A Few Days Later At the Veil (Open)

[newleaf]

"Sure. I am always up for show and tell."

[Neku Sakuraba]

I nodded.

Okay.

"Please," I said as my eyes began to glow green, "don't freak out."

I picked a target; one of the chairs that wasn't in use. I extended my hand; it was easier to control when I could see the movement, and using my hand to control it was the best way to do that. I lifted it into the air, swiveled it, then set it neatly, face-down, on top of the table.

Just that simple. It took a small amount of energy, but moving chairs and stuff is pretty much child's play for me now.

[newleaf]

"Telekinesis." Oilcan states smugly. "Seen some of that before. Another so-called psychic abilitiy. Thats kid stuff. Doesn't take an Otherborn as you call it to do that, although yours is more powerful than most of the spoonbenders you see. Course, yours comes from a different place, and most people who can do that eyes don't change color when they do it."

[Neku Sakuraba]

I twitched. I almost sliced the table next to me in half, but I decided not to.

"Well... if that's the way you want to play..."

And I smirked.

"Lea?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You remember the last time?"

"Last time wasn't justified. Boss's orders."

He rolled his eyes, but I knew I had him.

[Lea]

Lea sighed, rolled his eyes.

Then his entire body went up in flames.

Hey, if he was going to show off, might as well make it flashy.

He held them, like both a master and a lover. They clung to him, followed his will, as much as fire ever did. He kept them small; warm, but not enough to burn. And he kept them from smoking too much because goddammit, he was not getting another lecture like that ever again. He kept his eyes closed because he knew that such a release of power would draw out their true form, and he wanted to impress Oilcan, not get the guy to attack him - although he might just do that anyway. His hair whipped as if in an invisible wind crackling within the flames; his posture was relaxed, a small smile on his face.

This? This wasn't work.

Then, he slowly let them die, stopped feeding their fuel and drew their heat back, back within his soul.

The flames went out. He gave Oilcan a grin. "So. Was that kid stuff?"

The chair he'd been standing next to wasn't even scorched, just slightly darkened by the soot from consumed dust particles.

[newleaf]

Oilcan jumps back... "Whew. No that was Demonkin ability. Seems like since demons were cast into the Lake of Fire way back when, that they have an afinity for fire ... or ice... or darkness... depends on the Demonkin." Then he smiles back at Lea. "But then I already knew you were Demonkin. And I know that he is Otherborn. I can SEE that, or sometimes smell it... it varies."

[Lea]

He nodded.

"There are Otherborn, too, who can do what I just did," he confessed. "Still, you are right on some level - most Halfers, like myself, do have more destructive, or at least elemental, affinities... while Otherborn like Neku more commonly have powers of the mind. A lot of the 'psychics' you referred to are most likely weak Otherborn, or at least ones who can't use their full potential outside of a Crossing."

He sat back down, rested a foot on one knee.

"Your turn," he said, fielding the explanation to Neku.

[Neku Sakuraba]

I nodded.

"Lea's right. And, I guess my powers are a little underwhelming," I said grudgingly. "Still, there are some things you need to know. Like he said - fire and darkness and all those other things you mentioned aren't restricted to demons-only... and while there are abilities that are considered more 'common' in demons and Halfers - shape-shifting, for example - they're by no means restricted to demons and Halfers." I took a deep breath. "In fact... we don't really know anything about how Otherborn receive their powers. With Halfers, it's usually genetic - Lea's dad, sick sonuvabitch that he is, was a flame demon - but with us... we just don't know, only that they come from the Otherworld, which you likely know as 'Hell', seeing as you've been talking about fiery lakes and all of that."

Lea looked at me. "Hey, there was a nice lake of fire right near where I grew up... don't knock 'em till you've tried 'em, they're good for the complexion..."

I gave him a 'shut-up' look.

[newleaf]

"I didn't mean to imply that you were weak. Heck, what you can do beats what I can do all hollow. All I can do is see the true nature of things, I can't push them around.' He grins. " Except with a baseball bat. Or a chain." Oilcan sits back down and tips his chair back as he looks at them. "So, there are other shifters. Tinker will be glad to know that... we thought she was the only one... other than the wild stories, of course. And, well, I kind of believe in Dante's version of Hell, Lots and Lots of layers. Most of the stuff that manages to attack our world doesn't come from the deepest layer. Of course, Lucifer has had a lot of time to set up shop and kick the ones that he likes least to the curb, so I figure a lot of those guys are the ones that try to come here." He sits and thinks a while, the sits up quickly. "And no, Tinker isn't a Demon. Like I said. I can tell Demonkin from Other... but yeah, she would dearly love to meet another shifter. Even if it was Demonkin... long as it was some human."

[Neku Sakuraba]

I nodded again.

"A shapeshifter... truth to tell, they're honestly the rarest of us. The ability's a lot more common in demons, and it's pretty uncommon even in them." I shrugged. "As for Dante's version of Hell..." I shook my head. "The Otherworld isn't quite like that. Then again, it isn't quite like anything that's ever been written about. Sure, there are parts of it that resemble different versions of Hell, but if you look at each source and then the whole, there's still so much unexplained, by science or religion."

I shook my head.

"Anyway. I was brought here to explain the ropes to you. Since you've never heard of us, I guess the first order of business is to talk about the Network." I looked up at the ceiling.

"We've been around for a long time," I said, "in one form or another. The current version, the Network, is only about three or four years old, but the traditions we're founded on are much older."

There was pride in my voice. I'm proud of this organization, dammit, even if I do want to drop it down the drain sometimes.

"We have three founding principles, three goals. When our current leader joined the Network, it was in shambles, and those principles had been forgotten. A lot of people like you and your sister slipped through the cracks. These are our goals."

I ticked them off on my fingers.

"First – act as support for every Otherborn living in the country; offer them aid, treatment, and a place to belong. Second – keep an eye on and keep track of every demon living in the human world; add new data whenever a new demon is discovered and assess the risk posed by each and every one of them. Finally – combat the demonic threat wherever it touches the world. Hunt down demons that threaten our world from this side and destroy them, and stop the Crossings whenever we can."

[newleaf]

"Sounds like goals I can live with. Except.." and he smiles again. " I am not otherborn. Just plain old Irish moxy with a touch of the sight... so your first goal doesn't apply to me. But it does for Tinker. And I have spent a lot of years making sure she is Ok, and has a home, of sorts. I am glad that you will try to keep her safe. I wish you luck. She runs me ragged." He grins again, and his smile softens... I don't know much about what you call crossings, I assume that's when a demon breaks through to here. I can feel it when they are trying, and if they make it over here, I do my best to kick the big, ugly stupid ones back through whatever hole they fell through. Sometimes, I fight them, sometime I run them down with the truck. Takes an awful lot of demon to resist being plowed by a tow truck. But the smart ones, those that can look human, those are the ones I worry about. Thems the kind that make the most trouble for everyone, and the ones I can do the least about."

[Neku Sakuraba]

The ones that look human.

My mind flashed back to a certain shady information broker, and my head threatened to start throbbing at just the thought of that jackass. And that wasn't even getting me started on Ifrit.

"Yeah, they're the ones who're tough. Especially since they're also the most powerful. You'd be right in your guess - 'Crossings' are what we call those events that happen when Demons try and break free from the Otherworld into here. One of the things that make us Otherborn is that when they do so, we can see, feel, and experience a small portion of their world pouring out into ours - and we can interact with them while it's happening. Defeat the demon, and the Crossing stops. Problem solved before it even gets the chance to cause harm, unless the Crossing opens right on top of someone and pulls them in as well. I believe the Irish folk term for that is 'going sideways'."

[newleaf]

"Sounds about right. The thing is, I don't ... go sideways... I can sense it starting, but I can't do anything until they step out into our world. Tinker... Tinker was trained to go into that mess... and to follow it through to the other side. But ... I don't want to lose her. You see, they never wanted or expected her to make it back. The whole "maiden sacrifice will close the gate forever' bull puckey. But it gets harder and harder to keep her away from that shit. Someday, its gonna happen right there next to her, and I am not going to be able to pull her back."
He punches the table. "She deserves to live her life. She didn't ask to be born different. I don't believe that 'Chosen" horse manure they tried to feed her. Maybe God did choose her, but he didn't do it so she could live like a nun for 16 years and then die to make some Holier than thou" Sons happy. Parking Assholes." His eyes tear up. "And she's so special. Her shifting, thats one thing, but she's so damn smart, so damn creative. She's barely 17 and we've already filed several patents on stuff she came up with. I don't think God gave her that and expected her to throw it away."

[Neku Sakuraba]

I watched as he came unglued and I admit, I felt a little helpless.

I'm not good at comforting people. I' good at finding out what's making them uncomfortable and kicking its ass back to Kingdom Come. Lea and I are both like that; Tifa says that's why we get along so well.

I patted him on the shoulder. I didn't care that I was probably several years younger than him. I felt like I had to do what I could.

"You're right that that's all bullshit," I said. "Entering a Crossing isn't a surefire way to get drawn through, although if she's a shifter, she'd be in a bit more danger of that than most Otherborn. It's a risk we all take - but the chances are so rare, I've only ever met one or two people who have been. If your Tinker sets foot in a Crossing, she'll come back out the other side. That's one worry that I can lay to rest for you."

My eyes narrowed, and I could feel my Force struggling to get loose. Occasionally, I do have problems controlling myself when my temper goes.

"As for the other... I have no clue who these 'Sons' are, but if they ever set foot in my town, I will make sure they will never, ever make the mistake of doing so again."

Oops. Had revealed I was higher-up right there, but then, Lea had been calling me 'Boss' so if I could just play it down...

"I'm a Watcher," I explained. "Watchers control and manage the Network, and there's probably four or five in every major hub where we operate, as well as several that roam the countryside, carrying out their duties on the go. I'm permanently here, in Urbadelphia. This is my town. And the Watchers make the rules."

I waved at Lea.

"In this town, everyone who's on our side is welcome. Halfers, what you'd call Demonkin, can feel safe here. So can any Otherborn, even any Demon who's switched sides. I don't know what the Bible says about them, but they exist. I've met a couple. And I do not appreciate Bible-toting, cross-bearing bastards coming into my town and fucking with my rules."

I could see Lea giving me a look of healthy respect and I realized that I was probably getting over-the-top.

BUt any kind of intolerant, racist bastards were not welcome here. Urbadelphia was a safe haven. As the seat of the Network, it damn well ought to be.

[newleaf]

Oilcan smiles at the kid. "Those things are good to know. Not too fond of the "Sons" myself. He looks at Lea. "Sorry I used them as a threat earlier. But I couldn't be sure you weren't working for the slavers. The ones who come to take the Otherborn back with them to... use as pets, or expirement on, or whatever. And I do have the phone number of one of the Elders of the Sons of Righteousness. I am supposed to call him if my kid sister ever makes it back from that rift into the Demon world she" he puts his fingers up and makes airquotes, "ran into by accident a few years ago." He looks at Lea. "I needed some leverage, and frankly, not even the bad demons want the Sons coming into their towns. Those guys are bad news all the way around." He looks back at Neku. "I can't promise you anything, Watcher. Except that if anything gets to this side, I will do my best to kick its ass. But if you want Tinker to join your Network... well, you will just have to ask her. She makes her own decisions these days. But she's not likely going to be wanting to, not after the way they 'trained' her to be their sacrifice. She was smart enough to tumble to that, about 2 minutes before I warned her. Really, we are just looking for a place to call home ourselves. We are tired of moving from place to place. Looking to put down roots, make this our town as well, as long as we are welcome. Both of us, even if I am not an Otherborn myself."