Strangely (Arcane)

[Max Zarate]

Jackie nodded but didn't sit on the bed. She felt restless here. Her eyes trailing from the closet to the spot where her father collapsed. She walked to it reaching out as if expecting something to appear. "My father died here..." she whispered and then walked towards the door "My mom then ran in with a gun, and she died too..." she told him looking down at the floor "I remember a claw, it was dark and shadowy..."

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane's reassuring smile turned into one of worry and concern. Though this was only the second time they'd met, Arcane knew they would become close friends. He hoped they would, at least. "C'mon, let's go back downstairs," he said, walking past her and into the hallway. But a moment later, he was back in the room, going toward the closet. He was inspecting it, again, wondering if he'd missed anything. The mention of the claw had startled him. It was, again, a trait of his own. "Go downstairs, take a break from this whole thing," he instructed her, kindly.

[Max Zarate]

Jackie seemed lost in thought, and just nodded. But it wasn't to take a break. She walked down the stair and turned into the old office. The room locked. Pulling out a small pin from her hair she carefully picked the lock. The old smell making her eyes water as she stepped inside the dark dusty room. Her hands running down the edge of her father's desk as she remembered him sitting there soo long ago. Ducking under it she pulled at a hidden drawer. A small locket and notebook hidden inside. She could feel the ink on the damaged paper, but she said nothing. She didn't even open it, instead she tucked it away. The locket clunched in her fist as she looked down at it. As if transfixed.

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane was inside the closet, still, trying to find the smallest clue. Pausing to listen for a moment, he decided Jackie wasn't near when he heard a drawer downstairs. Quickly, he changed into his dragon form as he could see in the dark when like this. He had tried a light-switch when they'd walked in but, as he thought, the house was cut off from the power grid. There was little light coming in through the windows which were coated in dust and cobwebs and the sort, so this was the only way to see. But he found nothing. There wasn't anything of the slightest importance in the closet. Instead, he turned and made his way down the stairs, changing back into his mortal self as soon as he exited the closet.

[Max Zarate]

Jackie let the small clover twirl in her hands, the swirls around it making her study it without hesitation. She was focused and soon enough she was zoning out. Thinking about her old life. The book Robin Hood in her hand. She then opened the book. But she didn't take in any information. Instead she focused on that night. Then something clicked. Joggin up the stairs. She headed towards her room and to the window passing Carter without a word as she opened the window to look at the edges. It this was some sort of monster then it would leave some mark on the frail wood...

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane spun around, looking at Jackie as if she was crazy. "Getting a nice view?" he asked, puzzled but walking up to her, anyways. He wasn't going to look at her as if she were insane. She could have remembered something and whatever that something was could be big in the process of figuring out who this Arcane lookalike was.

[Max Zarate]

Jackie ignored him “Let’s say hypothetically you were a monster, a dark shadowy thing. Who just happened to be hungry and in the neighborhood. If you say an open window how would you enter to snack on some food?” she asked him looking down at the narrow alley.

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane wondered if this question really was hypothetical, fearing she'd figured out who he was. But he answered, calmly, nonetheless after a quick glance outside. "Well, I would either jump from that roof, if I could. Or climb the brick wall, finding stable places to put my hands and feet... or tentacles or whatever." Hesitating, he added, "And if I had wings, I'd fly from the top of the roof over there to here, pushing off the shingles to help me get into the air, quicker, to make sure I got in when I wanted to and not too late, when someone might see me." Stopping, he wondered if he'd said too much or had gon into too much detail. He didn't want Jackie to find out what he was. Not yet. He wanted her to trust him and know him, first. Otherwise, she'd just run away. Now that he knew this monster from her childhood looked practically exactly like him, he knew he'd have to catch the culprit before he did anything to reveal himself.

[Max Zarate]

Jackie nodded closing her eyes "I can't remember if it had wings..." she told him. Walking down the stairs she tried to revisualise everything. "I jumped from here down..." she whispered doing the same action "And it appeared again right here," she said pointing ahead. Pulling out a dagger like she remembered doing. The dagger being a replice of her bronze one. "Isaac saved me from here..." she said skipping something but she couldn't remember what.

[Pyralis Demos]

"Issac?" Arcane asked, following her down the stairs and over to where she had landed. "Who's Issac?" She had never mentioned anyone, before. From what Arcane had understood from the story and his knowledge of Jackie's history as the Major's daughter, her parents were murdered by a monster with a striking resemblance to himself, she was sent to an orphanage, she was adopted by the Major, then she began to lead a night life of monster hunting. There was no mention of an Issac in the story.

[Max Zarate]

She at first didn't answer. But found honestly and the complete truth necessary "A friend. He was like a father after my parents died. He raised me until he passed away from old age. Isaac told me about my ability, Greek monsters, and how he was son of Helios..." another memory flooding in. A silver sword...It should be here somewhere. She walked through the house searching through the dark. Then she heard a click. A small hilt on the ground and she picked it up. The rest of the sword must have broken or been destroyed...

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane turned to Jackie, finding that she was holding a silver sword hilt. "Was that his?" he asked. "Is that how he saved you?" He felt so sorry for Jackie. So many deaths in her short life. First, her parents are killed right before her eyes. Then, the one who saved her dies. He understood why she was so untrusting and why she led her life the way she did - teenager by day, assassin by night. "You know silver can't kill a monster. It didn't die and, even if it did, it would have reformed."

[Max Zarate]

Jackie rolled her eyes "Yeah I know. But it wounded it enough so he could get me away from here. He was like 50..." she told him shrugging. She never asked Isaac his real age. But she did know he was really old, and that he could be around his 50s.

[Pyralis Demos]

Arcane nodded, sticking out his hand. "Could I see it?" he asked, indicating the silver sword hilt in Jackie's hand. He really had no use for it. It was part of a sword, that was all he needed to know. But he wanted to make it look like he was doing something while his mind wandered. He wanted to know whoit was that killed Jackie's parents. He wondered how it could look just like him and how it had gotten in. He wanted to know if there was any way to track him down but he saw none.

[Max Zarate]

Jackie nodded handing him the hilt as she passed by walking back into her father's office. Wishing she could ask her father for help rather than a complete stranger. Sure her father wouldn't be much help. But at least he was her father.