[h2][center][u][b][color=deba5e]Samad[/color][/b][/u] Xx---------------------------xX[/center][/h2] Location: Cafeteria Time: Before the Meeting [hr] Samad had been about to get up, his hand checking his blade, when his action was interrupted by someone coming in behind him. Originally, he had been prepared for someone to drag him into the conflict and on impulse curled his hand about Cade’s bo-staff still hooked to his side. A quick release would be all it took. A male voice asked him a question he least expected as a hand touched his shoulder, causing his figure to gently lower back in a cautious fashion. Samad flinched at the unexpected contact causing him to tense, his hands upon Cade’s bo-staff tightened and about jerked away to extend it right at where he assumed the speaker’s knee cap was. It was a paranoia that remained with him since his youth and kept him alive. Denying it was like forfeiting his life to the will of fate, something he wasn’t quite ready to do yet. He almost pressed the button when his head turned and caught the image of the fabled Silver Reaper, the Lost Number of Ante Mortem. For a moment, Samad was caught up in the realization he could be provoking death itself causing him to pause in his action. With heavy effort his hand pried itself from the weapon at his side and rested upon his thigh while the Lost Number casually pulled up a chair beside him. Despite the warmth of the tone, Samad’s expression hadn’t changed save for the glint of surprise in his eyes. With a quick action, his body shifted in place to face the individual as he listened to his name pass through Angel’s lips. Samad’s jaw tightened at the mention of his recent shattered link and being relinked, uncertain if the clap was mockery or genuine admiration. His pride leaned to the prior purely because of spite over losing Elisa. It was only because of her, and her decision to take all the insanity upon herself, did he end up surviving the whole ordeal. However, it wasn’t without scars. Upon requesting the cause of the fight to be allowed to live, Samad raised an eyebrow and continued to observe the Lost Number’s actions while he placed what appeared to be a plain piece of paper over his glasses. While the display looked authentically silly and childish, the smile sent shivers down Samad’s spine. His primal instincts screamed in his mind over something dark and sinister. Something he didn’t want to know or experience himself. As the Lost Number left, his words lingering on Samad’s mind, the Iranian reached for the paper piece then looked through it casually. As expected, the ‘threat’ to his peace had been dealt with in a fashion unexpected. His hand shoved the makeshift ‘telescope’ into his pocket to properly dispose of later then pulled up from his seat before he walked back to Cade’s table in silence. [hr] [h2][center][u][color=7ccd7c]Cade[/color][/u] Xx---------------------------xX[/center][/h2] [color=7ccd7c] “Yes, it’s not one I’m likely to repeat,”[/color] Cade said as he examined what Samad got him, his lips frowned a bit. There wasn’t a single thing he preferred to eat and instead, had food Samad would’ve eaten himself. There two to three minced meat kabobs, seared tomatoes, what looked to be a whole green bean or pepper, a green ball, shredded plant material with cheese, and some shredded white onion on the side. He picked at it a moment while trying to figure out what exactly each dish was. Not a single thing he knew the name of. Knowing he needed to eat, he cautiously ripped off a piece of the minced meat and tested the taste. It had rosemary, lemon, and a few other spices Cade didn’t recognize off the bat. However, it was decent enough to try a bigger bite as he ate it. At the mention of mac and cheese, he chuckled at her friend’s reaction and smiled. He had been about to say something when she made a generous offer causing him to pause a moment to consider it. His eyes looked at his plate and that sealed it. Cade had been about to say something when Audrey’s interrupt in the middle of her sentence caught him off. Curious at what caused it, he turned his head and looked over his shoulder to spot three men already down and Samad flash him a mischievous smile. That explained the reason for the bo staff, but why did Samad need the medication for the blood pressure? The question lingered in his attention and refused to let loss, the rotten sensation swelled in his gut until he could barely stand it. Cade had agreed with Kayla’s statement,[color=7ccd7c] “I agree, I should likely help.”[/color] His hand reached for his wheels and jerked, jiggling them a bit to hopefully disengage the brake. The wheels rattled but held fast in place causing Cade to lean his head back and give a groan of frustration. Inhaling a breath, he looked about to see how he could get untrapped by the table when his peripheral vision spotted trouble. He stopped long enough to watch several individuals, lead by a blond dressed in more arcanic fashions, begin to reprimand them. Cade’s blacken gut feeling tightened when he watched the authority pull his sword and a loud blast echoed through the cafeteria. When the dust cleared, a silver coffin plopped to one side to reveal one of the Banshees untouched by the destruction surrounding her. It seemed someone had literally taken a violent blast of air then unleashed it in one direction at the source. Cade immediately sought Samad when the eruption of energy rippled from the other side of the cafeteria. After a few wild glances, he found the Iranian sitting still at the original place he had been. Surprisingly, Samad hadn’t moved at all. Instead he seemed distracted by a piece of paper in his hand which he then held between his fingers and raised to his head side. This caused the younger asylum to frown as Samad then idly placed it into his back pocket before he made his way back to their table. [h2][center]Xx---------------------------xX [u][b][color=DEBA5E]E[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]x[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]p[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]r[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]i[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]m[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]n[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]t[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]a[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]l[/color][/u] [u][b][color=DEBA5E]T[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]a[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]m[/color][/u] Xx---------------------------xX[/center][/h2] Location: Cafeteria → Debriefing room (Innocence Airship) Time: Meeting Time [hr] [color=f08080]"Kayla? Cade? Is she a friend of yours?"[/color] That statement was enough to get Cade’s attention as he shifted back to what he had missed, ripping his attention from the Lost Number arguing with the blond. Curiously, his torso struggled to lean over his wheelchair's armrest and Fastened to Audrey’s arm was a young girl, about fifteen in age, with no intention to let go. Unsure what to say, Cade blurted out the first thing that settled in his head,[color=7CCD7C] “I’ve never seen her before, honestly. However, she seems to really like you, Audrey. It’s a bit cute.”[/color] [b][color=DEBA5E][i] ‘Yeah, a Chrono is really cute until she decides you’re annoying and crushes you like a gnat…’[/i][/color][/b] Samad’s voice had a hint of irritation or wariness to it, Cade’s mind unable to determine which. He was also a bit shocked that the words came through without interference. His head snapped over his shoulder to see Samad’s figure standing next to him now. [b][color=DEBA5E] “You were suppose to eat,”[/color][/b] The Iranian’s lips pursed tightly and clearly upset at the lack of food eaten, now spilled all over the floor,[b][color=DEBA5E] “Did you even bother?”[/color][/b] [color=7ccd7c] “I managed to get something in my stomach,”[/color] Cade answered while he continued to look at the table. Any additional conversation was broken when a message entered their minds. [code] All assisting teams are being called to the debriefing room, kindly make your way there now.[/code] A subtle fury, from his partner, entered into Cade almost instantly then began to fade. It surprised him into silence at the intensity of it. Gradually, Cade’s head turned to look up at the Iranian who had bent down and began to fiddle with the wheelchair break. It came loose with a soft click. Ignoring the others, he began to pull Cade from the table and moved then both toward the exit with the others. Through the words weren’t there, Cade could still feel Samad’s anger linger there. He was partly glad that their link didn’t connect them like others because Cade was sure Samad felt nothing but disgust or anger directed at him. In the background, Audrey protested her height against their visiting Chrono’s causing a small, weary smile to cross his lips. [center][h2]Xx---------------------------xX[/h2][/center] Samad rolled Cade into the nearest empty seat, then tossed the cheetos bag he had picked up along the way and moved toward the small self serve coffee bar. There he quickly filled a styrofoam cup with nothing but black coffee, ignoring the fact his partner hated bitter tasting things. When the last of the dark sludge lingered near the top, the Iranian returned to sit the cup nearby and pointed to the snack food. [b][color=DEBA5E] “Eat, then drink some of the coffee,”[/color][/b] Samad commented bluntly then mentally began to inform Zak of their current status,[i][b][color=DEBA5E] ‘Meeting was moved up, we’re in briefing room A. There was a scene in the cafeteria which interrupted Cade’s meal, so I got him something to snack on since there wasn’t much time.’[/color][/b][/i] [color=7ccd7c] “You know I don’t like it black. Can you get me some sugar and milk?”[/color] [b][color=DEBA5E] “No, you’ll drink it as it is. Now eat.”[/color][/b] [color=7ccd7c] “Fine,”[/color] Cade admitted defeat as he brought his attention to eating at least. He popped open the cheetos, careful not to let the cheesy snacks spill over the table, then reached into snag a few to munch on while waiting for the meeting to start. The sooner he was on his feet, the better it would get. At least, that’s what Cade kept telling himself.