The Price Of Freedom [Edgar/Deshi]

Edgar's current scouting of the slavery camps took a bit of a while. Staying just on the edge so that bis binoculars and camera would be able to get the images that he needed was basically for safety purposes. At the same time, Edgar wondered if there were people down there who haven't lived as slaves, people that were free or had a sense of freeness to them that traversed the eclipse. Like some sort of plague or sickness, only one who managed to get too close to the slave camps ended up a slave themselves. So far, there seemed to be no way around it or no way out of it.

It wasn't even known to Edgar that demons can negotiate, but they tend to proxy their incarnations through a few humanoids. Whit those individuals that enact their will, probably had more freedom than most at the cost of taking away the freedom of others.

"....."

So far, Edgar has continued to watch and survey the area.

Edgar: Devil Arcana
Social Link 1

Name: Snow
Arcana: Death
Social Link Rank Trying for: 1

It seemed that being miserable was just going to be a trend now, wasn't it? After his recovery stay within the Bellows, he had taken notice that a particular plant he used for one of his concotions was running low, meaning he would have to make the trip to get said ingredient. An ingredient that rested within the smoldering heat pocket that was the Eclipse. He didn't like melting, but he supposed that it was better than the option he got every time he entered the Dryrange which was melting while being turned to ash slowly all at once. Neither option was pleasant, but he had to deal with these enviroments to get items for the things he made and at least in this hellhole, he the unforgiving heat was his own issue allowing him to tolerate the place slightly better than the Dryrange.

In any case, he had planned to make the visit a quick one as he traveled the paths that drew him near, but not within the slave camps of the area. Sticking to the outer edges of that terrority, he would find the spot he was looking for before lowering himself down towards the hot earth to begin his search for the odd flaming flower that grew here. He just needed a few and their roots and then he could be leave this place.

He would remain focus on task, occassionally looking up or pausing to tilt his head to listen to the land around him for signs of danger. He made a mental note to figure out a way to make the stays in the Eclipse and Dryrange last longer without him dying in the process. He really would love to explore the areas more freely, but right now did not have the means to. One day though...One day.

In any case, he kept searching for the plant he sought for now as an unusal bird of red feathers that mimicked flames came to join him. It had a black skull like head marking it as member of Skulled Crow family, but its behavior, colors, and sockets that glowed like smoldering embers were signs the bird was far from the norm. The bird would perch on scorched rock slight above the man that was searching and digging in the earth below. It would watch this strange man for a while before he looked over at the other man that was not too far away doing his spying. The bird would continue to watch the pair, never making a sound to draw attention to itself or to cause the two males to look around more and thus notice each other. It watched and waited to see what happened.

Name: Snow
Arcana: Death
Social Link Rank Trying for: 1

While he was doing his prevalence, Edgar managed to come across an image of a man that seemed to be digging up the dirt. Or better yet, it just looked like an ambiguous person, he couldn't determine if it was a man or a woman from where he was. Just like him, this person seemed to be on the outskirts o the camp, and with the unwillingness to get any closer than needed be. With such observations, it seemed that this individual probably knew of the perimeter a lot better than Edgar did if they were out here. At the same time, Edgar was testing his luck.

Maybe some individuals on the surface wanted to be left alone and didn't want any trouble. But with them picking plants off the floor or whatever that was, that was information that Edgar didn't have Collecting information from the locals was a necessity, so he decided to slowly approach the individual until he was in hearing range enough to not have to fully shout and draw unnecessary attention to himself.

"Hello, I mean no harm. I'm just curious about something you did.... "

Edgar said this rather calmly, not trying to invade the person's personal space.

"What is it that you are picking off the ground?"

The skull headed bird would continue to watch taking note that the darker skin male decided to make a move. Staying quiet as ever, the strange creature would move from its perch to flap downward and land on the ground close by the pale man's hand. Not expecting such a rare visitor, Snow would pause in his current digging of one of the plants and look at the strange crow. He had heard of the subspieces of skulled crows that lived in the more extreme areas that the normal crows avoided, but this was the first time he had encountered one face-to-face. He might've said something to it or even tried to touch, but the bird decided in that moment to give a rough grunt before flying off.

It was as if it was warning him of something and maybe it was for as soon as it left, he caught the sound of someone approaching and then a voice would break the silence. Staying in his position on the ground, he would lean back slightly as he turned his head to look up at the man that had approached him. He took note the other kept his distance, but was more or less calm in his speech and behavior. How curious. And what was this? He wanted to know what he was doing?

The paler man would see no issue in sharing as he moved slightly to the side and pointed at the small red flower he had been working on getting out of the ground. "I am foraging for supplies that happen to only grow here," he would tell the other in calm soft tones before tilting his head slightly, his eyes narrowing with curiosity as he took in the other's looks and clothing. "And you? What are doing out in this hot zone?" The guy certainly didn't look like anything he encountered on the surface and the way he carried himself was quite different too. Was this a drifter like himself or one of those strangers from those vaults? He wanted to know, but for now kept his questions simple.

Grow here? Supplies? Is medicine viable here in the surface world? Everything had a start or a beginning, even the fields of medicine. However, even Edgar can't help but feel that the idea of picking randomly grown weeds in the demon-infested territory could be dangerous. Who knows what kind of changes those plants have gone through? Or maybe this individual knew? Maybe this was their trade as a doctor or a herbalist? Or maybe they were picking this to sell to others?

"Recon, if I'm being honest. Know thy enemy and all that, an enemy to freedom is an enemy to all human beings. The question is, are you on the side of such individuals?"

Using his skills as a detective, he studied the person's face, looking for any telltale signs of deception or hesitance. It would be something that Edgar would be able to pick up. With that, he waited for the answer. Was this a person he could trust?

Strength

Spoiler:

He would watch the other with a steady gaze. Not really bothered by the guy's presence or the way the other studied him. His body and behavior would remain relax and more or less calm, though perhaps a bit more mellow than his usual self thanks to the heat. The heat was causing sweat to form and as some ran down his face it could be noted that the make up on his face did not budge or smear; however, he didn't seem to care as he heard what the other said.

"Recon, huh?" he would say his eye brows raising in slight amusement before continuing. "I am assuming from your words you mean to do something about the camps here, yes?" He would let the question flow out and pause to see if he was answered. Whether he was or not, he would shake his head at the question. "I am just a drifter in need of supplies that as stated grows only here." He would give the other a soft smile no traces of lie there. After a slow cat like blink, he'd tilt his head at the other, his movements rather lethargic as he spoke once more. "What is your name?"

Note:

"I know enough, I know that the camps are housing slaves. they house people who have no choice but to do deplorable acts just to survive. Some people are born into this situation, thinking that they were born to be tools for demons and they don't know anything else. If I'm being honest, I want to know more because I feel for them. This is fucked up. "

This person was a trader who plundered the land for supplies. The story itself made sense and this person had a weird look to them. The last person that had a weird look to them was Cherry, but Edgar already wrote it off to be some sort of genetic mutation that happened as a result of living among the demons or exposure to some strange substance from the demons. Either way, it gave birth to the power that people used to fight it.

"Edgar. That's my name, yours?"

Ah so the other decided to answer his question after all. How nice. He'd listen to what the other said, his gaze moving from the taller man to look in the direction the camps were. As the other finished, he'd hum as his blue eyes return to the guy.

"This world is fucked up as you have said and while I cannot say I agree with having slaves or making another do what they do not wish to, I cannot exactly see that as completely wrong if that is what it takes to survive in the world," he would say as he shifted a bit in his spot to turn back to the plant. He would go back to digging it up carefully as he spoke. "You say, you wish to learn more and that you feel for them. So do you plan to set them free once you have obtained said information or do you have a plan already in action?" he would ask, curious what the other was planning to do. Though how much of that was he going to share was up to him in the end. Either way, as long as the guy wasn't hostile towards him the pale male wouldn't mind his presence or the talk they were having.

He would continue to dig until he was able to safely grab the plant and pull it out of the ground without serious burns or injuries. Once it was in his hand, he sat up and knocking some of the extra soil off before carefully storing the odd flower in a pouch just as the other gave his name.

Looking over at the other once more he'd give a light bow from his kneeled position. "My name is Snow. It is a pleasure to meet you Edgar," he would say with a small smile, yet friendly enough smile.

"I think I'll keep that information to myself. With every little piece of information that one gets, acting on it without measuring the weight of its leverage is very foolish. It's quite the heroic thing to jump down and free all of those people, but it's hard to free them from a slave mentality. I won't be surprised if they can walk as far as they can away from the camp, only to come back. This is not an easy fix."

Unlike most others, Edgar gauged the reality of the situation. It could be an ultimate waste of resources and maybe people seemed to think that life was a lot better in the captivity of others. He wanted to separate those people from those who haven't given up their fighting spirit, not yet.

"So Snow, how many years has it been for you on the surface? Were you traveling all this time? Or did your vault get broken into? "

He'd give a small amused hum at the words. "Fair enough," he would begin and then pushing some of his hair behind his pointy ear, he'd continue. "It is good to hear that you use your head when it comes to information and actions. You even consider the consequences of what you do. Though, I would have to agree. If one lives in such conditions long enough, it can be quite hard to not want to go back or choose a situation that provokes the same enviroment all over again." It was a sad thing, but a truth nonetheless. "In any case, are you planning to do this alone or do you have allies?" It was quite the daunting task after all. Anyway...

"Hmm. 25 years. I've been on surface and traveling as long as I can remember. I have never stepped foot inside of these vaults I hear whispers about." He would pause before patting the ground next to him asking the other to sit if he wished. "How about you?" His behavior and way of speaking remained relax and unhurried as he continued to observe this man.

"I'm not answering that."

See, the thing about Edgar is that instead of giving a non-answer and ignoring the question, he would say that he's not answering the question. Some individuals would say that's a social glitch and that deferring the question would be the proper way of handling certain things. But not Edgar, he had a certain level of honesty to him. He never keeps promises he has no intention of holding, and second chances only come up review depending on what happened with the first one. Whether Edgar had allies or not, is irrelevant. If snow wanted to see what Edgar would do, he would have to wait and see.

"My 25 days to your 25 years. Thing is, it's been close to a month and it's hell on earth. This is what you've been living for a lifetime, so I'd take your opinion very seriously. After knowing that you live here for so long, that's what id want, your opinion. Of all the places you traveled, was there any group at all pushing back against the demons that you saw?"

He would watch the other as he gave his answer to his questions. The guy held tight onto whatever information he had, sharing only what he wished to share. Did the pale man that felt like he was about to melt into the very earth he was sitting on like this? It was hard to say. Considering his face remained blank of his thoughts as he simply reached up to untie his purple head wrap to use said cloth as towel to wipe away the sweat that was now starting to bother him a bit.

Not really caring that the other either ignored his offer to sit or simply choose to stand, he would drape the cloth around his neck for now as he heard the words spoken.

"25 days out on the surface and already you call it hell on earth?" he would give small smirk to the other amused. "You must be quite pampered if you can't handle the surface. Though it does bring me to question how it is you have survived this long." He'd narrow his eyes a bit as he tapped his lip in thought. "This world is quite harsh to those unable to adapt to it. As for groups actively pushing against demons and such. Why on earth should I  share any information I have on that when yourself have given me nothing of equal value in turn?" His words were calm and soft as usual, but there was a look in his eye that told the careful observer that this collector of plants was a bit more than that and while sweet and kind, he was no fool and did not give out information of that kind so easily.

"Which brings me back to the first remark, I'm a vault boy. I've been in the vaults for most of my life and someone or something broke our doors open to expose us to what's going on outside. On the flip side, we would have never known how bad it was if he stayed unaware. There are groups of people who travel together who are from destroyed vaults. I'm not that bad off, but if people are expecting a second attack, I'm going to gather as much information as I can."

Looks like this guy wasn't willing to part with any sort of information since Edgar wasn't willing to do so as well. But in technical terms, didn't Edgar already share a few things with them? Or better yet, was there something that Edgar could share with them?

"Fine, I'll tell you this. My vault, vault Olympia, was attacked. In that vault, I am an officer, and my current assignment is to investigate the surface. With the people I meet, I document my meetings on whether they are friendly or not. "

Edgar said as he took out his cellphone and took a picture of snow.

"like this...."

Edgar then showed Snow the photo of themselves.

"Rather comically detailing the report but only to lessen the burden and the strain of those below. They're scared, they are scared of people like you who lived their lives up here and the unknown. My job is, well, I'm a detective. So there, lot's of information. "

It was true the other had technically given information, but for the pale man the reason he wasn't so willing to give what he knew was because that could potentially put some people he knew in danger and as for the other information well. That was a different sort of secret, wasn't it? In either case, he gave what he saw was equal to amount the other gave, so there was that. As for what the young man said and did afterwards well now...

"A child of vault who only just now has been unleashed upon our world due to someone busting down the doors. Someone either really wanted to get out or had some other plan at hand. That is certainly strange news." He would say as he got to his feet dusting off his hands and self as he listened to the rest. He was just about to say something back to the other, but the guy decided to pull out a strange device and after doing something with it, showed it could take images of himself and also said it was connected to a network of sorts? Fascinated by this thing, the pale man gathered enough strength to forget his fatigue for the moment as he moved rather quickly towards the other and said device. It wasn't quick like an attack, but it was faster than one would expect from someone who seemed so calm and lethargic beforehand. Provided the other didn't run or react negatively to this, Snow would stop within the other's space bubble as he tilted his head at the device. He was tempted to touch it, but did not for now.

"You say you are detective that was sent here to investigate the surface. Yet you catalog people labeling them friend or foe on this item and show it to those people who were attacked and scared below..." He'd hum as he rubbed his chin before looking up at the man that towered over him. "We assume your network and position gives you power then." He'd fold his arms a bit with a huff as he looked towards where the camps were thinking. "There are scared people all around, Edgar. Some more noticeable than others. If you are planning to use that image against me, I'd advise you to be rid of it then for there is no need for such means. I am not in the business of causing more rifts where they aren't needed. I rather peace between everyone you see, but not many see things from my view. However, you have given me some information so I will tell you this." He would look back at the other. "As far as groups banding together to fight back demons I have yet to see that. Though I do not doubt that they exist considering what I've observed as of late. I have run into folks who seem to wield powers to combat demons and I have even heard of another that has a camp of survivors though I have yet to meet said person myself, so I'd have to gather more details to see if that group fit what you spoke on. To be frank, I am trying to figure out this mess up here and now with what you have added apparently the mess you Vault dwellers are having too. Perhaps we can work together considering we seem to be on a similar path, yes?"

After all information swapping was a good thing and good business partners never hurt in the end now did they? Either way though the choice was up to the man in the end.

"Such power doesn't extend to the surface. Order, laws, police, peacekeepers, such things have no place up here when everyone is doing what they can to survive. I have no expectations of people respecting the title that I have, regardless of me showing my badge or proving who I am. But it is what it is. For people who are too afraid to come up due to the dangers they face, or being civilians, they need to know what's going on. If you are some kind of trader like you say you are, with not only knowledge of what these plants and items do, but can figure out how they can be used as a substitute for modern-day medicine if things go bad with supplies. Well, you have a face people need to know. You can't choose indifference or inaction forever, even that becomes a choice, with the other choice for you due to it. "

Shaking the phone after giving snow a bit of a look, he would toss it up and down.

"simply smashing this phone won't keep the image away. Whether secretly, intentionally, or not, id rather give you the perspective and do it in your face than do it behind your back. It's not a tough guy act, I want you to see the legitimacy of the actions themselves and what they are used for. If it was for any bad reason, pretending it to be an odd radio, taking off the flash and sound, and taking the picture discreetly isn't something I'm incapable of doing. "

"WE"? That was something a bit odd that Edgar paid notice to. Such a talk made him a little cautious. He couldn't ignore that. But for now, he would see if it was brought up again.

"I don't mind working with you. I already have one surface contact, another one won't hurt. But if you are that surprised at the appearance of a phone, i'll have to give you a spare for the next time we meet if you have no way of contacting me. "