Strange Happenings [Glob] [M]

[DragonSong]

Watching the levels skim by them, Starbright shook her head with a small, wondering smile. "How many floors are there?" she asked in amazement, looking up at Vel's one blue eye.

[DaGlobster]

Vel looked down at her. If she stared into his blue eye, she'd be able to make out the ghostly countennance of a handsome, twenty-something year old man. Vel's soul.

"Uhh... Fifty-seven, I think."

Vel pointed up.

"I've got a floor for each catagory. For instance, the floor we just visited was the "Planes and Planar Beings" floor. It's got all the books I have on the planes or the creatures that live in them."

[DragonSong]

Starbright blinked, leaning forward unconsciously in an attempt to get a better look at the glimpse of a figure in his eye.

What the hell is-

She cut her sister off with a low, appreciative whistle. "It must have taken forever for you to organize all this," she murmured, trying to put the image from her mind. It wouldn't be polite to ask.

Wuss.

Shut up.

[DaGlobster]

"Ugh, it did. But it was worth the effort."

Vel chuckled a bit.

"I mean, I know wizards have some pretty impressive towers, but I've never met a mage with an interdimensional one!"

After a few quiet moments, Vel looked at her.

"You saw my face, didn't you?"

[DragonSong]

She jerked a bit. "I- I did," she admitted quietly, looking at him. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't...understand. You say you're a construct, but that- you- looked...human."

Kinda cute too.

Really, Midnight? Is this appropriate?

You're no fun.

Lowering her eyes, Starbright ignored her sister and murmured, "I don't want to pry. I'm just a little confused."

[DaGlobster]

"Well, I suppose it's rather hard to explain," Vel said.

"I was built by a wizard who specialized in constructs. He'd already created so many automatons just like me, but they were workers, or assistants."

Vel sighed.

"What he wanted was an apprentice, so when he created me, he infused me with the soul of a child. Well, my soul, to be exact."

The disk stopped on the right floor.

"It's why I have a personality. A mind of my own. I... I don't remember what my old body felt like. As long as I can remember, I've been trapped in this... this moving coffin. This damned machine..."

[DragonSong]

"Oh, Vel..." That sounded worse than having your sister stuck in your head.

Without thinking about it she reached out to touch one of his arms, not entirely sure if the comfort of the gesture would translate through the mechanical body but wanting to try anyway. "I'm sorry," she murmured, tilting her head back to look at his eye.

Midnight- silent and thinking before- suddenly spoke up. Hesitantly, Starbright relayed, "Have you ever tried- is there a way for you to get your true body back?"

[DaGlobster]

The gesture did translate, it was clear in the way Vel suddenly looked down at the touched arm. A few ticks passed and he covered her hand with one of his. His face looked somber.

"Thank you, Starbright."

He stepped off the disc.

"If only it were that simple. If I was a mere soul in a machine, I could do it easily, but I'm locked into this orb. These seals are powerful, beyond my ability."

"Besides, the only man who knows how to unlock them, my creator, is dead. It hasn't stopped me from trying."

[DragonSong]

"I'm sorry," Starbright repeated, softly, as she followed him off the disk. "That's..." She sighed, then murmured, "We know how it feels to be trapped in a body that isn't entirely yours."

Though Midnight remained silent, she felt a pulse of agreement from her sister.

"There has to be a way," she murmured, brow furrowing. Suddenly determined, she moved quickly up to his side. "We can try to help you, the way you're helping us."

She half expected Midnight to argue, but the other girl was surprisingly quiet.

[DaGlobster]

"I'm not sure if there's much you can do," Vel said, and he passed his eyes over the books.

"Unless if you can do magic as well? Perhaps. An extra pair of hands could serve well..."

Vel was quiet, passing his fingers over the spines of the books. He wanted so desperately to have a body, a real body, but he just wasn't sure of how possible it was. Even if he'd managed to get his soul out with the help of the sisters, where would he find a body?

[DragonSong]

She slumped a bit. "I can heal with magic, but that's all I've ever really been able to do. And Midnight has...other gifts," she admitted. Then, perking up, she added quickly, "But I can do more mundane things. Research, and gathering supplies. That sort of thing."

[DaGlobster]

"Do you say that because you haven't learned anything else, or can you only channel healing energies?" Vel asked, picking up both of her hands. It left two of his hands still free, so he put those on her arms.

"Because if you're able to learn, we might be able to pull something off. What can your sister do?"

[DragonSong]

Starbright furrowed her brow, considering it. "I- I've never really tried to do anything but heal with my magic," she admitted after a moment. Shrugging, she added, "As far as we know, Midnight doesn't even have magic. She's stronger and faster than our body should allow her to be, and if you put a weapon in her hand she instinctively knows how to use it."

She shook her head, biting her lip and looking up at him. "I'm sorry. None of that is very helpful, is it?"

[DaGlobster]

"It's given me something to think about," Vel said, and he placed a hand beneath the rim of his eye, similar to how someone would put their hand on their chin.

"Now then, let's focus on splitting you and your sister. I can worry about myself later," Vel said, and he let go of Starbright's hand.

"The book we're looking for doesn't have a title. It's a big, black leather tome. It has three interlocking triangles on the cover."

[DragonSong]

"Okay, got it," Starbright said with a nod, moving forward to begin searching. "What's this one about?" she asked out of curiosity. "Not possession again?"

[DaGlobster]

"It covers a certain amount of enchantable items that are a bit more on the esoteric side. I believe a few of those items, particularly ones dealing with manipulation of the soul, will help me separate you and your sister."

Vel coughed.

"After that book, there's one more."

[DragonSong]

She blinked a bit, then shook her head. The way he talked was taking some getting used to, but she found she rather liked it, in an odd way. "Is it because you're centuries old you talk that way?' she asked without thinking, "Or is it all the reading you do?"

Realizing that may not have been entirely polite, she flushed and glanced at him sheepishly. "Er, sorry. That was rude." She went back to her tasks with rather red cheeks,desperately ignoring midnight's chuckling in the back of her skull.

[DaGlobster]

Vel answered her question without hesitation. Whether he was offended or not, it didn't show.

"I like to think it's a combination of both," Vel said, and he went along the wall, looking for books. Finally, he pulled one out.

"Got it."

"So how long have you two been together?"

[DragonSong]

"Me and Midnight?" She shrugged. "Since...we were born. Maybe even before that, I guess." Her brow furrowed. "We never really understood- our mother...never really explained what happened. Why we are the way we are."

Yeah, she was too busy abandoning us, the bi-

She coughed slightly to cover up Midnight's voice, even though she knew he couldn't hear it.

[DaGlobster]

"Oh. You... must have been an interesting infant," Vel said, and he put his hands together. The faint image of his face turned its eyes downwards. He started to mutter a bit.

"You're both very nice."

He perked up suddenly.

"So, what're you going to do when you're seperated? You should hug. It feels good to hug a sibling."