paixaorpg | Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? [completed]

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Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? [completed]

Character(s): Mao, Shiek, and Aisling
Content: Mao tries not to give into horrible, terrible, immoral temptation.
Setting: Os Dias Sao a Noite
Time: Early Afternoon
Warnings: Copious amounts of Mao.

Glaring at the door before him as though it had done him personal injury, Mao began to wonder when he had sunk so low. But he hadn't hit rock bottom yet. Oh no, he may have been standing in front of the library, but he hadn't entered it yet. As long as that wasn't done he could still keep his dignity!

He wasn't that desperate... was he? The batteries in his Slaystation Portable had long ago run out, there wasn't any anime anywhere in sight (and no TVs or DVD players to watch them with for that matter), and all of his comics were back in his netherworld, but that didn't mean he was about to toss his reputation aside. Just because the library was convenient. And free. And might have a comics section. Maybe if he took the library books out without getting a library card or made sure to keep them until they were incredibly overdue and not pay the fine it would be acceptable.

No... No! Mao clutched his head. "What am I thinking?! I'm better than this!" he cried, immediately turning his back to the door of the library and refusing to give it a second glance. He was the Number One Honor Student of the Nether Institute Evil Academy and he was not going to step foot into a library now!

No matter how tempting it was.

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Aisling had been learning a little here and there about this new city she was in. Back where she had come from, a boy had taught her the wonders of art, so she could appreciate much of the beautiful architecture and the numerous paintings. But the lack of plantlife was unnerving… and so were the ceilings. Aisling felt a little trapped in this place, like it was more of a cave than a city.

However, at least she wasn’t alone. She’d met someone in a similar situation: Sheik. They’d been exploring together for quite some time, and had come up to yet another grand, beautiful building. However, one thing about this building that was unlike the others, was that this one had a short, red-coated man... who had pale hair and skin just like she did!

She made a face as he clutched his head and cried out – boy he was loud. However, as he turned around, Aisling, with a glance over her shoulder at Sheik, she darted forward toward the man, popping up just out of arm’s reach.

“Better than what?”

Though they'd been exploring together, Sheik was mainly following Aisling's lead for the time being. The fairy moved quickly and capriciously, which occasionally made it tricky to keep up, but she was managing well enough. The fact that Aisling wasn't trying to lose her certainly helped.

The architecture in Paixao was probably more ornate than nearly anything back in Hyrule, that was for certain. If it was some sort of illusionary world - something she hadn't yet ruled out - it was an extremely elaborate one. Could this be where the Hero of Time had vanished to? If he'd been brought here in the same way she had, it would explain an awful lot.

As Aisling approached the boy in front of it, Sheik stopped a few yards back from her and took a closer look up at this latest building, arms folded. The sign labeling it seemed to be written in a foreign language (odd, considering that the local people didn't speak one), but also depicted a neat stack of books. A library, then? That might be useful once she had more time for it.

Since she had pointed ears and red eyes herself, the boy didn't strike her as unusual except in context - which was to say, he dressed differently from the locals and wasn't blond. So it wasn't just the two of them, after all.

At any rate, she stood back and watched in silence, letting Aisling talk with him for now.

Mao immediately cried out in surprise and hopped back as Aisling ran over. "Wh, Who...?! Where...?!" he stammered out, not having expected anyone to wander by while he was trying to make a decision. He looked almost as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar (were the theft of cookies not an act worthy of applause for a demon). How much had this girl heard? He hadn't said anything too incriminating, right? "N-None of your business!" he finally managed to get out as he began to calm down.

Just how had this girl managed to sneak up on him like that anyway? Ugh, he really must have been deep in thought for him to not notice. He frowned and examined her. She was small, her hair was too long, and there was a strange aura to her. The latter was almost enough for him to tell she wasn't human. Almost. While he had his suspicions he couldn't be entirely certain.

Mao also took notice of the other person nearby. Whoever they were, they looked different and had different clothes. They probably met the girl in the city.

"Who are you, anyway? And what are you doing sneaking around like that?"

Aisling’s posture was relaxed, almost playful as she stood in front of Mao. In fact, in response to his stammered reply, she simply giggled, covering her laughter with a hand. It wasn’t often that she startled people in her current form, and Mao’s reaction amused her.

However, the moment his attention turned to Sheik, Aisling quietly slipped off to his left and scaled a few feet of the building, so, she was now looking down at the slightly alarmed person below her. She wasn’t sure what he was. While his body build was similar to some of those she’d seen in Kells, many of his distinguishing features, including his scent, set him far apart from the humans she had seen. But Aisling was getting used to not knowing exactly what things are in this place. After all, her companion, Sheik was new to her as well.

While the demon spoke again, Aisling took the opportunity to hop onto the top of the building’s doorframe, crouching like a frog. And while she was pretty sure that for some reason, Mao was talking to Sheik instead of herself, she replied to him anyway.

“Sneaking? More like you weren’t listening!” She giggled, grabbed hold of a decorative ledge to Mao’s right with her fingertips, and swung down so she was looking at him, yet hanging upside-down.

In spite of herself, Sheik couldn't help but find Mao's reaction somewhat amusing. That was the face of someone who'd been caught where they weren't supposed to be, even if the setting made it sort of incongruous. Probably this was the reaction Aisling was hoping to elicit from her when they'd met, and she saw no harm in letting her have a little fun with the stranger. Sheik was just observing for the moment, anyway... but, had her face been visible, they might have noticed the hint of a smile there.

(That was a relic of her childhood, maybe.)

Mao crossed his arms in annoyance as Aisling hopped from place to place. Sure she was agile, a lot more, it seemed, than a normal human should be, which only served to convince him further that she wasn't one. But did she have to move around so much? He didn't reply to her at first save for an irritated frown, but then spoke up to repeat his question. "Don't dodge the question. I asked who you are."

His gaze flicked in Sheik's direction. "You too. Don't think I didn't notice you hiding over there!"

Just as long as the subject stayed off of what he was doing her. Not that he was about to let anyone know if they asked.

Aisling found it interesting that Sheik was so quiet. Her friend Brendan had always been so loud. But, then again, this new stranger was making enough noise for all of them. However, rather than answer his question, the fairy simply giggled and dropped down to the ground again, flipping in midair.

“Why should I tell you who I am when you haven’t told me who you are?” She immediately took a few hops backwards once the last word was out of her mouth, and dropped to all fours, her long hair draping like a cape over her.

“What are you doing here anyway?” She looked up at the sign… it wasn’t in any language she knew, but there happened to be a drawing of books next to the letters. “Is this your city’s scriptorium?”

Mao scoffed at the girl. "What, you think I'm going to introduce myself without you having to ask about it? What kind of demon do you think I am?"

Mao stood a little taller as he got ready to speak, a cocky grin tugging at his features. "Fine then. I am the dean of the Nether Institute, Evil Academy, Overlord Mao!" He paused to allow them a moment to sink in, his grin fading the longer the seconds ticked on. "Don't tell me I have to explain what any of that is."

He was starting to think he was going to have to make a public explanation of it somewhere.

"Oi! I said that wasn't any of your business!" Mao snapped as Aisling continued her questions. "What the hell's a scriptorium?"

Sheik's eyes narrowed sharply at Mao's introduction. Even if she wasn't familiar with his titles specifically, the gist of them was clear, and put her on full alert. Her posture changed only minimally, and remained basically nonthreatening, but if the Overlord did pick a fight, she would be ready.

"A place where books are written and kept," she said, speaking up for the first time. Her tone stayed almost uncannily level.

Aisling was thankful Sheik had spoken up to answer Mao’s question, and hopefully distracted him from herself a moment. This was because, while the fairy wasn’t familiar with much of Mao’s title… ‘demon’ was a word she was familiar with. It was what the people of Kells called creatures like Crom Cruach, an eel-like creature that had destroyed her family.

In the blink of an eye, she’d scurried to the top of the building’s sign, her eyes momentarily wide with fear. Mao hadn’t smelled like Crom, but maybe demons all had different scents. Though… Mao certainly didn’t act like Crom. She momentarily wondered if this is what it was like when her friend Brendan had met her. He’d obviously been frightened of her. But then again, she felt that she was pretty scary when she wanted to be.

Either way, she remained perched on the sign, her head cocked to the side. “What’s a… dean?”

"Then call it a library. You're making it sound better than it really is. If it doesn't have any comics it's worthless." Unless they also had some of those old human legends, too. At least those had the excuse of comic books not being invented yet.

Heh, those reactions... It had been awhile since he'd seen anyone act like that. It was about time someone actually recognized what he was talking about. Immediately, he was grinning again. Even if the girl's question was a little annoying (why were so many people clueless about these basic things?). "The head of the school," he explained proudly. "In this case, the ruler of the netherworld! The one who makes all the decisions... The one who collects all the tuition!" From anyone who actually paid the tuition, anyway. But if all else failed, it wasn't like he could trick some sap into becoming a student anyway.

"So we're to believe you're in charge around here."

The statement came out subtly tinged with skepticism. Whether he was in charge somewhere was immaterial - the operative term was "here." Certainly Paixao could have been some kind of netherworld where demons were trained, but if so, where were the other demons? And what was he doing here, alone, out in the open?

Something about it didn't add up, and Sheik was half a step away from calling his bluff.

Aisling crept like a beetle down the library wall until she was about halfway to the ground. However, she made sure to keep well out of Mao’s reach, perching on a bit of decorative carving a bit to Mao’s right.

“Head of a school… you mean, like an Abbot?” Demons working with one another seemed like such an odd idea to Aisling. Crom just took and took and took… she couldn’t imagine a similar demon working with others at all. “

So… if you’re in charge in that school of yours… who’s in charge of this city?” She looked to Sheik as much as she did to Mao.

"Me? In charge...?" Mao echoed, staring at Sheik. "Tch, I wish. Maybe if I was, we'd actually be able to go home by now." He didn't know how they could do it yet, but he would find a way. He'd at least be better at it than anyone else here. "Besides... does this look like a school campus to you?" He hooked his thumbs into the top of his shorts.

"As far as I know, there are two different groups of people who could be in charge of this place. One of them is called the Organization. They're usually talked about the most. The other lives in City Hall. Apparently they burst in and decided to take the city for themselves. According to my research, there are at least three of them in there now, including one 'Mistress of All Evil,' a Lord of the Dead, and some pirate captain. I've never heard of any of them," he explained. "Oi, I'm not an Abbot! I'm nothing like one!"

That was unusual. If he was a self-proclaimed demon overlord, why would he be telling them this so freely? But then again... if, as he said, he was nothing more than an unwilling visitor to this place, then there was no reason he shouldn't. So for now, Sheik took the information at face value. From the sound of it, he wasn't aligned with the villainous motley that had apparently taken over the city, at least.

"But they're responsible for all this?" she asked, indicating their surroundings with a curt turn of her head.

For once, Aisling was silent for a while. If she had been in her forest, she would have slipped into the branches of a tree and listened out of view. However, this was not her forest. So, she simply dropped to the ground, and slipped past Mao, so she was crouched next to Sheik, her hands flat on the ground.

“Mistress of evil? … Is she a demon too?” Her last words were almost whispered. She wasn’t sure what to think. This place was so strange. A place with no trees, where the demons were almost helpful, and the sky was fake. She looked up to Sheik. “Maybe the Organization can help us get home.”

Mao nodded, figuring it was the Organization that Sheik was talking about. "That's what everyone says. Kidnapping, violence, experimentation...! Ahhhh to get a hand on those notes and see what was done...!" He seemed to go into his own little world as he spoke, his voice becoming increasingly excited. By the end he was staring into the distance, his breathing heavy and drool collecting at the corner of his mouth.

It wasn't just the mention of experimentation that so entranced him (though that was certainly part of it). All of this information about the Organization laying around, and yet, though their experiments were mentioned, there were so little details! What were they trying to hide? What couldn't they say? How horrible were they? How intrusive? There were so many questions to be answered! So many notes to take!

Slowly Mao began to settle down, wiping the drool off his mouth with the back of his hand and slurping up what remained. "That.. That Maleficent woman could be anything. I haven't seen her for myself yet," he finally breathed out in reply to Aisling. "As for the Organization, I wouldn't mind making a few demands."

So there they had it, the status quo. Sheik definitely didn't trust Mao, and his enthusiasm was disgusting to say the least; she didn't keep the disdain out of her face. But, for the time being, his information was sound enough when taken with a grain of salt - at the very least, until she could verify it herself. The villains of City Hall (who she'd actually been asking about) were tentatively responsible for bringing her here, and for whatever else was plaguing the city.

More importantly, though, she had a lead now. Enough of one that she didn't have to spend any more time around this self-proclaimed demon, at least. She had no love for someone who reveled in that kind of thing.

"... I see." After a moment, Sheik looked down to the fairy-girl perched next to her. "Come along. We've wasted enough time here." Rude, maybe, but she wanted to make her intentions clear to Aisling rather than just disappearing on her.

Aisling frowned at the demon. She didn’t know what he meant by ‘experimentation’ however, violence and kidnapping… those she was familiar with. List for such things was a trait of the Northmen, the people who nearly destroyed Kells. Even though he wasn’t a monster like Crom Cruach, this demon certainly wasn’t without… flaws.

"Demands, like demanding to go home." She... sort of agreed with Mao.

However, she turned the frown up at Sheik for a moment. Come along? She wasn’t a human child! But… staying alone with a demon didn’t seem like a good idea either. Not that she was scared of course. “I suppose I’ll go with you.” She agreed, darting ahead of Sheik, dropping onto all fours and suddenly appearing as a wolf instead of a girl as she trotted off a little ways.

Mao made an affirmative noise, nodding in agreement. Of course he would demand to go home. He had a lot to do around there, a battery that needed charging, and, most importantly, "that" to get back. If that meant he would have to shake down every potential witness he could find then that was what it would take. But he would find a way home and he would get "that" back, and then everything could finally go back to normal and he wouldn't have to deal with any of these crazy people anymore.

So if these two wanted to leave, they could leave. It kept them out of his business and left him free to continue... whatever he was doing (technically he hadn't figured out what he was going to do next).

Mao's glasses reflected the light eerily as he turned his head to watch the girl--or wolf-girl--dart ahead. Interesting... He thought she wasn't human, but now he had proof. He'd have to figure out just what was up with that girl later. As for the other person, if they didn't want to get any more information from him, that was they're problem. Mao was perfectly fine with hoarding it all for himself.

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Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? [completed]

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Maybe Mao should carry explanatory note cards XD

HE MIGHT JUST HAVE TO XDD

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