hadriel | video; ☢ 002

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[ Eleanor was still sleeping rough, in a waterlogged building, dank and cold, that was the location of this broadcast- but that wasn't the problem she had come to the network with, no.

As she switched on the feed from her device, it displayed some little girls, all with glowing yellow eyes, a pretty if not scruffy little dress on. Some had syringes in their hands, huge and oversized much like the one Eleanor had mounted on her wrist. The others had little ragdolls made of tennis balls and rope.

She was weak, yet her altered DNA made it so she was still able to move, talk and if need be, possibly fight. Eleanor shook her head as one of the girls came close to the camera, smiling at her and taking her hand. She filmed as she was lead by the child around her basement-like home. ]

Did I hear some of the residents here talk of Ghosts? I'd like to know more.

[ Eleanor had her helmet off this time, still in the oversized diving suit, but she was showing her face for the first time since her arrival. She was a pale girl, sickly looking like she could do with a good dose of sunshine. But it wasn't her she was concerned about. ]

I could have seen Father... Mother possibly, depending on Father's mood... Yet I'm tormented by this?

[ The camera shows two little sisters, laughing and playing a game of chasing each other. ]

I knew they were here, my Little Sisters. I could feel them. Though, I've come to understand they must be dead? Harvested by the sick and deprived no doubt... Is swear, if I should find that these girls really were here and that--

[ She stops herself, feeling her anger rise. No, no, Eleanor your Father taught you better than that. ]

What if I'm really their ghost? Would I know any different? Would you know, if you were someone's ghost? I mean, I arrived here only a short while ago... What if I'm the one who isn't real?

[ It seemed that in Eleanor's case, the drain her ghosts had on her, was more of a mental one. Her mind was slowly fading though her body fought on. Soon she'd be no better than the real Big Sisters that roamed the seafloor in search of little ones to rescue. ]

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[He's fading. There's a hand clasped to his shoulder, wrinkled but clean and firm, but he keeps the broadcast audio only. Like the short-wave radio he'd carried, Atlas's voice in his pocket.

Jack's voice is thin and wavering, but no less desperate:]

Are they okay? Are they safe?

[ The voice was a familiar one. One she'd met here, perhaps? It would be hard to place a name to it just now, but if she had to guess, based on what they were asking, she would say it was that startled looking fellow in the woolen sweatshirt. ]

Jack?

[ The little Sisters turn, smiling at Eleanor as she spoke before giggling and running to hide, peeping out from time to time as they continued to play and whisper. ]

I'm not entirely sure. If they're really here, then yes, as they are with me. If they're supposed to be my Ghosts then... Then I fear they've already suffered...

It's okay.

[Oh god. It's not okay. It's not okay, because he knows, he's learned what's necessary for them to endure, and he's made his choice as far as his parents are concerned, already - they're worth every moment of this, and more. He's died before. He can die again, for them.

Because they're real.]

If they...if...if they're not real, you have to... [He can't say it. The word chokes into something approaching a sob. He has to cup a hand over his mouth.]

Don't.

[ She's a little shocked at what she thinks Jack is implying. Shaking her head as she looks over to where they play. So innocent, so undeserving of the life they have been forced into.

Eleanor then looks down at her free hand, the video showing it as she makes a fist and flexes her fingers. ]

I can possess them. Make them carry out tasks for me and such. But I can't free them. I don't have that ability...

[ And the thought of killing them is just out of the question. ]

Am I... Am I going to have to die?

[ Straight to the point, her logical thinking outweighing the emotions she was feeling for a moment. ]

I can.

[He has the plasmid necessary. Maybe...that has to be enough. That has to be. He isn't hurting them. Not any of them. They're just children, twisted and warped by Rapture's distorted, hideous version of morality through no fault of their own. They deserve a second chance. They deserve what he can allow them.]

I can free...I have the plasmid.

[That has to be enough.]

[ It's a long moment before Eleanor responds. Crouching down on her knees, the Little Sisters scampering over to be at her side. Holding up their ragdolls and smiling as they touch her face, her hair.

She feels sick in the head. Like a fever brought in by a rolling fog. It makes sense though, that her body would outlast her mind. Eventually, she agrees. ]

If you could... I'd be grateful.

[ She won't ask why he has that plasmid. She wants to believe in him. If her Father had taught her anything, it was that sometimes, people aren't always evil. Some deserve mercy, some deserve what they get and others deserve a chance. ]

And if it's not enough?

[If it's not enough?

He can't let that hold him back. He can't let that justify whatever it is that would be done to them. But Eleanor - he can't let someone just die, no matter what happens.

When he speaks again, his voice is very small.]

I don't want you to die.

[ While Eleanor is still bemused by this whole ordeal, she has done some investigation. Watched people on the network and the ones she managed to stalk in person. She knows that the ghosts drain their hosts, like a leech or underwater parasite. She's fearful that if the Little Sisters she is haunted by, are not real and here in this Cave-City... Well... She doesn't want to die, not yet, not like that.

She can tell by his voice that he's fearful of the same thought. He's so caring and kind. However did someone like him survive in Rapture without having been taken advantage of? ]

I'd rather not die if it can be helped... Nore do I wish for any harm to befall them.

[ She considered his voice then. Same accent, same tone only smaller. ]

Jack, who's there with you?

[ She can just tell something is not right with him. She fears the worst for him and his health too. ]

My...

[There's a murmur, breaking off. A hum of quiet voices, spoken in hushed tones, as though the conversation is taking place in a funeral home. Given the waxy pallor of Jack's skin, the way the strength has completely and utterly dissipated from his limbs, perhaps it may as well be.]

My mother and father.

[ Ah, his parents are the ones haunting him? That's unfortunate, more so than the Little Sisters are to Eleanor. She wonders for a moment, what it would have been like if it had been her Mother or Father instead of the girls?

It takes her a moment before she says anything else. Maybe it's a bad idea to ask him for help, he must be exhausted too. ]

Oh, I see. I hope you don't mind my asking but... Where they here when you arrived or?...

No.

[There's a doubt lingering on his tongue, unspoken. But they're real. They're real because they're here now, and they wouldn't be here if they weren't real. There was no puppy. No Suchong. There was a farmhouse, and he can picture it so clearly, every moment of it.

A lie. Some kind of elaborate scheme on Ryan's part. It had to be.]

They...they were at home. Safe.

[And now they're down here. He can keep them safe for as long as he's alive, but how much longer is that going to be...?]

It's funny, to hear you say safe when talking about Rapture.

[ She had no idea, of course, that Jack and his ~~imaginarry~~ family were from the surface world. All she had seen of it herself, was a few worn out pictures, printed in a book and childhood friend had shown her.

Thinking about home made her a little sad. Looking down at the Sisters as she entertained themselves, seeming to grow stronger and stronger the longer Eleanor sat still and spoke. ]

I'd like to cure them. Take them to the surface and give them a real home. A safe one, away from the life they've been made to suffer. Do you know if there is a way out of here? Even if it's just a small opening in the rocks?

[ Maybe if she could get her Sisters out, maybe that would stop them draining her too. After all, ghosts are supposed to have unfinished business. What if there's was that she never saved them, never took them in the life pod? ]

They weren't from Rapture.

["Home," he realizes, means a very different thing for a Little Sister, or someone who used to be one, than it would for someone like him. Wouldn't it?

(Wouldn't it?)

A farmhouse that he knows was there, because it feels real in his memories, in the texture of his thoughts. The smell of maple syrup and the cluck of chickens, and the exact chord of his mother's laughter. He remembers all of it. That can't be faked. It can't be.]

They're from the surface. Like me.

[No matter what Ryan says.]

I... [He shakes his head, reluctantly.] Everyone says there's no way out.

[ Would you know, if you were someone's ghost? That's an excellent question... and he is dead, after all, so to all the others from his world he may well be. And these ghosts, now, bleed and hurt and die as well, this he's learned. So what is the difference, really? Besides the connection they need to maintain to hold their form. And the essence; Pell can't sense these ghosts, only the energy of the person they're tied to. So he answers Eleanor, voice gentle and fairly sure of himself. ]

Where are you? I can tell you, if you're real.

[ Eleanor is full of excellent questions, she's far too smart for her age and where she was born. Her compounded intellect, collected from the genes of several Splicers she's absorbed have made her that way. Still, she doesn't know it all and is learning new things every day.

However, in Rapture, you can never truly trust anyone. So forgive her for her suspicions. ]

How can I be sure this isn't just a trick to harvest my Little Sisters? If I'm a ghost, then there is a chance they might be alive. If that's the case, I'm not letting anyone near them...

[ But she wants to know if she's dead... She wants to know so badly...]

Why do you need to present to learn if I'm real or not? How can you tell?

Edited 2017-06-28 01:00 (UTC)

Harvest..? I don't know what that means, I'm sorry.

[ He doesn't want to hurt anyone, never has. Of course the girl has no way of knowing that, but if she's sharp enough she can see it in his eyes. ]

I can sense it. It's difficult to explain, but my kind have the ability to manipulate life energy.

Well then, that's actually a good start I'd say.

[ It really was! If he had no idea what she was talking about, and his word could be trusted, it meant he'd never drained a Little Sister of their ADAM. Eleanor had some hope but she was still just as untrusting as ever. ]

You can manipulate life energy? Hm. Sounds like something Mother would have been interested in.

[ A moment of consideration. ]

You'll come alone and unarmed. We'll meet at a predetermined location and my little ones will not be present. Is that understood? I have no problem in slicing you down should you give me a reason to. So be smart and don't.

[ He truly has no idea what a Little Sister is, or ADAM, for that matter. It sounds like there's something inside them that people would want, but she'd have to explain. ]

Alright. [ He doesn't mention that he doesn't need to be armed to be a threat, just nods his agreement. ] You choose the place, then.

[ She doesn't look well, it's best she choose someplace near to her. ]

[ The less he knows about the Little Sisters and what addictive horrors they have running through their veins, that better! The last thing she wants is for a non-Spliced person to become curious and want to try.

Thinking about the nearby buildings, Eleanor recalls there being some kind of Temple nearby. ]

There was a strange place of worship nearby. A temple? Look, see?

[ Turning the video out of the nonexistent window of the building she was in. Showing the strange building in the near distance. ]

I'll be on my way. Don't make me wait long.

[ Eleanor was unaware that getting there was going to make her weaker than she already was. She was also unaware that the Little Sisters would stalk behind and follow her there, keeping just enough out of sight to get away with it. ]

[ Pell squints at the image on his phone, then nods. ]

That's Sorrow's Temple. I'll be right there.

[ He's not afflicted with a ghost of his own and has already taken care of Cal's... so he slips out of the house and moves quickly through the city, arriving just as he promised. Alone and unarmed. He sees Eleanor on the steps of the temple and approaches with his hands held out to his sides, showing he's holding nothing. ]

Hello. I didn't get your name.

[ Instead of the walk, Eleanor looked over at her destination, took a deep breath then started to sprint. Mid-pace, she activated her teleportation ability. A bright glowing purple that ended in a flash- And there she was! At the foot of the temple. Confusingly she was out of breath, so took a seat on the steps as she waited for the stranger.

As he approached, Eleanor sprung to her feet. His question was asked and in a beat, Eleanor outstretched her arm, hand warping with a transparent blur around it, the telekinetic blast held him in place. ]

My name is Eleanor Lamb, and you are?

[ Spoken with such conviction, almost proud. Instead of moving closer, she flicked her wrist, drawing him in by the plasmids power. A quick tap down of his sides and pockets before she cast him back a few feet and let her hold on him cease. ]

Simply a precaution, you must understand my paranoia?

[ He can sense that she's weak, so it's surprising when she uses an ability on him but he doesn't fight it, allowing himself to be drawn in and patted down. As she does he catches a glimpse of movement behind her, around the corner of the temple -- the little ones followed her. He doesn't say anything for now and when the hold is released he sways a bit, getting his balance back. ]

I understand. My name is Pellaz... you can call me Pell.

[ His head tilts to the side as he considers her; he can sense her, of course, but the same energy is coming from around the edge of the building where the little girls disappeared. He just has to figure out which of them is the original. It isn't difficult. ]

You're real, Eleanor. I'm afraid they're not.

[ Both Eleanor and her Big Daddy, would do anything in their power to protect these girls. Even on the brink of death, they would fight for them to the bitter end. She didn't care that she was weak, or rather her mind convinced her she was fine, that was the most dangerous part in all of this. That over-intelligent mind of her's was what was weakening and fading first.

Watching as he gained his balance, impressive. He was able to do so rather easily. ]

Pell? How queer, and what does it mean, your name that is? So long as it's not liar then I think we should be fine.

[ An attempt at mild humor. She wasn't that good at it. Never had been. Never mind that now though, the thing to be focusing on, was what he was saying. ]

And how can I trust you? What's your proof?

[ It's not great humor but he smiles gently anyway. He needs her to trust him, after all. ]

Nothing that I know of. At least I don't think my parents named me with a meaning in mind.

[ As for proof, he thinks about that for a moment... how to show her it's true? Something he's sensing, feeling. He can share it, but doubts she'd be amicable. She's keeping a safe distance from him, now. ]

I could... probably show you. Share what I feel from you, and from them. [ He tilts his head towards the temple. ] They've followed.

[ He has to earn her trust, Eleanor is no fool and so she makes sure not to involve herself with them either. ]

Just a pretty name, to go along with a pretty face then?

[ A half smile as she watched him closely. He didn't seem like he wanted to trick or hurt her, maybe she could cut him a little slack. ]

Show me what you feel from me? I'm not sure I understand. Is it dangerous? Would it have any long lasting effect on me?

[ She was about to consider it, that is, until the Little Sisters came cautiously out into the open, after having been spotted. ]

Oh honestly! You really shouldn't be here.

[ Waving a hand, gesturing for them to come and stand behind her as she spoke the Pell. ]

[ He's certainly not immune to compliments, his smile warming a few more degrees. ]

I suppose so. Flatterer.

{ As for sharing breath, he's not sure she'd be amenable to it but it's the only way he knows to prove what he's feeling is true. He shakes his head to explain when the little ones peek out and she shoos them away. ]

They're linked to you. I'm not sure they could have stayed elsewhere. But I can show you that as well -- it's not dangerous, and has no lasting effects. It'll simply feel strange.

[ Delta's far from good at working the phone yet, and honestly, he doubts he ever will be. But he manages to find a video post that catches his attention, largely by pure luck-- the Little Sisters by themselves would have been enough, although the fact that they're not alone is the real kicker. Is Eleanor really there, or was this another trick? Was she a ghost too, or had she been brought to Hadriel as well? ]
[ By now, his breathing's ragged, and his filters aren't to blame for the rasping edge to each inhale and exhale. His strength's starting to decline, but on the plus side, Sinclair's plenty capable of filling the gaps he's leaving-- he's the one that switches on the video feed after a moment of investigation, quietly muttering to himself before he holds it out far enough to get both himself and Delta in the shot. He's got a wide smile on his face, and Delta's already moving in closer to the phone, trying to see Eleanor's surroundings so he could maybe figure out where she'd hidden herself. ]

Seems you've been keepin' busy while we've been lookin' for you! No idea where you found all those Sisters, but I'm glad they've got someone keepin' an eye on 'em. Speakin' of which, though-- I think a certain somebody here's dyin' t' have a chat with you.
[ Sinclair hands Delta the phone, and while most of the shuddering doesn't last long, the image is still faintly shaking once he gets a hold of the device. He's not doing as well as he lets on, but he's not going to admit it; there's no way he would in front of Eleanor, real or otherwise. ]
[ The light from his helmet is a bright green in spite of how he feels, and he waves at the screen with a short hum. He knows better than to try and talk; fortunately enough, he has someone around who's quite capable of carrying on the conversation, even if Sinclair's somewhat behind him now. That doesn't stop him from weighing in, although his voice is a bit harder to hear given where he's standing. ]
You mind tellin' us where you are, Eleanor? It'd make this reunion thing we've got goin' on a whole hell of a lot easier.

[ As strange as a thing might seem, Eleanor knew that low humming sound far too well to mistake it. Even before the two of them, Sinclar and Delta are on the screen together, Eleanor can feel elation grab her. ]

Father!?

[ Sorry Sinclar, she's a little more overwhelmed at seeing her Big Daddy at the moment, she'll be just as pleased to see you once the initial shock has settled.

It's not just Eleanor who seem as pleased as punch by this surprise video. The little Sisters both clamber at Eleanor's arms, tugging and pulling the phone down to their height. Bright, glowing yellow eyes arched up at the side as cheerful smiles pull at their little faces. ]

Mr. Bubbles! Mr. Bubbles!

[ They cheered out before waving a hand each and giggling. Looking back up at Eleanor with excitement, one of them bouncing around in a skipping motion. Eleanor had to sit down, well, flopping back onto an old broken countertop was more fitting a description but never mind, she was overwhelmed, growing weak and so overjoyed at the same time. Such a strange cocktail to swallow. ]

I've been looking for you, Father. Left some messages and gifts around the City when I could, on the off chance you were here too. I can't believe my eye, father.

[ A good point but a sad thing to muse on. What if he was just another ghost too? What if her mind was finally breaking from the strain of two Little Sisters draining her? she hoped not, oh Lord how she hoped not. As Sinclar continued to speak for the both of them, Eleanor nodded and turned her phone around slowly, showing them some possible landmarks of where she was. A temple in the distance, something that looked like mopeds? And more rundown stores. ]

Please, Mr, Sinclair, if you could, make him take his time? I don't want you literally dying to see me, Father. We're in a rather badly damaged store. It felt safe to hide in, so here we've been. Oh, I'm so glad to see you, truly I am.

[ Her heart was already heavy, but seeing that domed shape helmet, hearing a low humming whale-like sound and just the beam of light from his port light window had Eleanor swelling with joy. They could deal with sorting through who was and wasn't a ghost later, right now, just being reunited was her main priority, it was paramount they were back together. ]

[ That's her. He'd know Eleanor anywhere, and she can't be a ghost-- the possibility's there, lurking in the back of his head, but he refuses to consider it. He might just be setting himself up for an utterly crushing disappointment in spite of himself, although he doesn't dare try to temper the hope bubbling up in his chest. It's Eleanor. It can't not be her-- he simply won't accept it. ]
[ He waves back to the Little Sisters, relieved to note that none of them appear to be any worse for wear. It's already bad enough that they're down here in the first place; thankfully, Eleanor had gotten to them before any of the roving monsters, and Delta's proud of her for that. ]

[ As for the messages, he clearly hadn't been looking in the right spots-- perhaps they'd just missed each other, or he'd gotten too turned around to follow the trail. But she's been trying all the same, and Delta makes a note to try and track down what she's left once they're together again. ]
[ The area Eleanor shows them isn't familiar, and Sinclair frowns down at the screen for a moment in silent thought. By now, he's unashamedly leaning on Delta's shoulder, trying to pick out any details that might help them track down the exact location she's gone to ground in. He perks up when spoken to, and the request earns a chuckle; he's going to have a hard time making Delta take it easy, but he can give it a good effort. ]
Don't you worry, I'll keep him from overdoin' it. We'll try gettin' to where you are, so stay put, alright? Might take us a minute.

[ The image gets unsteady once more when they start moving, with Delta periodically turning his attention back to their own surroundings to make sure they're both going in the same direction. Neither of them know exactly where they're supposed to be headed, however; after a minute of walking, Sinclair can be heard asking about the map, and Delta's phone changes hands again. Sinclair gives the camera a little salute before he pulls up what he's looking for, squinting at the image in clear confusion. He taps Delta's arm, and soon they're both attempting to work out where they are and where they should be going-- eventually, Sinclair throws his free hand up, looking a little exasperated. ]

Y'know, maybe we should call you back when we get close. Delta can text you an' keep you updated while we're on the way-- that's somethin' you might be interested in, by the way. No translatin' required, which I'm sure will make it easier t' keep in touch.

[Hmm. Well. Disturbing, but also rather interesting. He's not very good at sympathy, but perhaps he can help a little.]

What is your name?

[ Eleanor is fast when it comes to working out technology. She soon finds the button to switch over to text. It only seems right to respond. ]

My name is Eleanor Lamb, who may I ask is asking?

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