|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 6:42 am
Appleton was a nice city as far as he could tell by reports, and he managed to navigate it well enough using the city GPS and a few subway maps on his phone. The location of his target was living in a apartment, and he had decided to find a hotel down the road for now until he could see if living in the same apartment building was wise or even possible. If he could hear their daily coming and goings then he could keep a better watch on them and any possible sounds of mortal (or immortal) suffering.
His routine was simple. He'd wake up early and sit at a bench drinking coffee and would walk further off if the pair decided to leave. He gave him as much of a wide space between them and him as he could allow and would pull away whenever they went to eat and see if he could spot anyone else who might join them. No one did. As it was, it was a rather simple sort of routine. They ate at different places, went to work at a shelter, and looked into stores and went shopping. It was suspicious how innocent it all was. Why put up a front when no one was around at the moment? Was it all for acclimation?
He did wonder about the Target's associate. It had taken him a moment to check his contacts and to confirm his identity, but he didn't know why a angel would be assisting a demon of such history and profession. What was certain is if he should contact Tracey about Rodney's involvement as a possible traitor assisting the other side or if he was somehow a victim. One thing was certain, he wasn't sure if he could appeal to the angel's loyalties at the moment until he figured what was going on.
And that involved pushing forward to get closer.
He entered a diner that seemed to have had a hay-day at some generation but was now a shell of it's former self. Stepping in, he glanced about the room and walked slowly until he spotted the pair. A waitress looked concerned as she set several plates of pie on their table before leaving. In the corner of his site, he moved to sit at the booth behind the angel and opened a menu.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:54 am
If there was one thing Lawrence liked, it was trying new things, and since he'd arrived in Appleton that was all he'd done. His memories were both dark and contorted beyond recognition and time and again he set them aside in favour of learning anew. He had a feeling they were being followed in the same distant way, old instincts which urged him to lash out and defend himself, but this too was set aside as pointless. It didn't matter any more if he was being followed.
Taking a forkful of the third pie he'd tried, he beamed at Rodney.
"This one's even better than the other!" he said brightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 7:02 pm
"That's peach," Rodney said, "Now that it's summer, they're finally coming into season. You should try the apple next, it has a warm, spicy flavor. They'll be good any time, but best in the fall. ...Ah, er, um. Sorry. The um, the autumn."
Following them had been incredibly and consistently boring. If they were perpetuating evil, Melvin certainly hadn't caught it. In fact, there were occasional and distinctly good nudges on Rodney's part towards the general populace. Frustrations over long lines turned into genial conversation. People who found lost articles tended to return them, rather than pocket them.
They fed birds. Lawrence helped. There was also very consistently a dog, who was panting happily, leash tied just outside the cafe.
If Rodney's feathers were showing in the cafe however, they'd be ruffled.
He faltered a bit more, looking fleetingly in Melvin's direction.
"Do you...think we're being rude?" he whispered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 7:38 pm
Pie. They were talking about Pie.
Melvin looked at his phone, hoping to transcribe something about today's entire excursion out following the pair, but so far he just had a simple stops and one word.
Pie.
It wasn't like he was lying, and he certainly wasn't one to fabricate anything for the sake of pretending to be doing more, but he had been spending his days following them without anything to show for it. They went out. They ate at restaurants. They helped animals. They went shopping. Now they were talking about pie. If there was some secret lingo going on tied in pleasantries and friendly conversation, he wasn't seeing it. What was more frustrating was that it worried him that he wasn't doing his job as well as he could be doing if he was only having these lack-luster notes as a result.
He was doing his job. Yes. He was writing and documenting like he should. Yes. Appleton wasn't a burning ember on the map due to some mistake on his part that had had major consequences. Yes. As far as disasters and casualties had gone, his time here was successful. As far as finding out ANYTHING that might be worthy enough to contact his superiors about, No. He just had pies.
A waitress came to him, startling him from his thoughts. "Oh, yes. Can I have a coffee and...."
His eyes frowned as his phone as he put is away.
"...a slice of pie." He couldn't help it.
"Kinda short on pie at the moment." She pointed out.
"Well, whichever is available. I'm not picky." He stated, and she looked at him with a raised brow, finding it peculiar that he hadn't said what flavor he wanted after she said that, but just went with anything.
Shrugging, she walked off.
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes a moment before placing them back on his brow. While he wasn't looking at Rodney, he did take his presence in. Even looking from afar, he could sense the angel. He had his own reports, not of anything listing any major events despite his extensive occupancy on Earth, but just a general collection of notes and rumors. It wasn't hard to sense power, but there wasn't much else to it. If it wasn't for his own information and the aura that stretched out into the diner, he might have assumed he was human. If Evidia wanted an informant and guide, he had chosen the best one.
Melvin adjusted the silverware inside it's napkin one by one. Dishwasher cleaned.
His heart sank a little more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 4:04 am
Lawrence excitedly flitted to the next pie and confirmed that indeed it was exactly as the other man had said between bites and enthused about how apples were both symbolic and delicious.
He did not seem to care about Melvin's presence though he recognised the man, his mind littered with flashes of memory, recalling watching him though he could not remember why or how.
"He's from your place." he said, before indifferently taking another bite of pie.
In spite of all the things Melvin had been told, the subject of his observation had been utterly and totally uninteresting. The most interesting thing about him was the expensive looking watch which had not been present in any of the limited images of his human shape he'd been provided and his odd, often very out of place mannerisms. It was rather clear he wasn't used to Earth but mercifully most people chalked it up to eccentricity or in the more extreme instances (for instance turning and running away from a man to avoid retaliating to the corruption he felt radiating from him like a prey scent) some sort of mental illness.
"He's been following us for a while. Should I get rid of him?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 4:13 am
"What! No! No, I'll..." Rodney cleared his throat and stood, approaching Melvin's table. He, like Lawrence, was aware of a bit of following, and had respected the fact that said follower probably would interact when they wanted to, but at this close of a range...it was rude not to invite them over to the table, at least. Right?
"Hello," Rodney tried, hands folded nervously behind his back. "Would you um, like to join us? You don't have to, of course, just if...you'd like to."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:09 am
He was looking out the window at a traffic light down the road that switched from green to red when he heard Rodney's voice too close to just be talking to the demon. Started, he turned to look up and felt his heart stop at seeing him. He knew that, as a angel that being social was a possibility, but he had been hoping he would be considered a passing entity in their world. In the end, that's hoped he would only be.
Do not engage.
The warning was clear but the reports spoke volumes about his limited progress and lack of insight. Patience said he should just wait but how much time for they all have?
"Oh, I'd hate to presume. You seem... Occupied." He adjusted the silverware, but caught that being polite could loose his chance.
"I have been meaning to speak to you though." It wasn't a lie. Rodney was a contact. He had just been hoping he would be away from the demon at some point to contact him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 12:47 pm
Lawrence just glanced over as Rodney made his way to Melvin's table, still shovelling down delicious pie a spoonful at a time. He hoped the angel would join them, after all he found angels endlessly entertaining.
"He's not occupied." the demon said and licked his spoon distantly and rather lewdly, looking off into a point in space. "You should join us."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:14 pm
"Oh, yes, we were only having a bite. Um. Sorry if I'm interrupting your meal."
He folded his hands at the question.
"You...came to speak to me? ...What about?" Rodney asked, "Everything...well at home?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:21 pm
His eyes finally slid to tha demon who was lapping a spoon in a way that made him very uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or a result of being unfamiliar with table manners of the current era. "...r-right."
For relief, he looked back at Ridney and stood out of the booth to address him.
"I was given you as one of my contacts. I'm new to the area on assignment. Seems things are a bit short staffed as an associate was called out and I just finished a job elsewhere."
He offered his hand. "You may call me Melvin."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:28 pm
Melvin's glance got what was unmistakably a wink.
The name Melvin solidified the memories briefly into many many moments of observation, coalescing before falling away once more, as nonsensical as the other recollections.
"He seems nice." he said to Rodney from where he sat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:36 pm
Rodney took Melvin's hand warmly. "Rodney." He seemed surprised, but said, "Well, they know best. I hope the assignment proves to be a pleasant one. I'll show you around, of course. You've already tried the pie."
He looked at Lawrence.
"Yes!" He hoped so. Melvin had made very little acknowledgement that Lawrence even existed. "Ah, is it alright with you, if he joins us?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 1:52 pm
He looked back at the demon and tensed at the wink, almost feeling his human form shiver with the desire to release its hold.He wasn't sure what to make of this interaction but really wasn't familiar with direct contact with many demons aside from those being apprehended or passing by.
His eyes went back to Rodney as he released the hold, devoid from much feedback aside from the warmth of a fellow angel and the flickering of power.
"I hope so as well. If you are.... otherwise occupied with your guest, we can schedule a time to meet that would be less intrusive." But what if that gave them a chance to make a story?
"But if you both would be kind enough to let me intrude upon your evening, I'll try not to take too much of your time." He said to Rodney and then followed his eyes on the demon he was asking permission.
Grease in cogs.
"If you would be so kind, Sir." He said, turning fully toward's Lawr's direction. "Good evening."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:04 pm
There was a moment where Lawrence looked at Melvin and something deep and primal in him hissed that yes he did mind, that it was not all right with him, that he was want and this was his and everything was his because all things truly were. He was want and there was nothing else.
Opening his mouth to speak he was about to say all of this, but his gaze alighted on Rodney and it changed to simply.
"Not a problem."
Melvin was polite and he returned it in a fashion. "I hope you like pie." he said, and slid him a slice of apple, while reaching for one of the untouched others.
"So long as you don't mind me being here, interfering with the business of Above."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:31 pm
Rodney pulled out a chair for Melvin, and sat back down at his own part of the table.
"Well," he said, "I'm sure it's mostly formalities. Yes, if it's anything you can ask here, I don't mind, certainly. There haven't been any changes recently. Aside from um, you two visiting. Which, is a pleasant surprise. I'm mostly on my own here. But I don't mind, really! ...Blueberry," Rodney told Lawrence as an aside. "Also freshly picked from the summer. That one's my favorite. But be careful about stains. The juice is very dark."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
