Indomitable (IC)

[Plue]

Seraphinia


"Ah."

{Appreciation} towards [Green Eyes].
"Appreciation."

Previous {query} returned. {Mistakes made} Within acceptable bounds? {Correction possible} with assistance. Removing [Green Eyes] from {possible nuisance/coworkers}.

With this soft noise the homunculus accepts the folder offered by [Green Eyes]. Pausing for a moment as she considers the woman. {Designation error}? Reclassify. Trying to split her attention between the folder and her words ends up delaying her for a moment.

Giving up for the moment on the folder she turns her focus to her {coworkers} as {nomenclature failure}. Insufficiently distinctive appearance. Recollection of mode of {transportation}. Found; acceptable.

[Bike] approaches as well.

Letting those thoughts spin away on their own Seraphinia does her best to answer the questions posed by [Green Eyes] and [Bike]. Possible {affiliation} of [Green Eyes] and Rebecca Campbell. Tentative {reference} applied temporarily. Subject to redefinition.

{The 12th: Modern Magecraft Theories.}

"Annoyances."

Pause. Reference reversal, {correct order}.

{Annoyances}
"Mistake, correction. 12th: Modern Magecraft Theories."

{....?} ....? Language not found. Staring blankly at [Bike] the red eyed artificial human does her best to processes the sounds that emerged. A brief glance is spared towards [Green Eyes] to see if they seem to have a grasp of [Bike]'s attempt at communication.

{Reference to mission?} Possible discussion. Materials may contain necessary information.

Turning her head down towards the folder given to her by [Green Eyes] the data contained within is quickly consumed. The admittedly slim set of files doesn't take more than a few moments for her to digest.

Target selection. {Match for positive synergy?} Maximize interference against target.... {Insufficient data}

{Unknown.} {Unexpected time-frame.} Insufficient for calculations.

"Unknown." A long drawn out pause as Seraphinia is obviously weighing her words. "No previous experience." These words are much quieter than her previous statement. Falling silent afterwords as she lets her thoughts spin on the focus of her magecraft and her abilities.

{Roll definition} most important for {grouping}.
Support/interference?
{Match probability unknown}

[Bike] and [DogMale] discussion of roles. {Disagreement?} Possible reference to self. Determine response to {harmonize} at highest level.

{No change.} No idea. {More distorted communications.} Translation delayed, continue on role determination as primary.

She doesn't hang her head, but there is a distinct slump of her shoulders as time passes and she is unable to find an answer. Her gathered knowledge is still too limited in this world.

[Mormarth]

Rebecca Campbell

Seraphinia took the folder with a soft noise, and The scotswoman trotted over, filling the air with a cheery barrage of vernacular I struggled to parse my way through.

Ah, thoughts on 'Smoke'.

"Indeed, this Vasquez character is likely to be the most well-suited to both my methods and magecraft, the abundance of Mystic Codes in 'Cybernetic' is unhelpful, and, as you no-doubt noticed, the Russian requires both a reliable method of defending a valued object, and retrieving him alive."

I paused thoughtfully.

"In addition, I believe that, ah, I would react badly to Perdition's MO, I have a poor history with mental interferences."

"Annoyances."

I blink, and turn to evaluate Seraphinia, who looks a bit embarassed.

"Mistake, correction. 12th: Modern Magecraft Theories."

Ah, those weirdos.

I think this with the all of the knowing reassurance of a hypocrite.

She turns her head to examine the folder closely, and seems to be searching for the correct words, "Unknown, No previous experience."

Mm, I suppose that is true, we have only sparce information for our targets, and it is difficult to get a proper read on their methods, or indeed a high level of detail.

Somewhat important, in my experience.

A rattling noise, 3 sets of feet, two low to the ground, Turner is approaching.

I turned to regard him.

He shuffled up easily enough, "I think the current arrangement is a bit uh, how should I say... You're going to put me together with this...thing here... Rebecca, right?"

He pointed as obviously as possible directly at the Homunculus.

I waited silently, for the coming question.

"How about we do this together instead. I think this will result in less communication difficulties."

There is a rattling of conversation from the senior Enforcers, inconsequential.

Thornberry (wasn't that a cartoon?) interjected and spoke to Turner, "An' that'd be an even shame, acause o oor odds in skeel. A cannae hunt the Roushie withoot killin him, an the ither tw're quirkie fer me. Leavin' that aside, thare micht be anither way? Mebbe."

I blinked, and steadily hacked my way through the verbal brush.

Arguing against a change in set-up due to a difference of skillset, as expected, she appears to be unsuited for no-kill missions.

A fair enough point.

"Hmph. It's all guid an weel. A'll say it's daeless, Turner. Yer a muckle man, a'm shuir you can steek yer hert ta the haundlin."

I frowned, that could have been put more diplomatically, the summation essentially being 'tough shit, deal with it'.

"I agree, to an extent, while teamwork and coordination is important, I feel it is of more importance to take the folder most suited to your abilities, and, as seen by the others taking the other two folders, the only remaining are the Russian and the drug-dealer. And the Russian must be taken alive, while simultaneously defending an item of importance, my methods are... sub-optimal for that type of engagement, I am afraid."

I paused, "I would also appreciate it if you did not address Seraphinia as a thing, Mr. Turner."

[Ace]

Ayumi Sakagami

All around her, the rest of her co-workers hashed out who was going on what mission, with no one objecting to her claim to Cybernetics. Instead -

"I'm interested in that one as well, though I suppose it's not due to something as important as compatibility. So if you wouldn't mind me accompanying you, I'd also like to sign up for it."

The white haired professor spoke up. If she remembered right from his brief introduction, his specialty was archeology and he was a collector of rare stuff. Mystic Codes modeled after machines probably was the exact opposite of researching the past but hey, she supposed it'd be super rare. Everyone had their own reasons for taking this job. Choosing a target based on the possible sweet loot they could get afterwards wasn't that bad of a motivation. Haha, at least it probably wasn't something as silly as picking based on the attractiveness of the people involved, right?

"I don't mind," Ayumi said. "I bet we'd make a great team, actually!" She smiled at him.

As a professor he had to know all sorts of spells. Perfect for someone who, well, didn't. At all.

Ayumi extended her hand for him to shake. "I'll be in your care, Professor."

[I3uster]

Michael Turner

"Guess it’s the same with everyone, being way too attached to your dog… Well, if you want your freak dog to avenge his honor, we can have a dumb dogfight or something. I don’t care—do whatever makes you happy.”

"Wow, so heartless. That's not how you treat your best friend." I demonstratively bow foward and ruffle Sparky's neck. "whosmybestfriend, whoissit, whoissit, yes you are!" And I let him bark again.

Sure he wasn't really alive by any stretch of the definition but I had to keep up appearances. Can't let a dogfight ruin my boy. "Good boy!"

As for the actually important part of this conversation...

"Unintelligible possibly drunk gibberish"

I cradled my head in both hands before running them through my hair. A deep sigh accompanied my motions "Can you like, get me a translator or something for that one, that's not fuckin' normal. Can't tell if she's telling me to go ahead or if she wants to sell me her pint coaster collection." I looked her in the eyes. "E-N-G-L-I-S-H! You speak that? You know, like the country you live in? England?"

Now to turn to more pleasant looking and sounding things, like my future office affair here.

"I agree, to an extent, while teamwork and coordination is important, I feel it is of more importance to take the folder most suited to your abilities, and, as seen by the others taking the other two folders, the only remaining are the Russian and the drug-dealer. And the Russian must be taken alive, while simultaneously defending an item of importance, my methods are... sub-optimal for that type of engagement, I am afraid."

"Mhm, I disagree to be honest. If I compliment someone well enough no matter what we'll encounter should work out...though if you don't believe me we could always go on this mission and you can see it in action?" I gave her the smile that floored the ladies from Vegas to NY.

Gotta show who's the boss here a bit early. Makes shit less awkward later down the line.

"I would also appreciate it if you did not address Seraphinia as a thing, Mr. Turner."

"Please honey, call me Mike. And sure, whatever you want." I bow forward and pat Sparky one last time.

[Zagrin]

Arjun Vidya

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Ms Sakagami."

Arjun smiled at her and reached out towards the outstretched hand and grasped it with his own, sealing the partnership the two of the them would have for the upcoming mission and, if everything went well, the relationship they would have for the rest of their stay at the Clock Tower.

"Once we've finished moving in, would you care to join me for som- oh dear..."

Having finally decided on the details and partner for his job, Arjun had only now taken notice of the ongoing conflict just a few meters away. The lady from policies and the recently awoken Native American were really going at it, to say the least. True, one of the Matsumiya sisters had said that this was a common occurrence and not to worry about it, but even still to see such lovely ladies squabbling...he just couldn't simply sit by.

Kind of frustrating actually considering he was just about to ask a cute girl out to breakfast/lunch/dinner (or why not just all three!?), but hey what's a man to do, right?

"I'm sorry, Ms Sakagami, but if you could please excuse me, two of our colleagues seem to be having some sort of disagreement and I'd rather it not continue on for any longer."

Though he loathed to do it, he left the safe presence of his new partner and approached the battlefield of the two (The exact opposite of what any sane man should do in this situation). It didn't appear as either was going to end any time soon, probably wanted the last say and all that.

Sigh

He was going to need to choose what words he used carefully, wasn't he?

"Ladies, ladies, is this really necessary? Yes, I'm new here and probably don't get what this exchange is all about, but I can't just stand by the sidelines as I watch two beautiful women bickering, I'm sure the both of you are better than that. Ah, that's not meant to offend either of you or anything though, it's just that hmm...well I guess what I'm trying to say is uh..."

All he could do was shrug as he delivered the final line in his argument.

"Can't we all just get along?"

Well at least he tried, right?

[Katie]

Arjun Vidya

"Can't we all just get along?"

Sakuragi grinned, putting her arms behind her head. “You could use a bit of work in the speaking department, but I do have to commend your impeccable taste. Isn’t that right, Charity?”

Coyote bit her lip, shooting you a glare as her... wolf suddenly stopped pacing around her legs, sitting down and staring dead at you, a chill coming down your spine. You could hear her sputter for something to say, but instead her deceased canine companion made up for her lack of verbosity with several sharp barks.

“Awww, you made her speechless. That’s something to be treasured. Now that I think about it, she hasn’t gone out with anyone for all the time that I’ve known her, so... How do you feel about dinner with this fine man?” Ah. There was no doubt in your mind about how Sakuragi was clearly enjoying this. The panicked Coyote began squabbling for her pipe and stuck it in her mouth, closing her eyes.

“I-I’m not falling for your shit, alright? You two can play this game between yourselves or something... Come on, let’s go.” She gave her dead dog a pat on the head as she dashed off, presumably to escape perceived sexual harassment. That was no fun.

“Oh, she ran off...” Sakuragi glanced down the hallway, before turning to you with a shrug and a sly smile. “I’m free tonight, if you wanted to know. MacCailin hates giving his precious Policies girls any missions, so I have plenty of time for myself... and others.”

“I’m sure someone like you wouldn’t refuse the opportunity, right? Just knock on my door five times when you feel like it. It’s at the very end of the hall Charity ran into.”

Annabelle Lockhart

It was at times like these you wished you had aides again. They could have handled all of this menial busywork, and you would be already at studying and experimentation. Unfortunately, that was very, very long ago, and now you had to settle for unpacking everything by yourself. Not that your room would end up having much. It would be spartan—after all, you were to be leaving soon. Honestly, there shouldn’t have been a need for you to even come here in the first place...

You heard a knock on the door. Then another. And then another. Each was spaced precisely the same, it sounded like, and to avoid anymore racket you opened the door.

There stood the two Orientals you had seen earlier, the younger one clutching a decently sized stack of paper and the other, her “sister,” the homunculus, had her hands in her pockets, trying to look casual. What did they come here for?

“Um, we read your paper about circadian and seasonal rhythms and their application in homunculi stabilization and it’s really good and I know you just got here but we thought we could help you move in and ask you about your works and...” The younger one, Kanade, had her voice slowly become more and more inaudible, until anything that came out of her mouth was simply gibberish until your ears. But the admiration was self-evident.

“We don’t mean to be a bother, but do you mind letting us in? My sis is... well, she’d been very eager to meet you since she heard you were joining. She’s been really eager to move up a rank and wondered if someone as highly esteemed as yourself would be willing to discuss about our field...” Kanade blushed, but this wasn’t your first time consulting someone who was particularly interested in your work. You knew many of them back in your time as a lecturer as well as their ambitions to climb higher up the echelons of the Clock Tower.

But for an Oriental like her, could you say there was much hope for her?

“I mean, um, all of that is true, but it’s very hard to find any of your work these days, I had to dig this out of a forbidden section in the anthropological section, and I thought I could fill in any gaps or missing sections by... asking the person that wrote them...” She bowed unexpectedly, and the homunculus did so in kind, but what she said bothered you somewhat. Your works, banned? There was absolutely no need for that, considering you had done nothing wrong in the first place. How could something like that could have happened?

Well, it was your choice to humour them.

[Satehi]

Annabelle Lockhart

“Well, aren’t you simply a dear?” Responding to her enthusiasm, Annabelle gave a reassuring smile to the younger girl. She gestured for them to come inside. “Feel free to make yourselves comfortable, as sparse as it is. Unfortunately, you have caught me at a busy time; otherwise I would be able to brew some tea.”

To find someone in this wayward department, a fresh mind willing to learn, an eager pupil- what a lovely surprise to find, Annabelle thought, as she stepped backwards from the doorway to welcome them inside. She had little expectations that any of her new colleagues had any academic inclinations, given the nature of their work, so it was quite the treat to find someone who was at least partially like-minded, and had respect for her works. Other mages might have been more loathe to discussing their work with others, but for her it was simply an opportunity to discuss magecraft and form connections that could potentially prove useful.

It was a shame she was an Oriental- from her experience, they rarely had any place in the Clock Tower, what with their backwards philosophies and dodgy history. Even if one took extra care in handling their education, it would not fix their social status. A century might have past, but when compared to the lifespan of the mage and the background of the Association, change would have been glacial at best.

Regardless, one curious mind was better than none. Politeness, politeness.

The girl… Kanade?s offer to help with the physical work with her homunculus was very sweet, and having her work be acknowledged by even the young minds of today made it feel as if her return to academia would not be far off, but something the girl had said was more urgent than any physical lodging or paper review.

“As for your business here, while I’d be more than willing to take you up on your offer or go over the details of my work, but before that… you said something about my work being in the forbidden section, I believe? Explain. I have been absent a while, but I have no recollection of any of my works being forbidden.”

She gave the pair a curious look.

[Katie]

Annabelle Lockhart

The two entered rather promptly, Kanade looking somewhat relieved and the homunculus rather blase about the whole affair.

“Oh, um, well…” Kanade awkwardly scratched her head, ruffling a bit of her hair. The homunculus simply stood watch, looking over her creator with a guarded look. It seemed that she was simply being dragged along, rather than being truly interested in academia like her sister.

“You remember him, right? Damien Claasen. Your assistant at the time of your… accident. In typical Clock Tower fashion, he did something, you vanished, and without an heir or a crest, your family eventually dropped out of the rising intellectual elite, and um….”

She trailed off, not out of any lack of recollection, but because thinking about it simply made her nervous. The homunculus coughed, and then spoke, her voice much more composed than that of her master.

“Claasen filled the power void. I mean, to everyone around, it was obvious, but that’s how the Claasen’s got around into their position—what used to be yours. They made friends in higher places, made a buddy with Lord MacConnagal, the guy who wants Lord MacCailin’s job as head of this Department, plus a few others, and then the cover ups began, they moved all of your work to restricted sections and I think plagiarized some of it.”

The brief moment of disbelief passed by in an instant, leaving you speechless. Everything had been taken away from you because of your untimely disappearance. Everything you had worked for was hidden or stolen, just like that.

“...Policies is all abuzz because you’re back… The Claasens want to keep their power bloc and position, but you as the rightful heir should get it back, and that’s what they’re all arguing about. Unless something major happens, I don’t see you getting a teaching position for… five years… I’m really sorry about that, Miss Lockhart, and I’d love to help, but people like us…” Kanade said remorsefully, exchanging an uneasy glance with her sister, as if she’d said too much. Not that there were any… unexpected bounded fields in the building, of course, but they were clearly apprehensive about discussing something like this, despite the relative safety from eavesdropping. Kanade tugged on her sleeves, squirming in place, while the homunculus kept glancing at the door and windows.

“We’re Japanese. We get into the Clock Tower on scholarship of all things but we can’t move from four to three because we happened to be born in a backwater.” Her homunculus finished, with a sigh. You could sense the distaste in her voice, but there were more pressing concerns than consoling a pair who probably never would move up any farther than this in life.

[Zagrin]

Arjun Vidya

For a normal man the outcome of the situation could be considered adequate, after all the potential fight had gone and ended peacefully. True, to any onlooker it was clear that Coyote (or was it more appropriate to refer to her by her real name, Charity?) now viewed Arjun with the same contempt that she held for Sakuragi, but such was how things went, right? Well no, not really for he was no normal man! Indeed, for dear Arjun this exchange actually went better than expected, after all...

Yeah, she likes me.

He wore a triumphant smile as he watched Coyote dash off, giving a single wave goodbye. He had to say there was something attractive about a girl whom couldn't be straight with her feelings, thus opting for more abrasive behavior. If memory served him well the Japanese had a term for that, though he couldn't quite recall it at the moment, perhaps Sakuragi would know?

Speaking of Sakuragi, did she just say what he think she said!?

"Someone like me? Now you've got me worried on what the Clock Tower might have on me! Still there's no way I can deny a proposition from such a beautiful lady as yourself, it looks like deciding to work here may have been the best decision in my life. Although..."

He lowered his tone to a whisper as he finished his sentence.

"It's not like we have to wait till tonight, right? What do you say, Ms Sakuragi?"

[Satehi]

Annabelle Lockhart

Claasen.

At the mention of her former assistant’s name, Annabelle’s expression soured. He had not been a very good aide in the first place, but to have betrayed his own superior in an attempt to usurp a position… it was fortunate that he had long expired by the time she had reawakened from her slumber, or she would have certainly eliminated him herself for his conduct. Competition was an essential facet amongst the Clock Tower for sure- perhaps a necessary motivator for all efficient forms of progress, but there were limits that were not to be crossed, courtesies that must be extended out to fellows, if for nothing else than the fact that they were not savages and degenerates.

But this… frankly speaking, what had happened was beyond infuriating. Although it was not completely unexpected given the chain events, to have gotten the audacity to erase all of her work and plagiarize from his betters… Perhaps his ancestors had been not men but beasts, from which he inherited the notions of such methods.

At any rate, the damage had been done to such an extent that any anger was pointless, better reserved for a latter occasion. That left her with only a lingering sense of irritation and amusement, at the lengths to which the ingrate had gone to. She shook her head and let out a resigned sigh.

“I can see my ingrate of an assistant has left quite a big mess to clean up. I was not aware that it had gone so far- thank you two, for enlightening me.” Pausing for a moment to think, her voice resumed with absolute confidence. “That said, while your concerns are sweet, such setbacks are not end-all absolutes to a career. I believe there is a saying about how the cream of the crop will always rise to the top, yes? It would do the two of you well to keep that in mind.”

“That said, something else you mentioned just now caught my attention. This, Lord MacConnagal, he is the one who is responsible for the current unusual situation with the newcomer pairups, correct? I could not help but notice the two of you are very apprehensive about talking about that situation.” Certainly, there was nothing normal about their weary glances. Spies? Or simple paranoia?

“Why is that, if you don’t mind?”

[Katie]

Arjun Vidya

"It's not like we have to wait till tonight, right? What do you say, Ms Sakuragi?"

Sakuragi’s assured grin faltered, for just a moment, before it twisted into a wry smile. She swiftly pulled Arjun close and began to whisper in his ear, to the point where he could hear her soft breathing.

“Rather forward, are you? I’d hate it if someone fine like you ended up killed like in the movies. There’s a time and a place for everything, no?”

Her voice sent shivers down your spine, her tone slightly sarcastic yet somewhat foreboding. But, you knew she was stalling. Women did this to you all the time, but at least she had the honesty to admit she did want it.

“I’m not that easy, you know.”

She giggled in your ear, which made you a bit uncomfortable. Certainly, you had been very intimate with women before, but she seemed to do it too effortlessly. Mess with men, that is. In fact, your general impression was that it was rather calculated.

Annabelle Lockhart

“That said, while your concerns are sweet, such setbacks are not end-all absolutes to a career. I believe there is a saying about how the cream of the crop will always rise to the top, yes? It would do the two of you well to keep that in mind.”

“Y-yess’m.” Kanade said, a faint shade of red coloring her face. She tugged at her sleeves, staring at the floor, a bit taken aback. “We’ll keep it in mind.”

The homunculus sighed, still keeping watch, hands in her pockets. The more you watched her, the more you noticed that her reactions were simply too fast, too sharp to be properly human. Too refined. Her breathing was always deep and full and her reaction time was almost instant. While she would pass for human in the company of others, for other anthropologists, her true nature was all but clear.

“That said, something else you mentioned just now caught my attention. This, Lord MacConnagal, he is the one who is responsible for the current unusual situation with the newcomer pairups, correct? I could not help but notice the two of you are very apprehensive about talking about that situation.” Certainly, there was nothing normal about their weary glances. Spies? Or simple paranoia?

“Why is that, if you don’t mind?”

“Onee-chan.” Kanade pulled out a pen and a small notebook from her jacket, tossed it to the homunculus, poised to write as soon as she caught it. Words coated the paper in a matter of seconds, and in the surprisingly neat scrawl (dexterity was rather hard to get right, you knew), the homunculus handed it to you somewhat daintily, as if she was taking care of something precious, like a gemstone.

Rumour has it that MacConnagal has spies amongst us. While we’ve all been appropriately geassed, there might have been a loophole that someone could have exploited. There wasprobably a leak in plans during the disastrous incident a while back, the Meltdown case. If you read the report, it sounds like the Designates were prepared for the squad of five, somehow. While we seem to act all fine, there’s been a growing suspicion that one of us being a rat.

Also, as we said, Claasen and MacConnagal are on the same side, mainly because MacCailin grabbed you as his newest Enforcer. And since Claasen has significant influence in the Sixth, we’d…

We’d kind of like to not ruin our chances of moving up. Keep everything hush-hush.

The two pinched their index and their thumb and moved it in a line over their mouths, simultaneously. What a strange gesture.

[Zagrin]

Arjun Vidya

I’m not that easy, you know.

He knew Sakuragi was forward, what with her general attitude and all, but he didn't expect her to be this forward, pulling him in like this! Then again it wasn't like he minded being this close to a woman, it was just a shame that it couldn't have gone further..oh well, he'd just have to wait till tonight. After all it wasn't as if they were going to pull a fast one on him and send him off on the mission by the end of today...right?

"Not like you can blame me for trying, can you? Besides if this was anything like the movies, it'll be one of those where the triumphant hero returns home and all that."

He grinned at her, his enthusiasm unperturbed. Sure, he had felt a tad uneasy around her just now, messing with him perhaps. True most women he had met in his life didn't act like her, but didn't that just make this more exciting? Perhaps this was going to be more of a challenge then she'd let on?

Well all he could do was wait and see, for now he'd need to return to his teammate and get the inevitable mission planning done with.

"Guess I'll be seeing you later then."

[Satehi]

Annabelle Lockhart

Casually, she took a hold of the paper offered and scanned over its contents. What it held was… unsettling, to say the least.

“Mmm, I see. A moment, please.”

That the girl didn’t want to be caught sharing with an enemy of the current powers was very understandable, respectable even. But the possibility that the department had been infiltrated by a spy who had previously sabotaged a mission did not bode well for her in the slightest, given that her accidental death would prove rather beneficial to the Claasen’s and by extension, MacConnagal. She knew the various dangers associated with the job, but this went a little beyond what she had been prepared for. Rumor or not, it was certainly something she could not simply dismiss.

Frowning, she walked over to her desk, and withdrawing a pen from her drawer, she hastily inscribed her own questions. Finished, she walked back and handed the slip of paper over to the pair of girls.

That is very sensible. But- mainly in regards to my mission tomorrow- have there been any countermeasures taken to avoid any sabotage? It would be unsettling to know that my target has already prepared some manner of death trap for me due to invigilance on the Department’s part.

[Katie]

Annabelle Lockhart

Almost immediately, the homunculus began scribbling as Kanade made a puzzled, look, placing her hand on her chin, as if she was trying to look intelligent. She broke out into a smile, and the homunculus handed you back the notepad, once again with the same, perfectly neat handwriting.

These have been… backlog case reports Policies has tried to get us do out of convenience for their sake, not ours. While they’re more difficult than what would normally be given to new Enforcers, that’s the extent of the tampering, I think. They won’t go out of your way to change things, or we would have had a message from the Second Owners. Or something like that. They can only omit so much before they’re basically declaring that you’re going to die, and while yours are… vague. We’ve seen worse.

“If you need a little help…” Kanade said, reaching into a pocket. She pulls out a small figure, which she gently unveils in her hands to be… a smaller replica of herself. You know at once it is an intricately crafted homunculus, and it’s almost sort of adorable, in a rather… strange sort of way.

“This is, um, Mini-me. She’s a decent familiar you use for spying. Fairly intelligent, helpful, activates when you run prana through her. She’s small enough as to not register as a human presence under most bounded fields, so..” Kanade trailed off, awkwardly scratching her head, not sure about what she just did.

“It’s kind of weird,” Hibiki said.

“Shush, nee-chan. Anyway, you can take it if you want it. W-we’d really um, it’s just, uh…” Kanade deevolved into a collage of stuttering, her voice shakier and shakier with each passing second.

“Come back to us in one piece. She’s a big fan.” The larger homunculus said, sighing. Rather flattering, but...

Kanade simply blushed and looked at the floor, flustered.

[Satehi]

Annabelle Lockhart

As she read over the notepad, Annabelle’s troubled look slowly returned to ease. Even if they were after her, it seemed like meddling from Policies had its limits. Even if they were from the Orient, she felt little reason to doubt their judgement of the situation. She made a mental note to keep a close watch on the Second Owner, just in case.

At the sight of the small homunculus the girl offered, Annabelle gave a small smile. A cute, and from the description, helpful little thing. She didn’t dislike that. Spying was not her forte, after all.

“A most generous offer. I shall indulge in your kindness, then.” Gingerly, she took a hold of the figure, rotating it around to examine its finer details. Finding no issue with it, she placed it on top of her desk and reminded herself to pack it among her belongings.

“Now, with that out of the way… you wanted me to clarify something about one of my works? That’s not much to ask for, coming from some of my most courteous guests in a long while. Please, have a seat.” She gestured over to some empty chairs, as she sat down herself. With that enforcer talk out of the way, Annabelle was free to slip back into her true calling- academia. It would likely be quite a while before she would get another opportunity to discuss mage craft at length, so she intended to enjoy this unexpected occasion.

[Katie]

Annabelle Lockhart

Almost easily, Kanade launched into a tirade of questions about various rhythms of the human body and their best applications and modifications on homunculi. While not necessarily your specialization, you had seen the practical application of your work in many an experiment, and thus were easily able to reply to her each and every question.

Soon enough, before the night began, the two left, vigorously thanking you. But before they were gone, kanade had ripped out a piece of paper and handed it to you.

If you’re in any trouble or just need help, call us! We’ll pull out something!

There lay a phone number in a hasty scrawl. (Although, the note said that in person was the best, for obvious reasons.)

Honestly, with fans of your work like her, perhaps the future, rather, the present, wasn’t as nearly as bad as it could have been.

Lillian Thornberry

You found a pair of gas masks hanging off your doorknob when you woke up that morning, attached alongside a note.

Morrison. Made these for you, Liselle thought you would need them. Thought you would need something the most. Don’t thank me. Thank her.


Well… that was surprising, but you couldn’t look a gift-horse in the mouth.

------

…Then, you left, with little fanfare, only a smattering of reassurance from those who were awake. That consisted of Sakuragi, surprisingly, and the jaded Liselle, who simply told you not to die.

Ceridwen Llewellyn and Annabelle Lockhart

The flight was peaceful, uneventful. The experience was something fresh for the both of you, at the cost of learning that transportation was not covered in many, many cases. A price to be deducted from your future paycheck.

The Second Owner, Emile Champollion, stood at the gates, holding a rather obnoxious sign blaring both of your names, shooting you a sneer that made you somewhat uncomfortable. Nonetheless, you couldn’t argue that he wasn’t in charge. His family went back nine generations, a fairly decent number, he had a decent leyline to work with, his abode located directly above, and he had a solid network of birds as his familiars to inspect his fair, tranquil domain.

He led you to the parking lot, and he stood in front of his compact car, a rather average thing in all respects, a few scratches here and there, before deciding to take a seat on the hood, pulling out a credit card.

“I can’t believe the Association gave me fucking trash like you two, thinking that you could do my job. A Lord reject and an old relic? Speaks wonders about their confidence in me.”

Ah, you weren’t expecting that. The words came out of his mouth as a torrent of spite and rage, obviously some frustration based on his apparent self-worth issues.

“How much do I have to give you to do a 180 and get the hell out of here? Here, I’ll even pay for your tickets back to merry England.”

He twirled the credit card in front of you, but, really, there was nothing fancy about it. Nothing that screamed “he had a lot of money.” On the other hand, the look on his face said everything.

He really wanted you out.

Rebecca Campbell & Lillian Thornberry

A plane ride, then a train ride, then a trip in a rental car (motorcycle somehow managed to be brought along) as you tried to keep yourselves awake. The monotonous and dull act of transportation had taken a toll on you, leaving you restless yet exhausted. After all, staring out the window, watching the Spanish countryside pass by, wasn’t exactly the most interesting of events.

Thankfully, you had managed to last until your destination, the quaint town of Guadarrama. You were supposed to go to a small hostel—Hostal Abastos, a family run place, where a fellow Freelancer was waiting. He was there, apparently, to help with the investigation, but as experienced Freelancers yourselves, you knew that there was something off. His payment lay unmentioned in your case files, but it had to be something significant. Why would they work with a pair of fresh Enforcers otherwise?

The hostel itself was rather quaint, a red brick sort of building with simple glass windows. Something that seemed somewhat old, but still somewhat warm and comforting, as the landscaping was rather fine, every brush and flower meticulously taken care of, you thought.

And there, in front of the doors, was your informant, Bryce Nathaniels. He was apparently an investigator of some sort that tracked down criminals, but didn’t dispose of them. That was your job.

“Need a hand with your luggage, misses?”

Ayumi Sakagami & Arjun Vidya

Falkenburg, Sweden, was calm.

Very, very calm. Even as you had taken the rental to your location, you couldn’t help but notice how this seaside town simply seemed so… lacking in violence. It was hard to believe that the leader of a private, militaristic freelancing organization had managed to set up shop right here, in a town that looked like its worst problem with crime was mere littering.

Perhaps it was the air, but the very town seemed rather refreshing, and with relatively decent spirits, you made your way into the residential district, a bit away from the sea, and encountered a small white house, something rather quaint and ordinary. Here lay the house of a Second Owner with not much to her name, just a few years of study in General Fundamentals before she returned to preside over such an insignificant place.

You knocked on the door, and it opened up, revealing a young woman, with a smile so radiant you thought it could melt snow. The scent of baking goods suddenly assaulted your noses, and she politely curtsied, before making room to let you in.

“Ah, you must be the two Enforcers here to help me with my predicament. I am Evelina Watersson, the Second Owner. Please, make yourselves welcome.”

As you stepped inside, she casually directed you towards a dining table, a pitcher of milk with a place of cookies above a rather extravagant, white tablemat.

“Please, help yourselves. And… if you don’t mind, please tell me about yourselves. It’s not often I get visitors, and even despite this situation, I must insist. Apologies, but I dislike working with total strangers. At least some familiarity would ease my nerves.”

She gave you that same smile once more, like the sunrise over the mountain peaks.

It was strange, really, how there could be magi like this.

Michael Turner & Seraphinia

A city as magnificent as St. Petersburg was easily appreciated from a street view, especially from the comfort of a limousine. You weren’t all that surprised, though. The Second Owner of St. Petersburg, Varya Volkova, was from an exceedingly established and wealthy family, having been entrenched in every department that you could think of. A simple, fanciful ride such as this would have been easy to arrange.

However, you got the feeling that the car was meandering throughout the city, as if to show you all the historical sites, such as the Palace Square. There was nothing wrong with it, other than it was somewhat pointless and time consuming. You didn’t come here to simply have your time wasted.

Eventually, the car stopped at the gates to a fanciful mansion, one that easily rivaled the Enforcer dormitories. It had a rustic and archaic look, guarded by an aging iron fence, and the Russian Orthodox cross was prominently displayed on the doors.

A butler carefully led you inside, and plastered on the walls were many paintings and photographs, a history of Russia brazenly displayed across the hallway. Volkova had been mentioned to be somewhat of a historian, obsessed with the past, but her devotion and meticulous arrangement of her collection was simply intimidating.

She simply had too much time on her hands.

The butler led you to a rather spacious room, with a gold framed painting hanging over an empty fireplace, ancient weapons and firearms hung across the wall as some tasteless form of decoration. You found her sitting on a scarlet couch, drinking what looked to be tea, the white, ivory set arranged rather erratically on the coffee table. The butler bade you to sit down, and you did, enjoying the surprisingly soft feeling of these seats.

She looked over you once, twice, and let out a soft sigh, one that sounded a bit pained.

“I see MacCailin doesn’t know how to treat a friend… A womanizer and a homunculus? Ah, regardless of where you two come from, I have a favor.”

Her voice was calm and somewhat tired, as if she was already bored from the conversation. She took a sip of tea, before setting it down with a small clatter.

“Do you mind letting that thief actually steal Kladenets before you dispose of him, as is well within your capability?”

[Ace]

Ayumi Sakagami

Falkenburg eerily reminded her of home. Both were simple little towns, picturesque to any outsider and probably for many of its inhabitants. Ayumi had hated it. Nothing ever happened, each day the same as the last, it almost didn't feel real. The whole point of coming to the Clocktower was to escape, live life as much as possible in the small time allotted to every living being.

Even the Second Owner's house was small, insignificant. Ayumi hoped for some fancy mansion built by her ancestors more than century ago, something special.

The Second Owner's smile, however, almost made up for it. Her smile was as angelic as she herself appeared. Unlike her peers at the Clocktower, Miss Watersson was nothing but courteous in her introduction, going so far as to prepare snacks. Thanks to her heritage, Ayumi was accustomed to other magi turning their noses up at her. The other enforcers so far hadn't done anything to suggest they thought the same but it's not like anyone there had a right to judge with the stigma associated with the department they all belonged to.

It was nice, feeling accepted by her own kind for once. It was only fair to repay kindness with kindness.

“Please, help yourselves. And… if you don’t mind, please tell me about yourselves. It’s not often I get visitors, and even despite this situation, I must insist. Apologies, but I dislike working with total strangers. At least some familiarity would ease my nerves.”

"No need to apologize, it's the least we can do given the warm welcome, right?" Ayumi said, turning to her partner. "My name is Ayumi Sakagami, at your service and it's a pleasure to meet you. Before I transferred, I was part of the Department of General Fundamentals, like yourself. If there's anything else you want to know about me, you can ask."

Whether she'd answer was another story. Ayumi had been burned too many times by other magi to trust this woman completely.

[Mormarth]

Rebecca Campbell

Throughout a long string of public transportation, I found myself drifting off into a light... perhaps half-sleep would be the correct term. It was not precisely sleeping, as, ah, I have found myself atrophying in that area of that which is required for a normal life.

Perhaps it is why I took up the path of the Enforcer, to become more 'inhuman' than the already 'inhuman' magus, as before I was already...

Well, I was not exactly well-fitting in the societal mold around me.

Mm.

My compatriot, Miss Thornberry, or Lilian as she had advised me to call her, had greeted me the following morning with a pair of gas masks, presumably to defend against the agent utilized by the target.

I appreciated it, I am, after all, quite fond of masks. And I placed it among those I had brought with me.

As we traveled, I, not precisely by choice, got to know my partner for the mission, as she was quite sociable, whereas I wasn't, to say the least.

At least not now.

She chattered on and on, and I occasionally replied, but mostly stayed reserved with a set of nods and such, which suited her fine.

But to go back to the main point, I don't really sleep very much, nightmares, you see. So instead I just... drifted out of consciousness, remaining somewhat aware but being, well, out of the pilot's seat, so to speak. Distancing myself from natural, base-level thought and moving away to a quieter, more peaceful place.

Hmm.

Sometimes I tell myself that this, this dark, peaceful place is where I am closest to how I truly am, the face under the mask, so to speak.

Maybe it's just a lie I tell myself to make myself feel better, that there is a 'real me' under it all, and not just dried blood and nightmares in a thick haze of smoke and crying.

I stir from my thoughts, raising from my bed of memories and inner thought to embrace the world I perceived as real. Startled from my mediation, as it is, by a heavy clatter of metal from the rear of the rental car.

Lilian had been quite adamant about her motorcycle remaining with us on our journey to Iberia.

I'd learned of this, as well as our mutual past as 'Freelancers' so to speak, although my freelancing time was, well, probably not exactly the same as hers.

We'd arrived at the town of Guadarrama, and were making our way to a small hostel, family owned, to meet with our contact, one Mr. Bryce Nathaniels, a fellow 'Freelancer' so to speak. Interestingly, his payment went unmentioned, curious.

Overall, the town was small, relatively old-fashioned in a charming way, and the hostel was red brick with glass windows, possessing an air of something old, but well-cared for, 'lived-in', perhaps.

The owners must be elderly, or the hostel is passed down, the landscape was immaculate, though, every bush, flower and blade of grass meticulously cared for.

I personally distrusted fastidious cleaners, it always struck me that if you're going that far to make things look nice, you don't care about your own perceptions, you're more concerned about other people's perceptions. Trying to please others rather than yourself.

Plus it was sorta creepy.

Eh.

Our contact awaited at the door, faintly brown hair, amber eyes, a small patch of facial hair around the tip of the chin, and casually well-dressed, wearing his suit jacket and tie open.

Dossier said he was an investigator, tracking the criminals and then referring them to the proper authorities, a sort of PI for the Moonlit World.

We, of course, were the proper authorities in this scenario.

"Need a hand with your luggage, misses?"

I exited the car, stretching, then waved my hand in denial, "I prefer to handle my own stuff, thanks."

I nodded at him, assuming the pretense of a professional, "Nathaniels, right? Campbell."

I then made my way to rear to retrieve said belongings, hefting them carefully.

[Zagrin]

Arjun Vidya

Arjun's image of a second owner had been completely destroyed, he had always thought of these people as being made up of grumpy old people whose attitude was for the kids to stay off their lawn, or well at least watched were they stepped. However this young woman was the complete opposite. She was friendly, kind, had a smile that simply radiated feelings of warmth.

Oh and then there was her baking! Having been given the go ahead by their esteemed host, he spared no time in popping one of the freshly made cookies into his mouth.

This was...this was delicious! How could something so simple taste so good, was this perhaps the power of homemade cooking!? Or perhaps she was simply that talented! Either way a swell of emotions whirled within the young man and tears began to well in his eyes as he took another bite.

Had he just died and gone to that place up in the sky, the one the people from the Church call Heaven? Didn't seem out of the question, he would have believed it if someone told him the woman here was an angel.

All throughout this Arjun had a dumb smile on his face, that was until the angel's voice snapped him back into reality.

“Please, help yourselves. And… if you don’t mind, please tell me about yourselves. It’s not often I get visitors, and even despite this situation, I must insist. Apologies, but I dislike working with total strangers. At least some familiarity would ease my nerves.”

"I can understand that sentiment. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, name's Arjun Vidya, archaeologist, enforcer and lecturer. No doubt my profession gave away as to which department I belong to back at the clock tower. If you've got any other questions about me, feel free to ask. By the way might I say that your cooking is...well, it's difficult to describe it in a word, I don't think it would give it justice, but if I had to: Amazing, simply amazing. I haven't had baking this good since...well ever!"

[Plue]

Seraphinia

Consideration of high altitude {prana} definitions concluded after {duration} of 3.153 truncated hours. Results reached. {Non-conclusive} Time insufficient? {High probability}. Future consideration warranted. {Decision pending on [Fizzy] fluid} Current standings sufficiently worthy {re sampling/secondary trials}.

Turning her focus outwards Seraphinia pays special attention not to stumble as she follow the butler into the mansion. As her first {mission} a high {priority/importance} was placed upon it. {Failure of objectives} would result in removal of {privileges} that she had currently obtained. She would have to return to the {idiots/morons} and deal with them once more. Nothing else had a higher {priority/importance} than this currently.

She {pauses/prevention of misstep operation} once, focusing on one of the hanging paintings on the wall. {Recognition/awareness of method}. Of minor interest she restarts her feet, counting the steps again carefully as she advances following the butler once more.

Seating herself on the {comfortable} chair she allows her attention to turn to the {second owner} crimson gaze unblinking as she {waits}.

“I see MacCailin doesn’t know how to treat a friend… A womanizer and a homunculus? Ah, regardless of where you two come from, I have a favor.”

{Social link} Inconclusive.

{Lack of approval} Usual.

A {view point} encountered with {high frequency}. {Disregard/irrelevant}

“Do you mind letting that thief actually steal Kladenets before you dispose of him, as is well within your capability?”

The homunculus blinks at this, allowing the thought to bounce around her head for a time. {Negative outcome desired} Unknown benefit obtained? {Possible mission failure trigger} Trap?

{Insufficient information for conclusion}

Query {query}

"Query: Benefit?"