sobbing uncontrollably and clutching her boy and all the other good things below, it felt kind of… right. ...Whatever fuzzy feelings were going on in his head at that moment, he shunted them off to the side as some more pressing concerns came to him at that moment- Namely, that after all that workout he’d had tonight, he was covered in sweat. And it was frickin’ [i]freezing[/i] out here. [i]And he was just realizing this now.[/i] [color=orangered]”Okay, I think that’s enough for tonight.”[/color] The boy said to himself, rubbing his arms for warmth and turning from the scene. There was a warm subway station somewhere with his name on it. [hr] [indent][b][u]January 2nd, 01:30 AM Caernarvon Central Station, Old Bludhaven.[/u][/b][/indent] Tired, half-frozen and still all bruised and bloodied, Mal was only halfway paying attention as he meandered into his subterranean home- a subway station long since abandoned after an ammunition ship caught fire and detonated in the harbour during the Great War, levelling Blud and about a third of Gotham as it went up. A relic from a much happier time in the city’s history, with walls decorated with marble and old fashioned stained-glass that still shone on some days with what little light filtered down here through both the ruins of Old Blud and the city above, he’d made it work— The city never really got around to cutting off the water supply, being a quagmire of red tape and corruption even [i]before[/i] the Aquilas took over, after many nights spent in the library and spying on the city’s utilities department, he’d managed to figure out how splice back into the power-grid. Getting his hands on free cable and internet was pretty easy after that. Building his own shower and some of his own furniture? Less so. Still, it was home. His nice, quiet little refuge from the outside wor- [color=#5566db]“Welcome home, Malcolm!”[/color] said Aelia, standing before the closest equivalent of a dining room table he had, a large spread of food strewn across it. Where she had obtained this food was a mystery only she held the answer to. [color=#5566db]“I have prepared for you a minor banquet to congratulate you on your conquest of the vile man-eaters that dared to prey upon their betters!”[/color] Mal just stared at the blonde before him. Then at the big mahogany boardroom table before her. Then at her again. [color=orangered]”...Come again?”[/color] Was all he could manage, head tilting to the side slightly. [color=orangered]”I… [i]what?”[/i][/color] He removed his mask. A look halfway between incredulous, confused and somewhat disturbed adorning his features. [color=orangered]”How did you…? [i]Why[/i] are you…?”[/color] A bit more sputtering followed before the boy finally managed to catch himself. [color=orangered]”You know where I [b]live?”[/b][/color] Aelia nodded. [color=#5566db]“Difficult as it may be for you to accept, I am indeed not a ravishing figment of your forlorn mind!”[/color] She gestured to the food spread across his table, smiling. [color=#5566db]“My cooking abilities are unfortunately one of the few areas of expertise I’ve yet to master, but I suspect you’ll nevertheless find it an enjoyable meal when compared to the meager sustenance you’ve been forced to endure up till now.”[/color] Pulling out a chair for him at the “head” of the turntable, she circled around it to take her own seat, unfolding a napkin beside the silverware that she had also obtained through unknown means. [color=#5566db]”It shall also offer us a splendid opportunity to finally converse in a quiet and calming environment!”[/color] The boy just stared at the woman for a long moment afterward, still not entirely sure how he felt about her, nevermind how he felt about her [i]in his home.[/i] The loud rumbling of his stomach, however left even less room for argument than the ludicrously powerful interloper in his dining-room ever could— He’d only managed to get a leg and a few bits of popcorn chicken at the shelter earlier before Mog consumed the whole lot of it, after all. So, removing his flak vest, gloves and rolling up his sleeves, he complied… albeit cautiously and still keeping his eyes on the woman the whole time. ...Something that became increasingly difficult the closer he got to this ‘minor banquet’. [color=orangered][i]’’Yet to master’, my [b]ass.’[/b][/i][/color] Mal couldn’t help but think, trying his level best not to gawk at the veritable pile of culinary perfection before him… or salivate at the scent of it. A herculean feat in itself, even without a brain and sensory system as high-tooled as his. Licking his lips slightly, but managing to keep himself under control, the boy’s eyes crept back up towards his impromptu guest’s again, effecting a half sheepish, half still [i]very[/i] confused expression. [color=orangered]”Thanks…”[/color] Was about all he could manage at first, fidgeting in his seat slightly at the new, rather alien sensations of both having someone over and having a [i]decent meal[/i] on his table. Nevermind this woman who brought [i]both.[/i] [color=orangered]”So, uhh… what did’ja wanna talk about?”[/color] Among all the things he’d been through that night, this was perhaps the one thing he was unabashedly un-equipped for. Big flaming oni included. Folding her hands neatly on the edge of the table, Aelia watched him eat with some apparent interest as she spoke. [color=#5566db]“Your captivating abilities, for one. From my observations of you over the past month, I’ve been forced to conclude that you are neither a mage, nor does the blood of this world’s titans flow through your veins.”[/color] [color=#5566db]“Yet it is undeniable that what I sense within you bears a strong resemblance to the Arcanum that I wield,”[/color] she continued, never breaking her precise and upright posture. [color=#5566db]“It is, however, the differences between them that intrigue me. There is...a [i]rawness[/i] about your power.”[/color] Mal choked a little on his… lobster thermidor? Is that what was in his mouth right now? How the hell did [i]this[/i] happen? That was a question for another time, it seemed. As he took a swig of his drink, ice-wine to his further surprise, in an attempt both clear his throat [i]and[/i] his head to respond to [i]that[/i] particular bombshell. [color=orangered][i]”Pardon?”[/i][/color] The boy finally wheezed out, wearing a face of pretty well-earned surprise now. [color=orangered]”So… you’re saying you think I’m some kind of mage, but [i]not quite?”[/i][/color] That was a bit much to take in, after all. Especially after seven years. Aelia smiled, pleased to hear that he had been able to follow everything she had said up till this point. [color=#5566db]“Precisely so! I’ve never witnessed any power quite like your own in my nearly two centuries of life. Why, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were utilizing [i]harmonics.”[/i][/color] Aaaaand, she lost him again. Leaving Mal to just stare at this woman who was both completely [i]dominating[/i] this conversation and nonchalantly upending everything he thought he knew about himself over the span of a few minutes. He did pack away that bit about her age in the back of his brain, however, as it was one of the few things the blonde had actually told him about herself- Though he found it a lot less surprising than perhaps most would, this girl was still a [i]toddler[/i] compared to Mog, after all. Still, he had a [i]lot[/i] of questions. [color=orangered]”That… [i]isn’t[/i] exactly a term I’m familiar with. And I’ve spent a fair amount of time around magical beings on [i]both[/i] sides of the hypothetical magic fence.”[/color] He finally stated, after a moment of mulling over the words in his head. [color=orangered]”And, before that, you know so much about me, but…”[/color] He put down his knife and fork. Propping up his chin on his hands as his eyes lit up again. [color=orangered]”Who [i]are[/i] you, exactly?”[/color] [color=#5566db]“I am Aelia Marcella Lumena, as I said before,”[/color] she continued to watch him, her smile never dropping. [color=#5566db]“The daughter of Lilith, Queen of the Succubi, and an unknown titan of fire. The adopted daughter of Avaerus and Faulia Lumena. I am a representative of the Consortium, the foremost military power in the universe, and the original and rightful rulers of Gaia.”[/color] Gauging his reaction for only a brief moment, she pressed on. [color=#5566db]“I came to Bludhaven to investigate a string of murders committed against the mage population that had, for some unfathomable reason, taken up residence here.”[/color] Daughter of the Queen of the Succubi and... a [i]titan?[/i] As in, those things from Greek myth? That Wonder Woman occasionally went on about when she was on the news? A freaking [i]god?[/i] [i]He was having dinner with a goddess?[/i] That was… another thing he was going to tuck away in the back of his mind, as his face fell slightly and the glow in his eyes receded. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d be in his right mind to actually [i]believe[/i] that statement (though honestly, [i]who would?)[/i], but it [i]did[/i] sort of explain just what he saw when he looked at her with his full range of vision, so he kept mum about his skepticism. Partly because it’d be impolite to call the self-professed goddess a liar after she’d gone through the trouble of (probably) saving his life and then making him dinner. Partly because, goddess or not, he was absolutely [i]certain[/i] she could kick his ass. Still, getting back to the topic at hand, and stiffening just a little at the particular subject matter involved. [color=orangered]”Firefly.”[/color] The boy finally said, sitting up a little straighter and, if at all possible, suddenly paying even [i]more[/i] attention. [color=orangered]”You’re looking for [i]Firefly.”[/i][/color] [color=#5566db]“Firefly, hm? Is that what he’s calling himself now? I suppose even demons can be influenced by the bizarre ‘costumed heroics’ trend that has consumed the mortal population,”[/color] said Aelia, seeming almost bemused that he had adopted such a name for himself. [color=orangered]”No, that’s just what [i]we[/i] call him… [i]it.”[/i][/color] Mal corrected, with a sharp wave of his hand. [color=orangered]”Mostly on account of all the fire… and the flies he feeds the charred meat to.”[/color] Pausing for a moment, the boy leaned back in his chair, knuckles rapping on the table a bit as he thought. This was… a [i]bit[/i] of a touchy subject for him, after all. [color=orangered]”Nobody’s even sure what [i]it[/i] is… hell, nobody’s even [i]seen[/i] the damned thing and been around to talk about it afterward, as far as I can tell.”[/color] He took another swig of ice-wine and finished his thought. Much quieter now. [color=orangered]”Well, [i]almost nobody…”[/i][/color] Aelia, sitting exactly as she had ever since she first took her seat, dipped her head. [color=#5566db]“I have met him. He is a Baron-class demon of fire. I encountered him some years ago on another world, but he managed to elude me through some rather dastardly and underhanded tactics.”[/color] Malcolm’s eyes flipped back toward the woman, flickering back to orange again out of what was clearly habit when he didn’t have to [i]actively[/i] suppress his abilities. He was familiar with that terminology, having spent the past seven years in the frequent company of a (often naggy, occasionally cuddly, constantly mother-henning) demon. Long enough to pick up on a few things, at least. [color=orangered]”Any idea what a [i]Baron-class[/i] demon is doing in the pocket of the mob?”[/color] The boy asked. [color=orangered]”Seems a bit beneath his paygrade, doesn’t it?”[/color] [color=#5566db]“Oh yes, it is. His motive is perhaps the most baffling aspect of this mystery, given that this world has become quite a perilous hunting ground over the past decade,”[/color] said Aelia, at last pouring herself a glass of icewine. Rolling it about her glass thoughtfully for a moment, she drew a modest sip from the edge. [color=#5566db]“The only suitable explanation I have been able to offer is that he is perhaps working for another demon--one far superior to him in power.”[/color] The boy just silently made a face at that statement, and indeed [i]the entirety of this conversation.[/i] [color=orangered]”Well, then. This has been… [i]enlightening.”[/i][/color] He finally said. [color=orangered]”Any [i]other[/i] bombshells you’d like to drop on me tonight?”[/color] Aelia took another sip from her icewine, her smile broadening ever so slightly as she extended a hand towards him dramatically.. [color=#5566db]“Oh Malcolm, the only reason you’re feeling so perplexed and disturbed in this moment is because it is but our very first conversation! I assure you, the best has yet to come!”[/color] If there wasn’t a big plate of fancy seafood in between his head and the table, Malcolm would’ve put his head into it. As it stood, he made do with just screaming internally with all the force his mind could muster. [color=orangered]”Oh God no.”[/color] Aelia’s smile broadened still. [color=#5566db]”Oh God yes.”[/color]