Zeki Glaedwine & Azoth
Midday- Loom
Zeki strolled a room lined with masks, calmly swinging his cane as he walked. He stopped picking up a mask in particular, eyeing as he held it up in the light, looking almost diappointed.
"Huh, Landris. Wonder no one has picked you up yet, you were one of my favoirtes. Nobody appreciates the simplicity it. Always wanting to be quicker, tougher, not minding the unique things."A voice called out behind him.
"Sir, employees only back here! I'm going to have to ask you to put that down."
Zeki turned to see an angel behind him. She was looking defensive as if she'd caught an intruder. Zeki lowered his glasses with his cane looking her in the eyes.
"You do know who I am, don't you? Mr. Glaedwine. Besides which, I'm a demon, surely you can tell, no personal use for these little fun toys. I'm here for business with Azoth, but I was early, Maria was taking care of the shop so well I figured might as well see the product line. Life's boring if you don't stop to smell the roses."The angel looked surprised.
"Well, yes Mr. Glaedwine, but I can't have someone in this area unsupervised, I'm sure you understand, proper business and all that. I shall attend you."
He signed, putting down the mask.
"And like that, my interest is gone. No need to follow me. I'll be a good boy and head off to see Azoth in his office."Zeki walked off, slightly annoyed. Angels were something he didn't generally deal with, he didn't understand them enough. On top of that, today he was in a bad mood. He was on edge from Szayeis and wanted to deal with all his problems quickly.
A rap sounded at Azoth's door.
"Mr. Glaedwine. You called?"The rhytmic sound of polished shoes started on the other side, steadily approaching the door. As the steps came close another sound joined the first - an impassive but somewhat urgent hustle of Azoth's voice. At first the door did a good job to mask the words, however soon enough it was swung open to invite the newcomer in. He had a phone in hand and his voice held its usual slightly obnoxious sweetness, thought he seemed to have toned it down.
"Yes, I realise we can't wait much longer. I don't think I need you to remind me how to do my job, Selena." The man threw Zeki a sidelong glance, gesturing to a nearby chair. "We'll be there shortly, keep him entertained." The hint of a scoff was clearly shown in his grin as he hung up, not waiting for a response. Selena was a smart girl and she'd probably find a way to get back at him later, be it by poisoning his coffee or posting naked pictures of him online, but in all honesty, it only made his days more interesting. Azoth sat behind his desk and slid the phone across the polished surface until it hit а speaker with a dull thud and was immediately forgotten.
"Welcome, my friend, I haven't seen you in ages. You look great as usual."
Zeki strutted inside the office, looking around it. It had been a little while, hadn't it? That was probably a good thing on Azoth's part, it meant no worries. Zeki as he was, was only called by the interesting, which normally meant something going horribly wrong. Or for development of some radical idea. Masks were something that could catch Zeki's interest. A million souls tended to be alike by themselves, but putting two together, any number of results could ensue. The only boring part was the why. Masks were pricey, and the only reason Zeki could figure for using one was power. How boring.
Zeki shook it off and returned the greeting.
"To you as well. I love the suit, been thinking of putting on some new ritz myself. One just can't feel like a businessman if he doesn't dress like one. Is that Italian?"Zeki took a seat as comfortably as if it had been his own office, hiding what was bothering him from the business. It'd be unprofessional to let the little incident with Szayeis derail his business attitude, and that was exactly what the little troglodyte would like. He would do business the same no matter what circumstance.
"So Mr. Azoth, how can I help? Something's either gone horribly wrong or right I'm going to assume, which is it?"Azoth ran a hand over the lapel of his suit, pleased with the compliment. It had been very expensive, though the asking price had been lower than what he'd paid. It was a commission to a retired gentleman who had lost his business years ago to loan sharks, his family struggling ever since. He'd been hard to track but happy to accept the offer he was presented with, and even happier about the cheque that ensued. It was a little form of social justice Azoth could afford to play around with.
“I can provide you with a business card later, the man indeed has superb tailoring skills. Anyway, to the matter at hand. I couldn't tell you if you're here because something went right or wrong. On the one hand, we have a nouveau riche whose mask trial didn't go exactly as planned and is probably currently losing his mind at a rapid speed. On the other hand, we received our payment in advance and given his circumstances it seems like his survival could be described as a “sad” outcome just as much as his death.” Azoth smirked, locking his fingers. “Care for a cup of coffee before we get to work?”
Zeki let out a small chuckle at hearing that. He could always use a good laugh. This is why it was in his opinion not best to pay in advance. Business was a dance, having it all done at once was unspectacular and left no wanting. If one wanted something done well, they would leave the other wanting something more.
"I'd love a cup, seems there's no rush. If you did want a better customer review, I could drain the mask I suppose. I'd ask what good is the word of a madman, but look at us."Zeki played with his cane between his fingers as he spoke. He pointed it to himself as he said look at us.
"So, my friend, what would you have me do?"Azel snickered as he dialled a code into the phone that would automatically alert his secretary that they required two espressos ASAP and leaned in his chair. The painting behind him always caught the visitors' attention but it was only people like Zeki who understood the true meaning behind it.
“I say we gamble. People like us need a little spice in life or it becomes dull rather quick, don't you think? I ordered us two espressos, I believe it gives the poor soul a good chance at redemption to ward off his own demons for the time it takes us to finish our drinks. If he's still alive and kicking by the time we get to him, well, then I'm sure Fate has favoured him and he deserves all the help we can provide. Unless, of course, you're in a more compassionate mood today.”
Zeki turned to the secretary, calmly taking his coffee, and drinking it before putting it down to let it cool.
"Compassionate? Depending on your meaning perhaps. If he indeed has the will, I see no reason why not. I agree on the spice of life to ones such as us, so many years.... so many years. The humans pass away so quickly... I like them, I wish I could live more like them personally, they have more spice in their short life than any demon I've ever met. But there's something I can't stand from either demon or human."Zeki waved his cane at the window of the office, towards where in the factory the testing was.
"Perhaps this man wanted power quickly, and bought a mask in an effort to be stronger than everyone else, using his money to gain an advantage of others. If that's the case his will is weak and he will snap like a twig. Those who want power for power's sake are the bane of this world, and don't have the will to carry it."Zeki left his coffee on where it was, standing up to look at the painting more closely, putting his hand above, but not touching the point of the painting where a demon's hand and a human's almost meet.
"But let's say he's one of these humans that interest me. Then he has some reason for wanting the mask, some reason I can't guess from here, in all my years of experience. Then his will is strong enough to interest me, and I will of course rescue him. If his will is that strong, like the few who have interested me in the past, then a mere little hour will hardly matter."Zeki walked back towards the coffee, taking a sip of it.
"Mr. Azoth. Should this man live, and should I rescue him, would you mind me posing my own fee on him for having done so? I need a strong willed human momentarily, just momentarily. Assuming he's strong willed in the first place."Azoth was honestly a bit surprised at how long Zeki suggested they leave the gentleman wait, but the smile that twisted his lips meant he wasn't against it in the least. The other man always had a way of entertaining him, be it with his actions or lack of such. His philosophical nature was something Azoth himself didn't quite share, despite the painting on the wall, but he enjoyed the musings nonetheless. It seems like he should have ordered cappuccinos instead.
“Of course you'd me more than welcome to ask the man for any sum you think his life is worth, although I suggest you let him make the offer. I have the feeling after over an hour in hell he'd be willing to pay his saviour more than what you could even imagine.” He stirred his coffee before taking a small sip. “You're also entitled to a share of the sum we've already received, even if this particular human isn't what you were looking for. For your sake, I hope it is. But if not, I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for you. May I be curious as to why you need such an individual?”
Zeki reached into his suit, and pulled out a small sack, placing it on the table.
"Have you ever heard of the Lord of Hell, Szayeis? Well, the troglodyte struck a deal with me recently. Somethings scaring even the likes of him, so naturally I'm there to laugh at him, and agreed.
I'm normally not one for end of the world predictions, I've survived more doomsday predictions than most human have years. Still, Szayeis is scared and that is not normal. He claims a god, the lord of the void, Inaniae is to try to destroy everything. Appearantly it's broken right now, so my jobs to keep it broken, looking for little fragments of it, find some way to purge them.
I am to find those little fragments for him, and he gave me this orb to do it. He requested I put my insignia on it. I am a little less than willing to directly do so, I would like to use a proxy instead. If he ever tries to use the insignia against me, it would backfire on the human instead. I want a strong willed human, because those tend to last longer, and if this one survives, he's stronger than most. It would make the proxy more convincing. My insignia's very strong, naturally, and I have no fear using against mere mortals. Some little Troglodyte however might remember times when such things were made, and he might find a way to unmake it."Azoth's eyebrows rose at the object on the table, and even more so at the explanation behind it. The thought of the Western lord resurfacing made his skin crawl with an unpleasant feeling, perhaps even stronger because he knew the man personally and it was a more tangible treat to himself than the supposed lord of the Void. After all, being tortured was worse than being obliterated in one snap of the fingers. Azoth's eyes rose to Zeki's, his expression serious.
“I understand your worry and like your plan. My only question is, are you certain the man is worthy of saving? Didn't expect you to be one to trust those such as him.”
Zeki calmly continued sipping his coffee, he was mostly through the cup.
"Oh, I don't trust him, why I'm doing it this way, but I do read him. See, people like him want one thing. They want to control other people, and therefore power. What's the scariest thing to a man like that? Someone controlling him, someone stronger. The irony is his controlling tendencies makes him easy to control. Just point him towards what he thinks is greater power, and he'll follow like a lemming. I'm just here to watch him jump off a cliff.
Besides, I don't intend on getting too closely involved. I hate getting my hands dirty, the angel Lindum being an exception. Just find a few fragments and get rid of them, not too hard."The mention of his ex-lover's name sent a thrill down Azoth's spine, not an entirely unpleasant one despite the mixed emotions he harboured towards her. It served to remind him just how indebted he was to the other man. What he'd said about Szayeis pleased him greatly and returned the smile to his face. “I am a very lucky man to have you on my side, Mr. Glaedwine. One such as myself wouldn't fare well on your bad one. Then again, few would.”
He picked up the phone and checked it with a swipe of his finger. Twenty-seven missed calls. And twelve messages, some of them... his eyes scrolled down... quite crude. He smirked, glad to have invested in the special spells that kept this room both impenetrable and sound proof. Selena was an angel and as such she was quite the caring person. Perhaps why he was so fond of screwing with her. He asked Zeki to excuse him as he finally called her back and said they'll be there shortly, not bothering to provide an explanation of why they'd taken so long. She would find out from the secretary eventually.
Putting the phone to the side again, Azoth smiled back at Zeki. “Our test-subject seems to be alive still, though his state is questionable.”
"Well, let's go see his welfare. He seems to fall under the category of 'interesting'. Perfect. What mask is this by chance? Might be nice for future reference. I'll weaken the masks essense, and put my own into the man, so that he can be strong enough for a quick moment of respite." Zeki put his the orb back into his suit, and pulled out a few slips of paper with his insignia in them. He just needed to get two off.
“The name is Albellee.” Azoth said, referring to the mask and not the wearer. “It's a tamer angel.” He said, not working to hide his disgust. “She wasn't our strongest one but his motivations didn't strike me as befitting of such. He claimed he needed it in order to keep the demons in his town in check.” Azoth shrugged. “Perhaps by the end of this experiment he'll brainstorm of better methods of achieving his goals, whatever they are. In any case, you're free to have him and do with him as you please. As I mentioned, not even his relatives will miss him much.” A thin and sly smirk spilled over his features. “At least not for long.” There was a reason why he's the head of his company and it certainly had all to do with his demonic gifts. He pulled out a yellow file and slid it across the desk. “This is the initial report. I'm sure once you get to the Isolation room Selena will provide you with more details on how the bonding process went.”
Zeki groaned.
"Tamer Angel.... of course.... That would have been nice to know beforehand. I don't like punching myself too much. And angel essence is so thick, it feels like I'm trying to drink a steak through a straw with it. Still, if this was easy, it wouldn't be fun.
Don't put him as missing yet, if he's gone through this long with madness, he's got some reason. Of course, the irony is not lost on me. He's putting on a mask to keep demons in check, and it's demons who will keep keep him in check for trying. Give me an hour, then you can make disappear anyone who would give bad reviews."Zeki stepped through towards the isolation room, noticing an angel nearby.
"Ah, Selena, beautiful as always! I'm hear in regards to Albellee. "
Bloody angels....“About time you got here, I was really starting to miss you.” Selena's eye twitched as she faked a sweet smile, teeth clenched behind it. “I hope you've fastened your seat belt, this will be a hell of a ride.”
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1 hour later
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“How was the steak?” Azoth teased an hour later as Zeki emerged from the Isolator, the living but unconscious body of his client following suit on a stretcher.
Zeki looked up with an annoyed expression. His clothes were in shambles, and sweat ruined the shirt. He didn't look fancy, therefore he didn't feel fancy.
"Tough. I had a dislike for tamer angels. Upgrade that to loathing. I planned for quickly weakening the mask, and leave without trouble."He motioned at the stretcher to show it didn't go quite as planned.
"That last blow to the head was less to calm him down, and more from the bloodrage. Still, as soon as he's up, I'll have everything I need, and I suppose I can't complain about that. I suppose even a blue collar like myself has to do some manual labor every once in a while. Do you have that business card to that tailor?"
Kalas
