Azazel had been busy, as always. Mainly delivering things to ARC like various bits of tech from various worlds. As well as information from all the great libraries. But her needs were lessening, with ARC being able to open portals to places like Urdak as well. However, she was keeping them away from certain parts of Urdak that seemed dangerous. While she didn't know much, she heard rumors about ancient gods that might need to be dealt with. So she currently had time for other interests, and relaxation. Mainly, all her notes on everything demonic, as well as self-discovery. She had been created for one purpose, as a bit of demonic power from the Daughters to ensure purity, that the Maykrs controlled. But of course she ended up rebelling as well. But now she was free. And thinking of the Slayer, she fully understood why he'd refuse leadership. He seemed to be a warrior first, not a leader. He would've been a good fit back when Earth put their strongest warriors on thrones. But such was no longer the case. The AN people had been informed of both his choice, and her idea about it as well. They agreed, but decided it would be best to put it to a vote. Meanwhile, their new friends at BEDA had been busy. The paperwork for all of them had been filled, and all their ID's were going to come soon. In fact she was waiting on their message to go and pick them up. Various laws had also been passed as well, related to them. As well as him. He now legally had the freedom to do what needed to be done whenever there was an invasion. Other things still needed work though. Meanwhile he himself seemed busy in his workshop. And had spent time in the Ripatorium as well. She thought he needed to get out, maybe somewhere semi-social. And she had just the idea for it, as she made her way to his room.
"Hey there, I heard of this one fair, somewhere in the Midwest," she says to him. "And I figured you might want a chance to get out. Not that you haven't been out, but something tells me it's been a long time since you were at a fair last."
"That...is true," he responds, looking up from his workbench. Azazel peered over curious at what he was making. It resembled a pistol, but rather on the large side. "Oh, this?" He says, holding it up. "A possible off duty weapon. So I won't need the proper weapons," he explains. "It's an OK model. 3 round burst, charged shots, might do a good job with demons. Or..." He lowers his voice. "People." There was a sour note in his voice. It was evident that hurting innocents was not something he wanted to do, which was one of the things pretty much every girl was fawning over. That he was a softie, underneath the hardened exterior, even after all he's been through, and all ne's done. "But what I'd like is something better. Smaller. Something I could conceal, and even legally with a CCP. I've heard about your plans to help give me an ID, all by people who can keep a secret. Maybe not how I would've done things." He does give a ghost of a smile. "But I approve. I can see the advantages to such a setup. And if your head's at where I think it is, then yes, I do believe she would make a good first recruit. She already knows a fair bit about me. I might even be able to...get checkups from her. I'm sure she'd agree. Playing doctor to the god you worship is not something anyone as faithful as her would turn down." He starts to chuckle a bit. "She'd likely want to do ANYTHING I told her. And I do mean anything," he says with some raised eyebrows. "Oh that would likely be a dream for her. I even have other ideas about that, like that maybe they could have a meeting room, here. If it's a secret society to guard my identity, then we should go all the way," he says with a bit of a laugh. "But enough about that for now. Fair sounds fun. They take AN credits though, right?"
"They do," she says. "So we can pay for it all. Good thing physical money went extinct." She smiles a bit. "Some want to put you on collector's money though. All the antique coins/bills."
"Understandable," he says with a bit of a frown. "But they shouldn't. Put the resources into reconstruction, only once that's done can they worry about various luxuries. Some things now and then? Yes. Like this fair, it can help destress. But pointless collectibles? No need right now." He gets up, to get ready for the fair, Azazel doing the same.
Later on, they're both attending the fair, wandering around. They ride some of the rides, and eat some of the food. "It's been so long since I last had funnel cake," the Slayer says. "A very long time."
"This is good!" Azazel says. "I would've never suspected something like this could be. Doesn't exactly seem the healthiest though," she says between bites.
"Trust me, as a general rule, most fair food isn't. In fact the struggle is finding something that's actually healthy," he responds as he also looks around. "Well I see things I'd rock, but probably shouldn't," he says with a chuckle. "Strength tester, shooting gallery...also good they have a ferris wheel," he continues.
"It could all still be fun though," Azazel says. "They even have a haunted house," she continues, pointing it out.
"That wouldn't be of interest," the Slayer admits. "I mean, a bunch of people trying to scare me?" He says with some slight sarcasm. "Would that really go well for everyone?"
"No, now that I think about it," Azazel says after a pause. "Ferris wheel seems fine though." They get in line to ride said wheel. "This is fun," Azazel says once they're going, and makes some notes. "So, all this got me thinking..." she asks while leaning closer. "What's it like? To be...you? To have done all the things you've done?"
The Slayer sighs for a bit, leaning back in the seat of the Ferris wheel's car. "Not for everyone, I can definitely say that," he says while Azazel takes notes. "Being me is probably the best blessing the universe can ask for. I get to do what I do," he says, careful not to give himself away, "and I do enjoy it. Or rather...the Beast does. Now you might think I'm referring to a second personality. Not true. Because the Beast within me...is not the most talkative," he says with a chuckle. "More like..." He pauses to think. "Well, ok, maybe it IS a personality? But like, not completely its own? Like my own anger evolved past a simple emotion, to become something bigger. Partially a personality, part not. Like the Hulk maybe," he says, tapping his chin while Azazel writes notes. "But a Hulk where Bruce Banner doesn't completely go away when Hulk himself comes out," he explains as Azazel writes it down. At one point the wheel stops, with Azazel looking around. And down as well. The Slayer notices where her eyes happen to fall.
"Enjoying the ladies?" He asks, Azazel starting to blush. "It is a nice view from here. Girls can get away with it more. A guy like me gets slapped and called a perv." He sighs a bit. "Besides, compared to me, they're all too young. I have more millennia than some of them have years," he admits. "Though I'm sure many would chase me if they had the chance." He leans forward and continues. "Anyone in particular you're eyeing?"
"W-well," she stutters out, "There's a lot of gir-guys out there."
"Azzy," he says quietly. "Being gay has been accepted for over a century now. Don't lie about it."
"O-ok," she stammers out. "Well then the ladies are quite lovely. As well as...some of ours. Even Dr. Richardson, in her own way," she admits. "Not sure if I have any favorites, but..."
"Which is ok. You're new to all this," he says. "New to getting romantic. I've had some experience before," he says, which causes Azazel to write furiously. "I knew a girl in high school. But no long term experience. Especially since...that's more or less denied to me now," he says with a frown. "I could only do short term. Long term is impossible for me right now," he says with a sigh.
Azazel thinks for a bit, curious as to why he seemed to have given up, but then realizes. "Oh...it's that, isn't it?" She asks. "Pandy had mentioned how...you were cursed. Why you couldn't see your family. The same thing prevents you from having your own, isn't it?" She asks, with the Slayer nodding. She was beginning to understand who he was, deep down. A man cursed to fight demons forever. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life," the old saying goes. But many learn that it's untrue. And it was especially untrue here. Not even death was a relief from his job, and because of that, he denied himself common pleasures. She felt for him in that moment. She also realized something else they had in common. They were both products of multiple worlds. He a product of his own world, Argent D'Nur, Maykr tech, and everything Hell had done, now tossed in with this new Earth, and herself, a hybrid of Maykr and demon. Pure demon too, and not regular Corrupted. She decided to change the topic. "You know...I've heard rumors of a haunted house not far from here. And I mean...actually haunted," she says, which gains the Slayer's interest.
"That...could be interesting. After I had slain the Icon the first time, and had some time to myself, I did look up every supernatural entity out there. Became quite the expert overnight. Ghosts, spirits, black eyed children, the rake, wendigos, skinwalkers, and everything else, I've become familiar with," the Slayer says. "Never met any though. Wouldn't mind meeting them. I suspect that if I did, they'd...know who I am," He says with a dark chuckle.
"I think every being in the multiverse knows who you are. And yet ironically..." Azazel says with a slight smile, noticing that people were now being let off the wheel, "nobody here does." They make their way off the Ferris wheel, and start to head out. Once they're away from the fair, Azazel talks more openly. "Also...what are your thoughts on the whole...being in charge thing?"
"I understand where they come from. I know some of the 40K lovers will immediately want to say 'God-Emperor!' And maybe, at least in part, I should accept," he says with a bit of a sigh and a chuckle. "If I can actually steer them on the correct path, that can help them. NOT that I'm arrogant enough to believe that I, and I alone, know what's best for humanity. Hence why I also don't want to rule, in general. I can't claim to be the best statesman. And likely not the best general, though I'm willing to learn, considering...all my experience," he continues with a small smile. "Or at least not the best boardroom general. Sentinel generals tend to lead from the front. And kings were the first to go in. Even now? My definition of command would be 'ok, military evacs civilians to safety, does what they can on the defense front. I handle the offense.' Dr. Richardson says that if I can't do it alone, nobody will survive. She's correct, in the offense department. But..." he gets a slight evil grin here, one that causes Azazel to shudder. "The Beast needs room to play. The Beast is quite territorial. But anything defensive? That's best left to others. So the militaries of Earth are not totally useless." He gives a slight sigh. "I'm not 40K's God Emperor of Mankind. I won't claim I am. Hence me saying what I couldn't do earlier. And I wouldn't make his mistakes. I wouldn't stamp out religion. I wouldn't try to change humanity. Only to promote more cooperation, more peace, and a lot less 'big guy steps on little guy and gets away with it.' The world wouldn't be run by the greedy and the corrupt. I think Judgement could actually help with that," he says, tapping his chin. "Everything else though? I could see myself doing. Putting me at the top will help once all the lost colonies are found too. They may not respect the AN, or whoever leads them. But if I show up? They'll know me, and will all likely kneel. They'll want to assemble Honor Guards and all the like. The Emperor title may take some getting used to for them, but I'm sure they'd accept. Especially if it was God Emperor. I wouldn't allow the Slayerists to force convert them, but WOULD allow preaching, let them come over to my worship naturally." He seems to get an idea, that makes him chuckle. "I should make another Praetor Suit, for such occasions. But not green. No, maybe a golden variant, with the helmet made to look like a bit of a crown," he says with a small laugh. "Because if I'm going to go 40K esque God Emperor, I may as well look the part. Now...let's see about this haunted house," he says, drawing the pistol he carried. "Besides, this needs field testing."
They head deeper, Azazel using her powers to help warp them closer. It seems an old house, barely standing anymore. "Though there is a chance that whatever's here, if anything, may not show itself. Especially...for me. Or even you," he says, as Azazel draws her sword from her own pocket dimension, as they head in together. At first nothing seems out of the ordinary. Then they catch sight of a few things moving on their own, which the Slayer puts some rounds into. "Come out, come out. Whoever, or whatever you are, I'm sure you know who I am," he shouts loudly. They wander around for a while longer, but nothing happens. "Ghosts are quite different from the demons of Hell it seems. Need a better way to combat them," he says as they head back to the Fortress. Azazel goes to find the others, and fill them in. "Quite humble of him, to admit what he can't do. I don't know about you ladies, but..." she says with a bit of a smile. "I think he'll make a great Emperor of Mankind. Even made what seems like a half joking comment about making a gold Praetor Suit, as the 'public' suit to fill the role."
"So he knows his 40K," Malina says. "And has overall said he's a nerd. I'm curious how deep it goes. He's quoted various franchises and such in the past," she continues, a bit grumpily. "But I'll admit I'm curious how much of a nerd he is. Though that might help endear him to the people, if there's a nerd on their metaphorical Golden Throne."