Wrong Turn [Retuo/Edgar]

If there was anything that Edgar disliked, it was the fact that sometimes his sense of direction has failed him. He was supposed to be reporting back to Vault Olympia, but a wrong turn has managed to set him off the beaten path of the fields of glass. He was actually on the edge of the field of grass and was going to enter into uncharted territory, something that neither he was mentally prepared for or had the equipment to handle at the time without knowing where he was going.

"This damn compass is giving me some problems. " With a deep sigh,  Edgar figured that sitting tight and doing it the old school way of looking at a map would be the best course of action.  Trading on the surface was easy, people would do almost anything for food. In addition to that, the fresh produce that Vault Olympia was able to produce in a few years allowed them to have food products that were considered rare. Especially if they were born in this new generation of the normalized demon presence, it allowed him to trade for valuable things. For instance, Edgar traded for a map and found himself taking a break to study it and get himself back on track.

Edgar: DEvil Arcana
Retuo: Hanged Man
Social Link 1

Yeah, the outside was fun alright, a good example being Retuo having gotten woken up from a brief nap by some lizard-like creature. He didn't even get to catch a good look at it before it scuttled away, but he was certainly awake now and no longer in the mood to try and sleep again. The pain of needing to be on alert almost at all times in case a demon wandered close was no joke. Eh, what could one do though. Eyeing the clusters of glassy crystals around him for a few moments, he would sigh to himself before he set out to take a bit of a walk to stretch his muscles some. He'd likely have to keep on the move anyway, since he still had some matters to attend to if he wanted to make sure he got the help for Armando squared out in time.

Lo and behold though, it would seem that there was no shortage of people wandering around these last couple days. Pausing by the edge of a sharp crystal that was randomly jutting out of the ground, he'd thoughtfully eye the man who appeared to be reading some paper. Honestly, he had to wonder...did something more happen besides the havoc wrought on the Highrise? Sure, he came across stragglers living out here from time to time, but the concentration of people running about was definitely higher right now, and some of them were certainly people he had never caught sight of before.

Well, he was bound to get noticed sooner or later if this guy lifted his eyes from his paper, thus he'd make the decision to make a move first this time around. After all, he himself would have said that it wasn't exactly welcoming to stand and stare at someone like a creep unless there was a good reason to do so. And so, he would cautiously wave at the man as he spoke up.

After being approached by a mysterious stranger, Edgar dropped the map and got up quickly, taking a tactical stance while looking at the man up and down. He said nothing at first, basically sizing him up and using the information gathered from the first impression to get as much information as he could. He couldn't be working for the slavery camps to bring more people into the servitude of those demons, not by himself. He also couldn't be a demon in disguise, although there were people who existed that also had some sort of special ability or mutation to them that they used to fight demons. He also wasn't sure about the alignments that they had, but it was better to be friends or neutral than enemies, especially if they were specifically looking out for information about the vaults.


"Yeah, I got here not too long ago, yourself?"

His posture relaxed a bit as he talked to the new traveler.

Well...

The guy seemed to be acting friendly at the very least, so he probably didn't have to worry about this ending up in a struggle. Although, that did not mean Retuo wasn't going to remain careful to some extent. There was never any guarantee as to the kind of a person one was dealing with. Offering the stranger a slight tilt of his head as he crossed his arms over his chest loosely, he would play along with the small talk for now. Sort of. He couldn't claim to be very good at that, especially since this line of conversation was a rather vague one. "Ah...you could say I've been hanging around a while. I wasn't exactly counting minutes." Which was mostly true, because he didn't own a watch of any sort. He was of course able to take an educated guess at how much time has passed approximately, but that was neither here nor there. "If you don't mind me being so bold...is there something you happen to be seeking here? Standing around focusing on a piece of paper could be dangerous. You never know what may be lurking nearby and catch you off guard. Had I been a demon, I could have attempted sneaking up on you." Assuming this guy wasn't actually trying to invite someone to take a stab at him, that is...

"I'm trying to learn how to read this map. It looks handcrafted and it gets around the hands of other travelers on the surface. I sincerely doubt that the geography has changed so much that the map has become invalid, especially when electricity seems so scarce when topside. Do you know where the Saint Denise subway station is from here?"

It was better to ask outright for directions instead of beating around the bush. This person either knew where to go and would share the information, not share the information, or lead him to a place that was the opposite of where he had to go. The information that Edgar would allow to be released from his mouth was controlled to a degree. Certain travelers aren't much for talking and others were the opposite. All that Edgar was trying to do was mirror that activity to make himself appear more trustworthy.

Interesting.

The way this man spoke indicated that he wasn't very familiar with the surroundings, and on top of that the claim about electricity was not something that a typical straggler would even think about, probably. Retuo knew what it was electrical power was technically, but it was also a fact that out here it was for sure extremely rare to come across a source of energy like that. People did not rely on such luxuries outside of the Vaults, with the group at Highrise being a temporary exception, but he was pretty sure they only had the generator as a leftover from their Vault which got recently taken down.

He'd look the man up and down thoughtfully before nodding. "I do know how to get there." He travelled around a lot, and the subway was always one of the easier ways to cross between the different sections of Paris...even though it carried certain risks as well. "If you wish, I can take you there...although, I am curious as to where you are trying to head? I do not mean to pry, but based on the way you speak of directions and all that, I'd wager to guess you're not a regular on the outside, are you?" He didn't expect to see someone from within a Vault, but it was also a possibility he did not consider impossible. There could also be a different reason for why this man spoke in this manner of course, but without more information he couldn't make any more complex guesses here.

"That would be nice of you to take me there. But for free? I'm not too sure if this taking away from anything personal that you are doing yourself and if you are doing me a favor like this, I would assume that you would want something in return. I don't mind sharing a little food if that's the case, you won't even have to take me to make it easier on you. "

It was a nice compromise, Edgar didn't believe that anyone would do anything out of the kindness of their hearts. There was always something to gain for the villains or self-proclaimed heroes, they always wanted something in the end. But if this guy denied Edgar's gesture of good faith, it would do the opposite of making him ensured of the mysterious traveler's intentions.

"I believed I told you already, right? Saint Denise subway station, that's where I'm headed. And no, I'm not much of a regular on the surface but these few days have been quite an eye-opener. I learned a lot, I've learned the surface has gone to hell. But it's just another day in paradise for others. I'm Edgar by the way... "

Huh...?

This guy was surely downplaying things quite a bit. Nevertheless, while Retuo could appreciate the willingness to give in return for help, he truly hadn't approached with that in mind. He was used to the fact that out here, most didn't readily have useful goods to trade for assistance. Ironically, doing for others without expectations was the most common way if you wanted to be kind, because there was never a guarantee that whoever you helped had anything to pay you with that would be of use to you. He'd hum thoughtfully. "I do appreciate the offer. In all fairness though, I was not expecting payment. Most people out here don't have much to trade with in the first place. I can also assure you that you didn't interrupt anything important...after all, there is not a lot to occupy oneself with in lands like these. I could be watching the stars, but that's hardly an important activity, is it?" He'd smile faintly, almost as if amused at his own words. "If you truly intend to bargain over this however...well, I can find food on my own if really need be." He wouldn't be alive were he that desperate after all. "How about an equal trade? You seem to seek information, and I wouldn't mind learning new things either. We could talk as we walk. Besides, if you're struggling to find your way off of a map, are you sure you wouldn't still get lost with only directions to guide you?" Taking the guy directly would be a much safer guarantee for him.

"Mm. I did hear you, yes. However, the subway station is there to connect to other areas, is it not? Transport may no longer run down there, but I would expect that a person wouldn't go down there just to look at the old railways...so, I made the guess that you intended to use it as a passage to somewhere else." What else was there to do in the subway system? One could perhaps argue that it was a decent shelter area, but it could at the same time be a more enclosed space and thus easier to get trapped inside were something to happen. That said, he would offer the man a half-bow. "A pleasure to meet you then. My name is Retuo." As much as this guy gave the vibe that there was more to his reasons than he was telling, with the bargains being put on the table and all, he had no reason to act overly distrustful from the beginning. One never got anywhere if they didn't give opportunities a chance, right?

'The stars? Never seen them, heard about them though. Some people use it to mark out their destinations if they ever got lost in some old way of finding the right direction to go. With you mentioning the stars, it could be that people look to it for enjoyment, or still use it in the way I mentioned before. "

Retuo had a point, there was no guarantee that Edgar would be able to find his way back even if he was taken halfway there. It was his first few times on the surface and it was also his first time getting lost. In all honesty, Edgar was trying to get used to the territory. He didn't want to get lost in any sort of crucial times. Plus, Retuo wanted to trade in information, which worked for Edgar. He would be able to control the flow of information and watch what he said. A lot of people were suddenly looking for vault Olympia and he didn't know why.

"It seemed defendable, a woman named cherry is staying down there with her mother. She said that people with power existed that are able to fight back the demons, which sounds crazy to me."

For a few moments, Retuo would stare at the man blankly, not entirely following the sudden spiel on the usage and meaning of stars. He hadn't even been trying to get all philosophical about it. His comment was honestly simply to illustrate the point that he hardly had important things to attend to in the moment. "Ah...perhaps?" His expression would turn into a thoughtful frown. "I don't know how reliable that is, given we don't always get to see the stars the same way. I didn't intend to put it like that though. I'm just saying that I essentially do not have anything better to do right now." That was all there was to it, at the end of the day.

This was a lot of mental gymnastics so soon after having been rudely woken up, that was for sure. Retuo was having a somewhat difficult time following what the man was saying, perhaps in part because it did not line up with what he himself knew. Theoretically, if Edgar actually met Cherry, to claim that she was with her mother or that she was staying down there wasn't exactly correct. Then again, the girl was quite the whimsical one so she could have told the guy all sorts of stuff if she didn't like him enough. He did appear to be a somewhat tricky type. "So...you're saying you've been down there already then? Unless I'm misinterpreting what you mean by it 'seeming defendable'." Actually, he had no idea what the man meant by that, but perhaps bringing it up would get him a better explanation. "Regardless, if you're talking about who I think you are, she doesn't actually stay down there really. Most of us out here move about a lot." That was kind of just a fact in general. "Though, I can second the claim about demons...it is indeed possible to fight them. Is that something you're interested in?" It could indeed sound crazy to some people, and he had briefly considered not commenting on it...but it also didn't hurt to be honest. It wasn't as if one could do a whole lot with the basic knowledge anyway.

"I only mentioned the stars bit because i saw them before. Just picture books and how they were used for astrology. Wasn't trying to go off in regards to that. "

It was a simple pleasure that could have been meaningless in the end. Maybe there was beauty in star watching but Edgar could find some better use for his time if possible. Better yet, the stars made for some good lights at night if he wanted to save some of his flashlight battery from what he heard. It was all rumors anyway, and until confirmed, it didn't exist.

"They seemed to live there but if surface dwellers are nomads and don't stay in one spot for too long, then it was a one-shot that I met cherry there, and there's no guarantee that she will be there when I get back. I assumed it was defendable, if you find a safe place, you defend it. "

Oh, he must know about the powers thing.

"I know about umbral skills from someone else, but I wasn't told anything else."

"...ah. Well, people find a use for a great number of things, so it doesn't surprise me. I would expect that this type of philosophical musing about stars would have been practiced more in the past before the Fall however." It wasn't exactly very profitable or a helpful use of time on the surface these days, and presumably one couldn't see them from inside the Vaults if he were to take the man's word on it. "Mm. No place is guaranteed to be safe in my opinion, so I cannot say much on that. Even Vaults can fall, so it really cannot be said that a subway station is better than that. Besides, you can try to defend but against forces such as demons, it is not always the most affordable option." In most situations, it was better to tactically retreat at some point. Even with an ability to fight, it was doubtful humans could outlast demons forever in a prolonged clash. To assume that could be their downfall.

He'd raise a brow at the man. "Umbral skills...? I cannot say whether I know what you speak of because I am not familiar with the name itself. However, you could say that there are several ways to combat demons." In a sense. He would wave at Edgar to motion him to come over. "Well in any case, if you haven't changed your mind yet, follow me and I will take you to the subway." They could talk as they walked. It would be simpler that way.

"Costly in what? Lives? resources? All of the above?"

From the way that Edgar framed it, it was a way for him to get into the head of Retuo a bit to see what he prioritized more. was it the lives of other human beings? Or was it the resources like food, water, or even weapons that kept them afloat with every single encounter that they had with the demons? Maybe it seemed a little minuscule to the eyes of others, but when you don't have a lot of time with someone, you should be willing to use anything and everything to figure out their character through certain judgments.

"Lead the way, but please...tell me of the several ways to deal with demons. If running is one of them, I've already been well acquainted with that bit. "

"Hm?"

It took him a while to figure out what the guy was getting at with the new line of questioning, because Retuo himself had never personally said anything about 'costs' specifically...and there was a good reason he hadn't. He was not quantifying defending an area in terms of what it cost to do so. It wasn't impossible to afford necessarily because it cost a lot to do so, but more often than not because it was simply not worth the effort to buckle down in one place like that. Maybe if absolutely every person on the surface banded up together and chose one place to keep unquestionably demon-proof, but the chances of that type of cooperation happening were low. Too many differences, even among some of the survivors whom in theory ought to work together. "I wouldn't say it's 'costly' as you put it, but that it is simply not worth trying in most cases. If you really need to make a distinction however, then it would be all of the above. Without resources, people cannot last for long. Whether with or without resources, people cannot outlast demons forever and will therefore probably die at some point. One way or another, unless you had a very large amount of capable people settling in one place similarly to a Vault, it wouldn't work out for long. Even with a capability to combat demons, people cannot engage in fights repeatedly without a break. Demons crawl around the surface freely and new ones could find you at any moment. Unless you're reckless and think you're just that much more powerful than an average person, choosing to simply get out of the demon's reach is something you do sooner or later." There was a reason the Vaults performed a lot better in that regard, even when disregarding the fact that they had walls for defences. Even then, it was still possible for them to get completely torn down. What was a group of stragglers on the surface going to do to protect an area when a full Vault of people at times could not?

The amber eyed man would chuckle faintly with a shake of his head as they began their trek for now. "Running is often a smart option. That said, I was mostly referring to the fact that different people appear to have different sources for their abilities to fight. I don't know enough to provide you with details however, and whether such knowledge matters is a question in and of itself. Honestly though, if you're asking because you want to seek out a way to fight them yourself, I probably cannot help you. I do not know what exactly causes people to gain that ability, not yet anyway. It's kind of a recent phenomenon." He was quite sure that people who could effectively do that had only started appearing a couple days ago more or less. It was anyone's guess as to what was happening and why at this point.

It was better to listen to people who had more information about what was going on with the surface. in regards to demons, Edgar knew next to nothing, he honestly wishes there was an easier solution that he had to handle them. However, you can't always get what you want. This world was full of complications and there were a lot of things that Edgar would rather not have to deal with. But if he only did as he desired all the time, he wouldn't make for a good detective now, would he?

"I guess that recent occurrence of people gaining the power to defend themselves is a part of my investigation now. I'm a detective, so far there is a bunch of loosely connected pieces as to why the surface world is the way that it is. It's a case that important to everyone, solving the case is more or less related to the optimal solution of allowing human beings to live on the surface without the dangers of demons. Walling ourselves off in vaults and pretending the problems up here don't exist, i'm not too fond of it. "