Power to Gain (Closed/Private/Harrigan)

The evenings horizon left a wondrous color in the sky, one to marvel should they even care to see it at all. Painting it such a lavish color that would be hard for most to describe the transition of its colors from one shade to another, much more unique aspect to the wonders of the world that this particular child would love to like to learn more about someday, maybe if she could find a book somewhere with relative information on the phenomenon or even with the something else that would be similar or otherwise. Even then, the idea as she gazed at the sunset had slowly started to shift from one idea to another, which was no surprise really. She was always a curious child looking to gain more knowledge through various other means, mostly via books and stories of other people, news articles. Anything that got her to read was more interesting than most other things that she could have thought to happen.

Shirotsume was always a wondrous, fancy town. The ministry and nunnery that sat back but not out of people's view or felt as an imposition to the townspeople had sat here for hundreds of years as institutes to teach and convert people into the church, as well as being able to be raised up as children as well, much like Madison was. It had been a couple years she she left this town and the wonderful people that lived inside it. Always kind hearted souls and sisters especially as much as they had given to Madi. For whatever reason that had been, and their choosing not to raise her to join the church was beyond her, but to give them an update to have them know of what became of her in such a short time since her departure would most likely be a lovely gift for them all to know. Much more to the fact that she had chosen to remain in such a fitting attire for them as well.

As she approached the doors, Madison stopped to assess herself and make sure everything was perfect for them. Long red hair braided down from the center, starting from her head and working its way down to a black bow thing it off. Her clothing were not much different either; a long sleeved white button dress shirt with a long, black skirt with straps he reached up over her shoulders and crossing in the back in an X pattern. A pair of white socks with black dress shoes finished her outfit, one that she had worn for much of her life. She attempted to open the doors quietly, should they be in the middle of work or prayers that she not wanted to disturb rudely. Poking her head in, she looked around for the sisters and found it oddly empty. "Hello?~ Sisters? Anybody home?" With a shrug, she walked inside and looked around a little and tried to find something or someone to find out where everyone went to.

As Madison would venture through the long corridors of the nunnery she would come upon a rather unexpected figure the moment she would enter the courtyard. An enigmatic man, who surprisingly enough was rather well dressed. To the point that his entire outfit screamed nothing but the extravagance only the richest of the rich could carry so casually. This man, this enigma of a stranger was no one else then the elusive Harrigan Crawford, a man who above all else craved for unlimited power.

Harrigan had been traveling for some time, well traveling wouldn't be the correct term. Searching was the more accurate word for his recent endeavors. Since the creation of his newest living weapon, the former third master of the darkest of guilds. Had decided to extend his absence from the Savages and had set out on a journey to find more vassals to join him in his crusade for power, one of which he was hoping to find here. In this nunnery, in Shirotsume.

'ah!' he said upon noticing the girls appearance 'a good day to you' His voice was rather galant, yet unmistakable obvious a bit arrogant as well. But dangerously intriguing.

'Are you perhaps, the young miss Richter?' as he inquired the young girl, Harrigan would turn around. Facing the young girl head on, and revealing the face of a man in his early forties. With his mouth curled up in a conceited smirk.

To her surprise-- or lack there of, none of the sisters had been in the church. Honestly, she never really expected it to be a thing, but it was always a hope. They sporadically would clean the room she stood in the entrance to, picking a random girl to assist them in cleaning to help them build character, though in her time here it was always about 3 random days in a week. She never really minded it, hell it was one of the more fun things to do when she wasn't reading a book or playing with the other kids. Perhaps they just changed their cleaning times or something since she had left. After all, anything could happen in the two years that she had left this place and moved on.

Looking around at all the dark places, she clutched lightly onto the necklace Rosario around her neck, a gift given upon her leaving. It was said to help her when needed and that it would heal those around her with enough of a prayer to do so. Enjoying the idea of it all, she closed the door behind her and took a good look at the walls around her. It brought back good and fond memories of growing up here and all the fun things that happened when she was here. What she didn't expect to find was the sound of a males voice call out from deeper within the chapel to the child and catch her off guard.

Looking down towards him, she walked towards him hesitantly for a second before she had picked up the pace and began to catch up to where he stood. He had opened with a good day, to which she gave a smile and a curtsy to him in return. "And to you as well, sir. Thank you." She would have referred to him as "Father", but the man hadn't of been dressed as so, so the need to call him as such didn't seem to be something she had to do. When he asked about who she had been, she felt a bit of an odd gut feeling about it, but hasn't acted on them given the place she had been in. "Mhm! I am, I am!~ I don't believe I've seen you around, mister. Are you newer to the town or just visiting?" She asked him, trying to remain happy and perhaps giving a little to this stranger.

She was young, very much so. If Harrigan had to guess, she was about in her early teens, roughly thirteen years old. Yet despite her young age, you could easily see she was a pretty thing. With her slender figure and her rare red hair braided down. He had no doubt that she would be the puppy love for boys her age. But it wasn't her young femininity that had brought him to this rural small town, nor was it her surprisingly nice cheery politeness. A feature that was so rare nowadays. No the true beauty Harrigan was referring to in his mind, weren't the aspects of the human figure. But instead that of a raw power hidden away in her. A slumbering might, that he wanted to own.

'Neither' replied Harrigan, with a slight sense of amusement in his voice. Her cheerfulness was quite refreshing especially considering that the usual people he worked with were dark rude, mages who valued their kill count above any form of manners. 'To be fairly honest, I am actually here on business. You see I am a collector of sorts.'

Naturally Harrigan was referring to her, the very reason why he was here. She was a girl with a limitless potential a hidden power, that if his whispering birds were correct, could be a very powerful asset to him, and thus to the guild. What it was exactly was still vague, which was surprising as his set of informants were the best of the best. They left mostly nothing undiscovered. So for them to literally say 'we don't know', means that someone had tried to keep what she was hidden. But one thing did sprung out of all the information, a keyword that had lead him to this town. And that was Power, just along side her name.

'Oh apologies, where are my manners' he suddenly said with a theatrical display of surprise. Just as if he was really bothered by the fact that he still hadn't introduced himself, while knowing the girls name. 'I entirely forgot to introduce myself haven't I. I am Harrigan Crawford, a pleasure to make your acquaintance' If she preferred it or not, Harrigan had already stepped towards her several steps, close enough to get a hold of her right hand while introducing himself.

His reply at him first to her question was a little more confusing than she had first taken it in to be. Honestly, just being someone passing by would be a little more among the options left over from what was giving the child left to believe that she would have come across for. Though it wasn't uncommon for someone passing through to be able to come to make a prayer on the way through, and maybe that was why he was here, but didn't really get to it at that point yet. From the mention of being a collector of some kind, she tilted her head in confusion. Not so much of not knowing what collecting may have been, but what it could have even been that he collected of all things.

It was doubtful that he collecting something as menial as stamps or bottle caps or something. However with his age it may have been a little easier to make that notion solely based on that. He did seem of age to have some long standing collection of some sort, and more or less it was a funny thing to think that he had something like that. "So if I may ask, mister. What do you collect? I might be of some help." She'd curiously ask while still volunteering herself for some help if need be. If there was something to know, Madi was always someone who enjoyed to learn things and keep them buried in her mind for when she would need it.

A smile lit her face as he had begun to introduce himself, trying to apologize for having not done it before hand. "Nah, it's fine Mr. Crawford. The formalities like that aren't really my style anyway. I mean, if it weren't for me being here today, I wouldn't be wearing the clothes I wear now." She would look over and stare at the statue in the distance of the pair. Her attention would return to Harrigan as he approached her with an outstretched hand, placing her smaller hand in his and gripping as firm as she normally would. "And the pleasures all mine! I'm not sure where the sisters are, but I assume it's not a cleaning night for them. Still! Id love to see your collection some time! I'm usually a collector of knowledge, but I like to enjoy other people's hard work." A giggle escaped her lips as her face brightened with a cheery smile, happy to enjoy a new persons company.

You can call it naive, or just plain innocence. Either way, Harrigan had to admit, that whatever it was, was quite amusing. Here he was, as fore boding as ever, a total stranger in a nunnery. That otherwise was filled with life to some sort of extent. But now he seemed to be the only person in here besides her. Yet the girl still showed him a peculiar courtesy, an interest even.

Harrigan let a short laugh escape, that slightly echoed in the large nunnery hall. Showing that he was more then just amused with the girl. 'You are quite the peculiar little girl aren't you.'

It was unbelievable that a girl like this maybe held an incredible power, especially since Harrigan was fairly certain she herself didn't knew it as well. At least she didn't act like she had it figured.

'Well Madison. Can I call you Madison?' he asked yet continued anyways. 'It just so be, that you are the very person I was looking to collect. I have been looking for someone like you for quite some, someone powerful to help me in my endeavors.'

Madi smiled and giggled at the man's comment, finding a little compliment in the words that he spoke. Whether though that it was a true compliment or if he was simply speaking aloud wasn't really any concern to her. To her, she was entertaining a guest in the church and despite her not living here, hse felt an obligation to see to it he be happy and enjoy his time here. "Well, I'm glad that I could make your time here a little more fun, Mr. Crawford. Always brings a smile on my face to see someone enjoying themselves." She'd say, continuing to watch him with curious eyes.

She was rather confused still on why he would be here of all places. If he didn't come to pray, to see any of the sisters, drop off a child he either found or could not care for- which by the look of his suit would not have been the case at all. She nodded silently as he had asked a question, pausing as if taking a breathe and assuring she was still listening to him before he would pick back up. The conclusion of him looking for her made her giggle a little. To be a part of some "collection" like she was a doll or something to be treated as such was an adorable thought to say the least. The giggle turned into a little more of a laugh, talking to her as if she was someone of incredible power and hiding behind it with a cute outfit and bubbly personality. "I can assure you sir, I am not what you think I am. Granted, if you know something about me I don't know, you're more than welcome to fill me in. However, the magi sisters that used to be here would have told me should." She held back her tongue to continue more. It wasn't really her reason to tell him at this point about how she came to be in this place as a child growing up. She would prefer to learn from him, and then from there she can go on if she felt up to it.

Maybe in truth those very sisters that took Madison in, and raised her to be this exceptional spirit, truly didn't know anything. Or maybe they did, but then to some small extent. Knowing that she was special, she was something more. But didn't really knew what. The reports however that Harrigan got his hands on, did seem to suggest that. As anything from parents as well as blood type seemed to be missing. Core information, that certainly would raise a question mark, when landed in the wrong hands. His hands.

'I wish I knew, truth to be told, even I don't know what you really are Madison. And that is why I have come here, the moment I learned about your existence and the mystery it was shrouded in. I needed to find out for myself. So tell me, wasn't there ever a day, a moment that you felt different?'

Till now the conversation was going nicely, smooth even. While in reality a rather grim event was going on, unknown to Madison. Not to far away, locked away in the large dormitory where many of the kids slept, were the sisters. Along with the runts that they took care of. Guarded by a group of vicious looking men. Men, whose faces implied nothing more then malice and ill intent.

Despite the fact they both stood in a church nearing dark, both Madison and Harrigan seemed to continue to have a conversation without really caring for taking a seat or anything. It wasn't necessarily any big deal that she have a problem with that, but at some point sitting might be nice. However, she didn't really seem to care for the idea at the moment and even after the long trip she took to get here as well. It was astounding even at this point that she not have had one person come by, even if it was for a simple walk through, they usually tended to make random trips about the place anyway. Her eyes would trail to the entry ways into the halls that led to where the children all stayed and some of the nuns quarters should some desire to keep watch over them for the night. Her attention flicked her gaze back to the male as he began to speak to her once more.

His question had her very much in thought of what she had begun to think about. Picking out words like "what you are", "a mystery", and then him coming to her for this mystery began to make a queazy feeling in her gut. "W-Well don't we all, mr. Crawford? I always wonder who and where I came from every day, but I don't let it consume my life." She would pause and begin to walk past him, her eyes captivated in the lit view of the statue before the pair. "And though I'm not as religious as they wanted me to become, I know that God will tell me when he is ready for me to learn the truth. Having that in mind is what eases the burden of that mystery to me, sir. And I don't think I would want it any other way right now." With hands tucked behind her back, one hand clasped to the other, she continued to stare and smile happily at the figure. At least until Harrigan would want her attention again. "And I'm sure if you had information on that, I'd repay you somehow for it, sir. Even if it took me a while, it's all be worth it."