why does nøthing ever turn out right

[exuviiated]

[By the time Aaron gets to his lodgings in the slums, he's determined that doing that... thing, with the Nox, was a very bad idea. He hasn't even had time to explore what his newly-acquired magic can do, and already he can hear loud chittering from the sewers and every dark corner. Well, louder than normal. But nothing attacks him, so he figures that's a good thing.]

[He plops down ungracefully onto the bed he'd luckily bought before the whole carnival fiasco happened, groaning, pulling a half-priced sheet over his face and scrubbing at it a few times before finally settling down.]

[And sleeping. For a solid six hours.]

[After that, he changes and heads out to find people. Maybe they'll know more about this than him-- and maybe they can pool resources. Which finds him running up to the next person he sees, apologetic smile already fixed to his face.]

Hey! Can-- do you have time to talk?

Comments

[unrecovered]

[It had taken Wash several days to recover his strength, or at least not to feel like literal death warmed over. Once he felt like he was up to it (which was probably too soon, but nonetheless), he'd donned his armor and hit the street. Who knew; maybe he'd run into Lux and give that asshole a piece of his mind. Stranger things had happened.]

[Evidently stranger things now included some kid running up to him and asking to talk. He couldn't have been local; he was too eager to talk to Wash.]

[Well.]

[Okay then.]

[He pulls his helmet off and raises an eyebrow.]

About what?

[exuviiated]

[He pauses, bends slightly to catch his breath, and actually has to take a second to think. He... didn’t expect he’d get this far.]

The Nox. Things. Did you—were you at the carnival when they shut the lights off?

[Did they talk to you?, he wants to ask, but that has to wait until he figures out where he stands with this guy; if he's firmly on the side of exterminating anything the Nox touched.]

You know, when they were walking around. And big.

[He gestures with his hands to give the guy an idea of just howbig.]

My name’s Aaron, by the way. Sorry for yelling at you.

[unrecovered]

[Of course everyone wants to talk about the carnival. Of course.]

[It's a testament to Wash's restraint and the strength of his poker face that he doesn't actually show what he's thinking. He's over what had happened well enough to fake indifference, but only just barely.]

Yeah. What about them?

[Has no one ever taught this kid how to hold a conversation?]

Washington.

[exuviiated]

Washington. Hi. Well, I was just wondering, did you get offered-- a deal? Did they offer you a different type of magic?

[That... Was a bit too blunt. But subtlety had melted away in the days after agreeing to the Deal, and he didn't see how being to-the-point could affect things too badly.]

What do you think of them? I know we were sent here to get rid of them, but-- I don't really know. I'm just looking for opinions.

[unrecovered]

[His poker face hasn't gotten this much of a workout since his decertification. He stays expressionless at the mention of a deal. Evidently he's not the only one who got the offer; the question now is whether he's the only one who turned it down.]

They told me a lot, mostly about where they'd come from and what they wanted. I have no idea whether they were actually telling the truth, or lying to get sympathy. And yeah, they offered me a deal.

[Moment of truth here.] Did you take it?

big baby alert

[exuviiated]

[Well, this is awkward. He clearly doesn't have a favorable view of the Nox; not that Aaron does, but at least he was smart enough to take a clear advantage.]

Yeah. I took it. It was either that or be stuck with my magic, which isn't all that helpful to begin with.

[...he used to love his healing magic, and he nearly questions the mint-new outlook on it, but he turns his focus towards Washington again.]

Did you?

[unrecovered]

[Or dumb enough to sell his soul to the devil. Semantics.]

Really. What did you have before the deal?

[He's going to skate on by that latter question now that he knows he's dealing with someone who's...possessed? Tainted? Not in a good situation, either way.]

[exuviiated]

[He shrugs, and shifts his weight from foot to foot a few times before looking Washington in the face again.]

I had healing magic, but it wasn't strong enough to heal more than a splinter. What type of magic do you have?

[That would answer his question about whether Washington had taken the deal or not.]

[unrecovered]

[Well, shit. So much for avoiding the question. He can't let this guy know he turned down the deal - he doesn't want to die again-]

[Well, he's gotten out of deadly situations before. He turns the question on its head; a wry smirk spreads across his face, and he snorts, putting as much frustrated indignance in his voice as he can. Either he's going to sell this, or it's going to get him killed.]

Would you believe I don't fucking have anything? I got stiffed. I didn't have anything to offer, so I couldn't take the deal.

[exuviiated]

[He certainly sounds convinced that the Nox cheated him; but they hadn't demanded anything of Aaron-- they'd encouraged him, even, though in a backhanded way.]

Huh. Weird. They didn't have any problem dealing with me.

[Heh.]

Maybe because they figured out trying to exchange more than magic was too harsh.

[unrecovered]

[That wasn't what he'd been trying to sell, but okay! Time to roll with it.]

Well, you're the lucky one.

[Wait, what]

What's that supposed to mean?

[exuviiated]

[This guy sounds confused. Aaron's never figured himself to be Mr. Exposition, but somebody's gotta do it.]

They traded my healing magic for much stronger shadow magic.

[He summons a tendril for some show 'n tell-- it curls around his fingers lovingly.]

[Or possessively, depending on through which lens Washington is viewing this exchange through.]

[unrecovered]

[Wash is poker facing like a motherfucker because that is the creepiest fucking thing he's seen in weeks, holy shit.]

Huh.

[He can manage more than that. Time to act...well, whatever passes for natural around here.]

What can you do with it?

[exuviiated]

[It's gotta be creepy to see that. Aaron grins-- normally, he'd feel bad for doing anything that could make someone even vaguely uncomfortable-- and holds his hand out. He's halfway showing off, halfway digging for a reaction.]

Anything I want.

[Which is a little bit of an exaggeration, but not too much of one.]

[unrecovered]

[It is incredibly creepy to see that - not that you'd know it from Wash's expression. It's been a long time since his poker face has gotten this much of a workout. He stays where he is and raises both eyebrows at that claim.]

Really.

[Look who doesn't believe that claim.]

Okay then, what do you use it for?

[exuviiated]

[The fact that he can't get a reaction rubs him the wrong way, for some reason. He doesn't question why and instead makes it disintegrate under the scant sunlight.]

I use it for whatever I want to. It's harmless, and it can do so much more than the regular magicks that you'll see around here.

[That is most definitely a lie.]

[unrecovered]

[THANK GOD.]

If it's as harmless as you say, why trade your magic for it?

[...turns out he still doesn't know how to leave well enough alone.]

[exuviiated]

Because it is, and I know it.

[Wash won't get any explanation further than that.]

--and it keeps the Nox from attacking me ever since I traded my magic.

[unrecovered]

Well that's reassuring.

[That is not at all reassuring.]

That doesn't mean you're safe. What makes you think they're not tracking you or controlling you?

They gave you magic. What did they get out of their end of the deal?

[exuviiated]

One less person trying to kill them. Maybe if people stopped going after them, they'd stop going after us.

[It makes sense in his head, okay?]

And they're not controlling me, because I don't want to kill or attack anyone, but I-- well, it's a stronger magic, even if it doesn't really work on them, I think? I haven't tried yet.

[He pauses on his tangent to look at Wash.]

So, I don't really know.

[unrecovered]

[Oh you sweet summer child.]

Which would make a lot more sense if they didn't have a habit of going after us first.

[He tries not to sigh. Seriously, this is more trouble than he wanted to deal with today.]

That makes both of us.

sweet summer child? bitter winter adult

[exuviiated]

Probably because they know we've been sent to kill them.

[He crosses his arms. And really, he kind of wants to leave what he knows is a lost argument.]

But fine, have fun getting attacked by them.