(no subject)

[gossamer-enigma.livejournal.com]

Who : Edea and her new Possession
What : Purchasing a new Guardian
Where : Midgar, AVALANCHE warehouse, lower plate. Then the ruins of another Garden
Warnings : Partial nudity?



Zax was rather unaware of what was going on. That might have been because he was still in a dormant state, or perhaps because he hadn't been completely programmed yet. The man resided in a vat of warm, comforting liquid, in a sensory deprivation tank, dreaming what dreams he had been given to enjoy. "Do I hear twenty thousand?" a well-dressed man barked, standing at the front of an anonymous crowd. He was auctioning stolen goods, ShinRa goods, taken by AVALANCHE and now used to fund their efforts. The currant bid was for some variety of motorcycle; Zax was up next.

Edea had grown bored of her exile, and had found little amusement in the city, but she had stopped anyway at this little backwater auction for the hell of it - perhaps there would be something of value - She had sat in the back, a veil over her face to hide her identity, garbed in a dark carmine and gray affair, looking almost like a mourner rather than the seedy lot around her. She held her reserve, even as the permeating smell of ... lesser humanity wafted around her like a fog.

The motorcycle was sold off, and his holding tank was lugged out by a pair of burly men. It was impossible to see him, but a projector flicked on, filling a screen with the face of a famous SOLDIER, long dead, "That's right folks. Next up on for auction is one of ShinRa's own very best of men, SOLDIER 1st Class, a clone of the legendary Zack Fair! What do you fine folks think of that? Your very own personal SOLDIER! Do I hear two-hundred thousand?"

Edea raised a brow. Even the isolationist that she was knew who that SOLDIER was. With a smirk, she raised a well manicured and black gloved hand, her eyes glowing golden for a moment, hauntingly. "Two Hundred thousand" her voice was an exotic aristocratic purr hidden with a bit of a subconscious threat to anyone that dared outbit her.

Several people had wanted to, but the threat suddenly seemed dire, and she loomed in their minds. The barker looked confused, "No-one? Not a one wants their own SOLDIER? Well.." he sighed, and shrugged, pointing to Edea, "A round of applause for the kind Miss, who so generously shelled out for this fine specimen." Zax's container was lugged out, and a set of materia replaced it; the barker moved on with his job.

Edea was content with her single item, and stood up, moving towards where the tank was being moved, to pay up. She moved as if she floated across the floor - and it was hard to not believe so - her robes hiding her feet and her movement enough that her clothing looked almost ghost-like. She smirked, and flicked her tongue over deep violet lips.

The official handed over the keys to the tank, along with the programming instructions for the clone, "There is of course the matter of your bid." he had a level tone, though the man couldn't help but admire Edea.

Edea pulled her cowl back, her long raven black hair falling in curling tendrils around her face, her lips were full, and lush, her skin as smoothe and white as porcelain. She reached into he top of her dress, and slipped out a delicate leather fold, pulling out a stack of gil, and starting to thumb through it. There was more than enough there, enough to find the sum almost paltry, humming softly as she counted, before replacing the fold and handing over the tender.

The man took the money from her, smiled politely, and went back to his work handing out purchases to their buyers. The instructions were concise enough that an idiot could follow them, good old ShinRa, and the clone's pod seemed to be self-powered. The liquid he floated in was likely heavily mako-infused.

Edea pondered for a moment before casting a small levitation spell on the tank, controlling it to float out of the main hall before teleporting herself and the portal back to her home. another venture out brought her back with basic amenities for a male - some most likely loose fitting clothing, cleaning supplies, bedding, and food. The home she had taken up in looked to be partially an abandoned Garden, the location more ruins than anything else. All but one wing had been destroyed, leaving only a few rooms she could leave him in. she had brought the tank into the remaining training hall, and sat figuring out the controls for some time fine tuning the process before finally putting in the coding to wake him up.

Zax awakened with a start, choking on a thick tube that seemed to fill his throat. He panicked for a moment, before his training kicked in and he calmed down, assessing the situation. The man had been briefed on this during the implanting of his training; he was being activated. The mako drained into the cavities in the pod, leaving him damp, sticky, and nude. He knew enough to remove the tubes in his limbs gently, leaving the one controlling his breathing for last, and by the time the cap opened, with it's telltale hiss, he was sitting there in the pod, awaiting orders. A slight tremor shook him, as the air felt chilly on his damp skin.

Edea had dressed in a simple gray dress, that hugged her curves, sitting in a chair across from the tube. She hadn't known exactly what would happen, so she had left all of the things she had purchased in the room set for him. She had set him to be devoted, and that her wishes should be picked up from even the most subtle hints. He was to be a guard, and in some way a companion. She clicked her tongue, "so ... this is the infamous Zack Fair" she looked him over, truly for the first time, the Mako clouding a perfect view of him. She had to admit, he was a rather fetching man.

He rose unsteadily, but quickly adopted a simple, yet dangerous stance, standing confidantly by the time he climbed from his pod. "Zack Fair.." he repeated the name and shook his head lightly, long, spikey black hair flying here and there for a moment, "No, that is the man I was copied from."

Edea raised a brow. "You are a copy? Well ... that wasn't in your description. But it is of no importance to me. You are here, and my possession. that is all that matters. Come along." she turned, her dress sweeping with her. She had let her more unconscious side program the being, trusting the Grand Witch more than herself in the case of her true needs. Though, the Witch wasn't without her own wickedry - the clone was to long for her, and want nothing more than to be with her, in every way possible. A ploy to try and loosen up her rather stuffy host. Even now, the voice had started to lock into his mind, decidedly different than the woman before him, though innately he would know it was a grander force. ~Follow her. She is your mistress. Is she not beautiful?~ He would realize in some small way, the voice was more his keeper than the woman.

Zax had to admit that indeed, the woman was quite beautiful. "My model number is ZAX-000-001C. Zack Amalgam Xenotype." he followed along after Edea, his bright blue eyes turning this way and that, taking in the surrounding area, "What is it you wish of me, Mistress?" he couldn't help but stare at her, devoted as he was.

"Then I guess Zax will be what I call you. the rest is too much to utter on a regular basis. You may call me Edea." she intoned, walking along. ~Edea Kramer ... one of the most powerful mistresses of the arcane of this planet ... forsaken by the world for her abilities. She needs you~ the voice was constant for now. "I will take you to your quarters, where I have laid some temporary clothing for you. There is also a bathing room for you to wash up, and some food for you. I will then show you to your first task. I assume you have some knowledge of electrical repair?" she raised a brow, turning to glance at him. He would notice that as they left the sun-lit training hall, that the hallway was dim, almost completely dark. The place seemed to be a trashed wreck.

"Yes, I know a good deal about many things." he smiled, glad to have a goal in mind. Pleasing her would most definitely be the most important thing he could think of, especially when it seemed the world had turned on her. "Thank you very much, Edea, for being so generous." he did indeed sound eternally grateful.

"You can repay my kindness by getting the lights working in this tower again. I can only keep the power running on my own so long before tiring. Once that is done, barring needing downtime for rest, I shall have you start working on removing the rubble and patching the walls to isolate this wing and make it more liveable" she spoke evenly, and professionally, walking through a door that looked like they normally sealed, and into a small dorm room. There was a medium sized bed with fresh linens, a small dresser and desk, a door into a small efficient bathroom. A set of clothing - undershorts and shirt, pants, work shirt, socks and shoes - set folded on the bed, as well as a towel, and some shampoo and soap. "They most likely will not fit accurately, I had to estimate. Once my magic has recharged, I will teleport us to the city to get you more properly outfitted."

"Of course. I will do whatever I can to make this place more of a home for you, Edea." he smiled at her, nodded, and went to get cleaned up, eventually emerging dressed in the clothes that were left for him, hair tied back and out of the way. He put a finger to his lips for a moment, then nodded to Edea, staring perhaps a bit to openly, but he spoke regardless, "Do you have tools somewhere, Edea?"

Edea pondered for a moment, and nodded, "There is a maintenance bay downstairs from here. We are on the top of three floors. The bottom is inhabited by monsters, the second is mostly rubble, though the foundation still stands firm." ~Do not let her go with you, it is dangerous and she is fragile~ the voice warned. "Come, I will show you the maintenance bay"

Zax paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile, "No.. I'll find it. I don't want to risk you getting hurt, Edea, there might be monsters or worse down there." he'd taken her hand while speaking, and the feel of her skin on his was simply thrilling, bringing colour to his cheeks.

Edea looked at him, and raised a brow, but nodded, "If that is what you believe, so be it. You will find it on the north end. Anything you find that you believe of use can be brought back here. The elevator is faulty, at best, so I would suggest the stairwell. If you have something too big to move, come alert me and I will power the elevator with my abilities" she said simply. "My quarters are three doors down on the opposite wall. I shall be there. "

"Alright. I won't be too long." he nodded, and fisted his palm as if to show he could handle himself, and he could very well do so. "I'll see what I can do about the electricity before I come back." the man nodded, then turned almost reluctantly, heading off down the hall.

Edea nodded, and headed back into her quarters, which she had salvaged and purchased together. Sure, the woman probably had enough to buy herself a house, but she prefered the isolation.

Zax was gone for a long while, perhaps a few hours, though when he came back he seemed pleased. The lights had come on a quarter hour ago, and he was wiping his hands off on a rag he'd scavenged from below, as fixing the generator had been greasy work. "So.. you'll need fuel for that generator eventually, but what it has should keep it going for some time." he had cuts and bruises, and bloodied knuckles, but he didn't seem to mind it. "I brought up some stuff I found, boards and tools, and a few other odds and ends that might have been useful."

Edea looked up, a set of glasses set up along the bridge of her nose. "good work. Seeing as you spent some time down there you are free to take a break and relax, until you feel ready to start on your next project. I have no set deadlines for you, you may work as little or as much as you wish.

The man rubbed his chin, and seemed to take stock of his condition, then nodded, "I believe I am adequately prepared, Edea. Though, if you wish me to linger, I would be remiss if I did not heed your.." the man paused for a short moment, "Desire. Or mine."

Edea looked around. The room was a bit of a shamble, really. papers and schematics strewn about, a trunk sitting against a cot bed, and several chin-high stacks of old books in haphazard disarray. "That's up to you really."

Zax glanced around as well, and smiled to himself, "Perhaps I could assist you in.. whatever it is you're doing here." he wanted to be close to her, after all.

"Mostly I'm just writing down research. Trivial work really." she seemed to be referencing one book, leaning down, before standing up and walking to the stack of books to pick up another to find something.

The man watched her closely as she bent down, a slight shiver running through him. Would that he could make those lips curve in a smile, one that was meant for him. "What could be trivial, if you decide to focus on it?"

"Just copying down information about astral travel and such. It's all been written down before but i'm trying to fit it together without all of this fluffing of words and mincing of ideas." she said simply, picking up the book and pausing to flip through it, turning towards him. Her hair seemed to loosen slightly, falling across her face a lock crested down along her cheek.

The man accepted the book, and skimmed the pages with intelligent eyes. Naturally limited, he wouldn't be able to grasp the ultimate concepts of anything he wasn't programmed to be good at, though his mind could absorb and process information easily enough, so that he'd understand theories at the least, "Well, this seems like it would be wonderful for anyone who would wish to learn.. I don't see why this would be trivial."

"If anyone wanted to read my field notes, you think I would be exiled to a ruined tower?" she said softly, shaking her head and taking the book back, sitting back down and crossing her legs at the knee.

The clone blinked, and scratched his chin, setting the book down and smiling slightly, "Perhaps they fear or resent you. The common person fears and resents that which he doesn't understand, that which is more powerful than he, or that which he desires to possess, but smites his ego with refusal."

~They think she's a monster ...~ the inner voice crooned, as Edea sighed and shook her head, "I don't know ... I just know that It never seems to get better really. I have enough money to buy myself a home, but I'm forced to keep moving, or keep to these ruins."

"I see, well.. In any case, I wanted to say that I don't fear you.. or resent you. I find you intriguing, enthralling, and captivating.." he knelt down close to Edea and took her hands with a smile, rubbing his thumbs over them, "And I aim to make sure you can be safe.."

Edea looked down at him and smiled faintly, the affectation lost on her for the moment. She let him rub her hands but looked around and nodded. "Well it's good that you do not fear me. I do need people around me to at lest have a backbone" she murmured softly.

Zax pressed his lips to her hand with a faint blush, "Indeed. I will do my best to prove my worth to you." it sounded more like a pledge that a man might make to a woman he had a crush on, but couldn't bring himself to speak of just yet.