Eigengrau (Vale)

The depths of Hell was no place for an eloquent being such as Vale…or perhaps it totally was, which in turn made it feel boring. There was not much to gain beside connections and given his current state, most of the worthwhile figures would brush him off. It seemed to the Shinjin that, in this day and age, actions spoke louder than words and no matter how much he sugarcoated his, they would mean nothing if he couldn’t give concrete proof immediately. A shame, truly. He longed for the era where evildoers could still dream of malevolence and entertain ideas for the pure enjoyment of it.

So, what was left for him to do, but to wander aimlessly? It had become all too clear that he needed to change his approach and as much as it comforted him to do so, lamenting on times long past wouldn’t bring about the change he wanted. Well, thankfully for him, Vale was a patient man, and as with everything, trends changed with times. Maybe that in a few generations from now, he would have a better role to play. A few catastrophes to wipe the slate clean or maybe a convenient fool like Lottus could make it happen? Speaking of the latter, where was he?

The thought would be forgotten almost immediately as he sensed a bunch of individuals nearby. One of them, in particular, evoked some feeling of familiarity to him, in a bad way. They were accompanied by one that interested him none and so, in an effort to be concise, he shot a beam of energy through the poor soul’s throat, leaving them to fall on the ground, gurgling.

He watched on as the other interacted with the dying man, the seemingly lack of interest sparking some curiosity in Vale as he descended down from the sky above.

His look and aura were unassuming and unimpressive, even to someone like her, but he still acted as an individual of importance.

“Leave that fool to his death throes.” He frowned, before relaxing, waving his hands in the air as he smiled. “So, this is how you present yourself, nowadays? You could have done better than that.”

A demon as annoying -yet influential- as her, cloaked and masked. Was she in hiding? Oh, it had been so long, and even from that very brief encounter, he was forced to realize he hadn’t missed her a second.

He stared her down for a while, mind flooded with memories of old and the tragic resolution that occured. The sudden realization caught back to his nostalgia and he understood that this was not back then and that, now, he was in front of an entire different being. It was foolish to think otherwise, but he forgave himself for this brief moment of vulnerability. It had been so long and his perception of time forgot to include a couple million of years.

“Oh, silly me, I mistook you for someone completely and utterly vile! Never mind all of that, old age must be catching up to me. You are right, we are not acquainted in the slightest.”

She demanded more of him and that was a bother. He didn’t want to introduce himself, not before knowing who she was and what she was all about. Enemies were numerous in these parts and he certainly did not have the time to entertain them all.

He offered her a shrug, not wanting to play on equal terms with her. “I don’t wanna. You can call me Mr. V if you’re really in need of a name to call me.”

He looked down at the so-called partner. An embarrassed laugh was all he could find in response. Joining both hands, his mood switched to be more pleading, even a little submissive. “Oh please, you won’t hold that against me, right? That was an honest mistake, I swear on the kais!”

Perhaps he was playing sorry a little too much, given how little emotion he could feel in her tone. If not for that silly mask, maybe he could get a better feel for who she was. “Buut you don’t seem too bothered yourself. Whatever your reasons are, I might have just helped you out, which in turn would mean you owe me a favor.”

Making a rewind motion with his fingers, he continued. “Let’s take it back one sequence. Who are you and what are you? Answer that and I might prove to be a little more compliant with your questions.”

He looked around, wondering if any other similar to her could be hiding around.

“Because you see, I’ve never seen that garb of yours around and while it suits you very well, I can’t help but think it’s not the most fitting for this place, you see?”

Once again, he relaxed a little. “So, how about it? Tell me about you first and I’ll tell you about myself after. After all, it’s only fair. You can see that I’m just an ordinary Shinjin…but I can’t quite figure out who you are.”