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Post by norimo on Nov 26, 2016 6:06:44 GMT -6
The corners of his lips curled into a smile, before twisting into a wry grin as he resisted the urge to laugh. Of course the situation could unfold rather nastily depending on the next sequence of events, but it was part of the unpredictability that made him pry into unknown territory.
...Speak of the devil. Of course, Kaine wasn't about to persistently jeer and jab about the four-eyes choice of underwear. Unless, of course, they were downright dirty. Then he'd opt-in for sleeping on the floor much farther away. The irony of the timing had just felt oddly perfect if anything.
Just like that, Glasses' first choice was to dismiss the third presence entirely. Not that it would work when all things boiled down, but regardless it was another sign of evasion. Kaine drew a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so as he stole a moment to gather himself before opening them once more with a smile and a stride. Casually, he passed the two as his hands reached around his back, undoing the strap of his wrap before removing the drape from his body entirely. "Yep," he replied, not bothering to glance in their direction as he folded the cloth neatly near the bedside. His tone of voice hinted at no malice nor distress, but rather matter-of-fact and nothing more. However, his fingertips which rested at his side gradually slid upwards under the folds of his shirt. "Jason? You don't mind if I sleep shirtless, right?" and thus his scheme came into play, "I didn't bring a spare change of clothes with me, so I was planning on bringing some of my stuff over tomorrow if possible. Though for tonight, I get kind of hot if I sleep in this top. We're all guys, but I figured I'd ask first," he nodded as he stared straight back with an unwavering gaze.
All things considered, he was telling the truth, but it didn't erase any ulterior motives to possibly get under a certain somebody's skin. Even though the reply was most likely a no, as if even Jason didn't mind then Drei would certainly put his two cents in before allowing him to do so, the fact that he'd ask in the first place would be enough to irritate the bird's senses for the night. Kaine hadn't much else planned past such, and frankly didn't feel the need to being anything else would be short of downright creepy, which hadn't been his goal. Just one last prod for the night would do.
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Post by Kisaka on Nov 27, 2016 12:35:30 GMT -6
Katy gulped down his tears, eyes set on Gil whom was so kind as to not simply shove him away one the embrace settled in. Once he was moved away from the other, Katy used his forearm to wipe away any tears. The long haired brunette nodded to him and ran into the other room where Charlie was. He didn't bring a change of clothes either.. and now all his clothes at home were... He gulped and shook his head. Oh well! He'd buy some more tomorrow!
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Jason blinked at Drei, trying to hold back a small grin at the flash of the moody one's boxers even if it was only a little. Apparently the animosity between the two hadn't cleared up yet... were these two really adults or did they have mini Charlie's inside their heads operating their every move? Actually, scratch that. That was an insult to the small girl. Charlie was more mature than the two of them combined...
Before Jason had a moment to try and calm Drei's nerves, the prince felt it was appropriate to start undressing... more than he was expecting. Even at the peek of Kaine's midrift, Jason's freckled cheeks were sprinkled with a pink hue. And his stomach looked... really nice? Gosh, if he'd known he was going to room with a bunch of hunks, he would have asked Katy for two rooms... Gulping, Jason tried to pull his eyes away, looking at Kaine's eyes and then Drei's.
"I-I mean, I don't really care!" Jason laughed a bit nervously, searching the blonde's face for opinion. He had a Drei would pitch a fit about it.... How to make this better... C'mon Jason! You're the leader! Think of something! "But I don't know how Drei feels, yeah? I can sleep in the middle, if you want! Is that ok?" Jason asked the two, taking another peek at the area Kaine was slowly lifting into visability. Damn, he kinda wanted to see him shirtless now...
Damn Jason needed to get laid a long time ago.
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Post by not u on Nov 27, 2016 14:48:33 GMT -6
Casually, he passed the two as his hands reached around his back, undoing the strap of his wrap before removing the drape from his body entirely. "Yep," he replied, not bothering to glance in their direction as he folded the cloth neatly nearly the bedside. His tone of voice hinted at no malice nor distress, but rather matter-of-fact and nothing more. However, his fingertips which rested at his side gradually slid upwards under the folds of his shirt. "Jason? You don't mind if I sleep shirtless, right?" and thus his scheme came into play, "I didn't bring an spare change of clothes with me, so I was planning on bringing some of my stuff over tomorrow if possible. Though for tonight, I get kind of hot if I sleep in this top. We're all guys, but I figured I'd ask first," he nodded as he stared straight back with an unwavering gaze. "I-I mean, I don't really care!" Jason laughed a bit nervously, searching the blonde's face for opinion. He had a Drei would pitch a fit about it.... How to make this better... C'mon Jason! You're the leader! Think of something! "But I don't know how Drei feels, yeah? I can sleep in the middle, if you want! Is that ok?" Jason asked the two, taking another peek at the area Kaine was slowly lifting into visability. Damn, he kinda wanted to see him shirtless now... Drei felt the hair on the back of his head stand on end as the catty prince began to strip, heat starting to rush to his irritated and flustered face. His knee jerk reaction was to scold the floozy however he bit his tongue, observing. Jason seemed to buy into this little act of pettiness hook line and sinker, and there was no way Drei was going to follow suit. Nope. He swallowed the blood that threatened to pool at his cheeks, considering what the prince and his flowing locks were even trying to gain. If this was Kaine's attempt at getting the blonde to give up his spot on the bed it wasn't going to work. "Oh please, you discount Casanova," he scoffed, brushing the Kaine's kilt off the bed with the flick of his wrist like the piece of debris that it was. "Even the lowest ranking track teams have more impressive torsos than you do. So go ahead, do as you like," he dismissed. The blonde was doing his utmost to squelch the sneer that threatened to tug at his lip. He wasn't gonna let sheephead get his reaction and he certainly wasn't going to take over his bed real estate. Because this didn't bother him right? Right. |
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Post by schribbit on Nov 27, 2016 15:25:05 GMT -6
As people began to undress and ready themselves for bed, Elrod continued to stare at the surface of the table- or perhaps it was a long desk? Elrod used the question to distract his mind from what was going on around him once again. Until, that is, something cut through his thoughts. "Oh please, you discount Casanova," Really? That was the oddest nickname he'd heard, especially considering it was directed towards Kaine. What about him was discount? What about him was Casanova? Elrod's mind reverted back to a few hours ago when he'd saved him from mortifying embarrassment when he inevitably tripped. Kaine never mentioned it to the others, made sure he was alright when he hadn't needed to do anything like that at all. He hoped he could be better friends with Kaine, if only because of how nice he was that time. He had to make it up to him. If it weren't for Kaine he would've made a fool of himself, and gotten his clothes scuffed up to boot. Perhaps, though, Kaine would not want to be friends. It may have just been a one time thing. A kindness he would've shown anyone. At least in that case, he wouldn't be expecting anything in return. This both calmed him down and disappointed him. The disappointment was short-lived, as Elrod reminded himself that he wasn't expecting any friendship in the first place. Of course not. Kaine was just being kind, helping him when no one else had been looking. Elrod distracted his mind further by remembering Jason's actions towards him earlier. Jason thought it to be a good idea to cuddle him. He shuddered, his face quickly becoming the color of the spaghetti sauce the others had consumed not long ago. Maybe Jason was a bit of a Casanova- though, there was no way he'd done that side-hugging for any reason other than pitying him, Elrod was sure of that. There was not a chance Jason would've thought any differently. His actions were rooted in showing him kindness- everyone really was so very nice. He really should give them a chance. Though as everyone busied themselves with their activities, Elrod remembered he'd have hours to think on the matter that night. Hours. Elrod resigned his thoughts and looked up, wanting to make the last of his time with the others while they were conscious that day worthwhile. What could he do? He looked around at the two rooms, as from his angle he could see most of both. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied with evening habits. Butting in to that would be weird. He searched for where he'd set his bag down when he arrived. In it was another few sets of clothing- he remembered his thoughts in packing it in the days before. What if he needed this? What if he needed that? What if he spilled something on his shirt and needed 5 more changes? What if everyone else had been more fashionable than he, and he needed his best pieces to make up for it? Elrod sighed, also remembering how cumbersome it had been to carry along to the park and back here. Sure he was prepared, but did he have to go so overboard? No matter. In it were his things he would need for 'bedtime'- really just him sitting in a chair feeling cleaner than if he continued in what he was already wearing. He chose to rise from his spot and preoccupy himself with his things. Make it look like he was doing something the others were doing. He dug around in his bag, finding his toothbrush first. He'd definitely need that soon- but he'd wait for everyone else to finish. They had sleeping to do anyway- he could prepare himself for the next day all night if he needed to. |
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Post by zenguardian on Nov 27, 2016 16:22:18 GMT -6
"That's better!" Gil said as Katy dried his tears and sprinted off into the other room. He let out a yawn, stretching his arms above his head as he slowly worked out any kinks in his body. Gil looked around. It seemed as though everyone was getting prepared to retire for the night. I suppose I should start getting ready for bed too. Quirking an eyebrow at Jason and the others as he was walking past them and in to the restroom dividing the two sections. He hadn't brought any spare clothes with him on his journey. He never did. Every city was different and required a set of clothes - and a new personality - to go along with it. Gil had to be very careful in avoiding chance encounter with government officials. He'd have to go out and purchase clothes sometime between now and their mission.
For now, he washed his face and brushed his teeth with a cheap toothbrush he purchased while at the store earlier. He scanned the cabinets for signs of any shampoo, and fortunately found a bottle of fragrant-less liquid as well as a brush. A few slim strands of curly long hair found themselves entangled within the bristles. Apparently, someone had already used the brush. Oh! Now that he thought about it, Kaine did have his hair down and less tangled than it was earlier. He was also shirtless when he walked past. Gil stared at the brush in the mirrors reflection before releasing a laugh. Just earlier, Kaine had seemed so... adamant about this whole ordeal, as if he was ready to withdraw at any moment. But here he was, making himself at home with the rest of them! He should be more honest with his feelings! Gil thought.
After tugging off a few strands of Kaine's follicles, Gil washed his hair and brushed it down. He gazed at his hair in the mirror. When his hair was like this, he looked more and more like his old self. He hated being reminded of when he was so... Ugh, forget it. Maybe he'd dye his hair again. Blonde brought back too many memories of the past. He had to face them at some point though...
He returned the brush and shampoo to where they belonged and exited the bathroom. "Guess I'm heading to bed first!" he announced. There was an additional blanket left on the bed, so he opted to grab that and wrap himself in it as he claimed one section of the bed. There was plenty of room for Major on the other side. He hoped she would be comfortable. Gil wasn't as much of a rowdy sleeper as his personality might let on! Another benefit of his power, he supposed. "Don't stay up too late, guys!"
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Post by norimo on Nov 27, 2016 16:44:04 GMT -6
...Or at least, he thought he could end the night with a final prod. Truth be told, Kaine was taken off guard by the four-eyes' audacity to even touch his personal belongings, and a blood vessel seemingly popped in the back of his mind somewhere. However, he found himself quirking a brow at the previous statement before relinquishing a rather devious smirk. "Alright," his voice fell flatly, as to not give hint to the pot that was secretly boiling over. The man's fingertips gripped the end of his garment before lifting his arms and slinging the fabric over his head. Since it supposedly didn't bother him, he might as well go through with it. "Thanks. Though isn't it a bit inappropriate to check out the other players when they're in the locker room? I think you might be more of a Casanova than you give yourself credit for," he shot a sly wink accompanied by a shit-eating grin.
As he draped his shirt around his forearm, he sauntered over to his now sprawled wrap that lay across the floor before setting the pair elsewhere away from the flapping gull. "But," he sighed, before taking long drawn steps towards the bedside and settling himself atop the sheets, "Guess I can't blame you. I've seen more impressive than myself truthfully," he lightly chuckled, "and in my own bed." With that, he abruptly turned to position himself on his side away from the blonde with not even a glance to be exchanged.
Might as well stop beating around the bush, being that Glasses wasn't dropping the noble nicknames anytime soon. Of course, their impression was probably more sexually ridden than the reality of it all. It wasn't as if he indulged every night, hell, not even every other week. Taking a second glance at his onlookers, he remembered just who were forming these impressions of him in the first place. A bunch of hormonal-strung and socially awkward young adults, he was sure. Except for Gil, maybe. After all, the only people who cared about such a thing were those who've never tried it and have a desire to. If his title among the misfits was fated to be "Discount Casanova", then he might as well own up to it. In regards to those who addressed him as such, well, perhaps they needed to realize they glanced at him in such a manner before he did any of them.
Before he had realized, Kaine's mind began to wander off into other trivial mishaps as it buzzed with white noise and hollow self-resolution. Prattling on to itself like an animal that had with-drawled itself to lick its wounds...
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Post by not u on Nov 28, 2016 23:49:45 GMT -6
"Thanks. Though isn't it a bit inappropriate to check out the other players when they're in the locker room? I think you might be more of a Casanova than you give yourself credit for," he shot a sly wink accompanied by a shit-eating grin. As he draped his shirt around his forearm, he sauntered over to his now sprawled wrap that lay across the floor before setting the pair elsewhere away from the flapping gull. "But," he sighed, before taking long drawn steps towards the bedside and settling himself atop the sheets, "Guess I can't blame you. I've seen more impressive than myself truthfully," he lightly chuckled, "and in my own bed." With that, he abruptly turned to position himself on his side away from the blonde with not even a glance to be exchanged. "Nothing wrong or perverse with pure aesthetic appreciation." Drei impatiently tapped his toothbrush a couple of times as he listened to Kaine's response, rolling his eyes as the other man rolled into the bed with as straight of a face as the blonde himself was maintaining, although he couldn't help but sense the all too familiar vibes of "suppressed irritation" wafting off the other man as he turned on his side without so much as a glance. With the loud click of his tongue, Drei shrugged and pushed himself off the bed. "I'm sure you have," he acknowledged flatly, stalking into the bathroom with the toothbrush he'd been waving around like a scepter for the past few minutes. Leaning on the sink and grabbing the toothpaste, he stared into the mirror, nerves still prickling as he began to brush. Why did the catty prince need to butt his nose into everything? And why did he piss him off so much? Paranoid, frivolous, bitchy, he scoffed and covered the scab encrusted back of his neck with his freehand as he continued to brush in an almost aggressive manner. But as his frustration waned and his brushing moved away from gum-bleeding levels, he sighed and dropped his head, staring down at the sink. He certainly wasn't the best at team participation, and this was something he'd come to terms with ever since his chip was removed. Staying solo had always been his thing after all, even going so far as to join one of the few sports that didn't require any sort of cooperation with other teammates. But was he partially in the wrong here by responding to the instigation? If he'd actually told his sister the truth about some of the goings on, she'd surely have scolded him over his behavior. But the constant jabs, the stealing of food, the little ticks and taunts just to annoy him... He spat out the minty suds that had accumulated in his mouth, hand tight across the back of his neck. No. He wasn't. Out of all the things he refused to do, sitting by and taking the brunt of their taunting was at the top of that list. And it's not as though it'd affect their mission, right? After all, their encounter at Katy's bugged house had gone as well as it possibly could have, with no casualties and presumably no tracking. Washing his mouth out, he turned off the faucet with the squeak of the handles, returning to the main room and dropping his weight onto the bed after dropping his toothbrush into the bag. With space left for Jason in the middle, he turned away from Kaine and his sea of hair that threatened to encroach on the middle spot, folding his glasses up and pushing them aside. The dull throb of scraped up skin underneath the high necked shirt kept him restless but perhaps tomorrow would be different. Once the nerves had settled. |
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Post by Kisaka on Nov 29, 2016 21:05:04 GMT -6
The men just wouldn't let up, it seemed. Always bickering back and forth... It was only their first day in person and yet enemies were already being made. Perhaps Jason should've controlled his lustful gaze and advised against the shirt removal? Though Drei didn't seem all that bugged by it...? The words they were throwing seemed nothing short of passive aggressive. Jason couldn't think of any words to calm down the group, so he'd simply made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth as well. Once Drei was done, Jason entered after him with a toothbrush in hand from a small bag he'd brought with him. They'd have to start working together sooner or later... everyone seemed so divided. But Jason convinced himself if was because things were different in person than online. Surely after a couple more days they would be okay...
Jason washed his mouth out with water and then made his way to the bed, looking at the empty spot the two had left him. Even their positions looked rejecting. Blinking, the redhead suddenly realized he couldn't sleep on his back... which meant he'd likely be spooning one of the two. If he was going to fantasize about it though... obviously the shirtless man would be preferred... but Drei was the one getting teased... would he be into some cuddling? Maybe it'd cheer him up?
Jason realized his thoughts had made him all flustered all over again. He was probably the only virgin there... While everyone else were probably into their girls and all the times they'd banged, here Jason was.. a hormonal pansexual mess. But he was an adult... he needed to act like one...
After a quick change of clothes into loose sweat pants and a wifebeater, Jason crawled into the middle slot of the bed, working his way from the bottom of the bed up. Settling between the two, he shuffled his legs under the covers and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Oh yeah. The light was still on. "Hey Katy, can you grab the light?" He called.
Katy had made haste to the little couch, but before he got too comfy on the blanketless stuffed piece of furniture, he heard Jason's request and was excited to oblige. He was going to be helpful!! "Y-Yes!!" Katy managed to squeak out, stumbling off of the couch, tripping over nothing to the door and finally to the light switch. "Uhm... Gnight..." Katy mumbled, feeling weird if he didn't say it. He then pounced on over to the other side of the room and switched off the light there too and laying down.
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Post by Kisaka on Dec 2, 2016 22:08:00 GMT -6
After a long night of rest (or not any in Elrod's case), the group was then focused on working on their next objective... And that was to weaken their 'great leader' Alicia's image. There was way more going on than was being said and it was time to shed some light on that. Thought their sources seemed limited, Charlie and Jason were the ones that decided to look into the disappearance of Drei's parents. The possibility of being dead because of suspicious activity was very much possible, especially since they de-chipped their youngest... But the two's investigation brought them into something so much deeper than they would have ever considered....
The information that Jason and Charlie found together was that Drei's parents were taken captive and were then directly brainwashed by Alicia. The two scientists had ended up learning more about the chips and other psychological effects it had on the user, which the government saw as threatening if news were to get out. They had then threatened the parents with both their lives and the lives of their loved ones to tell them if anyone else had known about what they'd discovered. Coming clean, the government then had them brainwashed into obedience. Using them, they not only got in contact with all of the scientists who were aware of the dangerous information, but also were able to seek out other people who'd conducted the same research and came to the same conclusions. With the parents unaware of their previous mind states, they willingly brought 'justice' to the government and successfully helped bring all of the other scientists to the government's grasp.
Every scientist or person affiliated with this research was brought into a room that slowly filled with poison gas, killing every person inside. It was then that the bodies were moved to another in which heated up to extreme temperature in which helped all the bodies decompose quicker. After removing bones, they used the rest of the flesh and muscle in the government supplied fertilizer that was sold everywhere around the country for cheap prices.
Not only was all of this documented, but there were several pictures of some of the processes within the online files that were used for verification after the incidents. Now that Charlie and Jason had ahold of this evidence... it was sure they had at least something to use against Alicia.
Soon enough, the day of Alicia's Meet & Gathering arose. As it stood, the plan was for Jason to be the closest to Alicia. From the sounds of reports and the whole "brain washing" thing, Jason felt it was safest if he were to be close to her because he could always use his thought manipulation to his advantage. The others wouldn't be as lucky... That being the case, they had physical benefits as well as powers that could help them whisk away if things got bad. With Alicia being stood on a stage with several bodyguards, the crowd was all below like they would be at a huge concert. Luckily, this was being held outside so it wouldn't be too hard to slip out of sight and out of the area if need be.
Jason instructed that Kaine be off to the far right of the venue space and Drei to be to the far left. Gil was to stand a few yards away behind Jason. For Charlie and Elrod, they were positioned at a run down motel about half a mile away from the venue. Using the TVs and Charlie's computer, she was to hack into all of the surveillance cameras in the area of the gathering. Using that for monitoring and also for control, she could see if anything started to look funky or suspicious. With a flick of her wrist and a few keys pressed, she could shut off all surveillance in the area and even mess with some lighting as well. Elrod was there in case he could detect any suspicious movement or crowds in the local area. Katy was also left with Elrod and Charlie, mainly for moral support. But if he could really sense when things were going to happen... it would probably be better if he were away from crowds of people who could hear him cry and shriek.
Everyone who was attending the actual event wore dark colors, but not too similar to one another so as to not appear as if they were working together. Each of the men had on masks that could cover half of their faces and a hidden hood underneath a layer of clothing in case things got bad and they had to flee without much of an appearance to speak of.
Every person was equipped with an ear piece, microphone and small walkie talkie that was to be hidden in their clothing as well. Their line was protected by both Jason and Charlie, using a secure private line that was near impossible to be able to get into it by outsiders.
Once Charlie, Elrod and Katy were in position, Kaine, Gil, Drei and Jason made their way to the event, standing in line with gaps between one another but still within sight. Once they'd gotten their admission, they entered the venue. You could see security around corners of the area and several up on stage. A few unnamed government officials were up on stage as well, on stand by until Alicia had entered up on the stage. Getting in position, Jason took a good look around him. All kinda of people stood around him... young... old... no matter the ethnicity, height or size, everyone seemed to be at peace with one another. It would be an amazing sight... if not for the knowledge of how corrupt everything was behind doors... Jason frowned a little, looking up to the stage where Alicia would be standing.
"I'm in position" Jason spoke into the small microphone that had blended in with the inside of his jacket. It was time to get this ball rolling... It was time to get Alicia's blood boiling... He had to wake up these mind washed sheep.
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Post by Allie on Dec 3, 2016 14:44:12 GMT -6
The imagery was almost too much to bear: the people photographing and documenting clearly had no need to sugarcoat their actions, since the charred bodies lay squarely in the frame: skin flaking off like the flecks of wood off a campfire after being pulled out of the earthly equivalent of hell, the newly created cavities in their heads creating a gaze more haunting than any eye could possibly manage. It was easy to see her cohort was much more affected: at least on the external end since Charlie kept her poker face throughout the entire operation. However, there was a lingering fear of anyone else having been involved with chip removal being exterminated in the same fashion, particularly the fear of being orphaned and others taking ignorant bliss in their departure while their carcasses literally pushed up daisies. ...Oh right. Her parents were the type to buy the fertilizer and are none the wiser. None of them had any potential to be of any real worth besides providing basic needs for the past 11 years: the fact that they'd buy the remains of scientists for their own frivolous pursuits wasn't a hard fact to believe. These were the same people who let their 8-year-old child talk to strangers and hack security cameras for fun. She brushed those thoughts out of her head and saved the evidence, encrypting it to the point where accessing the files was nearly impossible.
Now it was time for the biggest phase of their plan: exposing the leader for all of her transgressions. Charlie stuffed her duffle bag chock full of her supplies, as well as clothing and food for however long she'd stay in the area, and set off with her group. A small part of her was disappointed that none of the men actually going into the crowd had guns or any weapons to protect themselves since she could have easily ordered them online. The guards could easily overpower them if they weren't careful, and she didn't have connections to guerilla armies. Oh well, she thought as she checked into the motel with her decidedly delicate co-workers and got to work. Now this was what she was talking about: multiple giant screens, powerful hard drives, having eyes on all the parade while also having a large enough snack stash to keep her going for days on end. Elrod would complain about her food choices, but it wasn't his place to tell her how to eat on the job: he had to do his. She kicked back in her chair as she was absently mindedly inputting IP addresses and running password guessing programs, eyes glinting as she caught the security camera and electrical circuit matrix.  "Ok Jason. I have eyes on every single security camera in the area as well access to the electrical circuits. Gimme the signal and I'll do whatever you need" Charlie affirmed, flicking her mouse around as she scanned the live footage. A bit odd that her parents didn't seem to attend to upkeep the image of good citizens. At least they probably were at home because they knew they couldn't keep up appearances. |
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Post by norimo on Dec 3, 2016 17:24:08 GMT -6
The chattering and bustling of the massive rows of people, the suffocating layers of clothing, and the density of his doubt all contributed to the churning sickness as the overwhelming disease of claustrophobia penetrated both the nerves of his body and confines of his ever-scathing thoughts. To feel the hot breath of the gaping jaws of the beast against one's heels had rendered their well-being as meat on a hook. The beast would feel not of their plight but only of their bones scraping against its teeth as it chewed and spat them as to affirm their disposable bodies by rewarding them with a crown of flies. All things considered, Kaine was within reasonable doubt to believe that despite their crucial evidence against the demon in heels, the devil would sooner silence that condemn the echo of its actions. After all, the research group was no different in the sense of discovering the dubious nature behind the chips in the first place. Yet, their breaths were stolen, and their endeavors immortalized themselves as grain in the soil by which they all stepped on without a second thought. What hissed at the heels of Kaine the most was both the extent of what the scientists found and the administration of the bite they would receive. Would they immediately be under suspicion for the possibility of having abnormal abilities? If so, then would the beast devour the body first or the head? If their bodies were turned to dust, then perhaps they would depart with their qualia forever true. Though if deemed useful, then the beast would mature and sink its canines into the head. Their limbs would appear to share the liveliness of the sun, but their touch would be as severe as ice. They would walk and stand as man does but think not of how man does. By all means, a prisoner within their own flesh. Furthermore, when comparing the option of being blackmailed to erasing the both the evidence with the challenges that threaten one then the second choice would be ideal as long as their tracks could be erased. In Alicia’s position, her tracks were as temporary as footprints in the sand. With the sound of Jason’s voice, Kaine was knocked from his stupor and reaffirmed his surroundings before speaking in a hushed tone. “Likewise,” he muttered, his eyes peeled for any unusual movement within the crowd. Hopefully, Jason’s ability would be their trump card being thought manipulation was considerably hard to counter, but that only drove the question further on how much the scientists disclosed. When it came to his own prowess, his ability wasn’t exactly a bad fit for the situation by his own terms. A sort of puppetry with the mind could make things appear calmer on the outside than it was on the inside for any attacker who sought to raise a hand. Being surrounded by the event-goers were a huge disadvantage, countless eyes could fall and identify them later on if needed. The clothing had been prepared, but regardless there was a chance someone could spot them donning the attire. If things came to the worst, any exits to hightail out of there could be blocked by a panicked bystander. With their abilities, fleeing shouldn’t be much of a hassle however. Gil and Jason could work together being in close proximity, Drei was undoubtedly the fastest of them all, and his own specialty was moving others from his path. It was just a matter of drawing the least amount of attention. As he focused on the crowd, there was a stark contrast between faces as his eyes bounced from one figure to the next. It was diverse by all means, but held no weight being what was driving the vehicle in the first place. Positioned on stage were a dispatch of government agents whose hands remained at their side, their posture stiff as can be. Admittedly, stealing a glance at their faces were unnerving when one remembered how composed they were despite they may have known and even participated in distributing the remains of the researchers. On the other hand, perhaps they were just extra security who knew nothing but the amount they were paid by the end of the month. On the opposing end, he could spot Drei among the faces but chose for his eyes to skip past him. If his own thoughts were racing this intensely, then who knows what the child of the brainwashed scientists was onto. Over the past week he had been sneaking chances to get under the blonde’s skin, but for now he had decided to keep a distance until his feelings blew over. Even though they weren’t at eye-level with one another, having the bombshell of one’s parents being used in a horrific mass murder be dropped suddenly would probably be hard on most people. Kaine wasn’t about to test his temper during a crucial time, nor did he really want to with the info weighing on his own mind. Now that he thought about it, taking it upon himself to save his own parents was a rather “noble” act in consideration. Jason shared the same goal as well, and even Gil was sticking his neck out for his little brother. Were they all close to their family? He could only assume so being the lengths they were going through. Meanwhile, his memories rustled in their sleep. The muddy image of his parents’ complexion rippled within his mind: their noses, hair, eye color, and lips… Just how many years ago did they throw out my stuff?
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Post by schribbit on Dec 4, 2016 13:30:05 GMT -6
Elrod was completely floored by all information relayed to him and the others. The unnerving news just kept coming. It was hard to believe the bombing of Canada, but to learn that even within the walls people were being taken out was equally as unbelievable and nerve-wracking. Elrod buzzed with unease as time went on, feeling like an angry hive by the time he and his team were within the confines of a disgusting excuse of a temporary living arrangement. He could sense the vermin crawling around every corner- or perhaps he was letting things get to him. It made sense, as a great mass of people were not too far away within feeling distance. It all felt especially menacing, knowing what could be at stake at the event- his life and the lives of the group. He thought on those that were brave enough to venture into the throngs of directionless individuals. How fearful they must be. He could tell which the four were in the crowd easily- they all moved a bit differently than everyone else. Elrod supposed it was due to their nerves- though truthfully he'd memorized their movement patterns as time went by. He hadn't much else to do at the time, anyway. He felt like rather useless baggage. The others however- how interesting they were. They were all simultaneously compelling and irritating. They all had their ways of living- Drei's habit of scratching himself was particularly disgusting- and Elrod grew to like their company as people but simply deal with their company as moving parts. Despite the differing feelings, Elrod decided he liked them all. Even Katie, though his actions were often embarrassing. Everyone's drive to help save their world was inspiring, and Elrod could not ignore that. It was enough to get even himself to think they could do it, though quickly the thought would be pushed away by doubts. Doubts being that perhaps they might fail. If not today, then likely another. As today was of top priority, Elrod's mind was racing through all the ways in which things could go horribly wrong in their current situation. Security could become suspicious of those in the field. Drei might somehow be recognized- his parents may have had a photo of him on their persons before they died. Jason might mess up his plan and lead them poorly. Katie might sense a danger too late. Someone might notice the security cameras have been hacked and trace it to their room. The group's outfits might be too obviously connected. Someone in the crowd might notice the group talking to no one, deduce they're speaking into an earpiece, and call attention to it. There were so, so many ways they could mess up- They could all get caught. They could all die. They could all become mulch. His new companions' lives could end and he could get left behind by some slim chance, live on with survivor's guilt and never be able to fix the world. He had no skills but to look fashionably appropriate and eat well. What could he do without them? Nothing. Nothing at all. As he sat a reasonable distance from the others and stared blankly ahead, he sorely hoped that no one would die this day. He took to breathing deeply as he attempted to calm his nerves down.  Elrod breathed a small sigh and spoke into his earpiece, figuring he'd need to affirm his own bearings as well. "I'm aware of your individual presences. N-no problems so far." |
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Post by zenguardian on Dec 4, 2016 13:47:42 GMT -6
It didn't take them very long to reach the location of their "Glorious Leader's" meet & great. It was odd. The whole crew had a sort of refined focus, sharp enough to cut through the smallest notion of renunciation - their mission and purpose for gathering together in the first place led to this exact moment, when they would reveal to the masses all of the deep dark secrets the government had kept sealed tight under lock and key... or in this case, proxies and full-disc encryption. It was a common misconception to believe that top-secret files were much safer in digispace than in a carefully monitored environment. Major, given enough time and snacks, could easily break through even the toughest of electronic locks. Alicia's regime had plenty of dirty laundry and, apparently, not enough detergent. As the group split into their designated teams, Gil was sure that the revelation of what Charlie and Jason had unearthed would shake the nation to its core. It bothered Gil that the government would have done such heinous things to innocent people who were only trying to help their children. And after what they learned of Drei's parents... Gil didn't even know if his own parents were lucky to have been killed immediately than to be subject to mind control. He couldn't help but think of how Drei's parents felt when they were forced to rat out all of their coworkers. Could they even feel anything? There was still so much they didn't know. Obviously, the government did not want data on the chipless leaking into the world. But why? Was it because of the powers they gained? How did they even get those powers in the first place? And if any of the chipless were discovered, would they go through the same ritual as the scientists did? Or would it be even more gruesome? What would happen to his friends if they were caught? What would happen to him if they discovered he was not supposed to be alive? What would they do to my little brother?It took all of his willpower to not take the stage and shout everything out right there. It took every fiber of his being to not grab the nearest official and ask why they were doing these things. But if his past experiences in theater and on the run have taught him anything, it's that there was always the right time. The most impactful time. The most effective time. Whether it be a cue to enter or exit the limelight, or a cue to drop a façade and move on to another life. Even someone as instinctual as him knew that. And so, he'd rather impatiently wait for Jason's orders. Kaine, Drei, and Jason had just left to shift into their positions. Gil was to remain a few yards behind Jason. He adjusted his earpiece as he awaited confirmation from the others. From his position, he could see the stage and Jason clearly, although more and more people were drifting in front of him, obscuring his line of sight. Fortunately, his height still allowed him to keep an eye on their leader's shock of red hair. There were too many people blocking his vision of both Kaine and Drei's faces, but he at least recognized their shape. There's Prince and Jay. "I'm here. I've got your back, boss." he mumbled into the inner rim of his jacket collar. In order to pass the time, Gil decided to strike up a conversation with a nearby person. "Hey, man. Isn't this exciting? I've always wanted to see Alicia with my own two eyes!" The man in question had a fair skin complexion and a clean-shaved look. He looked to be about 34, likely a business man of some sort. Clinging onto his pant leg was a little girl slightly younger than Charlie was. She didn't look very much like her father. She must have favored her mom. The man smiled and nodded, "Yes, this is very exciting. This is a good opportunity for my little girl to see another young lady in a place of power." Gil smiled back. " Oh, I'm sure she'll learn a lot."  The man opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but Gil held a hand up. "Excuse me," he said as he doubled over in a coughing fit. He then reached into his jacket and pulled out an inhaler. "I'm sorry... asthma..." The man nodded once more and shimmied away with daughter in tow. That worked well, Gil thought as he took a puff out of the empty inhaler. He drew in attention with his staged coughing fit and dispelled it just as easily. It was a precautionary measure just in case anything arose and he needed to provide a distraction for his teammates. With the people surrounding him knowing that he must have an illness of some sort, his temporary death routine would be much more believable. Over the past two weeks, Gil had grown closer with the group. Enough so that he wouldn't mind potentially sacrificing himself for their well being. Here's hoping that this meeting wouldn't come to that... |
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Post by not u on Dec 4, 2016 15:15:59 GMT -6
Drei pushed his way through the crowd, tossing about mumbled apologies and excuses with each nudged body. Despite how tangible each and every person was he that he squirmed through to get in position, these mere moments away from the start of their revolution didn't feel real. Perhaps it was the swarm of innumerable bodies in the crowd, or the sudden assault of information on all his senses, so difficult to sort through that he momentarily dulled a few. "Sorry," he muttered quickly with another bump of his arm, finally settling into place, adjusting his black turtleneck to sit just above his chin as he stared up at the stage. "Same," he responded quietly so as to not draw attention to himself, eyes locking on the stage as he slowly began to restore the dulled senses, starting with his hearing and moving on to touch. Smell could stay dulled for the time being. Clarity had started to set in after Major and Jason had dug up the whereabouts of his parents, an act that had already formed a pit of ice in his stomach when they first began. It was strange to Drei, who had found himself mentally locking his parents up in a box along with Schrodinger's cat. He'd thought he'd accepted the worst ever since they vanished. All of his siblings had. But the lack of confirmation, the lack of never looking inside that box kept the gravity of the truth off his shoulders. It never felt real, despite knowing that surely nothing good could have come of their disappearance. However seeing those grisly, inhuman pictures on the screen, reading the protocol followed, reading how his parents sold their fellow scientists up the river, ripped the box's door right off its hinges. The blonde, whose motivation for being part of a revolution was tentative at best, especially compared to the laser focus of Jason and the loss of Gil, fumbled with a sudden rush of feelings he couldn't put a name to. Some surely he could. Rage, fear, nausea were a few of them as he tripped over his own heels in his scramble for the bathroom, limbs moving in all sorts of uncoordinated motions as he simultaneously tried to yank his phone out of his pocket and flip open the porcelain lid of the toilet which was now smeared with the blood of what had been very busy fingers. Drei's assumptions of what could be "the worst" didn't even come close to the true nature of Alicia's regime. They would've been better off dead, he panicked, now focusing his fumbling movements on his phone once the first wave of nausea had subsided. What had they been thinking when they sold their friends and colleagues out to the government? Could they even think at all? He flipped open the lock screen and stared blankly at his call history. Would they even sell us out? His siblings, the fodder used in their research, and his fingers hit the last number Elodie had called from. An unknown number from Tennessee, as always spoofed and untraceable. But numbly he hit it, bringing the phone to his ear. He knew it wouldn't work but he just needed, he needed to try. "Hey sis--" A harsh southern voice drawled through the other end, "Who is this?" He knew he'd need to wait until she called again, hanging up without another word. And when she'd eventually call, and he'd give her the code signal to leave, and she and Vier went to visit "Aunt Jessie", he could put his mind somewhat at ease. However something had changed once his racing mind had finally quieted. The blonde whose focus had been nothing but a foggy construct of his own assumptions could see with clarity what they were up against. The sheer evil they were up against had now made itself crystal clear.  Perhaps that had become known to the others as well, particularly Kaine who left him alone during the week of preparation that followed. Drei squinted through the crowd to try and get an overview of where the others were, picking out Gil and Jason before he was able to spot the sheephead on the far end of the room. Good, he sighed and adjusted the turtleneck again. If anything went wrong, he was ready to back them up. Whisk them away, protect them, whatever it was he was willing. The thought of others, even Kaine who had dedicated their first week to making him miserable, ending up brainwashed shells dedicated to selling out friends and peers was unacceptable. Just a single hostage could be manipulated into selling out Jason's entire website and operation. Even worse than ending up as potting dirt. With fiery eyes finally resting on the ginger, he nodded a little bit and awaited any further orders issued through the earpiece. 
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Post by Kisaka on Dec 13, 2016 23:24:57 GMT -6
Good. Everything was falling into plan easily. No hiccups so far meant it was smooth sailing until things started to get a bit riskier. The plan was simple, all in all. Every single meet Alicia had with her 'loyal subjects', she hosted a Q&A session. Using that, Jason would be the one to ask specifically about the fertilizer and use his powers to help hoax the truth out of her. If that failed to work, or even if it did work, he would have Charlie pull up some of the images they discovered, proving that Alicia's little world wasn't as nice as she'd made it out to be. But... that was assuming she really did hold a Q&A that day. There was nothing to guarantee that she would be taking questions from the audience, as these things were never announced before hand... but they have yet to stop happening so far. But... anything could happen.
Jason gulped, trying to wash away any worries that were starting to surface. Being surrounded by so many people along with the knowledge of this whole plan... it really did make him feel a bit anxious. If something went wrong... Geez, he hoped everyone would make it out alive...
Located on both the right and left side of the room were monitors, along with two big projector screens in the front. At first all were blank, but suddenly with a bright blue flash, the screens lit up and started to display text upon it, white speckles falling in the background of the slide.
"Alicia: United States of America Welcomes You To..." The screens read, a rumble of drums being played over the speakers that were surrounding the area. With a splash of the symbols and a white flash of the screens, the music roared in a happy celebratory tune while the screens displayed "Alicia's Party of People!".
The crowd roared in excitement, white fog arising from the center of the stage before Alicia appeared right out of it, beaming with excitement towards the crowd.
"Hello, everyone! Good afternoon my wonderful people~!" Alicia's voice rang, young sounding as ever, her arms shooting up towards the sky and her hands waving like mad. She hopped a little on stage, which quite frankly made Jason frown. If we were to set aside the childishness of her behavior, the ginger still couldn't believe she was the one behind all this. But what if...
Out of nowhere, Jason's stomach felt as if it'd gained five pounds of weight in it, his mind hit with a thought he'd never considered. What if... she was being used? Like- what if she actually had no idea all this was happening and was acting as the leader but was completely innocent... It would explain her child-like nature... but it'd been... years since she took over. Could she stay that oblivious for that long? Jason felt like he might be overreacting now, but... that could be one way this whole thing could fall apart. What if she truly had no idea what was going on with the fertilizer they sold to the public... and this whole thing would be for nothing?
No!
Calm down, Jason. You're freaking out. Remember, all of us are here because her actions have proved otherwise. If she really didn't know any of this... then it should not have been so easy to obtain the information in the first place. Plus, with her signing off on so many dangerous projects... That's right. There was no way she wasn't aware of what was going on. It was obvious from the start. Breathing in and out slowly, Jason recomposed himself while looking ahead to the stage where Alicia continued to wave to the crowd. The tall ginger wrinkled his nose at her once more. That's right... She was just a huge liar... a liar and a murderer... Who knows who else was on the chopping block... but Jason would assure it would not be them tonight.
Once the crowd died down and Alicia stopped prancing around, Alicia bowed before the entirety of the room, her bodyguards standing at either side of her. "Welcome everyone! I'm so glad to see we have another full room today! I can't wait to speak with you all!" The strawberry blonde then motioned to another bodyguard before they brought out a small stack of papers to her. After a small bow of the head, she took them in her hands and faced the main arena. "Well, to start off...!"
It was then that Alicia mentioned different rallies she was planning on attending as well as a few events to raise money for both charity runs and her "New Years Bonanza" which was planned to involve a bunch of "lucky citizens" from each state throughout the country. She touched on a few construction issues, but said she was looking into different bills for tax increases and cuts to solve their problems. After speaking about other small problems, Alicia returned papers to her bodyguard and beamed at the crowd once more.
"For the last hour and a half, I would like to take questions from the crowd! Please keep them appropriate for all ages, or you will be escorted out! Thank you!" With that, Alicia looked to the crowd, an overhead microphone positioned in several areas above the crowd for maximizing volume of questions. Jason decided to wait for a little bit while a few others asked questions, as to not cause suspicion right off the bat.
"Everything okay so far?" Jason spoke to the others, not referring to anyone in particular. Jason would occasionally look around to make sure no one was paying any mind to him, and sure enough everyone was too focused on Alicia to give him a care in the world. "Be prepared, Major. Once I say the keywords ('Why don't you show everyone'), that's when you pull up the images. Don't forget, alright?" Jason reconfirmed. They'd went over it several times, but it never hurt to be extra sure, right?
After about twenty minutes of Q&A, Jason's hand went up. Another 10 minutes of waiting ensued, but sure enough, he was chosen to be the next to ask a question among the crowd. Those around him had their eyes sparkling with curiosity. Just what was he going to ask her? Just what was she going to say? What knowledge were going to be bestowed upon them? Jason ignored those around him, trying not to focus on anything but the terrifyingly chipper woman upon the stage. Just breathe, Jason...
"Good afternoon!" Jason spoke up, coughing a little at the end of his sentence. God damnit... He already sounded nervous...
"Hello there! May I have your name, beautiful one?" Alicia answered in her uniform way as she straightened her posture once more. She always asked the names, claiming it meant a lot to her and her followers.
"Christopher!" Jason smiled a little. No shit he wasn't going to say his actual name...
"Wonderful! Go on with your question, Chris!~" The woman beamed once more, folding her hands together and her fingers entwined.
It was now or never.
Jason stood up straight, took a deep breath and set on his most confident smile he could.
"I had a question about the country supplied fertilizer."
Alicia looked confused and a bit curious at the answer, but answered instantly.
"The fertilizer? I'm not sure I can answer much about the project itself, but I can do what I can. What would you like to know?" She offered in respond.
So far so good.
"Yes, well... Last I heard, there were some... ingredients that weren't being properly credited on the packaging. Do you have anything to say of that?" Jason inquired, blinking slowly and making an appoint to use his powers to persuade her into telling the truth. Using his powers at a distance was a struggle, if he was honest... but not impossible. Alicia looked blankly at Jason, eyes seeming to lose focus of her surroundings for just a moment. It was then that she blinked a couple times and laughed.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to contact the team who handles that sort of stuff. I'll have my staff find you afterwards and we'll relay the email to you, if that's alright with you Christopher! Anyway-" Alicia had seemed to brush the entire instance off as nothing. Wait- had his powers been too weak? Jason furrowed his brow. Something wasn't quite right... Maybe he needed to be closer... Jason suddenly pushed forward in the crowd, knocking into people left and right but not offering any sort of apologies.
"Wait!" Jason spoke up, speaking over Alicia. He was now closer to the stage, making a very hard effort to use his powers on her this time. His eyes narrow ever so slightly and he balled his hands into fists. This ought to do it... "Please, I need to know more! I have a feeling that you, Alicia, our Leader, can tell us most anything! So why don't you-"
"!!"
It was then that Jason had suddenly been overwhelmed with an impulse to stop talking altogether with. W- What...? What is happening right now...!?
Jason shuddered a little before struggling to open his mouth again. "Wh-why don't you..." He couldn't get the words out... He couldn't finish his sentence. What is... going on?! Jason's eyes had drifted from Alicia's stance on the stage now, finding it hard to focus on anything at all. However, after a few moments he was able to compose himself once again only to see Alicia was staring straight at him while talking to a bodyguard. Oh no... This is bad... this is bad... Panic arose in Jason. Something wasn't right at all... Something was going on...
"Alicia! Why don't you-" Jason felt another wave of... something... This time it was giving him the feeling of dizziness and nausea... However this time he overcame it quickly, glaring straight at Alicia as he gained his composure. "-show everyone! Show everyone just what it is that you're doing with that fertilizer you so graciously offered us all!" Jason lifted his right hand, pointing directly at Alicia.
Alicia looked visibly shook at Jason's response, mumbling a bit into the microphone, though nothing intelligible could be made out from it over the microphone.The woman almost looked as frustrated as Jason did at this point...
Why wasn't she reacting to his powers? And why had he'd felt so... sick when he tried to retaliate back? None of this was making sense...
Unfortunately, for now Jason did all he could and it was all up to Charlie... He'd said his cue, so now he just had to hope she was able to act fast enough before they'd risk getting caught for sure.
Katie was sitting upon the floor of their small base of operations for this mission. His eyes went from Charlie and her technology to Elrod with his oh so fancy outfit. Katie had wanted to compliment it, but felt hesitant to do so considering how they should be focusing on their plan. Even though he also obtained a headpiece and microphone for communication, Katie had not once used it since their test runs a few days ago. He had nothing to give for this sort of situation, especially as frail as he was. He actually wasn't sure why he wasn't left back in their apartment place... But they said two heads are better than one... Or in this case 7 heads are better than 6...? 7 Just sounded like too many...
The long haired man looked to the screens feasting on Charlie's eyes, glancing at all the different people who asked questions via the monitors. Looking away occasionally, Katie just played with his hair in his hands and then switched to playing with his long sleeves he wore. Could he ask what everyone is feeling...? Probably anxiety... Probably uneasiness and fear... Probably everything he was feeling too... So there was no point in asking.
Jason's voiced chimed in through their headsets, Katie perking up at the sudden voice in the still room. It was actually quite quiet in that room, aside from the hum of the computer and the clicking and typing that Charlie had consistently made. Elrod was the utmost quiet, but that was the norm. The brunette laid his chin back on his knee before falling back to his own thoughts. I hope everyone is okay out there.... I just want to us to all be okay...
The man picked at his sleeve once more, eyes looking to Elrod. It was then that Katie suddenly started to retch out of nowhere. Dry-heaving loudly in the room, Katie's body shook and he hyperventilated trying to catch his breath. His vision shook and he immediately lost his balance, despite being on the floor. "Oh no oh no oh no..." Katie groaned in between his retches. "I don't... Jason... Where is Jason... Oh my god... I think..." Katie's body continued to shake more, his arms finally giving out and his head smacking against the floor as he lost the rest of his balance. His body laid there as he heaved, curling up with what strength he could muster in the moment. "Something bad is happening... Oh no... Please..." Katie started to tear up as his body continued to shake and the overwhelming feeling of doom and misfortune came upon him. He could never get over these reactions... This one was so much worse than the last time... But why...?
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