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Post by Kelathi on Dec 7, 2018 23:26:00 GMT
A few days had passed since that odd meeting in the café, and plagued by the question as to what it was that had cause the woman to freak out, at work he had dug out some old files to see if he could find anything. Initially, he had thought that maybe she was the daughter of some scandalous politician he had recently interviewed, or maybe the wife of one, which would explain her fear and unwillingness to stay in his presence, lest she say something unintentionally damning. But he found nothing. Eventually, he gave up, and decided to focus on what he should actually be doing. He reached for the thick folder on his desk, opening it and leafing through the pages. It was everything he had on the Nemean corporation. His firm had done a lot of press releases on the place over the years, the company being the leading drivers behind androids and innovative technology. But the company never seemed far from a scandal, maybe an employee had been found to be tinkering on the verge of slave labour in some of his departments, with the employment of immigrants on way below minimum wage, or that one time when it had been revealed that legal audits may have been fudged. Somehow, no matter what they had uncovered so far, Nemean was always able to twist it- it was such a large corporation that he always seemed able to stay above the scandals without them tarring him, able to distance himself from any trouble, with speeches of ‘we will strive to do better’ and other such empty jargon that had the public swooning at his feet. But Abel was sure the slippery bastard was up to something. Ironically, it was when he finally gave up and began to focus on his current work that he found something about the strange woman he had met in the café.
It was a photo of Nemean himself, with a woman by his side, which in itself was odd. Nemean always attended conferences alone, this particular photo had been taken by someone on Abel’s team secretly. They had thought it might lead to a story if they could only figure out who she was, but they had never been able to get another snap of her, so the idea had been abandoned. As Abel held the photo in his hand, he doubted himself for a moment. Gone was the bold makeup and conspicuous fashion taste, gone the strikingly coloured hair. It was such a stark contrast to the woman he had met, but the quality he had noticed most about her had been her distinctive eyes, of the palest blue he had ever seen, like a clear winter’s sky fresh from a recent rainstorm. So startling that even the amateur photographer had managed to pick it up in the grainy picture. From staring at the photograph for a few minutes he had no doubt- it was definitely her, and she was evidentially close to Nemean judging by both the photo and her reaction to Abel.
But… who exactly was she?
Another dull day. It was Saturday, which meant no work, and whilst most rejoiced at this, Abel was quite the opposite. The prospect of no work left him at a loose end. He was as sociable as work required, but when it came to him being invited for social meet-ups he found himself declining most. Too much time in the company of others meant more questions were likely to be asked, and with a past to hide, he preferred to avoid such situations if he could help it. But today, uncharacteristically, he had agreed to a lunch-date with a few colleagues, only to have found out just this moment that it had had to be cancelled, due to a few of the people not being able to make it, with the group deciding to rearrange as a result. So he stood in the rain, umbrella up, staring at his phone and re-reading the text message, before looking up blankly, clearly at a loss as to what to do now. Today he was dressed in rather casual clothes, which was a rare sight in itself, but he had still somehow managed to appear smart, helped along by the fact that he was well groomed and his reserved manner. Glancing back down at the phone, he pushed it back into his pocket, and pondered on what to do next. He had taken a train to get into town, and he was reluctant to make it a wasted journey. After a moment’s thought, he crossed the street to the park; where, just outside, there was a small van serving coffee and cakes. He ordered a take-away cappuccino, and once the cardboard cup was snugly in his hand he decided to take a spontaneous walk through the park.
Which would have been fine, had the weather not decided to abruptly pick up when he was too far into the park to just turn and leave. One minute, it had just been a fine mist and a pleasant stroll, but within seconds it was now a downpour. With a muttered curse, he flicked his wrist, the umbrella, that had until now been unused, unfurling immediately. He lifted it over his head, and began to walk quicker, having to take care not to slip in the puddles as he went, the ground squelching underfoot.
He probably noticed her because she was sat still, the lack of movement drawing his attention when everywhere else seemed to be movement. His eyes widened slightly upon recognising the dramatically coloured hair, and the thought that immediately came to his mind was to question as to why she was sitting in the downpour, seemingly un-phased by it. He was going to just walk on, not wanting to cause her more alarm after the last time they had met… but equally, he saw this as an opportunity to maybe smooth things over. The downfall had only begun seconds ago, but she already seemed soaked through. He approached her, albeit a little unsteadily as the path gave way to grass underfoot, and when close enough, he decided to announce his presence so as not to make her jump with his sudden appearance, the rain apparently doing well to hide his footsteps, even if he had made his way over the grassy ground uncertainly. “Um… excuse me? I thought you might… do you want some shelter?” He lifted the umbrella slightly, as if to back up what he had said.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 8, 2018 4:01:22 GMT
Sia’s eyes opened a little in surprise as the gentle mist turned into downpour, watching the sky for a few moments with a look of innocent wonder before laughing a little, shivering a moment at the change in temperature but not moving from her spot, even calmer at the thought that now there was little chance of anyone finding her.
At least, that was what she thought. She was so focused on the sound of rain that she hadn’t noticed the journalist’s approach, and the sound of a voice she immediately recognized made her stiffen. Sia hesitated before looking up, her pale eyes wide with the same fear as in the cafe, on the verge of running again. But something was making her pause. That he was out in the rain, perhaps following her? The fact that he was offering her shelter from the rain?
Or the fact that he seemed as uneasy as she felt?
Her hands finally returned to her lap, again a gesture that seemed trained into her. She settled into her seat again, nodding mutely to answer his question, and watching him like a frightened hawk.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 9, 2019 2:27:10 GMT
She gave him a frightened doe look, one that made his insides twist unpleasantly as a response. He had no idea why his mere presence would cause such a look, but it only made him all the more determined to prove to her that he was not whatever she feared him to be. Her reaction only made him even more eager to put her at ease if at all possible. Despite her fearful reaction, she nodded at his offer, accepting his presence if not welcoming it. But she didn't make to move, which left him with two choices- stand awkwardly whilst she sat, or sit besides her. Why she wanted to stay in the downpour, even with the slight cover he now offered, was perplexing. Even so, he moved to sit besides her, sheltering them both with his umbrella. "Does the rain not bother you?" He asked curiously, looking away to regard a couple hurriedly rushing past, holding their thin jackets over their heads and laughing as they fled the downpour. Perhaps surprisingly, despite his previous attempts at figuring out whom she was, it wasn't at the forefront of his mind at the moment.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 9, 2019 2:39:43 GMT
As laser-focused on gathering as much detail of the world around her now, concerned he had not come alone, she once more caught the sound of gears shifting as he sat. Had it been him, then, that she heard back in the cafe? It was something to note for later, trying hard to hear any other possibly suspicious sounds coming from the trees around them. But the rain drummed much other noise out, only echoing whenever she tried to hear.
While her reactions to him in the cafe had ended up relying on her past experiences and training with the Nemean Corporation as a protective shield, to be subservient and amicable, her uncertainty now made her a little more honest than she might have been otherwise.
“No,” she replied quietly to his question, also watching the couple run by. At first, she stiffened a little but then relaxed as they moved on, clearly not interested in either of them. “Being under an open sky… it’s freedom,” she finished, her voice still soft, and just a little distracted by memories. Not her safest moment to reminisce...
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 13, 2019 11:48:17 GMT
What an odd statement. He looked up towards the sky at her words, and thought for a moment before answering. “Well then, freedom is wet. And colder than I would have thought it to be.” He responded, his lips quirking into a smile as he looked back at her. “Can I... um, get you a hot drink? There’s a van just outside the park, they’re selling some tasty-smelling cakes, too.” If she felt the open sky was freedom, perhaps she would be more likely to accept a drink outside? He wanted to make up for the odd exchange they had had before, even if she had been the one to call it short, he felt responsible for smoothing things over.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 13, 2019 17:35:45 GMT
Abel’s take on her words brought her back to the moment, without the sharp jerk as his initial presence had caused. She looked over at him, her wide eyes looking very confused at the comparison. At the suggestion of a “van,” she visibly cringed, again as if about to run; this timing more than anything else proved she was fearful of being betrayed, of somehow being taken. But his earlier words settled her a bit. There were vans in the world that were used for other purposes, after all.
The lean back to her original position, and thus closer to Abel, showed her willingness. “O… okay,” she finally answered, softly, still unsure, but deciding to trust.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 19, 2019 23:53:16 GMT
“Great!” Abel responded with a smile, his heart fluttering a little at her acceptance, the reaction surprising him. This had purely been an attempt to smooth things over... hadn't it? Or could it also be because he was attracted to her and wanted to spend that time for her? Maybe it was both, but either way, they stood up, and begun to make their way. He, admittedly, a little less elegantly than she, as they crossed the muddy floor towards the entrance of the park.
***
Things had gone surprisingly well. Sia was shy, and definitely a woman of few words, but she seemed to ease up a little the longer they spoke. She also seemed loathe to talk about herself in any detail, so he found himself often filling in the blanks, and talking about himself more than he normally would. By this point, he felt she probably knew more about him than his co-workers did, something that embarrassed him a little when he considered it. Nothing too in depth, of course, but enough to make him feel at least a little self-conscious. He had purposely steered clear of any mention of his line of work, as a repeat of the first time he had mentioned it was obviously something he wanted to avoid. What their conversations had revealed was that despite his confident exterior, he was actually rather shy, especially when it came to situations like this. In his job he could be ruthless and calculated at times in search of the truth, but one-on-one interactions with people outside his work… it was a whole different ball-game, and he didn’t exactly take to it like a duck takes to water.
Or maybe it was just because something about Sia seemed to throw him off. She was beautiful and alluring, and there just seemed to be something about her that made him want her to like him. Made him want to protect her. And yet, she was confusing, because her appearance was completely at odds to the picture of the fragile bird she seemed to be.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 21, 2019 5:43:00 GMT
At first, Sia was wary of his excited response, but as she stood and followed him, her fear began to subside. A little, at least.
The flow of conversation was mostly maintained by Abel, Sia often distracted by others nearby, always on the watch. However slowly, she seemed to be steadily growing more comfortable the longer she was in his presence, even offering a shy little smile at the joke regarding meeting during a rainstorm for the second time.
As always in contrast to the dark brown and purple streaked hair, her shyness seemed to lend itself into eyes lowering, rather than in her posture which remained perfect from years of training. But her gaze was, after a while, consistently meeting his. Even though she had too little experience to be able to identify it, she liked Abel, in spite of who he worked for. The trick would be to simply keep him from finding out…
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Post by Kelathi on Apr 29, 2019 19:58:47 GMT
Coffee drunk, they soon found themselves back within the park, seated on another bench and watching the world go by as they spoke. There had been a welcomed respite of rain for about half an hour, but now it had begun to pick up again, and Abel was surprised to find at a glance of his watch how much time had passed by. Despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to stay with the woman, he also didn’t want to impose his presence on her if she didn’t want it. She was hard to read, therefore it was entirely possible that she may want to cut this short but was too shy to do so herself. Unfolding the umbrella once more, he held it over them both as the downpour began again. “I’m sorry, I’ve been talking a lot.” He smiled apologetically, self-conscious. Damn, when had he gotten so rusty with talking to women? He felt like an alien giving it a good go at socializing, but failing at every turn. It made him realize just how isolated he had become since moving here. “I should take my leave...” he cringed inwardly at the overly formal way he had spoken, but added smoothly, “I… would like to see you again, Sia. But only if you would like that…” he shuffled nervously, unaware of the fact that she was picking up the barely perceptible metallic whirring that the motion caused, but stopping himself as he became aware he was doing so. He felt like a school-kid asking a girl out on a date, rather than a grown man...
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on May 1, 2019 13:58:48 GMT
Almost ironically, the longer they walked and talked, the more Sia shifted from fear of being tricked to curiosity about Abel. Occasionally, her eyes would stray to a passing couple, and in some ways, it was pleasing to see that they were not unlike how she was with this man. An experience she had been wanting, with her own choice of companion. Previous ‘outings’ had only been awkward and stilted. Just another reason she felt the need to run from Nemean’s obsessive control…
This was why, perhaps unexpectedly given how well she masked her feelings, his remark at his taking leave of her earned a disappointed look. His formal language, however, was one she felt more comfortable handling. Also unexpectedly, she seemed to brighten up a little at his confession of wanting to see her again. While she was still trying to understand why through an analysis of their time and reactions to one another, she liked him. She had since he first sat down at her table in the cafe. HIs work had scared her, true… but he seemed to have no idea she was associated with Nemean. No slip of a question, no hint of curiosity about the beloved yet elusive man or of his powerful organization. Abel felt… safe.
“Yes, I would like to see you again,” she affirmed, in a way that couldn’t help but be reminiscent of a computer AI answering a question. What softened the comparison was the soft little smile that naturally settled on her lips at the words, unnoticed for now, unintentionally revealing of feelings she was only just beginning to explore.
---
A week later, and the rain had finally subsided. That day had even been a sunny one, helping to dry out the city from the near constant mix of drizzle and downpour. It would take a few days for the amount of puddles to disappear, but it was a start. Sia, meanwhile, had been described by her roommates as being sunnier herself, constantly remarking about how she was just ‘glowing.’
Every time, Sia had checked radiation levels without finding anything out of the ordinary.
Perhaps that was why she had been out so long, losing track of the time as she walked the city park, not quite wistfully watching other couples strolling along in the growing twilight, enjoying the warmth from the day. But she soon found it was darker than she had intended to be out in, and so to catch the evening trains found herself walking through a quiet part of the city. Hood up over her braided hair, the sweatshirt baggy enough to hide her lithe form down past her hips, and makeup once more heavy for a disguise, she walked quietly but steadily. As delicate as she might appear, she was capable of defending herself, provided they didn’t know who she actually was.
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Post by Kelathi on Jun 14, 2019 23:08:16 GMT
It was a gamble, of course, but what was life without a little risk? They’d tried to do things the straight-laced way, of course, and they were just on the periphery of blowing this whole operation out of the water. It wasn’t quite ‘Nemean’ level of conspiracy, but one less corrupt asshole in a position of power was a win in Abel’s book. The man in question was guilty of all manner of sins, all of which was only speculation without some tangible proof to back it up. Two former employees whom had started the whole thing by coming to the paper in the first place had since backed out, either paid off or threatened for their silence. Meanwhile, current and future employees would continue suffer under the man’s totalitarian rule.
Unless.
Unless they could get in, have a root around in his papers, and find something to damn him. This was why Abel was at the office at this time. The building was immense, akin to the many glass-fronted skyscrapers this side of town. They were at the back-door, of course. Security was at the front, and probably skulking around the halls too. Although a few of the security team had been paid to turn a blind-eye, it wouldn’t be entirely clear which ones there were until the small party were face to face with them, by which point it would be too late.
They were a party of a grand total of… two, Abel included. The less people that knew about what they were doing, the better. Abel would have gone just by himself, but he needed his ‘colleague’ (the word only applied in the loosest way possible) to help him gain access. This, in itself, was proving to be a waste of time. “It’s these new systems.” The man complained, his fingers flying over the small laptop he’d brought along. His attempts to hack the superior locking system, which might otherwise be considered overkill for a back door if it wasn’t for such an important building, had proved fruitless thus far. Abel sighed, lifting his gaze to the now-darkened sky. “Listen, can you get it open or not?” his voice was calm, but held an edge to it that revealed his impatience. The reply was far from comforting. “Sure I can! I…. think. This damn thing, it’s these new systems I’m tellin’ you…”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jun 15, 2019 2:14:51 GMT
It was the sound of voices that caught her attention, Sia finding a shadowed corner to listen, just in case. One voice wasn’t familiar at all, which was neither good nor bad… but the other was very familiar. But… that didn’t make any sense, out here at this time of night…?
She walked quietly towards the sounds of the two men, as if waiting for a trap to spring, but nothing happened, and it wasn’t long before she could see the two. Abel, his actions stiff and restless, and another, tapping away busily at a laptop. Knowing Abel’s profession, it didn’t take much to guess what was going on. Sia’s eyes roamed over the building, quickly identifying it, the company that owned it, the man who owned the company. Finally, her gaze moved down again, watching Abel.
It was realizing that she was biting her lip a little that finally got her to move, quietly making her way over to the two men, senses nearly tingling as she made certain she was not observed heading over. They were distracted, not noticing her approach until she was about a dozen feet away, her step pausing as they saw her. “What are you doing?” she asked, softly, not quite sounding naive to what they were up to, but the tone was hardly accusatory.
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Post by Kelathi on Jul 14, 2019 19:45:37 GMT
As his gaze lowered from the sky, which was star-less courtesy of the pollution of the city, he glimpsed movement before him and had immediately stiffened. But then she had stepped out into the light, and in the dull glow of the streetlamp he recognised the approaching figure with a mixture of both relief and wariness. Well, this… hardly looked good, did it? Unsure of what Sia’s response would be, but knowing he was a pretty terrible liar, Abel opted for the truth. Or at least, part of it, - there was no need to volunteer any more information than was necessary. A glance behind at the other man, who had stopped upon hearing Sia’s words, the two exchanged glances before the man began to tap away again, faster this time. Abel regarded Sia once more, a friendly smile on his face that was tinged with a little embarrassment at having been caught so red-handed. “Ah… hello. We’re on an errand for work.” An errand that involves a little night-time illegality. “What are you doing out here?” It was his turn to question. They were not in a pleasant part of the city, and walking alone in these winding streets was not recommended. He felt concern for the woman rather than suspicion as to what she might be up to, herself.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jul 14, 2019 23:42:49 GMT
Against the dark framework of her heavy makeup, Sia’s pale eyes seemed almost even more innocent looking as she watched Abel respond, analyzing his words carefully.
“I was just taking a walk,” she replied just as truthfully, without admitting that one of the reasons she was out so late was wanting to walk to help her sort out what was going on in her regarding Abel. At least this provided something new to focus on. An errand? For his work… well. It was pretty damn obvious what they were doing. And it was an enemy company to Nemean, so…
“Do…”
Sia caught herself a moment after she began to speak, eyes darting away as a blush dusted her cheeks before looking back at Abel. “Do you want some help?”
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Post by Kelathi on Jul 15, 2019 1:54:07 GMT
The blush was both endearing and simultaneously surprising to Abel. Although they had seemed to finish on a good note on their impromptu date, so much so that he had spontaneously decided to give her his number despite not having planned such… she had not called, so he had assumed that that would be the end to it. So to elicit such a response from her, took him aback a little. Even so, to her question, Abel looked reluctant. “Well, I’m not sure what you can… that is, I’m not sure you should help.” He was hardly eager to readily involve her in anything illegal, after all, it was bad enough that he was here, doing this! The typing behind them had paused, the man clearly listening intently to what was being said. At Sia’s offer of help, he had suppressed a laugh, but it had come out as a snort, not noticed by Abel but perhaps easily so by Sia. The reason for such a noise was clear- the man highly doubted there was anything the woman could do to help them.
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