Futuristic Inked In Blood [Closed]

[cleopat]

Tessa sat in silence and listened to Evan without interrupting him. She hated that he was right. Velrose and Orzen weren’t exactly senators speaking for the general population, but she hadn’t quite thought about it in terms that Evan explained to her before.

But…it was still different, right? Society seemed to forgive white collar crimes committed by politicians and wealthy individuals more than they would forgive someone who stole a loaf of bread to feed their family.

“I’ve never liked them,” she murmured, casting her gaze to the floor as she contemplated the situation. “You’re certain he won’t try to steal from you again? I mean, he tried once before…” Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again?

“And he mentioned you had blackmail on him. Is it just a video of him attempting to steal from you? Or is there more to it?” She was curious to know, but she understood if Evan didn’t want to tell her.

~~~

Dimitri groaned and tightened his arms around Damia. “Greasy, terribly amazing food does sound good.” And they had been dancing for hours without any food since dinner. He was hungry. “Terribly unhealthy food that will take an intense workout to burn once our hangovers are gone.”

An entire smorgasbord of options.

“How about you get that cab, we grab all the food we want, and take it back to my place?” he suggested, lifting his head just enough to whisper the suggestion in her ear. “Enough food for tonight, and then more food for in the morning for our inevitable hangovers.” The food may be a soggy mess by then, but it would still be greasy and calories into their stomachs.

One hand rubbed her bare skin. “So what do you say? We get that cab, get that food, and take it to my place? Or we just go straight to my place and order all the food we want to deliver.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“No, I’m not certain at all,” Evan answered flatly, “For all I know, you could one day stab me in the back. Nothing is ever certain,” especially not in politics. People were paid for actions that were terrible.

Xandros, at least, he could trust not to be paid to off him for no reason.

Xandros might still.

He might try to steal again.

Xandros could even blackmail him, and so he chuckled at the thought of the blackmail, “Oh, yes. I could make it very clear to everyone in the world who the Red Dragon is,” Evan noted, “but it isn’t as if he doesn’t now have loads of blackmail on me. I know he’s keeping it, every mission I assign him to, every request – he can turn it all back on me and have me brought down, too.”

Mutual destruction. It was poetic, in a way. If one pressed the button, so would the other. “He’ll turn on me if I do something he cannot abide by. So far, I’ve yet to slip,” and would he turn on Xandros? Of course – if it was needed. “I don’t intend to. I intend to honor my cause to improve the world for the poorer of us, and likely make it worse for those richer, with power complexes,” he chuckled.

It wasn't like he was going to go through to the effort to make their world better.

~***~

Dimitri was enticed by the food, it seemed. Damia knew she’d still have to leave too early to really enjoy a good breakfast, but he could learn that when he woke up and found her gone. So, she wouldn’t mention that. She only laughed as he whispered more into her ear, the cab conveniently pulling up.

The app had taken her request for the cab for Dimitri well – but she was pretty used to using it. She only had motorcycles. When she wanted groceries, she had to call a cab, or use the bus, and there was no way she was using the bus.

“I can start ordering so it’s there when we arrive,” Damia gestured him into the cab, “you just give the guy the address,” and she’d put it into her phone from there to get the deliveries set up, as she’d slide into the back of the car after Dimitri.

And order all the greasy, fried, delicious foods for delivery. Her rootbeer float couldn’t be delivered, but another day soon. She had such a craving lately. Not that she really wondered why.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa wasn’t exactly thrilled with what Evan was explaining to her, nor did it truly convince her to stay or trust Xandros enough to work with him. Sure, politicians weren’t entirely trustworthy either, but that was her world. She could read them. A criminal like Xandros?

That was an entirely new world for her.

She sighed and averted her gaze to the nearby window, looking out at the city for a few seconds as she thought things over. Their world was indeed a cutthroat world, and Tessa was more than aware of some shady things her relatives have done to get their agenda pushed through. But if it was truly to help those who needed it the most, would the risk be worth it?

With one more question, she turned her focus back on Evan. “Why did you take a chance on him instead of calling the authorities? What about him made you think he would be a valuable asset?”

~~~

Dimitri slid into the backseat of the cab and gave the driver his address without slurring his words. When Damia joined him, he leaned into her, but not quite as handsy as before. Even in his inebriated state, he had some sense of decorum to not practically grope Damia just inches away from the driver.

To him, it would be fair game once inside his apartment, unless Damia was serious about nothing happening between the two of them.

Leaning back against the seat, he said, “You should get those fries with the cheese and gravy on them. Some of the absolute best food to eat after quite a few drinks.” Which he would know quite well, even if he couldn’t remember the name of the dish at the moment. Oh well.

When they arrived, Dimitri slid out of the cab and led the way inside. It didn’t take him long to grab his keys, find the correct one, and unlock his door. “Welcome to my humble abode.” He led her inside to a sleek and modernly furnished place. The main areas were kept well clean, but anyone who looked inside his office space would see that it was well lived in with tech all over the place.

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan thought back to the first day he met Xandros, working to steal information on his computer. He recalled stopping him, and the way that Xandros had glowered and glared the entire time, but he hadn’t fought. No, he’d sat, he’d studied, and he wrote his answers when he was gagged. He had been cooperative through the strange process.

“When I captured him, he spoke. Well…he wrote. I wasn’t stupid enough to allow him use of his voice. He could have screamed his way out of the trouble he was in.” Evan didn’t know if he would have, but he assumed so. At least, that first night. “His career started with hitting business. He left that behind, when he realized he didn’t want to hurt regular people. He shifted to us.”

Politicians.

“He tries to do his research, but it was flawed,” given he chose Evan as a target. Well, perhaps that wasn’t entirely flawed. Evan had made his fair share of mistakes.

“For better or worse, Tessa, Xandros is not impersonal, and I trust that. I trust he won’t hurt someone he has no reason to hurt. He has reasons to hurt many people, but he’s also working with me to learn how to not only hurt them, but improve the lives of those he loves. He thought he could do that through hurting them.”

Evan sighed, “He’s learning that’s not the only way. Not even the best way. He’s still likely going to continue his actions,” a bit of a chuckle, “though as I understand it, there’s been next to no deaths in quite a while. Just stealing. And as you may have noticed, he’s not exactly spending it on himself.”

The money, for the most part, was going elsewhere. “It’s going to people who need it.”

~***~

‘Poutine.’ Damia knew what Dimitri meant when he mentioned those. She made sure to add them to the order, along with the rest of the food, and set it to be delivered to Dimitri’s home. Well, apartment. It seemed despite his likely wealth, he chose an apartment.

Not that she could talk, she did the same thing.

A house was just…pointless.

They arrived before the food, not a surprise, but still disappointing. She stepped in once the door was open, glancing around at the home and its clean state. Fairly modern. Fairly bland. Of course, scents and songs still popped up from some of the more well-used items, and she naturally felt a draw towards the office – not that she knew what it was as she approached that door.

She assumed bedroom. “Why not a house?” she mused aloud, having to ask, even if she suspected she knew. In too many ways, they were alike.

 

[cleopat]

“Next to no deaths isn’t exactly comforting,” Tessa chuckled, still not quite comfortable with the entire situation, but a bit more relaxed than she had been earlier. Born into the family she was, she never had to worry about money. Basic necessities like food and shelter were never things she had to wonder how she would afford, and this was a privilege she was always aware of.

She understood those who did worry often turned to unorthodox means of obtaining money when desperate, and Xandros also wanted to improve the lives of others. In their brief conversation about family, she quickly gathered what it was like for him growing up.

Far, far different from her own life.

“Alright, I think that answers all the questions I had concerning him.” Tessa had a lot to think about that she was certain would take more than one night to fully process everything, but she was certain of what her final answer would be, given she didn’t want to walk out of the office right then.

“Oh, and about the mission you sent us on, Tyr was a dead end. We didn’t find anything at all from him.”

~~~

Dimitri was aware of how boring his life looked with a peak inside his apartment. Despite loving gambling, he didn’t care much for material things. It all felt incredibly shallow, though he did enjoy his fast vehicles and occasional indulgence.

Rather, Dimitri preferred spending his salary on experiences. Experiences and a really nice apartment, with the occasional paycheck going towards his closet.

He headed in the opposite direction of Damia, towards his bedroom. He heard her question and turned back to look at her, throwing off his jacket and dropping it on the floor. Sober Dimitri would never.

“A house is just pointless,” he said with a shrug. “I’m rarely home, and given the nature of our job, it’s easier to leave all of the sudden when you don’t own a home. Plus, this place is close to all of the exciting things to do in this city. It’s extremely fucking convenient.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Questions were answered, but Evan didn’t fully understand what that meant. He knew why Tessa sought the answers. Who wouldn’t? Yet, he didn’t know what the answers led to. “I’m not surprised; it’s rarely the obvious ones,” Tyr had been too obvious for Xandros.

It was someone else. Someone quieter.

And likely not one person.

Finding one person in the group, however, would be useful, “I have not yet uncovered any additional leads, but I am still reading over it all,” the boring work, but he was good at it. Thorough. He usually found something useful amongst all of it.

“If I may ask, what do all the answers I gave you lead to? You didn’t quite explain yourself before asking them. Not that I don’t understand why you asked them,” he did, perfectly, “Xandros wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for anything.”

~***~

The jacket hit the floor.

Damia ignored that as she opened the door to the office, as Dimitri answered about houses and apartments. She hummed in agreement. Apartments, condos, all of those were a bit better. Damia did intend to move to a condo, one day, just so she wasn’t dealing with a landlord that had access to her room.

That could always cause a problem down the line.

She hadn’t made the jump yet. It always slipped from her thoughts.

She canted her head as she saw the office with all its tech scattered about. Much of it she knew, just by virtue of running in circles concerned with such things, but that didn’t mean she fully understood it. Nor did she know what use it all held to Dimitri.

Poor Dimitri by the bedroom, when she was more interested in the toys.

“Are these all projects?” she turned from the doorway of the office, “do they tell you, pick me, pick me! Or are these chosen for practical reasons?” she didn’t hear them the way that he did, of course. She wondered how different it was, what she felt, versus what he heard, as he chose these things.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa wasn’t terribly surprised that Evan hadn’t uncovered any more leads. They hadn’t been gone that long, and Xandros already had a list he was going to send her. This would be a slow investigation as Evan looked over the data, and she and Xandros went out to question suspects.

But Evan didn’t continue with that conversation. He diverted it back to her questions. She sighed, “When Xandros told me that he was the leader of the Red Dragon, it made me nervous. As you may know, my family’s close to some of those he targeted.” And, naturally, she was worried that her family would be targeted.

“But with what you’ve said, maybe I’ll stick around and try and give him a chance. I just hope you don’t make me regret that.” If Xandros betrayed her trust, betrayed Evan’s trust, she would not hesitate to go to the authorities to turn him in.

“He doesn’t actually seem like that bad of a guy, and his motivations are understandable, but you still can’t blame me for wondering what the fuck you were thinking.”

~~~

Dimitri wanted to pout as it was clear that Damia wasn’t headed in the direction he wanted her to go in, but he could hardly pout for too long as she asked a question about the things he could rant on forever passionately.

He moved over to where she stood by the office and looked in the room at his tech devices all about. “It’s a little bit of everything you’ve said,” he answered, placing his hand on the door to open it a bit wider.

There were a few small tables in there with different projects strewn across, and then some bigger pieces laying on the floor, waiting for him to touch. Different wires were in different boxes. None of it labeled, but he didn’t need those labels, not when they spoke to him in their own language.

“I have some projects I’m working on, and then there’s some that just spoke ‘pick me,’ and something will come of that, but I don’t know what yet. Sometimes I don’t know until it’s completed.” He shrugged. “But that’s why I enjoy working with technology. A lot of the time it’s like a giant puzzle begging for me to solve it.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan knew well who the targets had been, and who continued to be on Xandros’s list. If Tessa’s family had ever been on it, they were likely off it now, if only to maintain the peace in his newest working relationship. He might not like to remove them, but Evan was fairly certain Xandros was smart enough to do that much.

“We’ll both end up regretting it if he ends up playing us. So I rather hope I don’t make us regret it,” Evan said, smiling even as he said it. He knew what he was risking trusting Xandros, but to him, the risk felt worth it.

Xandros could do so much others couldn’t.

He was an ideal player in the game.

“I don’t blame you for wandering at all. It’d be more surprisingly if you simply accepted it,” Evan noted. “So I’m glad you came and asked questions to get answers, rather than just leaving, or taking it at face value. That is, after all, what we all should be doing,” asking questions, getting answers, not simply accepting things.

Striving to understand things was key.

It was a shame communication had broken down so much along party lines.

~***~

Dimitri came over to where she was, and the interest in his voice flowed like liquor. It wasn’t abnormal when people started on true interests – but it was so rare to hear it. She had been hooked on Gabriel’s voice even before she understood what that was, before her tattoo gave her that extra insight, but it was a sound she adored tasting.

There was a knock on the door – food.

“I’ll get that,” she offered, “we can eat while you tell me all about your projects and the pieces you picked up without knowing what to do with!” she whisked herself away to go to the door to get the food, as if she was the person who lived there.

She opened the door with a grin, “Thank you~,” there were a lot of bags, but she helped the delivery guy get them off his arms – he had, apparently, been determined to get all the bags in one trip, even though it was a lot.

Damia wasn’t exactly in the best state to be ordering food, after all.

It was Dimi’s morning problem, though.

Once she had all the food gathered, she walked back in and dumped it on the nearest table and started sorting through it, setting the poutine aside for Dimi as she found her deliciously unhealthy fried cheese curds and other terrible fried foods.

 

[cleopat]

I hope you don’t make us regret it either. Tessa allowed that thought to remain silent, as Evan already knew of her displeasure with the entire situation.

But she would stay, and she would give Xandros the benefit of the doubt.

“I’ve always been the one to ask a lot of questions,” Tessa chuckled. She had always been an inquisitive girl, seeking to understand how and why things work. “And that’s one reason why I’ve wanted to work with you. You seek to understand rather than just accept.”

It was something she couldn’t understand with some of her family who were in the political ring. How they could just accept something instead of question it. So many politicians only wanted to keep the status quo, even if it meant they weren’t helping their constituents.

“That was all I came here for, really.” She relaxed a bit in her seat. “Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate it.”

~~~

The food arrived, and Dimitri was about to volunteer to grab it before Damia got to it first. And there was…a lot of food. In a more sober state, he may have wondered how they were going to eat it all, but right now, he was starving, tipsy, and it all smelled so good.

He grabbed the poutine the moment he spotted it, bypassing all the delicious fried food for it, and moved to sit on the sofa, leaving enough room for Damia to sit as well. He may regret eating on the sofa in the morning, if they ended up spilling anything in their less-than-sober state, but right then, he didn’t care.

He could only think of the food he held in his hands.

“Okay so you know some of the things I like to do,” he said in between bites of his poutine, “what do you like to do in your downtime?” If she knew about his fascination with playing around with technology, Dimitri deserved to know something about her as well, dammit!

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan smiled as he accepted her words about his nature, nodding, “I try,” understanding was difficult, but that made it all the more critical. It was not a trait smiled upon in either circle. People wanted those who fell in line with their beliefs, with little room for gray areas or questions.

That wasn’t how the world worked.

“You’re welcome,” he said, “I’m glad you asked them. You’re always welcome to. I am sure that Xandros will have more he will want to follow up on tomorrow,” naturally, Xandros wanted to get to the bottom of this as much as Evan did.

If it was as bad as Evan thought….

“In your family, have you heard any talk of what We,” that royal ‘We’, for all of Denothetes, “might do if it comes to war?” He hadn’t asked – he may as well.

~***~

Damia grabbed her own assortment of foods and joined Dimitri on the couch, though she perched on the arm, her feet on the cushioned seat, “No, no, no, no,” she denied him, “I want the stories of your projects, that’s why I went to get the food.”

She wanted the stories.

“I bought all of this,” she made a wide, sweeping gesture, meaning the food, “and the taxi ride. Plus, I asked first,” she slid down the arm, to sit on the cushion, knees up to her chin as she crumbled down, “besides, you still lost,” as if it mattered when they left the venue.

It did to her.

All he’d done was provide the place, and she could easily have done that herself. “Soooo, tell me about your projects~,” she insisted again.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa agreed with Evan, and she was certain they will all have more they wanted to follow up on in the near future. There were so many unanswered questions, so much to look into, and so much to think about.

Tessa’s head spun with everything.

She thought for a moment with Evan’s question, thinking back to any conversations she may have overheard between family members about a possible war. After a few seconds, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. If they had discussed that at all, it wasn’t in front of me.” She looked apologetic as she said it, indeed sorry that she couldn’t give him more.

It wasn’t very often anymore where she would see multiple members of her extended family in one place, namely on special occasions. And to have such a conversation with her father…well, he would prefer to discuss other topics with his daughters.

“If this is something you really would like to know, though, I’m sure I can ask around and get a general opinion, if you want,” she offered.

~~~

Dimitri pointed a finger at Damia. “Hey now, losing the bet only extended to being your date for the wedding. Nothing about anything after.” He was tempted to deny her her curiosity, as she easily dodged the question directed her way, but tipsy Dimitri was slightly looser, in many ways.

“But I’m in a generous mood,” he sighed dramatically, kicking up his feet to rest them on the coffee table. “And besides, something tells me you won’t stop bothering me unless I tell you something.”

Dimitri had a lot to say about his projects, and he could rant on and on about them if he wanted, but on a normal day, he was generally reserved about them.

“But,” he started, rather dramatically, “I want you to give me just one thing you like to do. One thing you haven’t already told me. Just one.” He stabbed his fork into the poutine. “Then I’ll tell you about my projects.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan wasn’t terribly surprised. Tessa hadn’t seemed to be as certain of the war earlier, didn’t seem to think it as inevitable as he did. Her family was likely not talking about it at all, or reserving those conversations for circles Tessa was not a part of. He wasn’t too concerned with them, he didn’t have reason to believe they were terribly involved in the plot.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be working this closely with Tessa.

“It’s all right, I had to ask,” he said. “If you are able to find more out, I wouldn’t say no to it, but don’t consider it a formal request.” He sighed, pressing his forehead into one of his hands, “Admittedly, I’ve been a bit slow today. One of my contacts ended up murdered last night, I had high hopes to learn…quite a bit more about the war from the other side.”

Gabriel’s.

“Quintus of the Praetorian was jumping ship, but I was unable to extract him before he was executed by Decima and someone else,” he didn’t know who, beyond being a Praetorian. “Now that’s out of reach, and it’s not exactly easy courting a praetorian to betray Gabriel,” he chuckled, bitterness and sorrow mingled in the sound. “Their identities are completely unknown.”

Not to mention, he had to do it through a trail.

He couldn’t do it directly, or he’d be facing assassins. He wasn’t keen on that. He didn’t need a praetorian showing up at his own door. Xandros was one thing, a street thug with illegal tattoos and morals.

A praetorian?

No, no, no. He wasn’t facing that if he didn’t have to.

~***~

“Oh I’d stop bothering you. I’d take the food and leave, though,” Damia giggled, kicking her feet forward so she could cross his own extended legs with hers, resting them on his as he asked for a single thing.

She groaned and laid back over the arm, curving over it so she was able to easily look at the wall, at the floor, rather than the ceiling.

What was her most recent interest? No, she might have mentioned that one at the party. What was an interest from last month? ‘Hell if I remember.’ He already knew she liked racing. He had to gather she liked video games, she liked dancing. Did she mention cooking? She didn’t think so, but that was one of her steady interests.

Not that one.

“Oh!”

As if she just stumbled on it, which was, in fact, true, “Fight Club! There’s a fight club! I was going to it for a while,” she grazed her fingers over the flooring, not recognizing she was starting to slip over the arm of the couch. “That was interesting. Plenty of illegal tattoos. I should tell Gabbers, buuuuuut then it wouldn’t be interesting. I’ll wait until I’m sure I’m bored of it, and then he can do whatever about them.” She sighed, “I’d like to find a new tattoo idea, but they’re all so…I don’t know. Not right.”

She lifted one hand off the floor to wave it away, felt herself slip further, and let out a tiny squeal as she put her palms down on the floor to offset the slipping.

She did not push back up immediately. Nope. Totally intentional slipping.

“Your turn~ projects!”

 

[cleopat]

Tessa frowned when it was evident that Evan wasn’t feeling his best. And, apparently, it was because of a murder of someone he had been talking to.

Immediately she knew who he was talking about.

“A Praetorian?” she echoed. “There’s a video circulating around of a Praetorian fighting and getting killed by two others. I’m assuming they’re the same guy.” There’s only so many Praetorians, and if Evan said his contact had been killed by at least one confirmed Praetorian and an assumed second…well, she didn’t doubt one bit who they were talking about.

“If one Praetorian was willing to betray their dictator…then there must be unhappiness in their ranks.” Which was interesting, but Evan was right. Courting a Praetorian was difficult and a near suicidal mission. “What do you think you’re going to do next?”

She hoped it wasn’t to try and contact another one of them. Xandros may be a decent bodyguard and fighter, but he had nothing on them.

~~~

Dimitri kept an amused eye on Damia as she answered him while simultaneously reaching over the arm of his couch in some backward bend. He had no idea what she was doing. Was she even aware that she was slipping?

“I don’t think Gabe will care that much about a Fight Club, unless the members were doing something to threaten him,” Dimitri chuckled. When he saw Damia slip a few more centimeters, he grabbed her legs with one hand, partially using the same arm to hold her down, while still holding his poutine in the other.

He didn’t even acknowledge it, as Damia didn’t acknowledge it when her palms touched the hardwood floor. “Some of my projects are quite boring, as I don’t exactly know what I’m doing with them just yet. Like for example, I’ve been tinkering with a phone to upgrade it, but I’m not sure what I want to upgrade just yet.” He shrugged. “Videos that actually pop out of the screen? An AI system to better navigate your phone without you ever lifting a finger?”

The possibilities were endless, and that’s what often made him so clueless as what to do.

“Same thing with this computer I’m assembling. Anyone can put together a computer with the right instructions, but I need something more with it. Maybe tinker around with the software and see what I can do from there.” Another shrug. “Something I’m close to finishing is a little device I can stick to my sunglasses or whatever that can facially recognize anyone, granted their face isn’t terribly obscured. Ideally their information will then upload to my phone, laptop, whatever, for me to give to Gabe.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“I hope you didn’t watch that video,” Evan noted, putting his cheek in his palm, “I did see it,” he had to. He couldn’t look away from what happened to the man, or his family, that he’d been unable to save, “That was the one,” Decima his killer.

She hadn’t made an appearance since.

He rather hoped she also died of her wounds. They seemed substantial.

“My goal with the deceased was to learn more about the war, as well as try to discern the identities of the Praetorian to reveal them publicly,” and that was why Quintus had recorded it. Not for him, but to help bring down the Empire. “It’s a side project,” he admitted, “not nearly as important as this one, but there would be chaos within the Empire if the people knew who the Dictator’s favored were.”

Their lives would be uprooted, and Gabriel’s network of assassins gone. His network of spies, in a way, too. The Praetorian were unknown, so they could see and hear much, without anyone ever knowing. “I haven’t found a good way to go about it.” Well, he was a part of the Decima fan club in the vain hopes one of them would do it.

It was a damn shame there weren’t other groups half as dedicated to uncovering identities of the Praetorian, but they were probably dealt with harshly…and quickly. The fan club was relatively harmless. “However, I may ask you and Xandros to look into it in the future if I catch a good lead. I wanted you to be prepared for it. I absolutely will not ask you to engage them.”

That went beyond Xandros’s capabilities…and even if it didn’t, it was too close to risk.

~***~

No, Damia also didn’t think Gabriel would care much. It was why she didn’t end up caring much, probably. It just wasn’t interesting enough in the end. There was nothing new or unique, and even kicking the ass of guys who thought she was weak lost its amusement when that was her entire life.

Giggles spilled over her lips when she felt Dimitri catch her so she didn’t slip further.

Then he started talking about his projects. Holographic phone videos, “Uuugh, just what I need, more goddamn ads in my face,” the billboards were bad enough. She’d veto that idea if she could, but in the end, he’d figure out what he was called to. The fact he wasn’t called to that might be a good sign.

The facial recognition one would be useful.

Not good for them, necessarily, but they lived in that world already. That’s why they had to be fully covered in their roles.

She pushed herself back up, and dropped her hands on his as she leaned over her legs, “Have you ever tried melding tattoo designs into your tech? Like…make a chip’s layout the design of something, to see if it would work?” People experimented with that all the time. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

It was always interesting to see where it worked.

“Maybe that could give you the thingy you need for Gabriel’s glasses. An X-Ray design, or a see through walls design or…or something.”

 

[cleopat]

“I did see some of it, but I shut it off before anything graphic happened,” Tessa admitted. She did feel for Evan, though, who watched the whole thing in quiet agony as his contact was murdered before his very eyes, and he was helpless to stop it.

Having the Praetorians exposed like that would indeed spring chaos under the dictator’s reign. Everyone would know who they were, and those who didn’t like the Praetorians could easily ruin their lives. “How did you even know about Quintus and his wavering support?” Tessa inquired, leaning forward slightly in her chair.

“It’s such a risk to do something like that. If anyone else over there found out what you were doing…” she didn’t finish her sentence, but let the silence speak for itself. This little side project could spell the end of everything, including the lives of his family and himself, should the wrong person find out.

It was why she didn’t like the idea of being sucked into helping Evan with his side project, but if successful…they could topple the dictatorship from the inside out.

“If you asked me, someone with no fighting experience, to engage with a Praetorian, I may just ask if you’ve finally snapped,” she chuckled, trying to calm her own fears of potentially engaging with this project. “But if you continue doing this little side project of yours, please be careful.”

~~~

Dimitri chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh no, nothing that will have fucking ads on it. I refuse to stoop to that level.” He already had programs on his devices that got rid of annoying advertising. Anything he created that had to connect to the internet will immediately have a built in blocker. Fuck ads.

His fingers absentmindedly traced over the revealed skin of her leg as he considered Damia’s next question. “I haven’t considered doing something like that before,” he admitted. He stuffed his mouth with a forkful of the decadent poutine.

Theoretically, it wouldn’t be difficult to incorporate the design of a tattoo into one of his projects, but the next consideration would be into what kind of design and which project.

“It would be interesting to experiment whether I need to incorporate the design into either the hardware of the device or into the programming itself.” He hummed, fingers still tracing over her skin while enjoying the warmth of her own hands. “But you should tell me one more thing about you. Just one.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“That’s…a long story,” Evan sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling, “The short version is that Quintus was looking for a way out, and he was lucky, or unlucky, to find one of my agents. We tried to work fast, but between the bribes needed at the borders, the changing shifts, the number of people, the necessity of secrecy…it just didn’t work.” Obviously. “He must have tipped Gabriel off in some way.”

The question remained how much Gabriel would investigate this, how many plans he’d find, which contacts he might run down. Evan fully intended to pull his contacts out, and reorganize the ones across the border, so he could have new faces there. Harder to track, that way.

Not that Gabriel couldn’t just send his own over the border to deal with those Evan had pulled back.

“I know how risky is it, but I assure you, anything that stops the war is far less risky than what this war could spell. I know the…propaganda is working on some,” the images that came from across the border spoke of luxury and freedoms, but it wasn’t the truth. Not the full truth, anyways.

Oh sure, they were richer.

More tattoos were legal.

But the cost for that was far higher than anyone here realized. “If I could hire a decent assassin to kill Gabriel, I would,” he chuckled, “but so far, I have no takers. And I wouldn’t dare send you or Xandros on such a thing, so don’t worry.”

~***~

Despite how pervasive tattoos were, people never seemed to think of adding them to anything but skin. It was something Damia found intriguing, given how she could see, sometimes, where a tattoo could influence things. It was hard to make it out from the rest of the noise that constantly surrounded her, but she saw the patterns swirling about in nature, emanating with that same power that bristled underneath the skin of others.

She was sure, one day, she’d see the one she wanted underneath her skin.

Of course, he was still trying to get information out of her. And so she laughed, “Dimi, you don’t care, you don’t need to pretend,” she said, lifting one hand to boop his nose, “I mean, it’s cute, but I know the only thing about me you’re hoping to get to know.”

She could just give in and be done with it. The nuisance of the desire was just that – nuisance. And he’d stop being a nuisance when he got it, like most. Then he wouldn’t be asking stupid questions like ‘what are you into’ when he really didn’t give a damn. He didn’t care about her games. He didn’t care about her racing – only so far as he could beat her and get laid.

“The answer is no, by the way. You still haven’t won anything but my desire to know you better, so you should enjoy the opportunity to keep talking about yourself,” her grin was a bit feral, “most people like that.” Maybe he wasn’t most people, but the way his voice popped and oozed when he spoke of his projects? Yes, he liked that.

He liked someone interested, with suggestions and thoughts.

And she could be interested.

For a night.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa wasn’t surprised to hear that the story was indeed complicated. Just to get someone past the border of the dictatorship is a feat in itself, but a Praetorian with a lot of secrets to tell? Well, Tessa was surprised they got anywhere at all with that.

“I’m sorry, but if you ever send me on a mission involving Gabriel or a Praetorian, especially one that requires killing one of them, you’ll be receiving my letter of resignation,” she chuckled with a shake of her head. “Not that I won’t help you with something more behind the scenes.” She felt the need to clarify that, as she didn’t want Evan to think she wasn’t willing to help out where she was needed to stop a war.

“But thank you for letting me know you won’t send me off to assassinate someone with a lot of power and resources.” She held an amused grin as she leaned back in her chair. “Is there anything else you would like to discuss with me while I’m still here?”

Tessa quite hadn’t expected her questions concerning Xandros’ background to evolve into discussions over the dictatorship and the Praetorians, but maybe that was a secret reason she chose to work with Evan. Always a surprise waiting, and never a dull moment.

~~~

Dimitri mocked an offended look. “Maybe I do care,” he said, swiping away her finger from his nose with a wave of a hand. “Maybe I’m just trying to get to know the person who is technically a coworker,” he said with a shrug then a bark of laughter. Praetorians as coworkers. Cute.

“Maybe I should be questioning you why you’re so interested in learning about me,” he fired back, rubbing her hand over the bare skin of her leg before removing it, as she was no longer in any danger of falling off. “And you can’t use the lost bet as an excuse, since being your date to the wedding was your prize.”

Sadly the poutine was helping in destroying his alcohol-fueled buzz for the evening, and he was slowly becoming more aware of what he was doing. That wasn’t his reason for removing his hand though, as his hand itched to place itself back on her leg and slowly inch upwards to where the dress had hidden from his view.

“Are you just afraid of someone actually getting to know you?” he teased with a smirk. “Or do you like to play into a mysterious and badass type of a character as part of your allure?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan chuckled, “I wouldn’t even blame you for resigning,” he noted, shaking his head. No, he’d never do something like that. That was far too risky. Even for Xandros. He’d wait until he had a better assassin, or a grand opportunity. He might just take the metaphorical shot himself, if he could ever get that opening.

He had a few tricks no Praetorian would expect.

Nor Gabriel.

They were all too caught up in their tattoos. He knew power lied elsewhere, and no one was even looking.

He shook his head at her further question, “No,” he answered, “there is nothing else, but now you know a bit more about how things are moving here. It’s all in an effort to stop the war, I promise, and to improve things here…though the improvements have slowed with the attempts to stop the war.”

That was a bit more pressing, sadly.

Then he could get back to better things, like feeding the people, and housing them.

~***~

Dimitri couldn’t even say it with a straight face. He burst into laughter at the mere idea of trying to know a coworker, which did cause Damia to giggle. Obviously, that wasn’t it, but he was still trying to bullshit his way around it, which was just so tedious, just so tiring. “Do you think I would have wanted you as a date if I wasn’t interested in you? That was just an excuse to get to know you.”

So her intentions were well in line with what she was doing. “You do something I don’t see often. You talk to computers. I don’t understand them,” she said, resting her hands in her lap, “Don’t worry, my interest will fade soon,” she waved it off dismissively.

That’s just how it was.

She leaned forward then, her hands moving to his wrists, pressing them down as she used them to lean over, “You want to know something about me? I don’t enjoy bullshit from people,” a statement of fact as much as a warning, “People either love it, or they hate it. When I first met Gabriel, I thought he was one of those fawning fans of mine who enjoyed the way I handled people, but he wasn’t.”

Obviously, she’d become a fawning fan of his.

“Imagine those terrible high school days full of tedium and insecurity. People lashing out in the worst ways to deal with their own insecurities. It never bothered me.” She’d always brimmed with confidence, “If someone called me fat, I asked what their point was. I asked if they were trying to offer advice, or just stating the obvious for no reason.” Not that she ever was, but people tried to be cruel, and her thighs had always been larger than some, making jeans annoying to wear. “Few people own up to trying to hurt you, and when they do…oh then it gets fun,” she tilted her head.

“Few people own up to just trying to get others into the sack with them. It’s tedious, the games we play of feigning caring,” she slowly released his wrists, “but I don’t fake it unless I have to for a job.”

 

[cleopat]

Tessa nodded her head. “And I’m glad you were finally truthful and told me what was really going on. I wish you had mentioned this at the interview,” she chuckled, but clearly not disappointed or annoyed with Evan for the subterfuge.

She wish they could do more to help their own people right then, but he was right. Stopping the war and preventing needless bloodshed was a far more important agenda to accomplish. What was the point of trying to pass legislation for improving their lives if the country descended into war, or worse, taken over by the dictatorship?

“I take it there’s nothing else you’re hiding from me?” she said with a grin, only half joking, moving her hands on the arm of her chair as she prepared to stand up. “Nothing else about Xandros either I should know about?” That one wasn’t as much of a joke, as she truly did want to know if there was something else about the man that she should know.

Tessa hoped not. She could barely handle knowing his connection to a street gang that terrorized those in her circles.

~~~

“And if you can ask me questions to get to know me because you’re interested in me, then I can do the same,” he said with a quick poke of his finger into her thigh. “You still haven’t told me the full details of your tattoos, though I’m guessing it’s related to seeing things others don’t, and when in public, you act how you want, not giving a shit about other people. Oh, and of course you fight well, almost as good as me, which, frankly, is kind of hot.”

Dimitri would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about sparring with someone, then immediately fucking them on the mats.

“But like yours, my interest will fade away.” He couldn’t quite remember, largely due to the amount of alcohol in his system, the last time he had a long term relationship. Most of his romantic trysts were marked by one night stands.

He frowned as her hands suddenly pressed into his wrists, but he soon hardly thought about it as she leaned closer to him. “Listen, I don’t bullshit,” he stated firmly after she finished. “You knew from the beginning I’ve been wanting to get that dress off you, but,” he shrugged his shoulders, leaning forward enough to put the empty container that was once poutine on the table, “you’re interesting enough for me to want to know more.”

Why couldn’t he want both?

“It was very similar between me and Gabe not long after we met. In the beginning, before everything, we pretty much thought what we had was purely physical. But one night we actually started telling each other about different aspects of our lives, and that’s when I realized how passionate he was about his dreams and interests, and it was…nice to just sit and watch him talk about everything. There was nothing sexual about it, but there was a genuine curiosity and interest to listen.”

He lightly chuckled, fingers returning to lightly trace along Damia’s exposed skin. “I guess what I’m saying is, I can multitask, and I do it because I like to.”

 

[Lucyfer]

"Well I can't exactly put these things in the job description," Evan noted with a wry grin. "I just have to get a feel for the employee and see if they'll be able to handle additional tasks before I bring it up." So far, Tessa had shown she would be able to handle these things, and now she was proving it.

With understandable limits.

"There are several unimportant things about my personal life I'm hiding," Evan offered a cheeky grin, "but you are caught up on my work projects, and will remain in the know, as there are things to know. I promise, Tessa." He meant it, even if he knew she wouldn't know everything immediately.

Everything had it's time and place.

"As for Xandros, you know what I know. I imagine he has plenty of secrets he's yet to share, and many he won't. He's not exactly a closed book but, well…he's difficult, as I'm sure you've noticed."

~***~

Dania all but threw her hands up when Dimi implied she wasn't telling him about her powers. She had! More than once she was sure. It was his fault he didn't get it – ok not really, no one got it, but that was just…how it was. It wasn't something people understood and it had snapped her mind when it manifested.

The first week had been hell.

Gabriel probably considered killing her that week of recovery.

Still, she listened to the rest of what he had to say, conceding his own short term interest in it all. She wanted to call bullshit on even having an interest in her beyond sex, but she supposed he was terribly fascinated by the tattoo he couldn't understand. That was consistently brought up.

"Fine, but just remember I gave you out to be purely selfish," she sighed and leaned back on her hands, tilting her head up. "Just like I've told you about the tattoo. I don't know what else to say. It blends my senses together and gives me more. I see what I hear." She rolled her head to one side. "I taste what I feel. It's not that complicated, except other people can't do it, and considering it was an experimental tattoo that drove me insane, no one else probably ever will."

The insane person didn't know they were insane, and Damia didn't actually think it was insanity to understand more than others. Sadly, other people disagreed.

Insanity was a good short hand for what was wrong.