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 Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 2:42 pm
It was a peculiar feeling, he remembered. He breathed, and yet, he felt as though he wasn't getting enough air. Nothing was wrong with his lungs. Nothing was wrong with his respirations. Nothing was wrong with his blood, which transported the iron, which bound the oxygen and released it to the necessary parts of his body.
He suffocated on nothing.
Isaiah knew this feeling, this perpetual lack of oxygen, from the times of his teens. He remembered exactly which anxiolytic he took at exactly what dose and exactly which time of day and exactly how his mother would fret if he missed a dose. He remembered, in his frustration toward himself, trying to quit his medication cold turkey. He remembered, subsequently, the intense anxiety spikes he suffered afterward. And perhaps most keenly, he remembered the full-fledged panic attacks that barred him from specific locations for months.
And as he asphyxiated on his own anxieties, Isaiah scrolled through his phone contacts with trembling fingers. He found Olga's name, entered neatly and filed under the Contractors grouping. He touched the hyper-modernized icon of a pale blue androgynous figure, which enlarged, and a bright red button appeared beneath him. Garbled rumbling sounds issued from the phone. He held it to his pierced ear, with the cuff that clacked and constantly cracked his tempered glass screen savers. He waited. He counted his breaths.
They would have said something if they found a body, he reminded himself slowly. I can't trust that Kam would have told me, but the police would've had something to say about it. She would have bragged about it, I think. Just pick up, Olga.
Pick up, damn you, or I'll have Tastykake use your ashes for a litterbox.
Yet it rang.
And rang.
And rang.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:55 pm
... Where was her phone!? Olga stood in the middle of her small studio apartment, still as a statue as her eyes darted left and right. Someone was calling her. She could hear the opening theme from the Outlander show, which was her ringtone, playing---but it was kinda muted. Like her phone was...under something? Fudge! It sounded like it was coming from the kitchenette... The young woman dashed over, and stilled once more. Okay. It got louder...why did it sound like it was coming from the--- She opened the fridge. There it was. She stared at it on the fridge shelf for a moment, baffled as to what she had been doing minutes prior to have left it in there, before she remembered. HEY! Hello! It was ringing, and from the screen, she could see it was Isaiah! She snatched her phone, fumbling with it a bit as it was kinda cold, and hastily answered it before it went to voicemail, hopefully--- "Hey Boss Man!" She sounded a little breathless. "Sorry! Lost my phone there for a moment---it was in the fridge---what's up? Do you have something that needs to be delivered?" Strickenized I feel bad for tagging you back really fast...sorry, not sorry!?
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 4:20 am
Isaiaih paused for several seconds when the phone was answered. He waited for relief to wash over him, or even some kind of catharsis, but found the same dull emptiness that pervaded him since the incident. How long had it been, now?
"It was in the fridge." He repeated the words as if reading from a dry text. "I'm going to guess it was overheating." The thought of it sounded asinine, and he wanted to laugh - he wanted to share any kind of mirth or good spirits over the phone with her - yet he still found none within himself to give. He even tried visualizing, in cartoon shorthand, Olga's phone sitting inside a refrigerator, next to a block of cheese and three-day-old chinese while chiming away a ridiculous tune. He even imagined it vibrating furiously to get its owner's attention until it fell between the wire rack tines and landed atop a head of lettuce, or into an open container of cottage cheese (he preferred the cottage cheese one). Then he imagined Olga whipping the fridge door open, wiping away some of the cheese onto her shirt, and holding the sticky phone to ear.
Again, nothing.
"No, I don't have anything for you at the moment. There's been... An incident. Arson happened. I wanted to make sure you weren't a pile of crispy ashes along with... Well, the rest of my condo. But not my cat. She's safe. Tastykake?" A muffled meow sounded in the background.
"This might go without saying, but I'm glad you're safe too. Even if I didn't foresee a terrorist breaking into my condo and burning it down, I feel responsible for inadvertently putting you in danger. This is going to sound trite, but- ..." Ruffling sounded over the shoddy speaker. A scraping sound occurred afterward, and then a grunt. "Tasty, get off my face - no, don't lick that --"
After another short silence, Isaiah's voice came unimpeded. "I wanted to let you know that it's probably a bad idea to be around me right now, so you may want to seek alternative remunerative opportunities until I can clear this up. Additionally, and this probably goes without saying, I no longer need you to cat-sit.
"Please don't take this as a severance of future deals or communications. I am happy to offer positive recommendations for any location you might choose to apply to, it's simply that..." He paused, sighed. "Employer-employee politeness aside, things have gotten real shitty."
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 3:38 pm
"Yeah, I---No---I have no idea---" She was still incredibly baffled by that. Ah, well. Olga froze with shock though as Isaiah spoke, her eyes going wide. What...someone...burned down his condo!? Purposefully!? The shocked surprised soon gave way to panic as it clenched her gut, because she was about to ask about TK, so when he spoke about her well being, Olga gave an audible and loud sigh of relief. She also needed to sit down, and she did. Olga planted her back against the fridge, and then slid down until her bottom hit the floor. She pressed her phone tight against her ear, staring at nothing with an unfocused gaze as she listened. She was, uncharacteristically, silent through out the exchange, between listening and just being overcome with shock and surprise and disbelief. She should have supposed that arson wasn't that far of a stretch if terrorists were willing to offer ultimatums to civilian's like...join or die. Admittedly, at some point, Isaiah's voice had become white noise as she got wrapped up in her thoughts, though she had gotten the gist of what he was saying, in what she had come to know as Isaiah fashion. It was a pause of silence after he had spoken that jarred her out of her thoughts, and she scrambled to speak up. "Yanno---Boss Man, honestly, if you're worried about me being in danger---and I appreciate you wanting to try to keep me out of it but, I dunno---I've been going to your place and watching TK for a while now so what I'm trying to say is---if they're gonna get me, they're gonna get me---I don't think me not being around you now is gonna change anything." She paused for a moment after rambling, because she briefly wondered if she even made a lick of sense. Olga sucked in some much needed air. "Don't worry!" She grinned suddenly, though he couldn't see it. "I can take care of myself---and I'm not worried---well, I am worried, for you, but I'm not scared of repercussions of continuing to work for you! Employer-employee politeness aside---" She echoed, using his words, "I'd like to think we're friends---kinda, yeah?---and it'd be kinda lame if I just ditched you now. I'd feel lame." And feeling lame just wasn't an option. "If there's anything I can do to help you out, you just say the word!"
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:18 am
"Maybe you're right." Alkaid may have tailed him home many a time, or canvassed his condo long enough to know when he would be out. The amount of preparation going into her arson was impossible to predict. And while he'd been careful, it left him wondering if she now knew both sides of his identity - if his presence as Scholomance was at risk for her interruption.
If he would, perhaps, join the Negaverse whether he wanted to or not.
When Olga mentioned she could take care of herself, he wondered briefly if she kept either a gun or a powered identity. It wasn't entirely out of the question - if fourteen-year-olds awakened to superpowers, then Olga housed similar possibility. She may be any of the four factions that he knew of, or perhaps something else entirely. She could be nothing at all beyond a boisterous girl with a can of mace. It left him worried nonetheless. Without knowing precisely how well she could stack up against the offender, then how was he able to concur that she could handle herself?
He laughed distantly when she offered assistance. Pausing, Isaiah reached for the damaged charcoal canvas with the metallic sharpie spanning its form. "What would really help me out is if you found the b***h who burned my house down and set her on fire instead. But, revenge aside, it's going to be a long and arduous process to get everything back. Even if I rented a storage unit and filled it with cherry picked items while I waited for insurance to get back to me, it's... Not really easy. I guess most of that would involve moving furniture. Trust me, it won't be a fun experience.
"If you are still willing to work for me, then you might find yourself doing a lot more personal favors." Olga was nothing if not persistent, so he expected she wouldn't back down from her offer, even if she didn't particularly care for the work at hand. She proved herself very dependable with a steady work ethic, and Isaiah was no fool to turn that down if she thought the potential consequences were passable.
But would continuing to do so put her in more danger? Possibly - but if she really could take care of herself...
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 9:22 pm
She couldn't help but puff up a bit at that. She was right. Olga chuckled a bit. "Well---yeah, that would be the most helpful, huh?" She paused for a moment, her brows knitting. "Do you...know who did it...?" She paused again, idly nodding her head as she listened. "Well, you're in luck, Boss Man, I'm not in this because I'm looking for fun---" She grinned a bit. "You just tell me what you need! I'll do my best to make it happen!" Also, the prospect of doing personal favors for him delighted her too. It was a sign of trust and friiiiiiiiiiends, was what she told herself. "More than willing! Also ready to go at anytime!" Olga assured him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:36 am
"I'll let you know as soon as I figure out what I need." Isaiah pressed a cold palm to forehead. The easiest answer was a cop-out - a simple plea for a new life - but the snide remark gave rise to a dangerous idea. And when in such a position of loss, who was he to deny trying the venture? Booming business came from throwing caution to the winds, in most cases.
"Actually, there is one thing..." Even asking the question begged lunacy, but Olga had spent some time in the city and knew of the terrorists - the chances she would recognize the name did not loom beyond wishful thinking. And yet, to ask if she was a part of their faction demanded statistical information that he could not even guess. The saturation rate of the Negaverse through the populace escaped him. She may be no part of the war, or could potentially be an ally - or an enemy of a different sort. The Dark Mirror were not beyond suspicion, and the White Moon proved their equal ability to harm him.
Still - it behooved him to ask. So, with a quickened breath taken beforehand, he broached the question. "Are you a part of the Negaverse, Olga?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:59 pm
"Okay!" She understood if it'd take some time, that wasn't unreasonable at all---Oh! Olga blinked, and pressed the phone tighter against her ear again. "Yeah! Shoot, Boss Man---" She listened, though as soon as the question was asked, she heard the distinct sound of a brain breaking (hint: it was her's). Olga was stunned into silence and surprise. It just seemed like---such an off the wall thing to ask her---she hadn't been putting off any vibes like she'd been apart of it, had she!? The silence had stretched on to definitely being awkward, and the realization that she had yet to answer him snapped her back into the conversation. "No---" She replied, hastily. " No, I'm not---" She sounded baffled. "I'm---I'm a---why did you ask me that, Isaiah?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:13 am
Hearing his name - his actual name, and not his title - gave Isaiah temporary pause. He delighted to hear it coming from Olga, short lived as it was. "I just wanted to be sure. It doesn't matter, overall, because it's easy enough to lie if you've been put in the position for it. But..."
Isaiah breathed a sigh through his nose. Somewhere in the background, Tastykake meowed. Dread mounted in a palpable drop in blood pressure, to the point where Isaiah felt the need to seat himself. Even then, the prickling loss of sensation grew with his growing anxieties. "I ask because I am involved in the war myself. I am a Knight, and I think I'm being targeted by the Negaverse. Between Labyrinthite, the general who attacked me, and a couple other acquaintances, I have reason to believe it's true.
"Well - that's not precise. I believe I am among a group that is being targeted. But I have no way that I cam prove this myself - not without some outside assistance. I need someone to keep an ear out for anything suggesting localized targeting, but I think a job like that is much too dangerous for someone who isn't already part of the war. There has to be an easier way to go about it... Like strategically placed microphones or something, I don't know. That's something I'll have to take care of myself.
"For you, I think it's best if you kept an eye out for a blonde girl with cracks all through her person. She is terribly unique to look upon for there are gaping holes in her chest and forehead. She is called Ascendant General Alkaid, and she is the one to set my apartment on fire. I think I was a case of 'two birds with one stone' there, but that will take too long to explain. I don't know if she will target you due to your association to me, but I can't rule it out either.
"All I am asking is that you listen for any indication of Negaverse plotting. Anyone who dresses drably and militaristically, from what I've seen... See if you can learn anything from them."
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:25 pm
Olga took that pause to interject, letting out a shaky laugh. "Come on---I think I've been hanging around long enough for you to realize I couldn't lie to save my life---plus you're a smart cookie!" As he spoke again though, Olga was stunned into yet another silence. This was was far different by comparison to the previous one---this time, this silence was of excitement. Yeah, the circumstances surrounding this were awful, and she probably should be more concerned about her well being and the possibility of being targeted, but here Isaiah was, laying it out there. He was a knight. Boss Man was a magical person, too. Thankfully on the side of Order. Of course he was a magical person, and it made sense how he knew so much, and had such solid views and opinions on the matter of the war. She was overcome with excitement, and she trembled from the effort of trying to contain herself. "Y-yeah!" She answered, eagerly at that. "You got it---" Olga's tone expressed her zealous enthusiasm, and she spoke fast. "I'll keep an eye and an ear out---and don't worry about me---I know what I'm looking for because I'm on your side! I'm a senshi!" She was practically all but tripping over her own tongue to get that fact out there.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:04 pm
Olga's enthusiasm granted him a much-needed smile. To think that she still intended to support and assist even after finding out he was one of the 'terrorists' confirmed that she was, indeed, a good friend. Olga could keep an ear out for him where she could, and see what she might find of the Negaverse and its motives against Saturn knights. His smile slackened, however, with her next words:
'I'm on your side! I'm a senshi!'
As if by virtue of being a part of the White Moon, you're an ally to knights. As if I haven't been attacked by the White Moon before. He cloistered his opinions of it, knowing that voicing them would not lend any positivity to their conversation. Olga confirmed that she would assist him, and that was enough. She didn't ask who he was, and he didn't ask who she was - he preferred it this way. They simply knew each other as non-hostile powered entities of similar factions. There was no reputation for him to attach to her, or her to attach to him.
That was enough.
"Thank you," he offered to Olga at last. "I mean it." He sat in silence afterward, wondering if he should go on to ask questions. He felt a certain pressure to do so, by social conventions that he either made up entirely or didn't fully understand. However, he wasn't sure he wanted to ask questions of her. Part of him thought that their conversation was fulfilling where it stood and that he should hang up the phone before any damage was done.
Finally Isaiah went with the latter. "I'll talk to you later, then, Olga."
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Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:25 pm
She had held her breath, which was odd for her---she was usually a rapid fire of questions if anything else, but there was a gravity in the conversation that spoke louder than any words. What was said for now was enough. After all, it also wasn't like he needed her pestering him after losing his condo, much less to know there were terrorists specifically and actively after you. "Yeah---" Olga snapped out of her thoughts. "You're welcome, Boss Man!" She replied in earnest. "I mean it, too." She nodded against the phone, though he couldn't see, and her tone picked back up with it's usual zest. "Right! Um---call me or text me whenever you're ready and I can help---Good night! I'll see you later!"
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