What a weird guy, thought Coda. That sounds like the type of question somebody might ask during a job interview… but I guess everyone in this competition's bound to be a little odd!
The young woman let out a small cough and shifted her stance, feeling some of the tension ease from her body. “Well, to answer your question, I am very... invested in humanity's survival, being quite human myself! Though my place is here, at the Carnivale Rosa. That might put a damper on things.”
Blinking quizzically at her, Zayin tilted his head to the side. It was an oddly bird-like motion, seeming almost as if he were listening to some hidden frequency Coda could never dream of hearing. "How do you mean?"
Coda giggled softly. "Well, I work here. I can't just take off my work hat to go save the world. I've already had my fair share of heroic escapades, you know," she said fondly, a wistful glint in her eyes. "Besides, I owe the Carnivale a lot. Without our host's generosity... well, I don't know where I'd be today, but it probably wouldn't be anywhere good!"
Zayin paused, as if looking at the woman with fresh eyes. She seemed almost too young to be coerced into a situation such as this, yet here she was, apparently a seasoned adventurer in spite of her tender age— and completely willing to give it all up out of some sense of loyalty. How curious.
To his surprise, Coda continued to speak. "If you must know, however..." she lowered her voice to a secretive cadence as she leaned into his personal space, glancing around fervently at the shadowy trees around them, as if expecting to locate a spy hidden among the foliage. "There already is a hostile force in this universe seeking to eradicate all life as we know it. It's called the Unmaking. It would be a bit much for myself alone to explain, so I'd recommend that you look into it when this is all over. Trust me, you'll want to know about this one!"
Expression thoughtful, Zayin's mouth twisted in contemplation, and he gave a slight nod of approval. Again, his gaze drifted to the dark lenses that lay over her eyes, wondering at what emotions lurked beneath. If the eyes truly were windows to the soul, it was peculiar indeed that someone as seemingly affable as Coda kept hers hidden from his sight! The puzzle of it all itched at him, compelled him to speak.
"Why do you cover your eyes in such a manner?" asked Zayin, gesturing to her strange eyewear.
Coda was taken aback by the abrupt question, but she kept her composure... mostly. She nervously adjusted the shades covering her face with shaky fingers, sighing.
"Uhm, well," she stuttered, unsure of how much she should tell him and clearly working up the nerve to speak. Her gaze darted to the side, tongue darting out to wet her lips. "I have a... unique eye condition, so I have to wear these special glasses to protect my eyes. It helps that they’re pretty stylish, too."
There. That wasn’t technically a lie, now was it? Coda thought.
The angel nodded in understanding. "Ah. I'm sorry you have to suffer such pain. It must be terribly difficult to see through them..."
"Oh, no! Not at all, not at all," laughed Coda, fidgeting in place. "They're only a little bit of a hindrance when it's dark out, but I can usually see just fine!"
The angel raised an eyebrow, gaze narrowing. "I see," he said, even though he looked doubtful.
Sweat beading upon her brow, Coda tried to change the subject.
"So... you're an angel, right?" she said, pointing to the six wings gently fluttering behind him in their usual circular fashion.
"Ah, yes," said Zayin. He glanced behind himself at his wings, as if noticing them for the first time. "Of a sort."
Coda hmmm-ed. "You know, I fought an angel, once. Before I came here, anyway. A fallen angel— she wasn't quite in her right mind, I guess. Boy, but that was an ugly battle!"
Zayin's golden eyes widened nearly to the size of saucers at the mention of a fallen angel. His expression shifted to one of profound confusion, one hand reaching up to rub at his chin as he tried to make sense of what he had heard.
"An angel? Fallen from the heavens? Are you sure?" he asked, voice heavy with disbelief. Angels rarely, if ever, fell from their posts. At least to his knowledge. “What sort of weapon did this angel wield?”
Coda nodded firmly, eyes narrowing. "Yes, I'm sure. It was this huge battle, and it definitely wasn't easy dealing with her. We were lucky to survive at all, really."
The woman visibly shivered in recollection, obviously having quite a few bad memories of that fight.
“As for her weapon…” Coda continued, but paused mid-sentence, her face screwing up in confusion. “You know, I don’t actually remember what kind of weapons she had… it was all such a blur! Funny, usually I’m pretty good at remembering little details like that…”
Zayin's gaze darkened a little, but he merely nodded. "However did you manage? I doubt you could simply overpower an angel if they had their wits about them, fallen or not."
Rubbing at the back of her neck, Coda bit her lip. "No, you definitely can't. We were luckily able to escape after she, uh, practically pummeled all my friends into the dirt. It was a tense situation, but thankfully everyone got out... more or less okay," she said with a sigh of obvious relief.
"That is... quite a tale," the angel replied, regarding her with newfound respect.
Noticing the look, Coda suddenly appeared supremely embarrassed. "Ah, but it was nothing! We didn't win or anything, so things actually kind of sucked..." She cleared her throat, pushing the thought away. "In any case, the thing is that it was a close call. So now I'm more cautious when it comes to these sorts of things. That's why I like to stay with the Carnivale— it's safer territory, you know? Or, well. Not now that I'm a contestant, but usually. You know what I mean."
"I see," murmured Zayin, even though he really didn’t, not exactly. He tilted his head, seeming thoughtful for a moment as he considered Coda's explanation. "Well, I must thank you for sharing such a story with me, and for your bravery. It is not often that one willingly puts their safety at risk— especially if it is for the sake of others. You are a courageous individual, if I do say so myself."
Coda felt her cheeks flush with heat, but something in her chest fluttered at the angel's kind words. "Hey, thanks! You know, I think you're the first person to ever say something like that to me. Usually the feedback I get is a lot less positive.”
Zayin blinked owlishly "Oh, really? What do they usually say?"
"Erm, well, usually it's something along the lines of 'what were you thinking?!'" Coda admitted, her lips quirking up into the tiniest of smirks. "I'm kinda used to it by now, though, so it’s no biggie."