Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was the dawn of a new day, and all was still. Aleria stood next to Amrita, in the emptiness of their room, exhaling softly.

They were ready.

It was time.

They were dressed very cleanly: their favoured coat draped around their shoulders, shiny black boots with polished black buckles, and a teal pinstriped ensemble of a dress. They looked as though they were attending a fine party or a wedding, rather than their demise. But to Aleria, it was the start of something new. It was the beginning, rather than the end. They would start a new story, with someone else, together.

Aleria touched the collar around the neck, activating the pendant the way Otto had instructed, sliding a hand around Amrita's arm.

They arrived in the same light house that Otto had brought Aleria to, during that visit so long ago. Heart thrumming with excitement, the demon looked around, a wide smile on their face.

"I'm looking for Otto," they said to a nearby hunter, "Otto Graves. Can you notify him that Aleria is here? For the procedure?" The request netted a blank stare from the hunter, but after the demon's smile kept getting wider and seemed to not want to go anywhere, he sighed and reluctantly notified Otto via text message.

Quote:

To: Otto

Some monster's here for you. Says her name is Aleria. Fetch her.

Aleria beamed, waiting.

"Thank you," they said, half to Amrita, half to themself. "Truth be told, it is nice, to have someone who will witness my transformation. I wonder what mine will be like?"

Some monster? Otto made a noise of understanding as he laid in bed, the phone held above his face, once he read the name. Right. The girl who he'd scouted. Seemed like she was going through with it after all. Add that to his success rate, so far. The teen rolled himself out of bed and into his jacket and shoes. A little ruffling of his hair to 'brush it out' and he was ready to go.

He arrived at the lighthouse and stopped in his tracks when he walked inside. He didn't expect she'd bring a friend. A very familiar and unwanted friend. Otto stared wide eyed at the patchwork who was at eye level with him. He still wasn't sure about her. She had an air about her he didn't trust. He'd spied on her i Halloween in a golem, and even talked with her one on one. But he couldn't shake the feeling she had some link with the body snatcher.

He shook his head and sighed, rubbing his head. "Good to see you again, Aleria..... and Amrita." He managed to drawl with some politeness. "Come on. I'll take you inside." He ushered them back outside to lead them to the Main Building.

The path was long, but the building did not take too much time to get to. Otto seemed in a hurry.

Charming. Sure. All Hunters were...charming. This was the very opposite of right.

Amrita allowed the hug and even briefly returned it, but tried her best to not let it fool her. When the blond boil arrived she frowned at him, but with a glance up to Aleria's simply eager face she actually tried to smile. It was strained at best, and it certainly didn't reach her eye.

"Otto." She tried to be polite and to keep her voice light, but perhaps she fell short; between Deus and all it stood for, Otto and what he was about to do to the Demon beside her, well, she was understandably uncomfortable. She followed dutifully as he lead them to the main building, her arms still folded tightly against herself as if it would help. It wasn't until Aleria posed their question that her shoulders relaxed just a little bit and the smile on her half-mouth came just a little easier. The truth of their first meeting was never getting spoken of, but their officially-first-but-technically-second meeting was still a good.

"In the Haunted House." Amrita supplied easily, turning her stare at Otto for a moment before letting it drift naturally towards Aleria as she answered their question. "I was caught by vines, and he helped me get free...but only after I agreed to give him some information. I didn't have what he was looking for, which was unfortunate, but then he started to accuse me of being this thing that had attacked him once, and for no reason other than we share one similarity. Which is quite annoying." Her gaze narrowed at him, but she looked away not too long after that, her lips curling into the first honest and easy smile she'd given in the last forty-eight hours. Actually, it was more of a grin.

"But he's got a nice smile, I'll give him that at least."

It was so nice that the two of them knew each other. Despite Amrita's statements, they were both being rather cordial. If anyone could turn this situation around, it would be Otto. As Amrita detailed their first encounter, they stopped focusing so much on the surroundings. Hallways blended together, the clack of heel against tile.

"Reconnaissance is important," Aleria mentioned, and got a faraway look in their eye. Would their hunter be any good at that? Would he want to be strong? To be stealthy and fast? "For both sides. I am glad the both of you are okay."

It was kind of funny, in a way. Two years of being alone, and it was only due to circumstances for their impending transformation that they had any friends at all.

The demon looked down at their shorter companions, pleased. "I would love to see his smile," they said, and after a moment: "I bet he has truly wonderful teeth." Aleria resisted the urge to stick his fingers in the boil's mouth, as that was likely a rude gesture.

"I had a very extensive collection of minipets-- Kodama, in fact, several hundred of them-- and Amrita promised to give them a new home, if they could attend the procedure. It's kind of nice, though, don't you think? I wonder what I'll look like, you know. I hope I'm blue."

Aleria's contrast to Amrita's snide remarks felt like being hit with hot and cold water all at once. Aleria made innocent assumptions and comments, and he almost felt like he was tricking her into this.

And then there was Amrita. Trying to make him give up the endeavour by questioning his life. Her so called advice was met with a solid and hardened stare of attitude. Child. As if things were so damn easy. He lived each day as if a gun was at his head, because that was basically very true. He had no choice here. She'd never understand. It wasn't worth his breath to explain. He was stuck as a hunter, whether he liked it anymore or not. The fact she was born to be creepy meant she was the enemy, and nothing else. She and others like her were the reason he was in this Hell. It rang in his gaze, blue eyes icier with every word she uttered.

Aleria was given a baffled looked. Amrita came in exchange for minipets? What kind of deal was that? She obviously hated hunters, so there had to be some wicked ulterior motive.

He didn't get to ask, since the pain in the a** creature-tag-a-long was now making a huge fuss. Otto sighed audibly, a small part of him happy to see this snobby b***h wail. The other part was just annoyed. "Look, I'd like to believe you, but unless you wanna sit here while I take Aleria away, you gotta put this on. So; stay here, leave, or put the bracelet on."

The ultimatum was presented, and she couldn't help the low whimper that escaped her lips. She wanted to be there with Aleria - no, she had to be there - but she hadn't expected to be faced with the bracelet. There wouldn't have been any issues otherwise! Before she could answer, Aleria was there, trying to be the balm to soothe the situation. What they suggested was so very short of the mark, but the gesture was a kind one anyway. She could understand that at least, even in her current state. It seemed to work though, and a small portion of her very obvious distress seemed to melt away.

"It's okay, Aleria." Amrita said after a moment's pause, her posture shifting as she freed one of her hands. "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't hurt. I do. It's just..." As she trailed off she looked between the pair of them, glancing up at the tall demon and back down to the snug little Hunter. The internal debate surged within her; she knew she had to wear the bracelet to stay with Aleria - which she was hellbent on doing now, despite her fears - but at the same time she didn't want Otto touching her. At all.

"I did." She murmured in agreement to Aleria's assurance that she had promised for the Demon's benefit. The promise was a big deal to her, and staying with them was even more important. She didn't really know them, but they were worth it, they had to be...and they weren't going to go through this alone. "I'll wear it. For Aleria." The words came out slow and quiet, forced afterword into a sort of mental mantra that would make holding her hand out easier. A long sigh followed as she stood straighter, putting a conscious effort into extending a backwards hand without it trembling.

The moment her arm was out, she looked away; it didn't matter who put it on her now, she simply wasn't going to watch.

Aleria was awed by Amrita's acquiescence. "He'll take you back after it's done," Aleria promised, assuming the best of all situations and endings for the ghoul. Otto was a nice child: stern, to be sure, but that didn't mean he was without compassion.

Aleria had the utmost faith in him.

The ghoul said for Aleria, but there was more in it than that. They were not so arrogant to think that Amrita was doing this for their sake: there had to be some sort of...some sort of closure, some sort of a careful offering, a tribute to the one Amrita had lost before.

It was humbling to think about.

"Thank you," they said, and their voice wobbled just a little. Thank you for being here. Thank you for trying to understand. Thank you for--

They entered the Labs: they had been here for the majority of their duration during the visit in Eleventh November, Aleria had met Taym: all bones and no heart, all eyes and teeth and scruff, abruptness and careful almost-trust. Mimsy, too: 'science' and journals, findings and wonder, affection and gentility.

"You should escort her back. After, I mean," Aleria said, patting Otto's head. "I worry."

Finally.

Aleria's head pat was met with a fair amount of grumbling. "I know I know.. She'll be fine." he waved her off, and led them both to the room where the magic happened.