Heritage

Daniel simply smiled at Mia's concern. He was used to people smoking to relieve stress - if he didn't hate the smell, he probably would adopt the habit as well. As he got up, he noticed Mia pull a bill from her wallet that looked really dirty. Daniel squinted at it, but couldn't really make out what was on it from a distance. "Is there something wrong with that money?" Daniel asked, trying to figure out what made that money looking like it was old and laundered. Mia then explained a tradition that she had with Naya that involved giving each other the same bill as tips, probably to give each other an excuse to see the other. Not really a bad idea, and kind of cute, even if there were various vulgar drawings and markings on it. Daniel chuckled as they moved to the register. "That's kinda cute. I'm not sure I could give anything like that to Sam and expect it to survive long enough to get it back, though."

Mia paid for their meals and Daniel was poised to leave the cafe as he assumed that the two of them got started talking to each other again. Much to his surprise, he heard Naya call his name. "The pancakes were great, actually. I'll need to see what I can do about waking up earlier in the morning so I can actually eat like this more often." Daniel took care to try and make eye contact with Naya as he said this; meanwhile, Mia cut in about coming to Milo's for their hot waitresses. "You may roll your eyes, Naya, but Mia isn't wrong, you know. Your lovely smile made my morning all the sweeter." Daniel put on a lopsided grin and winked at Naya. There wasn't really much time for him to establish any sort of ground to stand on, but perhaps this could get his foot in the door. Naya was cute, and pretty attractive, all things considered. Certainly there wasn't anything wrong with wanting to see her again, right?

The two could be heard giggling on Daniel's way out. "Might wanna ease up on the compliments, or it'll go to her head," Mia advised. "He does have good taste, at least. Oh, surely it must be a sin to be this beautiful?" Naya teased, enraptured by her own ego. Now it was Mia's turn to roll her eyes, only retorting with a deadpan,  "Ha. Fucking. Ha." Strangely enough, Mia never seemed this talkative or active outside of the apartments. Maybe some people needed a certain type of friend to bring out their more social side.

There was no doubt Daniel was late to work at this point; someone was sure to notice he was gone by now, and to make matters worse, he also missed the next closest train. Walking would have been one method of getting to Glotech, but the pedestrian commute would only delay him further. Too bad Daniel never thought of asking Mia to take him to work in her car, as that would have been the more logical thing to do. Technically speaking, Daniel reserved the option to simply go back in the diner and ask Mia for a ride, but after the hurried exit he made, chances were that it would be rather awkward. It was also unlikely that one would want to ruin such a high note they left on by doing so.

Another option was to call a taxicab, but they were often pricey...

-Mia's social profile added to profile thread.
-Naya's social profile added to profile thread.

Daniel was feeling kind of proud of himself. He finally defied going to his monotonous nine to five for once in his life, and he wasn't starving as a result of it. Although, not being able to pay for his own meal put a thorn in his pride, but no matter. That waitress was also really cute. Then again, Mia really seemed to have something in common with him. He'd have to make it a point to find out what kind of video games she was a fan of sometime, perhaps they could play together. As he started walking towards work, he saw Mia speed off in her luxury vehicle; even if it were an older model, it was still really nice. However, it had just dawned on him that since Mia had taken him here, he would have needed to ask for a ride to work. He pulled out his phone to check the time, and he had missed both the first and second trains of the day.

Daniel audibly groaned as his worries were coming back to haunt him. He was in no state to lose his job right now - he didn't have anything else lined up that he could count on if Shoemaker decided that only one offense was enough to be terminated. Daniel increased his pacing to a brisk stride, but he would still most likely arrive at least an hour and a half late. That'd cut down his time to work through the rest of his stack of TPS reports before the lunch meeting. His apprehension wouldn't leave him as he continued on his way to work, even if he probably knew what was going to happen because of it. He wouldn't let it ruin his morning, though. This was one of the best times he'd had as of late, and nothing could change that.

As much as Daniel would have liked to make it to work without any further inconvenience, there happened to be a scene straight ahead at Rexford Crossing. Yellow tape boxed around the perimeter to indicate a crime scene investigation, and at the center, there appeared to be a large pile of metallic rubble from an unusual craft. There was no discernible route to Glotech from here. Several law enforcers were scrambling the areas for clues while one took notice of Daniel and approached him.

Her hair was a deep scarlet like a burning supernova, with the sharp, fearsome eyes of a dire wolf. Her gait was confident and deliberate, and the air of authority around her was complimented by the badge and uniform of the Winddrift Police. "You there!" she called out with a domineering holler. "I specifically told all civilians to steer clear of the area! Go home, this area is off-limits to the public as of now!"

Daniel was trying to hurry as fast as he could so he wouldn't be later to work than he already was. However, he wasn't having as much success as he would have liked, as there was something very large and metallic that was situated in the middle of the street, as if the object had crashed into it. It was very strange; there was usually nothing that passed through this back road, what would have been coming through here? There was caution tape all around the scene, but from what Daniel could tell, there was no blood anywhere. Maybe it wasn't a car crash, then. He attempted to try and find a way around the obstruction, but he heard a sharp commanding voice approach him, telling him that the scene was off-limits to civilians.

"Pardon me, Officer..." Daniel was taken aback and startled, so he struggled to find a name where there wasn't one. "ma'am. I'm just on my way to Glotech, as I'm running very late for work. Would you know a way I can get there from here, miss?" He did a once-over of how the female officer looked. The police uniform didn't hide her toned figure, and through the muscle that she had, there were still curves where they needed to be. The hair was also very nice. If he weren't running so late to work, Daniel would have tried to take more time to get to know this woman, though she seemed like she might not be having it today.

"Glotech, huh?" the officer restated, turning her head to the side to spit. "Right now, the best place to be is indoors. Only paths to the Corporate Plaza are through the labyrinth of back alleyways or the abandoned subway, but they're known to be home to some unruly thugs. If I were you, I'd just go home and call in sick or something. It's not worth it." She crossed her arms and faced Daniel again, making sure he wasn't up to anything suspicious. One of her fellow officers stepped up to her to deliver an update on their investigation.

"Sergeant! We found some sort of device in the craft. Henderson tried to touch it and it burned his hand," the cadet informed her. "That dumbass," the sergeant chided. "We're given strict protocol on how to handle this particular circumstance. This is what happens when you forget to attend the briefings. People who show up late to work really fucking piss me off. Tch, Henderson would forget his own dick if it weren't attached to him." Her ferocious eyes snapped back to Daniel. "You still here? Look, I'm real sorry there's no way you can make it to Glotech, but you need to leave. This is me asking nicely."

Daniel forced a smile on his face to try and hide his irritation, though he probably wasn't doing a very good job of it. At this rate, there wouldn't be a point to try and go into work today. It just seemed that the universe didn't want him to go to work that day. He sighed under his breath as the officer made a jab at tardy workers. It got a little bit under his nerves - he was literally almost never late to work, it wasn't like he wanted to make a habit of this or anything. Cute as she is, I can almost see that stick shoved up her ass. She needs to relax a little bit. "I see. Thank you, Officer... do you mind if I ask your name?" At least having a name to attach to the face would help him avoid this woman in the future if he needed to.

"Kaylfri," she acquainted herself unvarnished. "Sergeant Gabriel Kaylfri." It was almost as if she couldn't even say her own name without carrying a weight of pride to it. "Somethin' wrong with your face, kid? You look a little constipated. Anyway, if you need a ride back to your place, I can have one of the cadets take you back home. At least you won't have to walk all the way." Of course introductions often worked both ways, and it was Gabriela's turn to ask Daniel. Having a name attached to the face would help her track this young man in the future if she needed to. "So, what's your name? You don't mind if I take a look at your ID do you? I'd much rather make sure you aren't going to be causing any trouble around here."

-Gabriela's social profile added to the profile thread

Daniel relieved some of the tension in his face to go for a more neutral look. Pleasantry could happen without a smile. It's how he worked with his boss as well as he had been. "There's nothing wrong with me, Sergeant Kaylfri, thank you for asking. I'm just slightly disappointed that I made the decisions I did, but nothing that can't be recovered. I would appreciate an escort home. I imagine it's been about an hour since I left the cafe this morning." Gabriela requested to see his ID, which was routine of any member of law enforcement. "That's not a problem," Daniel reacted smoothly, pulling out his wallet and presenting his ID to the fiery woman, I'm Daniel Reisa. I don't have a special title; just a simple guy working a nine to five like many others in Winddrift."

Gabriela plucked the ID card from Daniel's hand and gave it a quick examination before handing it back. "Alright, it all checks out," she said, waving over one of the other officers over. "Lanfield, take Daniel here home. His card says he's designated at Blue Avalon. You already know the way." The cadet nodded in compliance and pointed over at his police cruiser for Daniel to see. "Nice to meet you, Daniel," he said as he cordially offered Daniel a handshake. "I'm Officer Eric Lanfield. I'll be taking you home." Before returning back to the investigation, Gabriela muttered her few final words lacking any form of subtlety as she walked away. "Damn civies. Should realize they're holding up enough of my time."

Eric could only help but chuckle, amused by the entire exchange. "That's the sarge for you. I swear she gets on our asses more than the chief does." He held the door open to the passenger side of the car, allowing Daniel to get in. "Not exactly as glamorous as a limo ride, but we aren't normally responsible for doing this kind of thing unless it's an emergency," he said with a shrug. "Hope you don't mind."

Daniel bit his tongue as Gabriela lashed out at him under her breath. There were a few choice words that he'd like to say about her, but most likely in his best interest, he kept his mouth shut. "Thank you, Sergeant!" Daniel called out after her, perhaps she'd hear it, perhaps she wouldn't. He turned to meet the next new face that came to. 'Officer' Eric Lanfield. I wonder if people would like me better if I had a title, too... Making sure that he was out of earshot as the two made their way to Eric's vehicle, Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "I gotta say, trying to talk to her is just like talking to my boss. I'd have just as much like getting my head through a brick wall."

Eric made a comment about the ride not being too fancy, but truth be told, Daniel was used to not living in the lap of luxury. Mia's car was quite the exception that kind of set the tone for his morning, but it definitely wasn't something that he could get easily used to. "No worries, Officer... Eric, if I may call you that. I'm used to just living the life of your average Joe. Of course, today has been quite out of the ordinary in comparison to all the other ones I've had, but it's certainly not the norm for me." He climbed into the vehicle, thanking Eric for holding the door open.

"Heh, well, today the sarge's actually in a good mood, believe it or not," Eric laughed, taking the driver's seat and starting up the vehicle. "She takes her job seriously and expects us all to give a hundred and ten percent, that's why she looks like she's being a real hardass all the time. Trust me, find her off the clock and she's a real sweetheart." With a press on the pedal, the police cruiser was off and back on the way to Daniel's apartment. "You can just call me Eric," he notified Daniel. "I don't really like the formalities and such. People are usually inclined to be all tense around the police - and I don't blame 'em, so I try to be as casual and friendly as I can. I could get into a lot of trouble for saying this... but you ought to watch out for Lieutenant Glastondale. I may be new in the force, but you don't need to wear the uniform to know the reputation of the Lieutenant and his unit. You're better off having Gabby chew your ear off any day than to even look at the Lieutenant funny. Oh and uh... don't actually let the sarge hear you call her 'Gabby'. Rookie mistake I made once, and she made sure that I'll never forget."

They crossed into Blue Avalon, where Eric parked the car. "Home, sweet home," Eric concluded. "You know, I actually live here too. If you ever need me for anything and I'm off duty, feel free to swing by block 439. I gotta get back for now though."

Daniel processed the information that Eric relayed to him. It seemed that there was more to the police sergeant than she had led him to believe. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but first impressions were always difficult to shake. "You say so... I find that kind of hard to believe, but first impressions aren't everything, I guess." Eric launched into an explanation of who Gabriela was, and Daniel listened and nodded along, trying to understand how such a nice person could have such a terrible demeanor about them. All things considered, if Eric were to be believed, perhaps he could get along with Gabriela, but it seemed that she didn't want to get along with anyone at all.

They pulled up to Blue Avalon and Daniel moved to exit the vehicle. "Thanks, Eric. You saved me quite the walk. Sorry I had to make you do that. And I'll be sure to come by sometime, you're a cool guy." He stepped out of the police cruiser and shut the door behind him. With a wave, he turned towards the apartment building, his thoughts assaulting him all the while. He was worried sick about what his boss would think about him not showing up to work. He really needed his job in order to keep himself afloat - it wasn't fun not being able to eat and not having fun. He thought about heading inside to just take a nap and try to forget that this whole afternoon happened, but he figured that he probably wouldn't be able to.

Instead, he turned towards Xacshire Park and pulled out his phone, scrolling through the latest Exanet updates and checking his email. Hopefully someone else was taking minutes of the meeting at work today.

-Eric's social profile added to profile thread.

"No problem," Eric called out as Daniel walked away. "I look forward to seeing you again, soon. Hopefully it won't be to put you in cuffs, heh." Xacshire Park was one of the few remaining remnants of Winddrift that had yet to be touched by the technological advances that had spread throughout the rest of the city, still arranged with actual, allergy-inducing trees instead of the holographic kinds that were propped up around the city to distract away the notion that society was becoming "out of touch". Rather than enjoying this relic of sights of the rosewater days, Daniel instead decided to become invested in his phone. The sheer irony of it all.

Glotech's company board on Exanet issued a statement excusing Daniel's department from work for the day due to the incident at Rexford and the heavily congested traffic due to people trying to find alternate routes around the city. Of course this would only mean the missed workload would be relegated to the telecommuters, the poor bastards. The rest of Exanet seemed to be filled with message board discussions speculating on what the strange craft might have been, with theories and rumors spreading like wildfire although the publicity of the happening would most likely fade away into obscurity when the next irrelevant happening would catch everyone's attention. The park's trail wound and encapsulated around a large cast iron statue of the park's founder: Edwin Xacshire. The concrete patio had several garden lights posted around to add atmosphere and to make sure hikers wouldn't get lost in the vast trail. Past the open meadow were the woods, snaking their formation around a large hillside.

There were only two others in Xacshire at this time: a young woman from Blue Avalon making her usual jog around the park, and a man sitting at the bench, staring off into the distance.

>Continue browsing Exanet
>Stroll in the park

Daniel felt as if a huge weight were taken off his shoulders as he read that his department was excused from work today. Phew, something turned out to work in my favor today. That doesn't happen often. There didn't seem to be anything else of note on the boards, so he pocketed his phone and looked at the scenery. He didn't get out enough, nor did he really appreciate the world around him, granted most of his time was spent either in his apartment or in his cubicle. Daniel was mostly a sedentary creature that was pretty satisfied with how things were. That didn't change the fact, though, that today was quite a different day. Maybe there was something else new that he could find here. He had already had a nice breakfast with Mia and he got the day off from work. Why not try going three for three?

Hands in his pockets, Daniel started walking along the path that was put in the park, which circled around the park's founder. There was some trivial information about the man inscribed on the statue's plaque, but Daniel didn't really care for reading it. Scanning his surroundings, he saw a woman that he usually caught glimpses of running as he left for work in the mornings, as well as an older man that seemed to not notice him passing. He decided to just go about his business - who was he to try and interrupt the guy? Besides, he was content to just enjoy this time to himself that he rarely got. Today was turning out to be a really, really good day. Certainly nothing could go wrong, right?

>Stroll in the park.

Daniel would walk further into the park's premises, entering the trail of the woods. It was here that Daniel's phone began to buzz with notifications from Exanet. Several headlines depicting breaking news that Duple Corp had began an aggressive corporate takeover, buying out smaller companies and sending the stock market into an uproar. Among the listed brands bought by Duple, Glotech was one of the companies that were now under their ownership. Management was now sure to change, and it was difficult to tell whether it was for the better or worse. An e-mail was promptly sent to Daniel soon after.


{To: Daniel Reisa
From: Duple Corp HR
Subject: Welcome!

"Greetings, fellow employee. If you are reading this, then that means you are now part of the proud Duple Corp family! As you may have noticed, your company among many others has now been purchased under Duple Corp as a step to further unify the phenomenal city of Winddrift. Please show up to work tomorrow and prepare for a mandatory orientation so that we may begin a new pioneering experience towards the future. Always remember the Duple Corp motto: 'Designing comfort in confidence!'"

-Duple Corp HR Department}

If that weren't unsettling enough, Daniel would spot a rather ominous haiku sprayed in graffiti into the trail's pavement.

Music: Breach of Comfort

Spoiler:

It must be a prank.

Daniel was enjoying the park's scenery and time to himself when his phone suddenly buzzed to life with new notifications. There hadn't been anything of note a few minutes beforehand, what could have suddenly happened to make his phone vibrate so much? He pulled his phone out of his pocket, maintaining his lazy stroll along the trail. Scrolling through the new notifications, the most disturbing was a headline that noted that various companies were aggressively bought out by Duple Corp. Daniel's pace slowed to a crawl, and he eventually stopped as he read through the article. A frown creeped onto his face as he saw that Glotech, the company that he slaved for, was among those listed as now under Duple Corp management. He had nothing against the company, but why all of a sudden? The two weren't even in the same market. No, this can't be right. Duple hasn't really shown an interest outside of its market. What could spark a move like this? This can't be real...

As if to immediately disprove his thoughts, his phone buzzed with an email notification from Duple Corp. Daniel shook his head as he opened the email and read the obligatory welcome notification from HR. "Unreal..." Daniel mused to himself as he read and reread the email. This was actually happening. But why? This was completely out of character as far as he could tell. He immediately went to his messaging app and wrote a quick text to Sam: Sam, did you just get an email from Duple HR? He locked his phone and waited for a response as his eyes wandered. He needed a place to sit down. Aimlessly walking on the trail again in search of a bench, he noticed a strange bit of graffiti that looked to be somewhat intelligent. He recalled some similar warning that he received in his email, but certainly the two couldn't be similar.

Something wasn't right. There went his pleasant day.

Sam replied within a few moments, delivering his bit on the entire situation. His message read: "Yeah, it's regarding the whole merger or whatever with Glotech. We're getting new management and whatnot. I guess this means I can't sleep in the broom closet to avoid doing actual work anymore. Whatever, I don't think it's a big deal. You wanna chill for a while?" Eerie echoes began whispering through the woods, though it was impossible to distinguish what the sounds actually were. The small creek that usually ran by the woods seemed to have dried up, as if something had suddenly blocked the passage of water. Xacshire Park never seemed so disturbing.

Another buzz. Another notification.


{To: Daniel Reisa
From: -Withheld-
Subject: THEY'RE WATCHING

"ARE YOU SCARED, YET? WATCH YOUR BACK AND DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."

-X}

Daniel frowned as he read the text from Sam. Sure, new management was procedure for corporate takeovers, but what didn't quite fit was the fact that the company that was initiating the takeover was Duplecorp of all people. It still made no sense to him, no matter how hard he thought about it. He was getting ready to tap out a response when the woods around him started to make noises. Already a bit on edge from the creepy graffiti and the lack of wildlife noises that had been abundant when he entered the park, this only served to make him more spooked. Something wasn't right here. Looking at his surroundings, he noticed that a small stream that usually was running through this part of the park was completely dry - all that was left was a dirt path where the water usually would be, as if that bed had been dry for ages.

His phone buzzed with another notification. Frowning deeper, he hurriedly opened it and read the email within. Scared? A bit, yeah, something's not really right, but who could know that? He started to absently track the direction opposite that the stream would normally flow in, to find its source. He typed another text to Sam. Sure. Where do you wanna go? Once he had an answer, he'd have an excuse to get out of here and get his mind off of this junk. He may as well not sit on his thumbs while he waited, though.

Daniel's phone would ping again, signaling the received response from Sam. "We should hit up the Ivory Palace in Yisten. I feel like getting shit-faced wasted tonight. The mess at Rexford should be cleaned up by now, so Commute Road should be easier to get to." By now, the park had cleared of any visitors other than the one man sitting on the bench. He cut a rather peculiar figure: a fine-tailored two-piece suit with a purple vest and tie. The attire was too fancy for just anyone working for any of the basic corporations, but his lanky presence struck a clashing appearance against the nature of the park. Maybe it was really just nothing but the paranoia setting in - this man certainly couldn't be anything out of the ordinary.

Daniel's phone buzzed again, and he checked it as he decided to start getting the hell out of the park. Something wasn't right here. It felt the same kind of weird as that strange crash site on his way to work. He read through the text that Sam sent him and he tapped out a quick response as he was briskly walking back the way he came. Sure, that sounds good. I'll be there in a bit, I'll need to get ready. Can't exactly go in work clothes. :p He sent the text and pocketed his phone, eyeing the same strange older man parked in the bench that he noticed when he first walked in the park about an hour ago it felt. Daniel frowned at the sight. Had the man moved at all in the entire time that he was here? It didn't seem like he had. Hopefully the man was alright; perhaps whatever was affecting the park like this was also adversely affecting this man?

Daniel moved towards the seemingly unmoving man, not dropping pace. Even though he wanted to get out as fast as he could, he couldn't ignore his compassion. "Sir, are you feeling alright? I don't think you've moved since I've been in here..." Daniel slowed down considerably and approached the man with caution. Hopefully the guy wasn't dead.

{Daniel}

The peculiar gentleman raises a hand to adjust his rectangular-framed glasses as he lets out a lighthearted laugh. "Beg pardon? I'm not quite sure why I am garnering concern from a stranger, but I assure you I am very much alright," he responded, allowing an uncanny smile to curve his lips. "I have been sitting here all day to see if the dosage of medicine I've taken would last me just long enough, and seeing as how the sun has already set and I am still here... I would confirm so. I am beside myself with joy." Despite the man's decorum and outward civility, there was an eerie vibe that seemed to protrude from him. An unusual man, dressed in black and red like he was about to attend a gothic ballroom, with a violet corsage pressed on his lapel to match his swept hair. He may not have been dead, but the air about him seemed so cold and lifeless. Then, he would speak again.

"It would be rather impolite of me to ask for a name when I haven't given my own, but I would, perchance, desire to get an introduction out of the way. I am Caleb Ambrose. If I understand the protocol correctly, this is where you would give me your name."

---

{Sariska}


Winddrift City - Commute Road

"So just who are you, really?"

"Angelo Grimm."

"And what is your relation to the child?"

"Judex... is my son."

"Then you are responsible for what has been unleashed upon humanity?"

"...I am."

"Why have you come here?"

"To deliver my final message to the world."

"And just what would that be?"

"That I, the man once known as the 'Keeper' am to blame for this catastrophe. My crimes against mankind are too insurmountable to atone for. I shall wait out the remainder of my time to bear the same fate that shall soon be upon us all. I do not deserve forgiveness... but you all had a right to know."

Static fussed through a taxicab radio as a disgruntled Beastfolke man fiddled with the dial. "Bah, radio play same audio drama all week for five days in row," he muttered. The driving Beastfolke made a short halt at a stop sign before turning back to check on his passenger. "Sorry about radio, comrade. We listen to some Silexa, instead, dah?"

Music: Weekend Cruiser

Spoiler:

"Muuuuuch better," he grinned, his attire rendering anyone unable to take him seriously. Perhaps it was the tiny black chauffeur's cap that sat on his large head.
"Name is Mishka, by the way. You said you were going to Lunaveil Studios, yes? We be there in no time." Poor Mishka had spoken too soon as the cab landed in a traffic of honking cars that didn't seem like budging anytime soon. The distraught Beastfolke pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before turning back to his passenger and initiated trying to make smalltalk with a veil of worried laughter. "So... this studio. Mishka never been. Is nice?"

She un-ironically liked Silexa's singing. The girl had a good voice and deserved the praise she got. But it was hard to compete with such a huge figure when no one wanted to give Sariska, or any other singer, the light of day. Still, she hadn't expected a chauffeur to take her to the studio. She was usually stuck walking. This employer might actually be a cut above the last one she had to put up with.

"Yes," Sariska said. "I'm Sariska, though my friends call me Star. It's very nice to meet you Mishka." Mishka, a Beastfolke, wasn't exactly what she expected to see at her door that evening. The heavy accent and the...fur...was a little off-putting too. "I'm afraid I know as little about Lunaveil Studios as you know about me, so maybe? They're an indie movie developer."

They weren't moving. Walking might have been faster. Still, having a pleasant conversation for once would be nice. Sariska was used to having her sister talk at her all the time. She took out her mirror and took a quick glance over her face. She had to stay spotless or else lose contracts to prettier girls. "I've been pretty desperate lately, with Sixela hogging all the contracts, but I was the only one willing to take this job. It's no surprise considering the movie she was in last year. Hopefully these folks won't be too bad."

Sariska closed her mirror and glanced up. Traffic. Once reason she was glad to avoid all the crowded streets. Another reason why she enjoyed being unknown to the people. If anything, Sixela hogging all the attention meant Sariska could retain her sanity. Though with this part of the neighborhood...perhaps the car was safer.

Something was off about this guy. From the way he was dressed to the sheer cold the environment felt near him, this whole encounter just smelled and felt like bad ideas. Daniel couldn't exactly run anymore, though, now that the man started speaking to him. He introduced himself as Caleb Ambrose, like the nectar of gods. An interesting last name that seemed oddly fitting given the man's circumstances. As the man stopped speaking, the mood about the park began to slow down and become lethargic, as if any remaining energy were being sucked away. This man was quite off-putting, but it was Daniel's turn to introduce himself. He wouldn't lie to himself, this guy scared him... a lot. Maybe he shouldn't have approached this man. He should've known that the guy was just fine.

Daniel cleared his throat and shifted into a more comfortable position. Well, no one else was going to get this out of the way for him. "I'm glad to hear you're alright," Daniel was inwardly contradicting himself, but he needed to stay calm. He continued, "Caleb. My name's Daniel Reisa." In an effort to be more friendly, he offered his hand to the man to shake. "While exchanging names is what normally happens, it doesn't always have to happen that way. People can be more fluid than protocols, I think."

Heebie jeebies were an understatement at this point. His intuition was yelling at him to just make a bolt for it and run while he could, but of course, his misguided head won over, rooting him where he was in an attempt to be nice to the stranger he didn't need to rescue.

{Daniel}

"I'm hard-pressed to believe there is a proper substitute to an exchange of names in a situation so common as this," he refuted, his gloved hand nearing Daniel's to reciprocate. "After all... when two strangers meet for the first time, they require to know each others' names before they become further acquainted, do they not?" At the moment Caleb made contact and shook Daniel's hand, an otherwordly experience would ring through Daniel's body. Daniel could hear nothing but his own racing heartbeat as he froze in place, and Caleb's eyes narrowed as if he could read his pulse. Caleb would then let go, and Daniel could hear the world around him again.

"Perhaps this encounter wasn't so common after all."

The plastic smile had faded from his Caleb's face - though only for a moment, replaced with an expression of curiosity. It would then resurface in an instant, when Caleb would say his farewells.

"I believe I've taken enough of your time here. After all, you wouldn't want to keep Sam waiting, would you?" A gust of wind picked up, tossing a torrent of leaves to obstruct Daniel's view. When the gale eventually subsided, Caleb was nowhere to be seen.

---

{Sariska}

"Mishka is pleased to meet you, Star," the Beastfolke beamed.
"Mishka hopes your job goes well." At last, an open spot in the turning lane appeared, only for a reckless buffoon in a beat-up convertible to speed over two lanes to cut off the cab. The worst part of it all was that idiot didn't even use a turn signal. Mishka growled and clenched onto the steering wheel so hard it looked as if it were about to snap off. The driver from the convertible looked over and yelled behind him.

"Watch where you're going, you dumbass! You coulda hit my car! It's a fuckin' classic, ya know!"

Mishka took a deep breath. "Hold this, little one," he requested Sariska, as he handed her his hat. The annoyed Beastfolke man placed the vehicle in park as he exited the cab, walking over to the convertible as the other man watched on horror as he witnessed what was approaching him. The frightened man exited his convertible and backed away as Mishka sank his claws into the already-trashy car. "You want piece of Mishka?!" he challenged with a bestial roar. "MISHKA GIVE YOU WHOLE MISHKA!" With a mighty swing, Mishka hurled the convertible into Winddrift's own Ursa Lake that spanned beside the road. Other pedestrians and drivers witnessed the feat of strength and began speeding off in a hurry. Mishka climbed back into the cab and retrieved his hat from Sariska, taking off the brake and resuming the drive onto the road.

"Oh look, Star. No more traffic!"

In no time flat, the cab would reach Lunaveil Studios where Sariska would meet her fellow cast and director. Mishka would see her off as he led her to the building. Mishka will be here when you need ride home. Mishka will find snackbar in meantime." The interior had a polished, professional look to it despite the part of town where it resided. Mixer booths were set up for the audio and editing teams, green screens and cameramen were positioned ready to shoot, and the actors and actresses that made it through the audition were in the lounge to review their lines. Conversations could be heard among them.

"Man, I'm nervous."
"So am I, you meet the director yet?"
"No, someone else handled my audition. You meet him?"
"Yeah."
"What's he like?"
"We'll it's kind of hard to explain. He's kinda... eccentric."
"Well I would imagine so, you kinda need a unique angle about you if you wanna make it in this business... so I hear."
"Yeah but... it's different."
"Different how?"
"It's just... the kind of person he is... is just... just..."

"CHARGER RIVELOTTO COMING THROUGH."

The double doors at the opposite end of the corridor flew wide open as a man in sunglasses busted in on an extravagant parade float, decorated to the brim with airhorns and speakers. Tossing off his shades, the man jumped off to the floor as several assistants with clipboards gathered to him and walked with him. "Alrighty, folks, let's get down to brass tacks. Name's Charger Rivelotto, I'm your director. I talk fast, I walk fast, and I think fast, and I expect the lot of you to keep up. You there, get me a cup of coffee. Lots of cream, lots of sugar. Editor-guy, how's the picture quality? Any dead pixels, you got the white balance down?"

"Yessir."

"You sure? I don't wanna get down to my final work and see the whole thing lookin' like amateur hour."

"As far as I know, the whole system's tip-top."

"Good. One thing goes outta line, and I look like a laughin' stock. I ain't no clown. Last guy who was in charge of sendin' out my e-mails used 'lays' instead of 'lies'. In fact, where's Emma? Tell her to fire that goon."

Charger made his way down the lounge, taking a good look at each of the actors and actresses.

"Alright, alright. Now which one-a you is my star?" One of the assistants brought up a paper record and a cover photo depicting a folder with Sariska's name on it. "Sariska Eternal, huh?" Charger turned towards her and gave her hand a quick and firm handshake. "Name's Charger Rivelotto. Have we met before? I feel like we have. Definitely have. Let me think. Don't tell me. I know I've talked to you before. Never mind. Must be my imagination. Anyways, I saw your audition. Stick with me kid, and you'll be a star. I know what I'm talkin' about, I'm a rich man. So rich I can afford golden quilted toilet paper to wipe my ass with. I refuse to wipe my ass with anything less. If I was a lyin' man I wouldn't have such luxuries and I'd have dirty palms. Take a look."

The director showed Sariska his hands, giving them a quick flip back and over. "See? Clean palms. I ain't a liar. You're going to be the star of this here, movie. Today we're shooting the opening scene as well as some more of the beginning. S'called 'Law of Conformity'. You read the lines, I'm sure. Rehearsed 'em, even, or I'm sure you wouldn't have bothered showin' up. I'm confident in you. But are you confident in yourself? You got the chops for this, kiddo? I'm sure you do, that's why you were picked. Let's discuss pay for today. You good with three hundred? No? You disgust me. I'm makin' it five hundred. You're gonna be rich. I'm talkin' penthouses, lobster dinners... allen wrenches, gerbil feeders, toilet seats, electric heaters
trash compactors, juice extractor, shower rods and water meters. Now, you ready? Getcher ass on set."

Easing Sariska onto the set, he motioned for the cameramen and other scene members to ready up and get into place. "Cue opening music."

Music: "Law of Conformity"

Spoiler:

"Lights. Camera. Fuckin' Action."