|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Sept 24, 2013 17:14:24 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 725 Notes: poor Ania Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground Being the head of an entire secret, religious organization was difficult sometimes. It was even worse when she was a secret among the secret. She had her connections to get some nice travel and nice places to stay, but other things were lacking. For instance she had gotten a nice first class trip to London on a nice plane. She had been picked up by a white limousine that had taken her to her spectacular hotel suite. There was just one issue along the way. No one had told her exactly why she was here or where she was supposed to go now. She had been told some one would come to her. She had been in London for two days now and the only person she saw was the same room service boy with every meal she ordered. Ania figured that somewhere along the way some one messed up due to how complicated everything needed to be when it came to her duties. People couldn't make her lie. because that was impure. Instead it was just better to leave their leader clueless. That got things done.
If nothing else, Ania was going to do something on this trip. It hadn't really gone as planned though. She knew it was raining since she arrived. Still it hadn't cleared up. That didn't hinder her too much. She just had to get an umbrella. It served the double purpose of sneaking her past a pair of guardians in the lobby in addition to the hooded coat she was wearing. It was a flawless plan that worked perfectly. Too bad it couldn't make her day any better.
Now she was left to eat some gross crumpet that was soggy from the rain that fallen on it when it was brought out to her. There wasn't eating space in the little shop she had found, the only shop within a few blocks. Because of the she had to sit on some soaked chair under some sorry excuse of a canopy that didn't even fully cover her from the rain that was at least only a little drizzling now. Ania wasn't going to complain out loud or anything, but this really wasn't even on the same scale as her standards. She wanted to go back to Rome and find a nice cafe that overlooked the city.
Ania let out a loud huff, taking a small bite out of the last crumpet she had. It was as tasteless all before it. They hadn't even offered her any tea or sweets to go with it. It would have gotten rain water in it anyway. So she was left with nothing but the bitter thing in her mouth, but could she really even complain after eating six of them? It didn't seem right to now. So she just ate it with a look of contempt. This was not the way she wished to spend a trip to London. If they were going to mes up this bad, whoever was in charge of this meeting could have at least given her an extra ticket so Emil could join her. Surely he could get a few days off from his job at the school. There were other people qualified to do his job for such a short time. Hadn't she wanted to actually spend time with him after getting back from training? That hadn't gone so smoothly after the gates of Hell opened and she had thousands of things to do.
The chances of this trip being saved were quickly going down the drain for Ania, literally being washed away with the rain into drains. There were only so many things that could make this turn around. One would be for a togabito to show up for some reason. Even an arrancar would do. She'd get to take out some of her frustration on either if they showed up for some reason. Oddly enough she didn't see that many. Having such a large amount of power was against her sometimes. The other option was for the sun to come out and for a nice stranger to come approach her and show her around some. That would be really great. She didn't get to enjoy people that much, what with the whole leading a secret organization and having to remain prim and proper and god like.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Sept 26, 2013 14:44:15 GMT -5
England – a land famous for its royal family, its guards, and poor weather. None of this particularly interested John, however. He had simply been given a vacation – though, it was worth noting that the trip was only one on paper. In reality, they were likely just getting him out of the way. Japan was under siege, as it were, and while John had his uses, he would likely cause more harm than good in a populated area. Hence, the reason why he had been sent to England, as reports of Hollows didn’t seem as high over there. For the time being, anyway.
This wasn’t the first time the boy had been there. He seemed to recall having a relative from England – though he didn’t quite remember whom. He had never paid his lineage much mind, however, only seeming to care about his immediate family, and maybe a few members of his extended one. Ancestry aside, he knew his way around parts of the city, and so far, he had been wandering around in what must have seemed like some sort of trance. With eyes that flatly mumbled placidity, and with not a single word being spoken by him throughout his entire trip apart from when necessary, one wouldn’t be blamed for thinking he wasn’t all there.
The rain did not seem to faze John, as he had walked methodically from his place of residence, straight to a store that sold coats, without even seeming to notice that he was getting drenched. He did not know how his other coat had gotten torn, but given that it was about as waterproof as a dry sponge, it was no big loss on his part. The new one didn’t even cost that much – that it came down to his knees was a bonus, though feeling elated at such a dull fact was outside of John’s range of things he could feel much about.
Eventually, he happened upon a pleasant enough – if crowded – establishment. He had already brought a sandwich with him prior, but in the weather he had been walking through, a hot drink would be needed to at least make him think he was getting warmer. Thus, after ordering a cup of some generic tea that likely tasted like hot dishwater, he paced outside to find a seat. Alas, the only available one seemed to be next to a woman that, while she seemed to stand out from the crowd due to her looks, seemed fairly bland in most other regards. In the astoundingly flat tone he had grown used to using, John spoke to the Micans.
“Excuse me, may I sit here?”
John’s face was no longer obscured by his hood – he had neglected to put it up once he had come back out of the place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Sept 28, 2013 19:13:22 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 644 Notes: poor Ania Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground She was really just about ready to call it a day and trudge back to the hotel with out even caring about the scolding she was sure to get from the pair of guardians waiting for her there along with some official that had likely been called. In all honesty it would probably be more entertaining than London was offering to be. Just as she set down that gross crumpet there was a voice from just in front of her. She lifted her eyes, looking at the boy who stood before her with a cup of tea she was sure would be less than satisfactory. Oddly enough she could have sworn that this boy was some one that she knew. He wasn't the server or any one she had spoken to in London. She hadn't spoken to anyone in London actually. While she was trying to place his face with a name or information she gave a nod to him and then to the chair. "You're more than welcome" she said kindly, offering him the pure smile she had grown so accustomed to using.
She scooted her own seat a little, still somehow staying under the canopy. She sat up straight, hands in her lap. It was rather clear that she wasn't quite as casual as a normal person should have been right about now. There was just something about her that wasn't quite reading that she was just some other person getting world famous lousy English food. She was also giving the boy a strange look as she tried to figure out who he was. She was trying to sense something from him, see if he was one of hers. She got a trace and went in to look at further detail. She disguised this by leaning forward, placing her head one her hands and again smiling sweetly. 58ACFA"So do you live here?" [/color] she asked. If she could hear his voice again that might have been able to help her. It was right then that it struck her. Ania thought back on his last words, that dull and lifeless tone. She recognized his face from some papers next. She even remembered going to see him for himself, though he of course hadn't known about it nor seen her. She hadn't even said a word to him. Well England had turned around and got rather interesting hadn't it? It wasn't just a normal person. He was even less of a normal person than some people she was surrounded by every day. Still though it was much better than anything she could imagine right now. She had really only heard stories about how things were going with this boy. Right when she reached her full position she found out about tests that had just begun under the order the former Micans Nitore. She hadn't called a stop to what would be looked on as inhumane, because she didn't see it as such. Seeing him now this boy didn't even seem harmed. He was perhaps a bit on the more dull and reserved side, but was that really a bad thing, especially when he had to kill as a living? "I've got to say London isn't what I was expecting it to be" she giggled softly, trying to make some kind of small talk so maybe she didn't seem so out of place or creepy in her own way. She wanted this to last, not to scare him off with her weird behaviors. She wasn't sure how well she was doing. Her past and current status made it rather hard to connect actions and customs she had to those of today's world. For all she knew she had all the signs of a stalker or a serial killer or a crazy cat lady. Ania would never even know about it. [/div] [/div] HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 [/center] |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Sept 28, 2013 19:59:10 GMT -5
John took a moment to process the fact that he had been allowed to sit down. Usually, this was not the case. He had been fully prepared to stand out in the rain, so as not to inconvenience anybody who happened to be wandering about in the general area. He had been conditioned not to expect a seat in any place other than a rest area – his request was simply something that he saw as a logical step. It made sense, to him, to ask if he could sit down, instead of just going out to stand in the rain like he had prepared himself for.
John did not react to the smile. He recognised it as polite, though not necessarily indicating happiness. That was all – he did not, and could not, react to it being pure, or anything else for that matter. He could respond in a way that logic dictated was polite, but beyond that, he was lost. Somewhat tentatively, he sat down, immediately assuming the sitting equivalent of standing to attention. Again, conditioning. The only times he seemed to be allowed to sit down when in somebody’s presence was when he was being deployed, berated, or informed of something. Normal conversation was beyond him – as he would later show.
The fact that Ania was not acting casually did not faze John – much, at least. He was wary, yes, but she did not seem like a particularly bad person. Perhaps a little suspicious, but nothing to be particularly concerned about. He surveyed her, attempting to recall where he had seen her face before. As it turned out, he was mistaking her for someone he had known that looked vaguely similar, their resemblance about as uncanny as the resemblance between a stone and three sticks of butter. Deciding to abandon trying to remember if he had seen her before, John turned to other actions.
While Ania might not have seen the results as inhumane, there was a difference between reading ‘Subject showed major resistance during early stages, but was subdued over time’, to seeing what John had gone through. Excruciating torture, both physical and mental, draining every last drop of energy he had left in his body. Pushing him to his limits in fights and endurance tests, and beating him whenever he failed to get up within an allotted amount of time. Had she seen such a bright young boy descend slowly into the pit of near emotionlessness, her thoughts on the subject would likely have changed.
Small talk – another thing John wasn’t used to. Had he received an order, he would have acted immediately. However, it seemed as though Ania was asking a question – to which John did what he was trained to do, and provide a logical answer.
“All available weather reports for today stated this weather was to be expected. The season, date, and time all indicate that the weather in London would change to this at some point in time. The laws of probability showed that this kind of weather is the most expected one. Previous research and assessment of the location tell me that everything here should have been expected.”
Throughout the entire speech, he never changed his tone.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Oct 1, 2013 12:14:52 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 538 Notes: -- Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground Ania was quiet as John spoke. She could only stare as he did so. It was so.. not human. Well, she hadn't been expecting that kind of response to her small talk. Was it really even small talk? She wasn't confident in that fact anymore. So she just sat back a little bit, putting her hands in her lap. "That was quite informative. I suppose you do have a point" she didn't want to be rude so Ania just... did something to at least give him some kind of reply. She wasn't sure if it really mattered though. She hadn't looked too much into what the boy was supposed to be like.
"Where are you from then... Oh my I haven't asked your name have I? I'm Ania" she was talking to avoid things getting more awkward, or at least try to avoid that. Whether or not she was successful was only something time could tell. She of course knew the answer to everything she had asked but John didn't know that. He didn't know who she was, nor what great role she played in his life. She almost wished he at least knew of her rank so she could get a little bit of a praise, but with duty came responsibility, not notoriety. It really was unfortunate, but true. Ania of course had no intentions of introducing herself more than just her name. She was often around the Vatican, and while John might not have recognized her, he could likely put two and two together and figure out she was of Consecro. She despised lying she the less he knew about her role the less she had to lie about her rank.
"Are you busy? I've been looking for some one who could walk me around some, and the weather has calmed down quite a bit" she smiled at him before she stood up. Ania was fully expecting him to accept her request with no question. He just seemed like the kind of guy that would do anything that was asked of him. Ania offered out her hand to him, hoping he would understand the gesture of help. She wasn't sure how he had been treated during whatever had happened. He seemed a bit oblivious to common customs though, more so than Ania herself. That was really saying something.
Now though she was a bit curious about the whole ordeal. She had turned a blind eye to everything. Ania was a leader that liked to be in touch to her followers though. The best way to go about doing it was to just spend a bit of time with them. She was expecting John to be the same kind of case. It might take a little more effort to break through to anything that may lie inside of him but she had a few days for that unless she was actually informed of why she had flown all the way here. She was doubting that information was ever going to get to her though. That was annoying and made her brow twitch, but it was irrelevant entirely to what was going on so she just kept smiling. She could always keep that smile on no matter what.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Oct 1, 2013 13:49:02 GMT -5
John simply stared at Ania as she spoke, awaiting a command, or a query. This was what he had been reduced to - a simple husk of a boy, whose abilities in any social situation were, quite frankly, horrendous. He remained sitting to attention, as if he was still being reprimanded, or as if he had been posted to watch over something. Not that he was trusted with anything beyond levelling a small area or a foe of his ability or lower, but that was hardly the point. He continued to try and analyse Ania, seeing if there was anything about her to actually note down.
“My name is John.”
His introduction, in contrast to Ania’s, was cold and thoughtless. It was almost akin to a reflexive action – something he said purely out of habit, in his attempt to fit in and sound polite. His voice was flat and emotionless – he wasn’t even trying to make himself seem approachable. But it wasn’t as if he was attempting to sound rude, either. Instinct just told him that this was the way that he was supposed to react to somebody if they told him their name, and he had no reason to distrust them. He harboured distrust towards everyone, but there were people he trusted more than others, at least.
It was worth noting that he did not answer where he was from – not a surprise, considering that never actually had a place he could call home. He simply travelled from residency to residency, and the central hub of it all was the Consecro’s main building. However, he decided to answer the question anyway, in his own unique fashion. He did so, thinking (correctly) that Ania was of the Consecro. A human of such power, who was not a Fullbringer or a Quincy – the logical conclusion was to assume that she was in with them as well.
“I consider my main place of residence to be the Consecro headquarters’ lower levels.”
Oddly specific, but he sensed she would have great authority in the Consecro, given the power he sensed from her.
Upon Ania requesting that he show her around, John misinterpreted this as a command, and stood to attention as if he had just been issued one.
“Order understood,” he spoke, not a twinge of anything in his voice, “Follow me when you are ready.”
And so it was that John stood there, waiting for Ania to give him the go-ahead. If she did so, he would show her key places – the banks, the post offices, nothing particularly exciting. He would, however, be able to point out the shopping areas, and point them out if need be. However, for the time being, he simply remained, awaiting confirmation of his “order.”
If Ania were to try and break through, however, she would need more than a few days and some niceties to elicit more than the standard, robotic responses that seemed to be programmed into the boy’s brain. She would need to actually see what had been done to him – what was still done, from time to time. John wasn’t the kind of person to pour his heart out, unless orders from an appropriate channel bade him do so. And, if asked, he would tell Ania about his situation – he sensed she was of a higher power level than the ones who had issued his orders, and as such, if she was Consecro, he would answer to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Oct 3, 2013 12:35:31 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 430 Notes:
-- Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground She just nodded when he gave her his name. She knew it already, but that just confirmed it all for her. This was indeed Consecro's dear, little science project. Ania was caught a bit off guard when John stated where he lived though. Well, it didn't seem like she was keeping her power suppressed enough for it to not be traced at all. She couldn't complain too much. That meant she had a pretty good amount of power, and it meant that her followers had decent sensing skills. She didn't say anything about Consecro though, only nodded again in understanding. She didn't want to let anything slip or give it the chance to.
John didn't accept her offered hand, instead getting up by himself in quite the orderly manner. Well she couldn't expect much more than that. She opened up and raised her umbrella over her head, a bit of rain still sprinkling down. She stayed on one side of it, somewhat standing beside John in a way that made it obvious she was offering him the other half over the cover. she wasn't really sure if he would accept it or not. Ania wasn't even sure he would understand that gesture, or care about the rain at all. Either way the offer stood in case he caught on. She had no intention to treat him different than any other member or Consecro. She wasn't aware of how he was treated or what purpose it served. Maybe if she had been things would have been a bit different.
"You seem to know a lot about this place" He knew it better than her at least. Ania followed where ever John took her, looking around at the different places he took her. To be honest they didn't interest her that much. He seemed to know where basic public offices were, not much else. Ania didn't say anything on that though. It would be rather rude of her to do so. He was doing all that he could and she could appreciate that. "Do you come to London a lot? I know you said you live back in Rome, but a lot of members get to see all kinds of places" She was still attempting to talk to him. Ania wondered if maybe she was overloading him some. He didn't seem used to this at all. She could try a little bit more though. "Is there any place you like to go most?" John did better with questions or orders, so she thought maybe a question would get her a good answer.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Oct 3, 2013 16:29:19 GMT -5
John, while he recognised the gesture, did not immediately take shelter. He did not recognise that the umbrella space available was for him – he was far too used to being forced to stand in the rain to immediately think of using an umbrella. Much less someone else’s, natch. It took him a solid minute or two to realise that Ania was actually offering hi a space under the umbrella – not some other, unseen party. He even hesitated before he stepped under the small area of shelter it provided, as even if the gesture was in place, he felt that he needed a written or spoken order to take the opportunity. Some would even say he was nervous as he continued alongside his superior, thinking that he would be reprimanded at any moment for doing something he had not been ordered to.
“I have lived here in previous years. Extensive study of available maps and plans show that not much has changed, and what little change there has been is easy to adapt to.”
This flat statement, in response to Ania saying he seemed to know a lot about the place, was merely a statement of fact. Although, those that knew him would have seen it odd that he revealed a detail about his past without explicitly being told to do so. Some would take it as him opening up – those same people would likely apply rigorous shocks and/or prolonged suffocation and drowning to deaden such a thing. John simply thought of it as justification for what he had said.
“I have not come to London more than once during my time with the Consecro.”
A short, sharp, and wholly unenthusiastic response, delivered as little more than something to answer Ania with. If she pressed, she would find out more. For now, however, she would have to settle for this. When asked if there was any place eh would like to go the most, John stood for a moment, contemplating the question. Eventually, he came out with a response that his superiors had trained him to deliver. At least, to those in their line of work, and at their rank or above. Unless it stopped the experiment.
“My opinion on this matter is irrelevant. I do not have a favourite place. My opinion on any given establishment holds no meaning, and I therefore have none.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Oct 7, 2013 18:06:49 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 430 Notes:
-- Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground She kept getting these straight forward answers. Ania could tell this was going to be a lot more difficult than she had originally planned for, but she had set her mind to it. In the time she had, she was going to get somewhere. In one of those overwhelmingly dull answers, she noticed something. John said he had lived here. That was something she could talk about. she didn't so much take it as him opening up like the break through it was. To her it was just a reasonable explanations. had she known how serious this was she would have been a lot more proud of herself right now.
She wouldn't have been proud for too long anyway though. She heaved out a heavy sigh, stopping in her walk, watching John's back. she wanted to say something. On the other hand she knew he was like this way for one reason or another. Ania just hated standing around and watching this though. When she got back to Rome, she was pretty sure she would be having some kind of talk with some one. She wanted to be able to do something. Like she had thought before, John was a member of Consecro. As such she felt a need to make sure he was alright. Sacrificing his will for the sake of fighting togabitos was fine, but there might be some guilt mixed in there if she recklessly disregarded his overall well being.
"So you said you've lived here before? How long ago was that?" She called to him, hoping he would notice she wasn't right at his side anymore. She was hoping he would look back and see her walking over to a bench that was at least protected by some limbs. It as dry enough to sit on, so she did, crossing her legs in a mannerly way. One hand went to her knees while the other lightly patted the space open beside of her. "You can take a seat if you want" she offered, sure he wouldn't quite understand that she wasn't just being nice to the bench and patting it for being a good bench. Yeah, it was a good bench and all, but Ania didn't usually praise public furniture. "So have you been to other places while in Consecro? I know there's bases all over the world right?" she tried to sound like she was assuming these things. In reality she knew of places no one else did. That wasn't exactly something she could lead on knowing though. It would be very irresponsible of her.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Oct 8, 2013 19:40:21 GMT -5
John had not so much sacrificed his will, as he had sacrificed everything that made him human, bar his body. And even that was altered beyond repair. Even if Ania did get to talking with those in charge of conditioning John, she would not be able to accomplish much. They had managed to be discrete in their management of less-than-moral activities so far, and it was likely all they would do after being berated, would be to just make their activities even less conspicuous. And, if they needed to, they would kill off John, and blame it on an Arrancar. He was useful, yes, but expendable even more so.
John, suddenly noticing Ania was behind him, had panic flicker in his eyes. He had been trained to expect torture if he allowed such a thing to happen - however, his conditioning quelled this look, though some form of fear still bubbled beneath the surface.He processed Ania’s query for a second, deciding to settle on an approximate judgement, as he had made no note of when he had actually became a part of the Consecro.
“A few years ago. Exact figure unobtainable..”
Again, he delivered a response that was straight to the point. While most would have made some sort of small talk, John was incapable of doing such a thing. He would have missed it, had he the capacity to feel such a thing. Some would say that he still did, it was just that he needed to be brought out of the shell forced upon him.
John watched as Ania sat down, and simply stared at her patting the bench until she said that he was able to sit down on the bench. He understood the gesture, but needed confirmation that he was allowed the ‘privilege’ of sitting on a bench, with some sort of shelter from the rain. When nia stated that he could sit on the bench if he wanted, he repeated what he had said about his favourite place to visit, more or less.
“My opinion on the matter is irrelevant,” he stated flatly, “Whether I wish to sit down or not is of no importance.”
What was slightly chilling about this was the fact that John was saying this as if it was normal. He was saying that he, his opinion, and everything about him meant nothing to anybody outside of his use as a barely-human weapon. Maybe Ania would realise it, maybe she wouldn’t. The point was that John seemed to have no truly free will or even thought of his own – everything he did seemed to revolve around logic, and the orders he received from the very men and women who had ordered the complete and utter destruction of a small boy’s entire being.
I have been to no other bases in the Consecro.”
Seemingly standing to attention, with the rain pouring down upon him, John waited his next order or query. It was kind of sad, really, to look at how far a sweet little boy had fallen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Nov 1, 2013 17:16:22 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 499 Notes:
-- Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground Ania couldn't help the sigh this time. It was troubling to watch this boy, to listen to his responses to everything. She patted the bench once again, holding her umbrella out over him as she did so, an idea coming to her in the midst of all of this. "You know we can't share it very well if you're standing all the way over there" she stated, smiling up at him just as kind as before. "You don't want me to get wet do you?" he seemed intent on pleasing people, or at least certain people that included her. Surely he could reason that no one particularly liked getting wet. This reasoning in her head, Ania wondered if the wording she used would implant something resembling want into the boy's head, or at least trick him in some way. It might have been a bit sneaky. Honestly though she had done plenty worse things than that during her life.
Ignoring the rain that was falling down, starting to soak her hair and clothes, Ania listened to the rest of what John had to say. "I see. It's a shame you don't travel more. The world is a pretty lovely place when you get a chance to see it. That is once business is taken care of, of course. Is there any business you're doing here?" There was a question she was confident she could get an answer too without making the boy too uncomfortable. Reporting details of a mission seemed like something that should have been second nature to him. It was that or a simple no. Not too much soul searching was involved. The only issue that could arise was if something was confidential. The boy seemed to have some kind of clue about her power level though, even if it wasn't exact.
"If you aren't too busy tomorrow I'd like to meet up with you again. The others I'm here with are far too suffocating for my tastes" She made a bit of a face, though John probably would catch on to what it really meant anyway. She then giggled sweetly, her face returning to normal. "Would that be okay? We can meet at that same dreadful coffee shop again" the answer was most likely not going to be no. She knew that much already. Still though she asked, still trying to get through to whatever was left inside of the boy's head, however small that was. "Before either of us go back home yet, why don't we get some food? Is there anything you like more or are used to? I'll pay for it so don't be shy" She waited to see if John's head was going to explode under the strain of the question. He must have eaten something through his life. Surely he still had his sense of taste and could tell what was pleasant and what wasn't. Ania wasn't really sure of she was wishing for too much sometimes though.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Nov 4, 2013 20:22:01 GMT -5
Ania's question caused John to visibly seize up for a few seconds. This was not a direct command - he couldn't be sure what she was actually saying. On the other hand, the statement heavily implied that he was being invited to sit on the bench. He'd been punished for acting without prompt in the past - he assumed that doing so now would only cause even harsher punishment. However, he did eventually come to the conclusion that he should probably sit with his new acquaintance. After replying with a flat 'No', John paced over to the bench, and sat, ignoring the inevitable few drops that hit the top of his head.
Conversely, John answered Ania's next question without hesitation. The purpose of his visit, after all, was not something that necessarily needed hiding.
"I was told that this trip was to be a vacation. I was told to recuperate and gather my strength."
A blatant lie, to those who had any idea of how he was treated. They would know that he was deployed with minimal breaks, and they could not care less for his wellbeing - as long as it didn't impact his fighting ability. However, given how Ania knew little about John's conditioning and subsequent treatment, whether she saw through this was a different matter altogether.
John decided to risk himself once again, on the logical conclusion that Ania was implying that she wanted to meet up with him again. He had no interest in meeting her, unless it was for an assignment, official or otherwise. However, this would likely be fairly obvious, to anyone that could realise he did not have a particular interest in anything. He did make sure to clarify this, however, in his expected fashion.
"Is that an order?"
John seemed to understand that Ania wanted to meet him - he did not seem to understand, however, that she wasn't ordering him, but merely being nice.
By now, John was beginning to become strained, even though his face did not show it. He was not used to people actually asking him for his opinion on something. He followed orders. He transformed, and beat people to a bloody pulp. To be asked so many questions was unsettling for him - and he was becoming more and more paranoid by the second.
"I am supplied with rations whenever they are needed. Taste is irrelevant. My orders are to base my consumption of food on nutritional value."
Essentially, the short answer was no. He was able to differentiate between tastes, but he had no preference or aversion towards any of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Nov 14, 2013 13:57:07 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 512 Notes:
-- Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground She could tell that John was still struggling a bit to come and take seat beside her without the proper order to do so. Ania was at least glad in the end when he took the spot, moving the umbrella so it was now over both of them. She ran her hand back through her hair, rubbing as much water as she could down and off of the ends of her hair, finding it didn't do that much. While she did this, she listened to John closely,hearing about how this was a due vacation for him. She didn't really have any reason to think he was lying to her. As far as she knew he hadn't lied yet, and she wasn't aware of how serious his transformation was. "I see. Well, I can't say you ended up in the best vacationing spot. But you said you lived here right? Maybe they thought it would be good to be around familiar things" she was thinking out loud, just making any conversation she could. She at least knew this was a horrid vacation spot with the weather and lack of anything but post offices and stores that probably wouldn't interest the boy.
She blankly stared at him for a moment before giggling to herself. "It's an order if you really need it to be" she mused, knowing she could only do so much in one day. She didn't want him self detonating from the stress of new topics. She had already made him make one life choice for the day. She could indulge him this once and order him to do something. She doubted he would show up if she didn't anyway. "So I'll meet you there around noon alright? You'll be there right?" she asked in that sweet tone, smiling down at him, almost hoping he would be cracking some kind of smile too. Ania was well aware that it was only wishful thinking though.
That in mind, Ania was pretty sure she was stressing him out more than he had been in a long time. She softened her smile, trying to be soothing as he explained his normal diet. It was as direct and blunt as anything else he had told her, but she could work with it, make it seem like he was the one deciding here. "So something that's healthy? I'm sure there's a vegetarian place around here. It is still Europe after all" she joked, though there was no doubt that John would be oblivious to any form of humor. He'd likely just confim that fact that. yes, England was part of Europe. That was the only thing that kept Ania from laughing as she got up to her feet, turning around to face John when she did. she held her hand out to him, angling it so it was pointing to his own. Hopefully he could connect the dots there to avoid a long awkward silence. It was only little actions now, but she was still sure she could make some kind of a break through.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
|
|
Post by John Stone on Nov 23, 2013 18:32:09 GMT -5
John did not expect Ania to provide him with the umbrella's shelter. True, he had been provided with shelter before - him having a cold would be most inconvenient. However, there was no doubt in his mind that Ania would rather have ensured that she stayed dry, even at the cost of him being soaked to the bone. He did not think it much of a price to pay, but having someone sodden and sneezing tag along would likely become irritating, after a few minutes. He looked to the umbrella as if it were a UFO - someone showing kindness to him was not something he had gotten used to yet.
John listened intently to Ania, and answered, though it would be easy to mistake his tone for a bored one. Not that he was - he was barely anything. He just saw no reason to change his tone, and actually showing emotion and feeling it would likely lead to an involuntary transformation. In his mind, anyway. It was easy to see how he had such a train of thought, but the problem lay in how far it had been taken. It wasn't that it was his fault, but the problem was still evident.
"A logical conclusion. Familiar surroundings provide reassurance, making transformations less likely. However, isolating me in my cell would likely have worked to a better degree."
John could not process Ania's response to his question about orders, however. Did he need it to be an order? He wanted to know if she was ordering him to come with her. He wasn't used to being given a choice. This wasn't something that he could do easily, if at all. This showed on his face = quite prominently. It was obvious, by his slightly furrowed brown and twitching features, that he was attempting to process what he had been told. Deciding to take the statement the only way he could interpret it without self-destructing, he decided to take it as an order, and responded as such.
"Understood. I will be outside the establishment at 1200 hours."
His expression returned to normal - his unrevealing, stony expression.
John nodded, and acknowledged Ania's suggestion. To him, it seemed as though she was seeking confirmation that he wanted to go for something healthy. He was just unsure, though - he was not being given direct orders like he usually was. It was taking all he had to reach a conclusion Ania could deem satisfactory, let alone understanding just why she wanted to do more than just order him about. This was an alien experience, to him - he remembered doing something like this back before Rage had claimed him, but those memories were hazy at best.
Taking the hint, he took Ania's hand, and rose. However, he still stood to attention, not moving without being told to.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ania Charis on Nov 25, 2013 17:45:53 GMT -5
Ania Charis Words: 420 Notes: If the death thread is going to be separate can probs starting ending this one, unless there's something important Did You Fight to Keep Your Ground She tried to stop her frown, doing an okay job at that task. John spoke of being locked up in a cell as if it was a good thing. She knew all to well it was hardly an acceptable condition to be kept in. Her stare hardened on him, though she held her tongue about it. John couldn't expect anything if she didn't let it show too much. After a moment she got herself under control, hopefully not spooking the boy. He got up to his feet and she immediately drew her hand back, perhaps a bit too quick, but John likely wouldn't know that. Out of habit she held her wrist, glad for the cuff that kept it hidden.She turned around from John, giving a nod of her head for him to follow, but not much else than that.
After a few moments of silence, Ania turned her head to look at John, releasing her own wrist. "Sorry about that" she laughed softly, her smile coming back. There wasn't a need to continue on like that. She was there to make John have some form of a good time. Moping about wasn't going to get that done, and it certainly wasn't doing Ania any good either. England was dreadfully depressing enough without thinking about ancient history. "Well, I'm glad you ended up here instead of what would work better" she assured him, even if it was pointless to. She was starting to see some change, which in turn got her hopes up.
That said, she went on to looking for a place to eat. They were in a rather popular area so there was bound to be something that would fit John's criteria for something healthy, yet at the same time being something that at least tasted good. It wasn't often that her meals weren't monitored. Ania had every intention of indulging herself some. She might even go as far as to getting some dessert on her way back to the hotel later on. It would probably be the best thing she ever bought herself in the history of her having any money. That's when it hit her. she looked down to John, smiling bigger than ever. "Have you ever had ice cream?" she questioned, thinking very seriously about taking him along with her. It would serve the several causes of breaking through with the boy, giving her some company in Emil's absence, and it was a lot better to eat with out people, especially sweet things.
HAN: 16 REI:19 HAK: 19 SEI: 22 BUK: 24 HOH: 20 |
|
