day 45....... ish??

[unsea]

( Goram Saffit has granted us an audience. )

[ SOMEONE HAS BEEN A stressed maniac BUSY BEE BEHIND SCENES, WOW!! ]

( Three of us have been permitted to meet Saffit in person - myself, Carata and Aoba. We will be utilizing this time to investigate him as a potential source of this turmoil, and searching for further information.

We will be meeting at one of his fundraising benefits in two days. Those who wish to attend may wish to make use of the Station's credit line for something nice to wear, as well as find themselves a plus one. If you are in attendance, feel free to investigate other attendees for anything you find suspect or informative. And note that most of the people in attendance are against the synthetic personhood movement. )

[ try not to harm them...... keyword: ""TRY"" he knows y'all well enough....







also, eppy wanted sparkle text so: . ]

Comments

[vocalis]

Why do I have to be your date for this again?

[ He knows why. It's just... there's a number of people he would much rather go with than The Darkling. A big number. Some of them even guys! Imagine. ]

I get that we have a private audience with Saffit, but why can't I go with someone else and then meet up with you there?

[ He already knows the answer to that, too. Because of his cover. Escort. Of course the new up and coming Bout it Out star could afford to hire such a person. Why did he have to have that as a cover! It's like their false information was made up from some shitty random generator. It's not fair, and Aoba is whining about it. Better to get it out of his system now, at the very least. ]

[inflori]

[ The greatest mental snort that ever was. ]

( You're going as a date? Wait, are you gonna wear a dress or something? )

[ Petre is the smartest. ]

[vocalis]

What?! NO!

[ He doesn't have to yell to get his sudden shock, horror, and embarrassment through the connection. Damnit Petre... why is he the worst. ]

My cover here just works for it, okay? I didn't pick it. I'm supposed to be... an escort.

[ He regrets admitting that approximately half a second after he says it. More fuel for Petre to tease him with. At least he can cut off the teasing on his attire... or try to. ]

I'll be wearing a suit, for the record.

[ Like a MAN. ]

[inflori]

[ He really wishes Aoba could hear him snorting out loud - an ugly, childish sound, enough to make cats hiss and growl at him. Probably.

And then his amusement is replaced by shock. ]

( An escort? Who would wanna pay to have sex with you? )

[ he asked the yaoi boy ]

[vocalis]

[ His embarrassment is loud, a scrambled song blasted immediately to full volume. The insult is hardly noticed - he's suddenly got other things to worry about. ]

Wh-what?! That's not what an escort does... is it?!

[ He thought he was just paid to be... well, an escort. Arm candy, which... he doesn't really understand the concept of that either, but still! It can't be the same as a prostitute! ]

Why would the station generate a cover like that for me?!

[inflori]

[ It's so funny it almost feels too easy. (And since when does Petre contain about something being too easy?) ]

( I don't know, too fuck with you? Like, literally. )

[ BADUM TSH. ]

[vocalis]

[ No, it can't be, and it isn't funny either. He's opening his secondary datapad and Concordia-version-of-Googling this, because he can't be a-

It only takes a minute to confirm the new fear Petre put in his head. Damnit. He thought he really was just social event arm candy, but the services of escorts after usually include... ]

I am not doing this!! Not... not THAT part!!

[inflori]

[ All this laughter, it is too much to contain. ]

( I can't believe you didn't even look into it! You're hilarious. What about all the people who've paid you so far? They're gonna say you're the worst escort ever, and there goes your cover. You could ruin this whole mission, man. )

[vocalis]

I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN DOING THIS JOB PETRE, IT'S JUST A COVER!!

[ Can he be heard yelling this over the network mentally, as well as down the hall in Bearings? Depending on how close to the building you are, the answer could be yes. ]

Wait-- we don't actually have to be doing the job, do we?! We're just... we're just a brain trust!! Angel's got her lion tamer cover going, but she wanted to-! I... I don't want to--!!

[inflori]

[ LAUGHING FOREVER, etc etc, Aoba you are so easy to fluster. ]

( Oh, so you don't want to? What, he's not hot enough for you? )

[vocalis]

No, it's not that!! It's--

[ His frantic thought process suddenly screeches to a halt. Shit. Did he just backwards-agree that The Darkling is hot enough for him? He can barely hear himself thinking over Petre's laughter. ]

Ugh, cut it out Petre! This is a really serious mission!

[inflori]

( Yeah, I can tell looking like the best fuck-boy in town is super serious for you. )

[ never give up on your dreams Petre ]

[whowhatnow]

[What's this? A mental commotion? Nate is on this like white on rice.]

(Now, now, children, you're BOTH pretty. Seriously, though, not kidding about that, but anyways, Aoba can do whatever the hell he likes as an escort, Petre, let the poor man be before he explodes from sheer embarrassment.)

[inflori]

[ Wow Nate, since when do you ruin fun? ]

( You think I'm pretty? )

[whowhatnow]

(Uh, totally? Like come on, Petre, I'd stare at you shapeshifting any day of my life, it's kind of hot.)

[WOW HE'S SHAMELESS]

[inflori]

( Maybe I could shape-shift into Aoba, then you'd think I was twice as pretty. )

[ But yes, he's totally hot. Like literally because hell fire and all that ]

[whowhatnow]

(Hey, Aoba's pretty, but it's a different kind of pretty. He can't even shapeshift, which is just a huge detractor, in my opinion. So, not quite as pretty as you.)

[inflori]

[ Damn, Nate, you know how to inflate a demon's ego. ]

( Are you going to the party? )

[vocalis]

Sounds like you two should go together.

[ He suggests it, but sounds less than enthused about it. They're being gross. And with all these shapeshifting compliments going back and forth, it... sort of make sense. ]

[vocalis]

[ MENTAL GAGGING NOISE. ]

[vocalis]

[ ...that was close. Aoba felt himself reaching the brink of lashing out. Nathan's interruption isn't ideal, but it at least stops him from mentally smacking a teenager.

And exploding from sheer embarrassment, yes.

He doesn't verbalize it, but there's a sense of gratitude coming from his end of the connection. Thanks, Nathan. ]

[whowhatnow]

[After sharing gross compliments with Petre, he'll reach out to Aoba separately, sounding slightly concerned.]

(Hey, you doing okay? You were getting super flustered there for a moment. You shouldn't take that guy seriously.)

[vocalis]

[ Concern coming from Nathan is... a little unexpected. It's appreciated, but Aoba is proceeding cautiously. ]

I'm fine. I'm... trying not to, it's just... he's my broodmate. He knows how to get to me, and I'm... kind of stuck with him.

[whowhatnow]

[Sometimes, Nathaniel can be a decent person. Sometimes. He knows when a joke is pushed too far - even when he himself jokes around, he hardly wants to toe a line and offend someone for good.]

(If I could take him off your hands, I would. But if he ever bothers you, just direct him to me. I know how to deal with the little devil.)

[vocalis]

You're taking him off my hands for the fundraiser. I really do appreciate that. Thank you.

[ He's got enough on his mind without Petre's incessant mocking adding to it. His thoughts are still reeling a bit, but he's coming back up from his own spiraling anger, slowly.

Though he can't believe he just set up these two monsters on something of an official date. He meant it jokingly, but... sure. It worked out for now, hope it works out at the party. ]