Rue: Prelude to Discord - Part 2

Gathering / Conference

With their upcoming trip to Hell  fast approaching, Rue makes a point to check in with some old friends to get whatever support they might offer.

On their way towards The One-Life Centre, Rue makes a quick pit stop at The Fruity Kettle, ordering a selection of Danishes, chocolate swirls, and whichever other pastries smell appealing. They grab a bottle of water from the fridge to the side and pay for their purchase. Box of pastries in hand, Rue walks the rest of the way, the streets a little busier now that people are leaving their offices to grab a spot of lunch.   Upon reaching the centre, Rue waves politely at the Reverend, not wishing to interrupt his conversation with a group of people they vaguely recognise from The Railyard. They enter the building, navigating through it until they come upon the chapel where they last met with Evelina.   As they approach, they can hear the familiar voice of the spiritual leader speaking with her followers. Immediately, Rue notices the change in her voice, sounding far stronger and more projected than they've gotten to know and, looking through the wall on their way to the chapel, they can see why.   The pews are far more filled than the last time they'd been there only a day prior, with the Railyard kids making a circle on the floor near the front, but Evelina herself seems different too. Sitting on a cushioned chair at the front and centre of the room, the large window behind her and the early afternoon sun giving her an almost ethereal glow, she looks surprisingly healthy. Gone, it would seem, are the lingering traces of the condition that had left her almost paralysed until very recently. Had Rue not seen to the contrary with their very eyes, they never would have imagined that this woman had been sick a day in her life.   "... and that's why, even when there are more tasty options available, it's still important to get your proper water intake," she says, seemingly nearing the end of her lecture, "Did anyone else have questions?"   Rue watches from the side as several people walk forward to thank Evelina before they depart, the room gradually emptying out. They approach when there’s only a handful of people remaining, hovering just outside of the circle around Evelina and smiling warmly once they make eye contact with the woman.   "Ah, Rue!" Evelina calls out, dismissing the last of her followers and standing from her seat, descending to ground level and approaching them with an almost unearthly grace, "Sergio tells me that last night  was the first time he's heard no sounds coming from that monster of his. I assume that's your doing?"   “It’s been taken care of,” Rue says amiably, brushing past the conversation quickly, “You look well. Really well, actually.” They frown thoughtfully, “I’m just curious, and please tell me if it’s none of my business, is your health a side effect of your powers, somehow?”   Evelina noticeably tenses at the question, looking around to see that none of her followers are listening in before leaning close and whispering to them, "I honestly have no idea," she says, taking a long glance down at her hands before returning her attention back to them, "My friends are calling it a miracle, claiming I'm some sort of saint. I don't know anything about that, but their belief doesn't hurt them and, frankly, I'm still too overwhelmed by this whole thing to make any rational conclusions. I'm just..." she pauses for a moment, her lips curling into an ecstatic grin as she continues, "so happy to be able to move again. I feel like I could do anything!"   “Huh,” Rue says, not unkindly, the grin on Evelina’s face oddly contagious as they feel the corners of their own mouth twitching upwards, “Well, whatever it is, I’m glad it’s giving you your strength back.” They glance at the last of her followers chatting away to each other in the chapel, “Is there somewhere we could speak in private?”   "Of course," Evelina replies, leading them into one of the nearby multipurpose rooms and closing the door behind them, "Sorry, I should've asked. Was there something you needed?"   “There is,” Rue starts seriously, “I was wondering if you could help us with something…” They hesitate for a moment, wondering how much to reveal, but eventually they carry on, “There’s a large operation  happening tomorrow, and there’s a fair chance for people to get hurt. We have a couple of healers already in place, but we could really use all the help we can get, and so I wondered… You have every right to say no, of course, but I think we could really use your help.”   "What... kind of operation?" She asks, her brow furrowed, "I'm happy to help you, of course. You've done a lot for me, after all. But I would like to know what kind of event I'll be associating myself with. I just can't risk the Onelife Center becoming a target of much more vitriol than it already is."   “Of course,” They nod their understanding, searching for the right words to explain what they’re about to do, “We intend to go and rescue our team member, Harmony. She got possessed  by the Archdemon Zaebos, we intend to defeat the demon and bring her back.”   "Oh, wow," Evelina mutters, her brows raised, "A Demon, you say? I wasn't even sure they existed. Where's she being held?"   “Zaebos has been responsible for a great deal of damage and death,” Rue admits gravely, eyes darkening as they continue to explain the situation, “We had to banish her back to her hellscape. It’s where the demon is the most vulnerable, so it’s our only shot of separating them and getting Harmony back.”   "That's quite the trip," Evelina replies, "I'm happy to help, but I'm not sure I want to go to Hell anytime soon..."   “Well, we’ll be setting up a perimeter around the portal,” Rue explains further, “It would be good to have some healers on standby there, just in case.”   "Ah, well that I can certainly help with," she says, "I'm always happy to lend my gifts to the greater good."   “I appreciate it, truly,” Rue says gratefully, smiling at the woman, “Do you have a mobile phone? I could send you the details for tomorrow.”   "Oh, yes. Couldn't keep me off it," she says, pulling the device out of one of the folds of her cardigan. The two swap numbers and with a smile Evelina sends a waving emoji through to them, "Alright, I guess I'll see you again tomorrow."   “Thanks again,” Rue says, “See you tomorrow.”   They leave the One Life Centre shortly after, pausing for a quick chat with the Rabbii, who ogles the box of pastries to the point where Rue offers him one.   It’s late afternoon by the time that Rue leaves the apartment again, hailing a taxi and giving them the address for Maria and Lucy's house. They rest their head against the car window, momentarily closing their eyes and taking a breath, letting the lights and noises of the city wash over them, a brief reprieve from the monumental task ahead. Arriving at the house, they pay the fare and walk up the driveway, ringing the doorbell before taking a step back to wait for someone to answer.   "Coming!" emanates from behind the door followed by the sounds of both rustling and clattering as the voice descends a nearby set of stairs and seemingly slams themself into the door. A moment later, the latch unhooks and the door creaks open, revealing the smiling face of Lucy in the Sky, her hair a mess and wearing a set of pink fuzzy pyjamas as she beholds the hero.   "Oh my god! Rue! What are you doing here? How are you?" she fires out in quick succession, not leaving enough time to actually answer before moving onto the next, "Maria is gonna be so upset she missed you coming to visit!"   “Hi,” Rue says sheepishly, a little taken aback by Lucy’s reaction, “I was hoping to have a chat with you and Maria, but since she’s not in… umm… How have you been?”   "Yeah, sorry. She's at work. Got a job at a garden center. Match made in heaven, right?" she laughs to herself, "I'm alright. Still trying to find something to do with myself, but I guess that's life. How are you? What did you want to talk to us about?"   “Oh, that’s great!” They say with genuine enthusiasm, “I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that suits you.” They take a second to consider their answer to Lucy’s questions, but decide to speak truthfully, “Actually, I’ve been better,” they admit, “Remember Harmony?”   "She was the one you came to visit us in the Hospital with, right?" the young woman asks, looking thoughtful.   “Yeah, she was,” Rue nods somberly, “She’s- in danger. We’re going to get her back, but it’s not going to be easy…” Looking at Lucy, knowing what she and Maria have been through, they can’t help but hesitate, but they carry on, “I was hoping to ask for your help.”   "After what you've done for us, we really wanted to pay you back," she says, her voice having slowed finally as she considers the proposition, "What do you need?"   “You know how you helped us out during the blackout  ?” Rue asks, “We’re going to be a little thin on the ground for any situations that might arise in Bathala whilst we’re… away. There will still be heroes available, but they may need some backup to help keep the peace.”   "City watch, eh?" She says, raising her brows, "Like proper superheroes?"   “I know a guy who could get you a cape if you want one,” Rue shrugs jokingly, “But in all seriousness, we could use all the support we can get.”   "Be careful, Rue. I might take you up on that," she says, grinning, "I'll speak to Maria. When's all this going down?"   “Tomorrow,” Rue says, smiling thankfully, “So perhaps I can take you cape shopping another time?”   "Alright, we'll keep an eye out. Feel free to give my number to your friends if they need some backup," she continues, "But, you've gotta promise me something in return."   “Oh?” Rue says, raising a brow, “What’s that?”   "Well, now you've visited the house, you've gotta come back for dinner sometime! Maria's an excellent cook."   Rue looks a little taken aback, but quickly recovers, “I think that’s a promise I can keep.” They grin eagerly, “Could you tell her to go easy on the spices for me?”   "Ah, that's okay," she says, leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially, "I'm a bit of a spice wimp myself, too."   “In that case, dinner sounds great,” Rue chuckles lightly, “We’ll have to arrange it soon.”   Lucy's grin widens further and she almost hops in place, "Yay! Alright then, I'll text you when this is all over."   ''Sounds good,'' Rue says, ''Thanks, Lucy. And please thank Maria for me, too.''