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Post by MP on Nov 12, 2020 14:59:31 GMT -6
[Simon]
No sooner had the door closed behind them then Agent Ruiz seated herself and gestured for him to do the same, hands folding as she regarded Simon. It wasn't an unfriendly stare, but it had a brusque look to it, and a certain slant to her shoulders. She looked more like a swimmer ready off the diving block than an interviewer.
"You're familiar with Agent Telmore, right?" Again, not a question. "He's started meeting with you and another liason pretty often. And a doctor, yeah?"
No preamble, and no distractions. That was how Nora liked it, even if her fireteam didn't always agree.
"You mind telling me what that's about? Not like you four got a lot of overlap."
[Sara]
Todd was still waiting when Sara stepped out, tapping his foot and humming along to some silent melody. But he was standing in front of the door now, and no sooner had she emerged than he refocused on her, the casual demeanor settling into something more somber.
"Sara, you can cut the act too. If you want me to be straight with you, I need you to be honest. Have you noticed anything different in Telmore's behavior lately? Mood swings, new interests, home life. He's a consistent guy, right? I trust you of all people could say for sure."
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Post by tsukikoko on Nov 12, 2020 16:05:48 GMT -6
The shifter crossed her arms again, regarded Todd where he stood across from her. The scaled mass of her tail slapped the floor, once.
She wanted to think the best of people, but these questions held an uncomfortable, unspoken undertone. As though Aaron were a suspect; that something had changed in him and he was no longer to be trusted. It didn't sit right with her, not when directed at the man she cared for so deeply. But maybe... maybe this was to collect evidence that he hadn't been acting out of sorts. What if this was to help him?
Christ, she just didn't know.
"Alreet, ya want tah know? Given the bloody circumstances, I think 'e's been bloody steady as owt." Though she tried to keep the heat from her tone, with her own stress and tiredness, there was only a minor buffer. Sara was a passionate sort, in her anger as well as her compassion. She did, however, temper her language. If only because she remembered the way Todd could laugh. "Overtired, stressed tah the bloody eyeballs tryin' tah juggle it all, like, but till reet now, 'e 'asn't missed a trick. Nowt different. As for 'ome life, we ain't been sleepin' as much as we ought, but 'e's still been our Aaron; embarrassed by me ways just as much as ever." She took a step forward, tail lashing across the floor, curling towards her legs - a sign of anxiety, or perhaps simmering frustration. Unbidden, some of Casmir's lessons flickered forth.
"Now why ya askin', like?"
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Post by MP on Nov 12, 2020 16:25:27 GMT -6
[Sara]
"One more thing,"
Todd held up a forefinger. Bear with me, said his tone. Stay calm, said his eyes. He lifted the other hand, both palms now up in a pacifying gesture.
"Has there been any tension, to your knowledge, between Telmore and Koji? Any change in dynamic since Koji was recovered? From either of them?"
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Post by tsukikoko on Nov 12, 2020 17:15:55 GMT -6
Sara tipped her head. It was a rather animalistic gesture she'd acquired over the years, often utilised when regarding someone and attempting to discern them. She looked contemplative for a few moments, eyes slightly upturned, thinking back over visits where she'd joined Aaron, or conversations had after his lone visits to the Genasi.
When her gaze returned to Todd, there was still a watchfulness taking in the nuances of tone and body language. "Nowt more than ya'd expect when general stress is high an' one of 'em is confined tah a bed, like." Sure maybe the pair had argued, so had she and Aaron. That didn't mean there was a rift, or a change in dynamic between them. Right?
She raised both her shoulders. "Ain't aware of nowt." A small pause, before the shifter made a minor rolling gesture with one hand. A not-so-subtle indication that she would really rather appreciate if he would give her some information back, now.
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Post by MP on Nov 12, 2020 17:49:28 GMT -6
[Sara]
Her answers, judging from Todd's expression, was not what he'd wanted to hear. And yet the tired breath that escaped him almost sounded like relief. The agent rubbed his eyes, nodding to himself. Then he seemed to come to a decision.
"Sara, before I continue, I need you to shapeshift for me. Make it three - not a dog or bird or something common. Three forms that only you would have."
He folded his arms across his chest, leaning subtly against the door. It wasn't the first time Todd had seen her shift, but there was a hint of tension to his shoulders as he waited, and the blue gaze seemed to burn.
He scrutinized each transformation in turn, from the first telltale ripple to the final result. Each time, his eyes tracked from her tail to the new body and back again. Surras, raptor, skankhound. His brows rose at the last form, but beyond that he didn't comment on it. At last, his shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. A subtle pressure faded from the room, all but unnoticeable until it was gone.
"Alright then. You're clear. They're probably going to call you soon anyway, so I'll tell you what I can. Sara...you might want to sit down."
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Post by tsukikoko on Nov 12, 2020 18:00:50 GMT -6
The shifter would never have the same stoical expressions of her agent, Viktoria or Casmir. She couldn't often hide the tricks of expression, or subtle changes in body language when worried. Concern bit at the edges of her eyes now, tail a defensive shield in front of her legs.
The shifting he'd asked of her, the questions and doubts, made her skin crawl with nervous energy. The skankhound's form hadn't helped, with the uncomfortable instincts it brought, but she knew for certain it was something no-one else would have.
'You're clear'?
Had they been expecting her to not be herself? A body snatcher, spiritual infestation or what? They were going to call her in. Her thoughts turned to Koji, she knew she'd have to slip away as soon as she could, called in be damned. Whatever this was, she didn't like it, couldn't have sat still even if she wanted to. Her fingers again began to fiddle with her engagement ring and she swallowed. "Eee, think I'll stand, like. Divvint think I could sit still."
But, even as she said it, Sara leant some of her weight against a nearby wall. "Gan on, like."
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Post by beastly on Nov 12, 2020 18:38:10 GMT -6
Simon sat where indicated, clasping his hands together in front of him. He wasn't quite sure what she was going to say. Perhaps a super he'd worked with was in trouble? He was expecting something along those lines, so when Agent Ruiz asked about Aaron hanging out with Nagi, Fao, and him... He looked quite confused. What? That was completely out of left field. The werewolf leaned back in his chair, looking at her a bit puzzled as he tried to pull together a response. Why in heaven's name was she asking about that? It had seemed like she wanted something important. Not... gossip?
"Ah...Yes? I'm sorry? You're asking why we're hanging out, is that right? That's what you wanted to speak about?"
Was he missing something? His eyebrows knit together. He must be misunderstanding something.
"We're...just hangin out."
He felt stupid. Like he was missing something.
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Post by MP on Nov 12, 2020 19:23:51 GMT -6
[Simon]
Agent Ruiz blinked at Simon.
"Hanging out," she repeated blankly.
She trusted Telmore as much as anyone on her fireteam, but that one was left field. Guy didn't go to happy hours, didn't join in the office ping pong or weekend volleyball or impromptu arm wrestling - hell. He barely even went home. You didn't 'hang out' with Telmore. You sat in the same room and filled up the silence. If you were lucky, he might even answer - if only to bring the conversation back to the current task. Maybe Groves was better at talking to him. Or maybe, she made a mental note, that behavior was important. This was going to be harder than she thought.
She puffed out a short breath, blowing several unruly curls out of the way in the process.
"Okay. But why the four of you? Telmore has some history with Dr. Mura, but he hasn't requested any liaison input since he got assigned that Genasi case. You guys chat about work or...?"
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Post by beastly on Nov 12, 2020 20:00:26 GMT -6
Simon really wasn't picking up why this was such a thing for the agent. He kept his look of concerned unease, and leaned forward again, resting his arms on the table. Why was this important? He felt... Hesitant to explain the Halloween thing. It'd been hell. They'd been through hell together and clawed their way out (literally, in his case). He glanced around the empty meeting space, and then back at Agent Ruiz, drumming his fingers on the table. Worry for his pal started to nibble at him. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, the other kept fidgeting.
"I mean, guy has work on his mind a lot. We kinda just... Chill, y'know? Get some lunch. Watch an awful nerd movie. Try weird imported soda. That kinda thing. There was an... event... uh," He stopped tapping his fingers on the table to meet her eyes, not in an aggressive or demanding manner, but asking for help, " ... Listen, Agent Ruiz? You trying to get at something here? Lunch group doesn't feel like the kind of thing you grab a guy from his desk to chat about in an empty room. Is something up? Is everything okay? Is Aaron okay...? I'll talk to you about this and all, but I wanna know what's up."
He frowned slightly. They weren't in trouble for the Halloween thing, were they? Did they break some kind of Halloween rule?
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Post by Sharei on Nov 12, 2020 21:27:40 GMT -6
Koji did black out in the end. He was in the wheelchair when he came to, with no memory of the moments leading up to how he'd gotten there. Everything ached in a bone-deep way, but with great effort, he hauled his legs into the chair's footrests. Now situated, he gave the chair an experimental test with both hands on the wheels.
Pain erupted in his shoulder blades and across his collarbones, aggravating the joints as he rolled forward. Koji winced through it, and after a few more experimental attempts at figuring out how to make direction work, managed to get to the door. The Genasi paused outside it and listened, then peeked, and waited.
When the corridor was clear of any staff he made his escape, turning for the elevator he knew was around the corner and down the hall. If he could just get to Sara...
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Post by MP on Nov 12, 2020 21:28:51 GMT -6
[Simon]
"That's what I'm hoping you can tell me."
Spoken in her prompt, assertive way, the agent's words could almost come off as aggressive. But there was nothing hostile in her stare. Nothing impatient. She drummed her fingers, unconsciously mirroring Simon. This whole thing seemed like a dead end.
"How would you describe Telmore's behavior the past few weeks? I already know about the...event" She nodded at Simon, sympathy softening her face for the first time. "I saw your names in Telmore's report. But I mean in general. Before that."
[Koji]
Under normal circumstances, the Genasi would never have made it out of the room before he was discovered. After one nurse's error and Aaron's quiet insistence on better comfort and security measures, the room was well monitored during office hours. Today, however, there was a distant commotion. Urgent voices and the squeak of wheels. The number and tempo of footsteps suggested an emergency elsewhere in the ward, and these were headed steadily away. He was free to make his way down the hall. Until, from behind him, a voice.
"Koji?"
Sohl had just turned the hallway, freezing mid-step. His expression flickered between delight, confusion, and concern. His own knowledge of the human body and its healing process, while less academic than a doctor's, was no less thorough - especially where a friend was concerned. The thoughts were plainly written on his face as he took in the Genasi's strained movements.
"Hey - you shouldn't strain yourself. Here, I can push." He hurried over, offering a hand.
In spite of the reprimand, he'd lowered his voice, glancing up and down the hallway. Whether conscious choice or intuition, it was hard to say. But Sohl didn't turn the chair around. He continued in the same direction Koji had already been heading. He continued at the same volume - if not a full whisper, something suspiciously close.
"What are you doing out here? Where's the nurse?"
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Post by jarahamee on Nov 12, 2020 21:40:24 GMT -6
Cassius frowned immediately, his expression drifting into the territory of ugly grimace. That was not what he was hoping to hear. Worse, a jolt of sudden concern struck him through the chest. Did this have to do with Decker? There was no point asking Decker directly; he’d never answer if he was the one that did it, but he could inquire more formally.
“Pending investigation? Whose investigation?”
The words slipped through his lips before he could help himself. At least this was a question he could ask, which might get him answers while sidestepping any blockade-like intermediates. If nothing else, Cassius was used to moving through the bureaucratic process.
He rolled the potions about in his hand, slipping farther away from Lin to avoid being squished further by the large being. He was fairly sure that none of this would come to any conclusions he might be pleased about, but he could at least make sure that Dust got his potions. They would likely be more powerful than what Telmore had been delivering. As he pondered, a thought came to him;
He used his free hand to open his flip phone, and looked for Sara's number, before he started typing awkwardly with his bad finger. He really needed to upgrade his phone situation someday.
SARA IT IS ME CASSIUS HAVE YOU HEARD FROM TELMORE? DELIVERING POTIONS TO DUST NOW
When the elevator reached its destination, he allowed Agent Lin to step out first, before he himself stalked out of the elevator, flipping the phone closed before surveying the environment.
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Post by beastly on Nov 12, 2020 22:17:28 GMT -6
That... wasn't really an answer. That was slightly irritating. He didn't like being out of the loop. Simon rubbed his cheek, and let out a slight sigh. Oh, she knew about halloween hell. He wouldn't have to dive into it.
"Well. Prior to Halloween I mostly just bugged him with junk I found. Hung around a little. He's got similar tastes in movies...Aaron's been real busy lately. I mean, he's always busy, but recently he's been real, real bad. Ain't seen a lot of him the past few. I figure he gets like, eight hours of sleep a week, tops. A little grouchy, but you can't blame him. ... Dude needs a vacation."
He's nervous. Speaking it out loud... His buddy wasn't doing too hot. Not at all. He was a workaholic zombie.
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Post by MP on Nov 13, 2020 0:04:26 GMT -6
[Cassius]
One massive hand closed over Cassius' mid-text. The sheer size of it could have crushed bones in an instant, but Lin's grip was exceedingly gentle. He shook his head at the officer and pointed emphatically at the blackboard.
SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
He erased the earlier words with a brush of his hand and scribbled a fresh message.
DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION ONGOING. PLEASE BE DISCREET UNTIL WE KNOW MORE. DECKER.
The words disappeared with a sweep of his palm. The flat, reptilian eyes swiveled to the wall, looking as guilty as a dog that had raided the trash. No sooner had the elevator opened then Lin lumbered out. His legs were distinctly stumpy and undersized compared to the rest of his body, but he made up for it by knuckles-walking in ape-like fashion, covering impressive distance. Each step propelled him a body length, but he glanced back every few steps to check that the officer was keeping up.
Scaled nostrils flared. Reptilian eyes swiveled over the hall. Lin moved ignored the doors, evidently unsure which room to visit. Instead, he followed the sterile scent around the corner, claws clicking against each other as he gave the startled doctor a tiny wave.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Nov 13, 2020 0:28:09 GMT -6
Faolan stopped in his tracks as a towering form rounded the corner, looking momentarily startled.
"Oh! Hello Agent Lin," Faolan signed as he spoke and smiled up at the hybrid. They'd only ever met in passing, but he knew ASL would be easier than the chalkboard. "Officer Lucidus," he directed another polite smile to the following agent.
It wasn't common to see either agent in the medical wing, and it didn't look like they were just passing through - Cassius looked grimmer than ever, and Lin was clearly in a rush. Faolan readjusted the file beneath his arm and signed again.
"Can I help you?"
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