MM-Troubled Angel [Invite]

[NPC]

~~~~~

A warm fire added comfort to the room, and light as well; there was nothing but that fire and a small lamp to illuminate the small salon. Night had fallen, and the curtains on the window, heavy and long, had been drawn shut. There was plenty of space in the living room, however; two wide sofas a a couple of recliners in the center of the room, while the desk and its lamp was settled along a wall, close to the fireplace. The sofas had been arranged that way specifically for that evening's event.

The host had invited a few of his close friends to spend an evening of discussion and debate with him. They were all very intelligent, and a few were quite opinionated as well, and he had thought it would be interesting to bring them all together. Some of those friends knew each other, but others did not. They all shared a mutual friend, however, in their host, Brandon Chase Davidson, a psychology student, in the last year of his Ph.D. program. It had been a while since he'd had some free time from his studies and his internship, but with the winter holiday approaching, and, considering his recent loss, his instructors had allowed him to take some time to himself.

This time, at least, he planned to spend in distraction, with his friends. Some of them knew about what had happened, having seen it referenced on Facebook or spoken to him about it, and some thought he was only bringing them together for a nice talk. It didn't really matter either way. He would be glad to see them. If he didn't drift off first….

The attendees found themselves standing at the front door of Chase's large home, all covered in an early December snow. Upon knocking, they heard a sound like books falling, and shortly Chase answered the door, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Hey guys! I'm really sorry about that. I kinda dozed off for a second there. Come on in, come on in." He waved them inside and gestured to the seats. "Please, make yourselves at home. Want anything warm to drink? I've got stuff for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa." He waved his hand again as he disappeared into the kitchen, still talking. "Hey, get to know each other, but don't get too far without me, okay?"

~~~~~

[Lucius Kilvayne]

Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
The angel has spread its wings
The time has come for bitter things

Lucius Kilvayne was an educated man, and established in his field. He was the head of a major corporation, and talk was in the air that he would be getting a Nobel prize in the near future. Considering his postion, it was no surprise that he counted many other great minds in his social network. One such person was the host of a get together he couldn't refuse attending. Mr. Davidson was not merely someone Lucius regarded as a friend, but he also considered him a potential asset to his long range plans. Though, he had to admit that everyone was potentially an asset to his plans.

So Lucius found himself outside the man's door on a cold December day. There were familiar faces converging upon this very place, and that did take Lucius by surprise. Gabriel and Alexandria Constant being the most familiar. But he was also moderately acquainted with Khalidah Rahal. The other was unknown to him, but Lucius figured that would soon be a thing of the past.

"Hey guys! I'm really sorry about that. I kinda dozed off for a second there. Come on in, come on in."

Lucius graciously followed the man into his home, removing snowy articles at the door. He was in a well made Armani suit, black with a burgundy button-down to contrast. His tie was black, of course. The color scheme had to be tight for someone like Lucius Kilvayne. He placed his custom made duster on the coat rack, and made sure to secure his leather gloves and woolen cap in the pockets. He had brought a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild from his wine cellar, to share with friends old and new. It seemed appropriate. His father and mother had raised him with taste and fine etiquette, after all. He hadn't even looked at the vintage when he selected it, he realized. It was one of many he had, and as far as he could tell, this particular bottle didn't have much of an interesting history to it. But it was quality.


"Please, make yourselves at home. Want anything warm to drink? I've got stuff for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa."

"Coffee would be a lovely start," He answered, as he placed the wine on a nearby table, or counter. Lucius took a seat prominently located in the center of the room. The recliner was quite to Lucius' liking, and he smiled in approval. Mr. Chase was living well, it seemed.

"Hey, get to know each other, but don't get too far without me, okay?"

"I know, to some degree, most of the people here," Lucius remarked, "Except for one."

[Layton Ranta]

Rise above, gonna start the war!
What you want? What d'you need? What'd you come here for?
______________________________Foster The People - "Houdini"

"Hey, guys! I'm really sorry about that. I kinda dozed off for a second there."

Even though he was apparently known enough by the host to be invited to his evening of intellectualism, Layton wasn't entirely certain who Brandon Davidson was. Having only really spoken at length online, their status as "mutual friends" was rather debatable at best but, with no real reason to dislike him, he'd found himself welcoming the invitation to the snow-swept building. An evening doing nothing but discussing whatever pertinent subjects the group saw fit sounded like the ideal way to ignore his financial worries for a while.

Staying quiet, he followed the rest of the group into the house, remaining near the back of the single-file line. While he had quickly spotted Khalidah idling by the door upon his arrival, the rest of the party might as well have been a group of random bystanders picked from the street. He had no idea who they were and, as such, didn't have even the slightest inclination to regard them as anything more than a casual acquaintance. Perhaps, as the evening wore on, he would end up thinking more of them.

Another thought which crossed his mind relatively quickly as the door was closed behind him was the criteria by which Brandon's debate partners had been chosen. Khalidah was an obviously world-worn soul; gifted with a mountain of knowledge which was compounded by her position at the head of Intellitouch. In the arena of debate, there were few who would likely be able to outclass her. Brandon himself was also a man of learning; currently on a slightly forced sabbatical from his studies toward a Ph.D in psychology. Personal events had led his tutors to take pity on him and allow him to take some extra time off over the holidays. Layton, however? Layton may have been a college graduate but, for some reason, he had the sneaking suspicion he was this group's equivalent of Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory; the only person present who didn't have an advanced degree.

"Please, make yourselves at home. Want anything warm to drink? I've got stuff for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa." Watching as the mention of warmth instinctively had certain members of the group reminiscing about the earlier cold, Layton couldn't help but smirk. As well as not being thirsty, he had hardly been fazed by the December weather; likely an effect of his nordic heritage. Rather than remain with his guests, however, Brandon continued walking, heading into the kitchen before vanishing out of sight. The room into which they'd been led had clearly been prepared in advance for their arrival. Flanking a relatively small table on all sides were half a dozen chairs, almost as though he had set things up for either an awkward Thanksgiving dinner or, more likely, a casual discussion where everyone could see one another.

"Hey, get to know one another!", came the advisory command from the kitchen. Just because the host wasn't around didn't mean the guests had to stand idly while they awaited his return. "But don't get too far without me, okay?" With the doorway leading into the kitchen giving no insight into what Brandon was actually doing, it wasn't long before the group began to obey, staking a claim to a chair and sitting themselves down.

"I know, to some degree, most of the people here." One of the men, who Layton noticed had brought a bottle of expensive wine along, offered a brief remark as he sat himself down in a recliner chair. With short, dark hair, Lucius Kilvayne was a somewhat intimidating figure in the low light and, as he leaned back in order to compel the chair to do the same, he began to look slightly like a Bond villain as the light from the fire cast its shadow across him differently. "Except for one."

There were no prizes for guessing who the one to whom he referred was. With just about everyone in the group bar Brandon being either business associates, significant others or, in Alexandria's case, both, it was only Layton who found himself out of the proverbial loop. The gazes couldn't help but wander in his direction. "I guess I'm gonna be the one starting off these cute introductions?", he sighed, in his somewhat Finnish-inflected accent. Taking a moment to get himself comfortable in his own seat, he glanced around at the group. Without speaking a word, they were already telling him a lot. Gabriel and Alexandria, between their proximity, exchanged glances and seating choices, were suggesting that they were together in some capacity, while Khalidah and Lucius were doing nothing of the sort. Which made at least three business associates, one business associate-slash-girlfriend-slash-spouse, a grieving psychology student...

...and him. "Okay. My name is Layton Ranta," he began, unable to hide the slight rolling in the first letter of his surname. Even now, there were habits from his inherited language that he simply couldn't break. "I came here from LA and, uh... I'm getting the sense that you all know each other." He then tossed a glance over in Lucius' direction. "Especially after what you just said."

[Alexandria Constant]

Alexandria had dressed warmly, wearing a faux fur coat to keep her warm from winter's touch. The blouse and trousers were a touch of lavender and thick enough to keep her warm inside the residence, especially if a fire was provided. While modern heating units did an acceptable job at keeping a place warm, there was nothing quite as comforting as warming up by a fire and roasting some marshmallows if one felt a flight of fancy about them. Alexandria often did, but she was an eccentric and energetic sort when left to her own devices.

The crowd of individuals were not uncommon to her, even if she had not met one of them in the flesh. She knew who they were, what they did, and how each were connected to the other, either through her own research or what she had gleened from Gabriel. The new one was an interesting sort though, whose tales were barely of any length or consequence, at least for the time being. However, given the interest of one of the present party in him, Alexandria was sure that little tidbit would be changed soon.

Their host seemed out of sorts though as he welcomed them into his home and beckoned them to chat amongst themselves. "Hot cocoa will do." She called out to their host, finding it odd that he would welcome refreshment requests and yet leave the room at the same time. It was a peculiar sort of behavior, she wondered if he was entirely off his rocker or if just a bit frazzled as of late. The state of the residence did not give much insight into it, as winter had a way of turning even the most neat of places into a bit of a mess.

It was Lucius who broke the ice as they each found a place to rest, Alexandria choosing to naturally sit beside her husband. If they could help it, they were never far apart from one another, even something as simple as a meeting or dinner. Their bond was far beyond any words could describe, with even love and soul mates falling quite short of being up to the task. They simply were, their relationship a bond that was precious and rare among this world, and even more precious in each of their hearts and minds.

However the new person among the group decided to stir the pot and Alexandria had to hide a smirk. He would be very interesting indeed if this was how he was going to conduct himself among his peers, whether he knew them to be his peers or not. She had to bite back at her own naturally desire to be a bit snarky and what people on the internet would call trollish. She was after all here for an intelligent bit of discourse and not an argument, even if the night might eventually come to that. Some opinions and beliefs in the room clashed with others, but they had managed to set that aside before, perhaps they could this night as well.


"My name is Alexandria and this lovely man next to me is my husband, Gabriel. I'm a pilot by trade, though I ... dabble in a little bit of everything."

[Gabriel Constant]

Truly, they were in excellent company. Much like his best friend, Gabriel recognized everyone except one young man, but he knew Chase well, and the company Chase kept. Gabriel had no doubt that the man was or would be someone of consequence. Shaking the snow out of his coat and scarf, he hung both up at the door, then adjusted his shirt at the collar before taking a seat next to Alex.

Something about Chase was very off. Gabriel did not remember the man being this disorganized and distracted before. It was the end-of-term madness, Gabriel suspected, coupled with Chase's recent loss. That made it understandable. "Hot cocoa will do for me, too," Gabriel answered as Chase disappeared into the kitchen. "Have a seat, Chase. You look tired, and the rest of us can fend for ourselves." No response came, though, aside from the clinking and clanking of dishes.

Lucius, of course, spoke first to the group gathered, while the stranger suggested - somewhat cynically - introductions. "We do know each other. Our chosen fields tend to cross paths," Gabriel explained. "And, as Alex mentioned, we happen to be married." That much was evidenced by how close they sat to each other, and how Gabriel held her hand. He could feel the need to be a bit snarky rise in Alex, but she successfully fought it down. "We're the Constants. And Dr. Lucius Kilvayne over there is my best friend." More like brother, but that could be left aside for now. "And I'll let our last distinguished guest speak for herself." That was meant as a compliment and a sign of respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Layton."

[Khalidah Rahal]

“So what kind of beer do you like?”
“Heineken.”
“'Heineken'?! Fuck that shit! PABST BLUE RIBBON.”

As per her usual, Khalidah had decided to take a sabbatical from IntelliTouch for a few weeks. She'd left operation of the company in the hands of those whom she trusted not to run it into the ground by the end of the month (a nearly impossible feat unless they started obviously money laundering). Checking her Facebook account for what seemed like the first time in weeks, she saw that she had an invitation to a small intellectual salon, and since she didn't have anything better to do, she'd accepted.

Upon arriving at the property, she saw that she wasn't the first in attendance. She recognised mostly everyone in the small party gathered outside and nodded at them in turn by means of giving them a pleasant 'hello.' From inside the residence, she heard what sounded like a bookcase falling over, hurried footsteps, and the sound of the old door handle creaking against its will as it was turned.

Chase looked exasperated as he ushered them into his home. She couldn't blame him. From what she understood from reading his status updates, he was in his last semester of classes to achieve his Ph. D. in psychology. Until recently, she would have said it was a soft science (truth be told, she still thought it was the easy way out), but Ph. D.'s were incredibly difficult to obtain, regardless of the subject matter. She had to at least respect him for that. "Please, make yourselves at home. Want anything warm to drink? I've got stuff for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa." After he escorted them inside and showed them around briefly, he returned to the kitchen to get some things together. "Hey, get to know each other, but don't get too far without me, okay?"

Lucius Kilvayne stood out amongst the rest of the attendees. Friends. Party-goers? Whatever. She'd heard through the grapevine that he was well on his way to getting a Nobel prize for something or another. As far as she was concerned, the Nobel prize was overrated, and so she didn't really care to follow its news. He'd brought with him a bottle of vintage Château Lafite Rothschild which had to have cost at least several hundred dollars. He had good taste, but cheap beer was more her thing. She'd picked up a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon from the gas station down the street once she'd realised she was coming to someone's home empty-handed.

She took a seat in one of the armchairs and ripped open the cardboard packaging of the monumental case of 36 beers, then pulled one out. They'd still be cold for a good few hours before she'd have to toss them in the fridge. “Nah, I'm good with my cheap ass beer. But thanks for offering.”

Layton Ranta had also been invited to the evening's soiree, and though she'd only recently hired him into the ranks of Lux Aeterna, she saw in him a great deal of potential. He may not have known how to utilise his ability to its fullest extent, but she hoped to change that in the near future.

"I guess I'm gonna be the one starting off these cute introductions?" Layton sighed, his slight accent apparent in his words. In a room filled with the (mostly) rich and powerful, he must have been feeling a bit outclassed. Even so, he carried himself well. "Okay. My name is Layton Ranta. I came here from LA and, uh... I'm getting the sense that you all know each other."

Khalidah reached into the open case of beer and tossed one to him once she had his attention. The last thing she needed was for him to fumble and have a beer can spraying its hoppy ingredients all over the floor. “Silly Layton. I know you.”

She'd met Alexandria and her husband Gabriel in passing, and didn't really know much about either of them aside from what she'd heard from Lucius and (in part) from Danny. Danny didn't seem to think of Alex in very high-esteem, but she thought he was kind of an idiot when it came to judging people on first impressions, and had made that rather clear to him the first time they'd met.

"We're the Constants. And Dr. Lucius Kilvayne over there is my best friend." Gabriel turned his eyes towards her to give her the floor. "And I'll let our last distinguished guest speak for herself."

She took a hefty swig of her beer and nearly choked on it. Recovering, she coughed until her airway was cleared and pounded on her chest with her fist. “Oh, please. I'm not distinguished. I'm an unrepentant online gamer with all Level 99 classes in Final Fantasy XI and all Level 50 classes in Final Fantasy XIV. Which is probably gonna change when they increase the level cap. And I'm the Founder and CEO of IntelliTouch, but that pretty much runs itself.”

חלדה רהל חלדה רהל

∞ Word count: 900
∞ Mood: FUCK 11 HOUR DAYS. FUCK THEM ALL.
∞ Outfit: This. Also, who is that actor in the pic with her? He's in like everything. God, I hate his face.
∞ Lyrics / Quote: Blue Velvet.
∞ Illustrations: None.
∞ Comment / Informational links: None.

[NPC]

Just as his guests finished introducing themselves to each other, Chase returned to the living room, with the few requested beverages in hand. He passed them out and then took a seat himself, with a mug of hot cocoa piled high with marshmallows. “Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome.” He did sound and look tired still, and he was. He felt as though he’d been beat into the ground. His depression had yet to lift. None of the medications his doctors had prescribed seemed to work for long. All it took was a memory of her and he would be spiraling down again.

“What do you guys want to talk about? I don’t want to run the whole conversation.” He tried to grin, but the grin came out lopsided. “Oh, though, we could start by talking about Lucius’ work in the genetics field. That and with the cholera outbreak. A bunch of you helped out with that, though, right? Layton, I heard you got sick? I’m sorry, man. Glad to see you up and at ‘em.” This time, he did manage a genuine smile.

He jumped, however, when there was a sharp knock at the door. “Huh. I wasn’t expecting anyone else. Excuse me for a sec, guys. I’m gonna see who that is.” He moved out of the living area and walked to the front door, and peered warily through the peephole. Then, his frown deepening, he opened the door wide, and a breeze of cold air blew into the house, but nothing else. “That’s weird.” Chase shrugged and closed the door, then resumed his seat. “Anyway. What were we talking about again?”

[Lucius Kilvayne]

Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
The angel has spread its wings
The time has come for bitter things

“Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome.”

Lucius noted their gentleman host was rather distracted from the outset, but now that things had gotten into full swing, he was essentially hyperactive. Lucius liked energetic people, though. He considered himself to be very energetic. Electrifyingly so.

“What do you guys want to talk about? I don’t want to run the whole conversation."

Lucius thanked Chase for the beverage, and smiled.

“Oh, though, we could start by talking about Lucius’ work in the genetics field. That and with the cholera outbreak. A bunch of you helped out with that, though, right? Layton, I heard you got sick? I’m sorry, man. Glad to see you up and at ‘em.”

"My work is a dull topic for most of the people here, I am sure," Lucius said, being almost humble. It was the holiday season, so it was warranted. He wouldn't make this about himself. Except for maybe more personal aspects, but that would have to flow more naturally.

"Unless someone wanted to talk more obliquely about genetics, I think I should avoid talking about my work. Relevance and such."

“Huh. I wasn’t expecting anyone else. Excuse me for a sec, guys. I’m gonna see who that is."

A knock came, and Chase was quick to answer it. Even quicker to return, sans guests. Strange, Lucius had to muse. Very strange.


“Anyway. What were we talking about again?”


" We were discussing what to discuss, actually," Lucius answered sipping his coffee.

[Alexandria Constant]

Alex had a chuckle as Gabriel expanded upon her own introduction and grinned as Miss Rahal spoke. Maybe she was seeing things, but she could have sworn that Khalidah had given her an intruiging look, as if studying her. Given Alex' little introduction, she could hardly blame the woman, though there seemed to perhaps be more than just a curious glance. All the same, it hardly mattered to Alexandria, it would not have been the first time recently that someone was studying her.

Their host though was not quite right as it became abundantly clear. Alexandria gave Gabe a concerned look, wondering if it was right that they should be here when the man was in a clear state of not okay. Maybe though it was good that they were here though, that way they could be of service if he needed assistance. It was such a tricky balance with trying to help those who were not well in the mind.

"The theory of relativity, rocketry, or any form of chemistry would be up my alley. Moreover, perhaps a discussion on what it means to be human, since that is a question that put into the forefront the last few years." Oh yes, the revelation of Specials had put many questions into the conscious of society and that one seemed quite apt to be discussed in this group.

[Layton Ranta]

!
______________________________- ""

"Silly Layton."

Under the impression that he knew no-one and that his inclusion into the intellectual debate had been something of a mistake - and somehow having forgotten that he'd seen Khalidah waiting at the door before he'd entered - there was a hint of surprise in his eyes as he turned to look at her. As he did, however, the momentarily lost memory shifted back to where it normally resided and he was able to take the comment with much more grace. "I know you." That much was the case, granted, but as he gazed over to the ancient immortal, Layton remembered that he had more than a few questions to ask her. Chief among them was why she had transplanted him to a rather upmarket apartment in the centre of Los Angeles.

The move had come about during one of his seldom conversations on the chatroom Intellitouch had started overseeing after the recent chaos under the Ark Industries umbrella. Having been one of the few people who weren't utterly baffled by his ability, Khalidah had revealed her piqued interest and decided to speak with him privately on certain matters. The specifics of his power had been one of them and, with Layton still unsure as to whether his gift was a figment of his imagination or something of actual use, his explanation had been woefully brief. Nevertheless, Khalidah had changed her tactics and inquired about his financial situation - which wasn't great - and his accommodation, which was arguably worse.

Next, however, had been a question Layton had initially thought to be a joke. She'd asked him where - were money no object - he would like to live. Having never been a fan of overly extravagant homes upon which film stars spent millions, but still enjoying luxury provided it was in moderation, he had decided on a mostly open-plan, modern luxury apartment in the heart of Los Angeles; one which was in the city, but close enough to allow for an easy trip down to the beach. It was a hypothetical question, he told himself; one of those questions employers asked during interviews to get a handle on their employees' attitude. However, less than seventy-two hours later, he had been called down to the airport, where an Intellitouch business jet was waiting to take him to precisely what he'd referred to.

Khalidah had given him a new home and, rather than ask for something in return, she had said little more than, I'm sure this will be more to your liking, Mr. Ranta and left. Although the apartment was already furnished when he'd arrived, a truck had arrived the following morning, having driven his belongings across to him overnight. Ever since, Layton had been both looking for the catch in the whole arrangement, while dreading what was going to happen when the bills inevitably appeared in his mailbox, asking that he field the costs of running a place that sat well above his paygrade. It was something of a Midas effect. It had given him precisely what he wanted but, unless he got some form of insight or assistance, his life could very well have ended up crashing down around him. "W-Well... yeah," he eventually responded. "You know me. But I doubt anyone else here does."

As the rest of the introductions filtered in, Layton found himself learning everyone's names. Gabriel and Alexandria Constant, a married couple sitting across from Lucius Kilvayne who, if Layton was up-to-date on his glances at the news and the internet, was a geneticist. It was, apparently, a delight for Gabriel to meet him and, lastly, he already knew Khalidah. Brandon, however, was something of an oddity. For some reason, Layton was having trouble figuring out just where he remembered the man from. He was certain - as certain as his mind could be - that he knew him but, whenever he tried to remember where, he drew a blank. It was on the tip of his tongue and, if he stuck at it for long enough, he felt he'd be able to pin the memory down.

Until then, he'd just go through the motions, talking to everyone while occasionally sharing Khalidah's cheap beer. Khalidah, as ever, was "modest" when the conversation shifted to her and how she was apparently the distinguished guest of the bunch. When Brandon eventually returned with the drinks for the people who had asked for them, he sat himself back down in the chair and entered the conversational fray once again. "We could start by talking about Lucius' work in the genetics field," he suggested. "That and the cholera outbreak. A bunch of you helped out with that, though, right? Layton, I heard you got sick? I'm sorry, man. Glad to see you up and at 'em."

"I'm just glad they managed to stick me with that vaccine before they had to wheel me out for a funeral." The vaccine, synthesised from the cloned antibodies of Ark CEO Christian Moynahan, had been an almost too perfect end to the outbreak; looking to the cynical like the whole thing had been planned from the start. The patients like Layton, however, were simply thankful that they'd been saved from death. None of them really cared who had been responsible for halting the outbreak in the end. Before the conversation could progress any further on the matter, Brandon was interrupted by a knocking at the door. With everyone who had been invited already sitting around the room, he was understandably surprised at the noise. When he opened the door, however, the only thing which entered was a stiff breeze.

When he returned, Brandon inquired as to the current topic of conversation. With the group having not reached any sort of consensus on the matter, he decided to throw the decision to his guests rather than take command of the proceedings himself. He'd just go with the flow. Lucius explained that they had been discussing what they should discuss, while Alexandria, wanting to be more helpful than the geneticist, spelled out a short list of possible topics, all suitably intellectual. "The theory of relativity, rocketry or any form of chemistry would be up my alley. Moreover, perhaps a discussion on what it means to be human, since that's a question that was put into the forefront over the past few years."

"I'm up for that last one." Not being a theoretical physicist or a rocket scientist, Layton wanted to steer clear of most of Alexandria's suggestions and instead decided on the one which would provide the most equal playing field; a matter which dealt with philosophy. "Especially as there's the whole matter of specials to think about. Humanity's advancing in some weird ways, right before people's eyes, which is starting to make a few people nervous. With stuff like Costa Verde, people are likening specials to... well, weapons; like we're a bunch of walking guns waiting for someone with a fucked-up conscience to pull the trigger."

If that was how some people in power viewed regular specials - such as people who could manipulate fire - just what the hell would they say about someone like him?

[Gabriel Constant]

The kid was not alright. Gabriel watched Chase carefully as the young man moved about the room. Something about his composure just did not sit well with Gabe. Sure, he had been hard at work with his Ph.D studies, and then there had been the loss of Lenore, but he did not seem to be coping with either of those well at all. Gabe wondered whether Chase would take offense to him suggesting that Chase meet with his half-brother, Marshall, or Marshall’s fiancé, Jessica. He was sure either the psychiatrist or the psychologist would have been glad to help Chris cope with his loss as well as his overworking for university.

Gabriel accepted the mug of hot cocoa and took a long sip from it. Yes, something was definitely wrong here. Chase was always very active and excitable, but this was crossing into madness. While he could be silly and a jokester at times, Chase could also be very composed, and that was more along the lines of what Gabe had expected. This… well, he was very concerned about the state of his friend.

There seemed to be a good many helping of humble pie going around. Khalidah, first of all. Even if she was being slightly facetious - it was difficult to tell with her sometimes - the sentiment seemed sincere. Lucius was another; the man never minded discussing his work, but for this occasion, he declined to do so unless someone was interested in the general application of genetics. In that vein of genetics, Gabriel thought of Christian, who had taken a similar route in not taking credit in how he had aided the cholera response. That man, however, seemed to be fairly attention-averse in general; he had gone out of his way to help the Kilvaynes keep his own involvement quiet.

Alex suggested a few topics herself, but the one that received the best reception was that on humanity, with Layton backing the choice. Gabe nodded as well. It was a very universal topic, and one that many parties seemed to hold different views on. “That’s gonna be an interesting one,” Gabe said, just as a knock sounded at the door.

Chase went to check it, then promptly returned. “The weather, maybe,” Gabe posited. “A tree branch knocking against the door. Or maybe a hungry squirrel.” The last comment was made to lighten the mood. It was not dark, but Chase seemed more than a little out of it. Maybe joking around before they got into any real conversation would help.

[NPC]

A frown crossed Chase’s face as he thought about the door again, but that was quickly replaced by a grin at Lucius’ meta-answer. Quickly the topic was set to human and the conditions of such, however, and Chase leaned in to listen and join in.This would be good.

A knock sounded at the window.

“Okay, now, that’s just weird.” Chase looked at the window and tilted his head. “Excuse me again, guys.” He stood up again, and this time headed to the side window. It was hard to see what Chase saw after pushing back the heavy purple curtains, but the cold wind that blew in would indicate that he had indeed opened it; as would the sudden sound and then sight of a large black bird flying inside and settling on a bust of Pallas Athena that had been mounded above Chase’s bedroom door.

Chase closed and turned away from the window. “Now that’s just crazy,” he said, walking up to the bedroom door. “Hey, guy,” he said to the raven. “What’s your name?”

“Nevermore,” the bird told him.

Birds didn’t talk. Except for parrots and maybe parakeets and such. Not ravens, though. Chase looked back at the group and then up at the bird, and then back at his friends. “I dunno. Somebody must have trained the bird to talk. Like a Special or something. Or maybe the bird is a Special. We were talking about humanity, right? Let’s find out.”

He moved one of the velvet seats in front of the door, and fell into thought for a while, seeming to ignore or forget about his guests for that time. Then he sniffed. Not sniffled, but sniffed, as though he had suddenly started to smell something. And, indeed, a new scent perforated the room, one much like incense, but with no discernible source.

“Not a Special,” Chase suddenly cried out, “but a spirit, a spirit sent from God - Raven, tell me, tell me please, will I see her in Heaven? Lenore, Lenore, my love, will I see her again?”

In a tone that, in a human, would probably been accompanied by a shrug, the raven replied, “Nevermore.”

And in that instant, Chase went from heartbroken and meek to absolutely feral. “Get the fuck out of my house, you stupid bird! Get out of here with your lies and don’t come back! Do you hear me? Get off my door!”

The bird didn’t move. “Nevermore.”

Chase froze for a moment. In the next, he started to sway, and his lips began to move, but no sound came out. Then he seemed to trip without having taken a step, and collapsed, hitting the floor with a heavy thump. And there he lay, silent, motionless.

It wouldn’t take a medical professional to tell that he’d suffered a fatal stroke.

~~~fin Chase~~~

[Alexandria Constant]

Alex watched horrified as the man began to talk to himself and move to and fro. This man was unwell quite beyond any words could adequately describe and none of them should have been here while he was in this state. Even her husband seemed distressed by the nature of their hosts behavior and is turned from odd to completely strange as befitting of a person who was quite unwell in their mind. And yet it all came to a stop as the man dropped dead before their eyes.


"The human experience is to be birthed, live, and then die..." Alex muttered under her breath with a nonchalant look. There was nothing to do for the dead except to respect them...


FIN

[Lucius Kilvayne]

I haunt your fears
Though you don't know of my duty
To lead your path, because
I'll take you home to rest
In my black wings enfolding you

"The theory of relativity, rocketry or any form of chemistry would be up my alley. Moreover, perhaps a discussion on what it means to be human, since that's a question that was put into the forefront over the past few years."

Lucius smiled. Alexandria had hit the nail on the head straight on. The conversation that would be fairest for all would be, of course, the one that impacts everyone equally. Lucius admired her for striking straight to the core, in this and many other situations. She was really well matched for Gabriel, as Dakari was for Lucius himself.

“That’s gonna be an interesting one."

Lucius nodded, and laughed, but his mirth was cut short by a rapping, as if someone were tapping, tapping on Brandon's door. Knocking at the door. This engendered some curiosity, as it had happened previously and as mysteriously.


“The weather, maybe,”

Lucius looked at Gabriel and nodded. There was of course, a reasonable explanation for everything, after all. Possessing careers in and based on science had taught the men such was the case. Causality was tricky, to be sure, but it was still something to be respected. Every effect began with a cause, and in the physical universe that was law. The simplest explanation was likely the most true.

"A tree branch knocking against the door. Or maybe a hungry squirrel"

"Perhaps," Lucius said, feeling that would put it to bed.

Until the knocking came again, and clearly it was not at the door. It was at the window. The window, of all places. Brandon's summation of the event was quite accurate, Lucius had to admit.


“Okay, now, that’s just weird.”


He opened the window, to see what was the matter. In flew a drk feathered avian, alighting upon the bust of Athena, an item which Lucius had not noticed until just this moment. Strange, that. He was usually more aware of the details in his surroundings. Curiosity was quickly becoming unease, as he was faced with the notion he may not be in control of events unfolding around him. Lucius did not like that notion, as it happened. Not one little bit. Brandon seemed accepting of this twist, however.

“What’s your name?” inquired the Brandon.

"Corvus corax" quipped the Lucius.

Quoth the Raven-

"Nevermore"

“I dunno. Somebody must have trained the bird to talk. Like a Special or something. Or maybe the bird is a Special. We were talking about humanity, right? Let’s find out.”


Lucius seriously doubted the raven was a mutant with superpowers, that would be ridiculous. This was clearly a parlor trick designed to suit the mood of the party. The man was in fact mulling over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, after all. Brandon's lost love, Lenore, probably inspired the theme of this japing jest.

“But a spirit, a spirit sent from God - Raven, tell me, tell me please, will I see her in Heaven? Lenore, Lenore, my love, will I see her again?”


Supernatural explanations were coming out. And he was plaintively petitioning the avian angel for some word of his fate in the hereafter. This was entering territory Lucius was wholly unprepared for. He frowned, worried this would end in tears somehow.

“Nevermore.”

Yep, this was ending badly.


“Get the fuck out of my house, you stupid bird! Get out of here with your lies and don’t come back! Do you hear me? Get off my door!”

Brandon was clearly agitated, and Lucius couldn't blame him. Now Lucius suspected someone was playing a cruel trick on his friend that did not sit well with Lucius. Whoever was responsible was going to pay dearly for this offense...

“Nevermore.”


Lucius saw Brandon fall, and jumped up from his seat. He approached warily, and felt for the pulse. There was nothing. Furthermore, the electromagnetic field generated by a living being was not to be found anywhere near his fallen form. Lucius stood up, and the look on his face said all there was to say.

He turned his attention to the bird. It was giving off an electromagnetic field that was as strong as the one exhibited in electrokinetics...and electrical power stations or generators. Lucius stumbled back.

"The raven is made of electromagnetic energy," He announced, visibly disconcerted. "What does that even mean?"


He would never know, because he awoke to find Dakari next to him, and the date on his calendar read...

October 31st.

"Nevermore," Lucius said with a grin, before going back to sleep.