Realistic or Modern // Ignite the Spark // open & accepting

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais watched as Sola retrieved the pot from the corner and filled it with flowers. He hadn't even noticed she had been collecting them until then; for some reason, any time she was in his house she brought flowers. A conflicted expression flitted across his face--his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. For the life of him he could not imagine what about his little gun shed said 'this place needs flowers,' but apparently it spoke to Sola that way. It was sort of cute, though he would never mention that to her.


He moved to the tool chest, it was chest-height for him and he draped one arm over the top of it but did not pull the datapad out of his pocket. Instead he looked across the room--all three meters of it--at Sola, who had taken a seat on his bed. It was the only place to sit, anyway. She wanted to talk about what had happened; Kais waited for her to speak first. When she did speak, he was rather surprised at how calm she was about it--almost as if she was only curious, not at all irate with him.


Why had he reacted so strongly? Now that Kais thought about it, he wasn't sure of the answer. There was, and always had been, a strong protective urge around him where Sola was concerned. But this... this had been stronger. Granted, he had never been around when someone made romantic advances on Sola in the past--if it could be called that--so he wasn't entirely sure that it was a new impulse. What he did know was that he had felt something very much like hatred toward that man when he stared at Sola like that, and on top of that she had looked so plainly uncomfortable. It was the looking uncomfortable part that had triggered him to act--or so he believed--but had all that really been necessary? Surely he could have just given Sola an out. No; simply helping Sola to escape an uncomfortable position would not have been enough. Not even scolding the newcomer for making Sola uncomfortable would have been enough. Kais wasn't usually a competitive person, but in that moment, he had needed to prove his dominance. Why, though, Kais couldn't explain.


After a long, silent moment of puzzling, Kais sighed; he moved his hand up to rub the back of his neck then dragged the tangled ponytail over his shoulder.


"I don't know," he said at long last, dropping his gaze. He shook his head, knowing Sola wouldn't take that for an answer, even if it was the truth.


"I just know that he was staring at you like some kind of predator, you were looking uncomfortable, and I would do it again." He looked back up at her, fire in his eyes.

 

[ambiguities]

Ryder Lawson

​

​

Ryder shuffled the room around as the small general ordered him around. He'd take the couch-- for tonight at least. This was something that was not permanent and if he could find someone to direct her and the rest of the new Sparks to their new environment. Ryder, by no means, was enlisted to be a babysitter, but with them being in a place which they didn't know and experiencing all these emotions was something that is bound to cause chaos. He stole a glance at Rose's way, shocked to find her staring back at him, her hazel eyes boring into his brown ones. Although he was a small distance away, her eyes stood prominent to him. Staring had seemed to become their form of communication in that moment, merely because he could tell that she was asking for some sort of communication. Ryder broke his gaze first, shrugging as if to say he didn't mind.


"Goodnight guys!" Ophelia flicked off the light and climbed into the bed that Ryder sacrificed, slipping under the blanket.


Ryder laid himself on the uncomfortable couch, letting out a string of colorful words as he tried his best to get comfortable. He refrained from looking over at Rose, instead he closed his eyes, willing himself to go to sleep.


When Ryder awoke, the ache in his back that he had predicted was evident. Hell, the floor would have been more comfortable. He pulled himself up so he was sitting, arching his back so he could kink the knots out.



​

@Bhlow

​

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout





It wasn't often that Kais ever did something irrationally. That was why this situation puzzled Sola so deeply. Kais was always protective of her, but that protection had consistently been within reason. He hadn't just started watching over her when they became delivery partners. It was more like they had become delivery partners because he had already been watching over her for years.


When Sola was a child, there were very few instances of any other of the Spark kids treating her poorly. Anyone that was to mess with Sola, was effectively messing with Shasta and Kais as well. Not to mention that she was the daughter of the former Alpha, the sister of the present one. That was part of the reason that Sola had done her best to be a pleasant person that got along with everyone...she wanted people to truly like her and not just tolerate her simply because of who she knew.


Eventually, Kais spoke. He dropped his gaze, but Sola kept looking at him as he talked. He was looking at you like a predator, he said. And then he claimed that he would do it again. An unexpected stab of hurt went through her. She don't know what she was expecting him to say, and she didn't know why she cared so much. But was it so incredibly insane that someone may have thought her to be pretty? Did it make that person a predator instead of a person who simply found her attractive? Because it seemed like that was Kais thought.





"He wasn't looking at me like a predator, Kais. He was some new recruit that was experiencing life outside of Tranquility for the first time, who just happened to think that I was nice to look at. Is that so difficult to believe? He had to be a predator?"


Sola dropped her gaze to the pot of flowers in her hands. Something was different between her and Kais. Whatever this something was had caused her to go to Tranquility alone when she should have just stayed, and had caused him to unnecessarily threaten a new recruit with only little provocation. While her escapade was the larger of the two reactions, they were both existent nonetheless. Confusion burned through her. She didn't understand what she was feeling. She really really didn't understand what Kais was feeling. All the uncertainty was giving her a headache. She wasn't willing to drop the subject yet. She had no real answers, from either of them.





"I'm not saying that you were wrong to tell him to back off. That whole situation did make me feel awkward," Sola sighed, lifting her eyes back to him. "It 's just that it could have been handled in a much simpler way. We could have just left if it bothered you that I was uncomfortable. But threatening him? Can you honestly say that you have no idea it? Especially since you're saying that you would do it again?"


Sola knew she was talking a lot, but she didn't quite know how to stop. She just had so many questions, and not just about him. About herself. About all of it. Only she didn't know how to articulate any of them, and she was just so damn confused. Sola was a relatively easy-going person. She got along with people, and she was loyal. The one thing she needed back was honesty.





"You're logical, you're analytical, methodical. You're meticulous. You're the damn Spark Strategist now, Kais. You think everything through. You've always been so sure of yourself. You're honestly telling me that despite all of that, you have no idea why you're suddenly doing things without knowing why?"


She met the flame in his own eyes with equal intensity. She hadn't been annoyed to begin with, not after their walk. She wasn't sure what she felt now. Bewildered, in the dark, excluded from his thoughts. He had the strategy skills to help lead their entire city, but not to tell her why he had snapped at a man who called her beautiful.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Kais shifted uncomfortably as Sola spoke; the fire of conviction faded from his eyes, replaced by doubt, confusion. She didn't understand--how could she, when he didn't understand, himself? She didn't understand that they couldn't just leave, that there may have been simpler solutions, but this was the best. She didn't understand that he only knew what he had felt--what he still felt when he recalled the look on that bloke's face--and that he knew that would drive him to the same solution, every single time. It irked him that she thought he was being illogical. Maybe he was. Maybe he was going mad. But he knew what he felt.


He tugged absent-mindedly at his ponytail, thinking hard. He didn't have the answers she wanted, but, somehow, he wanted to make her understand. How he was going to do that when he didn't fully know, himself, wasn't immediately apparent. She spoke and he let her; not interrupting or responding until he was well ready. Conversation--verbal explanation over all--was not his strong point, and he struggled visibly to find the right words; one could very nearly see the gears turning in his mind.





"I'm not saying, I don't know why I did what I did. I'm saying I don't know why I felt what I felt," he said, perhaps a little too defensively.


One thing she said stuck out to him: was it so difficult to believe that someone thought she was nice to look at? The newcomer had called her beautiful and it made his stomach burn. Because it was false? His mind discarded this possibility as rapidly as he had thought it; even if he had thought it was false, what harm would there be in someone else believing it. Because it was true, then? The possibility rolled around in his mind, causing his stomach to jump unpleasantly.


His eyes flicked over her face, as if he had never quite seen her before. Growing up with her it was sometimes impossible to see past the little girl he had known. But he looked past that now, almost clinically--viewing her objectively. Just another person.


...Because it was true.





And so what if it was? What did it matter if someone stated a fact? The ugly feeling reared up inside him again. Surely, because she was as a younger sister to him--someone to be protected, and he wouldn't have some fool Patch with her--or even eyeing her. Surely because he wanted to protect her from the possible pitfalls of walking that path.


Sometimes it was possible to convince yourself that a false reasoning was the true one. But even this explanation didn't feel right. It didn't click into place, like the missing piece of the puzzle. It didn't fit in the empty, confused space left in his brain. He wanted to believe it, but it didn't work. Reluctantly, he set the explanation aside; but if not brotherly love, then what?


"I am trying to be meticulous about this, but you haven't exactly given me much time to--" he stopped, mid-sentence. His mouth remained half-open, as a look of comprehension dawned on his face.


....Because it was true... and he hadn't said it first.





Click.

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Spark Territory


Richard nodded, smiling. "Yes, it'll be a big change, but that also means we can make our own, and most importantly..." He stopped to stare at a tree. When he still was patched, he would dismiss that as something useless, but now he could appreciate it more. The way the morning light shined through the leaves, and how they danced through the light breeze, it was all so beautiful. He showed that to Veda. "We can appreciate the things life has to offer." He put his hand on the back of his head, where the patch is located. "I'm still kind of worried, though, of having this being activated again. I don't know the effects the pill does, but I don't want to be caught in the same state I was while Patched." He waved his hand. "But never mind that. So what were you back at the city? I was a surgeon at the Blood Sector. Dealt with every kind of surgery." He looked around, making sure to look in the eyes of everyone, waiting for their answers.

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout





The concentration was clear on Kais's face. He pulled at his ponytail, struggling to find words. When he responded, his voice was defensive. He spoke about not knowing why he felt the way he did. Irritation burned in the back of Sola's mind. He was choosing now to not understand himself? His words had only served to further confuse her. She was no closer to understanding herself or him. A certain energy crackled in the small space as Sola watched him, seeing the look distressed focus on his face. It was rare that they weren't on the same page. Well, maybe they were on the same page because neither of them knew what the hell was going on.


Kais met her eyes again, his gaze taking on a different tone. He was staring at her wordlessly. That in itself was not unusual. It was the way he was looking at her, in such a detached way. It wasn't the typical, personable way usually looked at her...a girl he grew up with, the one he probably still viewed as a kid. It was...different. Unattached. Like she was a stranger whom he was just meeting. It was almost assessing. Discomfort caused her to shift, crossing and recrossing her ankles. Ultimately, she didn't drop her gaze. Let him look. She wasn't going to be the first to relent. She stared back until he finally spoke again.


"I am trying to be meticulous about this, but you haven't exactly given me much time to--"


His words stopped abruptly, his mouth still partially opened when he halted right in the middle of his sentence. A strange look replaced the confusion that was clear on his face before. After a moment, she recognized it as a look of awareness. He was gazing at her like he knew something she didn't, like something had suddenly shifted in his mind. She needed that clarity.


"What is it?" she asked, setting the pot of flowers next to her.


The restlessness she felt caused her to move to her feet, unable to stay sitting. She stood and crossed her arms, one hand fidgeting with her necklace as she looked at him. She wasn't sure whether to be confused, concerned, annoyed, expectant, or all three. He seemed to have figured something out on his own, something significant enough to force him to stop talking in the middle of his carefully measured out words. Whatever it was, it was making him look at her as though he was just seeing her for the first time.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Jealousy was the name of the ugly beast that reared in his chest when he'd seen the look on the newcomer's face. Inadequacy and fear had driven him to threats and posturing. Rage that someone else had said what he couldn't--what he had never thought to say. Everything fell into place, fitting neatly together to fill the holes with a nearly-audible click. The look on his face was not just realization, but shock as well.


How the hell had he never noticed before?


It took a moment before Kais was recovered enough from his epiphany to realize that Sola had asked him a question. Not just that, but had stood up, setting aside her flowers. She looked distinctly impatient, playing with her necklace like she did, with a bizarre mix of emotions splayed across her features. Then he realized that knowing was only half the battle. How was he going to explain it to Sola?


"Ah... I just realized... why." Kais hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck while nerves bubbled in his stomach.


While it may have answered her question, strictly speaking, she wasn't going to accept that as an answer. He fumbled for words, hating himself for not having the right language to say what he wanted to say. On second thought, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. What was he even going to tell her? 'I needed to prove that I was more badass than him, so he would never approach you again, because I don't want to deal with competition'? Sure, that sounded great.


"I, uh..."





No, Kais, that sounds horrible.





Fuck.





He wasn't looking at her anymore. In fact, he was looking distinctly anywhere

but her. The longer he took to cobble together some sort of pathetic explanation, the more distinct the feeling of embarrassment grew, until eventually he could feel it burning red across his cheeks.


She's just going to get more pissed the longer I prolong it. May as well just say something. This turned out to be distinctly more difficult than it initially sounded. The old adage of 'easier said than done' was, in Kais' case, almost always reversed. It was much easier to threaten someone in the heat of the moment than subsequently explain that he had been motivated by jealousy. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and spit it out.





"He, uh... said you were beautiful.... and I didn't. So... I... had to show him that I was better than him--more dangerous--so he would... not... ah.... compete with me."


Fuckfuckfuck.

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


very confused spark scout





"Ah... I just realized... why."


Kais continued to visibly struggle for words. He was rubbing his neck, continuing to stutter. At some point, he had given up even looking at her. His eyes looked at the wall, the bed, the pot of flowers, literally everywhere but her face. Surprise replaced annoyance as she saw a blush spread across his face. Was Kais Wiltchil, professional sniper, detached assassin, Spark Strategist, ultimate giver of no fucks...embarrassed?


It was so peculiar that Sola would have laughed if she hadn't felt so in the dark. Eventually, he shut his eyes and forced words out.





"He, uh... said you were beautiful.... and I didn't. So... I... had to show him that I was better than him--more dangerous--so he would... not... ah.... compete with me."


Sola blinked, suddenly frozen. Her hand stopped fidgeting, her body still. She felt her mouth open slightly in surprise, her mind suddenly blank. The wheels in her mind were turning furiously, trying to interpret what Kais had just said.


Had he been jealous? Did he want himself to be her only close friend in the world, or was it more than that? It was quite possibly, the very last thing that she expected him to say, catching her incredibly off guard. He had said so much in just one statement, with little to no explanation behind it. Her first natural instinct was to resist the thought of being someone's reward. Her second was utter confusion. Compete for what? As far as she knew, Kais had only ever viewed her as Shasta's little sister. His little sister. Unless she wasn't.


A thought buzzed in the side of Sola's mind that challenged that, something she wouldn't dare let herself think until she was absolutely certain that she was hearing him correctly. Except, she had no idea how to ask him to explain himself. She had no idea what to say about that at all. So instead of responding to that, she focused on the part of the sentence that she had words to respond to. She spoke the first tangible words that popped into her mind.


"You think I'm beautiful?"


Sola sighed frustratedly as soon as the words left her mouth. She hadn't wanted to ask that. She felt like an idiot. She mentally cursed the fact that she had little to no filter, irritated at herself for asking such a stupid and awkward question. It wasn't just herself that she was annoyed with. She felt irritation towards Kais too, for saying something and not elaborating. She was only more confused by Kais's revelation. Why would he do something like that? Tell her something shocking with absolutely no reasoning as to why behind it?


"What are you trying to say, Kais?" her hands dropped to her sides as she looked at him, tired of feeling bewildered.

 

[RZA]

Veda Creed Location: Spark Territory


Life in Tranquility was efficient and simplistic. A single mold to fit the millions. Children were to learn and adults were to work. Designated leisure times were coordinated and prechosen. Life-Mates calculated from data and young ones born from in vitro conception.


Richard pointed out a singular, but stark difference between their old and new lives. With their Patch neutralized; not only were they able to fully experience their emotions -- but they could appreciate everything life had to offer. The good. The bad. And the ugly.


With the doctors at her side, she memorized the way the light filtered through the sky-high canopy above them. The morning glow shimmered through the green leaves and small branches were caught dancing in the soft breeze. She listened to Richard make his peace regarding the Patch. If she were to confess, Veda would have to say the same thing. Nothing, and no one, would ever stop her from feeling like this again -- from feeling alive and whole.


“I was a surgeon at the Blood Sector. Dealt with every kind of surgery.”


Veda cringed internally, squirmed when she felt her stomach do a somersault. Blood made her queasy. A mental image of one of her students accidently breaking his leg on her watch her first year of teaching flashed through her mind. The doctor’s comment and her mental imagery tempted that breakfast sandwich to make a comeback. She eased her mind with memories of the lake, one of the few things she regretted leaving Tranquility for.


She made eye contact with the doctor when she spoke, “I was a teacher in the Glass District.”


Veda looked to Keanu who had been relatively silent since her arrival. She swallowed hard, biting back her nausea. “Did you work in the Blood Sector as well?”


@Raizel, @Skeleton

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Sola asked two questions. The first one she seemed displeased with, and replaced it with the second. Unfortunately, the first was the only one he knew the answer to. The second one only left him feeling as confused as Sola looked when he finally met her gaze again. It had taken him a long enough time to get what he was trying to say out in the first place; how was he supposed to elaborate on that? What did she even want clarification about? It seemed pretty clear to him. Someone had called her beautiful and thus, jealousy, rage, and threats had followed. What more was there to say? And if there was more to say, how the hell was he ever going to find the words to say it?


First things first: he knew the answer to the first question. He knew it was undoubtedly true, now. He had made a careful study of the subject and made up his mind without any room for disagreement.





"I think... you are beautiful," he said, with only one falter from nerves in the middle. But he met her eyes when he said it. It was the truth, even if it wasn't the whole answer that she wanted.


Now for the hard part; the second question, the one she actually wanted the answer to, the one that was causing that lingering look of impatience and annoyance on her face. He couldn't imagine how he was going to answer it, though. He pushed away from the tool chest, pulling nervously at his ponytail. His face contorted with a mixture of confusion and indecision. She knew him better than to ask him to form coherent sentences on the spot! What was he supposed to say? What did she even want to know? 'What was he trying to say?' He had clearly already said what he was trying to say, albeit with some awkward verbal pauses and stutters, but he had said it, in the end. Evidently it had been insufficient, and he was left with no hint about what she wanted him to say. He began to pace in what little room was allowed to him--his anxious confusion bleeding through.


"I don't know how to be concise in words!" Kais said, frustration evident in his tone. Actions, not words, were Kais' forte. He spoke little not because he was especially deep or thoughtful, but because he was especially bad at it, and tried to hide that fact. Words were Sola's job, and Shasta' job.


He stopped, mid-step, in front of Sola and turned to look at her. Actions he could do. Actions were clear, obvious, concise. Actions could tell her what he couldn't. And if she disapproved...? Better to know not than, he supposed.


Kais stepped forward, not giving himself time to think and overthink. One hand hooked under her chin, lifting her face to meet his, and he stooped to press his lips against hers.

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout





Kais had chosen to answer her first question instead of the second one. It didn't annoy her...in fact, it was quite the opposite. A warm feeling grew in her chest, her face flushed upon hearing his admittance to finding her beautiful. It was a validation from him that she hadn't even realized that she wanted.


His words had opened up a new series of thoughts to Sola. It was one thing that he thought she was attractive. Anyone could find any person good looking, with absolutely no extra connotations. Was it simply that he found her pretty, or was there more? Sola could barely sort through her own thoughts, all the things she was feeling that she didn't have words for.


Kais has taken to pacing around the room, nervously messing with his hair. The look on his face was a blend of different emotions. She could tell everything about this moment was stressful to him. He wasn't ever much for words, and she had just asked for a lot of them. To confirm her thoughts, Kais spoke up with stress in his voice not to answer her question but to tell her that he didn't know how to be exact with his words. He continued to move like a caged animal, looking frustrated and uncertain. Sola was so preoccupied wondering what he was thinking that she couldn't even figure out what she was feeling.


She was about to tell him not to answer, that she would leave so he would have some time to think...so that they both would. Before she could speak, Kais had stopped pacing abruptly. He turned around to look at her, and this time his face no longer looked unsure. He closed the gap between them, stepping right in front of her. She barely had time to register what was happening when his hand moved to her chin, tilting her face towards him.


Before a single coherent thought had formed in her mind, Kais's mouth was pressed against hers. Her eyes widened in shock, body unmoving at being caught completely off guard for the millionth time that day. But standing there now, being kissed by a man who had spent years making sure she was safe, who had only hugged her once in her life when he thought he might have lost her, who spent the night sleeping in a chair because she was afraid to be alone...a flicker of something burst into flame inside her chest. He had already said so much, and she never realized. She wondered if he even knew before this moment.


The ground seemed to shift from under her. Sola felt her eyes slip shut as she relaxed, resting one hand on his shoulder and the other against his chest. Her heart was racing, beating wildly behind her ribs as she rose to balance on her toes. Everything that was fuzzy before was sliding into bright clarity. Things began to come into focus.


She had always felt safe around him, comfortable and protected. When he spent the night in her room, she was able to get a good night's rest knowing he was there. She had been heartbroken when he chose not to go on deliveries with her anymore. She made him eggs when she felt guilty, when she seldom cooked for anyone but herself. Previously, she had thought those things were all part of being close with someone. Suddenly now everything looked different.


The confusion that had been annoying her so much began to dissolve as she finally identified the reason that had been evading her...the reason that caused her to go off on her own, the reason she slept well when he was around, the reason he had been so consistently on her mind. This was the reason that she had felt like something was different. Things were different.


Love changes things.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

There was a stunned moment, before either of them quite realized what he had just done, when Kais wouldn't have been surprised if she had slapped him. In fact, it had been one of then five dozen possible reactions that had flitted through his head, possible reactions that he had forced himself not to give any weight to, not to think about at all. Still, in that moment, a tiny fear squirmed and wiggled deep in his chest; fear that, even if this had been the best way to express himself, it hadn't been a good choice. Shock was an emotion he had definitely expected from her; the real question was, what was beneath the shock? When it faded, what would be left?


It seemed much longer than it really was. Seemed like he was standing on a shaky branch, reaching for her hand and it just wasn't there, while he considered when was too soon to turn back. Finally, she reached out to him; he felt her hands--one grasping his shoulder, the other resting on his chest. His usually calm heart tapped out a beat much too fast for its own good beneath her fingers. At last her shock faded, and there was something much nicer underneath. He breathed a sigh of relief through his nose; whatever she felt, she had, at the very least, not slapped him.


Kais brushed his thumb over her cheek, his fingers touching her face only tentatively--delicately, as if he was afraid of breaking something--then leaned back just enough to break contact between their lips. His hand drifted down her neck, barely touching her, and come to rest on her shoulder. Her face looked... peaceful, if he had to put a single word to it. As if something had fallen into place, some greater understanding as he'd experienced. No longer was there impatience, confusion, annoyance--just some sort of happy peacefulness.





"....Does that answer your question?" He asked, hoping she wasn't going to ask her to expand upon that point.


Then again, maybe further explanation wouldn't have been so bad. Now that he thought about it, this sort of explanation was quite nice, if one forgot about the painful minutes of suffering and suspense. A smile quirked one corner of his mouth up, but his eyes shone with something deeper than amusement, something warmer and more joyful, something that sent his stone heart fluttering like a spring chick.

 

[Ashmorne]

S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout





Breathless.


It was how she felt as his hand barely skimmed over the surface of her cheek, coming to rest against her shoulder. She looked up at him with full eyes as he asked her if her question had been answered. More questions than he probably knew she had had come to a close, and Sola was feeling shimmery and warm and finally, finally satisfied. As she gazed up at him, she felt her own face mirror his smile. She felt overwhelmed, but in a good way.


Sola's hand reached up towards his face, brushing a strand of hair lightly away. She had never, ever touched his face before. Doing so had caused a shiver to run down her spine, and this time she didn't think it was because of the ghosts. Looking at him, she knew that she somehow had to tell him how she felt. A nervous feeling jumped in her stomach, unsure how to get the words out.


She took a step back, very reluctantly out of his embrace. Sliding her hand away from his face, she lowered it to wrap her fingers around his hand. She clutched it reassuringly before letting it go, conveying that there was nothing wrong...but simply something that she felt was unfinished.


There was something she needed to say, but there was no way that she was going to be able to get the words out with him so close to her. She couldn't think clearly. Whenever Sola kept something she wanted to say bottled in, it felt like she was going to shatter. External processing would be the only way for her to feel entirely at ease. Was this how he had felt earlier? Now that there was some physical space in between them, she felt like she had the room to talk.


"Kais, I think that I lo-"


She had barely gotten any words out before the door to the shack swung open, creaking on its hinges. Sola instinctively took another step back, her body pivoting with her arms up as she took a defensive stance.


Shasta stood in the doorframe, arms crossed as he looked at them with an unreadable expression on his face. She knew that he couldn't possibly have seen the two of them, but heat rushed through her face as she dropped her arms to her sides. And then she remembered that she had yet to find him after she returned, and he was more likely than not...really, really pissed.


S H A S T A || F E I V E L


spark alpha





Shasta had barely slept the night before. It had been about 4:30 in the morning when Damien, the very scout that he didn't want to see, had found him in his Keys Tower office. Solara was back, relatively unharmed except for some minor wound on her side. She and Kais were arguing in the outskirts of the city before several people had seen them go into the Grand Oak. Damien had undoubtedly been trying to get back into his good graces. Feeling like a weight had loosened in his chest, Shasta sent him away in peace.


Shasta had slept fitfully in his office for two or three hours before rising. The first thing on his agenda had been to find Solara and Kais, but his responsibilities had gotten in the way. There were numerous things he had to resolve from the previous night, especially after he heard that Sola hadn't escorted the newcomers to the infirmary like she usually did. The Spark needed order, otherwise it would descend into chaos.


By the time he had met with everyone he needed to see and with his morning appointments, it was already almost noon. He had made his way to the Grand Oak to find both Kais and Sola's rooms empty. Annoyance sparked in this mind. She had come back and hadn't even bothered to come tell him. Kais hadn't decided to let him know either. Eventually, Shasta decided that there was one more place that he could look...Kais's little shack in the woods.


He had walked there in a hurry, well-concealed frustration at both Kais and Sola fueling his fast pace. When he arrived in the clearing where the house was, he swung the door open without knocking. Blinking, his sister and closest friend standing unusually close to each other. At first, he felt a wave of relief. There was Solara, still alive and in one piece.


Then came the irritation. He had felt like he interrupted some sort of talk between the two of them, which only did more to irk him. They could run off to the woods but not have the common decency to tell him that Sola was back and not ill or gravely wounded. It was a very worried-fueled sort of anger. None of it showed on his face. His expression was calm, maybe even cold. The only thing that gave him away was the slight furrow in his brow. He crossed his arms, his voice calmly hiding the feelings underneath it.


"Someone please tell me what the hell is going on, and why neither of you thought it might be good to inform me that the delivery was completed with four new recruits and a bullet wound?"

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

She didn't answer his question--at least no verbally. But the look on her face was enough; there was a deep satisfaction there that had not been a moment ago, and the smile on her face was warm, comfortable. When she reached up to touch his face the rest of his lingering doubts dissipated; she didn't need to say anything, really, because the answers were all there written on her features. His heart fluttered with unfamiliar feeling; every little touch was something new and mysterious. It wasn't as if they had never made physical contact before, but somehow, now, everything seemed much bigger, much more significant. Her hand closed around his, briefly, before she stepped back, and he wanted to hold onto it, to keep her there. He resisted the urge, sensing she had some reason--something to say.


Unfortunately, he never got to find out just what that something was. Halfway through her sentence, the door burst open; Kais knew before he turned who it was. There was only one other person not already inside who could have come looking for them there. Shasta.


Shasta asked a sensible question in a sensible tone, but Kais knew that rage was bubbling deep beneath that calm demeanor. There was, luckily, a sensible answer to his sensible question. Or, at least, it had seemed like a sensible enough answer at the time. Now, it seemed to Kais a little weak--probably they could have found time to tell Shasta last night. But it was the only answer they had, so it was the only one Kais was likely to give him.


Kais turned fully to face Shasta; he met his friend's calm gaze with his equally calm one. The only difference was that beneath Kais' gaze there was no annoyance, no irritation, no fear or relief, as Shasta was doubtless feeling. Kais knew Shasta was probably feeling those things, because he had felt them himself, upon Sola's return, and he would have felt them today if no one had told him she had come home safe. Evidently someone had told Shasta , so there was that small consolation. Not much of one, though, Kais suspected.


In fact, there was not even concern, regret, or defensiveness welling behind Kais' calm gaze. If he felt anything at all it was.... happiness. A warm, bubbling feeling, tinged with an unnecessary amusement at the whole situation. It wasn't amusing to Shasta, but it was decidedly amusing to Kais, at that very moment. However, he did not think his friend would appreciate if he had started laughing, so he buried the amusement deep and not even the hint of a smile touched his face. Instead he kept his demeanor carefully solemn and answered Shasta's question.

"The truth, in hindsight, is slightly less reasonable than it was at four in the morning. When Sola returned I found that she was injured; I was left with two choices--to tell you immediately of their return, or to see to it that she received the care she needed. I chose the latter. While I patched her up, she told me of this." He pulled the datapad out of his pocket, handing it over to Shasta. "I was suspicious, and wanted to dismantle it--see if there was a tracer inside. I knew if I went to see you then, I would tell you about the datapad, but I wanted to be sure everything about it before I did. I would have taken it apart last night, but Sola was distressed and asked me to stay. This morning we came here, so I could take it apart before taking it to you." The words flowed like water in a clear stream; somehow they came easily, smoothly, not leaving him groping for the right thing to say. This was business, these were facts, and this he could handle.


Kais gave a half-apologetic shrug. That was, more or less, exactly what had happened. He left out the part where some new Patcher had called Sola beautiful, prompting an uncomfortable chain of events that culminated in his kissing Shasta's sister. That was not really part of the story.

 

[Bhlow]

Rosemarie Hayward

Finishing off her quick shower, Rose changed into the simple clothes she had been given, and although they were potentially meant to be loose, her curves filled out the pants and the top.


She walked out of the bathroom after she felt presentable, taking much longer on her appearance than she has ever before, which almost made her question herself on why she was doing it. Rosemarie took a step back; startled to see that Ryder was already awake, and she looked at him as he stretched, his muscles on his chest flexing and she blushed crimson, feeling an unfamiliar heat seep into her.


"Good morning" she whispered, averting her eyes away from him and keeping her voice low as to not wake Ophelia. She walked over to the mattress, remaking the blanket there.


"So what do you do here on a daily basis?" She asked, breaking the thick silence as she rummaged through her clothing from the day before, pulling out the wires and the neuro transmitter tangled into her top. Rosemarie turned it on, looking to see if she could read the results from the night she took the pill before finally looking back up at Ryder expectantly.


@ambiguities

 

[Gabe]

Richard Davenport


Spark Territory


Richard smiled when Veda looked at his eyes. "A teacher you say? What was it like?" He looked at Keanu, then back at her. "My mother was a teacher too. She taught me for all of my school life, too. Now that I think about it, it was really weird to have my mother teach me. I had to call her teacher, and she would treat me like any other student. Being a deviant, I felt a pinch of sadness, and maybe jealousy... I miss her..." He blinked, and noticed a tear forming in his right eye. Laughing, he quietly wiped it, hoping nobody would notice. "What did you teach at Tranquility, Ms. Veda?"

 

[Skeleton]

It took a moment for Keanu to get his bearings again. The man who was with Solara had reacted very, very strongly to his words. There was icy fear in his heart. It was a fear that came with feeling like his life was in danger. He had taken a step back, nervous and shocked. He hadn't meant to offend the man, he was just stating the facts. Sola was beautiful, and he happened to observe that fact out loud. When his fear cooled, he could hear Solara apologizing for something or other. Her voice was soothing, reassuring, and warm. She gave him a courteous nod as she left, leaving Keanu feeling confused.


What was such a sweet and kind human being doing with a man that seemed to exude negativity? He had basically seen his life flash before his eyes when the guy talked to him. The two were polar opposites. How did she tolerate someone like that? He was astonished, wondering if they were attached and he had stepped on some toes when he called her beautiful. When the man was gone, Keanu felt a ghostlike anger.


It took him a moment to register that he had been spoken to. He looked back at the two people with him and shook his head, rubbing his face.


"I'm so sorry, I'm just getting my bearings," he said, before Veda could answer Richard's question. He quieted then, so she could talk. He would answer her question after she was done talking.

 

[RZA]

Veda Creed Location: Spark Territory


Veda smiled at Richard’s questions. Or maybe it was the realization that PaxCor might have stolen her humanity for twenty two years, but she still found a way to her true calling. She mimicked his smile, glancing away when a tear formed in the corner of his eye.


Keanu spoke just then, talking about getting his bearings. No doubt after he had that fretful encounter with Sola’s scary man, Kais. She turned back to Richard to reply.


“Oh I just taught General Studies, to the younger students that is. A lot of my former colleagues preferred the older students. I always thought there was something special about teaching our younger generations though…” She hesitated before speaking again. “You know, my mother was a teacher as well. Maybe they knew each other… She had that detachment as well, but thankfully I was taught by someone else.”


She cleared the frog stuck in her throat. Talking about her mother gave her the same emotional response Richard showed. “We can’t really blame them though, can we?”


Veda reached back and touched her neck before she spoke again.


“We can’t blame them, but we can blame PaxCor.”

 

[Ashmorne]

S H A S T A || F E I V E L


spark alpha





Kais had given him a smooth enough response. It seemed sensible, sort of. It would've been easy for either of them to just let him know what was going on, but that was the lesser of two evils. His sister had essentially walked into a death trap alone. His irritation shifted from Kais and Sola to concentrate more on Sola.


He gave the datapad back to Kais as soon as it had been handed to him, his gaze locked on his sister. Kais would be able to handle the dismantling alone. If the datapad was dangerous, then it had already done its damage. Right now, anger towards Sola broiled in his gut. It had cooled when he found out she was alright, only to flare up again when he actually saw her. Anything could have happened.





"Why'd you go, Solara?" He asked, using her full name...a thing that didn't happen all that often. "Why would you do something so damn idiotic?"


Shasta seldom raised his voice, but he was close to it now. He had already lost his mother and father. He couldn't lose his sister as well.


S o l a r a || F e i v e l


spark scout





Sola blinked, her heart rate beginning to calm as Kais talked. His words were smooth, surprisingly so considering how flustered he had been just minutes before. A certain disappointment filled Sola as they were interrupted. In the back of her mind, she wished it was just her and Kais again. There was so much left to say between them.


Guilt immediately followed that disappointment. She should have found Shasta when she came back. As different as they were, they understood each other on one thing...family is priceless. And they were each other's family. If the roles had been reversed, Sola would have worried to no end.


When Shasta spoke, he used her full first name. Sola didn't know how to answer her question. How did one explain to their older brother that the rejection she had felt was bigger than a friend rejection? She knew it was completely uncalled for. She knew that she had been moving on the fumes of her impulses. She knew that she had no good way to explain herself. There was no way that she could give Shasta that answers that he wanted.





"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said. She couldn't excuse it. She had acted irrationally, completely on her emotions. It was something that Shasta wouldn't have ever understood. "I won't ever do that again."


She didn't know what else to say. This was the best that she could do right now. It didn't help that just seconds prior, she had been kissing his best friend. Her mind felt muddled. She couldn't focus, her thoughts scattered all over over the place. Kais had the ability to compartmentalize. Sola had no such talent.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Things progressed pretty much how Kais would have predicted, given the chance; Shasta's ire turned on Sola, who had no anger of her own left and made no excuse for her actions. Kais wondered why she had done it; he hadn't even asked her, last night. Too many things had been going on for him to worry about it at the time, and since then as well. Perhaps she simply couldn't explain why she had done it and given time she would work out the reason for herself before she was able to share it with them. For now, at least, she wasn't ready.


Kais considered the datapad, which he had taken back from Shasta, trying to decide if he would intervene or not. Shasta was understandably angry--he had been angry, himself. She had done a stupid, impulsive thing, and she had paid the price; Shasta yelling at her now was not going to make matters any better. Sola was home safe now and nothing could change the fact that she had gone on her own last night. Maybe Shasta would be willing to take her word, that she wouldn't do something like that ever again, but to be honest, Kais knew it wouldn't have made him less angry last night, even if he was sure it was true.


"Shasta..." Kais didn't step between them, though he wanted to. Seeing Sola like that made the urge to protect her swell up in his chest. But Shasta was his friend and Kais knew that his anger was born of love for his sister. "I understand your anger, but Sola has paid the price for her lapse of judgement." His tone was still calm, quiet, suggesting that what he really wanted was to see neither of them upset, rather than to protect Sola. She had paid the price, Kais suspected, and he didn't mean by way of a bullet wound. He knew she had regretted it, though she might have been too stubborn to admit it in the heat of the moment.

"But this datapad truly does deserve your notice." Not that Sola didn't. But in Shasta's haste to condemn his sister he had overlooked the most important point of Kais' story--that they had received correspondence from inside the city, and that Sola may have been tracked back to the Ruins.

 

[Ashmorne]

S H A S T A || F E I V E L


spark alpha





Shasta wasn't ready to drop the subject. His gaze snapped over to Kais as he remembered the worry he had felt the night prior. Shasta never had the luxury of allowing his emotions to show. He was the Alpha. People followed him. What would they do if they thought their leader was anything short of strong, fearless, firm against the face of adversary? But here, he could take a step back from that. They were in a shack in the middle of the woods, with no one to eavesdrop.


Last night, fear had made a tight knot in his chest. It was something that he didn't get to show. Now, his fear just looked like anger. Granted, it was well-contained anger. His eyes were ablaze, not knowing where to direct his frustration. His words came out strained, wavering at the edges. Kais and Sola would know the true weight behind them.


"No, she hasn't. If she died, what would I have done? Acted like it wasn't my fault for not keeping a better eye on her? Our father and mother went out into that wasteland, and never returned. They never came back. Do you have any idea the fear that I felt when I thought that the same could have happened to Solara? Do you even know? She could have died,"


Kais didn't seem to grasp it. How could he seem so calm and detached? Shasta was surprised that he wasn't taking his side on this. He was the one who had punched a literal wall in frustration that she had gone. What had transpired here, that had caused Kais to not share in his stress? He knew that he and Sola had been together last night and had time to cool off, but still. Shasta's emotional energy was draining quickly. He wasn't an emotional man to begin with, and allowing this side of himself to show through was nothing short of tiring. Maybe he and his sister weren't as different as he initially thought.


Sola had approached him at some point during his rant. She touched his arm lightly, no doubt trying to calm him down. He pulled away from her, angry and exhausted at everything now. There was a stricken look on her face, surprised at his uncharacteristic outburst. He fixed his gaze on Kais once again.





"How are you being so calm right now? It's like you don't even care."

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

Things seemed to have backfired. Kais met Shasta's fiery gaze with his own level one, hearing the fear behind his words, the fear that drove his anger. The only thing that really surprised him was how little of it had come out last night; Shasta had been comparatively calm the previous night, while now he allowed his worry to fuel his rage. It made little sense to Kais--surely the time to be fueled by fear was when something might

actually happen, rather then when something might hypothetically have happened in the past.


"Of course I understand. You and Sola are the closest I have to family," Kais said, his tone still level, though something like hurt lurked beneath it. If anyone was to understand that Kais had been as upset at Sola as he was, it should have been Shasta. The fear, the helplessness, the guilt, the rage--Shasta had seen it all come spilling out last night. Sola could have died, and Kais had felt at least as responsible as Shasta--even more so, since he suspected her impulsive decision had been fueled by his decision to take up the post of Strategist.


"How are you being so calm right now? It's like you don't even care."


Kais met Shasta's gaze and a spark ignited behind his eyes. He was calm precisely because he cared. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Shasta was motivated by concern for his sister's safety--not a malicious desire to hurt Kais. That tiny voice prevented him from overreacting, but it didn't stop him from stepping up to the challenge.


"Because I was there. Because I sat in a damn tree for three hours waiting for her to come back, and I would have sat there all night. Because I had my fair share of shouting with Sola last night. Because I bandaged her up myself to make damn sure that she was alright. And because I saw the fear and regret in her face when she asked me to stay--just like I see it in her face now." He didn't raise his voice, not above a conversational level. But he did take a step forward toward Shasta, never breaking his gaze. "So you tell me: when you look at her and see her suffering, how can you possibly keep torturing her?"

 

[Ashmorne]

S H A S T A || F E I V E L


spark alpha





"Because she's all I have left!" Shasta retorted, his voice crackling.


He knew Kais was right, that he was acting irrationally. But just the sight of seeing Sola had reminded him of absolutely everything that could have happened. He hadn't realized how much he had been bottling in until he saw her standing there. Kais had already gotten his opportunity to be angry. He needed to let that out, and so did Shasta.


With the words out of his system, something inside Shasta snuffed out. The rage he had felt just seconds prior was broken in two after hearing Kais talk. It wasn't often that Shasta spoke out of turn, but he felt as though it may have happened just then.


Shasta looked over at his sister now. There was regret imprinted in her eyes, painted clearly across her face. When she looked at him, she looked afraid. Surely she understood that it was his own fear projected onto them that made him act the way he did?


Sighing, Shasta rubbed a hand over his face and leaned against the door frame. Dropping his arms, he gazed at them. He wasn't emotional often, but when he was...it felt something like getting trampled. It's why he avoided it. But Shasta knew how to admit when he was wrong. His fear had already caused him to hurt his friend and sister, and he wouldn't let his pride do the same. He was tired of being at odds with his family.





"I'm sorry. You're right," he said to Kais. It was all he could say. He looked back at Sola again. "Please, just never do that again. I know you won't, but I had to tell you myself,"


Solara nodded, touching his shoulder reassuringly and before tucking her hands into her pockets. She was nothing if not understanding. It was clear to him now that she had learned her lesson. Part of Shasta wanted to hug his sister, but he was too strung out to act on it. Instead, he looked back at Kais. A certain weariness had come over him, the kind that only happens when a combination of sleep deprivation and anxiety collide. He hoped Kais realized that he just wanted to move on from this topic. He had spent all of his emotional currency. He wasn't sure if there was anything left to say, or if they would simply just move on to the datapad.


The datapad.


Shasta had been so caught up in the moment that he had completely missed the significance of the datapad. His eyebrows raised, his mouth opened slightly in shock. Unthinkable things seemed to be the norm today.


"Someone tried to contact us from within Tranquility?"


He hoped he wasn't sounding rushed or forced, or like he was trying to deter from this moment...even though that's partially what he was doing. The Alpha in him just needed to know. He needed to know, so he could act, and then forget all the stress of the last 24 hours.

 

[DrakeAlistair]

Kais Wiltchil

Spark Strategist

​

One final shout and Shasta's anger faded. Kais watched it drain from him like water from a holey cup. He watched regret replace the anger as he leaned back against the door frame. The burning anger in Kais' chest faded with Shasta's surrender. He didn't want to be mad at Shasta any more than he wanted Shasta to be mad at him. Kais gave a curt nod in acknowledgement when Shasta apologized and that was the end of things. When Shasta changed the subject, Kais was more than willing to go along with it.

"It's a meeting place and time--tonight at midnight. I haven't looked up the coordinates, though." Kais gave a half-apologetic shrug. Things had been a bit busy around the Ruins since last night, surely he could be forgiven. "But first we need to see if there's anything else."


Kais crossed to the tool chest and set the datapad on top, hoping in a distant sort of way that Shasta wouldn't also be angry with Sola for bringing the datapad home. He had already been angry with her for that, himself, and was hoping there could be some peace, for the moment.


The second drawer down in his chest had screwdrivers of all shapes and sizes. Kais glanced over the back of the datapad one more time before choosing one. He made short work of the datapad's casing, striping it to the bones in less than a minute. Inside he found all the things one would expect to find in a device that was designed only to display a single message... along with one other thing. Kais' brow furrowed; he opened another draw and pulled out a pair of wire cutters, striping the unexpected piece from the circuit.


"There's a transmitter...." Kais breathed as he pulled it free, "but nothing that might register a position..."


So what the hell did it transmit?


"Also no explosives," he added brightly, beginning to strip casing from the cut wires.


From lower down in the chest he pulled a hodge-podge bit of circuitry. Deftly, he twisted the transmitter into it and flicked a switch on the side. The circuit beeped once, then did nothing. Kais' brows furrowed as he peered into the half-dismantled datapad, poking here and there with his screwdriver. After a long moment he spoke again.


"...Which seems to just... tell someone that the message has been read," And had probably just told that someone that the message had been read a second time, even though it was wired only to transmit once. An amused voiced in the back of his mind hoped that this puzzled their mysterious 'powerful friend'. "Innocent enough."

 

[Ashmorne]

S H A S T A || F E I V E L


spark scout





Shasta cracked his knuckles as he listened to Kais talk. As far as he knew, this was the first time that they had ever been contacted by someone in the Diamond. He made a mental note to look through his father's old records to cross reference, just to be sure. The Spark had typically done all of the contacting, and had been through the Pill delivery. It was exciting, but Shasta wondered if their "friend" was who they said they were. Could it be a trap?


If he had not already been so emotionally spent, he would have been annoyed with Solara for bringing the datapad back. He had heard that she had been grazed by a bullet on her way out, so he figured that she may have been preoccupied. There was no point in getting upset now. He'd already gotten angry, and what's done was done.


Shasta scratched his chin as he considered his options. What would his father have done? This was a high risk situation, but with the potential for high reward. He couldn't pass up the opportunity to potentially make an ally within the Diamond. Having a contact within it could speed the process along a great deal. Their revolution had been moving at a steady pace, with newcomers arriving every night. They just needed more resources and aid before they could really strike PaxCor. This could be something incredibly helpful.


Shasta knew that he needed to be the one that went to meet their so-called friend. He had the training to go on this type of mission, and he wasn't willing to let anyone else take this big of a risk. It had been awhile since Shasta had gone on a field mission. Before he had become the Alpha, he had gone on some deliveries but primarily worked as an apprentice beneath his father. He knew politics, and he needed to be the one to go. He would take two or three scouts with him, two for delivery and one to watch his own back.


It was decided. Shasta looked between Kais and Sola.





"Can you get me those coordinates? I'm going to meet them. I'm not willing to risk anyone else. I'll take one of the soldiers with me, and I'll go along with whoever is making deliveries tonight. It was supposed to be Ryder and Solara. Sola, Damien will fill in for you. No arguments," his voice left absolutely no room for discussion. He looked at Kais directly. "You're my second in command now. Can I trust you to hold things down while I'm away? Sola can help you, to some extent,"


While Shasta didn't completely trust his sister at this moment, he knew that she had spent time learning from their father as well. Despite his skepticism, he wanted to be fair. Kais was strategic, but Sola was personable. If there was any sort of meltdown or dispute between newcomers, he trusted that Sola, at the very least, would know how to soothe it. His confidence may have wavered today with the stunt she pulled, but he knew that Kais would be able to balance out her impulses.