and Marcus
Persephone's plane rumbled with turbulence as New York crested into view. She could hear the pilots talking with the tower over their headsets. As they closed in on the runway jolts of lightning spewed from the earth in apocalyptic fashion. Persephone instinctively flinched at the power of the electricity as the plane jerked away in fear. She heard one of the pilots curse under his breath.
The plane corrected itself and was once again coming in for a second landing. This time everything went smoothly and the plane touched down. Persephone collected her only belongings which barely amounted to a carry on bag. She stepped off the plane and went through customs.
[color=lightpurple]"Hello Miss Masers, so glad your flight arrived safely with that crazy thunderbolt we just had. Is there anything you would like to declare before finishing entering the country?"[/color] The TSA agent asked semi cheerfully.
"No ma'am, I have very little to my name, so just some spare clothes and my research." Persephone answered a little nervously, always worried when people looked at her i.d. they saw who she was before. But the agent barely smiled and handed everything back to her.
The young botanist left the airport and as she stepped outside she was greeted by a man holding a sign with her name on it.
"Hello, I am Miss Masers." She said nervously to him.
"Hello Miss Masers, I am Phil! I was asked to come pick you up and make sure you get to the Guild safely and answer any questions you may have still lingering. Oh and you have a twig in your hair, let me help." Phil reached out to grab at the plant but Persphone stepped back.
"I am sorry, please don't. I wish to not sound rude, but this is a Liana Vine from the rainforest in Brazil. I couldn't leave my home without something to remind me of it.""My deepest apologies miss, I did not mean to offend you. Please step in the car and I will get you to Headquarters before you know it. I have been told everything you asked for is already set up and waiting for you, even the greenhouse." Phil said way too happily.
Persephone sighed worried that the only thing she asked for before coming to New York is done. She needed a safe place where she could grow and nurture her babies despite the colder temperatures of the north. They rode around with minimal chit chat the rest of the time in the car.
The car pulled into an underground garage, Persephone began to feel a bit claustrophobic. She wasn't used to the concrete jungle of New York. She missed her lush forests, the vibrancy of a world teeming with life both seen and unseen. The freshest air that could only be found in the deepest darkest corners of the Amazon. This steel and stone city felt like a suffocating coffin. The air thick with pollution made her throat feel like she was inhaling fire. She supposed she would have to get used to the bright lights and … odd smell quick if she wanted to traverse through the busy world.
After the car parked Phil told her not to worry about her bag he would take care of it. She softly said her thanks and walked into the Guild Headquarters. The opulence of the building was staggering to Persephone, who was used to sleeping beneath the stars in the canopy of trees on the worst of nights. The white marble and gold trim of the Headquarters was blinding at best, she had to squint her eyes until they got used to the brightness of it all.
Across the way, Guild Lieutenant Marcus Stone observed Persephone who he could see was clearly new to the Guild. Especially if she had been escorted by Phil of all people. Marcus thought of him as a good guy at heart, but Phil wasn't particularly great at reading people.
Maybe I should give her a better impression on the Guild… The last thing we need is someone joining Dark Shadow because we gave a shitty welcoming. Marcus put on his best friendly face and walked over. He had been waiting to receive the official word on what happened with Salem from any passersby that looked old enough to be on the council. He was also people watching, but he'd never admit to that.
"Too bright huh?" Marcus said with a grin. Now that he was closer, he could see just how wide-eyed she was.
"Sadly, it's not something anyone ever gets used to. The gold trim gets polished on a weekly basis, so I might recommend shades on bright days like this… Wait, where are my manners? I'm Marcus, and I guess I'm filling in for Phil while he gets your things to the right place." Marcus held out his hand for a handshake. It was then that he noticed the vine in Persephone's hair. He made a quick mental note of it.
Persephone was caught off guard by a man named Marcus walking up to her right off the bat. She considered herself an extreme introvert on the best of days, and this man came up to her like they were old friends. She sheepishly shook his hand back, mostly because it was the polite thing to do.
"I am sorry, hah, I just haven't had the occasion to have much …. Human interaction in the last couple years. It is, um, nice to meet you. I am Persephone, but uh, you can call me Pers for short. If I had friends I am sure that's what they would call me. And yeah, I am overwhelmed by all this. It's like something out of an old story, like Atlantis or something." She said looking around once more trying to take it all in.
Marcus took a look around just as Persephone did. He envied her. She could admire these surroundings, and while Marcus was aware of the beauty of things, familiarity made it dull to his eyes. Once his sights rendezvoused with hers he spoke.
"Pers? I like Persephone better… BUT you can consider me your first friend here at the Guild. So where to first? You don't want to hit this boring old place first." Marcus pointed at the headquarters building with his thumb.
'It's mostly admin stuff and checking in. I can probably pull some strings and get that done and out of the way for you." Marcus assured. "Now there's the library, the gymnasium, a place to specifically for practicing magic, the huge garden… and um then there also…" Marcus purposely stalled after mention of the garden.
Persephone listened to Marcus talk about the Headquarters, she wasn't interested in the administrative duties. She had little interest in any form of power, she preferred just research and improving plants overall. The library could be useful since she was mostly familiar with only flora in the Amazon. She had no interest in the gym, her abilities weren't really combat oriented, although she could fight if she had to. But when she heard about the garden she suddenly got excited.
"I need to see the garden right away. How big is it? What state is it in? Do you know what sort of ecosystem is it based off of? What are some of the plants kept there?" Her excitement was palpable as she fired off question after question..
Marcus smiled at Persephone's excitement. Now, she was comfortable. Her barrage of questions made Marcus chuckle inside. Adorable.
"Come on." He urged while nodding his head in the direction of the garden. He figured they could walk there since it wasn't too far away. "I don't know much about plants… I do have a friend who does, but she doesn't… she doesn't really talk much... Anyway, I can only assume you magical ability revolves around plants. A lot users like you got together and created the garden." Marcus could always relate to those with chloromancers or botanokinetics due to the nature of their powers. "I like your type you know. I mean, you value your element a bit more than the others."
"Well without plants our very own ecosystem and way of living would crumble. Think about it, with no plant life the ability to support existence as a whole would cease. We would lose oxygen, which in turn would completely eradicate the ozone layer. With that the sun would have unfiltered access to the earth. The temperatures would increase exponentially, the sun would bake the ground killing off all animal life that could no longer take proper shelter. It would essentially destroy any and all forms of life on the planet's surface. So I am extremely passionate about plants and keeping us all alive." Persephone realized she had gone off tangent and stopped herself with a slight glow to her cheeks. She kept following Marcus towards the gardens excited for what she would see.
Marcus had listened to Persephone's entire explanation as the two walked. He had noticed some members and at least one captain give him some odd looks. Probably wondering who is special enough to be escorted by me.
"Passionate…" Marcus said this without looking at Persephone. Her sudden pause let him know she finally realized she had been talking more than she was used to. "I just figured it was because they're alive like us. Hmm, I never thought that deeply into it though. I guess you can show me what you can do once we get to the garden. It's just around the bend. Should be coming into view in just a sec."
Persephone turned the corner and stared in amazement. The gardens where huge, there many plants and small animal life everywhere she could see. Persephone walked through in silent reverie, she never expected something like this would exist inside such a dirty city. Persephone knew she would spend most of her time in this area with many nights spent as well. She found a bushel of Tulips that had seen better days. The wonderstruck girl walked over and placed her hand near the flowers. After a second they began to perk back up with renewed vigour and vibrancy.
"It's ok my babies, I am here now. I will take care of all of you, and when I find my sister maybe she can help me here… that is if she even has my gifts!" Persephone said to the newly revived plants.
Marcus was just glad to witness Persephone's excitement. He noticed the ease of use of her abilities. Another mental note was taken regarding this. Marcus did not mean to assess the new recruit, but the Guild needed more standouts among their ranks. It was almost instinctive the way he did it.
"What's her name? I might be able to help." Marcus talked to many people at the Guild and had been here his entire life. So he was sure he would know.
"That would be so nice. I haven't seen her since I was young, and I really don't remember much since I was so young. But I do remember her having a mage mark. Her name is Circe Masers. I had heard she was here in New York, it is why I left Brazil." she said looking over to Marcus, but his expression showed a frightening mix of emotions. His smiling face was replaced by a cold, hard expressions. His eyes looked through Persephone as he was taken away by the darkest of his thoughts.
"Circe Masers…" Marcus said the name coldly. His eyes found Persephone again before he continued. She doesn't know?!… She doesn't know… "Sounds familiar, but I think she might be the only person I don't know of by name…" Marcus tried to say comfortably.
I can't tell her the truth, just look at her! She doesn't even know what that woman is! "I must be losing my touch with everyone I guess. I can look into it though" Marcus always practiced transparency, but this was a circumstance he was unprepared for.
The young woman was taken aback by the sudden change in Marcus's demeanor. He was so open and aloof just a moment ago, but at the mention at her sister he shut down and closed up shop.
I wonder if they are connected, were they a couple and she broke his heart? Poor guy, it must of been bad. She touched his shoulder sympathetically and took a deep breath.
"I am sorry, I can see I touched a nerve. I am sure I will bump into her around here somewhere. Anyways, I am hungry is there anywhere I can grab a bite to eat? They didn't have anything good on the flight." She said trying to pull him out of the shadows she saw in his eyes.
"Uh. Well, there's a food court close by. They have some cheap spots there for a quick bite, but next time we can check out this restaurant a friend of mine works at in the mundane part of the city. He's part of the wait staff so we'll be treated well." Marcus was regaining his bearings thanks to Persephone changing the subject.
I promise I'll tell you, just not now. "Let's go." He said leading the way.
Persephone smiled weakly at Marcus, food sounded so much better than whatever emotional baggage Marcus held with her sister. She turned to leave the botanical gardens, then stopped and looked back at the sullen boy.
"Well I have no clue where I am at the moment, going to lead the way, or let me stumble around the city blind?" She said jokingly.
"You almost sound like a different person you know?" Marcus grinned as he broke into a short light jog to move up beside Persephone. He was teasing her newfound confidence a bit, mostly to lighten up his own mood.
"Phil might not recognize you by the time he finds you again."Persephone gave a small smile, she wanted to comfort Marcus ever so slightly. If the look in his eyes were any indicator he cared deeply for Circe. Her mind wandered for a moment about what her sister was like. She pictured an extroverted girl that likes to have fun.
"Don't get use to this, moment of pure uncharacteristically good times. I am sure to be a neurotic mess later over this."Marcus smiled along with Persephone, even though his lie ate at him ever so slightly. Persephone was bound to find out about Circe. Anyone could tell her and Marcus wasn't sure just anyone could deliver the news in the appropriate fashion.
No more stalling. Marcus took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled before speaking.
"Pers, I need to tell you about your sister. You see, I know her. I know her better than I would ever want to."Persephone stopped, she didn't like the tone of voice. Was her sister a bitch or something? What could Circe be like to warrant such a reaction? What would she do if she found out her sister was some terrible person that the guild barely tolerated her?
Or maybe he is building up the nerve to tell me she died! I knew I should of looked for her sooner, if I hadn't gotten so sidetracked in South America. I was working on my tan and my sister was up here dying!"Go ahead, tell me. I can take it." She said unsteadily. She was looking forward to meeting Circe after all these years. Now she was terrified she would never get the chance.
She said she could take it… Marcus' went from uneasy to serious as he went all-in with his decision. He squared his body to hers and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.
"I don't know how you remember your sister, but she's considered an enemy to the Guild. She's not just a member of the Dark Shadow, she's done some horrible things to people around the world... I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, but she… you were having the greatest time in the garden and I didn't want to ruin it for you." Marcus told a half-truth towards the end, but he could live with that one. There was no need explaining how Circe nearly killed him way back when.
Persephone stood stone still, she listened to Marcus's words and processed every one of them.
Circe isn't a guild member? But why? What did she get herself into over all these years? I don't want to give in to denial, Marcus has no reason to lie to me. What happened to you Circe?!Persephone wrapped her arms around herself, fighting the urge to sob and scream at the same time. She came to New York to find her sister, but now she learned that she was an enemy. One that had a heinous reputation. The young plant spent the last few years helping the poor and downtrodden in Brazil, healing with her plants, fighting to protect the forest. And Circe was off doing the exact opposite? She had to know more.
"How bad is it? Does she hurt people? Is this Dark Shadows as bad as your saying? Do you think, maybe she was sent to the group from here?" She held onto some hope that maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe it was an act, sure their childhood got off to a tumultuous start. But how had Persephone grown up helping, while Circe didn't?
This was not just hard for Persephone. Marcus found it hard to hurt someone like this. It would be better than lying, but still didn't sit well with him Like a loving parent that only had the bitterest of medicines to give to their sick child, he continued. It just had to be him. Another person might not have tried to be so careful, and another might have held too much back.
"Pers, listen. It's bad. She doesn't just hurt people, she enjoys it! I've seen her kill people with a smile on her face. You know she… she almost got me. Let me live on a whim. Said it was because I helped with her fun." Marcus' voice became weaker as he explained a small excerpt from what was possibly the worst moment of his life.
Persephone stood in muted shock, to think Circe was that terrible, she wasn't sure she wanted to see her sister anymore. But at the same time, she couldn't just not see her. When she looked at Marcus though she saw the fear in his eyes and knew if she did run into Circe she would have to be cautious.
"So how bout that food? Let's not dredge up something so bad right now. I am sure someone can tell me about her eventually." She said trying to change the subject.
"Yeah let's do that." Marcus agreed in a solemn tone. He felt like shit now, but he didn't regret telling Persephone the truth. [Color=tan]
How the hell do I explain to Salem that I'm the reason a recruit ran off and joined Dark Shadow? She's already pissed about something and fuck… Philip, I should have let you handle everything.The pair quietly walked to the food court, probably to give each other time with their own thoughts. Upon arriving, Marcus held the door open for Persephone while trying to show a weak yet friendly smile.
"So what do you like to eat? And I promise a restaurant next time." Inside, the food court was no different than one might find in a shopping mall. There was a burger spot, Asian cuisine, a pizza place, a smoothie joint, and a few other small spots scattered about. The place was teeming with people looking for a quick bite to eat.
"Um, you see the past four or five years my diet has been almost nothing but what I scavenge or catch myself. But I don't want anything too heavy too often. So maybe a slice of pizza, I have missed that. And I think my body won't hate me too much if I indulge just a little bit." Persephone walked into the pizza place and ordered a slice with mushrooms and peppers while she waited for Marcus to catch up and order.
"Scavenge? Why couldn't you just grow fruit trees and veggies? Being a vegan isn't something I'd be happy with, but it would be something." Marcus commented before he gave a quick nod to the gentleman behind the counter of the pizza place. Marcus was familiar with the food court, and it in turn was familiar with him.
"Two extra cheese slices of pizza LT?" The man on the other side of the counter asked in order to confirm Marcus' usual order.
"You know it. And I got hers covered too." Marcus added."Thanks I forgot about money. I don't have any. And as for your question, I did have a little grove of things. But being able to grow, doesn't mean you should. You have to factor in homeostasis of the environment. I couldn't just grow whatever I wanted, it could upset the ecosystem. It's why I have research notes, I didn't want to upset the balance of life. And I am not a vegan, I have had small game like rabbits and what not. But I haven't pizza in a while. There is this amazing place in Philly I remember called Top Tomato. Best pizza I ever had, it was right next to gayberhood."Persephone took her slice of pizza and a glass of water and sat down at a table. She took a small bite and she had to suppress a moan. She missed the taste of pizza and tried to take her time to enjoy the slice.
"She sure told you, LT." The guy on the other side of the counter teased. Marcus smiled and turned to Persephone who was enjoying her pizza.
"She did didn't she? Pers has really grown you know. Maybe I'm the one with power to grow flowers." Marcus said from the counter as he exchanged his pizza for some cash he had in his wallet. Marcus silently motioned for the man to keep the change before heading to the table to sit with Persephone.
"Just because I am an introvert, doesn't mean I don't have a smart mouth. Remember this, you may think I am a beautiful flower. But be cautious, sometimes the most beautiful flowers, are the most dangerous." Persephone finished her dinner. She wiped her hands off on her jeans and waited for Marcus to finish his food.
"So is there anything I really need to know. I have no clue as to what is happening around here." Persephone said getting serious. She needed all the information she could get, and Marcus seemed like a guy in the know.
Marcus had been giving Persephone a smug look as he took a bite of one of his slices. Once finished chewing, he nodded to himself. He matched Perseohone's seriousness.
"I'm not sure where to start. There's Dark Shadow. They're a group of magic users that want to be the master race or something like that." Marcus took a small bite so he could continue quickly.
"We just need to get rid of them. I think something bad happened today, but I won't find out until I run into our leader, Salem or one of the council members. Preferably the latter. If you saw that lightning earlier, yeah that was her." Marcus explained before continuing to eat his pizza.
"Anything specific you wanna know?" His mouth was half full of pizza when he asked.
Persephone sat and mulled her thoughts over for a few moments. She had to ask the right questions to get the right answers. Anything less could result in incomplete or useless information. That isn't to say Marcus would purposely deceive her, but she couldn't be proper support if she was in the dark about everything.
"Honestly, I don't know enough to ask the best questions. Admitting ignorance is the first step to truly learning. If you can give me some time I am sure I can come up with some good ones for you. But after being on a plane for 10 hours my brain is still a little mush. It's late enough, and it seems that our leader Salem is the reason I almost got blasted out of the sky today. For a chloromage it would suck if I died not on the ground." She said to Marcus with a chuckle.
"But I am getting a little sleepy. Do you know where my room is? Or if there are no rooms, I guess I could always sleep in the garden. It would be like I never left the jungle."Marcus had taken the time to finish his pizza off while Persephone thought of her additional questions that never came.
Yeah, I think you used up all your energy with all of this socializing."You're not sleeping in a garden in the middle of this city. I don't know where your room is, but… I guess Phil would know. He's probably looking for you now." Marcus got out his phone and dialed for Phil.
"Hey Phil, I have Pers here at the food court. I took her on a tour, but now she's bored and wants to go to her room… See you soon." Marcus ended the call with a thumb tap and looked to Persephone.
"Got a phone number? Or you can just have mine if you ever think of those questions or just want to do hangout again. And don't worry about being a recruit that's friendly with a lieutenant. It just means you're cool." Persephone looked down in embarrassment at Marcus saying she was bored of him. It wasn't that, just she was reaching her limit of social interaction for one day.
"I am sorry, I don't have a phone. Once I get some money flowing somehow, I will buy a phone. Thank you for the tour, it was lovely." Persephone stood up and greeted Phil as he walked up. She followed him all the way to the bedrooms and found hers easily enough. She thanked Phil for all his help and went into her room.
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