Aimon Settlement Second-in-Command
Gifted Mutant
plotter
application
If you want to role-play with me, feel free to PM me~!
Chibi Magician |
30 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 37 posts and threads.
|
Post by Vaughn Mallori on Oct 28, 2017 22:13:12 GMT
There was nothing that could deter Vaughn Mallori now since there was an objective he was determined to complete. A matter significant to himself, weighing in just below Midori, Sophia and the settlement. It was a mystery he aimed to solve far before the apocalypse, the events that momentarily threw his life into a form of disarray. Thus, on a chilly autumn afternoon, shortly after completing his duties as second-in-command the masked man left the Aimon Settlement with a steely determination settling in his yellow eyes. White steam escaped the mouth of the theater mask permanently attached to his face as he walked in an eerie silence.
As usual, Vaughn wore a pair of dress paints, white dress shirt and his red suit coat. Atop his well-groomed hair was the top hat he commonly wore. While he briskly walked down the sidewalk, his hands hid inside the warm depths of his pockets. Constantly, the masked man checked his surroundings; somebody sneaking up on him was a distraction that Vaughn felt impatient to deal with. There was a mission in mind and the completion remained far out of his grasp, almost as though the answers were on the opposite side of the earth. As it currently stood, Vaughn's objective were to finally discover the answers he sought for constantly which were: where had his closest friend gone and how could he prove his brother's innocent? A majority of people would have grimly accepted the verdicts, but Vaughn was not included in that majority.
Instead, he found himself leaving the safety of the Aimon Settlement to visit the Nootau Police Station to search extensively through the files concealed there. That was if they remained undamaged by the falling of the Maras bombs which he feared would become a reality he would have to face. A thought continuously coursed through Vaughn's brain that pondered the possibility of information being withheld from him. There could be a clue to where Leon was taken or perhaps some key item to prove his brother innocent of murder. Silently, Vaughn prayed for either to be existence in the depths of the station's files. He needed something to work with, something to give him a reason to refuse the concept of standing by and accepting what happened. It mattered little how impossible finding the answers could be since he heavily craved the information he needed.
Once Vaughn reached the station, the sight was off-putting considering how destroyed the location was. It disheartened the masked man, the chances of discovering information seemed slim. There was only a sliver of a chance he could find intact documents in that rubble or evidence from the crime scenes. A sigh of annoyance escaped Vaughn's lips as he continued moving with more caution to his step. As he began to step over the remains, Vaughn flared his pain suppression to life which granted him a straighter walk and quicker movements. Each piece of the station threatened crumbling, which caused the mask man to glance around in slight concern that one of the pieces would break and hit him. The further Vaughn drew into the somewhat maintained structure of the police station, the more the rubble cleared out until he could walk around with ease.
The man's yellow eyes glanced around looking for the room that would contain the evidence and case documents he required in hopes of finding something. Just a single tidbit of information to keep him holding on, something that he could look into. However, it was unlikely considering the age of both cases, especially Leon's that happened when the masked man was merely a teenager. Vaughn's hands slipped out of his pockets and folded behind his back as he continued moving through the crumbled remains, memories of being brought here for questioning after Leon's disappearance and his brother's accusation returning to him. It caused his shoulders to droop and the yellow eyes hidden beneath his mask to turn sorrowful.
After a while of searching, Vaughn found the door he had been introduced to on occasion. Slowly, the masked man opened the door in fear some mutated beast could be hiding within. After the room was successfully surveyed and Vaughn was confident that he could enter, he slid through the threshold. He gazed upon the plethora of filing cabinets and boxes, some of which were water damaged; that slashed at his hopes a bit. Quickly, Vaughn's right hand retrieved the flashlight from his pocket, clicking the button to turn it on. The beam caught small gatherings of puddles on the floor, yet another hope slasher. He began walking through the rows, his memory sharp and remembering the dates he needed to find. There was determination in the air around him; he needed to find those files. Even the slimmest chance was something that he could work with.
| Concealed by a mask, that hides the many lies.
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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
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Gifted
Winter |
28 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 4 posts and threads.
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Post by Shin Yukimura on Oct 29, 2017 1:20:22 GMT
Another day, another chance at dying. Or well, surviving if you were lucky. Quite frankly he was surprised some others had remained alive for as long as they had. Some even without any powers, sure, there were weapons. But even they were in limited supply and guns? Ha! You were lucky to find one anyone, those that had them never let them go. Well, unless you plucked them from a cold dead hand, which Shin had some experience in. Not that he was too keen on slaughtering everyone nearby. He wasn't about to just let himself be shot and just let his death happen. He'd fought for what he'd kept and how he'd lived, how he had managed to keep his home safe. Like he was giving that up now.
Shin thankfully for the majority of the morning had been lazing around at home, in bed even. Half dozing and rather content. He'd gone on a long trip a few days prior to gather everything he needed for at least the next week or so. Now, it was simply a matter of making sure that no one tried to get into his home, which was harder said than done unfortunately. Thankfully, he'd managed to secure everything away for the time being, and even got another he knew from around the area to keep an eye out and protect the place if need be. Hey, he was paying the guy, so Shin knew he wouldn't complain. Not too much anyways, hopefully. For the time being however, that gave him ample time, okay, well that of a few hours. To do as he pleased. And what better thing to do than to wander around for a bit?
Okay so even just thinking about it, maybe not the best idea. There were mutant and rabid animals out there. But Shin supposed that was what his weapons were for, to deal with problems like that as he went. Besides, he knew the area like the back of his hand. And as such, knew where to tread in order to attract the least amount of attention possible. By anyone or anything. For a little while at least, he was safe. The silver haired young man roaming about the desolate remains of a city half destroyed. The rest would crumble eventually, or be rebuilt, or hell another bomb dropped if anyone left alive on the planet managed to find one and set it off. Now that would be the day everything really went to hell. Until then, he'd have to hope for the former.
When he'd wandered for a little while, going in and out of various small buildings to check around and even the library to see who was still about in there. He headed for the police station. Why? Well he was curious, he'd been there a few times before and checked around everywhere he could find, even in the back. Wasn't every you got access to personal files on people. He'd spent at least a month a few months back, just going back every few days to look through every file that wasn't damaged in some way. Be they simply mush now thanks to too much water, or burnt into a pile of ash. Or worse, one of the containers that simply wouldn't open, no matter how much force or even raw power he put behind it. Damn thing.
Finding no one around when he arrived, Shin was soon to leave, wandering a little more. Only to return an hour later, he still had some time left. And thinking about that, well, he wanted to open that damned filling cabinet if it was the last thing he did. His pride simply wouldn't allow him to let it go now that he'd remembered giving up previously due to time. So, with a tired sigh, hands hidden within his jean pockets, leather jacket hugging around his body, he headed back the way he'd been less than two hours before. Only this time, well, things would be just a tad different.
Heading back towards the police station, upon entering the first part of the building as quietly as he could. Shin caught noise... sound.. someone moving around? It didn't sound like a something, the movements would be more chaotic and random if it was. Taking in a quiet breath, the young male moved as soundlessly as he possibly could. Even using a quick burst of his aura to step over the ruble as to not disturb it or make a sound. Landing back onto solid ground near the back of the station, where he intended to go regardless, where all the files were kept. And lo and behold, wouldn't you know. Someone was already there. A fairly tall someone at that.
For just a moment, he observed the man, who, at present seemed to be looking for something with his back to Shin himself. Hm. Looking for something lost... something they kept here? Or perhaps information? Well, there was only one way to find out. "You know, there's no point looking through those. About 90 percent of everything here is too damaged. O'course, you could always try that." Shin vaguely gestured with a hand to the file cabinet in one corner, behind another, and unopened. "But, that's your choice to make, ain't it?" There was an amused smile on his face, like always, a mask fixed into place, body leaning against a wall that was still standing just near the gap that lead into the room within which the files were contained. His voice carrying with it a hint of an accent, although he doubted anyone in this country would be able to pinpoint as to where in the world it was from these days. Ah well. More fun for him.
| Hiding behind a smile that scares.
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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
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|
Aimon Settlement Second-in-Command
Gifted Mutant
plotter
application
If you want to role-play with me, feel free to PM me~!
Chibi Magician |
30 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 37 posts and threads.
|
Post by Vaughn Mallori on Oct 29, 2017 16:34:18 GMT
Light poured across the dates labelled on the numerous cabinets, none matching the mentally held ones Vaughn had. The gentle splashing of his shoes meeting the thin layer of water echoed through the empty room. It was becoming quite obvious that the records kept in the bottom drawers were likely the victims of water damage. His flashlight met a corner of stacked boxes, all of which possessed heavy damages to the point where the dates were smudged. Anything within them would likely be too soaked to decipher, which caused Vaughn to flinch beneath the stark white mask. This was definitely not appearing to be a positive situation for the search of answers that felt like a necessity to his life.
After all, once the trail dried up completely only a single step would remain, to admit defeat. Vaughn's free hand clenched for a moment, certainly it could not be a hopeless pursuit, there had to be something that remained intact that would give him the information he required. Naturally, this was rather unrealistic given the circumstances and the occurrences of the present world where many would have let go. Survival was more important, but there was no need to abandon those obsessive hopes that he could find something, anything really that the masked man could look into. Instead of backing down and realizing the unlikelihood of discovering the information he craved, Vaughn kept looking. It was a distraction as he gazed over dates to the point where he was paying little attention to his surroundings, providing an opportunity for anything keen of making him a dead man.
The masked man's recklessness was shortly noticed when a voice startled him. The voice was male and carried an accent that Vaughn could not place, but a suggestion was given. Not long after the man spoke did the masked man turned to face the stranger who had managed to catch him during a moment of distraction. Momentarily, Vaughn mentally lectured himself for his ignorance in not making certain to check his surroundings or even close the door. Sneaking up behind him was probably made a basic task considering he had taken little to no precaution. What if the stranger had skewered him right then and there? Midori and Sophia would end up having to take care of themselves and the settlement would be forced to decide a second-in-command to replace him. Thankfully, the silver-haired stranger did not seem keen on killing him outright.
For a few moments, Vaughn remained silent as he quickly assessed the newcomer to the scenario in order to get a rough idea of what he may be up against. Nowadays though, it was impossible to judge someone based on their appearance considering for all the masked man knew this stranger was a power gifted; he prayed that was not the case. If the situation turned violent, the masked man definitely did not desire to be the one coming out injured or worst dead. From a basic analysis Vaughn noticed the man was tall, around his height or taller, with a thin build. However, the oddity remained his face where his eyes remained closed which suggested some other method of sight or sensory. The masked man followed the gesture, seeing the hidden filing cabinet that sat in the corner.
"I'm afraid that merely picking a cabinet at random will not assist my situation. My file search is for something more specific, a case I heard about that piqued my curiosities," Vaughn replied simply.
His spoken words were smooth despite being somewhat of a cover up. In actuality he did require the file to continue holding onto those petty hopes that should have long been released. However, strangers were unpredictable variables in the apocalypse which required carefully chosen words and the caution in giving away information. Allowing a mere stranger to use information about himself against him was a concept that Vaughn hated since being manipulated was definitely not on his to do list. There was responsibilities that had been given to him after all and they were significant.
"May I inquire about why exactly you are here? I do believe that the damaged files within this room are of little use to your survival." Vaughn began, an attempt to get the stranger to leave. "I am also curious about how you know the condition of the information held here. Did you, perhaps, work here or visit on occasion?"
If this silver-haired man worked here formerly, that could be an advantage that Vaughn could easily use considering his lack of familiarization with the room. The limited times that Vaughn had entered the room had been in the company of an officer taking him to get information for his investigations. There had never been time to explore the room and lastly the concept always seemed uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the law enforcement officer. The perfect scenario for Vaughn at the moment was the stranger perhaps giving him the information he required then leaving since the masked man had zero desire for the stranger to view the file he needed. Merely the man's presence was making Vaughn feel slightly tensed considering there was always that 'what if' thought. Like what if the stranger attacked him? What if the stranger decided to have fun and destroy the file if it was intact?
| Concealed by a mask, that hides the many lies.
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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
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Gifted
Winter |
28 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 4 posts and threads.
|
Post by Shin Yukimura on Nov 1, 2017 1:52:39 GMT
Strolling down the dirt ridden and broken sidewalk, Shin never thought when the bombs first hit that he would end up being quite as fortunate as he had been. Alive, with power that he could defend himself with. And still within the home in which he had been before those bombs fell, all in all. Not a bad situation at all. Of course, it had it's downsides. His father for one thing, but that was a topic best left for another day. It wasn't a good idea to start daydreaming or, more accurately reliving a nightmare in a place like this wandering about. No matter how safe he may feel. So with a shake of his head, that faded smile he had worn seconds ago now back to normal. He continued forward, he had somewhere he planned to be after all.
Naturally when entering the police station again, he expected to be alone and within the front part. He was. Wandering about, eyes casting brief glances over toppled desks once used. A society once functioning now in almost total ruins. Funny how life worked out like that. Well not amusing for some he was sure, but others, well, it was one heck of a time. Like his really. The only difference this time, was the presence of another, someone unknown, someone he'd never met before. Oh, how very interesting. This would certainly make things more fun.
Of course, he waited and watched. Kept his distance for a while before allowing himself to be noticed. The poor soul must have been quite focused or dazed to not even notice until he started talking. Either that, or he'd simply been ignoring him entirely due to a lack of wanting to be in the same room as some stranger. Either way, it still worked for what he was after. Entertainment really, and nothing more. It wasn't like he couldn't return here alone another time after all. And he so rarely interacted with anyone new these days. Well, who would blame him for being just a tad curious and wanting to poke at the situation? No one. And anyone who did was either dead or he'd learnt to ignore people like that long ago.
Something more specific eh? Well that was vague, but that was normal for a world like this now. No one wanted to give away too much, nothing that could be considered a weakness. A natural defensive tactic now. One that had the silver haired male smiling just a little bit more, a flicker of amusement passing across his expression for just a moment as he shrugged his shoulders slightly at the question presented to him. It was a good assumption, that he was picking a cabinet at random. He really wasn't. Far from it actually.
"Ya know, it ain't always nice to go assumin' things. Who says I'm pickin' it at random, you?" That accent carried through once again, a little stronger than before. He didn't need it, hell, he could talk perfectly fine he simply chose not to. At least not on a first meting. He had once been told his appearance and accent unsettled quite a few people and that was helpful. Keeping someone on edge, even more than everyone already was in this day and age. Had it's benefits, certainly.
"Ain't much use to ya either, yet your still here." Deflecting questions was second nature to the silver haired male, he wasn't about to answer outright. He had been bored yes, but he had also been curious as to some of the others that lived in the area. See if they were on file, if there was anything he needed to look out for. He always liked being one step ahead after all. With an amused look, Shin stepped forward a little into the room, stepping into the water that covered the floor as a result. Yuck. Ah well, it would be worth it. "As for workin' here, nah, just got bored one day is all. Looked through all this, 'cept for that one." Of course he didn't remember everything he'd looked through, not the faces anyways. But the number on each file certainly, he had an excellent memory... only with numbers unfortunately. Still, that had it's uses, like right now for example. Well, if this man wanted to give him further information that was. Still, as he spoke, his head inclined towards that same cabinet again.
| Hiding behind a smile that scares.
|
MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
|
|
Aimon Settlement Second-in-Command
Gifted Mutant
plotter
application
If you want to role-play with me, feel free to PM me~!
Chibi Magician |
30 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 37 posts and threads.
|
Post by Vaughn Mallori on Nov 3, 2017 1:25:17 GMT
These sorts of situations were always distasteful to Vaughn considering how unpredictable strangers were. Ignorance over the door and keeping himself aware had gotten him stuck talking with a stranger, however, there was always worst. Behind the mask, Vaughn's yellow eyes watched his new company for a few moments before doing a quick survey of his surroundings. The puddles showed no other people in their reflection and everywhere else carried a hefty silence; presumably this man was alone. Slightly the tension Vaughn felt eased, the silver-haired man appeared to be alone. Although, the question of species still remained in Vaughn's mind, this man could still be gifted after all. When Vaughn's eyes returned to the stranger, they caught onto that smile that remained on the man's face.
Prior to the apocalypse, a smile was oftentimes considered a positive, but after the end of modern society a smile could mean a number of things. It was mildly off-putting, making Vaughn's awareness increase tenfold since for all the masked man knew the smile meant 'checkmate, your demise is near'. Perhaps asking this silver-haired stranger for assistance was a horrible idea, especially due to the heavy link it held to Vaughn's past. For a moment, the masked man felt stupid for even considering the concept of asking; this was apocalypse and any information that could be used for manipulation purposes was far too valuable to hand out! When hints of amusement flickered onto his company's face, Vaughn found himself feeling tense again. He could not comprehend what he could have done in order to cause that expression. Alas, the masked man's body language did not portray the tension he felt within the room, years of acting showing their use. That was when the stranger spoke about assumptions, his accent thickening with his words.
There was not much of a defense Vaughn could make about it, he did assume after all. Perhaps the man was a mind reader? Hopefully that was far from the case, like a majority of people the masked man wanted to keep his thoughts to himself. It was difficult to avoid the topic of what he was searching for since it coursed through Vaughn's mind many times.
In response to the words, Vaughn gave a slight and quick bow. "Ah, my apologies. I was not attempting to offend," he responded, each word caring genuine feeling.
Offending the stranger was a concept the masked man wanted to avoid, anger could make people more unpredictable or violent. Both were plenty capable to create a plethora of horrible scenarios that the masked man did not desire to occur. Fighting an enemy with little knowledge about said enemy was something that Vaughn preferred to avoid if it could be helped. Naturally, there were sufficient enough occasions where peace was merely not a possibility, but currently it seemed a plausible path. When the stranger deflected his question, not even bothering to answer it, Vaughn realized that perhaps it was time to completely limit the amount of information he gave the stranger. The real concern is what was stated, the lack of useful things for Vaughn as well; yet another fair point. Despite the stark white mask completely hiding his face, Vaughn smiled innocently beneath it. There was a possibility that this stranger was in search of something similar.
"That is a fair point stranger, but it is merely interest that brings me here. A search for something to pass the time is all I seek," Vaughn stated, his words smooth. "I had thought that perhaps you may have been in search of ammunition or other weaponry akin to a majority of survivors, not dusty old files. However, considering your tight-lipped behavior when I inquired about your reasoning for being here, I can only guess that you have little interest on informing me of the reason."
When the man stepped closer, Vaughn remained completely still, there was little reason to draw concern currently. The conversation was remaining rather civil, but the masked man kept himself alert nonetheless. However, it was when the stranger began speaking about how he had gone through numerous files within the room did Vaughn grow concerned. His name was written on several of them due to his private investigations into certain ones, a portion resulting in arrest. Giving further information definitely was a horrible idea for somebody who seemed so keen on knowing about other people.
"I see, thus why you favoured it in your suggestion on which filing cabinet to sift through since you may also be interested in the contents," Vaughn responded quietly.
The situation somewhat took a negative turn and Vaughn had wished he had remained silent about searching for a certain file. It possibly suggested importance and covering it up by stating mere curiosity may not work accordingly. When his yellow eyes noticed the slight inclination towards the cabinet, Vaughn glanced over at it. However, the masked man did not make any movements to close the distance between himself and cabinet.
| Concealed by a mask, that hides the many lies.
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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
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|
Gifted
Winter |
28 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 4 posts and threads.
|
Post by Shin Yukimura on Nov 9, 2017 0:32:34 GMT
Whatever this man was after, it certainly seemed to be important. At least, from what brief perspective he'd gained on the situation. So involved in looking the other hadn't even noticed him enter the place and considering it was filled with rubble before you even got to this room. That seemed like a pretty darn impressive thing to accomplish. Well, if you wanted to win the award for being totally careless that was, this guy would get the gold. Obviously. Oh well, it wasn't really his problem now was it? No, but what was the harm in a little digging. He was curious. What would make someone sift through a place like this, what was so important that they'd come out all the way here just to look through mostly damaged police files?
Without a doubt, the silver haired male's curiosity had been peaked and well, he wasn't going to let that go now. Not for a while anyways, This was far more interesting than anything he'd done in the past few weeks. As much as he liked his home here, it was starting to get a bit boring, you know, with all of his family dead and all. Even having to kill his own cousin from going insane thanks to the bombs. That hadn't been a pleasant experience. Still, he was still alive and still fighting back. Better not to dwell on the recent past. It wouldn't do him any good, now here and certainly not now. Thankfully, this man wasn't overly difficult to read, the fact that he seemed uncomfortable in his presence was glaringly obvious and really, it only made him want to stick around all the more. Was that a mean thing to want to do? Maybe a little.
He watched the other, a mixture of curiosity and clear amusement spread across his features as the other bowed slightly and gave a verbal apology. Aw, he thought he'd done wrong. "Do ya always apologise ta people ya don't know? Or am I jus' lucky?" Like really, who did that? It wasn't odd per say, he could see where the other was coming from, not wanting to anger him perhaps. Like that was ever going to happen, still, it only served to boost his interest in whatever this man was searching for and the person himself too.
Maybe if he poked about a bit more, an odd question thrown out here or there, he'd figure a little more out. But the male was clearly on his guard, as anyone should be in this day and age. And that, well it made things a little boring. A little predictable you could say. As he knew he would get very little information out of the man in his current state, unless he could get him to slip up somehow. Hm. Probably not. Shelf that idea for later. There was something here this man was looking for, that much was for certain, the question only remained as to what. What sort of information was he after? Something to help him fight, survive, looking for a family member perhaps? All were possibilities, the task to him now was narrowing down which ones were true and false. A game if there ever was one. A game at which, Shin had become extremely good at over the years.
"Well yer not a bad liar I'll give ya that. But ya ain' just here lookin' for somethin' ta entertain ya. Are ya?" Was he certain that this man was lying? Absoutely not. But pretending that he was, would hopefully make sure he simply got a genuine reaction from this man. He could be telling the truth for all Shin knew, but he was taking a guess here with what little information he'd gathered thus far. This male was looking for something specific that much had already been said, if he'd be told what that specific thing was, well he'd have to wait and see on that one. "Co-rr-ect~" The one word answer was hummed quite happily, as if the answer was something the other should be pleased about. It probably wasn't comforting whatsoever, but well, that was the goal. Getting information was fun, but keeping someone unsure of what he would do next, now that was interesting.
When he heard the other's observation, he simply couldn't help but chuckle a little, the sound escaping him only briefly. Shoulders lifting in that amusement as well for a moment, even as he approached, even if it didn't take a genius to see that this man looked incredibly tense, even from a distance. As if he might jump from the slightest sudden sound. "Do ya always analyse what people say to ya out loud? Ya sure are a strange one." Coming from him, he doubted that had much of a meaning considering his appearance, but he hadn't come here to debate if he was a little odd or not. "So, let's have a lil' look." He said suddenly, moving over to the unopened cabinet a moment later. Like a child who had suddenly gotten bored.
Raising a hand up and tugging on the small grip that would typically open it, it just didn't budge. Just as it hadn't last time. The only difference was, this time, he was a lot more talented with his abilities, more than enough to yank this open. And that was just what he did, instead of tugging once again, he simply looked at it for a second or two. Putting a slight force of air around his hand, unseen by the naked eye and tugging hard, the force of it yanking the cabinet open. Well that was easy. Once done, he glanced inside. As he'd suspected, all the files within appeared almost totally unharmed. Whatever all these where, they were clearly important enough to be very well protected. "Well what do ya know, all fine. Knock yerself out." With those last fe words he stepped away from the cabinet, he could always come back and look later, that wasn't a problem. But for now, he stepped back, passing the other to go and lean against the wall. Giving the other more than enough space, personal or not to look through the files of the newly opened cabinet.
| Hiding behind a smile that scares.
|
MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
|
|
Aimon Settlement Second-in-Command
Gifted Mutant
plotter
application
If you want to role-play with me, feel free to PM me~!
Chibi Magician |
30 |
Demisexual
I joined in January 1970. I've made 37 posts and threads.
|
Post by Vaughn Mallori on Nov 11, 2017 21:03:24 GMT
As the conversation with the mysterious silver-haired stranger continued, Vaughn found himself disliking the situation with every word that entered the air. There were few cards for the masked man to play in order to change the favouring in this predicament. The thoughts of their carelessness made him feel ignorant for his actions; truthfully Vaughn was wondering how to escape the burden of the current situation. He required to be more cautious, to shed this momentary recklessness and some act. With an inaudible deep breath, Vaughn made the decision to place himself upon a "stage", he needed to pretend. The former ignorance was accepted, and shortly after the masked man straightened his back, causing him to stand taller than previously. Yellow eyes began analyzing again, catching a look of amusement written across the stranger's face; the other man was enjoying this.
There was uncertainty that passed through Vaughn's mind; was that a positive or a negative? Nowadays that was a difficultly to state, but for the time being, Vaughn placed it beneath the negative category. That was when the stranger asked about him apologizing, a question that seemed rather strange. Throughout the masked man's life he had been taught that if he did something wrong he was to apologize. It was merely polite, a preference over spawning anger in whomever he may be speaking to.
"I would much rather apologize than make you upset or angry. What good could that possibly do me?" Vaughn stated, genuine tones in his voice. "I consider it more a politeness, perhaps an ingrained habit from prior to the apocalypse kept up via human interaction with allies or potential allies."
The sentence was simply stated and cared a feeling of sensibility in Vaughn's mind. Being rude to everyone would be probable to create more enemies opposed to allies or even neutral relationships with fellow survivors. Any chance given to at least create a passiveness between himself and others were taken since it made him more likely to return home to his precious niece. At the end of the day that always was Vaughn's goal, to return to Midori in order to protect him like he vowed to Derek all those years ago. That was when the mentioning of lying came into play, which almost caused Vaughn to stiffen. Immediately, he forced himself to keep a calm composure, not allowing himself to turn stiff at the mentioning of 'liar'. The task was simple, the masked man had long learned to lie which was a sad truth. Changing his reasoning or evolving to snooping was best to be avoided, for the time being Vaughn decided to fight the lying allegation.
"Liar?" Vaughn started, making his voice sound the tiniest hint hurt. Nothing that was too obsessive to be obvious. In a more matter-of-fact tone he added more. "You wound me firing such accusations. As I previously stated, there is little contained within the walls of this room to grant an edge. With a majority of the documents damaged beyond legibility, as you informed me, it would be unlikely to find something to assist in survival. The likelihood of running into the people mentioned in the intact files in improbable considering the size of Iona."
Slight admittance was given, that admittance being the possibility of usefulness in the information contained inside the files. However, his statement on actually discovering the people mentioned contained more genuine belief than the rest of his sentences. Although, whether or not it was noticeable was a completely different question entirely. Despite being hidden, even Vaughn's face contained the look of a man somewhat wounded by the notion of lying, however, such allegations were fair given the current situation. It was the apocalypse, who would not lie? In fact, the masked man was serving as an excellent example of the question, especially since prior he worked in law. When the stranger hummed back that he was correct, a small frown was placed upon Vaughn's face despite the stark white mask replacing it with the constant smirk. Clearly, this was going to be a rather rough conversation to endure.
After his observation was made, the stranger began chuckling. Physical, Vaughn seemed to relax as his thoughts grew curious as to why exactly the stranger was laughing. He remained still when the stranger began to approach, there was no need for him to retreat. For the time being, the silver-haired man seemed to have no intentions of bringing harm to him. The reasoning made sense, the oddity at stating his analysis out loud was definitely strange and likely a habit create from his investigating days. It always assisted Vaughn in thinking, as those stating the words to himself acted as a way to thoroughly chew each thought that entered his mind.
"Strange indeed I suppose," Vaughn agreed. It was rather odd merely stating his thoughts like that.
Only a few moments later did the stranger begin moving towards the cabinet. Vaughn remained where he was, merely watching with yellow eyes while he debated whether or not he should follow. This man seemed smart and amused by him, which were not always good traits to be associated with during the apocalypse. He observed as the man opened the cabinet, taking two good tugs before the drawer opened from it. Silently, Vaughn listened while the drawer rolled open, revealing rows of files within the containment area. That only made the situation worse; in all honesty Vaughn was hoping the cabinet would not open. There was always time to return and use his body modification to cut around the drawer and discover what was inside or even retrieve the key if it was locked. That would avoid suspicion towards being gifted after all. Shortly, the stranger retreated to the wall informing him that he could take a look inside.
"Thank-you," Vaughn stated simply. The words carrying only mild genuine tones to them.
Now the masked man felt nervous, although his body did not display the emotion. In a slow hobble, Vaughn made his way towards the cabinet, allowing his limp to show by ceasing the use of his pain suppression for the steps. Perhaps he could gain pity points by looking weak, however, the masked man doubted that. His thoughts were preoccupied with the concept of what if the file he required was there? Taking it could become openly admitting his deep ties with the case which could not be allowed. Thus, the solution became a sadly obvious one, if the file was there it would have to be ignored. It risked it getting possibly damaged, but the goal currently was survival; he needed to be around to protect Midori, Sophia alongside everybody else in Aimon. They were the priority, not feeding his mystery solving fantasies. As he gazed into the drawer, his eyes caught one of the files instantaneously, but he ignored the presence of it. A sense of guilt entered his heart over it, furthermore since it was his own brother's. Yet, the promise echoed in his mind, protecting Midori was more significant. Thus, he allowed his shoulders to droop in disappointment, closed the file, and straightened. Later would arrive, allowing him to safely retrieve the file without casting suspicion upon himself.
A sigh escaped his lips before he spoke. "How unfortunate, it does not appear to be here," he said sadly and smoothly.
Not long afterwards, Vaughn turned to face the stranger allowing his genuine disappointment show in his body language. There was no other choice it seemed. Grabbing the file risked it being snatched from him and perhaps the stranger using it against him; which was something he could not allow. The situation was painful, but for the time being Vaughn endured by thinking of those he was required to protect.
| Concealed by a mask, that hides the many lies.
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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
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