loftycries

[loftycries]

it's an innocuous question on roman's end, and so there's no need to get defensive, so james doesn't bristle. " for a... reason ? " okay, so maybe he does bristle at the question, but only a little bit. unofficial 'profession' aside, he does feel a little ... bad for doing his returns so shortly after the holidays and so close to closing time. but he had been looped into a white elephant last minute where he was given a coffee machine he wouldn't use ... and the gift giver had been kind enough to include a gift receipt so ...

" i had a return to make. " he says, showing the other man the box he has half balanced on his stomach. " and.. what about you ? "

how has he been? well, there's the truth which is ... not great but he just gives a quick smile instead. a lie always works. usually. the unfortunately part is that james ... would know if he's deliberately lying to him. one of those little ... side effects that roman had yet to entirely figure out a workaround. ( his workaround has been to avoid them but clearly, he's very bad at that. ) "well enough ... as well as i can be."

if james is at a loss for words — which he sure seems to be — then roman is at a loss of how to get through this. he already has started digging a hole and he isn't sure where he put the shovel. shit. keep it simple, keep it truthful. roman's gaze flicks towards the ... strange mix of items in his arms and aims for the stars with this one. "and y-yourself? you, uh, running some errands at this time of night for a reason?"

[loftycries]

CLOSED for imara @iridescences / nighttime, rooftop in nyc

the life of a villain (anti-villain?) is not too dissimilar of the life of a hero. now, this may anger quite a few folks working at cerberus, so let him clarify. by that, james doesn’t even mean that cerberus corp is a villainous organization. may that be true ? who’s to say ! certainly not james, who had apparently missed the most eventful part of a rather stressful gala. ( he was out getting pizza with the most beautiful girl in new york. so he considers that a win. ) like the rest of new york city’s humble citizens, he had to read the transcript of the speech by the gala’s host behind a paywall in the new york times.

no what he means is that sometimes, much like a level iii agent, he doesn’t know what the fuck he should be doing. there’s a fine line between being a campy and fun villain vs. being pathetic in a dr. doofenshmirtz way ( only fun in cartoons, where the media isn’t out to cyberbully you ). attempting to steal from a cartier store with its holiday decor still up doesn’t quite feel like sticking it to the system. not that savant is out to send a message or anything. but he’d like to do something interesting, and currently his contacts have been quiet. so he’s on a rooftop, in costume, looking over new york city like he’s daredevil ( if daredevil were real ). he can’t exactly hear shit past the distant traffic far below him. how was he thinking this would go ? he doesn’t exactly have enhanced hearing like daredevil does, now does he ?

well. at least he’s getting fresh air. and he’s alone.

at least he thought he was alone, but someone always has to prove him wrong. he hears the telltale sound of footfalls. he faces towards the sound. “ is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me ? ” he asks, though he still doesn’t… fucking see the other person.

[loftycries]

james doesn't necessarily believe that he has changed all that much in those years between first meeting esen and reconnecting with her now. even so, it's reassuring to see that they still connect on some deeper level, after all these years. is he a romantic ? it's hard to say.

and, he reminds himself. this is the first fucking date. no need to rhapsodize about how well this is going, or how natural it all seems, when the night is still young. rarely does his life play out in a way that doesn't feel like it's building up to a punchline at his expense.

"sure... lead the way," he says in a way that he hopes comes off as a little more casual than he feels. he aims for a charming smile, hands in his pockets. " how far is it from here ? " though he had been to her apartment before, he had been dragged there since he passed out after getting his ass beat by esen's co-worker... not that esen knows that part of the story. the fact that esen agreed to go on a date with him is nothing short of a miracle.

closed starter @loftycries || esen & james .

a night out is exactly what esen needed after her work week. she felt like she hadn’t had one moment to herself to breathe or think especially since one of her last missions had been broadcasted all over social media. she had definitely tried to keep out of the public eye after that. it was already embarrassing enough to be on a mission for that reason. regardless of all of that, she was looking forward to a date night with james. she felt like she had barely seen him the last couple of days and she was itching to see him again.

in her opinion, dinner couldn’t have gone better. they had opted to go to a chinese place not far from her apartment and the food had been delicious. after a few drinks and way too much food it was finally time to leave to make the walk back to her home. she was in no rush to put her coat and hat on once they stood up to protect her from the chilly night air.

“do you want to go back to my place after this?” she asked as they were heading out of the restaurant. “we can watch a movie or something. i don’t have work in the morning.”

[loftycries]

" two parties ? " james asks, a little surprised but somewhat — proud(?) of his friend. he hadn't pegged tj as the type to party hard, but he supposes that tj's still young ( they're the same age ) and it doesn't feel impossible that someone like him would want to let loose from time to time. and then his friend continues his story and james grows a little more perplexed. " you lost.. your mullet at the party ? " he asks. " at the... gala ? or at the... other party ? "

"I only speak the truth." TJ said in the earnest matter. James was like the other brother and buddy he never had. There was a slight fade of his smile before sighing. "I did too sadly-but fireman never get a day off." He tried to joke. "Two parties too somehow." There was a thoughtful look as he subconsciously touch where the mullet once was. There was a small laugh.

"The only casuality was my mullet at least. And now I got the 90s bangs." He blew his hair out of his face. "And I was there....running like a chicken It was like-" TJ looked at James for a moment, stopping walking. "Why would someone cause all hell to break lose like that?"

[loftycries]

" i — " his mouth clicks shut. i can explain sounds terrible because it sounds cliché. it's what people say when they are guilty — though james supposed that he is guilty. and perhaps it is only a trait of especially guilty and experienced liars that they would even take the time to splice apart their words.

" i can explain, " he settles on, deflating a bit. better to say that then for esen to think he plans to gloss over it all. " over pizza ? my treat. " while it's not exactly difficult to find a place open in manhattan on a friday night, pizza seems like an innocuous and reliable choice. " have you tried nyc pizza yet ? " he pretends to ask genuinely, fully aware that the likelihood of her not trying a slice since moving here is slim to none. in some ways, it resembles the first time they met — years ago, when james had acted as her impromptu tour guide during her first visit to new york city. " great stuff, worth all the tourist hype. "

as the moments pass, part of esen wonders if she should question the situation between them more, but she decides against it. given that she had only been in one relationship that lasted eight years, she wouldn't know where to begin if she had to approach a subject like this. she was a firm believer that honesty was the best policy, but she decided to ignore this. she trusts james, and it’s not like he would deliberately hurt her, right? she quickly realizes that if she doesn't stop getting lost in her thoughts, she will have to hit the bar again, and being back with the crowd is the last place she wants to be. in her eyes, all that mattered now was that they could endure the rest of this night together.

as he extended his hand towards her, she gazed into his eyes and replied, "i would love nothing more." with a hint of a smile on her lips, she gratefully took his waiting hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

[loftycries]

there aren't exactly so many places to hide in the returns section of a department store — not without catching a suspicious look from an older woman who brought their dog into the store — so maybe james shouldn't be so surprised that roman made the decision to say hello instead of ignoring him. would james have noticed roman if roman hadn't said anything ? the world may never know.

roman is lucky ( or unlucky ) enough to catch james at his most civilian-like state — in line to make returns after making several impulse decisions buying things online at odd hours in the night — and so he is at a rare loss for words. " uh. hi roman, " he finally replies, uncharacteristically unlike his usual charismatic self. but maybe that's to be expected, considering that the last time they met, roman all but hypnotized him into thinking he was his older brother. something that ... james is still refusing to unpack — especially if that implies a brother is what he innately desires. " how have you been ? "

— ATLAS & SAVANT // @loftycries WHEN: on a gray and cold afternoon. WHERE: i dont actually know so i'm leaving to my writing partner to decide where they are. it's a collaboration ... if u even care ...

roman has made an art out of avoiding people. not an easy feat when his shoulders feel as wide as he is tall, a fact he is made all the more aware of as he tries to hide. however, with enough practice and his anxiety making him hyper-aware of his surroundings, he could get away with getting away pretty easily. & that's without even having to — roman will never find the right word for that, will he? manipulate is the only one that works and it is one that fills him with the most guilt — manipulate them into turning the other way.

yet there are a very select few that manage to not only recognize him but he would not be able to ask them to turn away — because he's already done that. those circles didn't often cross into venn diagrams but when they did ... this guy somehow always manages to be there. it's like a talent at this point. & the worst part, because there's always a worst part, is there is a sharp reminder of his younger brother that follows this guy like an afterimage. roman could close his eyes and he would see noah standing there — not a stranger he manipulated, not someone he barely knew but his brother.

& in that second between getting away scot-free and being notice, roman stands there. and offers something a smile. maybe it's that afterimage, maybe he's trying to his hand at speaking to ghosts, maybe he just wants to pretend for that split second that he isn't entirely alone in this world anymore. "hello again. fancy ... nope, not at all at all what i meant to say. i'm sorry, you caught me off guard."

[loftycries]

"aw," says JAMES, and he can't help but be touched. though the two men are the same age, tj has always felt more — almost puppy-like in his innocence to him. tj's a cerberus agent, but one that seems like he's not yet jaded by the work or things he's had to witness. " i had a long night last night, what about you ? were you at that eo gala ? "

TJ smiled reading the text. It was really nice when people noticed the walkie-talkie talk. He couldn't help but wonder if James would like to join the fire department.

"Very excited to see a friend." He teased back with an eager grin. "I can't all those pancakes myself." The firefighter stretched his arms out. "Who knew those fancy parties can have so much distress." TJ said. He shook his head.

"But today is a new day and we will enjoy ourselves." He said with a wide grin.

[loftycries]

running in a tuxedo has always looked better in movies. while JAMES wishes he currently felt as sexy as daniel craig looks in those james bond movies, it's just not his reality in this lifetime — a lifetime that currently looks like it might uneventfully reach its end in a prison cell if he doesn't find a way out of this mess. if it's not the event security that catches him, it will be agent winter, who's never liked him ( an understatement ). and if it's not agent winter, then magnus andersen himself, by his luck.

he rounds a corner. he hates hallways. they're confined, easily blocked off by people who know the venue better than he does, and the ceilings are too low for him to make a creative escape upwards. if he could just make it to the nearest stairwell —

then, he literally runs into a woman. one that … he's pretty sure wasn't there earlier. but such is to be expected at an event where almost everyone is an eo. " oh, i'm — so sorry, " james says sincerely. he's more than a little winded, after running for the better part of the last fifteen minutes. he hears the footfall of security still pursuing him and he throws up a 'wall' with his hands, sturdy enough to hopefully stop them in their tracks. " you're not hurt, are you ? "

phalanx.

closed starter ft. @loftycries ( savant ).

setting: the ritz-carlton hotel, nyc.

timeframe: december 1st, 2023 / evening, before magnus' speech.

summary: amparo splits with gael and malakai to commence their investigation. but she's not the only person snooping around...

content warnings: none.

this was risky.

not too far away from her is magnus andersen, host of the event and face of andersen labs, and a woman amparo has never seen before, even during her preliminary research with gael. her contacts haven’t told amparo about a woman, but judging by how close she and magnus are chatting, she must have some status within magnus’ company. amparo holds her breath again as another security guard passes by her face. her invisibility spell has her cloaked, but amparo can’t help but feel that something’s bound to go wrong.

it’s inexplicable, but she’s been feeling a strange tug at her fingers since half an hour ago. the lively warmth that her magic usually instills her hands with feels like it’s almost slowing down, deflating, sapped like a tree of its syrup. drips of magic disappearing out of her, but going where?

amparo shakes those thoughts out of her head. she can’t afford to psych herself out. although she can’t see her hands, she knows her fingers. CC, she casts, and words begin to materialize for her eyes only.

but in bits and pieces. ampi frowns, shocked by what she’s seeing as the andersen labs staff around her continue to chat unaware. how is this possible? closed captioning has never had this issue before. maybe she’s coming down with something and it’s affecting her magic? quelling the panic, she focuses on the words she can understand before they disappear.

—̵̰͑ ̶͚͑t̴̪̔h̶͂͜ė̶̲r̴̝͋e̵͉͝’̵̠̈́ś̵̮ ̴̬̑á̸͍n̸̬̑ ̷͚͐i̸͓̽ń̴͕t̴͍̔r̷̺̔ụ̶̇d̸̖͒e̵̘̋r̶̼̓ ̴̻̕i̶̪͒ň̴̙ ̵͎͂ț̴̍h̵͚̿e̷̳̚ ̶̳͊u̶̠͊n̶͍̽a̶̻̔ǘ̴̝t̷̹̄ḣ̵͎ọ̸̑r̶̩͌i̵͍̓z̸̡̆ĕ̴̠d̷̬͝ ̶̥̿a̴͙̍r̶̟͛ě̸ͅa̷͍͋s̸̔͜.̵̼͋

amparo almost jumps out of her skin. both magnus and the woman are now talking to the security staff, two of them, and in a flash, the men in black are embarking, silently shouting into their earpieces. back to magnus and the woman, they’re starting to split.

mierda. the spellcaster grits her teeth, half of her just wanting to follow magnus in her invisible state. but the other half, the one that’s been incessant in her head since she stepped into the gala, has been saying she’s pushing her luck. it’s time to fold the cards.

begrudgingly, she does. she leaves the hallway and heads for the fire exit staircase, returning to the lower floor. as she enters the carpet-lined interior of the ritz-carlton again, she feels the vibration of something, no, multiple somethings thumping closer.

not one to stand still, amparo quickly runs ahead, getting to the hallway corner, and peeks. is she not the “intruder” that security was talking about? is it gael or malakai who’s headed her way? she squints, trying to make out the shapes getting closer.

[loftycries]

esen is looking up at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and JAMES feels his heart sink in his chest. he feels worse, not better, that esen is being so understanding. james is a liar, has been lying to esen for a while, and there's a certain level of ... consequence he's come to expect with that. he's no stranger to people being upset with him after realizing that they were deceived by him — in fact, several breakups james had been through in the past were due to him getting caught in a lie — and he's not naive enough to not realize that he reaps what he sows. this is the way the world has always worked for james and his father, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. he lies — and in return, he's lied to.

he shifts his weight on his feet. " well. the night's not over, " he says, holding out his hand for esen. " it's not even 11pm… do you want to go for a late night snack ? it's on me. "

this night had to be some kind of cruel joke. maybe things were going too well in her personal life, and she needed a reality check. she had attempted to make the most of her night by attending the gala with a friend since it was an eos only event. she couldn't invite her boyfriend, who she wanted to spend the evening with. instead, she found herself parting ways with her “date” early on in the evening so they both could find their friends. something that seemed so innocent as going off to see friends had led her to have an unexpected reunion with her ex. that was enough for her to spend most of her night alone at a table and avoid contact with anyone else.

much to esen’s dismay, her night had only gradually worsened after she parted ways with kyungseok. she had run into cass, and the confrontation hadn’t ended how she wanted. if she was honest with herself, no part of this evening had gone to plan. she hadn’t wanted to punch anyone, but this is how she found herself alone in some hallway without rushing to rejoin the gala. the last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her crying, but someone nearly ran into her as they rounded the corner. her first instinct is to apologize until she hears the familiar voice. she slowly looks up and tries to smooth out her dress in a small attempt to calm herself.

“yeah, looks like you found my hiding spot,” she says in a lame attempt to lighten the mood.

[loftycries]

far be it from JAMES to know about walkie-talkie etiquette, but he drafts his text with the utmost care. he shoots a reply with one hand, his other hand still in his pocket to shield it from the harsh winter cold: a block away. copy copy. over. james xx.

he hadn't spotted tj at the gala the night before, which made him wonder if the firefighter did in fact attend the event. nonetheless, he was pleased when his friend texted him to hang out the following day. while turning the corner, he spots tj, doing what looks to be a backflip. "that excited to see me, are we ? " james teases good-naturedly.

Super Pancake Funtime Power Hour (closed for @loftycries)

James the day after the ball, presumably the afternoon

TJ was staying positive as he walked outside the afternoon. How many times he attempted to sleep at 3 am will remain a mystery even to him. He picked up his phone and texted James on a whim before sleeping.The firefighter was surprised James picked up.

James seemed like a nice person, from the time he saved him.He would like to think he was a friend. He brushed his hair and changed into typical flannel, jeans, and cowboy boots. Who said he couldn't dress like that.

He only had one mission today- to try to have a fun time before what the next few days will entail. He shook his head before doing a quick back flip, and arriving to the location he agreed to meet james. Tj sent a quick text.

"I'm here ! Awaiting your response, copy copy, James."

[loftycries]

CLOSED for victoria @rvnxwxys / the gala

over a decade into having an ability, JAMES's power now fits him as well as the gloves he wears as savant, and using it feels just as easy as using any limb he was born with. yes, there was a time when james was just like any other human, and he made do without his ability, but he cannot fathom going back to a life without his ability. it's a part of him now — even if his ability was given a name that was frankly ridiculous by all those eo hero ( and villain ) fanatics. miming ? really ? they couldn't have come up with something ... less lame ?

his ability has gotten him out of a sticky situation more than once, and it's not too conspicuous, given that the constructs created by his ability are nearly invisible to the human eye. so it doesn't hurt, he thinks, when he jostles a vase off its pedestal and his muscle memory has him miming a net to catch it from falling. it's far better than the alternative ( the shattering of a pricey vase would draw too much attention ). the vase rocks back and forth precariously as it slowly regains its stability, and then finally comes to a stop. he breathes out a sigh of relief. no harm, no foul, he thinks — and then he sees a masked blonde woman out of the corner of his eye, who likely witnessed the entire thing. he aims for a casualness he doesn't feel. " hi ? haha. that was a close one !! "

[loftycries]

" it's awkward to feel like you're alone in a crowd, " REMI agrees. they also agree that this is marginally better — making small talk with a stranger — but only marginally. " so.. you're an eo too ? "

"You?" she admitted, them having been one of the first people to speak to her since she got here. "As corny as it sounds, and as much as I hate crowds, it feels nice to have another person talking to me right now"

[loftycries]

there are not many people who'd recognize REMI at an event like this, especially considering how he's currently wearing a $15 mask from amazon. he turns his head towards the voice in curiosity — half aware of who it could be just by the sound of the other's voice — and a glance confirms his suspicions. hiroji. he smiles. rather depressingly, it's probably the first authentic one of the night.

hiroji looks different from the last time they saw each other, whereas remi — more or less looks the same. but there are only a few people in remi's life who'd greet him the way that hiroji would — an almost paradoxical combination of genuine care and boyish insouciance. " is it so surprising that i'm here ? i feel like i ran into what feels like half of my coworkers so far, and the night isn't even half over, " he says, but he's smiling.

" what have you been up to ? " nothing good, he answers for him in his head, but it's mostly teasing even within his own thoughts. " you here with someone ? "

now, where in the fuck did ryuu get off to? eh, he'll find him. there were too many people here for him to just start jumping around in the middle of the floor. one bad guess and he'd probably end up with his foot up someone's — oh, wow, the bar is already stacked with people. well, there goes that idea of waiting for him here. they should have talked about a meeting place ... they should have talked about a lot of things but hiroji had made promises and plans of his own. ( hopefully those plans ended up working out. big if though. )

he only just hears the words next him but — he recognizes them. a surprise, honestly, for all that he mishmashes people and names together sometimes. okay, alright — he remembers when he cares. & he had cared. he still does. his mouth falls open when it clicks in his head that this is — "holy fucking hell, remi?"

a gala filled with extra ordinary — and remi ninomae was supposed to be one of the good ones, right? of course they would be here. his grin breaks out, too wild for its own good. he is as just much trouble as he was years ago. the tattoos have multiplied and his hair isn't a bad-dye-green anymore but it's still the same guy. maybe. a little less of him but the same guy. "man, what the fuck? how are you? what are you doing here?"

[loftycries]

[Text Id: I am hopelessly in love with a memory. An echo from another time,another place.]

[loftycries]

if JAMES feels like he's on his back foot — and he does, because what were the odds that he'd run into esen of all people, now — this is not the time to show it. " well. seems like i did, " he says, and then immediately cringes because — wow, lame. to save the situation — or to make it worse, who knows at this point, james takes off his mask. " found you ! " if she starts actually crying now, he doesn't know what he'd do. walk back in the direction he just came from, personally seek out agent winter from wherever he last saw her, and just ask her to pummel him into the ground — just possibly.

he's the worst boyfriend ever. and hiroji is the worst friend ever. the absolute worst. when james gets his HANDS on him —

" i'm not here for you, " he admits because that feels like a BAD THING to lie about in this moment, that he came to the gala without telling her to personally surprise her. he's not keen on playing the role of prince charming when really he feels more like the big bad wolf — ill-fitting granny apron, circular glasses, lies — the entire get-up, really. but he's quick to add, " but i'm here for you now. what do you need, esen ? "

this night had to be some kind of cruel joke. maybe things were going too well in her personal life, and she needed a reality check. she had attempted to make the most of her night by attending the gala with a friend since it was an eos only event. she couldn't invite her boyfriend, who she wanted to spend the evening with. instead, she found herself parting ways with her “date” early on in the evening so they both could find their friends. something that seemed so innocent as going off to see friends had led her to have an unexpected reunion with her ex. that was enough for her to spend most of her night alone at a table and avoid contact with anyone else.

much to esen’s dismay, her night had only gradually worsened after she parted ways with kyungseok. she had run into cass, and the confrontation hadn’t ended how she wanted. if she was honest with herself, no part of this evening had gone to plan. she hadn’t wanted to punch anyone, but this is how she found herself alone in some hallway without rushing to rejoin the gala. the last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her crying, but someone nearly ran into her as they rounded the corner. her first instinct is to apologize until she hears the familiar voice. she slowly looks up and tries to smooth out her dress in a small attempt to calm herself.

“yeah, looks like you found my hiding spot,” she says in a lame attempt to lighten the mood.

[loftycries]

" you would wound me in such a way ? " JAMES quips back, eyes bright with interest. whenever he's with reyhan, one of his oldest friends since moving to new york city, he finds that his lips are always curved in a near-perpetual smile, like a cat that's got the cream. it's odd that he's been able to stay in reyhan's good graces for this long, given that their friendship is all but founded on a farce, a lie that james is cut from the same cloth that reyhan is, or if not the same cloth, something similar enough that it wouldn't ruin the picture. or perhaps it shouldn't be so surprising — they are both performers in their own right, after all. " you would like that wouldn't you ? to knock me down a peg. " he pouts, but this too is an act. he's not offended.

he leans back in his chair, body still tilted towards reyhan's. he ignores that stickiness on his elbow that's characteristic of lovely, 'authentic' manhattan bars like this one. " you don't like underdogs, then ? next you'll tell me that you hate kittens and puppies. and queen. the rock band, not elizabeth — er, god rest her soul. " he shakes his head; it's clear that he doesn't care any particular way about the late queen of england. " you're right though, rooting for the underdog in cases like these is rooting for the winner. the house always wins. "

as if cued by a stage-hand off-camera, a level i agent comes into view. they dance under the spotlight of the helicopter like it's any other stage light. compared to the already winded level ii agents, and the amateur villain who likely made their costume at home with a sewing machine, the level i hero jumps higher, runs faster. james sits back in his seat, facing the tv now. " well, there's your guy, " he says. his eyes don't leave the screen as he takes a sip of his drink. " heroes, they're just like us. "

James is one of the curiouser members of Reyhan’s coterie of companions. In a way, Reyhan couldn’t call James a friend, the word associated with feigned crocodile tears and bisous on the cheek like pairs of traitorous Judases. No, James was different from the shallow ditch known as friendship. For one, Reyhan would not be caught dead in a boring bar like this; Abyss would be the venue of their choice, what with their tasteful and modern décor and good music. Actually, what are they listening to? Reyhan turns their head to the darkened corners, but it’s so dim they can’t tell if they’re looking at a speaker or a shaded spot.

“ Some sort of sadist… ” They draw out the word like a rapier from its sheath. Light yet sharp. Then comes the swing. “ Think about the crushing sensation you’d get in your gut when you call me up, and I tell you I’m too busy — watching House of Villains. You’d feel insignificant, wouldn’t you? ” Many an ego has been shattered by Reyhan’s remark in the past. In this present, Reyhan sniffs and lazily commits to a shrug.

Watching the hapless heroes bumble another attempt at capturing the schmuck taking on the role of the miscreant, Reyhan gives James a little smirk. One must wonder if a “villain” ever longs to be a hero. They idly comment, “ You have a penchant for the underdogs, then? You have to admit, the odds for these agents are insurmountable unless someone is willing to tip the scales in their favor. ”

Another sip of the Commonwealth pauses their conversation, and Reyhan chuckles, “ Even the lowest denominator car chases on whatever-the-hour news attempt at entertainment value. Nothing is nakedly observed as is anymore. The camera angle, when to cut, when to zoom in and out. Editing, framing, direction. There’s always a concern about putting on a show, and with the brand collaborations Cerberus loves to dish out, you think they’d put their stars in a better light. Or…”

Reyhan flicks at a stray bang away from their face. Leans in close and tight to James’ side. “ Or then we should all admit that these… extras are that. Extras. The storyline will demand the real protagonist to show up. I suspect a Level One will pop up any minute now. ”

[loftycries]

REMI turns his head when he realizes that he's being spoken to. there's a familiar heat at the back of his neck, but it's barely more than the faint flame of a candle — mild embarrassment that he was overheard. there's something tangibly more embarrassing in particular about being the debbie downer when it's closer to the holidays; it's not like he wants to be perceived as the grinch.

the other masked guest seems to have received their drink already, and remi feels a faint pang of jealousy. he should have started queueing sooner, but he had wanted to make sure that cass felt comfortable before leaving him alone.

" i guess you're right, " he concedes goodnaturedly. " i'm not sure if mr. andersen thought any part of this event through at all. he seems like.. a character. have you gotten the chance to talk to him yet ? "

Bakari’s eyes tracked the droplets of condensation dripping down from the half-empty mocktail loosely grasped in his hand as he huddled in a nook probably intended for decorations. The liquid pooled at the junction between his thumb and forefinger before the reservoir created by his purlicue overflowed, and water slowly dribbled down his palm. He had made the unfortunate error of arriving at the bar just moments before a rush of people and, as a result, had gotten trapped. Licking his lips, Bakari tried to focus on his shoes and not the chatter around him as he waited for the crowd to clear enough for him to leave.

Lifting the glass tumbler up to his mouth, Bakari snorted when a low mutter reached his ears. " Well, it's not every day that there's an open bar at Ritz-Carlton. I just hope Mr. Andersen understood that most of the guests would take full advantage of the opportunity and order the most expensive thing they could think of. "