Promachus Gabriel Valiant | Male | 28 | Demi-Sapiosexual | Ambi | Enforcer Fector | 2nd Command | 3ft Aura/Strategize/Alter Gravity | Mentions; Amos

02:15:50 Your local therapist

Cae

Too late, you're gonna get canceled now/j

02:15:20 Cae, Blue

That was big /j, please dont leave me looking like an ass 😭😭😭

LeafClan

02:15:07 Leaf she/her

I just pulled a wolf with a boost and a defect out of Wolfparty Should I bone her or put her in sanctuary her Boost is Archaic Pride and the defect is Hyposmia.

02:13:37 Cae, Blue

Ooh Fancy Pants Rich McGee over here 😒

02:13:14 Your local therapist

Cae

Indeed, sometimes you just can't bring yourself to cook </3

Revelry

02:12:33 Rev

I normally couldnt care less about prettiness, when I want a pretty wolf I make a custom. Everyone else needs to be good explorers

02:12:33 Cae, Blue

Burning, sometimes you just dont feel like cooking 😔

Amygdala

02:12:00 Amy/Anpmygdala

Also she is a pretty but useles wolf
(I have a couple too)

Amygdala

02:11:35 Amy/Anpmygdala

Help my viti is broken
-WP Click-

Like where is her color

02:11:30 Your local therapist

Happens to the best of us lmao

02:10:42 Cae, Blue

More than half my den is useless pretties i couldnt bring myself to soup up 😔

02:10:34 Your local therapist

I can't say anything, I'm pretty bad about keeping wolves that may be pretty but are 100% useless lmao

02:09:50 Cae, Blue

LMAO

Zeraphia

02:09:14 Vah hoards mushies

Pretty is nice and all... but I prefer my pretty to also be functional

Amygdala

02:09:09 Amy/Anpmygdala

-Click-

02:08:45 Cae, Blue

Good luck!!

Frozen Flowers

02:08:38 Dagon/Sheo/Moor

Why free range the trash, just bone crunch

Revelry

02:08:11 Rev

crossing fingers for a good pupper
-WP Click-

02:07:50 Cae, Blue

Sobs, yall dont like the pretty 😭

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Promachus Gabriel Valiant | Male | 28 | Demi-Sapiosexual | Ambi | Enforcer Fector | 2nd Command | 3ft Aura/Strategize/Alter Gravity | Mentions; Amos

“Actually, Chief Agent Merit, I would like to request something, if I may? There's a young man working in office, Nial Kelly. He's been under my direction since he started working just under two years ago. I'd like to suggest him to you for an official case, not this one, of course, but perhaps somewhere nearby. I think it would be good to have someone trustworthy in circulation for quicker communication and backup. I don't believe backup will be necessary, but it's always wise to have someone set up just in case.”

Promachus took a glance at Amos, resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow quite easily. The idea of another person being nearby and able to expose them didn’t seem all that smart. And with that little information to work with about someone he’d never met? There wasn’t much he could do yet with his ability.

Chief Agent Merit nodded slowly though, after having seemed to consider it, so Promachus looked back at them. The Chief Agent’s face seemed fairly impassive to him, though he’d never been too good at reading expressions.

“I’ll look into Agent Kelly and suggest him to those above me for a case stationed nearby. Is that all?”

*~*~*~*

Beste Kusan Wiam | AMAB Pangenderflux | 26 | Pansexual | Ambi | Traveler Gration | Chief Communications | 10ft Aura/Message/Sound Manipulation | Mentions; Sol

While he thought, she heard(and felt) their phone go off sitting on his chest. So she shifted and grabbed their phone, reading the message Sol had just sent.

‘You're so sweet, you really don't have to, I don't want to steal any of your rest time or anything! Thank you though, you're truly my Beste friend... And Rosewater's too <3’

Smiling, he sat up and typed out a response. ‘It’s no problem for me, you’re my favorite. Not like I can sleep all day :P I’ll probably be headin out soon to do some stuff anyways. Sendin love enough to reach the sun, Beste <3’

Hitting send, she pushed themself up and off the couch. He’d get dressed and head out to a bar, and if Sol decided she could help then they’d head to the store after some scouting. Easiest shit ever done. Switching to the search engine on his phone, she searched up bars nearby and scrolled through the lists until they saw the name of one that he didn’t recognize.

‘Little Auggie’s Bar’. She tapped it, and started looking into it. Ran by someone named August Eldar… About a twenty-five minute drive from their apartment… Switching to a social media platform, he searched up the bar’s owner. There weren’t any hugely religious posts, just a few here and there. Nothing too crazy… She could probably go there and scout some people out, pay off the owner if the August guy ended up actually being a bit more religious than they thought.

With that decided, he put away her phone and walked over to their dresser. He’d get dressed for the day and head over there, scout it out, go to the store on her way back to their apartment if Sol sent a list, and then change and go to Sol’s place. Whoever said he wasn’t good at planning obviously wasn’t that smart.

*~*~*~*

Irfam Oryam Ellery | AMAB Demi-Boy | 29 | Apothi-Apresexual | Ambi | Caste Exempt | Soon Chief STEM | Vary Aura/Power Blueprint/Unexpected Success/Fire Walls | Mentions; Kostas

While he waited for Kostas to gather his thoughts and speak, Irfam glanced to look at whatever his cane had bumped into. Which ended up being the doorframe, that he was standing just slightly in front of. His head snapped back over to Kostas as he began to speak.

“Very smart as usual, Irfam. I assume you haven't tested this new idea yet? I don't doubt that it will work, honestly, but I'm more concerned about how well it works. As you mentioned, we don't want people to be able to immediately build up immunity or find a way to fight it, however, I don't think it would be a good idea to create a formula that makes sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and whatever else, permanent.”

They thought for a moment, ignoring the urge to bristle at the compliment as best they could, before jumping right in. “Well, of course permanence is nowhere near what we want. But we do need long lasting. I haven’t tested it yet- I think I wrote it down last night though somewhere- Just have to find it, is all. Shouldn’t be too hard…”

“I am not doing anything after work today. If you would like to do something together, I would be happy to.”

Irfam paused, grinning under the mask before letting it slip upon remembering… He was wearing a mask, and the sensation caused by grinning was rather uncomfortable. Instead, he spoke. “Nice! I’ve no idea what to do then, but uh- Not hard at all to think of stuff like that. Maybe a bar? Or, hm…” Technically, he wasn’t allowed to drink. Especially when he took his medication, since the interactions of the two didn’t mix well. Not that any of that ever stopped him. Kostas didn’t tend to like drinking anyways. “Hm… You don’t like drinking too much though, do you? It can be fun. Guess it’s not for everyone though. Hm- Oh! How about a movie? I heard there’s a new one that’s really good. Can’t remember if it’s out of theaters yet though. We can watch something other than that if it isn’t.”

They paused, and thought about it for a second. A split second, that felt like eternity. Movie Theaters were weird. They were basically just scams and cash grabs people still fell for even though they could just wait. Not to mention all the strangers that could stare at you, and there were ones with bars and grills where someone could try and hit on you until they realize that you aren’t actually anywhere near good looking. And all the stimulation too! It was a breeding ground for getting lost and then thinking you aren’t lost but you actually are still and the person you’d been following for ten minutes wasn’t actually there at all. The staring was the worst part though. By far. People just staring at you, judging you, rating you, trying to undress you in their mind. Literally or figuratively. The questions from ones who were braver than others. The look of realization when people realize that you’re just ugly, and disgusting, and nauseating, and revolting, and gruesome, and monstrous, grotesque, deformed- They took a breath, and went to speak. Went to ask why people stare, as if they didn’t know… Kostas spoke first.

“I would appreciate you taking your medicine now though, Irfam. Please do that first, then you can show me the exact formula you thought up.”

Thoroughly distracted from his last train of thought, his mind jumped back to the fact that he hadn’t taken his medication yet after having forgotten. “My medi- Ah, right. Yeah. My medication.” He paused, again, and grimaced. “My medication…”

They huffed and looked at Kostas. “But what if I decide to go drinking? Besides! The medication’s mostly just a mood stabilizer anyways, and I’m feeling great today!” They paused long enough to make sure their fire walls were up, for just in case it was a lie so it’d just show up as half. If it was a lie. Even they weren’t sure nowadays. Which was good. “The medication only ever ends up getting rid of like… What? My visual, auditory, and tactile ones. That’s three out of the six types, three out of the five I get regularly. And even olfactory! It isn’t too common with me but I still have them every once and a while.”

He waved a hand dismissively, the one not holding the cane, voice pressed and fast with a slight urgent tone to it. “And the other stuff is manageable without the medicine anyways. Regardless! I don’t want to forget where the thing is anyways! Which, also- How are we testing it once it’s done?” He hoped he got to test it out. It seemed like a fun little experiment. He wondered if it’d cause a change with his hallucinations and other symptoms.

January 19, 2023 07:38 PM

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“I’ll look into Agent Kelly and suggest him to those above me for a case stationed nearby. Is that all?”

Amos smiled easily in response. "Thank you, Chief Agent Merit. I believe that is everything." He dipped his head slightly in respect before turning and exiting the room to head out into the hall.

After the door was closed, Amos turned to face Promachus, smiling genuinely rather than the professional smile of before. They were aware that they were likely being watched now still, there were definitely cameras around here, but, since they weren't directly in front of his boss now, they relaxed slightly, the same way he did with co-workers like Nial.

"So then, how are you Agent Valiant?" He dragged out the name, slightly teasingly, as they watched his friend with bright eyes. "And where shall we go to chat? Privately, preferably."

Just as Sol and Chery finished placing the cupcakes in the oven, Sol's phone buzzed again. Chery smirked, waving her hand and turning to head to the front to talk to Akira. "After you're done talking, do you mind starting the macaroons for me, I'm going to ask Akira if she needs anything."

Sol smiled slightly, nodding. "Sure, don't take too long, yeah? I know how Akira distracts you."

It was Chery's turn to blush, wrinkling her nose at her friend. "You sly dog, no promises, today might be the day I finally get a yes!"

Sol laughed, shaking their head. "Maybe so, then you can finally try that new sushi place."

"That's the dream!" Chery grinned and blew a kiss before trotting out of the kitchen, leaving Sol alone with their phone.

‘It’s no problem for me, you’re my favorite. Not like I can sleep all day :P I’ll probably be headin out soon to do some stuff anyways. Sendin love enough to reach the sun, Beste <3’

Smiling warmly, Sol typed out a reply. 'If you're sure it's alright, I won't complain. You're my favorite too (don't tell Mory I said that, haha). Love you the Beste <3'

As Ash grabbed a platter with drinks on it and started to head toward another table, attempting to shake the previous events from their mind and focus on their job, the door swung open. Ash glanced over, silently analyzing and preparing to have to speak, as they always did, when they froze.

The figure in the door was familiar, far too familiar for comfort. Light brown skin, brown eyes, and long black hair. A face that Ash only ever expected to see at secret meetings, Beste.

"Ash, what the hell are you doing?"

They flinched, anxiety blinding them for a moment at August's voice, tainted with annoyance, snapped them back to reality. Blinking hard, Ash quickly resumed walking and placed the drinks in front of the customers who replied with thanks and pitying smiles. Ash dipped their head and returned the platter behind the bar, wincing when August grabbed their wrist and leaned in close to speak in their ear.

"What was that about? Do you know them?"

"N-no." Ash breathed, thanking whatever gods there were that Auggie didn't have a truth-finding power.

"Then why the hell did you stop like that? You're working. Pay attention and do what you're supposed to, dumbass."

They flinched again at the words and the fact that August's nails dug into their skin. "Y-yes sir, s-sorry."

"Good, and don't stutter. You're better than that. Now, go serve the new customer."

Swallowing, Ash nodded and took a deep breath, forcing a small smile onto their face as they walked over to Beste, avoiding eye contact as they spoke, pausing slightly between words to avoid stuttering.

"Welcome... To Auggie's Bar... How may I serve... you today?"

“Well, of course, permanence is nowhere near what we want. But we do need long-lasting. I haven’t tested it yet- I think I wrote it down last night though somewhere- Just have to find it, is all. Shouldn’t be too hard… Nice! I’ve no idea what to do then, but uh- Not hard at all to think of stuff like that. Maybe a bar? Or, hm… Hm… You don’t like drinking too much though, do you? It can be fun. Guess it’s not for everyone though. Hm- Oh! How about a movie? I heard there’s a new one that’s really good. Can’t remember if it’s out of theaters yet though. We can watch something other than that if it isn’t. My medi- Ah, right. Yeah. My medication. My medication… “But what if I decide to go drinking? Besides! The medication’s mostly just a mood stabilizer anyways, and I’m feeling great today! And the other stuff is manageable without the medicine anyways. Regardless! I don’t want to forget where the thing is anyways! Which, also- How are we testing it once it’s done?”

Kostas hummed softly and, as usual, responded in a somewhat broken-down manner.

"I'm sure we can figure out how to test it later, though we certainly won't be testing it on ourselves." He made sure to make eye contact with Irfam as he said this, emphasizing his point. "At all."

Taking a breath, he continued, relaxing again. "I wouldn't mind going to the movies with you, I'm sure we could find something that we'd both enjoy, and I'm sure there's got to be something playing for after-work times."

Kos bit the inside of his cheek slightly, trying to figure out a way to get Irfam to take their meds without shoving them down his throat.

"I understand that, but your medicine is still helpful to an extent, even if it doesn't make things go away completely. Please take them before I alert Raphael that you're disregarding them again after I already reminded you and attempted to convince you to take them. You and I are both aware of how Raphael will react, I'm sure."

He raised an eyebrow and watched Irfam for his reaction. Kostas really did hate pressuring his friend into anything, but sometimes it was necessary. In Kos's eyes, Irfam's only flaw was their self-deprecation and neglect.

January 21, 2023 11:11 PM

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Promachus Gabriel Valiant | Male | 28 | Demi-Sapiosexual | Ambi | Enforcer Fector | 2nd Command | 3ft Aura/Strategize/Alter Gravity | Mentions; Amos

“Thank you, Chief Agent Merit. I believe that is everything.”

Promachus nodded in respect to the Chief Agent, and took the file from the desk again before following Amos out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he heard Amos speak.

“So then, how are you Agent Valiant? And where shall we go to chat? Privately, preferably.”

Rolling his eyes, he turned and looked at Amos. Keeping his voice monotonous and neutral, he answered. “If you don’t mind a walk, then we could head over to my office at my station, Mx. Karagiannis.”

There weren’t any cameras in his office, he’d proven to not need them. Something that he was intensely relieved by, it made getting information far easier. Not having to worry about anyone knowing what he was looking at, researching, reading, and learning. What he was putting together for the group. He wasn’t sure if Amos had an area like that, but if they didn’t then his office would be the best place.

*~*~*~*

Beste Kusan Wiam | AMAB Pangenderflux | 26 | Pansexual | Ambi | Traveler Gration | Chief Communications | 10ft Aura/Message/Sound Manipulation | Mentions; Sol

Halfway through getting ready to leave, Beste heard her phone give out a chime to let them know someone had just messaged him. The chime was the one for Sol too, so she went over to it and picked it up, reading it over.

‘If you're sure it's alright, I won't complain. You're my favorite too (don't tell Mory I said that, haha). Love you the Beste <3’

They grinned, and typed out a response. ‘Of course I am! Just send over a list whenever. You’re my heart and Sol <3’ He hit send and pocketed her phone, continuing to get ready.

Within no time at all, they were leaving and making his way to the bar. The drive by cab was pretty short, an easy thirty minutes max. And so she was entering it without any hitch in the plan.

Stepping inside, they glanced around at the people. The place wasn’t very busy at the moment, only a few tables were completely full. There was a group near a corner that looked fairly friendly yet quiet, another group closer to the middle that were starting a card game, and a few other groups scattered around that all seemed like the average customers. Overall, they all looked like they wouldn’t notice him too much.

With that in mind, she allowed their aura to feel out his surrounding ten feet. The corner group was close enough to her to get a feel of at least two of them. They definitely seemed like the best bet based on what they managed to get off them.

And a second later, right before he began to take another step… There was an aura entering hers, and it was one that they recognized. Ash. Looking over, he saw the tall blonde making their way over to her. They smiled in greeting.

“Welcome... To Auggie's Bar... How may I serve... you today?”

He hummed in thought, noticing the bits of worry and anxiety in the aura, deciding to play strangers. “I’ll be joining the group of five over there, can you get me a tequila and coke?”

At the same time, she smiled lightly and sent a message to Ash. One in their own voice, assurance radiating in the words. If Beste remembered correctly, Ash wasn’t a huge fan of alcohol or alcoholics… Probably best to explain himself and all. ‘Scouting the place out right now. I would’ve let you know in advance if I knew you worked here.’

*~*~*~*

Irfam Oryam Ellery | AMAB Demi-Boy | 29 | Apothi-Apresexual | Ambi | Caste Exempt | Soon Chief STEM | Vary Aura/Power Blueprint/Unexpected Success/Fire Walls | Mentions; Kostas

“I'm sure we can figure out how to test it later, though we certainly won't be testing it on ourselves. At all.”

Irfam tried as hard as possible to not make eye contact with Kostas as their lab partner said that. It seemed like a waste, though then again- They probably weren’t a very good control for it… They sighed. “Boring. But fine… We wouldn’t get accurate enough results anyways… Which really is a shame, those are always my favorites.”

Truth be told, he wasn’t lying about that. Those were his favorite experiments. The ones he got to test out on himself. Whether that meant explosions, chemicals, cybernetics, or whatever else the two were testing out.

“I wouldn't mind going to the movies with you, I'm sure we could find something that we'd both enjoy, and I'm sure there's got to be something playing for after-work times.”

They shrugged lightly, “Yeah, probably. We can look into it at some point today. Any specific genre? Rating? What about critic vs average viewer ratings? I find that the critics tend to be too harsh, you know? Either that, or too refined.”

He didn’t really want to go to the movies publicly all that much. People always stared, and his skin always crawled, and the days after always ended up being harder for him. He hated it. But he also loved movies. Watching them. And the ones in theaters always had a different feel to them. He’d never been able to decide if it was worth it or not.

“I understand that, but your medicine is still helpful to an extent, even if it doesn't make things go away completely. Please take them before I alert Raphael that you're disregarding them again after I already reminded you and attempted to convince you to take them. You and I are both aware of how Raphael will react, I'm sure.”

Irfan bristled, Raph would kill them. Probably not literally. But still! They huffed, “Dirty move, Kos. Dirty move. Fine, I’ll take them…”

He paused, glancing around, eyes landing on the nightstand where he usually kept them. Where they weren’t. He had probably taken them somewhere else yesterday. Or threw them away last night, either on purpose or accident, neither would be new. “…If I can find them, that is. Haha…”

Their eyes narrowed as they scanned the ground for the bottle, looking behind them and into the lab. They didn’t think they’d taken them out of their room, but they weren’t exactly the best at remembering things like that. Maybe if he had thrown them away then Kos would just drop it, they’d order a new bottle and have a few days without it in the worst case scenario. Which really wasn’t that bad, it meant he’d actually be able to drink too without risk of interaction. It also meant that he’d be coming up with even better ideas. “Maybe this is actually good though? What’s the real harm in missing a day or two? We can order a refill- I’m not even sure if there was anything left in the last one anyways.”

January 23, 2023 03:30 PM

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“If you don’t mind a walk, then we could head over to my office at my station, Mx. Karagiannis.”

"Not at all," Amos replied, smiling casually and following Promachus.

As soon as they stepped into the office, Amos's posture relaxed slightly and the bright smile dropped, replaced by a more genuine, serious expression. They didn't bother looking for cameras, if Promachus said this was private, it was private. He trusted him enough to not question it.

"I assume you haven't had time yet to look through the file? Nial gave me the unofficial version earlier, but a lot of information was redacted, as you might expect." They sighed softly and tapped lightly on the desk. "My apologies for the unexpected, er, interference... of mine. Nial's a good kid, and I promised to make an attempt of giving him a part to play. I don't enjoy lying to my kiddos." He smiled slightly. "But you know that. Nial's one of the ones I've looked into recruiting, he's quick to question government decisions despite working for them, I suppose he's lucky I was assigned to him, then."

Amos smiled again, this time more tenderly, and this time truly genuine. He smiled often, but their work smile was still far different that his genuine one.

"But enough of that, we have work to do. Let's take a look at that file, shall we?"

‘Of course I am! Just send over a list whenever. You’re my heart and Sol <3’

Sol read the text and smiled, sending the pre-made list over to Beste. It wasn't a ton of stuff, just some basic food supplies, and cat food.

'Thank you!! You're forever my Beste half <3'

As soon as the text was sent, Sol shoved his phone back in his pocket and started preparing the macaroons. They knew Chery well enough to know that he'd likely have enough time to have the sweets ready to bake and have their half of the cupcakes decorated by the time she got back. Not because she was slacking off, but because she often busied herself with tasks that weren't actually hers.

Cleaning and taking orders, for example. Sometimes it took her a couple of hours to find her way back to the kitchen, leaving Sol to his own thoughts.

Things started easily enough, throwing in ingredients, mixing, and double-checking the texture and consistency of the batter. Without Chery there to ground them with her constant speaking and with the consistent, relaxing rhythm of his work, Sol allowed their guard to slip.

It started with a clicking, soft and distant, but ever-present. Like a clock. Quiet enough that Sol didn't even realize what was happening, the ovens and things made noises like this all the time, it was nothing to worry about.

Then there was movement, just out of the corner of their eye. Constant but gentle, like a curtain swaying in the wind. Except there were no curtains here, there weren't any windows either, and when Sol looked directly in the direction of the movement, there was nothing.

Sighing, Sol rubbed his face. They were just tired, it was fine.

Sol turned back to his work, covering the bowl of macaroon batter and setting it to the side as the oven beeped, alerting him to the fact that the cupcakes were done. He pulled them out of the oven and set them down to cool, but just as they pulled off their oven mitts a hand shoved his shoulder, causing them to stumble forward and yelp in pain as they grabbed the still-hot oven for support.

"Shit." Sol hissed, pulled back and whipped around, half expecting Chery, only to find... nothing. Sucking in a breath, Sol shook his head and hurried to the sink, running their hands under cold water for a few minutes before grabbing the first aid kit off the wall and wrapping up his hands. Luckily, they knew how to handle burns, you couldn't work in a kitchen and not know how to, but that didn't take away the pain.

Cursing softly, they glared back toward the oven. He must be really tired, these hallucinations were worse than normal. Well, not really worse, no one was screaming, sobbing, or whispering in his ear, but they were pretty bad. Bad enough that they actually felt someone push him.

"Damn, maybe I really should tell Raphael about this... I just, don't want to worry anyone."

Sighing, Sol shook it off and started preparing the icing for the cupcakes. He'd work through the pain and think about talking to Raph later tonight. Maybe.

“I’ll be joining the group of five over there, can you get me a tequila and coke?”

Ash nodded, jotting down the order even as Beste's voice rang in their head.

‘Scouting the place out right now. I would’ve let you know in advance if I knew you worked here.’

Ash's eyes flicked up, meeting Beste's for a second, a sign of understanding. They turned away and silently handed the order to August, who smiled brightly and waved in Beste's direction before turning to make the drink.

As he did so, Ash scratched out a message on paper.

'Tred carefully, there are cameras around. Every corner and one behind the bar. There are noise tracking devices too, August is very wary.'

"Ashy~ The order!"

Ash turned and forced a slight smile in response, taking the drink from August and walking quickly to Beste, handing her both the drink and the slip of paper, nodding slightly.

"Ash! Come here, I need you for a second!"

Ash flinched slightly and turned back to Auggie, hurrying over, biting their cheek as August waved toward a messy table.

"Clean that up. We shouldn't have any mess in here, you know that."

Ash nodded again and hurried to do the work despite the fact that the two or three people that had been sitting there had only left a minute ago. There was no need to argue. There was no point.

“Boring. But fine… We wouldn’t get accurate enough results anyways… Which really is a shame, those are always my favorites. Yeah, probably. We can look into it at some point today. Any specific genre? Rating? What about critic vs average viewer ratings? I find that the critics tend to be too harsh, you know? Either that, or too refined. Dirty move, Kos. Dirty move. Fine, I’ll take them… …If I can find them, that is. Haha… Maybe this is actually good though? What’s the real harm in missing a day or two? We can order a refill- I’m not even sure if there was anything left in the last one anyways.”

Kostas nodded along, answering little by little again, grimacing slightly at the last part and sighing.

"I enjoy accurate results as well, and testing things on ourselves isn't always the best answer. I don't care about the rating, nor do I care about critic vs average viewer rating, mainly because I agree with you. I suppose I would enjoy sci-fi the most, but I really don't mind. I'll call in and order you a refill of your medicine later today. You should keep it next to your bed in the future, or at least somewhere easy to remember."

His eyes softened slightly, not with pity, but with affection.

"Or I can keep them and bring them to you each day if you'd prefer. That way you don't have to worry about it."

It wouldn't be that big of a deal, he was already bringing Irfam breakfast each morning, so it wouldn't be that hard to remember. Besides, it was probably better for Kos to take care of it than to go into the clutter of Irfam's room.

January 24, 2023 10:21 PM

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Promachus Gabriel Valiant | Male | 28 | Demi-Sapiosexual | Ambi | Enforcer Fector | 2nd Command | 3ft Aura/Strategize/Alter Gravity | Mentions; Amos

Shutting the door to his office, he turned to Amos and watched as they made their way over towards the desk. Following silently, he made his way over and set the file down on the surface.

“I assume you haven't had time yet to look through the file? Nial gave me the unofficial version earlier, but a lot of information was redacted, as you might expect.”

A light tapping began as Promachus took his seat, opening the file to the first page while still making sure to listen to the words…

“My apologies for the unexpected, er, interference... of mine. Nial's a good kid, and I promised to make an attempt of giving him a part to play. I don't enjoy lying to my kiddos.”

The tapping continued, he glanced at the fingers, at where Amos was leaning against the desk instead of sitting. He set his jaw, careful to not interrupt. One of the pen’s shifted, on automatic, his hand reached over and shifted it back into place. The tapping continued. He bit his tongue, stared at the tapping fingers.

“But you know that. Nial's one of the ones I've looked into recruiting, he's quick to question government decisions despite working for them, I suppose he's lucky I was assigned to him, then.”

The cursed noise finally stopped. Promachus almost sighed in relief, he made sure he didn’t though. And simply tore his eyes away from the hand and brought them up to Amos’s face, where a smile was resting on their features.

“But enough of that, we have work to do. Let's take a look at that file, shall we?”

Promachus nodded and gestured to the seats next to Amos, “You’re correct. I didn’t get the chance to look over the file sufficiently.”

The file was crooked on his desk, he wasn’t sure when that had happened. There wasn’t room enough to fix it with the other files and reports on his desk though. He pushed those over, straightening them, and then shifted the newest file. Sideways, so they both could read, but thankfully uncrooked. He continued speaking, “However, I did manage to skim through the first few pages. There’s a few key phrases that may prove bothersome, but they’re fortunately all minor.”

*~*~*~*

Beste Kusan Wiam | AMAB Pangenderflux | 26 | Pansexual | Ambi | Traveler Gration | Chief Communications | 10ft Aura/Message/Sound Manipulation | Mentions; Sol

As soon as Ash met her eyes, Beste knew they understood. A lucky thing they’d noticed, because then Ash was turning and going off to someone else, passing along the order. The person smiled and waved at him. Giving a smile and small wave in return, she walked over to the corner table they had pointed out to Ash.

“You good with havin’ one more joinin’ you over ‘ere?” The people looked over at him, looking at one another before one nodded and smiled at her.

“‘Course we are. Come sit down, what’s your name?”

The one that spoke didn't sound like they’d been drinking long, which was fairly good for their purposes. She grinned and sat down, “My name’s Beste, and what’re all of yours?”

The one that had welcomed him spoke again. “‘M Corisande, that’s Sedric, that one’s Zaley, there’s Amaryllis, and the one there is Felinus.”

Beste nodded, taking a look at all of them. “Well! I love those names, great ta meet you guys.”

As they were speaking, her aura picked up on Ash’s again, coming back towards him. Looking over as they got closer to the table, Beste grinned at them, taking the drink and slip of paper they handed over with a nod. Allowing the paper to be taken under the table by her hand, he set their drink down, glancing and reading the note.

‘Tread carefully, there are cameras around. Every corner and one behind the bar. There are noise tracking devices too, August is very wary.'

She glanced back up and took a sip of his drink, crumpling the slip in their hand under the table. The named Felinus looked at her, “First time at the bar? Don’t think we’ve seen you before, and we’re all regulars.”

He nodded, “Yep. Decided I wanted a change of scenery from my usual ones.”

At the same time, they sent a low hum to Ash’s mind- Her way of letting Ash know from a distance that a message was about to come, and then sent one. ‘Will my sound manipulation work against the trackers? Give me an answer the next time I get a drink, I’m all good waiting.’

*~*~*~*

Irfam Oryam Ellery | AMAB Demi-Boy | 29 | Apothi-Apresexual | Ambi | Caste Exempt | Soon Chief STEM | Vary Aura/Power Blueprint/Unexpected Success/Fire Walls | Mentions; Kostas

“I enjoy accurate results as well, and testing things on ourselves isn't always the best answer.”

Irfam nodded, raising his eyes from the ground and looking at Kostas again. “Yeah, I guess…” He didn’t mention how hypocritical it was for Kos to be saying that after the procedure. He didn’t really want to even think about it. “I still say it’s fun though. Plus, we wouldn’t have half the inventions or information that we have now if we didn’t.” His mind immediately went to the procedure again, flipping from that to his cybernetics, to his implants, to so many other inventions of his.

“I don't care about the rating, nor do I care about critic vs average viewer rating, mainly because I agree with you. I suppose I would enjoy sci-fi the most, but I really don't mind.”

They dragged their mind back to the conversation, the semi-new one. “Great! Sci-fi it is! Oh- I think I’ve seen ads for ones that were supposed to come out… End of Sunshine and… Paragon Ticking? I think those were the names…” Truth be told, they weren’t really sure. The last time they’d check was weeks ago, but sometimes movies took way longer than that or way shorter… They could probably look and see later though, it wouldn’t be too big of a problem.

“I'll call in and order you a refill of your medicine later today. You should keep it next to your bed in the future, or at least somewhere easy to remember.”

Irfam saw as Kostas’s eyes softened, and tried as much as possible to keep from stiffening. He grimaced behind his mask, and looked away from his friend. His eyes looked around at the ground near his nightstand. He usually kept it on the nightstand, he didn’t point that out to Kos. It would only make him seem worse than he was.

“Or I can keep them and bring them to you each day if you'd prefer. That way you don't have to worry about it.”

They shook their head, looking at Kostas again as they spoke, “No, I’m not always here, remember? Sometimes I have those out of the blue calls to other cities.” They didn’t mention how those calls weren’t technically calls at all. Kos didn’t know about their other lab, they needed to keep it that way too. It was just about the only place they had to go and isolate without worrying anyone. Because apparently renting a hotel for two weeks without telling anyone wasn’t good.

He paused, and then spoke again. “By the way, did you ever start the journal you were going to start after your procedure?” Kostas probably had, he normally did whatever he said he was going to do. And it had been a while since the procedure. At least a few months, though his perception of time wasn’t the best… And he hadn’t brought it up yet either.

January 28, 2023 08:00 PM

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“You’re correct. I didn’t get the chance to look over the file sufficiently.”

Amos nodded and perched on the edge of one of the seats, leaning over to examine the file more closely.

“However, I did manage to skim through the first few pages. There’s a few key phrases that may prove bothersome, but they’re fortunately all minor.”

Amos hummed softly. "Well, at least they're minor." He agreed. "And I'm sure we can handle whatever things may come up. This wouldn't be the first time we had a close call, now would it?"

Sol grimaced as they started to decorate the cupcakes on his half. Their hands were steady and practiced, producing good results, but they hurt. A lot.

They turned when Chery entered the kitchen again, gasping at the sight of his wrapped hands. "Oh, sweetie! What happened?" She questioned, rushing over and carefully taking the piping from Sol before lightly crabling their hands in her own.

Sol smiled sheepishly in response. "I, uh, I kind of slipped and grabbed the oven... The hot oven." It was a lie, but a believable one. Sol had a reputation for being clumsy and getting injured because of it.

Before he had time to protest, Chery was unwrapping one of their hands and grimacing in sympathy. "Oh, that's bad." She hissed. It was, the skin was peeling and already starting to blister pretty badly. "You shouldn't be working with an injury like this, honey. You go home, I'll work the kitchen the rest of the day. And make sure you go to a doctor too, you should get professional treatment!"

Sol shook their head and pulled away, rewrapping their hand quickly. "No, I'm okay, I promise!"

Chery raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Sol, you need to see a doctor. That's a bad burn."

"I promise I'll see a doctor right after work, but there's no need to go home early! I'll be fine, I swear!"

Chery sighed, contemplating. She knew how stubborn Sol could be sometimes. "Fine. But you have to go see a doctor directly after work, I don't want you getting hurt more!"

Sol smiled brightly in response. "I will, promise."

"You better, dumbass, I still need you."

Ash fought the urge to flinch as a low hum echoed in their brain, a warning that a message was coming.

‘Will my sound manipulation work against the trackers? Give me an answer the next time I get a drink, I’m all good waiting.’

They continued to clean the table, looking up as two people, likely a couple, entered the bar and headed to the back, sitting down a few tables away from Beste.

Quickly, Ash scribbled out their reply to Beste's message.

'Sound manipulation should work. The issue would be timing. August checks everything at the end of the day, so any sudden or drastic change will be picked up on.'

They then headed over to take the couple's order before intentionally taking the long way around to subtly and silently dropping their response in Beste's lap, never looking at them as they did so.

“Yeah, I guess… I still say it’s fun though. Plus, we wouldn’t have half the inventions or information that we have now if we didn’t.”

Kostas nodded in response to that. It was true enough, after all.

“Great! Sci-fi it is! Oh- I think I’ve seen ads for ones that were supposed to come out… End of Sunshine and… Paragon Ticking? I think those were the names… No, I’m not always here, remember? Sometimes I have those out of the blue calls to other cities. By the way, did you ever start the journal you were going to start after your procedure?”

Kostas nodded again, thinking before answering in his normal, broken-up manner. "Yes, I believe I've seen previews for those. I'll look up the times of the showings. Is there one you would prefer to see over the other? Ah, yes, I suppose it would be best for you to keep them then. Perhaps try setting an alarm to remind you to take them? That may prove helpful."

He hesitated at the mention of the journal. Yes, he had said that, hadn't he? So why hadn't he done it, then? He'd thought about it a few times, but he'd never actually... He'd never actually managed to make himself do it.

Kos himself didn't understand why. It was just a journal, it wasn't that hard, just a few notes throughout the day, he did that all the time! He was supposed to be reliable, and yet, for some reason any time he thought about anything regarding the procedure he hit a wall, a confusing, useless wall. One that he didn't understand in the slightest.

Realizing that he hadn't answered in what must have been a minute, perhaps even two, Kostas shook his head slightly and cleared his throat, careful not to let any of his strain or confusion show in his voice or expression.

"Ah, I... It must have slipped my mind. I apologize Irfam."

It was a lie, but, in this instance, a lie was far better than the truth. Perhaps anytime that the truth couldn't be determined or explained with facts or experiments then a lie was better. This is because facts and experiments could be backed up with concrete reasoning. Experiments may be unpredictable, but they produced results that could be questioned and then explained later on. This was different. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't scientific, and it wasn't an experiment. It was confusing and unpredictable without any clear result. There was no proper reasoning for it. It was just there. An invisible wall that caused Kostas endless amounts of stress, confusion, and doubt. It was horrible.

February 3, 2023 03:53 PM

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Promachus Gabriel Valiant | Male | 28 | Demi-Sapiosexual | Ambi | Enforcer Fector | 2nd Command | 3ft Aura/Strategize/Alter Gravity | Mentions; Amos

“Well, at least they're minor. And I'm sure we can handle whatever things may come up. This wouldn't be the first time we had a close call, now would it?”

Promachus nodded in agreement, glancing up at Amos. “It certainly wouldn’t. Do we want to look at the list of suspects first or simply get right into the information on the case?”

He looked at the folder again, opened to the first page. Really though, the first page was more of a title. A reminder of what area of the case was behind it. DEBRIEF was written in large, thick, bold letters. The sheet it was written on top of was pure white, though there was a date at the bottom, much smaller than the title, to tell them when it had first started being written.

Usually, other than simple skimming, Promachus preferred to go to the area that contained the suspects. Usually though, those were in the last area, for an easier time remembering where to find them. Especially since any evidence they found was supposed to go into the middle, an easy way to navigate the folder.

*~*~*~*

Beste Kusan Wiam | AMAB Pangenderflux | 26 | Pansexual | Ambi | Traveler Gration | Chief Communications | 10ft Aura/Message/Sound Manipulation | Mentions; Ash

The one named Sedric nodded at him, “That’s cool. We were planning to meet a few people today anyway, actually.”

Beste nodded, immediately intrigued. Especially as the one introduced as Amaryllis elbowed Sedric, sending a sidelong glance.

“That’s pretty cool. This is your usual place to meet new people then?” They grinned at the group, casual and friendly.

Zaley looked over, seeming a bit more cautious. “Yeah. Usually Fel’s twin is here too though. So it’s just us five today.”

“Well, meeting in a bar has got to be the best place.” The group’s auras were all fairly open, Amaryllis and Zaley seemed to be the most closed off of them. But Beste was good at this kind of thing, one reason she managed to snag a high rank. Along with his abilities, obviously.

Corisande spoke again, “Yep! It’s great fun.” At the same time, Beste noticed Ash’s aura coming back in, and glanced towards the couple sitting a few tables away. Just out of reach of their aura. It’d be fine, especially if her ability worked.

“I bet it is! Do you guys only come for meetings then?” A paper slipped into his lap, right on cue as Ash walked past. Beste glanced down at it subtly, reading it while continuing to listen to any responses.

‘Sound manipulation should work. The issue would be timing. August checks everything at the end of the day, so any sudden or drastic change will be picked up on.’

Amaryllis ended up being the one to respond this time, voice somewhat tight-knitted. “We’re usually just hanging out. The ‘meetings’ aren’t really actual meetings anyways.”

Beste looked up, nodding. Near the back of their mind, she realized that Ash hadn’t actually ever seen the extent of his sound manipulation. This gig just got easier though, since they could just shift the group’s wavelengths so only they could hear each other, a change that would leave the trackers completely on the blind side for the conversation. The group had definitely scored with him, and they grinned proudly. Confidence spilling. “You know, that’s still really cool.”

And then, with a split second of time, she switched on his sound manipulation. “What were the meetings about? Just wonderin’.”

Skeptic glances were sent around, Corisande spoke next. “Not much. Besides, kinda only our business.”

Beste nodded, slow and careful, “Don’t worry, gang. The trackers ain’t got nothin’ on my ability.” They gave a winking smirk, Sedric’s own features twitched up into a grin.

“One moment then, Corisande, can you change the words outside of it? I’ll make the lips match.” Corisande nodded with a small grin, and Sedric continued. “Any conversation preferences?”

Beste smiled, huge score. “Hm.. How about favorite cocktails? Mine’s the sunrise mimosa.”

Corisande nodded, “Great choice… So, guessing you heard from the group we’re meeting today about what we’re all planning?”

Beste shrugged with a smirk, “Nope. Just had a feeling, ya know, with my naturally 10 foot aura.”

Felines snickered, grinning. “Ah man, that’s great. We just seemed the best audience to ya?”

“Basically, man. So, what are you guys plannin’ anyways?” This was going to be good. Probably. Hopefully. Definitely.

*~*~*~*

Irfam Oryam Ellery | AMAB Demi-Boy | 29 | Apothi-Apresexual | Ambi | Caste Exempt | Soon Chief STEM | Vary Aura/Power Blueprint/Unexpected Success/Fire Walls | Mentions; Kostas

“Yes, I believe I've seen previews for those. I'll look up the times of the showings. Is there one you would prefer to see over the other?”

Irfam hummed in though and then shrugged, “Not really. I can’t really remember the trailers at all for either one.” They gave a nervous chuckle, it was probably fine. The two would figure it out. Probably. Or they just wouldn’t go and Irfam wouldn’t have to deal with eyes staring into the back of their head. Either choice seemed fine.

“Ah, yes, I suppose it would be best for you to keep them then. Perhaps try setting an alarm to remind you to take them? That may prove helpful.”

He shrugged, half-hearted, missing a day wasn’t that big of a deal to him. The importance was always lost on him. Like much of everything else. “Alarms are lame, but maybe. It’s whatever, Kos. I’ll figure something out, it can't be that hard.”

Of course, they didn’t mention how this wasn’t the first time the two had had this conversation. Didn’t mention how it wasn’t the first time they’d misplaced the medication and ended up having to refill early. At this point, if they ever cleaned up enough to find all of the misplaced bottles, they were sure to have enough to just end their fucking misery already. Or last a few weeks or whatever else wasn’t as sad as the first idea, or pathetic actually since sad didn’t quite fit. No one would miss them, or be sad they were gone, after all. And why would they? It wasn’t like they’d ever been… Well. Anything.

His eyes snapped back to Kostas from where he’d been staring at the floor as his friend spoke. Maybe Kos would miss him? If it was even possible anymore… Honestly, he hoped that it wasn’t.

“Ah, I... It must have slipped my mind. I apologize Irfam.”

“You’re all good, bud. No worries. We both know how many times I’ve forgotten to do something.” They noticed the tension, fuck anyone who said they didn’t. Or couldn’t. Which, yeah, okay, sometimes they didn’t. Sometimes they couldn’t read a room for shit. But well, they’d known Kos for a while. They noticed. So, joking about something that was probably a lot more serious than they’d ever admit, than they would ever want to admit. They added, tone light and casual without missing a beat, “And we both know that those times almost always end in some sort of boom.”

February 5, 2023 05:09 PM

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“It certainly wouldn’t. Do we want to look at the list of suspects first or simply get right into the information on the case?”

Amos hummed softly, silently debating which would be better. On one hand, he kind of wanted a general overview of the case first, that way they could try to identify suspects on their own and potentially rule out others. On the other hand, it may be better to identify the suspects first and then work their way through the information, that way, when a familiar name or area popped up, it could help build a scene.

Sighing, Amos shrugged. "Let's look at suspects first and build up from there." They suggested. Either way would be fine, so he didn't care too much, but they were also aware that throwing around an 'I don't care, you decide,' would do nothing but slow them down, and slowing down was about the last thing Amos wanted at the moment.

Besides, with his power, all of the information, no matter what order, would be stored picture-perfectly in their memory, and Amos was free to move things around as he pleased in their own head, so whatever they decided, it would work out fine.

Sol and Chery fell into their normal pattern of work, the only thing missing was their usual chatting and banter. Now, things were close to silent, only the occasional whir of a machine or beep of an oven ever breaking through. It made Sol uneasy, especially since he was well aware that Chery kept glancing at them, obvious suspicion in her eyes.

It also didn't help that he kept seeing shadows run across the room and felt an occasional tap on the shoulder or tug on the sleeve. Actually, that made things a dozen times worse.

"Hey, Sol?"

Sol barely managed to keep from jumping when Chery's voice spoke up. "Yeah?" He said, maybe a little too quickly. Chery didn't seem to catch on though, eyes focused on where she was molding dough.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong... Right?"

Sol looked away quickly, hesitating. "Of course."

"You're sure?" Even without looking, Sol could tell his friend was staring at them now. "The... the things... they aren't back, are they?"

The young baker bit the inside of their cheek, panic starting to rise in his chest. They shouldn't have told Chery about... about that in the first place. It was a mistake. A mistake that Kano pressured them into. Damn it. "No." It took a lot of effort to keep his voice from shaking.

"Sol, I just want to help, if-"

"I'm fine, Chery!" Sol snapped, the words coming out harsher than they meant them to. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Sorry, I just... I'm fine, okay, don't worry about it."

"I am worried about it, though! I'm worried about you, Sol, I don't want you to have to go through something like... like that again!"

Sol put down the piping that they were holding and turned to face Chery, tears stinging his eyes. "I said I'm fine, okay, so just... drop it."

Chery took a step forward, reaching out a hand. "No, Sol, you aren't, and that's okay. Just let me help you!" He hand closed around Sol's wrist and they flinched, pulling back. As he did so, they didn't miss the flash of surprise and fear in his friends eyes, which flicked quickly to the side. When Sol followed her gaze, their eyes landed on the knives hanging on the wall, and he froze, pain quickly rising in his chest.

"You're scared of me." Their voice was quiet and full of hurt as he stared at Chery.

"No," Chery quickly shook her head, stepping toward Sol again. "No, no, Sol, I'm not."

The tears threatened to overflow and Sol quickly pulled his apron off, turning towards the door. "No, it's fine. I-I think I'll go ahead and leave early after all, I'm not feeling well. I'll go to the doctor. See you tomorrow, Chery."

"Sol-"

"Goodbye."

He didn't wait for a response before grabbing their things and hurrying out of the bakery, quickly pulling out their phone and shooting a text to Beste. 'Change of plans, I'm off work early, I'll get the groceries.'

No cute name-calling or association, no heart, just the message, short and to the point. It hurt to much to do anything else right now.

After delivering the drinks to the couple, Ash looked around. Buisness seemed to slow even further, which wasn't too big of a surprise considering the time, and there was no work left to be done. Instead, Ash watched as Beste spoke to the group in the corner. They hadn't received another message, so Beste had probably decided that sound manipulation would work well enough.

Which was fair, Ash probably hadn't seen the full extent of their power anyway, so it made sense.

"You know them?"

It took all the effort they had not to flinch at August's voice next to their good ear. They shook their head quickly, facing Auggie as he leaned on the counter, eyes narrowed and following Ash's gaze.

"Hm. Well you're sure staring a lot."

"S-sorry." Shit. They should have been paying more attention.

"Mind your stuttering, babe. What about him caught your eye?"

"Yes, sir... Sorry." Ash replied, struggling to get the words out as their chest constricted with familiar pain. "Nothing, I was... just... interested in... their game." Truely a terrible excuse, Ash seriously need to get better at lying.

August huffed out a laugh, obviously unconvinced. "What, are they gambling or somethin'? Just looks like a card game to me. People play all the time in here, you know that." Auggie's eyes flicked over to Ash, glaring at them intensely. "Did they perhaps catch your eye because of their, say, looks? I noticed you were quick to tend to them when they first arrived as well."

Ash's chest tightened to the point where it was extremely painful to even breathe. They hated that tone.

"No... sir..."

August clicked his tongue and looked back to Beste and the rest of the group. "Well, I couldn't judge you, could I? They do look quite good." Ash tensed further, digging their nails into their palms. "But, then again, I would have some right to be upset to see you eyeing someone else, wouldn't I? After all, we've been in a relationship for several years now..." He trailed off, glaring at Ash for a moment longer before breaking into an easy grin. "But, of course, I don't think I should worry. You've never been disloyal to me."

He reached over and grabbed Ash's collar, kissing them forcefully before letting go and smiling sweetly. "Now, why don't you sweep. It couldn't hurt."

"Yes... sir..."

They only relaxed slightly when August turned and started wiping down the bar, grabbing the broom and beginning to sweep. That was far too close.

“Not really. I can’t really remember the trailers at all for either one. Alarms are lame, but maybe. It’s whatever, Kos. I’ll figure something out, it can't be that hard. You’re all good, bud. No worries. We both know how many times I’ve forgotten to do something. And we both know that those times almost always end in some sort of boom.”

Kostas nodded, yet again responding in a broken-down manner. "Very well, we can decide which one based on showing times then. I wouldn't consider alarms lame, they're simply a tool we can use, but, if you are able to figure something out, which I'm well aware you are capable of, then I will leave that up to you. So long as you do remember to take your medicine." He let out a quiet sigh, and smiled slightly at Irfam's last statement. "Thank you, Irfam. And a boom isn't always bad, some of the best results are achieved through some sort of explosion. Though, you already know that."

He thought for a moment before adding. "Though I would appreciate some caution when it comes to the explosions."

February 9, 2023 07:25 PM