Calypso had to review her surroundings very, very carefully. Especially considering that she’s completely trapped in a dome made of metallic liquid created by futuristic, yet raggedy pilgrims led by a man in a dollar store scarecrow mask.
Glancing up towards the skies that they’ve cut off, the white-silvery substance swirled about. Colliding, shifting to form odd patterns due to… What Calypso thought to be various reactions due to merging with one another. And these violate reactions caused glimmers of discordant hues, which illuminated across their shared plane, before settling back down into the dull, gray shade that surrounded them.
Looking back down, she was with her new best friend, who was such a dear but whose naïve nature could be taken advantage of, or worse, the perfect target to be a victim.
And before the duo, an obnoxious and two-faced gnat of a girl that was also a powdered keg. Both parties didn’t like her, she knows that, and she wants to continue needling them to blow her up. Thus actively dissolving the very little, transient peace that this meeting had.
So, this entire meeting hinged on the emotionally stunted girl that only knows how to act like a reasonable person, not naturally be one. The fear and anxiety when she’s currently a Consumed normally felt divine, but in this instance, it felt too close to how she feels normally wearing the human guise. This entire day so far was pushing every ability this nothing-of-a-girl lacked.
Somehow, the crazed vampire piloting a dead girl’s body was easier compared to this. Despite 1), this dialogue barely starting and 2) Calypso thoroughly lost that fight and was on the verge of death.
“Now then…” Richard rubbed his leather-gloved hands together, the motions of such rattling his rubber mask subtly and adding to its very disconcerting nature. “Normally when I deal with others, I ask to compare our notes, to see if we’re truly on the same foot. Clearly this isn’t the case her, so what… Do you ladies wish to know first~?”
“Your entire deal—but I’m sure that was taken as read…”
Richard turned his head towards the literal gnat before him (to which Calypso wanted to know what poor Subsumed was themed after a fly, of all things). His expression is buried under a mask, but I’m sure he shared the same, exact look Calypso was brewing.
Despite only having a profile view of her, Calypso caught her smug, half-baked confident smirk that rose her butterfly-styled mask upwards a tad.
“After all—I’m sure, with your values of hospitality that’s absolutely not fake at all, you can indulge me with all the facts. Why were you dealing with someone as crazy as Cassie—why promote such a kind image despite being totally creepy—in fact, you hunt Consumed—which is kinda startling as I’m one of those—and why with all that knowledge can’t you fashion a solution versus outright assignations—also, uh, are we going to ignore the fact that two of your guys just DIED and you’re not even phased by that--?”
Richard shifted to his right, letting his terrible mask shag along with the movement, giving the vibe of cocking his head incredulously. “The Subsumed that ripped you apart fits you so well.”
“Thank you~” the gnat cheerfully chirped at him. The awkward silence that settled afterwards was broken by the sounds of adjusting rifles.
Before Calypso could step forward, she noticed something. The gnat’s wings, which were so lifeless that they acted something between a vale and a cape, began twitching. Nervously.
Looking back at her face, which sported a grin that showed her fangs, then back to the wings twitching more vibrantly… Calypso finally got what Gale tried to tell her.
But, turns out, Calypso didn’t need to mediate.
“I love the look of you guys, at least!” Gale spoke up, walking forward. “It’s pretty rad! Colors blend together well, the themes match up—I-I know that I said like, ten second ago I couldn’t look at you because of the mask—s-still can’t really, but it’s all fun ideas! So fun, super fun! You guys are pretty alright~!”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Richard began to chuckle, heartedly even. Maybe he’s drawn to the same allure that Calypso got from Gale: she’s too damn earnest for her own good. Something about being completely far and away the usual riffraff, it acted like balm for the soul.
“Well, the design decisions were done long before I came on board, but I’m sure those people would be so happy to hear that…”
The gnat hummed to herself, around the same time Calypso allowed her eyelids to rest a bit. Another lovely aspect of Gale, making others at ease enough to spill details otherwise would’ve never came up.
“Buuut… As long as we’re on the subject,” Richard put his hands behind himself. “We… Are simply Better People.”
“Capital letters, or just you describing yourselves--?” the gnat butted in.
“Our mission,” Richard rightfully moving on, “Is to help mankind to understand they could become better themselves. We hope to rid the world of the darkness’… Terrible vice grip on us. Be those incarnation monsters, hexes, or the entire ecosystem of the supernatural. Our methods may be harsh, alienating, arcane… But you must understand, it is in response to these evils. The center of our actions are that: just.”
“And, don’t take this the wrong way but… This is the truth…?” Gale asked, oh so innocently.
Richard proceeded to put both hands on his chest. In such dramatic flair, pressing the tips of his fingers around his heart.
“‘I only speak the truth~!’”
After the shock of… That, Calypso quickly gathered… Well, hopefully assumed that the scarecrow boy was referencing something due to that sudden vocal shift and energy coming out of nowhere. She didn’t want him to become crazier in her head.
But, as Gale gasped—squealed while clapping her slimy hands after even, the swamp girl repeated Richard’s quote, but in a rhythmic fashion as he laughed, pleased.
“I—Fucking love Moulin Rogue!” Gale cursed in excitement—this was the second ever time Calypso heard such language from her. “Okay, you guys are ACTUALLY awesome, man!”
“Your company in this discussion is greatly appreciated so far…” Richard sounded genuine at first, before trailing off.
He then leaned over, arched his finger at one of the cloaked men, and the latter whispered in his “ear” before moving back to his post.
“Gale~” one could hear the smile in Richard’s tone.
The man continued to be creepily polite. Calypso wondered if the others caught on to that, what the implications of what he just casually did could mean for them.
Sure, they couldn’t do anything with the name “Richard”, but what about him with their names?
“Fun trivialities aside…” Richard cleared his throat. The mask made the action sound and feel utterly disgusting. “Yes. We had made dealings in the past with our enemies, and have engaged in unsavory practices to stay in this game. But 100% of the time, we have done so with the upmost professionalism and care. We are well aware of the weight of each of our actions.”
The scarecrow boy proceeded to reach up and softly massage the forehead of his mask, “This, unfortunately, is on myself. And totally a freak accident in very sense of the word.”
He stopped, and presented the back of his left hand again. A sigil flared, showing a blood red line formation of a skull with its mouth open, full of fangs.
“You see…” Richard explained. “Humans and Subsumed, we can engage in pacts with one another. Usually, it’s the Subsumed that normally form these contracts with one another—and we’re so fervently at each other’s necks to entertain the thought. But, with mutual understanding and sharing of blood—a pact can be formed and has to be honored until the very end, lest the heavens fall.”
“Oooh-oh-oh!” Gale jumped in place and waved her hand, as if she’s at school. “It’s like being blood brothers!”
“Correct!” Richard cheerily answered. “So… If we need something super unsavory to happen, and the local beasts are somewhat reasonable… Be it Subsumed, Consumed—we engage in deals with them and assign them with said tasks. And in reward, we allow them into our humble town—and get their pressing needs solved any way we can afford. Cassie Morgan, is an example of how that could go horrible wrong…”
“Nononono,” the gnat had the gall to butt in again at such an opportune time. “We’re not going to speed past that—“reward their pressing needs”? You mean to tell me you’ve let monsters into the gates and let them eat people?”
“Hence not doing these deals unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Richard bluntly responded.
She then leaned forward, and pointed her sharp, furry index finger at the man, “Still. For such a humanitarian gaggle, signing off most of the population kiiinda—y’know—fucks with the message. Unless… Is this just some excuse to be some authority over humankind? You send out the undesirables to their deaths, huh~?”
The scarecrow took a long, deep inhale. You didn’t have to be a paranoid person like Calypso, searching for tells, to understand that this man was getting annoyed.