exorcistux

[exorcistux]

He wasn’t unused to feeling heavy, lethargic, maybe even half dead. That doesn’t mean the experience is any more pleasant-- of course not. Fingers press to his temple as he gathers his bearings once more, taking a few deep breathes in to soothe his overactive heart as his phone vibrates up a storm.

It takes him a few moments to properly process the goings on, mind slow and booting up, but eventually he draws the bright blue technology from his pocket to read what he’s missed while he was apparently out of commission. Needless to say, it leaves him even more bewildered than when he woke up.

For a couple seconds, Abel simply stares at the message, at the items in his hand, and finally at the name at the very end of the message. It knits his brows, earns a tooth biting into his lower lip, but he finally puts it back. It’s not very clear in instructions, but the basics are there, and fore some reason he doesn’t want to question anything with ‘face erasure’ written on it.

His nerves are still shot to hell and back, which leads to him raiding his pockets for whatever goodies he may have left, and pauses in the middle of unwrapping a jolly rancher once he notices an eery silence that seems to permeate him. No, not around him-- it’s plenty noisy. It’s his head, the absence of something rude or snarky echoing around it’s confines earning confusion. Unfortunately, before he can say anything--

“HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WHICH ONE OF Y’ALL IS ABLE CLARKE?”

Abel lets out a pained yelp at the noise right by his ears, loud noise reverberating in his skull and leaving an agonizing echo in it’s wake. The candy is long forgotten, dropped to the floor to be trampled underfoot as his hands slam over his ears. He’s whirling, catching sight of somebody around his age, but the first words out of his mouth are not nearly as pleasant or excited.

“P-Please! Please don’t do that! I’m right here, s-so please don’t yell again! Ugh, ow...”

Video killed the radio star. [Ca Reapers Game]

The world was blurry at first. Soon light filled in the spaces and everything came into the clear. Eyelids flicker up and down as he sat up. It was a feeling he hasn’t felt in a while. That semi-dead life. Charming. It was dizzying at first. Like when you wake up at dusk and think you woke up at dawn. Where everything is at a twilight and its either very fulling and seemingly lacking. Kinda of like a lazy afternoon.

That message given to him was odd, what was more odd were the silly bands attached to his wrists. Both were of jelly like quality in the brightest of blue. He pulled at one of them. Very stretchy too. He sat up to get his bearings. What did it say. Find some dude named Abel and go to the Radio Station. 

Mmmmm. Okay. 

One hand pushed himself off the ground. Legs don’t feel like Jelly. Instead of being in Heaven, Hell, Hel, Hades, what have you. He instead found himself still in Hive City. So he’s gotta find this dude. So off he went walking around, not even knowing where to start. Well if he woke up suddenly in a new place, it usually means his partner is nearby right? 

It couldn’t hurt to try right? 

Inhale. 

“HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WHICH ONE OF Y’ALL IS ABLE CLARKE?”

{ @exorcistux }

[exorcistux]

His head is empty.

His head is empty, like an echoing auditorium, all his thoughts seeming to resonate in a dark, void space with no words but his own. Perhaps, to other people, this is normal. They’re usually alone with their own thoughts and their own alone, not having to worry about some other presence chiming in with their opinions.

But he’s not other people. He’s him, and for he hasn’t experienced radio static for over 8 years. He’s so used to the chiming in from his ‘companion’, the light hums in the back of his skull as he works, and the sharp retorts he has to mentally shut down if he finds them too nasty. A couple times, he’s asked why the other is being so quiet, and then remembers as nothing but silence gives an answer.

You’d think this would be a good thing. Others would be glad for it. Abel even recalls in the past the couple times people here have told him he might be better off that way.

‘He’s only hurting you. It’d be for your own good.’

‘Things would be better if he was gone.’

Pale fingers lightly curl and dig crescent moons into his palms.

This is unnerving. It’s nauseating, even, and he wonders if he would have felt this uncomfortable with it a few years back. But it’s too late for that now, the time has passed, and it feels like a piece of him has disappeared. It’s almost like pulling a piece from a jigsaw puzzle, leaving it visibly incomplete. This is supposed to be temporary, but he can’t help but feel some form of fear at the concept of having to deal with this for the rest of his life.

For the first time in a long time, he feels truly alone.

[exorcistux]

“Do you think they’ll get any neat new movie releases in this city like they will back home...?”

[exorcistux]

“I-It’s no problem, sir...Captain? I think you’ll all do great! And I definitely will! I think it’s...kind of an honor to have somebody like you helping us, so thank you very much!”

★— ❛  Your faith in my leadership is somethin’ that I TRULY appreciate, fella! I promise, I’ll do my absolute best and make sure that everything runs as smoothly as it can. With Iron Man and Hawkeye helpin’ me I think we’ve got a great chance! I won’t let you down, and if you ever need anythin’ don’t hesitate to call.  ❜

[exorcistux]

“Well, uh....don’t you think it’s kinda cool? I mean, with Captain America leading things, you can’t really go wrong...I think they do a really good job helping people! I don’t think there’s much to worry about!”

[exorcistux]

He’s seen a lot of horrifying things, but seeing the normally amiable or neutral faces of people he’s passed by in the street turn hostile makes his stomach churn in ways it hasn’t before. This shouldn’t be the kind of thing that actually happens-- this is for movies. For comic books. For novels, where things turn out alright in the end.

But this is reality, unfortunately. One that urges him to tug his long sleeves even further down on his arms as if to cover them even better.

And he shouldn’t be scared, not when he passes for human in almost every way, when his body is still fine.

But he is.

[exorcistux]

It’s been a long enough time, and besides being in need of threads, i think it’s about time to plan for more long term relationships! I’ll be doing a blog overhaul tomorrow, but consider this an interest check for relationship plotting. Like it, and I’ll shoot you a message about what we can work out! Enemies, friends, some friendly acquaintances or anything else, he needs tons of it. But please take Cain into account if you’re planning on liking it, since if your character might get along with Abel, they might not with him. Unless you’re liking the sound of that, then by all means!

No cap to this!

[exorcistux]

“But...why?

I work there...”

[exorcistux]

It’s been a long enough time, and besides being in need of threads, i think it’s about time to plan for more long term relationships! I’ll be doing a blog overhaul tomorrow, but consider this an interest check for relationship plotting. Like it, and I’ll shoot you a message about what we can work out! Enemies, friends, some friendly acquaintances or anything else, he needs tons of it. But please take Cain into account if you’re planning on liking it, since if your character might get along with Abel, they might not with him. Unless you’re liking the sound of that, then by all means!

No cap to this!

[exorcistux]

“O...Of course it’s rude! Hitting anyone would be rude!” He ignores the sharp comments bouncing around in his skull in response, gently massaging the sore spot on his head with the palm of his head with a wince. Unfortunately, unlike her, he wasn’t built tough.

He’s trying to put a reason to the nap on the pavement, but finds himself interrupted by her question. Before he can question it, she’s already moving on, asking for whatever he’s got in his pockets. Blue eyes slowly blink for a moment, self discovery momentarily halted as he finds his doormat nature emerging.

“On...On hand? I, uh...” Hands slowly delve into the front one of his sweater and slowly emerges, fingers parting to reveal...

“I have...tootsie rolls? And I don’t think you want my aspirin, so...sorry.”

★ █ SHE HEARS WHAT HE SAYS and knows this is almost entirely her fault, but Marisa doesn’t really care. Of course, she doesn’t intend to make him cry, necessarily, but harassing him a little longer wouldn’t be too bad.

<<Of course you didn’t mean to hit a poor, fragile girl like me. That would be rude, right?>> Now she’s definitely messing with him– her head doesn’t even really hurt anymore.

She’s made of tougher stuff than that, after all.

<<Now, just think, how are you gonna make it up to me?>> He doesn’t look like he has anything valuable on him – ah. There’s a look of dawning realization on his face, slowly growing. 

Her charade isn’t going to last much longer at this rate. 

<<Say, just gimme whatever you got on hand and we’ll call it even, okay?>>

[exorcistux]

“Careful there, scream queen, you might cut yourself on all that pure edge.”

          ❝ National superhero day? What a load! Like these fakes deserve any recognition. It’s laughable, a true hero wouldn’t need a day to be appreciated. Good job being so phony and fake. ❞

[exorcistux]

Pale hands press to his aching forehead with a groan, the shock of smacking heads beating his brain around his skull like a soccer ball. It’s him who stays stationary for longer, trying to blink the salt from the corners of his eyes at the pain as the other victim sits up with a clearly unimpressed tone in her voice.

“I-I didn’t do it on purpose!” His voice cracks in the slightest from his position, only taking a few more moments before finally pushing himself up on his elbows to properly address the rogue ear-puller with mismatched blues.

“I’m sorry, OK? I just...That really hurt! W-Why were you pulling on my ears? And why was I lying down in the first place...”

...Wait a minute.

★ █ OF COURSE IT WOULD go like this. It figures somehow that the moment she tries to show any concern that it would backfire.

Marisa thinks about this for a moment as their foreheads come together with a ‘CRACK!’ Then there’s a flood of regret and pain as she flops backward onto the pavement, vision momentarily blurred from their violent contact. Her head is swimming as she takes a moment to regain focus and sit up and –

<<What the heck is up with you?>> 

<<Jeez, you try to help someone one time and they try to knock you out. Didn’t anyone ever teach you some manners?>> 

[exorcistux]

You’d think he’d be a glutton for punishment, with the way he kept wandering into unpleasant situations. Unfortunately, he was just...somewhat dense.

That being said, Abel does his best to not jump 50 feet in the air at both the voice and the approach of a giant robot.

”U-Um, well...I was just wondering....” A sharp pause, an inhale, and then he steadies himself.

“Are you...all alone here?”

@exorcistux

‹ ⚡ ›   “You again.”

What’s with kids and wandering into the junkyard? The same kid, no less, from weeks prior. A sharp exhale vents from parted lips as the bruiser closes distance between himself and the presumed child invading his claimed territory.

‹ ⚡ ›   “Alright, kid: what are you here for now?”

[exorcistux]

“Y’know, the senseless violence used to be entertaining and original.

Now? You could get a better kick watching some shitty soap opera about some lady leaving her husband for his older, hotter brother.”

[exorcistux]

Today was supposed to be uneventful. He was just going to find a new comic book to take home and enjoy with his new paycheck, maybe treat himself to a snack later besides the candy lining his pockets. Unfortunately, one step outside the book store, things went downhill very fast...literally.

He hits the ground out cold, something slamming into his head with enough force to knock him clean out. Sprawled on the concrete, there’s already a nasty bruise forming on his head. His state of consciousness means he doesn’t even notice the woman who did this to him in the first place...

Until the splitting pain of his ear being nearly yanked off hits like a truck. 

“OW--!!”

Abel chose the wrong time to sit up too fast, the sound of colliding skulls the next sound to hit the air.

@exorcistux 

WELL, THIS IS a mess, to put it lightly. Marisa kneels down in front of the kid – is he conscious? She can’t even tell at this point – and stares, teeth grit tightly as she wonders what in every hell happened. First, she was flying fast and there was no one, then the kid walked out of a building and bam! She’d toppled head-over-heels off her broom herself, but only ended up with a few scrapes and cuts. Her unintentional target, on the other hand…

He still hasn’t woken up, that’s what. She’s usually not one for any sort of survivor’s guilt, but she does feel a tad concerned that perhaps she’s done some serious damage this time. So, gently, she grabs one of his ears – and yanks, hard.

<<HEY, ARE YOU OKAY?!>>

[exorcistux]

“N-No, no, it’s alright! I don’t really pay that much attention, anyway, it’s more my fault than yours.”

He seemed nice, at least! He gave off an overall friendly demeanor, one that made Abel relax in the slightest. While he had originally been nervous of mostly anybody who approached in this city, he quickly learned that got you nowhere if you wanted to make friends. Besides, he simply found it too hard to not be nice if not wary.

Scooting to the side a little in case the stranger wanted to sit instead of stand, the pastry in hand was lowered to his lap out of politeness. He was still hungry, but it’d be rude to eat suddenly in a conversation like this. His stomach would just have to wait until this had passed.

It does, admittedly, catch him quite off guard. He’s been asked a lot of curious questions, but his eyes of all things were hardly something people found a suitable conversation topic. A finger raises to skim the eye in question, words catching for a few moments before he finds it in him to answer. 

“Uh, w-well...No, I can’t. Most people can’t tell like that.... you must be pretty observant, sir.”

‘More like mega creepy.’

“I...damaged it in a car accident in a long time ago. I haven’t been able to use it most of my life, so it doesn’t really bother me much!”

Oh? It seems like he accidentally startled the person whom he wanted to speak with. That really wasn’t within his intentions. Then again, people hardly ever acted within others’ intentions. Ryuunosuke reacted quickly to the way the boy reacted, anticipating it’d be the best to apologize before proceeding. And so he put up his hands in an apologetic gesture, hoping that it caught on with the younger boy.

          “Ah, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

If the young man had to be honest, this white-haired boy seemed like a real ball of nerves, oh well, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t worked with before. Had his hair gone white with shock, like what happens in those fantasy stories? That would be odd, but not unexpected, considering his surroundings. But that’s besides the point. Ryuunosuke knew how to handle this; people were usually nervous around him, especially when they saw his less socially acceptable side.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets in a casual manner and smiled just a little brighter. He wanted to give off a relaxed, calming vibe, so that the other may go with it.

     Especially considering the question he was about to pose wasn’t a very considerate one.

          “The question might be a liiiittle uncomfortable, so I’ll phrase it as softly as I can: Can you see with both eyes? Your left eye seems a little off.”

[exorcistux]

There’s a sprinkle of sugar around his lips from the pastry tightly clenched in his hands, a finger lightly brushing it away as what’s in his mouth goes down with the taste of strawberry.  All around him, he could hear things-- car traffic, heartbeats, the constant sound of feet on pavement, all while the taste of strawberry lingers in his mouth. His job has offered him opportunities to splurge for his own good, so who was he to say no to cravings? 

Cravings that, in the end, distract him from the footsteps approaching with a purpose.

He isn’t expecting to be addressed personally, and jolts abruptly in a manner that nearly ends with his food on the ground. Abel attempts to salvage his composure, tightening his grip and turning with blinking blues to somebody. He’s greeted by an amiable smile, a purple jacket, and, with further inspection--

‘Oh, sweet mother of hell. Call the fashion police, those shoes are gonna give me an spiritual hernia.’

Had he been any less prepared for the internal commentary, he’d have spluttered, but he manages to catch himself beforehand in order to properly respond to the odd request.

“Um...sure. I-I don’t know what you’d really want to talk about, but go ahead!”

@exorcistux

Eating lunch at a café was a little more expensive than Ryuunosuke had wished it to be, but it did allow him the opportunity to see more of the citizens in the daylight. And though most people were quite normal looking, with some really odd outliers in between, the young man’s observations were still unfulfilled. What he was missing was someone who was just a little odd. Someone who didn’t quite fit the standard, but wasn’t totally nonhuman either.

     And he had just found this niche.

It took him two takes to really see what was going on. This boy seemed to be blind in one eye, it wasn’t very easy to notice from a distance, but with the proper knowledge Ryuunosuke had become aware of it without focusing too much. As such he made his way over to this individual, lunch and tea in hand, to strike up a friendly conversation.

          “Hey there, you mind if we had a talk?”