Man Made Gods [IC]-Signups open as of 09/14/2021

SilverPaw · Aug 7, 2021

Hiding in the warehouse, peeking out from beneath his hiding spot, Julian was a child, watching the adults take care of the difficult things. Thankfully, he wasn't the type whose pride would be injured by requiring to be saved. Surprisingly, neither was he embarrassed nor irked by his own incompetence. When the reinforcements arrived, he only had the distant thought that that was probably good.

The mantle of artificial calm emanating from his Daemon was nearly suffocating – or it would be, if Julian were capable of recognizing such distinctions just then. As it was, he was dazed, almost as if he were sedated. Each movement was like wading through thick syrup, and though his thoughts raced ahead, analyzing various minutiae, he wasn't sure if he was taking things in properly. He was memorizing properly, and could react properly – as evidenced when he refused a weapon and denied needing medical attention – but there was something missing.

He was operating as if this were an entirely mundane, everyday activity, the kind that faded from awareness with each passing minute. Though even compared to that, there was no…no boredom. In fact, there was nothing. A stark emptiness, void of–of emotion, Julian realized with a distinct lack of surprise, alarm, or even intrigue at the discovery. He just…was. When prompted, he followed their rescuers, trudging along the path to the sanctuary.

Upon entering the reception area, he was met by a veritable avalanche of cats. Well, to be truthful, most of them were stationary, with only a few moving towards them with their tails raised. They were all purring though. Oh. We're safe. With that, it was as if a switch had been flicked, and Julian broke out of the enforced apathy. He gasped as he clutched at his head, eyes closing automatically, sensations flooding him.

He recalled the loudness of it all, the screeching of the vehicle, angry voices, a nightmarish sight, grotesque and bloody, the slavering hounds chasing them as they got more and more lost among the labyrinthian streets…it'd been as death itself had been on their heels, as if he'd been firmly in its grasp, not yet quite aware that he was already dead…Julian whimpered–but then, the buildup of panic was broken neatly through by the purring.

It centered him–shifted his perspective and emotional state so very gently, he nearly didn't notice it. He became aware of his body; alive, breathing, sweaty, heart pounding comfortably against his ribcage. He ached, he was scared, but he was there. He was uninjured, and–not well, true, but he could be, would be. That mattered.

Rubbing his temples, Julian sighed, and approached a couch. He toed off his shoes, promptly slumped into the seating area, and curled up into a ball. He was flush to the backrest as he hugged his knees to his chest, and concentrated on his breathing. He was tired; exhausted, really. He closed his eyes, and gave himself some time to simply relax. The minor trembling he'd previously been unaware of gradually subsided, and his heart rate returned to normal. He napped, just like one of the many cats around.

Jellybeans was the one to stir him from his drowsy rest. "Cognitive altering?" he questioned, untangling from his ball and stretching. He followed the cat when it left, putting his shoes on as he went, and knelt down next to where it curled up. "Jellybean? I think…my Daemon did something similar that you and your fellows do. Or…I did, with their help? I was panicked, and then it just…all emotion cut off. It wasn't so…it didn't have the finesse of this," he waved a hand at the purring Daemons, "but it helped, kind of. Could you teach me – us? – how to do it like you do? Or is your skill a specialized one that only a specific kind of Daemon can attain?"

*

When their boss arrived, Julian was still chatting lowly to Jellybean. Noticing her arrival, he said, "Ah, thank you. Let's continue this talk later, shall we? I've got questions for the boss too," he explained quietly. Then he stood up, brushed off his trousers, then nearly stumbled at a leonine Daemon's arrival.

Warily circling around the large being – who, if the petting was to go by, was the madame's Daemon partner – he returned to the couch, and settled upon it comfortably. He waited politely till the boss said her piece. It took a few moments, though Julian couldn't quite judge if the silence was uncomfortable, awkward, or anticipatory on the boss' and the others' parts. As for him, he didn't mind sitting there placidly.

When she finally apologized, Julian nodded serenely. "Well. The cat Daemons do help," he stated. "I did want to know though if those were the usual kind of enemies we're to expect."

Elle Joyner · Aug 9, 2021

Lucy

"Do you really honestly think the answer to that matters?" Swinging her legs down from where she had perched on the back of one of the couches, careful not to dislodge the feline creatures curled up there, Lucy looked to the timid young man whose voice had broken through the permeating silence. The question that followed their woeful leader's skillful, yet hollow justification seemed fair enough, yet something about it… about all of their reactions had stirred within her a mild irritation that struck out now like a viper on the heels of his uneasiness.

"Don't think we signed up to a fair fight, here, Sugar. And I don't wager anyone here's gonna lose too much sleep if we end up like that thing out there, someday." She hadn't gotten a good look at it, but even the brief glance had been enough to reveal the mutated horror that had once been a person, haphazardly pieced together like a Frankenstein creation. It wasn't hard to surmise, even if she still didn't have half a clue what hot mess she'd signed up for, that that same thing could happen to any one of them at any moment.

"Is there some kind of lodging situation here?" The question came abruptly after her interjection, and shifting off the couch entirely, she stretched one arm across her chest, rubbing a kink out of her shoulder with the opposite hand, "Sort of between places, right now, and something a little less… cardboard would be real nice."

Cautiously, and almost impulsively, she glanced up to the only familiar face among the crowd in the reception area before returning to Loretta with an expertly trained indifference belying the hopeful nature of her words, "Maybe with a shower?"

TAGS || @Ramjammer - Mentioned | Allister, Interaction | Lorette, @SilverPaw - Interaction | Julian

SilverPaw · Aug 10, 2021

Julian startled, bewildered at the strange woman who was so keen on misunderstanding his intention. "The name is Julian, not Sugar," he corrected, shifting on the couch to be more comfortable, though he did not quite turn to face her. He did not address the suspicion that no one would care if they died or not, because he did not know either way.

However, he doubted Apex was so lackadaisical regarding their personnel's lives – even from a purely pragmatical outlook, it would make no sense to waste resources needlessly. Especially not resources that consisted of well-trained guards (nearly soldiers, from what he'd seen, really) who each had a bond to fickle supernatural beings.

"To answer your initial question; of course, it matters," Julian said, frowning into the middle distance as he gathered his thoughts. As the middle distance happened to contain numerous cats, the sight brought a slight smile to his lips. "I do believe in the 'know thy enemy' adage. After all, if we are to fight them, it would do to understand as much as possible about them. So, my issue is not the matter of fairness, but rather of ignorance," he explained neutrally.

After a brief hesitation, he added, "Also…I got the impression that even our superiors weren't quite expecting…that. Am I mistaken?" Though he did not look at Lorette either, it was clear enough this was another question for her.

Actually, based on a review of his memories of the–the before, he was certain there'd been a conversation between Lorette and Allister which revealed as much. He merely wanted to confirm if their initial impression that the enemy was not a Daemon – or at least not a kind of Daemon that they'd ever seen before – still held true.

Ramjammer · Aug 11, 2021

When Jellybean offered to answer any questions the bedraggled group might have had, they didn't expect anyone to take them up on their offer. The man's curiosity did not put the cat off in the slightest, as they genuinely enjoyed talking to people. But the Daemon well understood that their presence was typically required when someone was in a state completely unbefitting a normal conversation. Jellybean had expected the humans to distance themselves from everything going on around them after what they'd been through.

Rolling onto their side and looking at the man in full, the cat suddenly understood why the man approached them. His eyes held a certain look to them that was very familiar to Jellybean. They'd seen it often in the eyes of staff working within the labs, and within the Jackals as well. His thirst for knowledge was such that he was willing to cast aside all trepidation if it meant getting the answers to his questions that he so obviously craved. Fortunately for him, Jellybean was an expert in the exact field that garnered his interest. The cat decided that there was no harm in indulging him.

An ear flicked as the man stumbled through his questions. It was hard putting words to what you didn't quite understand, and so Jellybean remained patient. The cat stared up at Julian with vested interest from their spot on the floor and gave his words brief consideration.

"Cognitive Altering is a power that, as you might have guessed, alters the mental state of those under its effects." The cat said. "What you've described certainly fits the bill. But you haven't learned to channel properly yet, have you?" They asked rhetorically. Of course he hadn't. He'd only just arrived.

"The Daemon with you used their power to help you in whatever way it could. It sounds like it was trying to keep you calm the way we're doing now." The cat replied evenly. Jellybean yawned and stretched indulgently before rolling onto their back. "As for teaching you, there are plenty of people here that are specialized in channeling Cognitive Altering powers. There's no doubt you'll be studying under such a person when you start here. So I wouldn't worry if I were you. You'll be channeling in no time." The Daemon offered kindly.

Jellybean forwent mentioning the negative effects of such a power. The man had been under enough stress as it was that evening, and he didn't need more added to his plate. Julian would have plenty of time to learn what a double-edged sword such a power could be. They didn't think the man was the type to abuse his newfound power or behave recklessly. If he was indeed anything like the many wisdom seekers that worked for Apex, he wouldn't be so quick to jeopardize the opportunity to learn as much as he could.

The cat's small, fuzzy ears perked up at the sound of a door opening, and they rolled over just in time to watch Lorette be swarmed by a small army of staff. Jellybean winced internally, knowing that she in particular would need tending to. Lorette hated appearing weak in front of others, but she'd learned a long time ago that the matter was non-negotiable from where Jellybean stood. Their help would not be ignored easily.

They craned their head back towards Julian as the man made his departure, and flapped a paw in a mimicry of a wave. "Bye-bye!" Fully satisfied that they'd been able to help, and that another cat was tending to Lorette Jellybean flopped lazily onto the floor and prepared themselves for a well-earned laze.

Lorette would receive no such opportunities to lie about without a care in the world. Especially when staring down a group of employees demanding answers. Her eyes darted between Julian and Lucy. The man was right to be concerned, and Lucy was right to be skeptical of their motives, more so Apex's concern for their wellbeing. But she hadn't gotten where she was by needlessly throwing away valuable resources. Because that was what they were. Resources. Assets. All to be used at her leisure and for her own gain. Lorette was not one to mishandle the things that she owned. She was meticulous in spending those resources that were most difficult to get. And there were few things in the world harder to find than people who didn't have their own heads stuck up their asses.

The woman cleared her throat softly. Both out of necessity and to call attention to herself.

"You are right, in a sense. The level of threat that you witnessed is not uncommon in our line of work. But I'll admit that the danger was increased because we never saw it coming, and so we weren't prepared to deal with it. Typically, these things are assessed, and we send a properly equipped team to deal with it."

Lorette fought the sudden urge to chew her bottom lip nervously. An old habit she'd given up a very long time ago. In the world she lived in, a person's face could not reveal too much about their inner state. She'd gotten very good at keeping her mask in place, but it didn't lessen the nervousness she felt.

"But, the exact threat we witnessed. That is new." She admitted blandly. "I won't stand here and lie to you. We've had things breach containment before. If not here, then in our overseas locations. But we've always been able to keep them from reaching the outside." She continued.

"You're welcome!" An armored guard shouted from across the room, causing a round of laughter to erupt among their coworkers. Lorette exhaled through her eyes and valiantly fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Whatever that thing was, it was something we've never seen. But whatever it was, we will identify it. And we will contain it." She said sternly. Despite never allowing room for error, they always slipped in. And so Lorette worked ceaselessly to correct them. Whatever Grant had become, she'd figure out what it was and how it came to be. And then she'd figure out a way to effectively kill it. There were more, she knew it. There had to be. And she could not commit herself to rest until a means of dealing with it was devised.

She glanced at Lucy and frowned slightly. Lorette could not help the minor offense she took at the woman's perception of her and Apex. But, she knew it was one they'd effectively earned that night. What else was the other woman supposed to think after nearly being killed? And that wasn't even getting into the fact that Lorette had killed what used to be an employee. The people in front of her weren't stupid. They had to have understood the implications of Lorette's decision to engage with the thing that Grant had become. And yet....

"You're right. They won't be losing sleep if something happens to you. Because that's my job. I do not pay them, nor will I be paying you to stress over the fallout of any decisions I make. That kind of luxury is well above your paygrade."

She huffed out a bitter laugh. "Leave the grave digging to the people on the top floor."

A presence at her immediate right drew her gave briefly to reveal Allister's approach. The man was still covered in the blood of whatever he'd killed, but he'd attempted to straighten himself out. Lorette both hated and envied the man's ability to keep an air of regality about him, even after soaking his hands in blood. Whatever his secrets on how he managed to do so, he was unwilling to part with them.

He passed Lorette her phone wordlessly, and she tucked it back into her jacket with a frown. She would not be sleeping in her own bed, that much was certain. Something that her husband was sure to hate. The only thing that lessened her apprehension at facing him come morning was the fact that he understood just what she was dealing with.

Lucy's voice pulled her from her dour thoughts, and Lorette's stare became a touch more critical.

"I am well aware of your 'situation', Ms. Striden." She said curtly. Eyes flicking towards Allister, Lorette nodded almost imperceptibly to him.

"Mr. Schoen will see you all home. You." There she paused and affixed Lucy with a withering glare. "Will be put up in a hotel until we can find more permanent housing for you. Collect whatever belongings you have and Allister will drop you off. All of your Daemons will remain on site. You may retrieve them if you come back tomorrow." She stated with a heavy sense of finality. The ball was officially in their court. Whatever happened afterwards was completely up to them.

Allister was not as keen on hiding his emotions as Lorette was and rolled his eyes. He was often stated to have a flair for the dramatics, but the man preferred to think of himself as someone who didn't beat around the bush.

"Of course they'll be back. They always come back."

They'd only just scratched the surface of the mystery surrounding Apex, after all. No one could resist such a thing. They could resist the draw of newfound power even less. Allister couldn't remember the last time someone had declined Lorette's offer. People always liked to pretend that they didn't care for the unknown. Either through fear, or a lack of interest. But he knew better. People were nosy as shit. And if there was drama brewing, they'd at least want to stick around and watch from the sidelines.

"Oh, uh." Allister began as if suddenly remembering something. "All of you will need to tell me where you live so that I can get you there. I promise that this time, I won't be crashing into anything." He offered lamely.

That LARP Guy · Aug 13, 2021

'This was a great idea!' Rowan reached across the seat and retrieved another energy drink, tossing his finished one over his shoulder. Both the 'Jolt' and 'Energy' in 'Jolt Energy' were underwhelming to say the least. The feeling he was chasing just was not there. With a sigh Rowan took the next exit and pulled into a gas station for the purpose of stretching his legs. Two pumps and a small station with a sign that said 'closed' dangling from the boarded-up window.

He let out a drawn-out yawn before taking a walk around the car, an old Corolla on it's last wheel. The weekend was amazing but had left him drained. Everyone gave him a fantastic send-off event, though Rowan just wished he had forced himself to get more sleep. That is the nature of LARP; stay up all night, play all day, wait a month and do it all again.

Rowan let out another, more exasperated, sigh and forcefully hit the roof of the small silver car. Just two more hours and he would be there - with a full thirty minutes to spare before the time he was given. 'Better get back to it.'

Getting back into the driver's seat he shifted uncomfortably and went to start up the car. Click, click, click, click, click… Rowan tried again. Click, click, click, click… At this point, the panic began to set in. Rowan could feel his heart racing and blood pumping. Taking a few deep breaths he looked at the dashboard. 'It was all lighting up but the car was just not starting!'

'What do I do! It lights up, but doesn't start? What the hell! Why now!?'

Suddenly something dawned on him. 'Wait, this is not a big deal. I have dealt with this before, I can do this.' Rowan attempted to talk himself down and took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. Leaning under the driver's seat he popped the hood and walked to the front. 'It's the starter. I can fix this - I have fixed this before - It has to work!'

Lifting the hood he knew just where to look. 'Just do what dad told you. Driver's side of the motor, just past the cylinders.' Rowan had a bit of trouble but finally managed to find it. Heart still racing Rowan tapped the starter, hard. Eagerly he returned to his seat and tried once again… only clicking.

'Alright… Alright, maybe it just was not enough force. Try something harder.' Rowan practically dove out of the car and flung the trunk open. He almost gagged from the stench. "Ohh Shit! I can't believe I left this stuff here! Awe mannn." Pushing aside the chainmail and LARP gear he went into the trunk headfirst. 'Come on, come on!'

Sifting through the sweaty clothes and armor he finally found it. The small box of tools his dad always forced him to keep on hand. 'Thanks for this one dad.' Banging his head on the way out, he ran to the front of the car and once again found the starter. This time he hit it with a small wrench.

This has to work! Click, click, click, click… "No!!! How can this be happening!" Rowan laid on his horn before hitting his head into the steering wheel. "Ughhhh!"

After another five minutes of looking up solutions online, Rowan finally broke down and made the call. "Dad - Hey so… The car won't start… Yes I tried that. I did that too! No, I don't know anyone. I don't have time for that! You will? Oh… Yeah… I don't know how to do that! I- Dad. Come on!"

The conversation ended as fast as it had begun and Rowan threw the phone into the passenger seat in frustration. Soon he picked up the phone again and made another difficult call. The mix of emotions was almost overwhelming. Rowan swallowed with some difficulty and dialed the numbers. "He- Hello. Yes this is Rowan Barton. I- I was supposed to be there at… Yeah the evening group. Look- I uh. I am having car trouble and I won't make it in time."

"900 am. Don't be late Mr. Barton."

"Uh- yes. Of- Of course." He hung up the phone with the feeling of dread rising. With a deep breath, Rowan centered himself and went to furiously typing on the phone. Grabbing the few belongings he needed from the car Rowan locked the car up and went to the bus stop. 'Bus it is… this is not how I imagined the day going…'

The bus took entirely too long to get here - Rowan showed the bus driver the ticket from his phone and took a seat near the back. 'Great… a two-hour drive turns into a five-hour bus ride…' At least he was prepared; Rowan retrieved his Switch from his backpack and booted up a game. This will keep him entertained for a few hours, hopefully.

By the time the bus arrived Rowan was clutching his backpack and struggling to stay awake. Dragging himself out of the bus he looked around and gained new energy. Rowan had never been to the city. It was almost eleven at night and people were still out. At this time back home the only thing open was fast-food restaurants and a couple of bars. The lights and sounds were almost too much to process. With his head spinning he made his way down the busy streets.

Thankfully the hotel his parents helped him book was not far. That fact should make tomorrow fairly easy. While waiting at a crosswalk Rowan booked his ride for the next morning. Once checked in Rowan set his backpack down next to the bed and immediately went to sleep - caring not for the problems of the day.

Waking up bleary-eyed, Rowan went about the morning routine he formulated on the fly. Brush teeth, shower, shave and get dressed. Opening the backpack revealed his clothes were rather wrinkled. Panic mode once again kicked in as he realized his ride would be there in twenty minutes. He ironed furiously to squash as many wrinkles as possible before putting on his clothes. Taking one last look in the mirror before leaving the dress pants and long sleeve button up were looking pretty good. One more last-minute adjustment to the pre-tied Windsor knot and Rowan was out the door.

The Uber driver's car smelled like a mix of cigarettes, booze, and sadness, but who was Rowan to judge. Despite the man's unfriendly attitude he still gave the driver four stars. After all he was finally here; Apex Implementations whose company grounds were much larger than Rowan had expected. The driver drove away as Rowan became more and more aware of the anxiousness he was experiencing. Suppressing his nerves, Rowan stepped forward towards the building with as much confidence as he could muster.

Vec · Aug 17, 2021

The northern suburbs of Arnvista were always gloomy in the mornings. Despite most of those neighborhoods being among the most affluent in the city and despite all the money thrown at gardening, road maintenance and general community projects aimed at improving the areas, the weather was still one hurdle that could not be overcome.

Alex peered through the window blinds at the moving crew as they were taking away his favorite recliner. It had been one of the first purchases he'd made after making bank the first time around - the amount of sitting time that recliner had racked up had been quite a lot considering the limited leisure time he usually allowed himself. As he turned and looked at the, now, empty apartment that used to be his own, a complicated - almost bitter - feeling arose within him. It had been three years since he'd been released from jail, five since his sentence and seven since...

Alex walked once more around the empty house, taking in the sight of it one final time. "Huh..." It'd just then dawned to him just how similar of a layout the apartment had to his former home. The door opening into a wide area; living room on the right; kitchen on the left; and a hallway right across the door leading inwards, towards the bathrooms and bedrooms. It seemed like, deep down subconsciously, Alex still sought for the comfort of his old home. "No..." A deep sigh echoed out, bouncing off the walls of the apartment. "It's not the house..." he whispered to no one before closing the door and walking away.

Evening. Day before Orientation.

Alex rubbed the glass of his phone once more to remove a smudge and continued reading the e-mail. Apex had approved his motion to extend his orientation for 1 more day, something that both relieved and surprised him. The company were not known to be forgiving to newcomers; indeed, either be on time or don't be there at all was a philosophy he had learned to appreciate.

"9 am, ok." He nodded absentmindedly and closed his phone, putting it back in his pocket.

"Mr. Melas?" A bespectacled secretary called out from the desk in front, prompting Alex to stand from where he sat and approach. The dark bags under her eyes and the haggardness in her voice betrayed her youthful aura and smile; "Life's too short to lose sleep over a job missy," Alex would say but he'd also found himself in the same spot, multiple times over, so he could relate.

"Mr. Duke will see you now," she told him whilst handing him a folder. "Just to the room in the right, you won't miss it." Alex could swear he heard her mumble something as he walked away but chose to ignore it. Maybe she didn't like Mondays. Who didn't like Mondays?

The secretary was right, it was practically impossible to miss the office. If the ubiquitous smell of tobacco wafting through the corridor did not clue one in, then the damn big letters across the windowed door would - DAVID D. DUKE, DETECTIVE.

Mr. Quadruple D.

Alex could think of a few jokes about that name, but held it in and simply knocked. He heard something shuffle inside before a man nearly 2 times his age opened the door. Dressed in a plain white collared shirt with the sleeves half-rolled up, dark brown khakis with suspenders and shiny, black dress shoes; the man looked like he'd come straight from a wedding and, if not for the ruffled hair and accompanying coffee he was holding, was ready for the after party - or had just come from one.

"Alex Melas? Come on right in." After a quick handshake the man motioned for Alex to enter and take a seat, himself sitting on a large - and quite comfortable from the looks of it - executive chair.

"Ah, wait" the man gestured with one hand and reached down on his side of the desk with his other, searching for something. After a minute, he brought up a holder full of what seemed to be candy. He grabbed one, removed the wrapper and popped it in his mouth, savoring the taste.

"Cajetas," he said. "My wife's from Mexico; I always snatch some up whenever she decides to make sweets for the kids."

"Must be nice," Alex nodded with a faint smile.

"Oh, the candy? Yeah it's pretty good," Duke agreed.

"Having a home to return, family to look after you. Must feel nice," Alex continued as if he hadn't heard the man.

The detective turned serious upon hearing these words, internally slapping himself for the blunder. "Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly, sitting up in his chair and taking a more involved stance. "I've read your file, your story is terrible, just horr-"

"Spare me the sentiment, Mr. Duke. I'm here because some people I trust vouched for your skills in handling cases like these. I also paid quite the sum already on retainer fees, so I assume you've done your part and researched the case before calling me here. I've been quite busy these last few days, so free time is really limited, even more so than usual. Ask me what you need to know. I will try to answer to the best of my ability; thus, I expect you to do the same with your investigative work."

To say that the man was taken aback by the sudden flurry of words would be an understatement. Duke remained silent throughout the whole thing, however, much to his credit. Once he was sure Alex was done, he shifted back in his seat and took a better look at the man in front of him.

Despite the, seemingly on-purpose, unkempt appearance - Alex's stubble, spiky, low cut hair and casual attire did not really scream 'important' - Duke knew that Alex had quite the pull with certain powerful people. His case was a tough nut to crack, however, and it was one of the few times that he wasn't 100% about going forward with it. He needed more information, preferably from the man himself hence the meeting.

"Okay, Mr. Melas," the detective said with a measured tone. He then took the case file that Alex had been given by the secretary, opened it and shuffled through a couple of pages before laying it on the desk between them.

"I want you to recount again, if you can, the events of that night, from your point of view."

Morning. Orientation Day.

Light rays peeked through the window blinds, reflecting off the surfaces of furniture, striking the bedroom's walls only to get absorbed by the muted gray paint. At the center of the room, a large bed rocked gently as the body on top shifted around under the sheets.

First right, then left. The man started breathing a little heavier. Legs kicking out, as if to shoo away a nuisance. Sweat slowly started to accumulate on his forehead, which dampened the pillow under his head as he moved it. Under closed lids, the man's eyes darted around, a sign of REM sleep and, thus, dreams. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the man sat up with a cry of desperation that reverberated throughout the house.

Alex quickly brought himself under control, settling into his meditative practice of square breathing. It always helped calm himself down after a bad night's sleep.

He slowly slid off the bed and walked towards the bathroom where he went through his daily morning routine: toilet, cold shower and brushing teeth, then off to the kitchen for breakfast.

Now, usually Alex would take the time to make a full breakfast as he was a firm believer of the importance of the first meal of the day. Additionally, this day was special as it was the last day he would be living in this house, so all the more reason to go out with a bang - or in this case a munch - so to speak.

Nevertheless, he settled for a plain old PB & J sandwich, with coffee to go along with it. For some reason, the kid inside him craved some PB & J, and Alex wasn't about to say no to him. After taking a bite off the sandwich and a sip of coffee, he opened his laptop and checked out for any new e-mails; amidst the piles of scams, ads and other miscellanea, there was one, send by Jacob Isaacs, a friend and coworker of his.

Titled 'If you read this, call me', and just 'Title' as it's contents, it read more like a social media post than an e-mail; however, Alex gave Jacob the benefit of the doubt and called him up.

"Hey Alex, how's it going?" Jacob piped up from the other side of the line.

"Pretty good. I saw your mail, what's up?" Alex asked curiously.

"Look, I know you told us not to bother you..."

"Are you gonna bother me?" Alex said flatly before taking a bite off the sandwich. "Cause if it's about work, I'm already through with everything as far as I am concerned. Is this a friend call or a boss call, Jacob?"

"Weeeelllll- You're technically not my boss anymore, since the takeover is all but finalized at this point, but there's an issue-"

"I don't deal with issues anymore, call someone from the board." Alex interjected. He was starting to get annoyed at his friend at this point and so decided to end the call, but as he was about to do just that, Jacob managed to sneak in three words that froze Alex on the spot.

"Bridges is coming."

"Bridges? As in THE Bridges? George the Elder?"

"Yes, George Bridges. He apparently decided to visit the offices of the company he's about to buy out and check it out, so I thought it would be optimal for you to be here. Pronto." Alex could practically see the smug face Jacob must've been making at that point but decided to focus on the news.

"Okay, thanks Jake. What time is he coming?" Alex asked in a softer manner now. He was going to have to make amends for this, he knew it. Maybe a six pack could work. And some donuts. Yeah.

Evening. Orientation Day.

"You know," Jacob said between bites. "You handled that old man pretty good. Practically had him hang to every word you said. It's not gonna be the same without you steering the sales department."

Alex looked back at his friend with an almost astonished look on his face. "A compliment? From you? Where is Jacob and what have you done to him?"

"You killed him when you got promoted into his position," Jacob said matter-of-factly, the seriousness in his tone turning the atmosphere a little awkward.

"Uh, I thought we were behind that..."

Jacob stared at Alex dead-straight in the eye, then took a large swig out of his beer. "I'm joking buddy. There's always some truth to everything, however, and It stung for a good while after the fact."

Jacob then stood up and walked over to the end of the patio. His house stood close to the top of a cliff and thus had a pretty good view of the city below. "It stung, but it ended up better than expected for the company, and thus by extension, me. Linda is happy with our new home - and you know what they say: happy wife, happy life."

After taking in the sights for a few seconds, he turned back and looked at Alex, who was about to pour some beer for himself.

"You know, beside a coworker, I'm gonna be losing a pretty damn fine neighbor as well. You better make it good wherever you are going."

Alex raised his cup with a smile. "Aye, cheers to that."

starling · Aug 18, 2021

It had been a noticeable span of time before any more activity went on. The pair noticed that the guard made a couple of calls, both fairly brief, before making another. There was some hesitation on his part before dialing this last number. Whoever the recipient was, it was painfully obvious that he was on pins and needles to disturb them. He cleared his throat uncomfortably—a sound that was surprisingly loud against the quiet that had settled on the group—while the phone rang, and softly rapped his free fingers against the metal of his cuirass.

A moment later he stiffened for an instant then shifted his weight. "Boss, we got two people here at the gate hoping to gain entrance. One was supposed to be in the orientation, and we've got a member of staff out here without the right credentials. I wanted to ask if the drill was still ongoing."

Bethany looked up at the man as he waited for the recipient's reply. She was only vaguely aware of Kenji scuffing his shoe in a mix of impatience and boredom beside her, as her gaze bore into the guard with bated breath. The man shifted, and pulling the phone a bit away from his face beckoned them over.

"Mrs. Lècuyer for you. Be extra professional...if you catch my drift." He explained after they were in arm's reach, then extended his hand with the phone toward Bethany. However, with his obscenely fast reflexes, Kenji snatched the mobile and pushed it to his ear as he drew in a preemptive breath. His face flinched a bit and he swallowed before passing the device back to its owner a mere minute later. He thanked the guard and waved Bethany back to the car. Whatever had been said by the enigmatic CEO had thoroughly deflated Kenji's remaining urgency. They got back into the car wordlessly. Bethany's worry for her friend was pushed to the background of her thoughts as her mind raced over the implications of what she had seen.

Once back out on the main city road, Kenji broke the silence, "Bea...really sorry I messed things up. I'm going to make—"

"Kenji. It's fine. Really, don't worry about it." Bethany placed her hand atop his that rested on the gear shift. A placating gesture at best, she knew, but hoped it would quiet him for the moment. She needed space to think. Kenji's reply came as an exhalation and a reluctant nod.

After a brief interlude he explained that her new meeting time was 9 the next morning. "I'll take you, of course. We'll leave your place at 7:30 so there's no chance of being late. We'll get your fav breakfast on the way, and hang afterward. Just text me when you're done."

Bethany only nodded, letting her gaze turn to her window. Quiet cloaked them once more, to her inner delight. After seeing those streaks she knew had a lot of work to do that night. Enough that she hoped she had enough time to get through it before the morning returned.

They pulled up to her house, finishing the long quiet ride. Bethany gave her friend a hug and wished him a good night before running inside. Her roommates were eating dessert and watching a movie. Politely declining their offers to join them, she announced she was stealing the coffee maker for the night, took the machine and rushed up to her room.

Shutting the door behind her softly, she set the caffeine generator on her nightstand and let her eyes sweep over her workstation. She had her desk—a marred, thrifted writing table made of walnut, barely big enough for the 32 inch monitor she had on it. This monitor sat atop a docking station for her laptop and left just enough space for her wireless keyboard and mouse. Wrapping around her desk along the corner of the room were a pair of oak waist high bookcases, stuffed with books, binders, notebooks, and the occasional loose paper. Above these hung a pair of boards; one cork, the other marker. They were covered in her latest research, sprawled over print outs, post-its, scribbled notes...and yes, red string.

Bethany took a long breath, passively chewing on her lip while her eyes darted over the boards in uncertain concentration. She needed a plan of attack. Those white blurs had to be something. But what? The questions piled up to a boil in her mind before finally pushing herself into motion. Bethany crossed over to the boards and immediately went about clearing them, taking down her notes and sorting everything into cohesive piles. She erased and cleaned the white board and started her first pot of coffee.

"Alright...where to begin?" She cracked her knuckles while stretching her arms up over her head. "Music."

Donning her wireless headset, she quickly threw on Pandora and sat down on the floor surrounded by her piles. It only took a few minutes to get into her familiar rhythm. As flow kicked in, she was switching between notebooks, post-its and her laptop. Her piles grew and shifted, with new ones budding off and claiming ever more space on her floor. By around 1 in the morning, and two pots of coffee in, she had only one strip of floor by her bed free to pace on.

Her printer—an old black and white laser that Lord only knows how it still functioned—which she kept tucked under her desk had run out of toner and forced her to handwrite more. Though, she hardly noticed, as what was actually pulling her growing annoyance was hitting another dead end. Bethany had collected everything she had on named creatures; the rake, slenderman, ben, habit, bloody mary, the black-eyed children, and so on. Unfortunately, she had also ruled out most of them as possible suspects, so she was forced to search for new candidates.

The hours rolled by, with one search leading to the next, and the next. However, as she poured over articles, blogs, subreddits, twitter feeds, and the like, getting clues on things which only inevitably led to dead sites, or reports that "officially debunked" the postulated theories. Every time she started getting a bit of traction, it was quashed like a caught, repeating record.

It was beginning to be a tad too uncanny how many of these she came across. And all of it related to "monster" or similar paranormal sightings. Sure, she had come across such obstacles in the past, but now that her search area was specific to Arnvista downtown, Apex, and the immediate area...It was beginning to feel almost deliberate. A ridiculous thought she quickly banished. But why so viciously target fringe conspiracy theories and monster stories? Maybe someone inside the company knew something.

Bethany's eyes widened a bit. "Wait! Maybe someone in Apex has seen something!" She cried louder than intended. Her hand immediately covered her mouth and she stayed quiet to make sure her roommates hadn't been too disturbed. Seemingly in the clear, she sighed and returned her laptop to her lap. Pulling up everything officially released from Apex, Bethany made a written list of every author, commenter, twitter handle, anything that would lead to a person.

It surprised her how many names filled her list. Leaning back, she propped up her weight with her free hand as she drew the notebook a bit closer to reread.

"Over twenty names…? Really?"

Leaning back down to her laptop, she took the time to thoroughly double check her list. Despite losing a few names here and there, it still remained fairly long. Too long for it to be any kind of coincidence. Why was Apex allowing so much of their workforce to debunk or falsify these sorts of stories? Was this a rogue group in the company? A running prank or joke? But it was linked to some of the official company social handles and outlets. Heck, there were a few news reports from a year or so back with live interviews from Apex staff. What was going on?

Bethany quietly put on another pot of coffee as her eyes scanned over the mess—her research—covering her entire room. Though her gaze was unseeing as her mind was far too busy processing this new lead. The absence of the coffee maker's grumble stirred her back to the present. Pouring a fresh cup, she returned to her spot on the floor and went right back into digging; anything she could find on these people, even the smallest scrap was captured.

The early predawn pale seeped in through her window, triggered her to get up from her new perch in the corner where she leaned against the butted walls to switch off her light. It was just instinct that drove her to turn her lamp off while her focus remained glued to the notes in her hand. It wasn't until she paused to finish off the current coffee pot, that she realized she wasn't aware of the time. Pulling up her phone, the screen read 5:58 am in large white digits.

"Tch, and I stayed up all night again…'You need your sleep Bethany! Sleep deprivation leads to premature aging!'" She pantomimed her mother, leading to a soft snicker. A few moments later—mid sip, of course—the realization dawned on her. It was six in the morning. Nearly spitting out her drink she rushed over her papers to thunk her mug down on her night stand.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" She hurriedly went about gathering all her work together, not paying any heed to order for sake of speed. Getting about halfway done, she rushed out to get cleaned up for the day, and her orientation. Her goal was to leave well before Kenji would show up to take her. She didn't mean any slight to her friend, but she had to do this on her own.

As fast as she could, she was in and out of the shower, cleaned, and dressed. Her hair was hastily tied back in a wet bun. Not the greatest first-day look, but it would have to do. Collecting the remainder of her night long work, she put everything in an expandable file folder and rubber banded it shut. She was out the door and in her clunker-A-to-B car before half past six.

She grabbed breakfast (and yet another cup of coffee) on the way, pulling into the parking lot for Building C right around an hour later. An hour and a half early, certainly an improvement from completely missing yesterday. This time Bethany spent reviewing her findings and making any last minute finds that she could. It wasn't long before she was seated on her car's hood and papers spread all around her.

Another car pulling up drew her attention. She watched a young man step out and hesitantly step over toward the build's entrance. Bethany quickly put all her work away and slipped off the hood. She debated trying to fix up her hair a little better at seeing the newcomer dressed more professionally. Though she resigned herself to just go with how it was and crossed over to him.

"Uh..Good morning! Hi! I'm Bethany Atwood. Are you the orientation leader?" She introduced herself using her 'confident YouTuber' voice and held her hand out to him for a handshake.

@That LARP Guy

That LARP Guy · Aug 21, 2021

'Alright Rowan, you got this. Stay confident. Be who you want to be.' He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. This was the first real job that he had ever interviewed for. Rowan felt out of place, standing on Apex grounds and waiting for what he hoped to be the job of a lifetime. It was while he was lost in his own thoughts that Bethany approached him.

"Um - Hello! No... no my name is Rowan Barton. I am interviewing for a position today. You must be too - nice to meet you!" Rowan returned the handshake with a smile. The handshake lasts longer than he intended as the gears begin to turn.

"Wait... I recognize you from somewhere." He ends the handshake and puts a hand under his chin, "Hmmm-"

The knowledge was at the edge of his grasp - like a word you are struggling to remember or the name of a song that comes on the radio that somehow eludes you. Then it finally hit him - like a lightbulb turning on.

"You run a YouTube channel don't you! Yeah, yeah! You talk about all those monsters! I follow you on youtube!" He laughs and takes a step closer, "Super cool to meet you in real life. Awe man what if we both get to work here! That would be so cool! Why did you apply to Apex?"

Rowan got even closer and whispered, "Oh you think something going on?? The secret is safe with me don't worry. Wait do you really think something's going on?"

Elle Joyner · Aug 22, 2021

Lucy

That evening, Lucy had faced what was probably the greatest known horror in her entire existence. The swollen, flayed, mangled form of the former Apex employee mutated into some kind of monstrosity stuck in her brain. Even now… his twisted hounds chasing them through the streets, not something she was likely to forget anytime soon…

So it only made sense then that somehow sitting in the van with the one person she was hoping to never have to encounter on her own was somehow more terrifying than the blood-pounding nightmare they had been confronted with on the road. She'd found a seat in the back of the vehicle, hoping to blend in to the horribly bland upholstery. Unfortunately, one by one the others had been dropped off until sure enough it was just her and the familiar ghost from her past, and as silence more awkward than finding your grandma naked in a hot tub with your ex boyfriend settled, she found herself rolling back into the old bad habit of biting her cuticle, as she desperately avoided the eyeballs occasionally flickering up into the rear view mirror.

Eventually, however, the deepening sense of dreading the inevitable gave way to the slightly more pressing need to preserve even the slightest touch of pride and clearing her throat, she unbuckled and cautiously wound her way from the back of the van to the passenger side upfront. Swinging herself over the console and into the seat, she folded her hands in her lap, staring at the backs of them. "You look good, Allister…"

Well maintained brows raised almost incredulously. He kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to risk trashing another van.

"No, no I don't Lucille." He said grimly.

Allister released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and tried to relax his grip on the steering wheel. He'd known that eventually he would be forced to confront the woman. It was inevitable. That evening's events had been enough of a distraction. But soon enough, he had nothing to hide behind.

In all actuality, Allister had no idea how he was supposed to feel. Happy? Concerned? Confused and angry? He'd barely known Lucy despite running in the same circles, and one day she'd fallen off the map with nary a word. He'd admit to some curiosity concerning what had happened to her, especially when he considered what happened to Jerrod Pultrach. He supposed then that curiosity was at the top of his list of possible emotions concerning the woman.

"You seemed afraid back there." His eyes flickered briefly in Lucy's direction before returning to the road ahead.

"Before...what happened I mean. You were nervous even before you walked through the door and I'm curious as to why."

He braked gently at a red light and took the brief stop to turn his attention fully on Lucy. "What have you been up to that's bad enough you'd want to keep it from the Madame's gaze?"

Chuckling lightly, dryly, Lucy shook her head, "Your gaze, actually. Couldn't care less what the boss lady sees. Kinda figure she's the kind of person you don't get the privilege of secrets with… Just wasn't bankin' on any familiar faces, is all."

Looking up finally, her eyes shifted briefly to his, before turning to look out the window, watching the world of neon lights whiz by, "You heard about J-" A pause, a swallow, "About my dear brother, I'd assume? About what I did to that sick son of bitch..."

She didn't wait for confirmation. Everyone had heard about his accident. No doubt her foster mother had spun it into something poetic and brave… nothing that would quite take the sting away fully; quarter castration was still quarter castration, after all, but something that might shine a heroic light on her son and distract from certain unfortunate side effects… Defects.

"He found me. Few weeks ago. Been a few years. Few boxes of bleach. Thought I'd gotten away clean, built a name for myself down in the red lights… nothing a girl can be proud of, but it was money. One day he pops up, demanding to see me, so I grabbed what I could from backstage and took off. Guess I figured this kind of job offer would be far enough outside his circle… Then you show up at the door, and well, hell, here we are."

Shoulders bouncing in a noncommittal shrug, she untwisted her fingers from the strap of her bag, blood returning to the whitened knuckles, "You can turn me in if you. I know mother-dearest had some kind of reward going for my whereabouts. Maybe it's fate or something, all this happening. I'm just tired, you know?"

Even the threat of swerving off the road and crashing was just barely able to keep Allister from losing his composure. He almost felt guilty in a way. Here was a woman who'd spent years running from her crimes, wallowing in her own guilt. And once meeting him again those countless years later, she considered herself to be the worst person in the van. Allister wasn't sure if he should pity her naivete or scorn it. Regardless, he knew it was best to put whatever fears she had to rest. If only to keep her on the path set before her.

And perhaps, there was a smidgen of sympathy unfurling within him as well.

"How little do you think I'm paid?" He muttered in slight offense. "No reward your mother dangles overhead is worth the price of what you can offer to Apex. Lord knows Lorette hates losing. You're safe with us Lucy." He fell into contemplative quiet for a moment before smiling wryly.

"Or as safe as a person can be with us, all things considered."

He snorted, a rough and unamused sound. "If I'd known that you would have ended up here Lucy, I'd have told you to kill him and be done with it. It would have saved you years of running at least."

Arnvista was only slightly less busy in the dead of night than they were during the day. The night was still frightfully loud, however. The bustle on the sidewalks was without purpose. Few people had anywhere important to be, and so the crowds were aimless in their search for entertainment. Allister wondered how many Daemons were on the move in the shadows. Those less shy loved the dark of the night. It was the best time to scare an inattentive human for fun. And the best time to hunt should their tastes be of a more malicious kind.

Allister wondered if any more blood would be spilled somewhere out in the city's maze of alleyways and cramped side streets. He hoped not. He'd left Headquarters just as one of their storage units went up in smoke. The Sirens were quick. Grant's death would be an unfortunate accident during the job, burned to ash amid flames fed by tons of unused ammunition. The cost was definitely something he didn't want to consider, but it was a necessary expenditure to maintain secrecy. The man had been dead from the start, and based on his jumbled words, others would soon share the same fate.

He glanced at Lucy again, hiding his worry. She, and those with her had been chosen for a reason. None good. She would undoubtedly write the event off as an unforeseen one. Horrific, but not intentional. But eventually she'd know the reasons behind it. Would she trust him then? Would she return to running and hiding? She would never get far and the thought caused his stomach to turn slightly. If given the order, he'd spare her no more than anyone else. But he found himself slightly less indifferent to the woman's fate than others. It was almost laughable how unfortunate the circumstances were and the man had to fight back a bitter sigh.

"I was right. You really had no business being at that fucking party."

"Neither did you, Al. For what it's worth, I don't regret what I did. Don't regret gettin' out, either. Anyway… doesn't matter much, now, does it? Whatever fresh hell I jumped into, here… there's a lot worse than the Pultrach family out there in the dark. Maybe, anyway. All the same, thanks for the lift… And, you know… everything else."

"Oh Dear, worse doesn't even begin to cover it." He groused, pulling the van up to the curb. The Hotel was a tidy one, lights beaming from beyond the doors like a beacon. It stood in stark contrast to everything they'd encountered that night. Bright, familiar, safe. It was definitely better than a shack made of cardboard boxes. Allister did not judge...verbally at least. But he couldn't help but wonder how Lucy had managed to live the way she did.

Shaking his head to clear it of images of the woman fighting raccoons for scraps of dumpster food, or whatever the hell poor people did, he reached into his vest pocket and withdrew a shiny black card.

"Do not lose this." He said sternly as he pressed the credit card into Lucy's hand. "And save the receipts. Get a room and whatever supplies that you need. You'll probably be put up in a company apartment at some point. They're for employees from overseas that are staying for more than a couple weeks, but none of them are being used last I checked." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, his expression distant.

"Be back at HQ tomorrow morning…...Lucy, I can't help you anymore than this after tonight." He turned himself fully to stare the woman dead in the eye, his voice grave. "So be careful. Out here, behind the Wall. Whatever. Just promise me that you'll be careful." He made no move to elaborate. What could he possibly say that would possibly help her understand? The truth? No, that word held no meaning to him anymore. He'd watched it become warped and befouled over the years, often by his own design. From him, honesty was no more than a farce. And yet, he was still determined to speak it.

"Even I can't be trusted completely." He murmured. "So just be careful." He slumped back into his seat tiredly and unlocked the passenger side door. "Go on. I'll see you later.".

"That's just it, though. Nobody can ever be fully trusted, Allister. Don't even trust myself that deep." Her hand brushed the door handle, but she paused, hesitated for a moment, "All the same, it's good to see you… You be careful, too. Got about half a hand full of people out there I'd miss if they weren't around anymore. Don't make the list shorter…"

Without looking, she pulled the handle and let herself out into the coolness of night.

TAGS || @Ramjammer - COLLAB | Allister

Ramjammer · Aug 22, 2021

Dawn broke over the city of Arnvista with little fanfare. Businesses opened, cars started, people yelled and birds took flight. It was mundane in its familiarity, and therein lay a sense of safety. Every soul within the city knew not the troubles lurking in the shadows. Not merely within the borders of Arnvista, but in cities and towns across the globe. Calamity had taken notice of the world, and it waited in the dark with bared teeth. Those who knew nothing were truly the blessed, the fortunate. And to those that did know what awaited them, it was a curse beyond reckoning. It was bad enough to know death. It was worse still to know the day it would come.

Worst of those all, to a handful people deep beneath a gleaming black tower that took up the city's skyline, they knew death's name. And he had begun to move.

"There can be no other answer. It's him."

Nikhil's voice was overly loud in the sterile environment of the containment cell they all huddled in. A mean feat for a man so soft spoken, but when the surrounding air was taut with frigid silence, it seemed as if he'd been shouting.

Lorette stared down at the twisted remains of what used to be Grant. If he'd been hideous in the shadows of the night, his appearance was truly terrible under the harsh fluorescent lighting of the lab.

The autopsy, for what little they could preform, told them only what they all feared. Grant's corpse was little more than a flesh suit. His internal organs had been reduced to an unidentifiable sludge of blood and protein by whatever had been inhabiting him. His bones fared slightly better. Long empty of blood and marrow, it was as if they'd been left to bleach in the sun for weeks. The man's steadily decomposing muscle mass was all that stood withstood the assault of the foreign entity. Everyone knew it was not by some quirk of the man's physique, but by design.

Whatever had overtaken Grant, and reduced his body to a mockery of a puppet, wanted him to look the way he did. It took only what it needed and left the rest to be consumed by means unknown. The thing's sense of style, if they could even call it that, was severely lacking.

"Are you positive?" Lorette murmured. Nikhil rarely enjoyed being asked rhetorical questions. Especially after he'd just provided the asker all the answers they could ever want. But one look at his Employer's face told him that this was not a question asked out of ignorance. It was uttered in disbelief.

"I am positive. It can be nothing else but him. But we've increased surveillance on the others. Still, he's the only one that's been active recently. Or at all really." Nikhil looked down at the tangle of flesh and metal, his frown deepening further. "No Daemon did this."

The silence grew colder and the harsh lighting seemed to dim under the weight of understanding. There could be no worse answer.

The sound of a throat clearing broke the silence and all eyes to fall on a tall man standing at the end of the autopsy table. "But how did he get here?" The man asked pointedly. Richard's sharp words weren't borne out of hostility, and instead came from a need to secure an oncoming problem before it became too large to handle. They well knew how seriously he took his job. And all gathered could silently agree that he made a fair point. The subject of discussion was not in the building with them, much less the city itself. It wasn't even on the same continent as them. Yet proof of its influence was right on their doorstep.

"That, I do not know." Nikhil admitted. "We're really going on speculation and what little we can glean from anyone that knew anything about them. But so far, he's the only one that's shown any intent to be free. The rest don't even seem to know we exist."

Richard sighed and rubbed tiredly at the bridge of his nose. "Then we'd better make sure he doesn't get out, now hadn't we?" He asked, gaining several murmurs of agreement. Lorette, who'd been staring blankly at the corpse on the table, finally deigned to look up at Nikhil.

"How long will it take for the containment unit to be ready?"

"Six months." Was the apt reply.

"That's nothing!" A dark-haired woman standing to Richard's immediate right spat. "We can't have these people fully trained by then. And by that time winter will be starting." Richard nodded at his Lieutenant in agreement. "She's right. Once winter sets in, there will be no leaving. We're cutting this pretty close."

Nikhil shook his head and shrugged mildly. "There's nothing to be done. If we don't get construction right, it will fail and we'll have bigger problems than wintering in Antarctica. And while it would hurt to lose the people we've got, we can replace them. There's no room for error in this containment procedure." He reminded them curtly, throwing the room back into tense silence. Matsuko huffed and fiddled idly with the beaded charm hanging from her sword's grip. "I don't want to put so much effort into people that will just die later on." She said balefully.

"They won't die."

Lorette's voice was quiet, but did not lack of intensity as she stared at the Lieutenant. "They're mine. And I will not let them die. I have too much use for them all." Richard arched a brow at the woman. "Always nice to see how much you value your employees." The remark earned him a glare, but it lacked its usual edge. Lorette knew she was in little position to get angry at him after the previous night.

"I don't hire people for no reason." She snipped. Allister, who'd been standing to her left, tensed visibly. "Speaking of, we've got that other orientation coming in a bit. We need to head out."

"What orientation? You've been up all night. Go home, woman!" Richard's neutral demeanor evaporated in an instant, and Matsuko shuffled away from the man to prepare for his oncoming outburst.

Lorette's eyes narrowed sharply and her lips pressed into a firm line. Everyone's eyes darted rapidly between the two in anticipation.

"My Chief of Security is not in the position to be telling me what I can and cannot do." She hissed. Richard's brows only furrowed deeply, and he stalked towards the woman. Allister, who was in the way, said absolutely nothing as he allowed the larger man to bodily pick him up and set him aside in order to get closer to Lorette. He was willing to do a lot for the woman, up to and including murder. But there were some battles just not worth fighting. The burly Chief of Security loomed over his employer, taking no amusement in her stubbornness.

"Your husband is. I can put aside you not coming home last night. But you need to rest. Because this is what you do. You get worked up about something and then you don't sleep for a week and then you're useless for another three days. It's not happening." He ground out.

Nikhil watched the exchange from his spot with a complete lack of amusement. "So you're going to fight over a man's dead body? That's fine. Who cares about what I have to say." He muttered.

Lorette's brows shot up, and she leaned back and away from the man almost imperceptibly. "That is some shit coming from you! How long were you in Reno 'on business' a few months ago? I didn't say anything, did I? Not when you took Allister with you, and not after what you did at that Motel."

"I told you not to bring that up!" Richard barked. Allister leaned over from just behind the man's back to stare dully at Lorette. "Yeah, I'd like it if you didn't mention Reno either. I've been trying really hard to move past that."

Lorette pointed an accusing finger at first at her husband and then her assistant. "See? You ruined him!" Richard balked at the accusation. "I didn't ruin him. He was already like that, don't blame whatever's wrong with the man on me."

"He's right. I was already pretty fucked up before I met you. Reno definitely didn't help though." Allister said.

Lorette slashed a hand through the air harshly, as if that alone could dispel the argument. "It doesn't matter. You have no room telling me not to obsess over anything when we all know damn well that you'll camp out in your car just to watch someone while they sleep. I am doing the Orientation." She snapped with a sense of finality. Richard worked his jaw in irritable silence, furious at having been rebuffed.

"And then you will go home." He growled. "Not a couple of hours later. Not after you've done 'a few things'. The second it's over. And you will call me when you get home."

Lorette's nostrils flared in obvious indignation, but she knew that there was no winning with the man and that this was as much as he'd be willing to give her. "Fine." She responded tightly, extremely put out to be taking orders from anyone. Lorette spun on a heel and head for the door. "Allister, we're leaving!" She snapped. If she couldn't get her way, she'd have to settle for ordering someone around. Her poor assistant had essentially signed on for the task from day one. Allister rolled his eyes and followed hot on her heels. "Yes, Ma'am."

He nearly collided with her, as she made a sudden about face to glare at Richard again. "I'd say 'fuck you' but that'd just be rewarding you for you behavior." She huffed. Richard smiled wryly at her. "I love you too." Lorette huffed loudly and whirled around to storm out of the room with her hapless assistant in tow.

"Bye, honey!" Richard called after her retreating back, and Matsuko frowned up at him.

"She's going to kill you."

"Oh yeah, one of these days for sure." He replied a little too happily. The sound of a cough drew the pair's focus back to Nikhil who'd been waiting silently for things to settle down. "If you're done acting like fools, I think we all have work to do." Richard chuckled sheepishly. "You're right, as always. Come on Mattie, we've got fresh blood to greet." Matsuko clicked her heels and stood a little straighter as she waited for Richard to pass before falling into step behind him. He paused just at the threshold as Lorette had only a few minutes prior to address the Researcher. "And I know you said it's not possible, but can I get positional readings from our other locations when you get a chance? It'd make me feel better about all this."

Nikhil nodded. "Yes. It never hurts to check." Richard flashed him a crooked grin and left the room in short order. Alone, Nikhil let his eyes fall on the ruined corpse spread out on the stainless steel table. "A shame you can't speak. The stories you must have to tell." He murmured. Grant's empty eye sockets stared back at him, and Nikhil let out a baleful sounding laugh. "You might be the luckiest person here. We'll have to see in about six months, won't we?"

The Atrium was much louder in the light of day. Naturally, that could be attributed to the small crowd of people gathered there waiting to be let further into the building. The area was devoid of all cats from last night, save one curled up in a basket on the Receptionist's desk. A sign sat next to the feline's resting place reading, 'Back in 15 minutes'. A woman sat nearby, typing away at her keyboard and paying the people milling around no mind. They mostly clustered in small, individual groups, preferring the company of those they'd had their strange orientation with rather than anyone else. The atmosphere was overall calm, but there was a notable undercurrent of anticipation. It wouldn't be long before the massive steel doors in front of them opened up to let them all further into the building. After that, they'd be treading where only a privileged few were allowed to. The notion was as nerve-wracking as it was exciting.

After what seemed like an eternity, or mere moments depending on who you asked, something happened.

A red warning light over the double doors lit up, drawing nearly everyone's focus almost instantaneously. If that hadn't the hiss of pressurized air escaping and the low grind of metal did. The doors slid open at a snail's pace to reveal a pair of armed guards standing next to what appeared to be a metal detector. They wasted no time in directing everyone inside, ordering them all to line up and subject themselves to passing through the metal detector. All phones were taken with little argument, all while the massive doors closed slowly behind them. They were officially locked in and there was nowhere to go but forward."

"Follow the hallway to the end and wait." A guard ordered curtly before waving them on. With no other options afforded to them, the large group trekked down the massive, gray hallway. Dim ceiling lights gave the area a lifeless look. There were no cameras, no other doors. Only steel walls all around. Hushed whispers soon quieted down as a tense silence settled over all of them. There were no other signs of life, and for several minutes, all they could do was shuffle forward.

At the end of the Hallway stood another set of doors, completely identical to the first. The group was forced to a halt and waited with bated breath for further orders. There were none. Once again, a light blinked to life, and once more the massive doors slid open with an audible hiss. That is where all similarities ended.

It was far brighter beyond the threshold than in the hallway, and some were momentarily blinded. It was noisy too. A literal cacophony of sounds where there had once been silence. It could have been attributed to the silence from before, being suddenly overridden by sound. But it had mostly to do with the sheer number of people beyond the doors. Most of the bodies seen were human. But a startling number was decidedly not.

The high vaulted ceiling stretched upwards by several stories. Glass paneling allowed the sunlight to stream in, dismissing any need for electric lighting. The polished marble flooring seemed to stretch on forever. It lead to halls and staircases, all of which lead further to offices and boardrooms and countless other places yet to be seen. Plants, both living and not decorated the vast area tastefully, mostly to add color to the massive atrium. Though they found use as hiding places for many a Daemon.

They varied in appearance, shape and size so wildly that it boggled the mind to consider that they might all be the same. Some perched on the branches of decorative trees and banisters. Others flapped overhead as they traveled to and from different levels. Most walked, or crawled, or slithered along the floor, weaving through human bodies save for the largest that had the distinction of being avoided by everything else.

In the center of it all, a massive water feature sat. A small tower of stones and plants, where miniature waterfalls trickled down into the large pool below. It seemed a popular place for people to talk or take their break. But it seemed to have become the center of activity for a group of crocodiles and alligators. A few diving birds paddled in the waters, and every so often a fish would leap from the surface. But a gang of carnivorous reptiles should have been incredibly hard to ignore, and yet they were. The people wandering the Atrium seemed completely disinterested by whatever non-human entities were around them unless the need called for them to interact. The Daemons seemed perfectly content to keep themselves preoccupied with other things.

The screech of exotic birds and other unknown creatures served as a constant backdrop to the rush of voices and the patter of feet. So much so that Richard practically had to shout to get the group's attention.

"If you're all done catching flies, we can get started." He yelled good-naturedly. He certainly didn't blame them for their shock. It was one thing to meet a handful of daemons in a closed room, but the reality of their situation didn't quite set in until they first stepped through the doors and were greeted with an army of the damn things running around. Matsuko wasn't quite as amused as her superior yet, but she was to put them all through their paces, so she'd get the last laugh, eventually.

Some of them startled too easily for Richard's liking, falling into line nervously while stealing glances around. He could eventually make them to grow out of it, but it wouldn't be easy. Implausible as it might seem, not staring in awe at every mysterious entity they laid eyes on was key to their survival. Richard clapped both hands together and beamed widely at the group. His good humor seemed off-putting to some, and they wondered if the man was truly unhinged, or preparing to torment them. Common sense pointed to the latter, but it was hard to say.

"Good morning. I am Richard Solberg, the Chief of Security here. This is my Lieutenant Matsuko Oshiro." He jerked his head towards Matsuko to his right, and the woman stared down her nose imperiously at the people in front of her. Quite the feat given that she only stood a scant five feet and two inches.

"You all can call me Chief. And you'll refer to the Lieutenant as whatever the hell she tells you to." He chuckled. A small green snake wound itself from around Richard's neck to extend its body forward and stare at the people in front of him. If it could talk, it made no effort to. A small forked tongue flicked out to taste the air, and the little reptile seemed to size them all up. Richard patted the little snake's head and gently chided it. "Don't you start anything. Let's get them settled first."

He nodded at Matsuko, and she held up the clipboard she'd been holding. "We'll start with getting you your gear. Come up when your name is called and grab a tote." She pointed to a collection of duffel bags branded with the Apex logo. "Inside is everything you'll need to get you started. ID badges, gym clothing and a few other essentials. You'll be fitted for uniforms another time." She said, boredly. Matsuko always had been a woman of action and reading names from a list while people stood around doing nothing was the exact opposite of that. There was a process to be had, of course, but she'd gone through it more times than she cared to count. It had long since gotten old.

Richard stood by silently and inspected the people lining up. For the most part, they looked like a solid bunch. At the very least, no one seemed to be a complete idiot, but he knew well enough to hold off on a final judgement. They could follow basic orders. It didn't mean that anyone had the skills necessary to do what they would eventually need of them.

"Six god damn months. We'll be lucky if they can even shoot straight by then." He thought dourly."Nikhil, you'd better know what the hell you're talking about."

The door opened with a resounding bang and Lorette exited the building into the cool morning air, looking ready to kill. Her burning gaze landed on the three people standing on the curb, and she fought back the urge to sneer. They'd showed up just as she'd asked them to. She had no cause to be angry just yet. Giving each of them only a cursory inspection, she pivoted on a heel and reentered the building with only a growled out "This way." As an acknowledgement. The room that she led them to was a great deal more comfortable than the one she'd held last night's meeting in. Plush carpeting and leather seating greeted them all when they entered the room. Behind the large desk, a window allowed early morning light to stream into the room. It was such a stark contrast to the other room that it was hard to believe that was even the same building at all.

Lorette felt that she'd earned the higher level of comfort after the night she'd had. She deserved to be comfortable as she glowered at the people on the other side of the desk. Whether they were or not wasn't high on her list of concerns at the moment. But if she had to guess, they were probably very uncomfortable to be stuck in a room with a woman staring at them in silence. The clock on the wall ticked loudly and nobody made a move. It was a rather unorthodox standoff, and only one person truly knew what the stakes were.

Lorette let her gaze fall on the lone young woman of the trio and her eyes narrowed. She knew well what the girl's preferred pastime was and was curious how she meant to get away with anything inside the wall of HQ.

"Come to think of it. I don't recall seeing her readings." She mused. Lorette reached forward to flip open the woman's file and her eyes scanned the pages inside rapidly.

"Her Resonance isn't mentioned once. Cute. I think I'll play around with this one. It should be funny." She thought before tossing the file aside haphazardly and affixing the trio with her icy stare again.

"I've been awake for the past twenty-six hours, so let's just get straight to the point." She said coolly. She reached towards her hip and drew her blade before setting it on the desk. It sat there dully, seeming to reject whatever light was in the room altogether. Lorette gazed at it, seeming to have forgotten the people in the room with her momentarily. She reached forward to stroke her fingers across the blackened steel and murmured softly. "Go ahead."

The breeze was soft, but unmistakable. With both the window and door shut firmly, it had no reason to be. And yet it was, and Tasosael came with it. The large Daemon crouched just behind Lorette's chair, looking a tad uncomfortable with the entire arrangement.

"Might you have chosen a bigger room to do this in?" He asked lowly while he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. There was little room afforded to him, and his wings brushed the walls at each end of the room.

"No. I like this room." Lorette responded curtly as she stared at the three sitting across from her from behind steepled fingers. The Daemon growled, a deep rumbling sound that reverberated straight to the bones. "Petulance does not suit you." The Lion said sternly. Lorette's eyes flicked down towards the surface of the desk, and her shoulders slumped marginally. "No, it does not. But we're already here, so let's just make the best of it." She responded.

If she had anything to say, it would have to wait, as Allister chose that exact moment to burst through the door. "Morning, bitches. And Lorette." He nearly shouted. He tilted his head back to stare up at Tasosael, eyes growing wide behind his sunglasses. "Hey Tassels!"

"I told you not to call me that!" The Daemon shot back, lifting a massive, furred hand to jab a deadly-looking claw in the man's direction.

"Jesus, chill. I get it. Only Lorette's allowed." He said snidely, while closing the door behind him. He balanced a cardboard box filled with random objects on one hip and shuffled around the waiting interviewees towards the desk. Lorette watched the man closely, but didn't seem put off by his mannerisms. She decided instead to focus on the box in his hands. "What did you bring?" She asked with subdued interest.

"I didn't feel like filling out all the forms to requisition anything good, so this is a bunch of stuff I got out of the miscellaneous pile." He replied before dumping the contents of the box onto the desk unceremoniously. He turned his head towards the three people sitting in front of Lorette. "You show up on the day you're supposed to, and you get good things. Show up late, you get trash."

Tasosael reached forward to pluck a bent silver spoon from the pile and held it up to his face to regard with some intensity. "Trash indeed. This one was Führer Begleit. I do not ask why they would pick such a side in a war. The answer is no doubt foolish." The Lion rumbled disdainfully.

Allister beckoned towards the Daemon and reached out to take the silver spoon from him. "Okay, we are not letting any of you have a Nazi Daemon. Holy shit, why do we have this?" He threw the spoon back into the box and made a mental note to have it locked away with other less savory Daemons. Lorette shrugged at the man.

"They picked up a lot of bad habits from us and plenty of them are evil bastards. I can only imagine the lies that one was fed." She replied evenly, never allowing her gaze to leave the people sitting in front of her. "I will make you an offer. ," She began. "You will agree. You will be trained, and I will give you the kind of power civilizations searched and fought for. The kind that can raise and destroy empires." Lorette pushed a stack of papers forward and pulled a pen from her jacket pocket before setting it next to them.

"Agree, and I'll answer any questions you have. If this is not to your liking, then you can leave through that door and forget what you saw here. It's that easy." She left out the part about all of them being followed and potentially made to disappear if they were deemed a liability in the slightest, they'd had enough shock for the moment and would receive only more if they signed on. She could be patient for the time being.

"And decide quickly. I drank six five hour energies and my heart has accelerated to the point where it's failing. I don't want to die in these clothes. I'm trying to leave a good-looking corpse." Allister piped up from his spot where he was leaning haphazardly against the desk. Lorette glanced at him and then back at the poor souls in front of her.

"Yes, please hurry so that I can start looking for a new assistant."

That LARP Guy · Aug 26, 2021

Rowan was waiting with growing anticipation as Bethany worked up an answer. Was something really going on here? Another legend or monster like from her stories? He was so focused that the bang of the door made him jump. After the short command he swiftly followed Lorette along with the other two. Rowan glanced over at Alex, realizing that he didn't even know there was another person nearby.

'Only three of us? I wonder how hard of an interview this is... Did we all miss the last orientation somehow... Is there circumstance different?' Rowan exhaled in a slow controlled manner and physically shook his head, forcing away the thoughts.

The room they arrived at was very comfortable, different than what he expected yet still clean and presented well. Rowan made sure to bend his knees slightly to avoid locking them out while standing as still as humanly possible before rigidly finding a seat. The nervousness was there but currently Rowan was doing a good job of keeping it at bay. The silence in the room made his hairs stand on edge. Rowan took these moments to study the woman in front of them. When met with an icy stare Rowan quickly returned his eyes to focus on something else.

The silence was broken as Lorrette finally spoke and placed the blade on the table. She seemed to... speak to it? Before Rowan had time to formulate thoughts on that the breeze distracted him. A welcome relief from the self-inflicted warm conditions brought about by bottled-up concerns and anxiousness. A feeling presented itself - something was not right.

A creature appeared with large wings, a majestic mane, horns, and the face of a lion. It was odd seeing it couched behind the desk, obviously, this space was too small for such a creature. The professional outward appearance Rowan had presented was shattered in an instant. Out of instinct he moved his foot back and recoiled, ready to dash out of the room. Lorrettes calm presence in all this kept him from doing so - it seemed she was expecting this. Then the creature talked!

Rowan's heart felt like it would beat its way out of his chest and his mind was racing in all directions. There was one thought that emerged above the others 'How flipping cool is this.' Very little time was offered to process all this as Alistar burst through the door, physically sending Rowan off his feet. This place was going to give him a heart attack. The exchange that followed was something Rowan could not have imagined. It seemed... normal. Like all this had been done before. It almost felt like he was in some sort of comedy or tv series.

Eventually the words in the room turned to murmurs and slurs. Trying to comprehend them was like grasping at an object underwater, never getting a firm hold. Without any hesitation Rowan stumbled into the desk and grabbed the pen, never having taken his eyes off of Tasosael. "Yeah - uh, ok." Rowan managed to stammer, only glancing at the papers and leaving a mark on the first signature block his eyes came to, "What- Who are you?" Rowan asked the question directly to Tasosael with an almost child-like curiosity, attention entirely off the papers.

Vec · Aug 26, 2021

Despite the place being smack down in the middle of a veritable metropolis, whoever had overseen Apex's infrastructure planning had done a pretty good job from an environmental perspective. Driving through the city and towards the compound went just as one might expect; busy streets filled with cars; the sound of horns honking and a low-pitched, constant droning of the combined voices of pedestrians talking created the traditional hubbub that Arnvista was known for.

Yet a startling change occurred the moment one reached the boundary between the regular city and Apex's campus-like set of buildings. The sounds of cars became subdued, the drivers almost subconsciously slowing down as they passed through the area. Trees became more prominent as small plazas and parks started sprouting here and there, seamlessly merging the surrounding concrete aesthetic with a more urban forest style.

Alex drove into a small parking lot, parked his newly purchased van and – after taking a few seconds to do a final one-over in front of the mirror – shut down and exited his vehicle. It took a hot minute to find the building – as it turned out he had parked far away from it – but he'd managed to still be on time in the end, so it didn't really matter.

"So… Building C?" Alex read the memo sent to him again to make sure he had gone to the right place. "Who even names buildings out of letters?" With a sigh he sat down on a nearby bench, leaning back and relaxing.

As he was scanning through the days' news articles, a few people started gathering in front of the building. Particularly two, however, seemed out of place-

"Well, it takes one to know one…" Alex thought self-depreciatingly as he looked down at his attire. He was technically going to go through an interview for a job, hence one would expect him to wear some kind of formal wear, like a proper business suit. However, Alex, much like many people before him, had gotten into the habit of dressing down as he climbed the ranks of the corporate ladder.

The man knew that coming into an interview in a plain white, collared shirt; blue jeans; and sneakers wasn't really going to increase his chances of getting the job, but he did it anyway because it simply felt comfortable. He'd been through many interviews during his time – most of them from the opposite side of the desk – and had realized that one of the most important things for a prospective employee are to be comfortable with themselves and in the moment.

Just then, the alarm on his phone rang – albeit he had it on mute so only vibration could be felt – startling him back to reality. "Hah…" Alex covered his face with his hands, hiding the slight smirk that had emerged. "Am I getting nervous?"

Then suddenly a resounding slap was heard from his hand striking his right cheek. "This is only the start. You can't feel nervous now… not when there's so much at stake." The man's face instantly hardened as his thoughts once again aligned with his goals. There would be time for celebration after he got the job.

Even now as he stood aside, waiting for the rest of the orientation to proceed, Alex still felt his head reeling from all the information that'd so suddenly been thrust into it.

Alex pondered on the revelations whilst peering at the small marble comfortably sitting in the palm of his hand. The almost pitch-black coloration of the object alone might have only made it a curiosity in the eyes of marble collectors, but the seemingly constant, swirling silverish blue patterns created as the light reflected off its surface firmly put it in the 'special' category.

Alex had instantly been taken aback upon laying his eyes on it. It sat within a small, glass container filled with random children's toys – but Alex had come to know they were anything but appropriate for children to play with.

~

A few moments earlier

"-ot to your liking, then you can leave through that door and forget what you saw here. It's that easy."

Alex found himself once again snapping out of his reverie, this time however it'd not been self-induced. At first everything seemed to be going just as he'd expected; some people tended to overwork themselves, clocking all-nighters in their offices for various reasons. Alex was not one to judge as he'd frequently done the same and, considering the person in question and her stature within Apex, he expected her to make some personal sacrifices.

Lorette Lècuyer, CEO of Apex Implementations. Alex had done some information hunting beforehand as one should when applying for a job at any company; thus he knew of the woman – or what they allowed to be known, he surmised. What he wasn't aware of, however, had been that she was into swords – specifically ones that housed huge, winged, demonic lion monsters.

And when said huge, winged, demonic lion monster appeared right in front of him, the fact that it found the lack of space uncomfortable was the least of Alex's worries. No, the man simply froze in place as thoughts rapidly whizzed through his brain. Humans' gooey grey matter swimming in its own juices has, time and again, been called the most powerful computer in existence, yet Alex's drew a blank whilst trying to rationalize the information his eyes were feeding it.

It took several moments and one of the fellow interviewees to move forward for Alex to regain his composure. At that time, he also noticed the blond man that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but he didn't pay much attention to him. The monster thing was still there, after all.

Alex slowly inched towards the desk after the man before him had finished signing the contract, all the while his eyes glued to the strange being. "Slow and steady. Slow…"

Usually, Alex was one to take care reading through the contracts he was about to sign, going through even the fine print. However, with Lorette's familiar looming over, the man felt an urge to quickly sign the thing and move back.

"…and steady." Alex muttered under his breath as he signed the contract before taking several steps back.

"What have I just signed myself into…"

Elle Joyner · Aug 27, 2021

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Staring down at the pen clasped in her hands, there was a moment in her somewhat sleep-deprived state of mind that Lucy actually thought she might be going crazy. It was, she imagined, probably something that the people who worked for Apex probably thought often, considering what it was they dealt with on the day to day, but for her it was definitely the first time it rolled through her brain without defense.

"The freaky red light, last night. The voice in my head. That was you?"

The pen wasn't answering, and in truth, she wasn't exactly sure why she thought it would. As far as she knew or understood (which was really very little) about how all of this worked, it wasn't the vessel that mattered, but what was inside it. And whatever was inside her pen was in a shy mood…

"Whatever." She muttered, tucking it back into her jacket pocket,"Doesn't matter, does it?"

When she had arrived at Apex that morning and picked up her vessel, there was a little part of her that had actually expected some sort of great ritual or spectacle. Last night had been a fluke - unexpected and unplanned, but this? This was planned, and surely if that was the case, then whatever it was she was supposed to be doing would make so much more sense. So far, that theory was a bust… but hey she'd gotten a shower and a soft bed out of it, so it wasn't all bad, right?

"But you're not here for the shower or the bed, are you, dear?"

The resonant sound echoed within her mind so sharply, Lucy jumped. Around her, unnoticed before then, a silvery grey smoke had begun to form, slowly, at first, like a genie from a bottle, then into a clump on the floor, more like dry ice at a Halloween party. The smoke began to take shape, first pooling into a solid oval blob, before stretching, languid and lithe… A head, four legs, a long, full tail…

By the time the large cat was stropping through her ankles, only a few seconds had passed, yet the awe she felt had frozen time for Lucy.

"I'm lovely, darling, I know. But please… do close your mouth. You'll catch flies."

Bright amber eyes turned up at her and briefly, flecks of reddish sparks danced within the impossibly deep orbs.

"Wh-what? Who?"

"You, Lucille, may call me Sketch. My given name is, by far, too drab and complicated. I adopted something a bit more fitting some time ago. Shall we go? I do expect you'll be late, elsewise…"

Swearing softly, Lucy looked down the hallway to the doors she had been directed to and shoving her bag higher up her shoulder, she started forward again.

"I have so many--"

"Questions? I know, dear. And in time I may just answer some of them. For now, though… I think you'll have a full plate."

The doors opened and stepping into the room, Lucy froze. The sight of the cats the night before had been odd, certainly… but the menagerie within the room now was… overwhelming, to say the least. Gaping, she moved only when she felt the weight of Sketch's head butting into her calf.

"If you're all done catching flies, we can get started." A voice called from across the room and ignoring the short chuckle from her odd companion, moving a little more swiftly, Lucy found her place in the line. The introductions were brief and, not remotely unexpected, terse… militaristic as everything else they had encountered (Allister aside). Grabbing her bag when her name was announced, Lucy dropped it beside her feet and giving the grey mountain cat a glance, flicked her eyes to their superiors.

"Question, Chief. And I hope I'm not out of line here, but the boss lady was a touch on the vague side. I get from the gear and the wicked death waiver we signed that we're up for some kinda… bump-in-the-night wet work or something, but... What exactly are we doing here?"

@Ramjammer

starling · Aug 29, 2021

Slight embarrassment settled in Bethany's chest when Rowan explained he was only another interviewee. Of course he was. With more rest and less caffeine jitters, she would have easily surmised that. Distracted with her own thoughts, she didn't notice the extended length of their handshake, only growing a little more nervous when he indicated recognition. She smiled sheepishly and knotted her hands together to keep from fidgeting.

"Heh, yeah. You caught me. Modern day monster hunter."

Perhaps it was the all-nighter, perhaps it was the intensity of her current investigation, but his excited probing only made her stomach clench and churn. Normally, she loved talking 'shop' with anyone who shared her enthusiasm, so this onset of nerves caught her off guard. Bethany swallowed, clearly uncertain with how to proceed.

"Uh, yeah, funny story. I didn't actually apply at all. A friend of mine applied for me. He forgot to mention anything to me until yesterday…so hence me being here this morning, heh."

She looked Rowan over a bit as she spoke. Not a bad looking guy, but surprisingly young to be applying for work at a security conglomerate, let alone being interviewed. She hoped he was young enough to distract from his probing questions.

"Anyway, what about you? What drew you to Apex?"

Alas, these were questions not to be answered as the door they were loitering by whipped open with an abrupt Thwack! It took every ounce of Bethany's self-control to not jump right out of her own skin, ending up catching herself mid-flinch instead. She obediently followed the commanding woman into the building. Adjusting her grip on her overstuffed folder, Bethany observed the dark haired CEO as they followed her down the hall. Mrs. Lècuyer had the stride of a leader. No uncertainty or insecurity in the slightest. It reminded Bethany of a war general, though the comparison felt odd. But then again, she was the head of a multi-billion dollar security company and a woman in that typically man's world.

Bethany admired that strength of character and felt a slight stirring of excitement to meet such a powerful woman as they entered the room for their orientation. She took a seat as her nerves caused her gaze to sweep about the space instinctively. Though, feeling the CEO's attention fall on her, Bethany met her narrowed gaze. Ice slowly clawed up the YouTuber's spine. Mrs. Lècuyer recognized her. In any other circumstance, that would be a wonderful discovery. Right now it just made her stomach heavy.

She watched the woman review some kind of file, then released her from her visual grip. Mrs. Lècuyer spoke, ending the inadvertent stand-off between her and her interviewees. Bethany smirked slightly at the woman's admission of a previous all-nighter. She drew her side…blade? It took Bethany a moment to recall that Apex took a historical approach to their work. But why draw the blade to start off the orientation? Maybe it was uncomfortable in the chair she sat in? No. This had to be a test. How would the potential new-employees respond to being in the presence of weapons, or perhaps visual threat.

Well, Bethany didn't really care about 'passing' all that much. Getting into the company wasn't fully her end goal at that moment. Her thumb stroked the folder she gripped passively. She had people she needed to interview. Information to extract, and maybe even people to try and help protect. But then…

Her eyes flicked down at the blade. Even before Lorette spoke to it, Bethany caught herself leaning forward out of her chair. Her eyes were wide, feeling a sensation course through her body she could not describe as the weapon's owner stroked its metal with a delicate motion. Bethany's lips parted open as the zephyr caressed her exposed skin. Her gaze had slowly turned up past Lorette toward a growing presence she felt more than saw, until its physical form fully manifested.

"Mommy!!"

Warm arms enclosed around Bethany's small form. Her mother easily lifted her up from the floor and into her lap, fully encapsulating her in a tight protective embrace. The older woman gave soft shushing sounds to aid in soothing her little girl's fears.

"Mommy! I saw sumthinc move again! I know I did!"

"Shhh…That's your sweet dreamer eyes playing tricks on you, Beth. See? There's nothing here but you and me." Her mother continued her efforts to console her frightened crying. Bethany peeked out behind her, seeing only their kitchen and the sun shining in from the back porch doors. She sniffled and was set back down.

Her mother took her hand giving it a soft squeeze, "See? No monsters. Remember that's all make believe sweetheart. Izza is only trying to scare you."

Bethany had no way to articulate what she really thought or felt and only nodded dumbly in submission. Maybe it was best not tell anyone about the things she…saw. If no one was going to believe her….

When the initial tsunami of emotion settled, conscious reality slowly wedged its way back into Bethany's brain. There was someone else in the room now—a tall blonde man leaning against the desk—and a pile of strange odds and ends now cluttering the desk. Rowan and the other man were up at the desk signing something and gawking stupidly at the elephant in the room. Or, well, in this case, the giant, magnificent white-furred lion…winged…monster..thing.

Tears were quietly streaming down Bethany's face, though she had no awareness of the fact. Vindication stormed through her. Hot, electric, swelling, and painful. "They're really real." She murmured, sending a fresh stream of new tears down her cheeks. Bethany swallowed and snapped up to her feet, dropping her folder she forgot she was holding along the way. The overstuffed folder flopped against the plush floor in such a way that the weight of its contents snapped the rubber band and spilled the papers out around her.

"Shoot!" She dropped down, quickly trying to recollect all her work. Work that seemed so insignificant now. She noticed her crying when some of her papers became wet from her tears. Bethany wiped her face vigorously, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed and vulnerable. She threw her work on her chair and took a step toward the desk. Toward the CEO. Toward the creature. She stopped as fear started setting in. Every monster she'd ever researched was in a word dangerous. Not something to simply relax behind a desk in some sort of obedience to a human.

She was trembling when words found their way out of her mouth, "I have questions! So many…Are…I…" Bethany paused to recompose herself. Not an easy task considering how frenzied her thoughts were now. The more time slipped by, the more recognition settled in. "I take it" she waved in Tasosael's general direction, "we're safe?" Another step forward. "You were attacked last night, weren't you? Are there good ones and bad ones? Is this what you really do here?" Stopping to take a breath and to see if she'd get any answers, Bethany was a bit surprised in finding she'd closed the distance between her and the desk, and was now hovering over the enigmatic boss-woman, determination burning in her eyes.

Ramjammer · Sep 2, 2021

He longed, at that moment, to be free from the confines of the room. Not merely as a matter of comfort, though that ranked highly. But more so as a matter of pride. Tasosael didn't understand what would possess Lorette to call him forth in such a cramped space, but he obliged her all the same. Perhaps that was his problem. He entertained her flights of fancy far too much.

A shame, really, when one considered the audience before him. A small one, only three. But each Human was openly dumbstruck and didn't look close to enlightenment soon. How could they, then, really appreciate the true majesty of Tasosael's grand form? His mighty wings folded tight over himself, and hunched behind Lorette like a subservient dog waiting for his master's orders. And his mane! Crouched low though he was, the top of the daemon's head pressed awkwardly against the ceiling in a sideways tilt. It was maddening how the fur of his mane flattened for the lack of room. Tasosel wanted to huff indignantly, but bit his tongue. It would do him no good to whine petulantly in the face of guests. But the daemon silently promised himself that Lorette would be brushing his mane free of snarls and tangles when the meeting was over.

Tasosael amused himself by studying the trio of awestruck and very terrified humans. If he had to guess, he'd suppose that they were confused, too. But Humans were always confused, such was the nature of the mortal condition. The youngest among them (as far as he could tell) was the first to shake off the throes of fear. He nearly stumbled in his haste to sign his life away, and Tasosael sobered as he met the boy's gaze.

It was a familiar one. He'd seen it in the eyes of young men the world over across the millennia. It spoke of a hunger, great and inescapable. A small gleam in the eye that soon would stoke itself to the hearty flames of passion. A lust for excitement, of things new and unheard of. For in the embrace of newness, there too was danger. And for a boy that had yet to cut his teeth on the field of battle, danger was a drug more intoxicating than any wine and more alluring than the siren call of any woman. He was excited, and Tasosael wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. He'd witnessed what greatness they could accomplish when a Human turned that passion out towards the world. It built and toppled empires. Wars both started and brought to a bloody end. It led them to brave endless seas, and climb mountains high enough to pierce the heavens.

But more often than not, it led to their deaths. Tasosael hoped that the boy in front of him was not to be one more of many like him before.

In time, the young man found his voice in the face of the Daemon's looming presence. His tone revealed the childlike wonder that most men his age would fervently try to stamp out. His name. Humans were so free with names. Words held power, none more so than names. To invoke a Daemon's name was to invoke their power, if only a small portion of it. It was to invoke their very existence. The taste of power on the tongue was one most Humans enjoyed, even if it wasn't theirs.

Yet still he answered, seeing no malice in the young man. His desires did not lean towards such pointless things as petty displays of strength and so he lent the young Human a taste of his power easily.

"Tasosael." The large Daemon intoned softly. Within the confines of the room, the breeze was unavoidable, and it shuffled the papers laid out on the desk. His was the name of the mighty gale, the howling storm, and the wrathful hurricane. It was best not to speak it too loudly in such a place, lest they find themselves suddenly in a room with no walls.

"That is my name, young sir. And what might yours be?" The Daemon asked politely. Though a Human name had no true power, they still held asking, giving, and receiving them in high regard. It was a ritual Tasosael was happy to engage in with them.

While exchanging pleasantries might have been within the interests of the first Human, the second was not so eager to make the Daemon's acquaintance. He edged forward slowly, carefully and never took his eyes off the Daemon. He was older than the first Human and he moved like a man quite familiar with predators. Overwhelming as his fear might have been, he still came forward and signed the contract placed before him. His was a different, but no less familiar, look to the Daemon. Distant, and somewhat haunted. It was look kept by men who'd known the burden of decisions made on behalf of others. One that came hot on the heels of immediate introspection after a choice made, and bearing a small measure of regret. He saw that same look in Lorette's eyes all the time.

But the man was no longer looking at Tasosael, or anyone. His gaze was turned downward to a small marble sitting in his palm. Whatever Daemon lived in that vessel, Tasosael did not know. He wondered then what the man's worries might be. A few moments ago, the only one who'd bear the burden of his choices was only himself, something he could surely live with. Did he worry over the Daemon too? Did he ponder the nature of their yet to be born relationship? All too suddenly, there were countless paths before him and he surely knew not which would be best. Confusion may have been part and parcel of the Human Experience, but uncertainty was only a curse.

He left the man to his thoughts, knowing that there was little he could say to ease his worries. This was a job best left to other humans.

Perhaps not the girl who rapidly switched from awe and joy to tears. She didn't seem to Tasosael as someone ready for such a delicate task. Or really any task as she nearly toppled over in her haste to stand and dropped a rather heavy looking file onto the floor. The Daemon's eyes narrowed as she babbled, and he did not need to chance a look downward to know that Lorette was watching her with renewed interest.

Once composing herself and her papers further, she shuffled forward excitedly. She had the same look as the boy. One of eagerness and hunger. But a desire for knowledge tempered that hunger. And perhaps for her, there lay the danger. Apex was home to many that were willing to give their lives and souls for answers to their questions. The dark circles under her eyes did not escape the Daemon's keen gaze. Already she was no stranger to ignoring the needs of her body in favor of chasing shadows. That was a prey that killed hunters as well as anything with fangs and claws. It was for that reason, that she may yet wander the labyrinthine halls and laboratories beneath Headquarters, always searching and never finding enough to sate her.

Tasosael had long ago stopped wondering just where Lorette was finding these people. She herself wasn't a sterling example of normalcy. He supposed it was a matter of attracting one's own kind.

How she did so while simultaneously putting out an aura that evoked an immediate flight response in anyone with an ounce of sense, was well beyond him. Tasosael could not see her face, but he could clearly imagine the intensity of the stare she was leveling on the young woman. The girl had questions, and they were mulled over for longer than a few minutes.

The Daemon would have cocked his head at her, had he the room. So he settled for raising a thick, bushy brow as she launched into her probing.

"Good ones? Such a question speaks to me you've known some things for quite a while little one." He said.

"It sounds like she knows more than she should." Lorette interjected. Tasosael hummed in quiet agreement before trying his best to shrug within the cramped space.

"Then she is in good company, isn't she?"

Lorette said nothing for a long moment and instead, continued to eye Bethany critically. "It would seem so. But I wonder, Ms. Atwood, how you figured out that you'd be in good company *here* of all places? You've got a nose for finding answers, I know that much. So what trail led you right here?"

Finally, someone interested in more than just standing around gawking. Richard was almost proud. Almost.

The owner of the voice was easy to find. The rest of the recruits weren't subtle about the looks they were shooting at the woman who'd spoken up. If they weren't mad that they hadn't thought to ask about their work, they were probably mad that someone else had found the courage to speak up at all. Recruits became insecure over some real strange shit. Something that Richard would sweat out of all of them if need be. The only thing they needed to feel insecure about was their ability, or lack of it, to do whatever the hell Richard told them to do. And maybe whatever Matsuko felt like making fun of them for that day. She was a woman of varying tastes.

The woman who'd spoken looked no more out of place than anyone else present, but Richard was well aware of who she was. One of the small number that'd come face to face with whatever Grant had become the night before. And she'd lived to talk about it too! Somebody was getting their new career off to an impressive start.

While the details of her new job entailed whatever traumatic event, she'd endured last night, Richard knew that the poor girl had been too busy running for her life to stop and take notes. Waiting for all eyes to turn back to him, Richard cleared his throat.

"You're right. What we do here involves wrangling all kinds of creepy critters. Some of them come nice and easy, but a lot of them make a fight out of it. So you can see why we need competent people."

There were murmurs of assent sprinkled with words of concern, and Richard put a stop to it lest the group work itself up.

"That's what your new friends are for. To help make your job a little easier. All of you will be responsible for tracking, capturing and helping to contain and research any new entities discovered by us." He began. He kept his voice firm but neutral. This was only their job, and it was imperative that all aspects of it become as second nature to them.

"Besides helping us make our little zoo bigger, you all will still be assigned regular duties as expected of a buisness of this nature. Don't expect any action from either end of the deal first thing. Most if not all of you can expect to see some time guarding parties and vacation homes."

Richard bit the inside of his cheek to keep a laugh down. Their expressions said it all, even if none of them dared to. What good was making friends with a monster if it was probably the only one you'd be interacting with? He knew that between their individual orientations and their first shift, all of them had conjured some very specific ideas about just what they'd be doing. It wasn't a stretch to assume that most, if not all, of them expected something more to the tune of slaying dragons than patrolling the grounds of some idiot's mansion.

"Now, now. I promise all of you will get some action. But before that you'll all need to go through basic training along with a few courses explaining the nature of how we do things here. I'm not as well spoken as my academic collogues, so they'll be the ones giving all of you the rundown on Daemons and all things related. The Lieutenant and I will oversee your physical and practical training. Between the two we should have you ready to rock and roll sooner than you can blink."

The vibration of his phone in his jacket pocket cut Richard off and he pulled it out to see a text from Allister. He frowned at the words written on the screen. Both for what they relayed to him, and whatever the hell was going on with Allister.

Hey King. Bringing some new arrivals in a few, can you and Mattie hold tight for a few? Thanks babe. Love you.

Richard rolled his eyes, but still knew it best to heed Allister. They couldn't just leave three strangers to wander around HQ unsupervised. At best they'd be questioned and detained by employees with no knowledge of their arrival. At worst, they'd end up getting themselves mauled. He huffed quietly and gave the man a curt reply.

Have them here in 10 minutes.

He didn't bother waiting for a response, merely tucking the phone back into his jacket and giving Matsuko a side eye. "We're keeping them here while we wait for some folks. Want to keep them entertained?"

"No."

"Do it anyway."

Matsuko rolled her eyes at the man before stepping forward to catch the group's attention.

"I will give you all a brief introduction to one of the many skills a Daemon might have." Where Richard's voice was stony and deep, Matsuko's was high with a noticeable edge. Interestingly, the woman did not seem at all irritated, which led one to believe that her clipped tone was simply an affectation while on the job.

"Ah, before that, why don't you explain vessels and their purpose for these fine folks, Lieutenant." Richard interjected.

Matsuko gave her superior a side glare, but opted to say nothing. She reached for her hip to draw and hold up her sword, tied securely in its scabbard for everyone to get a good look at.

"This is a sword." The woman said, as if none of them knew that. "My partner lives inside of it."

"Please elaborate, Ms. Oshiro." Richard sniped, his tone betraying a small tinge of irritation.

The Lieutenant huffed, but did as she was told. "The sword is my Daemon's vessel. It's where he hides when we're somewhere he shouldn't be seen. I" She planted the sword's end onto the wooden floorboards. "Daemons tend to only have one or two Vessels depending on their type. I cannot carry a sword everywhere I go, and so the two of us have a spare that we use outside of work." She explained easily.

Matsuko chose that moment to tap at the marble floor with the scabbard's end and the sword rattled audibly in its prison. Whatever lived within the folded steel apparently could not be imprisoned so easily and made its existence known almost immediately.

There was no smoke to be found this time. Whatever the Daemon in the sword was made of, it flowed forth like water. A stream of energy wound itself around the weapon briefly before splashing to the floor in a puddle. The flow stopped, but the puddle grew larger. A pitch black expanse stretched over the floor and settled there for a mere moment before disappearing altogether. The group murmured in confusion, wondering what was the point of the woman's display. Matsuko smiled, and mutters of disdain became gasps of shock.

It was a fin. Tall and straight, it tapered at the tip and had a wet sheen to it despite there being no water nearby. The fin and whatever it was attached to moved. Quickly. It circled the group of recruits and they all huddled closer together in a mild panic. All too suddenly, they were prey in the eyes of a hungry predator.

It was fortunate for all of them then that Matsuko wasn't in the mood for a hunt.

"Stop messing with them and come here."

The fin stilled and suddenly, just as quickly as it'd come, it darted back to Matsuko. "Come and say hello." She ordered. The fin and its owner immediately complied.

Almost everyone could recognize an Orca on sight. They were a highly unique species after all, and widely popular for it. So when the back of an Orca rose above the floor, everyone calmed down. And then they immediately panicked again when the Orca pulled itself from the floor like a diver from a pool.

Orcas didn't have legs. They didn't melt into floors either, but that was palpable when one considered the shape of the creature down there. Whales swam, and if there was no water to be found, then a floor would have to do. At least it would, for the whales of Apex.

But all similarities stopped at the surface level. The Daemon was immense, just like an Orca. But the powerful limbs supporting what should have been a sleek body said much to the contrary. The whale Daemon's hulking form towered over Matsuko and the beast craned its head down to regard the diminutive woman with sparkling eyes. Matsuko smiled and reached forward to gently pat the Daemon's head, an act that caused its fluked tail to wag slightly.

"This is Sagaron. He's a little chubby, but it gives him character." Matsuko said to the group.

The Orca Daemon stretched and yawned, before plopping onto the floor, all four of his limbs splaying out. Whatever predatory instinct had been present before had evaporated under Matsuko's gentle touch. The large Daemon seemed very content to loaf about on the floor while being petted, something that Matsuko seemed all too happy to do.

Richard chuckled at the small interaction and turned back to the group. "What Sagaron just did is a very useful skill. Not all Daemon's can phase their bodies through solid materials, but the ones that can are real valuable for recon. So if you're ever wondering why we have such high success rate on the normal side of things, here's one reason. It helps to have eyes and ears in places you can't get to. Keep that in mind, you'll need it during your training."

Elle Joyner · Sep 7, 2021

A little chubby, she says...

The voice, not her own, resonated once more, still and quiet in her mind and Lucy had to fight an unexpected laugh at the words that echoed there. Watching the display, she was reminded of the same she'd seen the night prior and it was hard in that moment not to admit that this twisted, wild world she'd gotten mixed up in was awe inspiring. It also brought to mind, however, a twinge of doubt that niggled and plucked at her conscience, pressing visions of the warped monstrosity they has encountered to the backs of her eyes. It wasn't fear that brought the images to life, however, but pity...

Ask him. Sketch's voice intruded in again, and this time she glanced over at the large cat, but where he sat, he barely shifted, the only indication he was more than a statue the gently flick of his tail. A third time, his deep, rich voice filled her head, and this time, Lucy felt the oddest twinge of comfort, The only foolish question is one not asked...

Stepping forward, her gaze shifted to her superiors, "He was one yours, right? That thing last night? Only it wasn't him anymore. What happened? How? I'm already on board, and if that didn't scare us off, we're obviously too stupid to know better... But it feels like if that sort of thing can happen, we ought to know how."

@Ramjammer

starling · Sep 11, 2021

The great wind-lion responded to her, drawing both her eyes and surprise. Though Bethany had heard the beast speak previously, it hadn't fully sunk in that they could. Their deep, rumbling voice—one that brought the image of distant thunder to mind—washed over her. "…you've known some things for quite a while little one."

Bethany let her mouth open and drew in a preemptive breath, but was cut off by the CEO. Looking back down at the woman, her mouth snapped closed and she swallowed the wave of nerves that flared within her. Somehow Lorette's gaze made her tremble again. It was like being in the principal's office amplified tenfold. Then she finally spoke and whatever remaining semblance of confidence Bethany was clinging to dropped through the floor. Oh, she was in real trouble. And with very powerful individuals.

Beth unconsciously stepped back. Her posture turned meek and apologetic. "I—" her voice cracked. She paused despartely trying to get a better read on Lorette. Any clue on how upset she was. Any tell. So she could mollify the woman and return balance to the situation. The CEO had one hell of a pokerface. The best Bethany could surmise was that the intense nerves wracking her body were 100% warranted. Time for damage control.

"I can assure you this," she gestured once more to Tasosael, but included more of the room as well, " was not what I was expecting to find Mrs. Lècuyer. My biggest theory was a portion of one of the departments here had seen something maybe. I wouldn't even have probed if I hadn't seen…err…"

Instinctually she drifted off. She looked to Lorette, then up to her Daemon. A faint smile appeared, speaking of her new found hope and freedom. With a deep breath she picked back up, "Sorry…when I saw whatever it was rush past the gate last night. But you can only run into so many intentional dead-ends before you start to notice a pattern. You can have my file. Doesn't really seem too relevant anymore anyways."

She politely stepped away to collect her night's work. Getting it back together as neatly as she could, Bethany placed it on a free space on the desk. "Sorry for concerning you, Mrs. Lècuyer. If you need me to sign any NDA or something before I go, I'm happy to do so. And I promise, this is everything."

A pang of disappointment pierced her as she finished. Lingering by her folder, her eyes turned to the pile of strange odds and ends scattered about. She knew better than to entertain the thought that she'd passed any interview with her earlier outburst. Also, yes, it is good to research your future employer, but she'd most certainly crossed pretty far into "crazy land" with her collection. At least she could leave with the knowledge that she wasn't actually crazy. Beth sighed and her eyes landed on something gleaming in the pile. Consumed by sudden curiosity, she pulled it out into her hand. Before she could even look at it, a strange sensation overtook her body. It was the feeling of another presence enveloping her. While distinctly paranormal, it didn't frighten her. Instead, looking now at what it was—a small onyx arrowhead—it felt quiet; like a morning stroll through the woods. Her thumb softly stroked its polished faces.

That LARP Guy · Sep 11, 2021

'Tasosael…' Rowan committed the name to memory - an easy task considering how unique this experience was. His presence was so powerful and demanding of respect. Still, the fear Rowan had felt earlier had vanished.

"That is my name, young sir. And what might yours be?"

'My name - He wants to know my name?' Pride brimmed up inside of Rowan accompanied by courage and conviction. He straightened his back and stood tall, forming his hands into loose fists.

"Rowan. Rowan Barton is my name." He channeled all he was feeling into those words and followed with a short pause. 'That can't be it. What else do you say? I mean - this is a great monster… amazing lion man… thing. Say something else!'

"It is gre- grawsome to meet you. Honorable Tasosael… Sir." Rowan deflated a little after that mess-up. 'Great or awesome… pick one! Was the honorable bit to much…? Maybe.' This performance was enough to expand his attention to include the rest of the room once again. Rowan took a glance around to reorient himself with the room.

'Man - Bethany is really taking this hard… or extremely well?' She had closed the distance and a presence about her that could be described as an aggressive passion. It was startling yet inspiring seeing her like that. Though it all seemed to crumble down after Mrs. Lècuyer addressed her.

"No - no! Are you kidding? No way your going to turn this down. I know your jam Bethany and it is right here! Well… I know as must as a subscriber could know…" Rowan shook his head and went back to talking, "Remember when you told your viewers to stay away from butchers shop? Then those guys got murdered in there not a week later? All your evidence pointed to that monster. Now we know it may have actually been a Daemon! Listen - no one has told you to leave yet. Stay!", Rowan realized his talking to Bethany may have just stepped on the shoes of his employer.

Inhaling deeply he looked between the two women before his attention was drawn to the arrowhead Bethany was now holding. Looking to the box himself Rowan picked out a necklace with the Celtic tree of life raised off the surface. 'Oh man this is so cool! Like one of my LARP props. Only this is probably the real thing.'

It was heavier than he expected and viewing the metal up close really showed its age. His first impulse was to put it on which Rowan did not resist. Tucking the pendant under his shirt the metal was cold to the touch. Rowan felt calm and a sense of focus, or maybe clarity, upon donning the necklace.

A small stream of pink mist rose out of his shirt and collected around his right shoulder. Out of the mist formed a small humanoid shape with feminine features. Painted with popping colors and striking stripes she sat with one leg over the other, arms crossed, and an angry squinting face. She glared at Allister as she spoke in a high pitched, almost buzzing, voice, "I am not TRASH you big blond meanie man! I am an elegant, graceful, beautiful, talented woman! You- You are like a gray sprinkle on a rainbow cupcake!" She let out a huff and looked away, arms still crossed.

Rowan looked to his shoulder with surprise but this somehow felt... normal? It was an odd mix of sensations that's for sure. He cleared his throat and decided it was best to address the little lady later, "Mrs. Lècuyer - what happens now?"

Ramjammer · Sep 12, 2021

Lorette had, for lack of a better term, been having an awful day. She'd been hunted down, assaulted by several monstrosities of unknown origins, beaten and bruised and more still. She hadn't slept all night, and blinking felt akin to rubbing her eyes with sandpaper. The media was having a field day concerning the 'accident' they had on site and the resulting death that came from it. An accident Apex had fabricated, but that detail was unimportant, really. The rumor mill turned, and the people who'd like to see Apex taken down a peg were crawling out of the woodwork. She was exhausted, sore, and very irritable.

Her present condition wasn't one she was unfamiliar with and normally Lorette could cope with such a level of hardship. But being trapped in a room with a group of fools had worn away her remaining patience in short order. Her suffering was self inflicted, but she'd never admit as much. Because then Richard would be right about her needing to go home, and she was absolutely not letting him be right if it meant her being wrong.

She ignored Rowan, leaving him to marvel over Tasosael. They were getting along, with the Daemon telling the boy that "Rowan was a fine name for a fine young man." and the man in question sputtering out a flustered word of thanks. Lorette hoped he wouldn't let the magic of his stay with Apex cloud his eyes to more important work. They had plenty of dragons for him to chase after. It was for the best he didn't think it was a game. Which would be further helped by Tasasoael not indulging the boy's whimsical thoughts too much.

Lorette reached upwards, and a hand grasped the Lion's beard to give it a gentle tug to direct the Daemon's head slightly downward.

"This isn't a social hour. It's an interview. Act like it." She said, not bothering to show just who she was speaking to. The glare she kept trained solely on the increasingly nervous woman in front of her, however, seemed far too pointed to involve concerns of anyone else.

Bethany was, in actuality, the straw that broke the proverbial Camel's back. The girl had promptly switched from crying her eyes out to excitement, only to revert to pure terror at the drop of a hat. Lorette knew she wasn't pleasant to be around most days, but she hadn't even done anything remotely threatening yet. Yet. Barring the CEO's reputation for being a serious buzzkill, she couldn't grasp the idea of someone who'd made it their life's work poking their nose where it didn't belong and promptly balking when finding the answers they wanted. It was a weakness Lorette could not stand, and one she'd never allow.

"Straighten your back." Lorette hissed at the woman fumbling with her papers. "You were brave enough to come all the way out here and now you've gone and lost your nerve? This." She gestured first to Tasosael crouched behind her and then to the eclectic display of items in front of her. "Is what you wanted, isn't it?" She asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The file that Bethany had nervously placed in front of her finally caught Lorette's attention. Briefly. Giving it a small glance, she slid it across the desk in Allister's direction. The man was quick to scoop it up along with the rest of the files and made a mental note to pass the information on to the Jackals. He could tell just by looking at her that the woman wasn't someone with much, or anything, to hide, really. Clearly she was no threat to Apex, but it never hurt to be sure.

What he was sure of, however, was Lorette's steadily rising blood pressure. The woman rarely worked herself into a rage, but when she did, she became incredibly annoying to deal with. And it was looking like she'd found a target in Bethany. Allister didn't owe the woman anything really, but he'd regret not stepping in as much as Lorette would regret scaring her off later. Rowan wasn't doing himself any favors either once he decided to loudly interject himself into the conversation and protest Bethany's desire to leave. So that meant Allister would do damage control for two. That was also ignoring the fact that there simply was no leaving for any of them. It was best that he'd make their transition to employment as smooth as possible.

"Did you really think that you could stick your nose into my business and then leave whenever you felt like it?" Lorette asked in an increasingly harsh tone. She'd leaned forward in her seat, both hands placed on the surface of the desk and looked ready to lunge over it at any moment. Allister coughed loudly and sidled into view. Placing his body somewhat between Bethany and Lorette, he flashed a charming smile and placed a hand on the poor woman's shoulder.

"Of course she didn't. I'm sure that everyone here understands the value of silence, right?" He let a tense quiet settle over the room for a spell before moving on. "Ms. Atwood here isn't stupid. I think we both know that, Ma'am. An NDA is simply a formality, isn't it? Besides with such a curious nature, she'd be a fool to turn this kind of offer down, wouldn't she?" Allister shot Bethany a silent look that could only be read as 'Smile and nod.' before stepping back and out of the woman's personal space.

"You're being too hard on them. This is exactly why Richard wanted you to go home and rest." He said sternly. All that his words did was earn him a scowl in response, but Allister was not to be deterred. Lorette paid him to be her Assistant. Which meant assisting her in not being a dumbass. He was her friend voluntarily.

"Quit being an asshole. You're being an asshole for no reason, and it's not a good look."

Lorette's gaze lost its edge slightly, and she sat further back into her seat with a mild huff. "No. I'm not. I apologize for my behavior Ms. Atwood. As your future employer, it is unbecoming of me to display that sort of behavior." Her tone was hard, but did not lack of sincerity. When did she become such a petulant child? Allister's small outburst made a third time someone had chided her that morning. Embarrassment ate away at her internally, and Lorette did her best to hide it.

"I need to lie down." She thought dourly. If she couldn't even get through a minor interaction without losing a grip on her sanity, no matter how small, then she was unfit to be doing anything important. She didn't much look forward to apologizing to Richard later, even if she could painfully admit how right he was. While his opinion did matter to her greatly, he could be a smug bastard about it and Lorette didn't see away of avoiding his taunting.

"You deserve it, idiot." She internally berated herself. Well, she'd just have to jump off of that bridge when she got to it.

Lorette glanced back at Allister to see if he was patting himself on the back for his intervention, but just as soon as she took in the sight of him, the blonde-haired man was beset by a miniscule figure.

The Daemon, for what else could a literal Fairy be if not that, had apparently been awake for Allister's little 'Trash' quip earlier and she was making her displeasure known in the shrillest voice imaginable. Lorette's ears practically rang at the sound and she could feel a migraine coming on as Allister exchanged insults with the diminutive being. His assentations that he was too good to grace the frosting of a cupcake and was more deserving of being the gold filigree on a chocolate fountain only tanked Lorette's mood again.

She took it back. None of them deserved an apology, only death.

Unfortunately, she'd just hit her daily 'Employee killed by mysterious circumstances' quota for the day, and so all she could really do was hope that Natural Selection did its thing sometime soon.

The sound of Rowan's calm voice was a welcome respite from Allister's insistence towards the little Daemon that he was in fact, speaking literally because all the vessels he'd brought in had literally been stored in an empty trash bin and so he was telling the truth and why couldn't she get that, and that her attitude was why she was in the trash to begin with.

"What happens now? You all start your first day. Immediately."

Her head shot in Allister's direction and she nearly barked at the man. "Allister, get them to the main building. Richard won't be willing to wait much longer."

The foppish man tensed and shot a look at his watch. "Oh shit, that's right. I told him we'd be there soon." He haphazardly threw items back into the box he'd brought them in and scooped up the small stack of files sitting on the desk.

"For the love of God, go home. Because you know he's going to ask me the second I get there." He nearly pleaded with his employer. Lorette stamped down the urge to roll her eyes and only sighed. "Yes, yes. I'll be leaving soon. Goodbye." She waved him off as he all but shoved the waiting trio out the door and likely to a waiting vehicle just outside. Hopefully, he wouldn't be crashing this one.

The room fell silent, and Lorette slumped forward. Placing her head in both hands, she groaned loudly.

"What am I doing?" She asked no one. Tasosael, ever present and stern, reached forward to place a massive paw on the woman's head before patting it gently.

"I do not know. But I assume it's your best." He rumbled.

"This one has a lot of questions." Richard mumbled to himself. Typically, he didn't mind fielding questions. It showed that the person asking actually gave a shit about what was going on around them. Unfortunately, she'd gone and asked the one question he didn't have a definitive answer to. "Well, I'd better make something up." He thought, noting the curious expressions on the faces in front of him.

"Yeah, he was one of ours. He was one of you." Richard took extra care to emphasize the last word. Grant's death was, to them, more than a mere accident. It was a tragedy, a senseless loss. It was a waste of a good man, his Daemon, and their combined potential. Their recruits, unrefined as they are all had inherent value. It was imperative that they recognize that. Richard pursed his lips thoughtfully as he weighed his next words. Yes, any of them could be reduced to a pile of unrecognizable flesh at any moment. But he couldn't just tell them they didn't always know the whys and hows. At least not yet, anyway.

"Oh yeah, there's a good chance you'll all get hurt." He said easily. "You can get stepped on, set on fire, frozen solid." Richard ticked off examples on his fingers. "We got things that will turn your brains to soup and your bones to jelly. Some of the shit we've got locked away here can turn you inside out or disassemble you on the atomic level." Richard's tone was a little too jovial for someone listing off the many exotic ways a person could get killed at Apex, and the group met his words with a rash of concerned murmurs. He chuckled softly and chose that moment to cut himself off lest people start looking for an escape route.

"What I'm sayin' is that there are too many ways for you to get killed here to bother talking about all of them. We're not gonna be teaching you the 'hows', not at first. But the whys, and all the ways you can avoid it. Gotta get it wrong before you can get it, right?"

"What he means, is that the science behind how someone died doesn't matter. Daemons are sentient beings and you need to approach all dangerous interactions with them as if they were regular humans." Matsuko chose that moment to interrupt. She'd stopped petting Sagaron for the time being, and the large Daemon tucked his limbs underneath his body as he got comfortable. The resulting image made him look much closer to a real whale, albeit without the flippers. To a few people, that was somehow more unsettling than a whale with arms.

Richard smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. The first thing we'll be having you work on is recognizing when you're in danger and trying to avoid it. The science of it all is for...yanno...the scientists." He finished lamely. They were running out of things to keep the recruits busy with that wasn't what was on the scedual and Richard was feeling the heat. He was affable enough, sure. But that was usually over a drink and in a more relaxed atmosphere. He was honestly a man of structure and routine, so when that was thrown even slightly off, it may as well have been a disaster.

Blessedly, his savior arrived and Richard could add the event to the small number of times that the sight of Allister had genuinely relieved him. The blonde-haired man whistled sharply and turned the heads of everyone present. He hustled forward in a rather unflattering power walk, three very confused-looking people in tow, and came to a halt near the rest of the new hires. "Here's the rest of them, sorry for the wait." The man said somewhat breathlessly. Richard cocked a brow, wondering if Allister had run across the campus to be there, but a glance at the people with him said otherwise. They looked perfectly fine, and so he chalked it up to Allister being needlessly dramatic.

"Right then." He said, before jerking a thumb at the remaining duffel bags. "You three grab a bag and fall in line. We're behind schedule so any questions you got can wait."

He shot a last look at Allister, his stare asking he dared not voice publicly. Allister huffed and nodded, clearly not wanting to spend anymore time in the building than he already had. "Yes, she went home. And now that's where I'm going. Goodbye." The blonde-haired man spun on a heel sharply after, and didn't bother looking back as he sped his way out of the blast doors and most likely towards a hot shower and a bed.

Matsuko scoffed, arms folded as she watched the man take his leave. "I guess there won't be any dance practice tonight." Richard clapped her on the back, nearly knocking her over in the process, and earned himself a glare. He grinned crookedly, not at all put off by his Lieutenant's scowl.

"Don't worry about it. You've got an entire squad of newbies to make dance for you right here." He gestured broadly at the group. "It'll be fun, I promise." He chuckled before stepping away and motioning the recruits to follow. "Come on now, let's get a move on. We're going to the gym first and gettin' some cardio out of the way." Matsuko's eyes suddenly became alight with interest and she brought up the rear closely. 'Cardio' typically meant exactly what it stood for. But at Apex, it could mean something else entirely. Usually terrifying. But Matsuko was positive that for her it would be absolutely hilarious.

starling · Sep 13, 2021

Bethany did not intend to set off an emotional nuke. And yet, that's what was happening. Lorette's growing anger clawed at her hard enough that she swore she felt physical pain. Alister's sliding into the moment did distract her momentarily. She'd unintentionally forgotten he was even in the room. After the blonde assistant calmed the CEO down a bit a slight lull opened. Bethany immediately took this opportunity to hastily sign the last unsigned contract and backed away in silence.

Her inner critic was having an absolute field day. She swallowed the ever growing lead lump in her throat. Stroking the vessel in her hand was the only thing keeping any of the hot tears that burned her tired eyes just below the surface from breaking free. Of course she didn't want to give up an opportunity like this! Once again her misinterpretation of the situation had made things infinitely worse. So she used every ounce of effort she could muster to clear her mind; make it blank as possible. And maybe, just maybe be able to pull the proverbial foot from her mouth.

Relief came in the way of being quickly ushered out of the room. Following Alister and the other two hires with her head down, Bethany went into planning mode. She had to fix this somehow. Lorette was now officially her boss. Alister led them to a company van where she took a seat up near the front. She waited until they were moving before piping up.

"Um, Alister right?…How would you recommend I go about apologizing to Mrs. Lècuyer? I really didn't mean to offend her like that…I just, ya know, didn't think I passed the interview questioning her as I did."

Bethany was surprised by the assistant smiling back at her through the rear view mirror. He assured her that it really wasn't worth her worry, and to just focus on learning to do her job well. Lorette was overtired and therefore grumpy. Bethany sighed. She gave a nod and refrained from pushing the issue. 'Well, guess it's another long night for me then….I wonder how much I have in savings…'

After they arrived at the main building, passing through the gate—which Bethany all but ignored too busy in her own thoughts—she decided to just keep her head down and obedience at 1000% for the remainder of the day. When Richard indicated that they needed to grab a pack, Beth did so with zero hesitation, quickly falling into rank behind the rest of the group.

'Exercise, huh?' It wasn't what she had expected, but it did make sense. Apex was security, first and foremost after all. Bethany carefully slipped the arrowhead into a back pocket. Touching it still seemed to have that quieting effect, which helped her mind slowly settle as she didn't have to contend as much with the sounds around them.

Man Made Gods [IC]-Signups open as of 09/14/2021

Edgepeasant

Moop.

Edgepeasant

Always tired

Recovering LARP addict

I don't bark

recovering angst addict

Recovering LARP addict

Moop.

Always tired

Recovering LARP addict

I don't bark

Moop.

recovering angst addict

Always tired

Moop.

recovering angst addict

Recovering LARP addict

Always tired

recovering angst addict