Shay wouldn't have blamed Vapor for thinking her completely human; she had thought that for the longest time, too. Learning she was half reaper had been something else. Shay thought it should have made her feel different than it did. Even powerful creatures who had seen the entire world and more mistook her for being only human.
It was wrong that Shay had the tendency to use this power without first asking someone if she could, or using it under false pretenses when telling people vaguely what she could do. Yes, it was wrong, but it was all she had, and Shay wasn't above some manipulation.
Shay couldn't really decipher Vapor's emotional state; sometimes it was hard to read these things without a guide. She'd have said it was curiosity, bu the color was just a tad too bright for that. Something lighthearted, maybe. She shook her head and moved on from that, determining her time to do this wouldn't be long before her nose bled.
Vapor's power level was unusual, to say the least. Moderate, average enough. Shay figured that wasn't what made him dangerous, as much as his lack of emotions and morals.
When asked whether she found what she was looking for or not, Shay closed her eyes and reverted her true sight, brown eyes replacing golden. She sighed and rubbed at her tingling nose. "Not really. I think I already knew the answer before I searched." She leveled her stare on him. "I think you can feel more than you do now, just like I think you can make strong enough connects to react selflessly. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never been yet, and I have way more experience with all this than a kid my age should."
Shay wasn't used to people playing along so swimmingly with her prodding. He hadn't asked her much in return, had he? She assumed that was because he liked to talk. Most people loved speaking about themselves, and Shay knew that was the best way to get answers. Ask open-ended questions and let people spill their stories to you. But that didn't make people feel connected to you. To do that, one had to do what Shay liked to refer to as 'giving someone a flower.'
"I should have told you beforehand, but it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. That power lets me see information about people. Morals, health, emotions, magical power. It's pretty much the only useful thing I can do." Here, Shay flashed him a humorless smile. "At first glance, everything I can do is pretty useless and strength-wise, I'm not shit, but I can learn secrets. All sorts of things people like to hide.
"Have you learned as much from me as I've learned from you, I wonder? You seem pretty intelligent and observant, but most people don't understand me. How can they? I barely understand myself."
♠♠♠
“Feel more? I guess anything is possible really” it said while tapping a finger against its' chin. It was true though as it was possible, just highly improbable. After two hundred years if it could feel something more you think it would have happened by now? “I guess only time will tell!”
This had been a rather enlightening event at least, there was more to this child creature that made it slightly less than human, and to Vapor that was a good thing. The average human things were dull creatures that only focused on the mundane day to day, but here there were so many wondrous types to behold! It was beginning to think that getting caught and sent here was the best thing that had happened to it in decades. Whatever this one had did she had saw something inside of it, and that made it begin to wonder what else she could do.
“The things that seem useless or harmless at first glance rarely ever are.” it muttered after she had talked about her powers a bit. “At least that is what I have come to see.”
“Have I learned as much I can not say, I have learned a lot though.” It smiled once again, getting back into the charming stranger persona it had taken so long to develop. “You are a rather interesting person, a lot more going on with you than meets the eyes. You have some hidden talents I would guess, possibly the reason you wear those gloves? I mean it is generally not cold enough for such things, and as far as I can tell social etiquette would usually require one to remove them while inside.”
It took a long drag from the cigarette, basically bringing it down to the filter before stubbing it out.
“Or I could be completely wrong and simply over thinking things, Hmm?”
This had been a rather enlightening event at least, there was more to this child creature that made it slightly less than human, and to Vapor that was a good thing. The average human things were dull creatures that only focused on the mundane day to day, but here there were so many wondrous types to behold! It was beginning to think that getting caught and sent here was the best thing that had happened to it in decades. Whatever this one had did she had saw something inside of it, and that made it begin to wonder what else she could do.
“The things that seem useless or harmless at first glance rarely ever are.” it muttered after she had talked about her powers a bit. “At least that is what I have come to see.”
“Have I learned as much I can not say, I have learned a lot though.” It smiled once again, getting back into the charming stranger persona it had taken so long to develop. “You are a rather interesting person, a lot more going on with you than meets the eyes. You have some hidden talents I would guess, possibly the reason you wear those gloves? I mean it is generally not cold enough for such things, and as far as I can tell social etiquette would usually require one to remove them while inside.”
It took a long drag from the cigarette, basically bringing it down to the filter before stubbing it out.
“Or I could be completely wrong and simply over thinking things, Hmm?”
"You could, but you're not. Yes, my powers are touch-based." Shay paused, contemplated the idea that there was more to her than met the eye. "Powerful people keep telling me that, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm pretty much human. I guess.... it might be the Reaper stuff if you know what a Reaper is. Most people can't tell that's what I am, though, so I imagine the magic isn't very powerful."
Shay shrugged, uncertain and what's more, she didn't care. "I'm not great with labels, so I choose not to use them most of the time. Maybe there is more to me than meets the eye, but if there is, that's not entirely a choice on my part. I just am what I am and what I am is a child trying to stay afloat in this new lifestyle of mine.
"If I manage to survive to adulthood, I'll have one hell of a wicked story to tell people." Here she grinned and stopped to take a short breather. Words, words, words. At one point in her life, Shay had loved words; now they were difficult. Was that what growing up was? More and more difficulty? The little girl couldn't imagine things getting harder then they were then.
There was meaning behind the stare she settled on him now, meeting his eyes. She gazed at him as though he held some immense secret that she had been after. "I like you. I think there's something more, and I'm going to help you find it. I'm pretty nosy and sometimes I'm a real fucking brat, but I hear I'm good at this whole 'making people feel' thing. Maybe you want that, and maybe you don't, but I'd do it anyway. Because I care. I don't know why I care, but I do."
♠♠♠
It seemed that this young one was part Reaper, or so she had said. Vapor had always thought that such things had been myths, things the human creatures created to help cope with the thought of their eventual demise. Though in all honesty it should have known better, was it not itself the basis of many of humanities more recent myths and urban legends? It was learning many new things this day!
“I just am what I am?” It echoed the statement the child had just said. “Ah yes, a feeling I know all too well.”
It wasn't a lie either, Vapor had been asked countless times what it was, what species did it belong to and the like. Its' reply was always the same and that was 'I am me.' Finally the child creature looked it in the eye, and von Rauch something strange there. It was fascination yes, but for once it did not seem to be clouded with the fear that most humans and their ilk would display towards it.
“I like me too, and I must say you are the most fascinating being I have had the pleasure of meeting since arriving here.” It smiled at Shay and bowed its' head slightly. “Unfortunately it seems that I must cut our meeting short, though I have a sinking suspicion this will not be the last time we speak.”
Standing Vapor took her hand, once again kissed the back of it.
“Till next we meet Lady Shay.” Letting go of her hand it turned back towards the exit of the building.
As it left the premises and saw that no one was around outside the forced smile faded was its' face as it turned and walked off towards home.
“I just am what I am?” It echoed the statement the child had just said. “Ah yes, a feeling I know all too well.”
It wasn't a lie either, Vapor had been asked countless times what it was, what species did it belong to and the like. Its' reply was always the same and that was 'I am me.' Finally the child creature looked it in the eye, and von Rauch something strange there. It was fascination yes, but for once it did not seem to be clouded with the fear that most humans and their ilk would display towards it.
“I like me too, and I must say you are the most fascinating being I have had the pleasure of meeting since arriving here.” It smiled at Shay and bowed its' head slightly. “Unfortunately it seems that I must cut our meeting short, though I have a sinking suspicion this will not be the last time we speak.”
Standing Vapor took her hand, once again kissed the back of it.
“Till next we meet Lady Shay.” Letting go of her hand it turned back towards the exit of the building.
As it left the premises and saw that no one was around outside the forced smile faded was its' face as it turned and walked off towards home.