Accorded
| Accorded | |
|---|---|
"Does that mean m... uh, supernatural things can't touch me?" | |
| Players |
In which Five joins the Twilight Accord. |
Auburn Gresham by night. It's gritty, shady and dangerous, the air is crisp and clear and if looking closely there are stars up there, beyond the light of the city. There is a rooftop here, that Arnaud has claimed for himself and any allies. It's hard to reach cause it requires some acrobatics or supernatural powers. He's invited Five along there, because after their NIght at the Museum, it's getting increasingly obvious even to him that a promise of 'just keep quiet' isn't going to cut it, and besides, she's also a supernatural. "Should we make a fire? It's a bit chilly," he suggests once up there, poking at the make-shift barbecue someone has built there, some coal and wood in it still. His face turns blank and he stares at nothing. "Wait. No. No fire tonight." He rubs his hands together and grins beatifically. "I didn't think we'd get to this, but it's best to just get it over with. You need to join the Accord." There's an interesting mixture of energy radiating from the mortal this evening. Excitement, but of course nervousness as well. Is she about to gain some safety in this increasingly dangerous city? Or is she jumping from the frying pan and into the fire? Easily she follows along with Arnaud, keeping close to the Changeling as they head up onto the roof. Once they reach up there, she's peering off the side to enjoy the view of the city. A moment of calm before a potential storm. It's clear she's unsure what to expect! "So, what happens when I'm Accorded?" she wonders, glancing over her shoulder back at Arnaud with a raised brow. "Does that mean m... uh, supernatural things can't touch me? Like, what happened last night won't happen again or what?" Giving the city one last glance, she steps back from the ledge and back over toward Arnaud, peering up at him. Arnaud stares at Five, then throws his head back and laughs hysterically. Apparently, that was hilarious. The night is still, dark and edging towards the chill, and after being invited, Faith is curious enough to come along. But some amount of paranoia rules her attendance, and she makes her way to the rooftop under the cover of her gifts of invisibility. There's not a sound, not a sight of her. Unnoticeable. For a moment at least. She listens for a listens for a moment, studying Five, and waits for Arnaud's laughter to die down before she suddenly appears. It's like she just steps out of the shadow. She's not wearing her hoodie tonight, for a change. Instead it's a more formal outfit, her really good jeans and a silk shirt, over which is jacket. The jacket still has a hood, so the look is complete, but it's the vampires attempt to at least look like she's dressed more appropriately for the weather. Sunglasses in place. "It means that you are more or less acknowledged as one of us. You may still find it difficult." Arnaud stops laughing abruptly because a vampire shows up. He startles as he always does, arm going up in defense. He glowers at Faith and shows his teeth, reflexively, then snorts and crosses his arms over his chest. He just nods to what Faith is saying, cause frankly - it's better if she explains it. Maybe he just invited her because he's lazy and irresponsible. Brows had narrowed at Arnaud and the mortal was about to respond. Mouth open, words about to come out... then she hears another voice. A familiar one! Five manages not to yelp as Faith steps out from the shadows. Maybe instinctively, she takes just a small, subtle step closer toward Arnaud. Doing her best to compose herself again after that initial startle, Five stuffs her hands in the pouch of her hoodie and straightens her posture. Bright green eyes settle on Faith, brows furrowing as yet ANOTHER one of her friends turns out to be something not completely human. Lips purse to the side as she listens to the other woman, not quite frowning but she's certainly more serious than she usually is. "So, what do I need to do?" A pause before she asks, "And what exactly am I agreeing to?" The smile that grows on Faith's face is something sharp and amused. It's almost like she feeds on discomfort. Her hands remain present though, pale fingers clasping together before her. It's a small attempt to appear less threatening. Her shades look over Five, and there's a glance to Arnaud. "You really want to bring her into this, Mr. Arnaud? The choice, and the consequences, are yours I suppose." There's a thoughtful pause, and she returns her gaze to Five. "It's a simple enough process. You sign a document, you agree to our rules. There are not many, and they are simple. Primarily, you must respect our laws of secrecy. Cover up your crimes, don't get caught. It will fall to Arnaud as your sponsor to teach you, really. Do not reveal the nature of others to anyone, or you can and will be punished." "The other option is less appealing," Arnaud replies wryly, without specifying, but it's probably not the happy ending. He puts a hand on Five's shoulder now, bowing his head in grave formality; he does take that role seriously. "She had already seen and experienced things before we met. This is better for her safety and for us all." He glances down at Five and his smile is lopsided but genuine, for once not looking like the Beast he is. "You ever need to get rid of a corpse, Faith is great at it, by the way - for a coin. But, ask me first. I'll do it for free." Five's gaze is laser focused on the vampire as she speaks. It's only when Arnaud clasps her shoulder that she gives a quick glance at him. Certainly there's appreciation in her gaze but something else lurking beneath. Her brow raises as if asking, 'are you sure?'. There's no desire to be anyone's burden. "Hopefully... that's not a situation I find myself in," she replies regarding body burying. The mortal frowns gently, then she returns her attention back to Faith. She's quiet for a few moments, pensive and contemplative. Perhaps surprising from the woman that usually seems to leap into things head first. "How do I know others that are part of all this?" she wonders, glancing between the pair of supernaturals now. "And how will they know /I/ signed up?" "I did more than /just/ make a corpse disappear," Faith amends with a her expression shifting. She looks at Arnaud dubiously, for a few moments before the shades return to Five once more. She reaches into her pocket then, retrieving one of said coins, holding it between two fingers. "These are our currency and our best way of identifying each other. There are some places in the city that only people a part of the Accords are allowed. The Council knows. They always know. If you go to the private party room at the Fireside Pizza Company, and be seen enough, people will start to realize. And perhaps attend the next All Thing. These are places where we hold higher laws of non-violence and etiquette highly. You should be safe there." Arnaud just waves over at Faith in a 'what she says'-gesture. "Yeah, she also made sure there were no witnesses. You might make a mistake, you have the responsibility to make sure the crime is covered up, but that doesn't mean you have to do it yourself. That's what those coins are great for, as an example. They can be used for many things, not only for that. Someone might come ask you for a favor and pay you with a coin." When Faith pulls out the coin, the mortal's attention zeros in on it. Her gaze lingers there even while the vampire continues to speak. A glance toward Arnaud, Faith, the coin, then finally a few understanding nods. "I'm unsure what favors others might ask of me but... more than willing to help friends." And of course it seems most of her friends might be part of this Accorded thing! The Changeling gets one more look, appreciative of him once again looking out for her... and sealing his own fate of continuing to do so. Taking a couple steps forward, she moves a bit closer to Faith. "I'm sure I'll learn more as things go but uh, I don't see a downside to this." Or at least, /more/ cons than pros. "Do you have the papers?" she asks with a raise of her brows. "The coins can also be used to smooth over issues where you've made a mistake." Faith says quietly, inclining her head slightly as her coin is pocketed away. "They also give you a way of negotiating with people are aren't your friends, Ms. Five. But some may still ignore you, or not wish to deal with you. There are individual laws of secrecy that most of our factions have as well, and some will not want to break them regardless of the accords." It turns out, Faith has a satchel at her side, the strap over her shoulder. Did she always have a satchel? No. But now she does. She has the papers. And a pen too. "Mr. Arnaud, you will need to sign this too, to sponsor a mortal. Some may consider you responsible for her actions." Arnaud grimaces at the part about 'making mistakes'. He says nothing about it however, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve; it seems he might know a thing or two about that. He blinks when the bag appears, but having seen similar tricks from Faith before, he's not as surprised as then. "Gimme that," he grumbles and reaches for the pen, and signs without thinking twice. He's already done the thinking. Previously, Five hadn't been put /too/ off by Faith's... oddities. That odd feeling at the back of her neck, the internal urge to shy away from the Haunt. Or at least, she was able to keep herself better composed in more mundane situations around the vampire. At the moment? The vampire is definitely hitting all of her nerves. Five manages to continue to keep her cool, but it doesn't take an empath to see that it's mostly a front. She's on a rooftop in the middle of the night with two, well, monsters. Still, she takes a long, slow breath to steel her nerves before she signs. It's not much of a sign, it really is just a numerical 5, but the intent of it is what matters. Then she takes a step back. She's quiet for a couple moments longer before offering, "Thanks for... not just..." A pause, then she instead says, "Just... thanks." Faith stares at Five from beneath her sunglasses, expression kept carefully neutral. Even though there's moments that show her enjoyment of her effect on people, she's doing her best to conceal them now. With everything done and dusted, the little folder of papers is slipped away. "I will make sure these are handled appropriately. I wouldn't be so quick to thank me, Ms. Five." A slight shrug, and she steps back. "Welcome to Chiacgo once again, I guess. Perhaps I will see you at one of the All Things." And with that, Faith is stepping away to handle the paperwork, and leave the two friends to talk about the reality of their new situation together. Arnaud gives Faith a nod in thanks. He does appreciate her doing this, and shows it. There's a popping sound suddenly, Arnaud pulling off the top of a party popper. Colorful confetti rains down on Five and himself. Then he blows a party-whistle at her face. "Congratulations! Welcome to the world of madness!" Arnaud does not excude an aura of excitement and joy. It's maybe more of a dark joke. Five's gaze lingers on Faith at her commentary, brows furrowing some. Perhaps something to inquire of the vampire at another time. Her focus is so trained on the leaving woman that she gets startled again when Arnaud lets off the popper! Her reaction quickly turns into a bit of a smile as she watches the confetti fall onto the ground. "Madness, perhaps. But it's... nice knowing that I'm not all alone in this." There's just a brief pause before she reaches out to lightly pat Arnaud's arm, similar to how he had touched her shoulder earlier. "And neither are you." Arnaud is used to Faith just disappearing by now, so doesn't even look after her - he knows she'll just be gone. Or, possibly lurking around nearby, but he doesn't care that much. He blows the party whistle one more time, it makes a sad noise and snags. Taking it out, he glares at it and then hands it to Five; as a memory or gift or to throw away. Brushing some confetti off himself, and shaking his head so more falls off, he snorts at her, as if he's not at all having any feelings about this; but the way his eyes shift and his feet scuffle, he is feeling something. "Yeah well. We're friends, aren't we? It was such a fuck-awful hassle, I would've slipped up and said or done something and then we'd be in a whole hell of a mess. This is much easier." Taking the offered party whistle, she lets her gaze linger on it momentarily as she holds it in her palm. It doesn't take too long before she stuffs it into her pockets, a keepsake now. Looking back up at the Changeling, Five notices that look and tries to peer further into it... but sees nothing past the surface. So, she takes him at face value. "Yeah, friends," she confirms with both a nod and a light smile. "I think uh, both of us are equally capable of slipping up and doing something... Well. Doing something." She watches him for a few moments before stepping back toward the ledge of the roof to view the cityscape once more. "But, we seems to be able to get ourselves out of the trouble. We make a good team." Arnaud tucks his hands into the pockets of his worn leather jacket and joins her at the edge, staring out over lower rooftops and streets. The skyscrapers loom on the horizon. There's a breeze, making his hair more unruly. When she says they make a good team, he glances at her and nods slowly and thoughtfully. "A team." He inhales deeply and lets the air out in a sigh. "In our world - not the Accord, but amongst those like me - I am a warrior, carrying the rage of our kind against threats. If we are a team, then we should practice." He squints, rubbing his jaw. "I'm not sure yet what that means between us. Best to stick to the mundane tactics at first, eh?" Sitting down on the ledge, Five lets her feet dangle as she gets comfortable. Looking up at Arnaud, she gives a little look to invite him to sit with her. "I'm down for practicing. You okay with fighting me now?" she questions, her voice a little teasing. Playful. Perhaps her attempt at a joke. Studying over the Changeling for a few moments, her green-eyed gaze remains on him curiously. "I don't want to break any of the rules I just signed for but uh, what /are/ you?" she wonders, raising her brows. "You're not risking anything telling me about /you/... right?" Arnaud flops down next to her, long legs dangling too. He brushes some confetti off her hood, and it whirls down into the dark alley below. "You're not breaking rules by asking people directly. It's up to them if they answer or not," he says straight-forwardly. Still, he considers it and watches her with an expression of mixed emotions. "Amongst all the strange creatures out there, we are probably the most strange." He snickers suddenly, realising there's an easy explanation. "We're... fairies." Another appreciative smile is offered toward Arnaud as the confetti is brushed away from her. Wanting to return the favor, she peers over him briefly, brushing some of his own lingering confetti from his shoulders. Then she's back to at least semi-serious mode. With the naturally creepy Haunt gone, it seems like it's easier for her to relax and feel comfortable. Even if the tension isn't fully gone from her shoulders, it's definitely lessened. Then she blinks a few times at the answer she's given. Brows furrow as something seems to pop in her mind. She's unsure where the knowledge comes from, but it's there in her mind all the same. "Fairies...?" Another long look over him. "Like you're... from another..." She pauses, trying to find the right word. "World? Realm?" A hand reaches up to lightly touch her temple. "There's info there but I'm unsure how much of it's true." It's awkward to talk about this, because as Faith said before - every group has their own internal secrets they don't tell anyone. But everyone knows what vampires do, or werewolves, without knowing the intricacies of their powers or society. It's the same for the Fae. Arnaud wisely does spend a few moments to think before he speaks. "Yes and no. We were human once. We were taken to the Fae lands, where we changed under brutal and horrific forms. Some of us escaped, but we were no longer human, or rather, we are more than human. You've probably heard folklore of Fae folk. There's much truth to those stories." He gives her a toothy grin. "I strongly recommend you are very careful with what you promise, if you suspect someone to be more than they seem." "Like... promising not to tell any of your secrets?" Five questions with a raise of her brows. There's obviously no ill-will toward him should he confess to slyly getting some sort of pledge or oath from her. Although her gaze does linger momentarily on the Changeling, she lets her eyes drift from him and back out toward the city. Thoughtfully, she sits there, letting her legs swing a little. "Do you remember your human life? Or anything before you came here?" she wonders, tilting her head slightly to the side, some of her long hair falling into her face. A hand is quick to reach up to brush it back. "Hah! Yes, I was tempted to seal your promise, but I didn't. You surprised me by showing me your secret," Arnaud confesses and he's amused, lips quirking into a slight grin. He nudges her with his elbow; he's relaxed, in a great mood, almost jovial - or as much as he can be. "I didn't want to fight you before, because I was worried I'd make a mistake and reveal something. Now? It's different. No teeth or claws though, promise." Claws? He has no claws visible. "I remember everything from my human life. It's the Fae-land life that is hard to remember. I will not talk about it either, except to say that it was bad." He doesn't lose his good mood though, and speaks rather casually about it - either denying the trauma or having accepted it and moved on. "My human life was only nominally better. I do miss one thing; I had a LOT of money." There's a small but respectful nod as Arnaud draws a boundry regarding his history. The mortal doesn't make any arguments or try to press further for now. "I understand the concern," she tells him, another nod. "I don't always have control over the fire. So." She lets it stay there for now, figuring neither of them delve into such topics for the time being. Bridges to be crossed when they get there. "Does money really make a big difference? I seem to be able to find plenty of fun and action without much of it," she tells him, placing a smile on her lips as she shifts to a lighter topic. "Right," Arnaud says and leaves it at that. It's not the whole truth and she can probably tell he's leaving something out; it wasn't just about revealing something, it was that he didn't want to hurt her. But, like the idiot he is, he won't say that out loud. "Eh, I do alright without money as well. I make enough to buy food and clothes and whatever. Just that having lots of money, I could buy ALL the food," he jokes dead pan. He leans in and stage-whispers; "I'm very food motivated, in case you haven't noticed." "Me too!" There's a quick glance around before she flashes a coin from her pocket. "Maybe we can figure out a way to turn this into all the food." A beat then she adds, "And somewhere safe to live." The coin goes back into her pocket for now, which she lightly pats. "Hungry?" she questions with a bit of a grin. "I could definitely use something to eat. Maybe drink too. To celebrate?" Arnaud produces his own coin and holds it up towards the sky. Then he pockets it again, safely. "Save it for something else. I might use mine to gain a fake identity. I am technically dead, makes life difficult sometimes." He stands up and offers her a hand. "You speak my language. My treat. There's a nice thai place up the street, how about it?" Taking the offered hand, Five rises to her feet with a fluid motion. There's a small squeeze before she lets go and returns her slender hand to her hoodie pouch. "Thai? Never had it before!" she exclaims with an excitement to try something new. "I'll get the next time," she tells him, inclined to keep things even with her friend. Then the pair head off into the evening to enjoy good food and company! | |