indispensible | seven. text & spam. woman king, sword in hand.

[It doesn't take long before she notices: she's invisible. She realizes this by looking in the mirror first thing in the morning and not seeing herself, which is so far from the standard way of things that she has to pat herself down to make sure she does, in fact, still exist. Apparently, she does.]

[This doesn't make her feel any better about the dullness that quickly settles upon her. She can't hear, see, or smell as sharply as she ought to, and her muscles feel heavy and fatigued. Crossing her arms over her shift, she makes a face at herself in the mirror - or, rather, doesn't, since according to her own eyes she doesn't exist.]

This is stupid.

Then her eyes settle on the black metal ball at her bedside. It's the only thing, besides herself, that's different, and that makes her tense. Objects are just as dangerous as people are - more so, sometimes.

She reaches out tentatively to pick it up, cupping it in her palm - and almost drops it when the metal swarms up her arm and across her body, making the deftest set of armor she's ever seen.]

~That's so you don't throw me across the room,~ [it informs her, and it's right: her wrist flexes reflexively in an attempt to get free.]

Get off me.

~Why? Armor's a good look for you.~

private } kylar, significantly later after much argument

Get over here right now or I'll find you and break your neck.

[But in a friendly way.]

spam } open, after the above

[There seems to be no way to get away from the ka'kari, at least not until this flood has run its course, so Vin does her best to just deal with it. Which is not to say she appreciates being almost senseless and frustratingly weak, nor that she seeks out company, but she doesn't hide away entirely, either.]

[More than anything, she can be found in the gym and in the CES, pushing her body to its current limits with a look of extremely bad-tempered concentration.]

( ooc; vin has kylar's ka'kari, which is mostly sassing her, making her invisible, giving her cool metal armor, and magical absorption and judgment as outlined here. i'm kind of winging it so hit me up in a pm if you have questions? yeah!! )

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[It's actually a pretty good Pout. She was not expecting it to be as effective as it is, but it's working wonders. She kind of wants to punch it off his face.]

[Showing incredible self-restraint, she does not.]

Well, you could fight me. [Like, obviously.]

[He stays quiet for the accusation. Now is honestly not the time to go on about any skeletons in his closet. He'll have to pick and choose carefully when that time comes though. In the meantime he stays close behind her and closes and locks the door behind them both.]

I've been trying. See if you can concentrate it into a ball.

[There's a pause, why is he asking her to do it? He's talking at Vin, though not really.]

Hey, old bastard, start cooperating or no one's going to figure out this mess. You don't like it and I don't like it and obviously she doesn't either. Understand?

[To her credit, Vin doesn't waste any time assuming the second statement is addressed to her. She narrows her eyes and focuses into the middle distance, like she's listening to something - which, in fact, she is - and moves her lips slightly.]

It says-- [A pause; she rolls her eyes.] He says, if he could do it he would have done it already. What does that mean? [she adds sharply, glaring up at the ceiling since it would look significantly stupider to glare at herself.]

[Arya is somewhere between impressed and trying not to laugh. It's a rough decision.]

Why? Where did you get it?

[It's so weird watching someone else trying to communicate to the ka'kari. Is this how he acts while the two of them are holding a conversation? That thought aside, he's only getting frustrated by the whole situation.]

I don't know. I've been trying to get it back since you opened your door. Nothing I try is working.

[He rubs his face before starting to pace in a small line, he's trying to think of any other way. But he's coming up empty handed.]

If we actually knew why this was happening then maybe I could think of something but right now? [The pacing halts and he gives her a dangerous look.]

Vin, I know you barely know me, but you can't tell anyone about this. What it is, or that it's mine. You don't know what it is or what it can do. Shit, I hardly know. But it's important and people want it and I can't let them know I have it. Do you understand?

Wow, dick. You're supposed to tell me I'm perfect just the way I am.

[Still, he grins as he takes another drag of his cigarette.]

So really, what's the deal with the armor? You stuck in it or something? Because I am not helping you go to the bathroom if that's the case.

[Ezio grins. He can't help it.]

Certamente! But only if you promise to show mercy and go easy on me.

[Well what the heck is he so happy about.]

I don't show mercy. That's not a funny joke.

You're perfectly unhelpful just the way you are.

[She waves the smoke out of her face, shifting her eyes just to the side of his face. She promised Kylar she wouldn't tell.]

I got someone else's powers. Did you get anything?

From someone else.

[She's not telling.]

I don't want it because it's clumsy. Normally I don't need it anyway. It just gets in the way.

[The look she gives him is hard and unforgiving, flinty. Underneath all that, she's hurt. Why does he think she'd tell? Why does he think she needs to be told? She knows all about secrets, and this has the mark of something very secret.]

I'm not a child, and I'm not stupid. There's a reason I didn't say anything over the network.

[She crosses her arms over her chest, glancing away. The armor creaks and shifts as it presses together under the force of her anger.]

You're wasting time persuading me of things that are common sense.

Most armor is. [She goes to inspect the broken punching bag, picking up a handful of sand.]

I have some people gave me. It's all just heavy.

You and me, we're quick. Not heavy and slow. We dodge blows.

[He honestly hadn't considered that, but even when she looks away he's not certain why. He wasn't trying to call her stupid.]

Sorry. It's my responsibility. I can't lose it. I--

[Can't explain. But he'll hold that and only sighs.]

I think you're stuck with it for now.

[Says Captain Obvious.]

Were you always quick?

[Stark studies her a second - he's super not listening to her heartbeat or anything like that, nope - and shakes his head.]

Nah. I'm still the same old asshole I've always been. Lucky for the rest of us.

[Weirdly, she doesn't mind that anymore. Not from him. She trusts him not to take liberties with the knowledge he gains from her, just as she trusts him to understand that if she's keeping secrets, it's for good reason.]

Lucky. You'd be weird nice.

Once, I was sad. Sadness made me slow.

Anger makes me quick. Purpose makes me quicker.

[She says nothing. Just stands there, her eyes downcast and her attention elsewhere, like she's listening to something only she can hear. She isn't listening to the ka'kari, as it happens; it's just a convenient thing to pretend to do while ignoring someone.]

[After a while of silence, her shoulders straighten almost imperceptibly. She looks at Kylar flatly.]

Then help me figure out how to keep it a secret. Tell me everything you know so that I can keep everything from everyone else.

Purpose usually does.

[Ezio is such a complicated creature. (No.)]

Perhaps not. But it was certainly worth the try. One could not blame me for it.

[What. A. Pickle. He's reluctant and it's painfully obvious.]

Just try not to use it. Focus on not using it and it should listen. No one's going to find out it even exists so long as you keep it to yourself until I figure out a way to get it back.

[Vin doesn't always let Stark get away with not telling her everything, but more often than not, she does allow it. It's only fair he offer her the same courtesy from time to time even if he's got his hunches she's holding back intentionally.]

I know, right? I hope you'd put me out of my misery if that started happening. You know, before I started busting out in show-stopping Disney-level showtunes or something.

I've seen it paralyze people. I don't understand why.

You're willing to bet your life on should?

[Kylar, please. That is not how you self-preservation.]

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seven. text & spam. woman king, sword in hand.

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