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Futuristic ๐Ÿ…ค๐Ÿ…ฃ๐Ÿ…ž๐Ÿ…Ÿ๐Ÿ…˜๐Ÿ… || ๐“น๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ถ๐“ช๐“ป๐”‚ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ป๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ญ!

Ashley Berzins
Myriad
Abadoned Warehouse
LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE
interactions
AnimeGenork AnimeGenork (Maeve) DreamBoy DreamBoy (Julian) minajesty minajesty (Ulysses) Lemoninny Lemoninny (Lakshmi)
Ashley raised an eyebrow as Julian handed her his coat, her mouth opened to make some sarcastic remark about not being his maid but stopped short when she realized his intention. "Thanks" a small smile played on her lips as she unfolded the coat and placed it on her, feeling the instant relief from the cold as her fingers hooked onto the hem of the sleeves pulling them over her hands.

The sound of static filled the air followed by a man's voice and Ashley's attention diverted to the radio as a somewhat excited expression took over her features. She had gotten here just in time it seemed as she bounced from foot to foot readying herself to spring into the action. They had gone through the plan multiple times and she knew it off by heart but as they waited for their moment to act, Ashley quickly went through it all again in her head. It should be a simple job, realistically it was probably one of the easiest jobs they had done especially with the added bonus of the fall festival being on, but life always had a way of making things harder and unfortunately it seemed today was no exception.

Spotting the figure walking towards them, Ashley looked around counting those present before she bit her lip, everyone was here meaning this was a stranger, but were they uninvited? her eyes scanned over her teams faces once again taking in their expressions as she settled on the idea this person was not invited nor expected to show. "So much for straightforward, what is this the opening act" Her voice was low as a smirk played on her lips before the excitement on her features dwindled to a calm yet neutral expression, taking a step forward closer to Maeve, Ashley kept her eyes on the approaching figure as her hands clenched into fists at her side ready to fight if needs be.

 
















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THE MEDIUM.















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GRAYSON



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SCENE ONE.




Streets skirted by spindly trees spill sleepy leaves coloured with decay.































There is no need for the clairvoyance of dead people with how coughs bark to warn him that there is a scoundrel afoot.

โ€œOh nooo Grayson..โ€ They croon like a cat with a songbird twisted in its teeth come sundown, and the Medium can feel his mouth slant downwards to the purr of a man he has come to begrudgingly acquaint.

No. Grayson thinks in a spur of agony. Not now.

Jovial Jeremy flutters over, and Gray makes extra effort to hunch his shoulders closer to his ears, pull the newspaper closer as a pathetic shield. Another page turn, loud and intentional, as if this may deter this nosey stray.

The mayor's daughter is no longer in peril. Grayson is.

Delicious food, Jeremy had said, and Grayson cannot think of anything worse, brims with a protest perfectly belonging to a man of his snobbish nuance. He resists the urge to scoff incredulously.

โ€œDo you not have more grease to devour?โ€ Heโ€™d taken note of the despicable corn dog, taken note of their deranged serial killer comment, and the most he can manage is an unamused expression and heavy sigh. โ€œI believe I glimpsed an onion ring stall down there.โ€ A pale hand makes a petulant shoo motion to ward this nuisance to more interesting locations. โ€œFurther down the street. Far, far away from me.โ€

He wonders how long Jeremy will loiter, how long they will play this game till the man tires and finds amusement elsewhere. He knows it may end as it usually did, with an irate lawyer storming off and a Jeremy sitting smug as a demigod of loki.

The question is far from charitable to Graysonโ€™s already drained patience, and a pulse echoes the thin blade of his jaw at that word, again. He has made a habit of this, entertaining revenants, and as such been knighted with titles of insanity. Time suspends in his short falter, as he is not a man who likes to lie, not a man whoโ€™d proven particularly good at it either, and Jeremyโ€™s surgical stare is always too intrusive for his liking.

โ€œIโ€™ll have you know,โ€ he begins in a tone so pretentious, โ€œmy own company is substantial enough.โ€ A hint. Go away.

He plays this in earnest, and relents this waspish epidermis only temporarily to find sweeter coves. Annoyance could not cleave his attachment to it, the topic of work. Questions are piqued by his colleagueโ€™s presence, and to Jeremyโ€™s credit, even Grayson can admit (far away from Jeremyโ€™s nosey little ears) that he is good-intentioned and invested in his job.

The lawyer means to drawl the words, come across bored and distanced to what information Jeremy may have at hand, but the sheer fact of deciding to ask gives the entire ruse away.

โ€œHave you noted anything of interest?โ€ The paper halves with common perfectionism as he folds it away, smoothing ivory corners sharp and resting the tribune on his lap to allocate full attention onto Jeremy. He does not collide their gazes, keeps cinereal silver upon the tides of civilians. Appears, if anything, to be completely aloof. โ€œOutside of a corndog, that is.โ€

One quick motion whips a flash of white, and Graysonโ€™s pale fingers are pinched to proffer a fabric of equal hue. A pocket square.

He is a snob at heart, after all. And he cannot have a distinguished member of SOTO walking around with a greasy little face.





























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lucy ; iridessa




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Lucy was all smiles this morning now. Watching Rhys work was probably one of her favorite pastimes. He was always so focused on everything he did, putting his all into whatever was before him. Trulyโ€ฆit was amazing, and the blonde couldnโ€™t help but be in awe as he circled his kitchen, completely in control of everything going on.

It truly was a sight to see.

โ€œYes, you definitely should!โ€
she gasped at his admittance. Theyโ€™d been getting ready since before dawn in some cases! Surely, he had to be exhausted by now?
โ€œAbsolutely, you need one. The last thing I-um, anyone would want is you passing out from dehydration,โ€
she began, feeling her face flush, and not from the heat of the room.
โ€œA-and with all the heat and steam and smoke and whatnotโ€ฆ.that surely isnโ€™t helping.โ€


Lucy frowned at his seeming lack of concern for how long heโ€™d been working. Surely he had to be tired by now? Even a little bit.

As Rhys turned to finish turning off his stove, the blonde frowned, wringing her fingers together. Maybe she could manage it? Her friend deserved to have a proper break, surely heโ€™d made enough snacks to last everyone a while?

โ€œWell, since weโ€™ve agreed that you need to take a break, how about we go wander the stalls?โ€
she offered.
โ€œI think Team Majestic has something planned, we could try and see if we can catch that?โ€


She was determined to keep Rhys busy for at least a few hours! Surely they could manage a few hours to themselves to have fun? Lucy nodded to herself, a small barely there movement. Yes! She would find a way to distract her friend long enough to make sure he was able to relax and actually have fun.

โ€œI think it could be fun!โ€
she exclaimed, smiling brightly.
โ€œWhat do you say?โ€






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iggy ; rhapsody




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Iggy couldnโ€™t help but laugh at Rowanโ€™s words. It was almost like every time they had to do something in an official capacity for Team Majestic, she asked if he would rather take the lead. It was almost becoming a running joke in his mind.

But no, no he didnโ€™t want to take the lead, just in case anyone was wondering.

No, Rhapsody was better meant to be a helping hand, just a step out of focus. He was better off in a supporting role, providing someone with back-up and cheering the main character on to victory!

It was something he was good at. Something he enjoyed. Knowing that he could help give someone courage and strength to carry on and persevere? Sign him the hell up!

โ€œHaha, Iโ€™m good Ro.โ€
he grinned, reaching out and giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
โ€œItโ€™s all on you, and before you go getting even further in your head, let me remind you.โ€
he paused.

For dramatic effect of course.

โ€œYouโ€™ve got this in the bag!โ€
he cheered, doing an energetic fistbump, whistling a quick chipper tune to try and help further his effort in calming down the one who was possibly his best friend.
โ€œDonโ€™t worry about how Team Demiseโ€™s captain was.โ€
he forced himself to turn serious.

It truly was difficult, later on, after the whole festival thing, Iggy hoped that Rowan understood how difficult it had been to stay on task.

โ€œWhatever was bothering her has nothing to do with us. If she flips the script, fine, weโ€™ll figure it out.โ€
he continued, his voice soft but serious.
โ€œNo matter what happens, Iโ€™m up there with you. And you know Iโ€™ll always have your back. No matter what, through thick and thin.โ€
he said, looking into Rowanโ€™s eyes, trying to convey just how serious he was.

No matter how much he enjoyed joking around, no one could say that Iggy didnโ€™t know how to take things seriously.

He grinned a moment later, letting the heavy atmosphere that had descended upon them fade out of existence.

โ€œYou and me, and the whole team!โ€
he declared proudly.

Without missing a beat and perfect timing, Rhett skidded to a stop beside them. He laughed again, perfect!

โ€œGreat timing Rhett!โ€
he grinned, giving them a thumbs up.
โ€œRoโ€™s right, pretty sure weโ€™re just waiting for everything to start. Weโ€™re all pretty much almost ready.โ€
he glanced around, as if he would see something that would answer their questions.

โ€œYou ready for this?โ€






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Julian




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The Strokes



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Of course thing that seemed simple rarely were. It was always his complicated, hair brained schemes that went off without a hitch, a grab and go mission that should be childโ€™s play getting delayed and immediately interrupted? Fucking of course. Their onlooker wasnโ€™t an immediate threat yet, but better dealt with quickly than to give the intruder opportunity. Even if it turned out to be an innocent bystander, theyโ€™d be fine tied up in the warehouse until the Myriad were long gone. Someone would find them eventually. Most likely it was a ragtagger or a magpie, a do-gooder come to check on the docks or someone looking to steal the package they were after from under their noses.

He sighed, digging around in his pockets for the cold metal of his trusty handcuffs. โ€œIโ€™ll grab em and just jump into the body of our security guard from there if I have to.โ€ He tossed the little key to Ulysses, the person he deemed least likely to do away with them for the sake of leaving Julian locked up longer than necessary. Normally that would be Lakshmi, but it was nice to shake things up.

โ€œDonโ€™t do anything stupidโ€ he requested, maybe in vain, as he clicked the cuffs closed around his wrists in a well-practiced motion. He really should consider getting a pair of the softer, kinky ones, but these were a bit easier to explain away. Besides, sometimes the pain from injuries induced by people heโ€™s switched bodies with railing against them was a welcome distraction from his thoughts. He had more than a couple light scars circling his wrists from desperate prisoners unconcerned with tearing up a body that wasnโ€™t theirs in a desperate attempt to escape.

Julian closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and exhaled out of a different set of lungs, opening their eyes to an entirely new scene, squarely in view of the warehouse. If she hadnโ€™t seen anything, sheโ€™d been about to. She was a mutant too. Julian couldnโ€™t always tell what someoneโ€™s power was just from jumping into their body, but he could always feel it, power running in their veins. This one came with a tingling feeling in the back of his mind, a connection. There was a sense of something vast and uncontrollable, but not anything he could recognize or tap into without at least knowing where to start. It would be helpful if heโ€™d gotten a good enough look at the girl to recognize her.

A good look around confirmed that the late guard wasnโ€™t in sight yet, fortunately. Julian would hate to have to make another jump and leave this girlโ€™s body running around with a burly, confused security officer inside it. A liability to say the least if uncontained. He approached Maeves hastily erected wall of barbed wire with no one the wiser, at least as far as he could tell.

โ€œknock knock.โ€






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mood :
no game

location :
TEC open house
outfit :
mentions :
samira, naomi

interactions :
Charlie nova.the.alien nova.the.alien
Whitlock
;; David
David knew he probably looked a little flushed through Charlie's flirtation. Yeah, he did his best to mach Charlie's flirtatious energy, but there were only so many things he could maintain composure through. Being called pretty was not one of those things. Actually, he'd honestly only be slightly perplexed if he was called pretty by literally anyone else. He didn't care much about what other people said to him. But Charlie? Anything Charlie said meant everything to him. His ramblings, questions, compliments, anythingโ€”David relished his words with joy.

He smiled as Charlie tried to brush off his compliment, amused by how unaware Charlie was of his effect on other people, especially him. David would probably say Charlie was the most charming person he knew, but maybe he was biased. "Yeah, you're actually really terrifying," he said sarcastically. A joke, he definitely knew that Charlie wouldn't be intimidating to many people. There was some truth to the statement, though; the way he left David's heart racing after each conversation they had did scare the shit out of him sometimes.

When Xena nuzzled his hand as he thought about his past, he couldn't help but feel grateful for the dog's presence. Whenever she was around him, he picked up on his mood instantly and knew exactly how to cheer him up. He let out a soft giggle when he felt her lick his hand. Sure, he laughed a lot around Charlie, but giggles? Those were extremely rare and reserved for Xena. He gave her a gentle pet on the head and scratched behind her ears for being such a good girl. He decided not to go on any more about bummer parents as Charlie talked about his own understanding parents. He simply nodded, glad Charlie had people who supported him unconditionally.

David felt his heart flutter as Charlie talked about how he loved recruitment. David didn't share the same sentiment about the day, but one of his favorite things on earth was seeing Charlie happy, so maybe today wasn't so bad after all. He was a bit surprised when Charlie expressed disapproval of Greenfield being around, though; he just didn't seem like the sort to have beef with a guild like that. However, it didn't bother him. In fact, he shared an odd disdain for the guild. He understood Greenfield and knew it was super helpful for some people, so he respected it in some ways. But his parents put a lot of pressure on him to join and live a "normal" life, which left a bad taste in his mouth about the entire guild's concept. "Now that's a competition I can get behind," he smiled. "Maybe if I think of it like that, I can stomach more parents just to get more sign-ups. Wouldn't dream of getting more sign-ups than you, but I think I'll join your noble efforts." He threw in a mock salute towards the end.

Following Charlie's gaze, he turned slightly to spot Samira and Naomi. He gave an awkward little wave and shot Naomi an anxious glance. He knew that she knew he had feelings for Charlie. She was the one person he'd actually told about his increasingly intense crush, although he figured she knew about it well before he confirmed any suspicions. He definitely wasn't that slick. He assumed Samira guessed at it as well, but the concept of people knowing about his crush freaked him out, so he tried not to think about that. David turned beet red at Charlie's next flirtatious statement. "I-uh, yeah, that would be really funny," he stammered. "I bet you're a good kisser, though. Maybe one day." He winked impulsively, with little to no thought attached to his words or actions. Did he really just say that? He cringed internally. When Charlie flirted with him too hard, his brain just shut down, causing him to say things he'd never say if he thought about them for more than one second. Still, no going back now; he might as well own it as much as possible while still being a little red in the face. He anxiously waited for a reaction, trying really hard not to instinctively run away.
coded by reveriee.
 
mood :
heroic fr

location :
team demise base
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interactions :
miri nova.the.alien nova.the.alien , rex r e i r e i
Samson
;; Casper
If Casper had any other job, he was pretty sure he'd shrivel up and die of boredom. That was assuming he wouldn't be fired instantly. Seriously, put him in an office, and he'd probably wreak so much havoc that he'd be out of there an hour into the job. Luckily for him, though, wreaking havoc was what Team Demise did best. He actually really liked his job, not that he'd admit it to anyone. Even if he usually complained about every little thing he was asked to do, he found himself thoroughly entertained conducting PR for the guild.

Today was a pretty big deal; the big fight against Team Majestic was just around the corner. He spent a lot of the morning in his little office at their headquarters, sending some messages to the press, getting things organized since he was bound to have a lot to do after the fight. Call him cocky, but he thought Team Demise was lucky to have him. He never really thought he'd find a job he was actually good at, but this he excelled at. He was just as chaotic as a lot of the mutants on the team and was able to keep up with their creative flares.

He'd decided against finding the leader of the guild right away; usually he'd go bug her as soon as he entered the building, but he actually respected Miri enough to give her time and space to get ready without him distracting her with his nonsense. She was probably one of the few he'd go out of his way to help out, really considering her her friend. But, as time went on, he grew bored of his office and headed out to find her; maybe they could cause some problems together.

He was almost at the door of her "office," where he assumed she'd be getting ready, when his TekPad lit up with a message. Speak of the devil. Casper smirked upon reading the message and didn't even bother replying, since he was right at the door and in the mood to play hero. So, as if Tempest's text summoned him, he entered the room.

"There's the woman of the hour! You look great, hot stuff," he winked at his friend before turning his head towards the assistant captain. He assumed that Miri was talking about her when she said she needed saving from something. "And Shadow is here as well. Yay, so much fun," he spat sarcastically. Casper didn't have any real problem with Rex; he just definitely wasn't friends with her, and he tended to be a dick to those he didn't have a bond with. Besides, if Miri and Rex were bickering, he knew whose side he was on; no questions asked. He was like a loyal pet, once he'd chosen who to form an alliance with, he'd do anything for that person no matter what.

"How are we feeling? Ready to get your asses kicked in style?"
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VERA




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Blood//Water



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Being quite used to Ichabod's humor-meshed flirting she simply rolled her eyes with one of her famous cackles. She would try to test his theory and fascination with crevices later if the plan was to lock onto the terrific (emphasis on the terror) success she was quite envisioning as the male took the time to tour the rest of the blimp as she hollered the given orders to set flight. Turning to lean against the steering she continued to play with the bloodied card, noticing how the other party started to befriend spiders. Vera couldn't help but peer,
"Do they ever talk back? The spiders?"


Her earpiece slowly started its way to work when Henry's voice came through with the confirmation of his attendance. She was quite a fan of her most visited customer in her casino after all. Even if he did stir some trouble, as intended. Vera loved to use him as a piece to make her customers lose profit so they gain more. That way Henry earned his fair share while the Wildcard Mirage profitted even more. It was quite a win-win if you asked her.

As she made herself ready to pilot the very junky blimp, she awaited till the third member made his lovely entrance, "Why good morning sweetheart! Pleasure is mine, I assume the fort is ready and prepared, hmm?" she signaled with a bushed raised eyebrow towards the bulkier male. Her trusted members knew she loved to toy with their objectives and she trusted them to prepare her room to do so. It was Henri's first objective of the day. Those knives and blades need to be sharpened to cut through flesh with ease after all. Facing Ichabod and his eight-legged friend she opened her arms as if revealing a grand entrance,
"Surprise my darling Ichy, for crawling out of the corners, I shall provide you and your eight-legged friends a bodyguard. I know your soft spot with darling Henry, Bodyguarding your lifeless body is quite a role I procured him with, no?"
she mocked with a laugh, noticing how his expressions shined earlier on while she spoke with Henry over the comms. Vera was quite well aware of her childhood friend's fascination and she was not going to deny him more thrill to sell him on this plan. It would only get better after all.

Heading towards the guns with a frown,
"Not the best of qualities but they will have to do."
Swinging an AK-47 over her shoulder and a Berretta pistol in her boot, she picked up another AK-47 to provide to Viviana once she landed on the ground in case it was needed. Vera allowed the rest to take their pick for defense before letting her hand reach inside the pocket, taking out two knuckled knives which were her go-to when it came to combat,
"Good to know he at least did not forget these... Anyway, take your pick. We have got to get the show on the road my minions. You will have time to flirt till we get there, for now, eyes on the prize Ichy. By that, I mean the Pakesh girl. Viv seems to want to gouge her eyes out the more time passes,"
she chuckled,
"Can't blame her though."


With that Vee twisted her back, letting the cracks of her spine release a groan of relief before cranking the keys on the blimp, creating a very suspicious coughed noise from the machine. A frown was made apparent on her lips as she tried again to a successful machine start, letting the fans turn before the blimp slowly started to hover and elevate upwards, taking flight. The frown started to turn upside down into showing pearly whites. Vera could not believe the piece of rusted junk moved - she was 60 percent sure it was not going to despite the well-thought-out plan she managed to cook up.
"So, about time to catch you up while we take the nice bumpy flight towards the Urban District,"
Vera mused in a sing-song voice.
"Today, I need you to drop the distraction act and put up the bodyguard front. We shall be making a comeback with the terror of the century. The Red Court has been silent for quite some time and I don't like it,"
she grinned, clicking her tongue in amusement.

Looking over the blimps' windowless window frames, she felt the fresh and brisk October air hit her face, approaching the south side of the Central District.
"So what better to make some noise than capturing Pakesh's picture-perfect daughter at the traditional Fall Festival and making her tremble under our grasp till he succumbs to us?"
she said in the most serious of tones.
"Right now, Fangs is on the ground, keeping an eye out on her so that Revenant can take over her body and scurry to the agreed location. Whilst he is 'indisposed', you, Flashfire need to protect him and escort his body safely to the same location so that he can return to his body and you can tie and bag the captive..."
she proceeded before approaching the festive Urban District.
"Lastly, I and Fangs shall be meeting back towards the Scrapyard so we dismantle the shit out of this blimp. Would appreciate the torching once he is safe."


Finally reaching the main vendor market in the Urban District, Vera's body started to tingle in excitement, even jumping on the spot. She reached closer to the Town Square, which she got from the comms by listening to Nisha and Viviana's conversation. Honestly, it was such a throw-up. She took the mental note of letting Viv have her payback on her new long-lasting friend when she gets the chance. Hovering her finger on the earpiece,
"Wildcard to Fangs. We are approaching the Town Square, ready when you are."
Her finger danced over the three buttons that on cue were to unleash hell.

"Remember Flashfire, not a single hair is to be harmed on him, or else..."
her silver-grey eyes narrowed into piercing slits, slowly tampering his disorientation briefly in a very adamant threat. Nothing stood in between the protection of her and those dear to her. Despite the blonde male not being present for the majority of the time, they were still childhood friends, and nothing tempered with that. Stopping the very brief feeling of nausea, her facial features softened once again with a smile,
"But you never disappointed me love so I have very high hopes in your duty,"
she finished with a chuckle and blew him an air kiss in a joking manner towards Henry.

"Your turn darling, time to release Fangs from the torture,"
Vee addressed Ichabod as she slowed down the blimp so that he could target Nisha Pakesh for the plan to proceed to Phase 4: Abduction. Successful the plan has been thus far. Phase 1: Planning, Phase 2: Materials, Phase 3: Havoc...

On cue, Fangs' voice was heard ever so static but as Vera heard the word 'smoke',
"OOOO FINALLY! IT'S SHOWTIME!!!"
and with that, her fingers pushed one button of the other as the blimp shook when the latches opened underneath them unleashing a heavy pour of the thick crimson liquid onto the Town Square and along the trail they were moving. The heavy scent of iron filled the air as scarlet blood started to coat the vendors along with the people who were happily enjoying the atmosphere. Along the blood, various decks of cards started to descend to make The Red Court's presence light up as well as the first level of the red and white fog. She had some reserves of smoke to allow Ichabod to spot Viv and Nisha as well as their escape route. Some cards descended with much more force, earning some bystanders paper cuts from the sharpness. On these cards, there were various messages such as ' TRC was here', 'Wildcard Mirage open 24/7' and some also had very macabre messages whereas some had cherry-stained lips.

Hearing the sudden screams, cries and running that was unravelling beneath them, Vera could not help but smile which turned into a maniacal laugh, cackling out,
"Ahhhh! Music to my ears!!"





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Romeratech Collab




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Silas inputโ€ฆ

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It wasnโ€™t exactly a secret that Sybil had aligned herself with the โ€˜old guardโ€™ faction of Romeratech. This wasnโ€™t especially shocking. Receiving criticism from all sides, some legitimate, and much of it harsh, baseless, and personal, was old hat by now. If she took them all seriously, the company would be the shambled, disorganized mess it was set to devolve into if the lack of direction and oversight of the interim leadership had continued.

Since she'd gotten involved with the company again largely through R&D, years before the incident and before the takeover, developing a rapport with employees had been one of Antonia's top priorities. Even after taking over, she liked to think she'd done well in that arena. There was, however, a line, one which Sybil had clumsily tripped and then body-slammed right into. Antonia's mood was mercurial even on a good day.

The blonde even managed to thread a fine line with Rotechโ€™s golden labrador, Silas. The male was never one to get in the middle of mindless quarrels but knowing Sybilโ€™s origins as well as their views on many things that him and his partner were working on where always looked upon as beneath the female ideals was something he just could not swallow. While he was not one to go all out with his offensive sides, he often subtly shut the bulldog down with their own words making it look like they are a team, as they should be. But it seemed the blonde made it their lifeโ€™s mission to undermine Anotniaโ€™s leadership ever since she took over. Silas was determined not to let her. They needed a helping hand not a constant uphill battle. It was already proving to be a challenge to change the whole viewpoint and morality of RomeraTechโ€ฆ let alone people on the inside defying views.

This social clumsiness was what set her apart from other critics. Sybil could disagree with her leadership decisions and fruitlessly whine to other employees all day long, sheโ€™d hardly be the only one doing so. Toni couldnโ€™t tell if the way she traipsed into a conversation with it as if she fully belonged there was endearing or absolutely infuriating compared to the overtly formal or passive aggressive remarks she received every day. She would have snapped the second the girl reached for her tie, a step much too intimate and patronizing to accept from anyone other than maybe Silas, especially amidst the words still spewing out of the girlโ€™s mouth.

Silas noticed the sharp glance the blondeโ€™s hand when they arranged Toniโ€™s tie. If she had laser shots at that point in time, Sybil would be handless. It would do them both a favour but that meant she would have to aim for her mouth instead. That would do them an even bigger favour. Nonetheless, Silas was not petty. Nor he tried to be at this point in time. But even the pacifist can be triggered if poked enough times, indirectly.

'Act. If you don't demand respect, you won't get it.' That voice was more her father than herself. He'd seemed so untouchable in life, but in her head, the voice she couldn't stop imagining rarely had anything practical to say. It wasnโ€™t exactly wrong. Blatant undermining wasnโ€™t something she could allow right under her nose, literally, and still expect to keep her position for any amount of time.

She would have snapped and created an absolute HR nightmare for all of them if Silas hadnโ€™t spoken first. Ever the peacemaker, Silas had handled it better than she would have. Antonia had many skills, subtlety could not be considered one of them.

What would Anton do, anyway?

โ€œOf course Silas. Everyone in the company is on the same team. And teams run so much more efficiently when members stick to their roles.

She fixed a steely gaze and a cold smile at the girl.

โ€œFind something more effective to focus on than unnecessary doubts. Dwelling on your anxieties has never fixed anything for you or anyone else.โ€

Anton most certainly would not have done that. Or anything remotely similar. Heโ€™d never liked to be challenged. In the business world it had come across to many as a strength, the mans fortitude of will and ability to bend his inner circle to his whims was disciplinary, visionary even. The farther back she stepped, the more it was clearly, in hindsight, simply fragility. Besides, if she ran around acting like that theyโ€™d have her burned at the stake and thrown out on a no confidence vote as a hysterical woman before she could get anywhere.

Antonia successfully fought the urge to roll her eyes, keeping her expression steely as the girl narrowed her own.

Silas nodded in agreement when Toni pitched in her part about subtly dealing with the tone of disrespect, his aim to be there so their leaderโ€™s nerves were kept at bay as well as her temper not to play part in Sybilโ€™s fuelling match. They were not worth losing all the hard-work built so far. He watched Sybil with a wary raised eyebrow followed by his signature smile - less death threatning of course. โ€œQuite indeed, Ms Romera. Now I believe we all have our parts to play as instructed. I believe you are needed with planning the new budget costings, if you may,โ€ he proceeded with the order, allowing an arm to elongate, signalling she may go towards the direction of the front towards the exit back to the lab and away from the building. His gaze met Toniโ€™s eyes softened so that she can slowly soften as well.

"Well. We'll see how 'unnecessary' they are after today. Hopefully you're actually prepared." Sybil turned on her heel, hair whipping back behind her, strutting off and checking something on her phone. If that was a threat, Antonia couldn't say she was convinced. It seemed to her like a grasp at saving some face and having the last word in the conversation. Not that it would do her any good when Toni put the interns in charge of the discretionary budget for woman's next project... Something about it felt... off though.

"Silas, is it just me or did that rub you the wrong way as well? Beyond the obvious..."

Prev post end

Having the Ice Queen escort herself out, he noticed how her triumphant smile was on her lips as she needed to get the few last words in before escaping into the hell hole the blonde crawled out of. The male faced his partner and placed two firm hands on her shoulders to straighten her up, inhaling and exhaling, โ€œItโ€™s Sybil, they always rub us the wrong way. Nowโ€ฆ the wicked witch of the west is out of the building, now I need you to focus on your speech. I will go check on the prototype myself, okay?โ€

Noticing two guards coming towards Antonia, signaling the panel was ready for her speech, the male assured her but he realized one thing. He did not take care with the security protocol of the prototype for Project Nexus, โ€œHold on, Toniโ€ฆ who took care of the security protocol, by any chance?โ€ Silas knew very well no one could replicate his algorithms as perfectly and one person that always hung about was Sybil. He hoped that the pit in his stomach was not what he thought it was.

Antonia quickly caught onto his line of thinking. โ€œSybil?โ€ The discord and disorganization in the corporation that she and Silas were slowly corralling made for the perfect environment for a traitor to arise. Sybil herself had always been quite straightforward, Antonia hadnโ€™t actually suspected her in particular, higher profile than expected of a traitor as well.

โ€œI designed it. Sybil has had access since the product came from her team.โ€

Being hit with the realisation of his gut feeling being ever so right, he clenched his fist trying his best not to curse, โ€œAre you a hundred percent sure?โ€ he needed the affirmation, quick. Only it was a minute too late. His wrist mechanism received an alert as a big holographic exclamation mark appeared from it, elevating his wrist he looked at Toni with blank eyes, โ€œShit. I hate it when Iโ€™m right.โ€

What the self-absorbed blonde and her team did not know was that even though they used Silasโ€™ algorithm skeleton to secure the prototype in place behind the forcefield, whenever it was triggered, it still linked to Silasโ€™ bio wrist mechanism and the alert flaring right now was not good. The force field had just been tempered, meaning whatever was behind it, was at risk. 99% in his gut it was the prototype.

โ€œMiss Romera?โ€ The stage manager timidly interrupted. Not the time.
โ€œDoctorโ€ she corrected on reflex.
Her earpiece flared to life. โ€˜House lights down.โ€™ If the prototype was compromised, it was likely more than one breach, there was no way Sybil was working alone or doing their own dirty work. Multiple breaches meant it would be easy for them to disperse into the crowd, if the show didnโ€™t go as planned, confusion among the staff and the crowd would likely overwhelm Silasโ€™s ability to track and get security to apprehend anyone involved. The best thing she could do was keep the crowd predictable and in one place.

She nodded at Silas as the stage manager grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the wing. โ€œBoss, we gotta go, 10 second countdown.โ€ Antonia shook her arm to shoo him off. She was itching to take off down the corridor in the direction she knew that security would be getting ready to stage the invention, ripe for the stealing, at that very moment. She had to give the impression that they were under control, and she had to give this the right spin, frame it in a light that made them look sympathetic, rather than incompetent.
โ€˜6โ€ฆ 7โ€ฆโ€ She got into position as the lighting cues took effect.

Seeing her get dragged towards the public, he mouthed, โ€œGood luck, you got this. And wellโ€ฆ I got thisโ€ฆโ€ he muttered worrily before he unlocked his wrist UI and muttered the following commands, โ€œCommence lock down to premises. Operation โ€˜Secure the Packageโ€™ is in motion.โ€ Silas jetted, eyes darting towards the ceiling as he started to make his ways through the crowd, trying to remain ever so subtle.

Upon his command, all the SOTO guards and Romeratech employees got a notification on their TekPad stating lockdown is in progress, meaning the premisesโ€™ entrances were slowly being closed by thick titanium shutters. No one could get in or out till the object was secured. All of them needed to be on high alert to secure the threat. SOTO together with various Romeratech security circled through the crowds and started secure entrances as Silas followed as a flutter of small nanobots emerged from the ceilings scanning around the main area near the Romeratech exhibit stand.

โ€œCome on,โ€ Silas was manouvering as fast as his legs could carry him towards the room the prototype was. His eyes did not peel from the current hologram that was showing all the nanobotsโ€™ footage and scans. These nanobots were programmed to biometrically scan each and every person they come into contact with. Identifying and cross-referencing any similarities with the Rotech database he had proceeded to collate. Any high profile villain and/or hero as well as prominent non-mutants were registered individually with their affiliations if he got lucky. Not many were around but there seemed to be a couple or more heat signatures near the room as well as in the crowd. This was not the day.

Focusing on the three heat signatures, he bolted as fast as he could but it was to no avail. As he zoomed in on the Nano 9โ€™s imagery he could make out a female cross-checked with various break-ins and theft charges. This was not a good sign. Silas together with three security guards, well armed, barged into the prototype room, โ€œHands where we can see them!โ€ he instructed, arming himself with a taser gun he keeps handy as he was not really a combatant after all.








โ™กcoded by uxieโ™ก
 
mood :
scared and very very confused

location :
warehouse
outfit :
mentions :
n/a

interactions :
myriad DreamBoy DreamBoy minajesty minajesty Lemoninny Lemoninny (if I got anyone wrong or forgot anyone i'm so sorry!!!!)
Caddel
;; Jetta
Nothing seemed to be happening. So much for her gut instincts. Jetta observed the area, but the longer she went just watching, with nothing happening, the more ridiculous she felt. At this point she was pretty sure she was just being paranoid. She knew she cared too much, often fixating on little things in order to find a problem, just so she could step in and fix it. She should just go to the festival, not be stalking the docks like some weirdo. But, the strange feeling of dread lingered. A few more minutes of observation wouldn't hurt, right?

As she took a step back to lean against a wall, she stumbled, having to regain her balance. In the blink of an eye, her surroundings completely changed. She briefly thought she was hallucinating, or maybe she'd fallen asleep from waking up at an ungodly hour of the morning, but it was all far too vivid to not be real. "What the-" she muttered in confusion, looking around. She noticed the few unfamiliar faces gathered around her, but she was instantly made aware of another problem. That was definitely not her voice. "Um- this isn't- I-," She was so lost as to what was going on, she couldn't even finish a full sentence.

Everything felt... off. She went to move her hands, finding that she had a sudden lack of mobility, wrists bound in cuffs. But these definitely weren't her wrists. Her entire body felt foreign. Her breaths began to speed up, in a panic. The strange situation had her confused and more than a little frightened. But, clearly she was right about something being off. Maybe her gut instincts weren't so bad after all. She was briefly comforted by the thought that she was right to keep watch. But, with her current predicament, was it really the right move? She probably should've asked someone else to come along with her, watch her back. Too late for all that now.

Getting past standing around in utter confusion for a long moment, after a few deep breaths, she was finally able to form coherent speech. "What's going on?"
coded by reveriee.
 






henry | ichabod | viviana | nisha .......... TW: BLOOD



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scroll


Vera's question brought a smile to Ichabod's face but he didn't bother to answer. He liked to think the spiders spoke to him, but Vera was a logic based creature, she would hardly believe him. He thought it might be best if he kept quiet. However, he did appreciate that her warm extension of a bodyguard was equally extended to his tiny fuzzy friends. Henry was perfect to keep an eye on them-- and on him.

"Dear Henry here is a perfect choice for the job, though how could I ever question your efficiency, Vee?" He tilted his head to the side and examined Henry once more. "I suppose you'll have plenty of enjoyment holding my body in your arms. Shame I won't be conscious for it." Ichy's flirtation was casual and flippant, yet he very much meant what he said.

Henry let out a soft laugh, his voice low in his throat. He wouldnโ€™t deny it, he enjoyed the attention from Ichy. He let his skin heat under Ichyโ€™s hand, tilting his head a fraction as he locked eyes with the taller man. The movement caused his face to lean into the other manโ€™s hand just the slightest bit. The contact was achingly intimate, and Henry felt a twinge of self doubt for just a moment. Ichabod was the embodiment of what he aspired to be โ€“ respected, cunning. He was the one they called upon to get things done. Of course, that was in part because of his ability, but it wasnโ€™t the only reason. Henry knew he had his uses, but being a bright ball of fire only did so much. The fire under his skin flared in annoyance at the thought, but he ignored it as he smiled faintly.

โ€œIt is a shame, indeed, Iโ€™d really enjoy your participation. Iโ€™ll take what I can getโ€ He let a full grin spread across his face, blue eyes flashing with mischief as he stepped away. He wiggled his fingers at the spider in Ichyโ€™s other hand, putting distance to his disquieting train of thought. Henry was quietly amused at the way Ichy seemed to just produce the little creatures of all kinds from thin air. He let his eyes flick up and down Ichy one more time before turning to face Vera. โ€œIโ€™ll take very good care of him,โ€ he assured her.

The prolonged eye contact stirred something up inside of Ichabod, something uncomfortable but warm all at once, and he loved it. He couldn't look away. But he had to. Vera's summons cut his moment with the man of flames much shorter than he would have preferred, and he only just managed to muble a response. "Perhaps a treat will be in order after all this? To thank you for your service." Ichy spared one more hungry look at Henry before stationing himself where he was expected to be.

He nodded once at Vee, sat himself down on the floor of the blimp, and let out a heavy breath as his spider friend scurried from his hand and back to it's pretty little web. "Showtime indeed-- never thought I'd have to be a little girl again." He chuckled at his own joke, clearly at his own expense, then began to focus. "See you on the other side," he muttered before his consciousness faded from his body, leaving it limp and lifeless. It was time for action.

The blond smirked at Ichyโ€™s comment, dropping his eyes first. He peered at the weapons that had been procured for them as a distraction. It was time to focus on his job. He let his distraction slide away and picked up a pistol. He turned the weapon over in his hand, testing the weight, warming it. It was pretty easy to put the playboy aside when it came to the safety of his fellow members. He had a role to play, and he would do it well. Henry let his mind empty, pulling the slide back, checking the chamber. Not a great pistol, someone had clearly been slacking, but it would do. They would be relatively safe until Ichy came back.

He raised his head as he felt the blimp start to move. It shook around them. Jesus. Maybe he could fly? Turn into a blazing blame of fire like a meteor. He could always try that if the blimp fell out of the sky. They would all be lucky to survive the day with this death trap. โ€œThis should stay afloat, right?โ€ He asked Vee. โ€œDonโ€™t plan on killing us all at once?โ€

The time his consciousness spent travelling between his own body and someone else's always felt like a dream to Ichy. It was if he were floating through a cloud, heavy and full with the promise of a storm, thick and foggy. Yet it was almost peaceful compared to possessing someone's mind. Invading someone so personally was rough enough, but a human that tried to resist was almost nauseating. And this human was proving to be particularly tough as he felt her pushing him to the further recesses of her consciousness. Ichabod wasn't about to let that happen though. Focusing, it was as if he shoved himself forward, and suddenly he was looking through her eyes.

----------

Nisha was delighted to have made a new friend, and her father had seemed just as delighted in his return text to her. She found herself smiling at her TekPad, a little lost in reverie as she recapped the moments she'd had. Gasps filled the air around her, pulling her attention away from her rather wholesome conversation, and she found herself looking to the sky like the many people around her. A heavy shadow had covered the town center, an old blimp that floated in the air. Screams began to rip into the tense silence around her as something fell from the blimp overhead. Something she couldn't quite make out.

A pain surged through her head, causing her eyes to clamp closed as she bent over and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was enough to make her sick, and she only just managed to swallow back the bile that rose from her stomach to her mouth. Where had that come from? Was it panic? Was it fear? The questions faded away as the world around her did too, and the last thing she saw was blood falling to the ground around her, splattering on the concrete. "I don't... feel so good." Then everything went black.

Ichabod lurched forward as he took control of the mayor's daughter. Her mouth tasted of sick and he turned her lips downwards into a heavy frown. "Christ what a baby, puking at the sight of blood." He then peered around him, taking in the sights of the festival; white tents now red, skin now red, concrete now red. He smiled wide, feeling the crimson rain pour down his new body. His gaze darted around, on the lookout for Fang. He didn't quite know who he was looking for-- so he hoped she was ready.

Viviana had stepped away only a few feet from Nisha, pulling out a cigarette with zero intention of lighting it up. As she stood in the designated smoking area, she kept an eye on the girl, Viv highly doubted that Nisha would run considering the two had a โ€œfriendshipโ€ now, but you never know how someone will react in the face of certain events. As she looked up to the sky, she noticed a blimp, this must be what Vera had been working on this whole time. The thing looked rickety as hell, but it seemed to be doing its job. Lowering her head back down, Viviana felt something wet land on her arm. Turning her attention to the red substance, she stuck her finger in it and placed it in her mouth. A smile spread across her face, just as the sky began to pour with the same liquid, blood.

Nisha seemed to have the look of panic & confusion, but it was quickly replaced by sickness, Ichy must be doing his part now. The girl seemed to have a flood of emotions rush through her head in a matter of seconds before snapping back to. Though this time it wasnโ€™t Nisha anymore, Ichy had finally possessed her, meaning it was time for Viv to step in.

Casually, she walks over to Nisha, her currently blonde hair stained red from blood, she speaks up over the screams, โ€Hello, Ichabod.โ€ Reaching out, she grabs the girlโ€™s hand and begins to lead the two away from the attack, quickly picking up the pace as to not be spotted by any security. The only task left now was to safely reach their meet up spot, where they would be reunited with Vera, Henry, and Ichyโ€™s body.

The sound of his name coming from what looked like a complete stranger had brought a smile to Ichabod's face-- Nisha's face-- spreading from ear to ear. One soft hand slid into another and started pulling him away form the scene. He followed gratefully and obediently.

"Babe I'm gonna be honest. This look really isn't good for you." He gestured to her whole disguise with the hand that wasn't holding hers. "But at least we get to hold hands. So romantic, running together in the rain." He couldn't help but chuckle, then forced himself to sober up his expression. It would probably be super suspicious if the mayor's daughter was running through blood and laughing.

Nishaโ€™s body followed behind Viv as they weaved in and out of the crowd, somehow managing to avoid running into other civilians who were also fleeing the scene. As the two continue through the town square, cards fly down from the sky, some with such speed they harm people around the two. Somehow Viv manages to avoid being hit, though there were a few close calls.

Viviana smirks at the comment Ichy made, both about her appearance and the romantic aspect of the two running in the rain. โ€Good thing it wasnโ€™t made for you, but you sure do seem to be enjoying yourself.โ€

As the two close in on their destination, Viv pulls Nisha into an alley, hidden from others, but still able to see when the blimp arrives to pick them up. She pushes the girlโ€™s body against the wall and leans in, planting her lips to Nishaโ€™s. It was an interesting feeling, knowing that she was currently possessed, but still looked like the same girl she had met just a bit ago. โ€No matter how I look, youโ€™ll always be able to tell itโ€™s me.โ€ Viviana states as she pulls back, wiping her mouth, further staining her face with blood.

As the cards started to fall, Ichabod took in their surroundings with a certain level of amazement-- as much as he could for someone that was running away from the crowd, amidst a bunch of other people that were also running. It was chaos and it was beautiful. He had to hand it to Vera, a gorgeous spectacle she did make. "I always enjoy myself with you darling! How could I not?" He shot a wink her way, though it likely went unnoticed since he was just behind her.

Ichy went sailing into an alley as Vivian shoved him that way, finding Nisha's much lighter and smaller body a little harder to control, and just barely caught his balance before she pressed him against the wall. Her lips pressed to his and and the taste of blood mingled with the taste of her. Odd that even though she looked nothing like herself, she still taste sweet and familiar to him. He'd have spent forever in that kiss, and found that she pulled away much too quickly. He pouted playfully as she did so. "With a kiss like that, how could I not? Pity that we cant just drop everything in this moment and have ourselves a fun time. We could play like we're total strangers, sleeping together for the first time. I mean, circumstances couldn't be more perfect and thrilling, could they?" His hand reached out to cup her face, and planted another kiss to her sweet lips. The timing of the blimp, however, had other ideas, and yet again their kiss was cut too short.

The recommendation of the two hooking up and pretending the two didnโ€™t know each other did seem rather exciting, especially as Ichy cupped Nishaโ€™s hand around her cheek. Another kiss was placed on her lips, the temptation to deepen it once more was quickly interrupted by a loud noise of metal clanking together.

Her attention turns in the direction of the sound, noticing the blimp had landed, and the door had swung open. โ€Rain check?โ€ She gives Ichy a smirk and once again places her hand in his, guiding the two on board the blimp.

As they enter, Viviana shifts back into her original appearance since they were safe for the time being. She had just caught her breath from running through town, only to lose it once again, taking a seat to relax. Her eyes look towards Henri and then over to Vera, โ€Good to see you two. Seems like mission success?โ€

The disappointment of the blimp arrival ebbed away as he realized he was growing ever closer to returning to his body. "I'll hold you to it, love." And he meant it.

He stepped into the blimp after Viviana, his eyes as Nisha's meeting those of his comrades. "This whole being a girl thing isn't so bad. The outfit's not my favorite though." He chuckled at his own comments, then followed up. "Beautiful work you did Vee. It was a masterpiece."

Henry kept himself steady next to Ichyโ€™s body as they floated through the air. He watched as Vera initiated the chaos and couldnโ€™t help but move to a window to watch in twisted delight as the sky ran red with blood. It was apocalyptic, and he couldnโ€™t imagine what was going on down below. It looked like great fun. As they floated away to go to the rendezvous point to retrieve Ichy-Nisha and Viviana. He went to stand in front of where Ichyโ€™s body was laying. The plan had been executed well, but that didnโ€™t change the fact that the potential it was enemies instead of allies at the door was always there. The heat pushed against his skin, and his palms flickered to life, fire dancing across his hands. He held his hands at his sides, arms loose and comfortable.

When the door opened, he tensed for a moment, ready to rain hellfire, but he spotted the two pressed together in the alleyway. From the way they parted, both had taken advantage of being in different bodies (hot bodies, damn Nisha was better looking up close, he noticed as they neared) to get some action in. He let out a laugh as they boarded, drenched in blood. He watched as Viv shifted back into the woman he knew, โ€œGood to see you, too, Fang, good job, as usual, and you look stunning.โ€ He handed her a towel with a cheeky grin, although he wasnโ€™t sure how much help it would be, as blood was notorious for soaking and staying in all those odd crevices. He moved past both of them to peer outside, scanning the area for any potential threats. It looked like no one had noticed them yet, but he wasnโ€™t keen on them staying for long.






"You see, freedom has a way of destroying things."

Scott Westerfield







/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

ยฉ weldherwings.
 







/* ------ right side ------ */





/* ------ image 1 ------ */
mood | samira and naomi are feeling as chill as can be while working.

location | the enrichment center station during the fall festival.


/* ------ image 2 ------ */
outfit | fashion icons dressed to impress (too lazy to actually look, i'm sorry-)


/* ------ image 3 ------ */

interacting with | each other & mentioning david and charlie on and off.

tags | samira's author (@opaline), david's author ( Lizy Lizy ), & charlie's author ( nova.the.alien nova.the.alien )




/* ------ left side ------ */

naomi & samira.


/* ------ main textbox ------ */
key
bold dialogue is for naomi.
bold and italicized dialogue is for samira.

* * *
Samira nodded in reply to Naomi, relieved to hear the morning thus far had been smooth sailing - in the scheme of things. She followed the womanโ€™s gaze to David, one of the many individuals at TEC sheโ€™d come to trust. Upon Naomiโ€™s joking question a laugh bubbled up from Samiraโ€™s throat, โ€œGod, I would pay to see the small talk finally progress.โ€ There was an underlying truth in her words, though rather smothered by the playful tone.
Naomi and herself weaved their conversation in between momentary pauses to chat with intrigued individuals. Sam would occasionally note how Naomi was approaching each person, as she was one of the few who had climbed into admiration. Naomi carried herself with a little more dignity than Samira usually bothered to have, somewhat reflective of her almost-too-uptight and work-focused mindset. Of course, sheโ€™d never criticize - being a determined bull in her own right.

Samira certainly didnโ€™t miss the mischievous gaze thrown by Charlie towards the edge of the tent manned by the captains, though she outright cackled when the kiss was blown. Somehow, despite working with him and being one of her closer friends, his chaos tended to catch her by surprise. She swiftly blew a kiss back, โ€œLove โ€˜ya Charlie!โ€

It was funny how the dynamics in TEC had settled with Charlie and David - Naomi was closer with David, and Samira with Charlie, and yet it seemed the whole group of four was merely playing the waiting game. Samira wasnโ€™t one to intervene in anotherโ€™s blossoming relationship but sheโ€™d be lying if she said their interactions didnโ€™t make her wish she had some power that could speed up time, or just about anything to see their mutual interest finally be realized. They were one of the few things, along with the kids she helped to harness their powers, that countered her cynicism - an unquenchable desire to seek the worst of the world.

Like the little girl enjoying violet candy floss strolling past, whom Samira noted had some kind of fire breath, burping and letting it out. Her own fingers flicked up, forming a tiny bubble around the flames inhibiting the heat from decimating it. The young girlโ€™s striking blue eyes shot over to Samira gasping โ€œI want to do that! I can never stop my stupid fire from ruining things!โ€ With a few short words and parlor tricks (as minimally exciting as they were, with a power like her own), the girl grasped a flyer and seemed to tear into her candy floss with an extra pep in her step. โ€œDeja vu is way too common in this job. I feel like I replay the same lines and tricks, but somehow it never gets old.โ€ Samira cooed to Naomi, entirely aware she likely felt the same. They connected early on, but their shared passion at TEC was an important ingredient in their relationship.

Perhaps funnier was that she had the space to laugh, her lungs freed of the pressure of her youth bearing down upon them. But she wouldnโ€™t consider herself delusional, the boot that held the air out of her lungs still hovered - her father was out there, looking. And here she was hiding in plain sight. Samira would be sure to loop her arm in Naomiโ€™s to drag her into a bar, later. In factโ€ฆ

โ€œYou reckon we could rope in Charlie and David for a celebratory bar crawl?โ€ She began, realizing her flier pile had somehow been depleted and moving to refill her stocks as she spoke, โ€œWeโ€™re all going above and beyond today - itโ€™s certainly earned.โ€

As if the TEC boys felt Naomiโ€™s eyes fall upon them, followed by the friendly gossip stirring, Charlieโ€™s affectionate acknowledgment had her head shaking playfully, award-winning teeth on display as she smiled. Just like her best friend David, Charlie had a space in her heart. They all did, as a matter of fact as Naomi thought over their little quartet of a friendship. Professional or personal, their close bond had been obvious to anyone around them.

Her smile softened into something subtle, however, as Davidโ€™s all too familiar look of a fluster took form upon his features. Naomi didnโ€™t need to hear their conversation to understand what those ruby-red cheeks meant. Davidโ€™s feelings for Charlie were painfully obvious to her, as well as Samira, but she could guess that David felt some level of comfort in knowing that the truth didnโ€™t go beyond the three. As much as Naomi wanted them to face their feelings, especially her closest friend, Keating knew it wasnโ€™t her place to press the issue. Their awkward flirtationship would remain stagnant as long as David made it clear that he wasnโ€™t ready to address the elephant in the room yet. As a friend, she respected that.

Weaving in and out of light conversation with her co-captain, Naomi couldnโ€™t help but smile at Samโ€™s interaction with the little mutant girl, appreciating and admiring her obvious growth. While Naomi was all work and no play, Samira acted as a reminder to find a balance between them. She was her yang, to say the least. And even though the otherโ€™s antics were far beyond Naomiโ€™s agendas, she couldnโ€™t help but feel grateful for having a friend who knew how to do both. Keating didnโ€™t say it enough, but her life had gotten relatively lighter and less stressful knowing that Samira was there to show her the brighter side of Sentinel City.

โ€œ...I feel like I replay the same lines and tricks, but somehow it never gets old.โ€ Samiraโ€™s voice pulled Naomi out of her head, earning a subtle nod in response before giving her an actual one in return.

โ€œIt really doesnโ€™t, actually,โ€ Keating replied, tucking some loose strands of baby hair behind her ear before picking up a black-ink pen and signing off on some nearby paperwork of new enrollments, โ€œIt can get repetitive sometimes, but when you stop to remind yourself why youโ€™re doing this, it becomes fulfilling all over again. Iโ€™ll repeat myself a million times if it means knowing that more kids are landing in the center. Itโ€™s the greatest and safest community for them.โ€ Naomi was biased and part of her didnโ€™t care. Despite now being an educator, she knew that she could once walk in the shoes of a student and recall what it felt like. Scary at first, sure, but at least she knew her powers wouldnโ€™t go haywire without help nearby all while walking out of the enrichment center with some friends who could understand how she did.

To keep that tradition of a haven alive meant the world to her, to say the least. No matter how stressed Naomi could be, getting handed a signed application back or even being there to alleviate concerns made this job seem all worthwhile. Doing it alongside like-minded, and overall, great friends was just the cherry on top of a perfect career.

As if to confirm her thoughts about her friends, Samira chimed in again after sending a happy mutant youth off with a flyer, her words making another smile split Naomiโ€™s face into two.

While never lifting her pen off the papers in front of her, she replied: โ€œI could use a drink, and I know Charlie wouldnโ€™t turn one down. David might too, but heโ€™s looking as a red my lipstick right now. Hopefully that doesnโ€™t deter the possibility of him joining in.โ€ At the mention of Davidโ€™s name again, Naomi couldnโ€™t help but glance up at her friend to see how they were doing. From the looks of it, Davidโ€™s face had returned to itโ€™s normal shade, signaling that the conversation was smooth sailing again. Maybe a drink is just what he needed? Liquid courage always made swallowing feelings easier.

โ€œYou can definitely count me in though,โ€ Naomi smiled, this time looking at Samira who shared the same look of confirmation, before returning to face another child mutant and their parent waiting in line behind eager (and nervous) faces.


/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

ยฉ weldherwings.
 







/* ------ right side ------ */





/* ------ image 1 ------ */
mood | tense atmosphere all around

location | romeratech unveiling - all over the place now


/* ------ image 2 ------ */
outfit | both are wearing something badass, I'm sure


/* ------ image 3 ------ */
tag | mentions; freya, callista, leiko
written with; revalia revalia ninjamidnight ninjamidnight




/* ------ left side ------ */

freya; callista; leiko


/* ------ main textbox ------ */
Levin finally came to, and Callista only wished she could say it was right on time, but if you asked her he could've made it happen just a little quicker. "Bio-shit, huh?" She echoed. She couldn't help but silently judge his garish descriptions, but considering she wouldn't be able to do much better herself, she let it slide.

When Levin handed Cal the drawing, she couldn't help but shoot a knowing glance to Leiko, only to remember that the moment wouldn't be shared with her in the way that it used to be. She cleared her throat awkwardly and nodded at Levin in forced gratitude. "Thanks man-- good looking out. But your days are numbered with the mustache. Just so you know." She smirked at him and shot him a wink for good measure to ensure that he knew she was teasing him. Mostly.

She tried her best to ignore his comments about the bickering between her and Leiko, and danced around the topic deftly. Whether or not she would do the same-- she'd figure out soon enough.

Even Leiko was easily swept up in the moment, the ease of glances, the quirk of her lips whenever the team figured out information that they were never supposed to have access to; despite the tension that had formerly been there. Everything was snapped away quickly at Levin's remarks about Callista and herself, her face losing any brightness within an instant. "We're fine," she returned in the cool voice most of her teammates knew, the any possibility of the side that Callista knew gone once more. From over the pink haired girl's shoulder, Leiko stared down at the drawing that Levin had provided, her brows raising. "A distraction wouldn't be so bad, though. I'm sure that Freya and I could take care of security, for the most part so that you can grab the... bio-shit."

A glance over at Freya, Leiko weighed the options of using feminine wiles all over again, despite having gotten in trouble with Callista just moments ago for it. It wasn't that she wanted to flirt, it was just that the reality was that security guards were often easy targets with small brains, and she and Freya were- Well, particularly pretty individuals that might as well use their advantages without sparing too much energy. It was for the good of the team, and nothing more.

Freya felt the tension shift between the two women, her eyes flitting back and forth between them in vague curiosity. Whatever it was, it seemed that they would all be able to move past it for now. She nodded at Leikoโ€™s words as she joined her side to peer at the invention. Her fingers danced over the linework, tracing the edges. It was incredibly high-tech, and she could not even begin to figure out what it might be for. She looked up at the other women, blues sparkling with curiosity and determination.

โ€œWe could very well provide a distraction, a few well placed confused glances and opened doors should do the trick wonderfully, I think,โ€ she suggested. โ€œWe know which room itโ€™s in so we could pretend to be looking for a bathroom or be excited fans?โ€

Levin had taken his leave from them, likely on the lookout for some sustenance to bring back the energy he expended on his astral projection.

"Whatever you do-- don't get caught. This company is high tech, we'd be idiots to assume that they don't have more security measures in place than just a couple guard. To be safe, I think I should be the only one in the room when I touch it." Callista fixed her face into a more serious expression. It was about to all fall on her, and as the assistant leader if the Magpies, her first duty was to ensure the safety of her team, which meant going at it alone while they made their distractions. It was better that way.

"We'll try our best to keep as many guards away from that room as possible. Start small, and then cause chaos if we need to. I think I even have a few smoke bombs on me," she finished with an almost-there smile. Leiko paused, already coming up with ideas in her head to align with the level of distractions as needed. A moment ticked by before she fixed her gaze on Callista, the worry creasing her brow practically microscopic. "Get in and get out as fast as possible."

Freya nodded in agreement. โ€œNo use in drawing the wrong attention. Letโ€™s go,โ€ she said. She caught the look on Leikoโ€™s face, but did the other woman the courtesy of not staring or asking questions. She adjusted her jacket as she moved to the door. Freya rolled her shoulders, and her fingers itched to unleash darkness but the bright lights around them suffocated her. It was stifling, and she couldnโ€™t wait to find a dark room to vanish back home. After nagging that invention. She could only imagine the price it would fetch on their black market.

Leiko's gaze was not lost on Callista, and she met it steadily. Was she imagining the brief glimpse of concern? Probably. There way no way that Leiko cared what actually happened to her. "Yup, that's the idea. In and out. Easy peasy." While her words could've seemed shirt, there was a surprising amount of reassurance in them-- just in case the concern hadn't been imagined.

She then met Freya's gaze as well and lifted her own chin confidently. "Best of luck to you both. I've no doubt this will all run smoothly." She managed an easy-going smile for them as they walked out of the room. Then it was just her and the bio-shit. One on one. Once she got to the room, that is.

Freya stepped back into the crowd of people, knowing Leiko would follow her. The crowds had swelled, the announcement that someone would come out on stage had drawn people further into the area around the booths. The guards had also increased. She made a quiet noise of irritation as she scanned the booths closest to the guarded door. There were a couple booths near it, and a well placed trip would cause the guards to come over. She turned to find Leiko and grabbed her wrist, pulling her almost flush against her body so that she could murmur in her ear and not be overheard by the crowd.

โ€œSee the booths behind me? Iโ€™m going to trip over one of them, act surprised and horrified at my clumsiness. Draw attention, cause a scene. Trying to pull the guards from that door,โ€ she breathed. She gave Leiko a bright laugh as she pulled away as if they were sharing a great joke. โ€œDonโ€™t be silly,โ€ she said a little louder. She let go of her hand and moved over to the booths, pretending to be intrigued by some lab equipment. Freya lowered her face just a fraction and summoned as much of the shadows around her as she could manage to hide the more distinguished features of her face.

Then, with a concealed wince, this was going to hurt, she tripped herself, falling forward onto the table and causing the entire thing to come crashing down around her with a shatter of broken glass and equipment.

It was almost nothing to follow Freya's lead, following in suit behind her as though they were best friends and more than mere partners in crime. Putting on an act was a specialty, performing as someone clumsy and caught up in a good time, a brave face with a dumb smile and feigned interest in all things scientific; Leiko even managed to let out a girlish giggle with a slight point in some random person's direction as if they might be part of the joke as Freya pulled her near, covering the sounds of their plan falling into her ear. A quick glance told Freya wordlessly that she'd caught onto the plan and it was all set into motion.

Much like Freya had covered her own ass with appearance, Leiko was dressed rather unusually for herself, her mostly bare arms covered in sprawling works of ink - fake tattoos for people to latch onto and never be able to chase - and her makeup done to portray the slightest hint of different features than her own.

As soon as Freya took her tumble, Leiko even took the good measure of letting out a surprised scream, standing over her teammate with a shocked expression. "Help!" Desperation laced her voice as she hovered over Freya, aptly appearing to be concerned for her friend. "Don't move, there's glass... You'll get hurt!"

Now all that was left was for guards to come runningโ€ฆ

Callista's breathing was steady and silent, she refused to show fear or any sign that she was worried this plan might not work. She had steadfast faith in her team, despite her comments to Leiko earlier. She peered around the corner at the two guards that stood by the door to the backroom-- the door to her target.

A large crash suggested that her teammates were successful, and the two guards by the door grew curious, running to lay eyes in the catastrophe to see if their presence was needed.

Perfect, it was just enough time for her to slink quietly through she shadows and slip into the door seemingly unnoticed.

She held her breath as she peered at the high tech box of sorts that encased the item they were after. Levin was right it didn't look like it would be too heavy- but how were they ever going to get it open? From what she could see, there didn't seem to be any obvious clasps or anything on the outside. That she supposed, was a problem for later.

Her problem now involved the opening door behind her. As she heard the latch click, she swiftly grabbed the item in its encasing and turned to face the intruder. It was obvious he was Romeratech just from the looks of him. As he demanded that her hands ride in the air, she merely smirked at him.

"No, I don't think so." She tucked the item under her arm as she spoke, then waved with her free hand as she faded out of existence, successfully snatching the object and taking it with her. Now, her only hope, was that her teammates would make it out alright.

Freya choked out some convincing sobs as she sat amongst the ruined lab equipment. She looked up at Leiko with desperation, โ€œIโ€™ve ruined my new clothes!โ€ She cried. Her eyes flicked over to the guards as they approached. Goal achieved. She reached out for her teammate, scooting precariously along the floor. Kind of pathetic honestly, but no one would recognize her after today.

The two guards came over saying their words of patience and caution, annoyed, but painting slightly worried faces for the damsel in distress on the floor. โ€œOh, do we have that change of clothes in the car?โ€ She asked Leiko, blinking in distress. โ€œI think we do, oh, Iโ€™m okay, Iโ€™m okay,โ€ she told the guards as they helped her up. She gave the guards an embarrassed, yet shy smile. โ€œThank you.โ€ Freya finally managed to get to her feet. She was drenched, and she was sure she had some glass embedded in her palms, but all of that was easily fixable. She moved to her teammateโ€™s side, wrapping her arms around her body. โ€œLetโ€™s go to the car, please,โ€ she mumbled pathetically. Time to get the hell out of here. She could only hope that Cal got out as well. Knowing her assistant captain, the Hummingbird would be back at headquarters in an instant.

She flexed her fingers, seeking the coolness of the shadows. Soon. She could feel them soon. Now, it was time to head to their โ€˜carโ€™ and get out of here.

The plan set in motion, everything was on it's way. Leiko couldn't help the slight glimmer in her eyes as all the guards came rushing to their sides, all but smirking at the simplicity of their natures. It'd been almost too easy, and Freya was putting on the best show. Surely, this would be enough for Callista to do exactly what she needed in order to snag their target.

Her face turning into a pout, Leiko wrapped a cautious arm around Freya as if they truly were long-time friends. "Oh, you poor baby- C'mere. Those clothes are in the car, we'll go get you changed." Now turning a fluttering eyelid look to the guards, she glanced up at them through her lashes, a slow smile forming on her face. "Thank you so much you all, she's so clumsy sometimes. And we're so sorry about the booth... We hope we didn't ruin anything expensive." Finally, she ducked her head a bit to showcase their 'embarrassment' just as she and Freya led their way out before all Hell broke loose.



/* ------ credit -- do not remove ------ */

ยฉ weldherwings.
 
















  • filler tab! ignore
















  • h


















mood



flirtatious







location



TEC/Greenfield Open House







outfit



I'm a liar I didn't find an outfit OR a song







interactions



with: david; mentions: samira & naomi












wildebard








nine lives

 







/* ------ right side ------ */





/* ------ image 1 ------ */
mood | ulysses and julian are feeling feisty & mischevious. jetta is lowkey terrified.

location | abandoned warehouse by the docks.


/* ------ image 2 ------ */
outfit | something stylish perhaps??? sorry, i'm lazy.


/* ------ image 3 ------ */

interacting with | each other & myriad/other npcs.

tags | julian's author ( DreamBoy DreamBoy ) & jetta's author ( Lizy Lizy )




/* ------ left side ------ */

ulysses, jetta, & julian.


/* ------ main textbox ------ */
key
bold dialogue is for ulysses.
bold and italicized dialogue is for jetta.
bold, italicized, and underlined dialogue is for julian.

* * *
As expected, the rest of the myriad members had picked up on Echelonโ€™s tension almost immediately as it flared within his body, slightly calming his sanity in knowing that his nerves werenโ€™t just creating feelings of anxiety. He didnโ€™t always get flustered during missions, it was next to never that he did; However, his gut instincts propelled him towards a seemingly compromised situation for them. And, for the sake of their profit and time, there was no room for an excuse to not investigate.

He watched as Maeveโ€™s instant take of security measures unfolded, followed by Julianโ€™s haste in action to capture the potential threat. His shoulders never relaxed until she was caught though, even when Julianโ€™s remark granted him a key in hand that freed Julianโ€™s bound wrists together now. Ulysses only allowed himself to relax, even if slightly, once the demeanor in Julianโ€™s body switched from an experienced leader to a deer caught in the headlights, a tinge of fear in the eyes of the mafia captainโ€™s vessel. Whoever she had been, had found herself trapped.

She began to stumble over her words, leading for Lombardiโ€™s undivided attention to shift towards her. Still, no smile or even the presence of his usual relaxed temperament.

โ€œWhatโ€™s going on?,โ€ the intruder had asked, twisting her wrists in an uncomfortable fashion as the tightened metal rubbed against her wrist.

In response to her confusion, annoyance graced his tone: โ€œNothing that would have concerned you if you just minded your business and stayed in your place..,โ€ his voice trailed off but his eyes never left. They only darkened as his gaze bored through her own.

โ€œBut, since youโ€™re here now, you get to stay and help us get shit done around here,โ€ now he smiled, but it was far from an act of kindness, โ€œWe have places to go and people to see.โ€

Almost as if on queue, an unfamiliar voice chimed into Ulyssesโ€™ conversation with the intruder, and once he looked up, a body of an ebony woman with braided hair walked into the warehouse. To a stranger, she would seem like a bystander left astray from the hustle and bustle of the fall festival. But Ulysses recognized the stride in โ€œherโ€ walk and the playfulness in โ€œherโ€ talk.

โ€œHuh.. sheโ€™s one of the hotter ones youโ€™ve possessed..โ€ a line less serious than his ones before. It was Ulysses Lombari, however. Could one expect anything less?

Julian grinned, Ulysses wasnโ€™t wrong. He hadnโ€™t gotten a good look at her before but it didnโ€™t take a mirror to know. Toned, but feminine, not to mention the mystery power lurking in the back of her mind, just waiting for him to figure it out. So much to explore, such little time.

โ€œTell me about it,โ€ he answered, in the softer tones of the womanโ€™s natural speaking voice. โ€œI could get used to this one.โ€ he purred. Speaking in a different voice was the most depersonalizing thing that came with the power, and early on heโ€™d tried to mimic his own as best as possible whenever inhabiting a new body, but heโ€™d learned quickly to stop fighting it and side into the body's natural register like a new coat. He became a slightly new person every time he tried on someone else's skin.

โ€œAnd it would certainly be a shame to cut this one up if she didnโ€™t want to play nicely with us. Weโ€™re on a time crunch, after all.โ€ He strode up to the woman until he was in her space, โ€œWhat do you say, darling? Help us grab one little package and you can go back to having this lovely physique all to yourself.โ€ He reached forward, into his own pocket, in the pants their mystery guest was currently wearing, to pull out his knife. They couldnโ€™t just leave her here to fend for herself and figure out how to alert the authorities, besides, said authorities still had no means of forcing Julian to switch back, and he doubted that mystery girl intended to spend her days as a male mafia leader.

Jetta immediately wanted to get far away from the man who had spoken up, forming an answer to her question that wasnโ€™t helpful to her in the slightest. But, she found herself unable to bring herself away from his intense stare. She formed a glare of her own, albeit much less menacing and definitely bordering on confusion, but a glare nonetheless. An act of defiance, perhaps? She was stubborn and desperate to show some semblance of control, even if she had none. โ€œIโ€™m not-โ€ About to protest, she was cut off by her own voice.

As someone who was not her, but who definitely had control of her body stepped into the warehouse, she began to piece things together. Probably a mutant who had the ability to swap bodies, taking hers and trapping her in their own. It was insanely weird, being face to face with her own form. But, she grew less concerned with theโ€ฆ kidnapping? Body snatching? Whatever she was supposed to call this, she immediately became more peeved by the comments made about her. Maybe they were compliments, but they felt very violating, especially factoring in the fact that her body was not under her control. โ€œDonโ€™t talk about my body like that, assholes.โ€

When whoever was in her body came up to her, she tried to back up a bit, but found herself unable to find the space to do so. She rolled her eyes as they said that she should help their little group. โ€œI would ne-โ€ She hesitated when they reached into the pants she was wearing to pull out a knife. Considering sheโ€™d be no use to anyone dead, she nodded slowly. โ€œActually, you do make a good point with that knife there.โ€ Jetta glanced back down at her hands- or rather, the hands of whoeverโ€™s body she was in. โ€œHow should I help get this package, considering I canโ€™t really grab anything at the moment?โ€

Julian thought it was awfully fussy of her to be upset about objectifying comments when it was clearly the least of her problems. โ€œThen it sounds like you wonโ€™t be making me carve up either of our delightful complexions. Thatโ€™s excellent news.โ€ He turned to Ulysses, โ€œShe doesnโ€™t look familiar to you, does she?โ€ It would certainly be easier if they could determine if she had a mutation that might be helpful. Using her as a distraction was likely their best bet.

โ€œI could march her down to the security guard, claiming I foundโ€ฆ myself, milling around by the warehouse to draw their attention over to search for us while you guys secure the shipment? Anyone else have thoughts? All ideas are good ideas and all that.โ€

With a playful shrug in response to the rundown of their new plan ahead, Ulysses spoke: โ€œโ€˜S your call, boss. Anything that doesnโ€™t get us caught up in more shit will do considering weโ€™re on a clock,โ€ he took a glance down at Julianโ€™s bound wrists again before continuing, โ€œI would say these handcuffs arenโ€™t much of use since you have her body, but Iโ€™ve never seen her before.. donโ€™t know what sheโ€™s capable of either.โ€

Turning to face the others of the Myriad for confirmation, Ulysses recognized the look of understanding written against all of their faces, no sign of protest. They were eager to grab the cargo, and frankly so was he, his fingertips tingling in response to how close they were in getting up and out of the warehouse successfully. Despite the intruderโ€™s efforts to throw a wrench in their smooth-running, it only proved to be an inconvenience to her only. Alone and now trappedโ€“Ulysses had to laugh.

Is common sense not so common amongst the do-gooder organizations and guilds anymore? However inexperienced Jetta was making herself out to be, Lombardi couldnโ€™t help but think of how soft they may have gotten and how easy it may be for them to win in future Myriad agendas. Like taking candy from a baby, almost.

โ€œWhere is this security guy at anyways? He should have been here by now.. or docking, at the very least..,โ€ a hint of impatience was clear in Ulyssesโ€™ tone. Their connect may have been unknowingly helping criminal activity, but that didnโ€™t mean slack. The Myriad, in fact, did not have all the time in the world on their hands now. He hadnโ€™t thought about it then, but if one goody-two-shoes found herself here, another was more than likely looking for her. The last thing they needed was another distraction to try and foil them.

The proposed plan seemed simple enough to the group around her, and Jetta was thankful for that. She was acutely aware of one thing that may trip them up. She was familiar with most of the folk in the industrial district, especially those who worked by the docks, where she usually hung around to help out. Security guards were people she was often in contact with, checking in to see if they needed any assistance. She was on a first-name basis with most of them. The person who had control over her body had no clue who she was, they surely wouldnโ€™t be able to replicate her behavior. If a security guard knew her, they may notice something was up.

She decided that the best course of action would be to remain quiet. If she was hoping for their plan of using her body as a distraction failing, or at least being complicated a bit, it would probably do her well to show them as little of herself as possible. Silence did not come naturally to Jetta, but she held her tongue, waiting for the group to work this plan of theirs out amongst themselves.

Julian observed his team and their prisoner carefully. She was smart. Unfortunately. When sheโ€™d caved immediately upon seeing the knife, Julian had hoped theyโ€™d be able to pry more out of her, and maybe they still could but they didnโ€™t exactly have time for an interrogation and the girl knew that. At this point he was just wasting it and they all knew it. A different approach.

He turned the knife on himself, slicing into her palm and wrist, grimacing and holding the appendage close, carefully missing any major veins, staining his (her) wrist, hands, and sleeves a deep crimson. It was a good thing heโ€™d sharpened this well in preparation for being in the field. He did the same, just above her brow. That one took more effort, especially since his hand became less steady the more blood poured out of it. It was a small cut, he didnโ€™t have time to get intricate with it, he just needed as much of her blood visible as he could get

He grinned, blood starting to drip down the side of her face and through the center, trying to pool in the space under the girl's eye.

Now THAT would be alarming, this way, even if he couldnโ€™t impersonate her successfully, he still had a decent chance of alarming the guards away from their posts.

โ€œRight. New plan. I go out there like this and cause chaos on purpose. You use the commotion to get on and off the boat. We meet at the second rendezvous point, where the princess here gets her body back. Betray us, and I find you, and swap you with a pig in your sleep to get my own body back. Got it?โ€

He looked back down at the bloodied knife he was now brandishing like a slasher character. It wouldnโ€™t do to just run out with this, but he was likely to need it if things went south. He searched her outfit for somewhere to put it, and settled on the inside pocket of her jacket. It was a nice jacket, a shame heโ€™d already gotten blooming red stains on the purple material.

The plan seemed to have changed, and rather quickly. Before she knew it, Jetta watched her body be cut up, now dripping with crimson blood. She cringed at the sight. โ€œSo I thought we werenโ€™t going to do that,โ€ she raised an eyebrow, recalling that once sheโ€™d agreed to help, the person in her body said neither of them would be carved up. That was the thing about these criminals though, they never stuck to their word. So, she couldnโ€™t say she was all that surprised. It would be a pain in the ass when, or if, she got her body back. She shuttered at the thought of not getting her body back under her control.

The threat her captor made landed. Thoroughly intimidated, Jetta nodded with a gulp. โ€œGot it, no betrayal.โ€ As she watched her bloody body make itโ€™s way out of the warehouse, she frowned, knowing that the hopes she had of the security guards noticing something was up were dashed. Theyโ€™d likely be too frightened by the signs of bloodshed to think about her behavior.

Julian didnโ€™t waste more time, and ran out of the warehouse, toward the place where the security guards were standing, arguing about the late shift change. He skidded up to them, making a show of being out of breath, hands on his knees.

โ€œPlease, you guys have to help me!โ€ That got their attention alright, whatever happened after, at least heโ€™d managed the primary goal.

Internally, Ulysses flinched at the sudden act of self-mutilation, taken aback by the sharp turn in their plan. But, his monotone expression didnโ€™t reveal that despite what he feltโ€“instead, he balled up his fists loosely at his sides to mentally prepare himself to spring in action.

Momentarily turning his attention back to Jetta (in Julianโ€™s body), he took a small step towards her. โ€œWhatever youโ€™re plotting in that head of yours, I suggest you back off and just do as your told,โ€ his voice was low, menacing in fact. โ€œHe may have cut you, but Iโ€™ll kill you myself after all of this is over..โ€ he had a thing for the theatrics but his threat was far from a show. Ulysses took offense towards the compromization of his Uncleโ€™s foundation, keen on making sure that this mission ran smoothly. The Myriad was going to get the cargo off the ship one way or another, even if it meant leaving a bloody trail behind.

When the man who was left watching her took a step closer to further threaten her, she glared at him. โ€œIโ€™m getting mixed messages here. If I betray you am I getting killed or stuck in a pig? Because honestly, the pig thing sounds much worse. I think the other guy might be better at this than you.โ€ Probably not the smartest move, talking back to her captor without a second thought, but maybe if Jetta thought things through she wouldnโ€™t be here in the first place.

Once the mafia leader ran screaming for help, Echelon snatched Jetta by the chains between the handcuffs and hulled her forward, the rest of his guild and himself following closely behind each otherโ€™s heels as they ran in the opposite direction. The salty, sea air filled his nose as they exited the warehouse and towards the boat that was now docked (and seemingly) empty of sailors. It wouldnโ€™t be that easy, he thought to himself as he followed the Myriadโ€™s swift and quiet movements up the entrance steps.

As the girls navigated the intricate passageways of the boat in search of the cargo of interest, Ulysses kept a listening ear out for any other footsteps that didnโ€™t belong to his team.

Thump.. ThumpThumpThump against the surface of the boatโ€™s floor alerted him of hastened footsteps. Here we go, he thought to himself as he sped up his own pace and nearly came crashing into the chest of an individual.

โ€œAl, we have a security breach on-!โ€ before the middle-aged man could finish, Ulysses grabbed him by the clothes against the nape of his neck and slammed his forehead into the metal of the railing, painting the white color with splatters of deep red. Just as quickly as the unknown man went down, another sailor ran towards the commotionโ€“assuming it was Al.

โ€œThereโ€™s no breach here, sir.โ€ Ulysses replied, in a voice more feminine and not of his own. Using other peopleโ€™s voices as a scare tactic wasnโ€™t something out of Lombardiโ€™s ordinary. He had always done it when given the chance, careful not to give anyone else clues of his own voice. The last thing he needed was for someone to identify him once this was all over. And with that, Al was thrown overboard and into the water below, the waves tugging his face further down into its depths.

Jetta felt a tug on the chains around her wrists, and began to follow the man pulling on them, silently, waiting to see what was about to go down. As security approached and the man took them out one by one, her breathing quickened. Panicked, unable to find a way to help, it was her worst nightmare. Watching Al be thrown into the water she muttered under her breath, โ€œYouโ€™re fucking disgusting.โ€ She was unsure if her captor heard that or not, but at this point she didnโ€™t really care.

Heading back to where the girls were last seen, Ulysses let a smirk play on the corners of his mouth as they pushed the cargo packages down the stairs and onto the deck they last walked on. Quickly springing into action, he took care of the last few and followed them towards the van parked on the side, awaiting their arrival. Still, he kept a locked gaze onto the back of Jettaโ€™s (Julianโ€™s) head, ensuring that she wouldnโ€™t find any opportunity to flee.

Pulled along once again, she found herself watching the group unload some cargo. Whatever it was, they were willing to put in a lot of effort to get to it, so she assumed it was something of great use to them. After a quick glance behind her, once she looked forward again she felt the gaze of one of her captorโ€™s practically burning into the back of her head, painfully aware of her circumstance. Still, with her hands bound and without her body, there was nothing she could do but wait.

Julian had made his way straight from the warehouse right to where the guards had met up. The bald one, the one theyโ€™d been waiting for, was the first to lurch forward toward him, โ€œJetta?โ€ Confusion and alarm spread across his face, he reached for a phone as Julian beamed at him, blood running fully down Jettaโ€™s face now.

โ€œGuess again.โ€ He said, in a feminine voice that he doubted matched her normal speaking tones, pulling the knife from its hiding place, still streaked with red. The man got the phone out, fumbling for a number with a shaking hand as two more were drawn out from other areas. Julian advanced on the one furthest from their target, ensuring the entrance to the ship of interest would be unattended. The one he was striding toward pulled out a gun, he heard the click of the safety come off.

โ€œGeorge! Thatโ€™s Jetta, man! You canโ€™t just shoot her!โ€ The distraction gave him just enough time to lunge forward and nick the man in the thigh before taking off. He lead them in a mad chase, circling opposite the direction the Myriad would be unloaded. It was more running than heโ€™d done in ages. At least the same could probably be said for these guys as well, apparently this girl had been doing the hard part of their jobs too long.

By the time he got back around to where theyโ€™d started, he caught sight of the van and what looked to be the last box being loaded into it.

Heโ€™d managed to buy enough distance between them to scramble ungracefully and out of breath into the back seat. โ€œWell that was a clusterfuck.โ€ He switched back into his own bodyโ€“Jetta now in her ownโ€“and unceremoniously knocked her out the door and onto the pavement, the van speeding off without hesitation.


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Antonia Romera




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paramore



This is why









Her instinct had been to duck under the stage managers arm and take off toward the most likely exit, but they wouldn't have planned this if they didn't have an escape plan. She was better off controlling the crowd to give security a fighting chance to comb the premises. If she could start and stay talking, they could search until it was confirmed to be truly gone.

She stumbled in the wing as she was dragged toward the stage, and as the presentation was announced, lights on the stage flared to life. She always had liked a dramatic entrance. 'just control the crowd.' She centered the thought in her brain and tried to freeze everything else at bay, putting on her most charming smile, and winking at the audience at she strode to the microphone at center stage.

"Well hello, beautiful" she addressed the crowd once they died down, voice light and a little playful.

"I trust you've had a good time this afternoon. It's so rare our work gets to see the light of day, let alone come out to play with all of you. And certainly never anything as special as what I'm about to show you. As many of you have heard, we're entering a new era of the company. Five years ago, many of us, myself included, lost our families, to the villain organizations of this city."

The crowd quieted at the serious tonal change, some audibly shifting uncomfortably in place. This was off script.

"Since then, Romera Bio-technologies has been quiet. It's been a long time since we've been able to have an event like this, but here we are! I can now confidently say that our darkest days are behind us. You can look forward to hearing more from us, more transparency as we try to regain the trust of our city, more developments in civilian technology to enhance your lives, green technology to bring Sentinal City into a future we've been striving for, for so long!"
She paused, listening in on her earpiece to try and determine what was going on backstage, hearing bits of Silas cut in and out.

"Together, we can all strive for a better Sentinal city! One where we feel safe, where our families are safe, and where those of us with mutations have more choice, more freedom, than ever before!"
She had to get progressively louder, as she riled up the crowd. All fixated on her. Good. Any action was taking place behind the scenes, exactly where she wanted to keep it. She kept an ear on her earpiece, overhearing security searching for the invention.

"It's all thanks to genetic nexus!" The back of the stage lit up with visuals, images of the syringes, the solution, one of the generic biochem labs in the building, some of their lower level employees posing with white coats and goggles.

"Still in it's alpha stage, Genetic Nexus has the ability to neutralize mutations. Our testing has been limited so far, but the promise it holds for allowing mutants to take control over their own destiny's is unprecedented, as is its contribution to law enforcement. Many guild members have been injured or lost their lives trying to contain uncontrollable and unconscionable villains."

She paused as their securities voice rang in her ear, more clearly than the messages before, stating that the invention was now gone.

"Hold on everyone. I've just gotten some disturbing news." She paused again as the short debrief continued and security locked down the doors.

"The villain organizations of this city... it seems... would rather a dangerous drug in its alpha stage, just entering human testing, be released onto the streets. Just so they can make a coin off selling it. Project Genetic Nexus is gone. If you or someone you know comes into contact with this substance report to Romera Bio-technologies immediately for remediation. Tests have been successful so far but it is by no means safe for the general public. Some guilds just don't seem to care about that, proving perhaps, the necessity of it in the first place. If you encounter ANYONE who has taken this drug, Romeratech will cover the costs of longterm treatment and observation. In the meantime, representatives from SOTO are on their way. Everyone will be expected to give a short statement. Hopefully with everyone's help, we can all work to contain this and keep our loved ones from discovering some nasty new side affects."





โ™กcoded by uxieโ™ก
 



Extra! Extra! Read All About It!! Sentinel City is now a Winter Wonderland. Snow is in the Forecast, Make Sure to Dress Nice & Cozy!


sentinel tribune








As fall turned into winter, the falling leaves morphed into swirling snow and a lighter sort of mood rushed over Sentinel City. The holidays were here, whichever wintertime holiday one chose to believe in, and the entirety of the city seemed to be celebrating. Joyous decor lined the street, climbed buildings and light posts, and adorned windows to businesses and homes everywhere.

It was a relaxing time of year, many mutants happily used this time as a sort of vacation from their usual activities, and even the villains seemed to quell their various nefarious activities. The streets were always busy, bustling with activity and holiday shopping. People were decked out in colorful, festive clothing, bringing a light to their eyes and color to their faces that otherwise seemed pallid in comparison throughout the rest of the year.

Although the sky was grey from heavy hanging clouds full of ice that would fall frozen to the ground, the city around them was bright and vivid.

Nighttime brought a different vibe to Sentinel City. Aurora Borealis painted the night sky while twinkling stringed lights painted the buildings and streets. The world around them turned into an array of colors and brightness that even the beautiful daytime couldn't compete with.

Central Sentinel was constantly moving, constantly busy with the arrival and departure of travelers either coming to visit or leaving to vacation. Though who would want to leave the city at its most beautiful, no one really knew. The Dome moved around in holographic wonder, appearing as a giant snow globe in the middle of the city, and the train station was draped in garland and Holly.

East Sentinel hosted light shows and sported endless hot-holiday treat hubs along the streets, welcoming visitors and natives alike as they strolled along to take in the sights. They also boasted a beautiful annual tree-lighting ceremony that spanned over a hundred some odd trees in the district, especially given that they were the greenest quadrant in the city.

Southern Sentinel held a nightly holiday parade, where members (primarily performers) of the general public dressed as famous holiday characters and put on sweet little performances for the other citizens of Sentinel City. They quite often drew a crowd, and as such, they provided several stations where the public could meet these characters one on one and take pictures with them for memorabilia, the most popular one being Santa Claus in his jolly red coat. Many stations were set up along the streets for children and adults to create cute little holiday crafts for their loved ones, some booths even offering classes on making baked goods and gingerbread houses.

Northern Sentinel, the business district, stayed busy and constantly held crowds of people as they did their holiday gift shopping, desperate for deals and on the search for that one perfect item for someone they loved. It was often found that jewelry stores and toy stores remained the most popular, but every location certainly grew in business regardless. Most of the larger and more popular ice skating rinks could be found in North Sentinel as well, hosting hockey games, ice skaters, and classes for those that wanted to learn. They were certainly entertaining Places to hang out, whether it was to catch a game or watch a performanceโ€“ or even watch as people clumsily fell as they learned to hold their balance. Plenty restaurants and food stands Were housed in these areas as well, providing the public with yummy meals and snacks as they spent time in the winter air.

West Sentinel, although it was the industrial district, was still decked out in decorations much like the rest of the city. Here, many of the employees set their minds to creating an intricate and interactive holiday exhibit with large machinizations and pretty automatons. It was like a mini winter wonderland, a small amusement part of sorts for people to attend (and the proceeds from their cover charge served to aid children and families that were rather underprivileged.)

The Outskirts were the only part of Sentinel City that seemed lacking in the holiday spirit, at least compared to that of the main island. Individual homes still did their best to decorate and make their homes warm and inviting and pretty. The rocky shores were laced in flaking ice caps and half-made snowmen, and they looked out onto a sea of grey and the skyline of the main island in the distance. Many people sought solace in the House of the Stygian order, becoming more involved in the matters of the Red Court than some were willing to admit.

Everywhere one went, there seemed to be holiday music in the air, snowflakes falling on faces, and a bright spirit that most people found refreshing. Sentinel City was a winter Wonderland, indeed.





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ยฉ weldherwings.
 






Rhett Waylon




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Francis Forever



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It had been a long two months since the day that their first staged battle had turned into disaster for the city, derailed into a multi guild rush to save the mayors daughter and do damage control as blood rained down on the square. Rhett almost felt sick all over again just thinking about it, the way it had coated everything, thick, slick, and heady, they still couldn't get the mix of warm, organic, and metallic scent out of their mind if they thought about it too long. They couldn't suppress the physical shudder that ran down their body, stomach threatening to turn a little bit when they thought of the stuff coating their hair, face, hands as it poured onto the festival, screams coming from every direction, her guild leaders taking control and barking orders in the chaos. They'd switched to autopilot almost immediately, agreeing to help SOTO run in to try and get the kidnapped girl, because it felt like the thing to do. If they were honest, Rhett had probably blacked out some of it. They weren't exactly keen to relive the memories. She'd never seen anything like the members of the Red Court, they were exactly like the rumors said, absolutely terrifying. They'd barely made it out with the mayors daughter.

Rhett still thought about it, when things were quiet. They'd been doing their best to keep busy with making preparations to see their family for the holidays, figuring out what fun things from the city they might like, and taking up the team on every job and group bonding activity available. It didn't stop them from having a physical reaction to the idea of going out into the field again, heart speeding up, chill rushing down their spine as they involuntarily were brought back to being covered in who knew who's blood, that girl screaming, the fear in her eyes, the bloodlust written gleefully across the face of the person holding her.

Rhett shifted uncomfortably, doubting themselves and their mission for the day not for the first time. They shouldn't just show up empty handed though. It was the holidays after all, and it would be weird to just show up and remind someone of their trauma without bringing anything. Especially after a full month... They stopped by a shop on the way.

They should have just visited her in the hospital. They'd thought about it. The team had sent something and Rhett remembered signing a card but that wasn't really anything. What kind of thing did you get someone who was in the hospital? Maybe that would be good even belatedly. It was a similar sentiment. They ended up grabbing the brightest, most obnoxious bouquet they could find, then second guessed and put it back. They grabbed some daisies, but then googled the meaning on their phone and figured maybe 'innocence' was not the message of the day... They ran into the same problem with white roses. They grabbed red ones, you couldn't go wrong with the classic, right? They vehemently avoided second guessing themselves as they got in line at the shop.

"Oh honey. How romantic. I just love young love. Is it an anniversary?" Rhett nearly jumped a foot at the voice of an older woman who'd entered the line behind them, whirling around, face now bright red. "Oh. Oh um. No ma'am." Rhett fumbled, trying to think of a way to respectfully salvage the interaction. The woman just watched in confusion as Rhett ended up bolting from the line, back to the bouquets, sneakers squeaking mortifyingly loud on the linoleum.

She walked out of the store with the wildflower bouquet clutched in hand, and a cute little bracelet. She didn't have a rationale for that one, it had been checkstand bait, probably cheap, Rhett hadn't been paying attention to that, but it was sweet and cute and the colors on it matched the bouquet. It was probably made for kids or something but it looked big enough. She'd learned, if nothing else, that she should trust her gut instinct, and her gut had her snatch it off the rack just as the cashier rung her up.

She shuffled the rest of her way to her destination, kind of dreading getting there, doing her best to keep her focus on finding the way rather than on what would happen when they got there, until they arrived at the towering mayors residence, probably the largest home Rhett had ever been to. They swallowed nervously, almost tempted to ring the bell and drop the goods and run. They raised their fist to knock the old fashioned way, before realizing that it probably couldn't be heard from all parts of this house, and pressed the doorbell instead, cringing a little bit as they heard the sound go off from the outside.







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NAOMI.












  • ๐Œ๐Ž๐Ž๐ƒ
    concerned; bordering hopeful.


    ๐‹๐Ž๐‚๐€๐“๐ˆ๐Ž๐
    industrial district; toy drive.


    ๐ˆ๐๐“๐„๐‘๐€๐‚๐“๐ˆ๐Ž๐๐’
    asherah.











๐‡๐€๐๐๐˜ ๐‡๐Ž๐‹๐ˆ๐ƒ๐€๐˜๐’ !

the annual fall festival had come and gone, but the holiday spirit had just begun for the residents of sentinel city.

as festive decorations were strung against buildings and snowflakes trickled upon the sidewalks, naomi couldn't help but feel cheery during her favorite time of the year. it was no secret that keating thrived from the friendly socialization that was called for decemberโŽฏmeeting friendly faces of parents whose children she taught & greeting strangers with a good-fashioned "happy holidays" while walking down the northern business district. above all, however, the one thing she enjoyed the most was volunteering for the month with infernotech response center's annual toy drive.

they were stationed in the industrial district, garbed in cozy winter wear as snow particles dusted their coats. the usual ruby red firetruck displayed a multitude of flashing colors where it was parked while a notable fireman dressed as santa passed out wrapped gifts to children, teenagers, and parents, anyone who reached out really.

among the crowd of people stood naomi, clad in her green coat of sorts to contrast against the classic santa hat that kept her crown warm throughout the night. wearing a warm smile, per usual, she passed out presents alike her coworkers with the occasional hug or high five from whoever accepted one. whoever passed her instantaneously fed off her infectious joy, as a matter of fact, and keating ensured to keep the positivity going.

"
happy holidays, guys...," naomi gleamed with delight, a line on loop yet its genuinity never diminishing with each one. she kept little conversations going for as long the district's residents wanted and when activity lulled, she allowed herself to enjoy a sip of hot cocoa she had sitting nearby.

the sound of shuffling from beside her queued her to look down, her smile turning into a worried frown at a child left unattended. with the child tear-stained and fear-stricken, naomi instinctively bent down to an eye-level squat before speaking.

"
heyyy..," a voice as soft as a lullaby's tone escaped her lips, careful not to further startle the child or scare them away. "let's find mommy or daddy, hm?" she continued, scooping them up into her arms and glancing around for any signs of a parent in distress. the scene ahead was too busy of moving bodies and voices drowning each other out, further guaranteeing no ease in finding out where they had come from.

a sigh of tainted hope escaped from her lips before she quickly fixed her face into a smile for the sake of her new companion's feelings. if she was worried, it would only scare the child more than they probably already were. lost in the hustle and bustle of the city and now in a total stranger's armsโŽฏnaomi couldn't blame anyone in the same position for having a sense of distrust and uncertainty, much less someone who couldn't defend themselves from anything.

starting a brisk walk away from her work station, naomi walked with a purpose yet aimlessly while in search for any help around. firefighters much too busy to hear naomi's calls and hastened residents fixated on getting the best pick of the presents, she could only walk until she found someone patrolling the safety of the industrial district. fortunately for herself, it wouldn't take long for her to find someone once she finally reached a clearing.

"
s'cuse me, i need your help!," naomi called out, a much louder tone of command used in comparison to the softly spoken words she used towards the child. it didn't stick once she got closer to the individual. "this little one got lost here and i'm not at all familiar with... ash?" her statement turned into a question before she could process her way of words. it wasn't usual for her to lose track of thought, especially not during a town event like this.

the sudden appearance of asherah hakeem would change things though.




coded by weldherwings.
 













roman








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Electric Guest






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Dialogue written with Nova!
Moderate TW for substance use/effects and blood mention/described. Blood mention not spoilered. All spoilers are substance use and its effects.



Black curls unkempt on the man's head bounced about as he danced, emotionless, in the middle of the floor- the remainder of the rave having fizzled out a bit before. His eyes plainly reflected the flashing lights in all of their technicolor glory, distorting them with their dullness- half here, half nowhere. He found himself borderline motionless, a translucent plastic cup sloshing the last of its lukewarm liquid on his knuckles before they found themselves dropping the cup into a trashcan and meandering outside the dark building. His voice grumbled, a little raspy, when he asked the outdoor bouncer if he could bum a cigarette in exchange for a dollar bill he found crumpled in his loose jacket's pocket. Roman made it halfway back to his apartment before he remembered what he'd done. And he flicked the cigarette into the storm drain across the street from his door before he cared.

Roman woke with a start, nestled deep into the bowels of the down-filled quilts with a seething headache threatening to break into nausea. He inhaled swiftly the notes of a cinnamon scented candle left burning all night until it was just a puddle of oil and a thin, short flame, sinking into that nauseated feeling. He threw the blankets off his heavy body and hesitated briefly before sitting up all the way, confirming his suspicions of having been out too late with little recollection of where heโ€™d been. Too often, this had been happening recently. Once more confirmed as he noticed the throbbing, bruising in his fists when running his hands through his tangled, greasy hair.

Motherfucker. I gotta quit.

Thought this every time, though nothing ever changed.

Roman half-flopped out of his bed, though it still remained just a mattress on the floor with a sheet that continually popped off of one corner or another, ending up on the floor. Half his life seemed lived on the floor. Thankfully, he never let anyone into his home that could waver or judge his sense of organization. That's what he'd call it-

Organization.

His nose throbbed a bit as he stood up, still a bit wobblier than he would have liked, confirming he hadn't just been drinking the night before. He checked his TekPad for the first time in what was definitely too many hours, proven by the missed messages and whatever else was there.

Catch phrase of the day is apparently whatever.

Roman hyperfixated on one or two words that felt they could fully encapsulate his feelings in that moment. Or two moments. Or even a few days. Helped center him, if all of him was thinking about the same phrase or words. Whatever. Everything bled together here recently, though he couldn't place a trigger on what could cause it. Nothing inherently bad had been going on for a while now. His system had been well regulated for a while now, too.

Lying to yourself again! Cโ€™mon, you gotta do better than that. Cass echoed, peeking just through the rest of the noise inside his spinning skull.

Felt weak enough to justify a cab to the bar, even though it was only a ten or so minuteโ€™s walk if he was quick enough. He recognized the cab driver- a thin woman in her middle years with thick, gray hair pulled back into a low tail. He hoped that she wouldn't recognize him, but he was met with disappointment on that front when she called him by name and asked how he had been doing since last Thursday. She never seemed to judge him for his incredibly short rides. The ones where he was too inebriated, too drunk, too whatever to care to walk a few blocks. He remembered seeing her fairly often in the last few weeks. And he always tipped her extremely well.

Maria. This is Maria.

Disassociated to the point of hardly remembering whether he handed Maria a twenty, fifty, or a hundred, he popped out of the car, wondering what time it was as he stalked into Kaleidoscope, plopped in a seat at the bar, and took a look at himself for the first time since he woke up. His TekPad and wallet were in his pocket, but he didnโ€™t remember putting them there. His black jeans had a jagged new hole just above the left knee that he didnโ€™t remember being there yesterday; khaki shirt splattered with crisping flakes of dark red.

Makes sense. Almost?

His hands. They matched his shirt. His knuckles were bruised and sore, so he tucked them up as high as he could into his long sleeves and tugged his zip-up jacket around his chest in an attempt to hide how unclean he felt. And was.

He wondered just for a second what the rest of him looked like; who heโ€™d see in a reflection.

Roman hopped down from his chair, padding past a bartender. Asked for water and scotch on the rocks to be delivered to his seat while he was in the bathroom. And so he went, locking the door behind him with a jiggle of the handle and scrubbing the absolute hell out of his hands, fingernails, all of it. Taking just a glance at his face, nothing too bad. Scratch above his left eyebrow that had already been cleaned. Not that he remembered cleaning it. Little bit of a bruise around it.

Pacing back to his chair at the bar, now accompanied by some guy in a purple sweater in the chair beside him, he slammed the glass on the counter after drinking its contents, asked for another, drank the other, paid the bartender after a small-talk exchange, handed them a fifty-dollar bill before putting two fingers to his forehead in a salute with a smile and standing up to leave. He noticed he hadnโ€™t had any of the water yet and slurped as much as he could before the ice was licking at his lips and he left. Kaleidoscope. Again. Same place as last night!

Donโ€™t shit where you eat, silly!

Cass tugged at the collar of the long sleeve shirt, the stains that had seeped around, most likely last night while he was listening to the tunes in the bar and Roman was getting himself into trouble. The brashness of the fabric made him feel a little claustrophobic, but that was okay. Heโ€™d pitter patter home soon enough, maybe eat a snack out of the fridge. He really shouldโ€™ve eaten something by now but sometimes it was hard to remember.

As his thoughts wandered around what to eat and his body wandered around the chilly blocks of North Sentinel, he found his hand wrapping around a magical little scroll in a pocket of his jacket heโ€™d forgotten about until just now. A lighter was found right thereafter, leaving Cass mindlessly ripping at the blunt and staring off at the lights around him. They were distractingly beautiful, shining in some holiday glory. Not technicolor, that was yesterday.

A small group of people were wandering around all together, socializing, laughing. Having just a wonderful afternoon. It was late afternoon! He knew what time it was now. The sun setting, holiday lights starting to flick on. Hearing their conversations lifted a pervasive loneliness in him, even if they weren't acknowledging him, only each other.

The looseness in his footsteps tightened again, along with his grip around the blunt now fading down to the filter. He flicked it into the storm drain across the street from his apartment before he walked over to the building. He didnโ€™t realize how quickly he walked back to the building. He wasnโ€™t quite ready to go back inside. He remembered heโ€™d left the candle burning when heโ€™d left in a bustle earlier, but that didnโ€™t bother him. Clearly it hadnโ€™t caught anything on fire yet, so why to rush back home?

The warmth of the scotch was settling into Romanโ€™s stomach as he dug around his pockets trying to find the lighter again. He knew it was somewhereโ€ฆ He found the pack of cigarettes first, the lighter followed, and he lit one up, leaning against the building with some amount of dismay streaked across his face.

Roman realized it had been days. Days. Since he had called Davina or visited. He started worrying that she might also be worrying and decided to call her halfway through the first cigarette. He knew it had been too long. After finding his TekPad in his too-chaotic pockets, his thumb dangled over her contact icon and he hesitated, drawing in most of the latter half the cigarette before committing to the call. The waiting game of ringing piercing his ears.

"It's been so long since this number's called me I almost thought you were a stranger." Her voice.

Roman laughed quietly, an attempt to dissuade the tension building in the body. โ€œYeah! Yeah. I, um, itโ€™s been really busy, you know, with work and everything. I just realized how long itโ€™s been. So whatโ€™s up? Anything new, exciting?โ€

"Gio's been under the weather, not that he would ever admit it. You know how he is. All work no play. Or sickness or whatever. Me? I just hang around all day with no one to talk to but Gio." Her voice flat, straight. A pause. "It's nice to hear from you."

Cass tried peeking through and with some effort Roman responded. โ€œSucks about Gi. He deserves a break. So do you. Sorry I havenโ€™t called, itโ€™s been a weird week. I, um, can come overโ€ฆ soon, if you want? We can catch up. Iโ€™ll keep you company.โ€

"Dinner tonight is perfect, oh it'll be so lovely to have you. I feel like a mother hen with an empty nest. Should I make your favorite?"

He understood he leaned exactly the direction she was steering him, but what else was he supposed to do? Ignore her? Run from her? She took him when no one wanted himโ€ฆ He hesitated a moment, disheveled. In no place to make a visit, to see her with the bruises on his knuckles, his tangled, curling hair licking at the gash across his forehead. โ€œI, um, can be there inโ€ฆ an hour if you want? I hate Iโ€™ve left you hanging this weekโ€ฆAnything you make is always my favorite, DiDi. Do you need me to, um, pick anything up on the way?โ€

"An hour! You're practically spoiling me!" She called at Gi, filling him in on the development. "You don't need to pick up anything at all-- oh actually! Maybe some fresh basil? I think we are out. And some nice wine or champagne-- to celebrate." Pause. "You sound tired. Something about you is off-- should I be concerned?"

Cass was asking to talk to DiDi. He always asked to talk to DiDi. It was really tiring, because he wasnโ€™t allowed to talk to DiDi. โ€œIโ€™ll, um, pick those up on the way. And no, no. Nothingโ€™s wrong or anything. I, uh, Iโ€™m just so tired from this past week. Really, Iโ€™m good, DiDi. Iโ€™ll see you soon, okay?โ€

"Well I suppose I'll be able to get the truth out of you when you come see me. If you are lying. If you're telling the truth then I'm sure you can just stay here tonight. I'll freshen up your old room for you.โ€

Oh, no.

Roman was begging himself to find an escape route. โ€œItโ€™s just been a hard work week, ya know? I know you understand. I, um, Iโ€™d love to stay. I really, I appreciate it. I canโ€™t wait to see you.โ€

She sighed. "You sound like Gio. I'm going to lock you both away and keep you from work if you both keep doing this to me." Pause. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

โ€œItโ€™s okay, Iโ€™m, Iโ€™m okay. Iโ€™ll see you soon. Bye, DiDi. Iโ€™ll be there in an hour.โ€

"I'll hold you to it. Bye Roman."

Oh, no no no no. He knew he had to go. He knew he should go. Heโ€™d left her hanging for longer than usual for reasons sheโ€™d be deeply upset about. He just had to make it about work. It was only-

Work.

The next step towards dinner was a blur. Beginning to auto-pilot through finding a store, buying basil, picking a wine Davina would enjoy. It was something for Cass to do while Roman took a break. Just a small one. He was exhausted.

But maybe not exhausted enough? A woman outside the store caught his eye, familiar but out of place somehow. Her hair was chopped and blond, her clothing more plain than he remembered it being. But she had the same face, expression. Demeanor.

And through his hand fell a bottle of champagne, sizzling and splashing over the sidewalk. He hoped he didnโ€™t startle her as much as he startled himself.

Her name crossed Romanโ€™s lips for the first time in years. โ€œMiri?โ€

Shocked, he paced towards her.













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flashfire



henry.













mood

just vibin'











outfit

wearing a loosely fitted light gray button up and jeans, opting for comfort over style











location

his home











interactions

INTERACTIONS











Ichy and Vera nova.the.alien nova.the.alien + revalia revalia

tags here















His wrists were bound behind his back, and he was shirtless. He was oddly cold, and a shiver chased down his spine. He shuddered as his fire roared back to life in his veins, begging for release. It wanted -- needed -- to be let out. It roared against him, but he resisted, he was bound. It would burn him, he lacked control, finesse. It had been too long, and the explosion from the need to release the fire would singe his skin. But he couldn't-- he screamed in pain as his fire flickered up his arms. He was shaking, shaking. Someone was saying his name, a plead, Freya? No. Someone shook him harder.

He burst awake with a strangled gasp, launching himself off the bed and onto the floor. His finger tips were alight with flame, but there was no smell of smoke. He blinked rapidly, sweat causing his blond hair to stick clumsily to his forehead, dripping into his eyes. "Henry, are you okay?" A voice, soft and feminine came from somewhere above him. He was in his own room. In his bed, or well, on his floor. The nightmare faded into the back of his conscious, and he was already forgetting the rising panic in his chest. He let out a soft laugh as he got to his knees and crawled into bed with his woman of the night. He couldn't remember her name off the top of his head. He didn't particularly care, and she didn't either.

"Sorry about that, darling,"
he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her cheek in the dark, wrapping his arms around her soft body and pulling her close. She molded herself into his side instantly and melted into his warmth.
"Nightmares, you know?"


"I do," she breathed against his skin, her voice already sleepy. "Everyone like us has them." He nodded absentmindedly and ran his fingers down her back so she would drift off to sleep. Dawn couldn't be far away, and this nameless girl would be gone soon like all the others.

Hours later, Henry found himself sitting out on his porch, the girl gone and a coffee and cigarette in her place. Both a balm to his soul and a curse. He sat in just his pajama bottoms in the freezing winter morning. It was the only way he could feel anything other than that heat. He let some flame into his palm to warm his cup as he watched the city awake. There was not much for him to do lately. It wasn't complete radio silence since the fall festival. Two very important things had gone missing that day. The mayor's daughter, which The Red Court had a hand in, and the new tech that Romeratech had planned to introduce. He was positive the Magpies had been the ones to do it, but there had been very little whispers in underground circles of what it could be and what price the birds were selling it for.

He wondered if Vera and Ichy would want to go after it. He doubted it, but from the sounds of it, it could be incredibly powerful tech. In their hands. He wondered if Nisha had always been returned, and what plans they had for her. He hadn't been invited to participate after getting her back to the room he prepared initially. He did what he was told, but that didn't mean he wasn't curious. Maybe he would send a quick text to Ichy about it. About that... and other things.



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Ariel




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Hailee Steinfeld



Coast









Ariel loved the winter. Summer, well, she loved the freedom, adventure, the causal air that came with summer, but there was something about the brisk chill in the air that made her feel alive.
Even on a day off, Ariel had always been an early riser. A sunny and bright winter morning was invigorating to the mind and the body and she'd be lacking if she didn't indulge at least one of them. Even if she stayed out late, she was generally up with the sun or before hungover or not, she'd never been good about going back to sleep. Ariel had also never really grown out of the constant motion that young children found themselves in, with the ability to run in circles excitedly for hours if it came to that. The stagnation of sitting around in bed in the morning didn't do anything but annoy her. If she had a girl over, Ariel was the type to make her breakfast, even if she didn't plan on seeing her again.

This morning she'd woken up to an empty house and empty cupboards. She was great at the romance, the sweet gesture of stalking a girls insta and making her a lovely morning meal, maybe with a little cocktail, less great at the mundanity of grocery shopping. Droning through the linoleum tiled aisles under florescent while the same 5 songs droned on overhead just for middling quality food made her feel like she was dead or something. She either remembered to make her insta-cart orders, or racked up credit cards eating out. Not that AJ had ever had a fiscally responsible thought run through her head in her entire life.

Tabasco sauce... beer... cheese... more beer... and a cucumber... coffee shop it is.
Might as well get a run in, her sugary little drink was always so much better after she had some endorphins running through her system. Most of her outfits fell into the categories of running clothes, or clubbing clothes, so she was ready enough just throwing on shoes and a scrunchie.

It had been the right decision, there was a sharpness to a morning like this, and the city was decked out in lights and decor. She lived next to plenty of coffee shops, but that was hardly a run, and as soon as she sat down with whatever indulgent little treat she ended up with, she wouldn't be moving for a bit. She let her feet carry her into the city a bit, navigating off of vibes alone for about a mile and a half before she'd had enough.

The door to the shop made a soft little chime as she entered, the smell of gingerbread and coffee wafting out toward her. It was a little shop, modestly decorated and barely busy, just a few patrons milling about. Her eyes stopped on the figure of the one getting ready to order. An indulgent treat indeed.

Ariel, who had always been a shameless person, strode right up next to the girl in front of the counter, told the cashier, "I'll have what she's having. Both on me" she told them with a grin before turning toward the girl.
"Hello there."





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