9450/Friendly Conversations with BPD

Friendly Conversations with BPD
Date of Scene:	04 January 2022
Location:	Manhattan somewhere
Synopsis:	An angel and a demon have a perfectly normal and civilized conversation with no undercurrents of tension at all.
Cast of Characters:	Jason Blood, Aldrif Odinsdottir

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Jason Blood has posed:
Seated at a small outdoor cafe, Jason Blood is sipping at a mug of coffee. His gaze occassionally drifts skyward in contemplation. A frown resides upon his face, overall, as he does so, but then when he brings it back down to the surface and takes a sip, it fades for a moment.

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    And then, Angela, towering over him, red hair blowing in the winter wind while her orange ribbons standing firm against it (with some annoyance, though that can be hard to tell if you're not telepathic). The biting New York winter is not enough to get her to change out of her space bikini or even to redden her skin.
    "Jason Blood," she announces down to the man in the wireframe chair. "Moving from Gotham to New York City seems a drastic change relative to your personal ability to travel."

Jason Blood has posed:
Blinking, Jason looks up to find Angela towering over him. "It is just a brief train ride. Have you ever taken a train? Delightful conveyance." He takes a sip of his coffee. "Besides. I hear that things are going to be very interesting here in Manhattan in the near future." He places the mug down. "How can I help you?"

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela, who was not invited to sit and who might have logistical objections to sitting on a metal chair outdoors in a New York January while wearing a skirt that is actually just a particularly large belt, continues to stand as she selects a thread from that to follow. Her tone remains flat and almost robotically unemotional but for its ability to inflect syllables as she asks, "In what manner do you perceive that Manhattan shall become interesting?"

Jason Blood has posed:
Waving a hand around to indicate the somewhat less then usually populated city, Jason Blood offers, "There is talk of a huge celestial object that is going to strike this city, so many of its denizens have evacuated." He takes a sip from his mug again. "I have reason to suspect it is not some space rock." He shrugs slightly. "But, I have yet to confirm anything at all."

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela lifts her chin to glance skyward, looking for this huge celestial object. She doesn't spot it with her naked eye, so she shrugs and looks back down. "I hope for their sake, the inhabitants of this city have concocted a plan by which to deal with that impending strike. It seems important." She pauses to consider. "Perhaps I could offer assistance in exchange for appropriate compensation. The advantage of having an entire city owe me their lives might outweigh the burden of having to maintain the debt."

Jason Blood has posed:
    "I doubt it is anything the inhabitants of the city can manage, to be truthful." Another sip of the coffee. Jason Blood seems not alarmed at all about this extinction-level event that many others seem frightened silly of. "It will likely fall to the assemblage of heroes to determine and destroy." He shrugs, as he finishes the last of his coffee, and puts the mug down. He leans back now in his chair so he can more easily look up to meet Angela's eyes. "So. What can I help you with?"

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Stonefaced, Angela explains, "I wished to speak with you about your goals. We share a goal of me teaching humility to Etrigan. It is a foundation for an alliance, but the task has proven complicated in ways that make me wish to know more of your ultimate intentions, that I may achieve my ends without unduly harming yours."
    A woman walking down the sidewalk past the cafe makes no effort to conceal the way she openly stares at Angela and Jason as she makes an unnecessarily wide detour around both.

Jason Blood has posed:
    "He does have a bit of an ego around him," replies Jason Blood with a mirthless laugh. "What do you mean by my ultimate intentions, though? I exist to ensure that he is constrained and available to point at whatever needs he be pointed at." He waves a hand around vaguely. "And for that I get to endure many lifetimes of seeing how horrible this particular city can sink into depravity."

As strange as the sight of the towering woman may be, the words that spill casually out of Jason Blood are probably just as disconcerting to passersby.

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela folds her arms over her chest. As blank as she keeps her face, it's hard to tell if that gesture is one of warding or one of thought as she muses, "Then your ultimate goal in this instance is to keep him alive and useful, but ideally more pliable. There are ways by which this might be achieved."

Jason Blood has posed:
    "Alive is definitely preferable to dead, yes." Jason Blood frowns for a moment. "Can I ask what /your/ intentions are towards him?" He considers quietly. "He is a bit willful himself."

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela shrugs. The movement makes her hair ripple but, somehow, doesn't make her armor creak or clank. "I intend to punish him for his disrespect in such a manner as will convince him of the folly of repeating such behavior in the future. How I will enact that intent depends on circumstances unknown to me at this time. For example, it seems likely that a private battle would be preferable to a public one because the humiliation of a public defeat would drive him to vengeance, but it is conceivable that I shall learn facts which alter my current understanding."

Jason Blood has posed:
    Standing up from his seat, Jason Blood brushes off his pants. "I think you are correct in that. Private humiliation may humble, but not cause havoc. Besides, there would be tremendous properly damage, most likely, in a settled area." He looks up to Angela. "Did you want to see to this now?"

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela eyes Jason. "I cannot accept your assistance in this matter. It would lead to an escalation of hostilities between you and your cohabitant."
    Is there a gleam in Angela's featureless eyes? There might be a gleam.

Jason Blood has posed:
    A shrug from Jason Blood. "Have it your way." He pauses. "Are you going to keep following me until I have to bring him out?" he asks, glancing around for amoment, and then back up at Angela. "It could be a while. Things have been calm of late."

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela shakes her head. "I prefer to fight him in Hell. It is important for him understand that even when he hides within you, he cannot hide from me. It is also important for him to understand that while your safety enhances his own, so it would be to his benefit not to jeopardize your relationship with him." Her flat voice somehow becomes even flatter. "Though he may use this understanding to attempt to take you hostage. If so, please be confident that I will kill you before I allow you to suffer such a confinement."

Jason Blood has posed:
    "I am not sure it is wise to tangle with him on his home pitch." Jason Blood shakes his head. "And I would also not count on him to play fair - even if you were a match for him, are you a match for his brethren?" Jason arches an eyebrow at the last statement. "I am afraid I have not yet completed my purpose, so killing me would be rather vexing given how long I have endured to see it done."

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    "The wise hunter does not attack the pack. She attacks the stragglers. It is impossible to remain vigilant forever: Etrigan will discover this, or he will discover in the process of attempting to always be surrounded that he is signalling his weakness to those he relies on for protection, whom I do not suspect have deep bonds of affection for his charming personality or selflessness to them. In short, mine is not the only blade looking for him, and he must know that. Or do you think I underestimate his ability to make friends?"

Jason Blood has posed:
    "He is a polarizing figure, to say the least." Jason Blood shrugs slightly. "Far be it for me to try to tell you how to hunt. I appreciate the courtesy you are showing me. But so long as you do not kill both of us, do with him as you will." He shakes his head. "He will be fine by the time I need him again."

Aldrif Odinsdottir has posed:
    Angela uncrosses her arms, either no longer concerned about warding or having completed her thinking. Her right hand rests on her hip, near the hilt of the sword slung across her back. "Of course. And rest assured I take my debts seriously. If anything happens to you, I will accept the burden of your duty as my own," she explains, looking intently at him. Her feet lose contact with the ground as she begins to slowly rise skyward.

Jason Blood has posed:
    "Good job, Etrigan. That was not the one to sod off." Jason Blood shakes his head, and heads off down the street.