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[Thugren]

you dont need to kill to be here my child...."

 

shango says with soft smiles, running her hand through vales hair with a mothers tenderness.

 

"But i need you to be able to Child....This is the way the world is... People like this will come and take everything from you if you dont fight.."

 

Zero clenches his fist visibly, and turns, his joints slamming closed with a louder than normal hiss that startes even shango.

 

"Temper..."

 

she says with a soft purr.

 

'WHen did you become so empathetic zero."

 

zero walks past the man in the chains and vicously grabs him by the  upper jaw, dragging him from the room as shango chuckles.

 

"Come on sweetheart.....Look at me and tell me wahts wrong."

[Oce]

Vale suddenly goes slack against Shango, melting into her as the spasms ceased almost immediately. She was still trembling a bit as one of her arms fell back to her side while the other hung onto the back of Shango's coat loosely, fingers barely digging into the fabric. She felt like a helpless kitten with the back of it's scruffy neck caught between its mother's jaws. She nearly purred as she nuzzled Shango's chest lightly, too lost in the comfort to be conscious of herself.

 

She turned her head enough to watch Zero drag the chained male in the corner of her vision, not making a sound or disconnecting her forehead from Shango's chest. The girl wasn't used to this feeling. Utter helplessness yet safe. It may have just been her lack of physical contact with others, or the distinct lack of parental guidance in her life. Vale wasn't even sure if she could view Shango as a mother figure, or as a friend. The boundaries weren't very clear to her.

 

Vale slowly shook her head, not feeling the urge to speak and incapable of forcing words out. She was fine, and she would be fine. She just brutally slaughtered a man. But he would have hurt them. She could deal with that. She would cope.

[Thugren]

Shango runs her hands softly through your hair, her motherly cooing a gentle rumble in her chest as aurora returns looking st the girl.

“ isn’t it best to just send her home N̂xng s̄āw.”
Aurora says as she drops a skull onto the ground that had somehow gotten stuck in a crate .

“ she obviously isn’t ready for this... she’s stricken.”

Shango smiles at aurora and pets her student gently.
“ she is fine.., just shaken up... give her some time, she will be ok to move soon.”

A meaty thud can be heard and the sound of bones splitting fills the air as aurora looks for a ahakleay.

“ should zero be allowed to be this upset? If his core shifts it’ll be annoying to contain him.”

Shango smiles st auroras words and shakes her head.

“ he is just venting... let him be.”

[Oce]

Time seemed to slow down a bit, similar to when you're trying to savor the last precious moments of rest before getting up. Vale's breathing deepened as she spent time reconstructing her grievously damaged mental walls until she was strong enough to stand on her own. Slowly pulling away from Shango, the girl offered her mentor a timid smile, thanking her with a nod rather than words or a sincere touch. Then she pointed towards the direction Zero went, intending to go speak with him or something to help calm him. Anything to get away from the smothering or patronizing aspects of Shango and Aurora. She needed to listen to Shango's advice. She had to pretend. There was no room allotted for breakdowns. When it came down to it, it was kill or be killed, and since Vale had already made it this far, she may as well continue.

 

Zero was unbiased, at least at the surface level. He had yet to make remarks that echoed emptily in her head. It made his companionable silence bearable and also allowed her to simply exist without expectations. Even though a part of her wanted to continue clinging to Shango and consequently get treated like a child and another part wanted to defend herself from Aurora's accusations, neither would be very beneficial in her growth.  She didn't care that by seeking him out that she would see him firsthand mutilate a corpse, thoroughly covered in blood. She just wanted to be beside him in his silence, for it was easier to pretend when nothing was expected from you.

[Thugren]

She doesn’t have to look far to hear the sound of squelching flesh and pulling bone.

As she comes into a quiet room she sees zero has straddled the man that had been in the room that had been tied down with the chain. The doll is brutalizing the mans face to an unrecognizable lump, but whatever he is doing is not killing him.

Suddenly he stops and his hood falls away as he turns around, revealing bandaged face and a tuft of grey hair. His eyes immediately lose their anger , the primal rage that had had him pulpit the poor man like a punching bag leeched from him like a wound and he slumps against a wall silently , motioning for her to sit next to him.

[Oce]

The sight was pretty much what Vale had been expecting. The ragged gasps and gurgles escaping the man in place of steady breathing. But she wasn't here for him, she was here for Zero so overlooking the mostly dead guy in the middle of the floor was easy.

There was no hesitation as she stepped over the prone body to sit beside the doll, her head immediately falling onto his shoulder as she reached for one of his bloodied hands. She didn't question why Zero had stopped his violence at the sight of her, because it only mattered that he did.

It would have been hard to sit in companionable silence with squelching of overly pummeled flesh, after all.

[Thugren]

Zeros fingers lace around hers carefully , squeezing her hand with his bloodied digits softly. His rage had fully left his system and he makes an odd sound as she lays her head on his shoulder.

“ do...... good...”

Zero thinks, his voice ringing in her mind like a wind chime .

“ stay all .... you want.”

Tenderly he cups bales cheek and pats it softy , keeping his eyes on the brutalized man .

“ oh look ..... zero and vale look so cute...”

Aurora says as she walks to the room and stops dead, zero gives her a venomous glare and the woman puts up her hands defensively, grabbing the beaten man out and leaving the two of them alone

[Oce]

Vale stared down at their intertwined hands for several heartbeats, aware of how careful Zero must be with his actions. It would take minimal effort to crush every bone in her hand. Instead of pushing her away he was going with her whims. Even as Zero cupped her cheek the girl didn't worry, despite bloodied hands. She was safe, even with Ida remaining in the other room.


At this point she may as well ignore Aurora's existence entirely. At her words, Vale closed her eyes rather than glaring at the female doll.

[Thugren]

Zero stares of at the ceiling for the longest time , his startlingly beautiful eyes staring into space , but his hand never wavers.

Those fingers, so lifelike and warm wrap around yours in a gentle reminder, the way only somone who cannot speak can show.

“ I’m here always.”

After a while he blinks and reaches into his pocket with his other hand, grabbing a small sesame candy and eating it slowly before offering you one .

[Oce]

Vale laughed silently as she brushed her thumb across the back of Zero's hand. It was peculiar enough that a doll enjoyed consuming food, even more so when one was rigged for combat carrying around various snacks.

Vale accepted one of the candies, popping it into her mouth while squeezing his hand in silent appreciation.

[Thugren]

You sit there for almost an hour , and soon shango comes in, her arms crossed over her bust.

“ oh my little vale..... finding comfort with zero? Good I’m glad to see you calmed down.”

Zero turns his head to shango than looks at the still living soldier .

“ oh he still lives ? I’ll have him brought to that black dragon as a warning... but come come little vale we have a meeting with the grey beard.”

Aura comes in and drags the man out as zero stands, watching vale get up

[Oce]

Vale would have jumped to her feet out of sheer panic when Shango entered the room, but her muscles were far too relaxed and all she managed was a quiet noise proving that she was startled. Lifting her free hand to wipe away the bleariness of her eyes, the girl clambered to her feet, looking over her shoulder to see Ida following behind their mistress. She forced herself to her feet, staring down at the half dead man as Aurora dragged him out of the room without a word.

 

She tilted her head at Shango, silently questioning who exactly was the "grey beard" but not feeling the will to speak. Was it going to be another fight or a 'friendly' meeting? 

[Thugren]

ida.."

 

shango breathes, as the doll walks over, animated by her will, standing patiently in the hall as she looks back at you.

 

'Come baby girl..... Ill let you sit with zero in the car...Well be meeting the old dragon for cakes."

 

she leads you outside to a car and everyone gets in. The ride is silent and somber until you pull up to the front of a palatial estate where several men in drachen uniforms open the door and allow you inside.

 

"YOu can relax here vale."

 

shango says as she does her lipstick.

 

"ALdywn is not going to attack us."

[Oce]

Vale dropped her gaze at Shango's words, shame coursing through her veins even as she nodded and stepped around Shango to stand next to Ida. She followed the mistress outside, hands shoved into the pockets of her gray colored hoodie. Flecks of blood had landed on the front of the material, and one of her wrists was soaked in the red liquid, causing discomfort as it dried and flaked on her skin. She was eager to shed it when they reached the car, tossing it to the floor and rubbing at her wrist in an attempt to remove the rest of the blood, though it didn't matter much considering her hand was bloody as well. 

 

It felt unnatural to be without the comfort of sleeves covering her arms, having been wearing a silver tee underneath with a generic rabbit outline proudly displayed across the front. Considering her black skinny jeans and the white roots of her otherwise black hair, she looked like a stereotypical teenager, though anyone who noticed the various small scars littering her hairline would be able to put together that her hair had gone white from stress. Though the most notable scarring would be around her throat. It almost looked like someone had torn out her throat, but she had never mentioned it, and refused to acknowledge it when she was asked. 

 

She claimed a seat against one of the doors, pressed up against it, practically curling up in her seat. Even if Zero sat next to her, she wouldn't relax like she had earlier. She was too conscious of everyone else. She was even skeptical of Shango's words.

[Thugren]

You are lead inside , and the entire time shango has you tucked against her side like a beloved child.

Soon she is lead into a massive estate with swooping hedges, and sitting in the middle in the center of grounds sits a small picnic house with a massive figure sitting in a chair.

If big was a word to describe a man , this man was the biggest human ever to be described with this word.

Large cannon like arms jut from an equally big barrel chest , and his armpit is charcoal grey , a powerful face and jaw are framed by curly gray hair that gives the man a look like a grizzled beast from the olden days . He looks up and locks two sparkling blue eyes upon the group .

“ shango! You have come!”

He says in a warm and welcoming voice .

“ and you brought a child!”

He snaps his fingers as two of the ArmouredPriest8 men come with chairs.

“ does she like cake? Or want something to warm her bones?”

Shango guides you to a seat and smiles as she sits, folding her legs.

“ nice to meet you old dragon.... it’s been a long time.”

[Oce]

Vale was reluctant to cling to Shango solely because she was doing a poor job at proving her own worth. But the warmth that radiated from the woman was hard to resist. She nuzzled Shango's shoulder as they walked inside, Ida trailing behind silently. 

 

The man, Aldwyn, she remembered, looked to gruff for him to actually be intimidating. Though he would probably snap her spine if he were to hug Vale, he likely only grew aggressive if he was defending something. But this was her own impression of him, and since he was an acquaintance of her mistress, she would try her best to be polite, which meant forcing a smile and shaking her head when he asked if she wanted anything.

 

As she sat in the seat beside Shango, she tucked her leg underneath her, silently pulling Ida towards her until the doll was resting her hand on the girl's shoulder. It was a reassurance, though it could probably taken as an insult if Vale was not cautious about it. 

[Thugren]

Nonsense!”

The large man says with a loud laugh.

“ bring the tiny one a meal ! Some hot beef stew and a nice cut of that double chocolate Black Forest cake I love... go go now sons!”

He says and the drachens leave without a word.

“ well shango... you thoroughly pissed my son off.... I am no longer the drachens of the company .... I’d have to publicly strike out against him if you attract his ire too much.”

Shango smiles as the food is brought before them and takes a spoon, sipping st the savory broth before letting out a delighted giggle.

“ this is absolutely splendid old dragon... you have to teach my cooks how to do this.”

Bowls are brought for everyone , including the dolls and aurora wrikles her nose, making the old dragon call for a chicken to be brought for her.

“ that being said..... your son is causing quite a stir... are you sure you don’t want me to take him out? Your grandson could be called back to fill the power vacuum .”

The old man wrestled with an overly hard hunk of bread before saying.

“ you couldn’t kill him if he let you... Adolfo is filled with fire he won’t let himself die until he’s fufulled his duty.”

He looks st vale with a warm and fatherly smile.

“ please eat tiny one.... shango needs you big and strong if you’re going to succeed her.”

[Oce]

Vale was beginning to develop a complex about being called small and tiny. She was 5'4. She wasn't that small... Though even her doll had ten inches on her. At six foot two inches, Ida towered over the girl, and her lanky athletic build didn't help much. She frowned down at her lap, momentarily forgetting that the man had just essentially ordered her to eat until the food was placed in front of her. She grimaced at the thought of eating, but after glancing towards Shango and Zero made her stomach growl. When Aldywn told her to eat, she made a quiet squeaking noise.

Ducking her head with a blush, she slowly began sipping at the steaming bowl of soup while willing Ida to take a seat-- before realizing something and instead Vale stood, allowing her doll to sit down before sitting partially on her lap. It was weird for Vale, but it helped the girl keep her composure in a permanent reminder. Ida didn't take long to finish, while Vale felt full halfway through the stew. 

 

She was going to be succeeding Shango? That was unlikely. Too much of an assumption. She was far too pathetic to even begin comparing to the mistress. 

 

Leaning back against her doll's chest, Vale allowed her gaze to wander so long as she didn't stare overly long at the gigantic burly man 

[Thugren]

they talk for a short bit but than things go quiet. When you focus a Dragon made of flame is floating in the air before your face and it screeches, startling you for a moment before it vanishes in a whiff, making the old man laugh.

 

"Oh...Oh gods that made me feel like i was with burias again!"

 

the old man whipes a tear from his face as shango chuckles, rubbing vales arm and saying .

 

"Focus....Listen to everything..Soak in everything."

 

The dragon finalyl gets his composure and smiles.
 

"Tiny one.... If you would be so kind...COuld you make me one of the dolls you have? and make it abnle to feed of my pyromancy and not some sort of psychic mumbo jumbo?"

 

Shango smiles and sits up, nodding a bit.

 

"vale is talented.... She wont know how to wire the core...But i can help wit that.."
 

 

The dragon smiles and sits back.

 

"How soon can you have it done?'

 

shango folds her legs calmly.

 

"Thats up to vale..but if she gets it done...WIll you get your son out of my ghettohs?"

 

the old man smiles and nods.

 

"yea..Ill yoke him back a bit."

[Oce]

Vale fully jumped at the sudden screech, only Ida wrapping her arms around the girl's waist prevented her from landing on the floor. She looked up at the dragon made of fire with a mix of awe and wariness before it vanished. Feeling like she was the brunt end of a joke, she lowered her head, even as Shango rubbed her arm. She tried her best to focus on their environment, and the man's every move, now too wary of him trying to startle her again.



Then he was asking her to make him a doll. She worried her lower lip between her teeth, not needing to look back at Ida's face to remember how unrefinined she was. Blatantly unfinished, even if the distinct lack of a soul was overlooked. Vale grimaced for a moment before reseting her expression. Ida deserved so much better than Vale.

She was relieved when Shango talked partially on her behalf, especially considering Shango didn't give consent. That was relieving in the very least. Settling back against her doll's chest, she smiled softly up at the man, nodding once.