[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6Yi4gad.png[/img][/center][right][h1][color=f49ac2]Edict[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=f49ac2]Mentions:[/color] Finn Reid, Auri Auclair, Alizée Altieri [color=8670AD]Kali Mahendra,[/color]  [color=3874f4]Drake Blackmore,[/color] [color=6644ff]Jack Hawthorne,[/color] [color=000000]Everleigh Thorn[/color] | [color=f49ac2]Location:[/color] St. Portwell, Oregon: Flowers and Canvases [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent]Edict was quick to notice Finn join the party, eyes flicking up and seeing a facial structure that had [i]pain in the ass[/i] written in big fat letters across the forehead. It wasn't the guy's fault necessarily, and more often than not Edict found him amicable if not a good natured person. 
It was his power that became tenuous. The fact that at any time, if there was someone who was going to feel him peeling the thin pink layers back to get to the soft and squishy gray matter beneath the skull, it was going to be [i]fucking[/i] Finn Reid. But, he wasn't doing anything [i]just yet.[/i] No need to worry so long as he could just get through this meeting and find a weakling to isolate and cozy up to. For now, he had to stick it out, and he glanced up one last time at Finn as the man waddled slightly away from the door to catch the last bits of what was going on.

People seemed to be hooked into whatever premise Auclair was spinning until someone decided to interrupt the party wholesale. [i]Fucking Feds,[/i] if you needed something important interrupted, you could always count on them. Weddings, graduations; they seemed attracted to large gatherings like moths to the flame and always barged in with more gusto than sense. But, beyond all the usual contention and general distaste he had for Government police and their secretive practices, this moment was a truly mixed bag. Mixed as in, on the one hand he was rarely worried about Feds; his businesses were legit and most of his money required little to no washing to get it into circulation. He was, for all intents and purposes, a legit man on the up and up in the eyes of ninety nine percent of society.
But, on the other hand, this man was no normal Fed. Not only was he vaguely unhinged and in desperate need of an anchoring point for reality, but he was... Well... Bad news. Hyper Empathy to the point of intrusion and understanding on a scale that made Edict's entire mentality quiver in fear. 

Kali Mahendra. At first, Greyson had thought the kid was just enthusiastic. Maybe a little spectrum based, but even back then Greyson was well aware that few people avoided God's funny little quirk stick. But it was all precursor emotion to realizing the bug that Kali lived with. His little glitch in the system. The two were close at first: Kali didn't seem to be concerned with the group's general perception of Greyson, and in turn the young gangster was happy to let the other boy tag along. He'd treated him well, started seeing himself in him even...
That was the problem, eventually. Kali's unique situation became more like a strain, and while Greyson had imagined a world where the ability was utilized as a final gambit to protect himself, ultimately he couldn't bring himself to stare into the dark that long. The way their powers interacted wasn't ideal, and in the end Greyson had isolated himself from his "friend" entirely.

Now he was announcing himself as a federal agent, and Edict knew that it would be as easy for the man to see through his act as it was for the younger man to see through him then... They hired a [i]fucking abomination[/i] to hunt him and every other below the bar freakshow around. Edict's hand slowly crept toward where he'd usually keep his pistol, mostly out of reactive fear, but found only an empty holster. He'd left the gun at the apartment, not wanting to go hot when Lord knew there may have been someone blessed with the ability to smell copper jacketed ten millimeter ammunition and fucking gun oil... [color=f49ac2][i]You just never know, after all.[/i][/color]
But, all his comfort was broken. No longer did he feel like he could hide behind the stole and collar, even if it was a thin veil to begin with. It was nothing now. Just a liar, bare and in the open at risk from a force he couldn't stop and couldn't control. As Auri took Kali away, Edict was quick to follow Alizée's example, standing up and taking a deep breath.

[color=f49ac2]"Now, I'm not saying that Judas and I were close when I was here last or anything, but..."[/color]
Edict paused for a moment, an ironic thought flashing across his mind. He pulled the Jim Jones style sunglasses from his pocket, fidgeting with them in his hands as he walked toward the front of the gathering.
[color=f49ac2]"-I feel like out of anyone here, he'd be expecting to see [i]me.[/i] So, how about a little [i]faith[/i] in Father Devola, huh?"[/color]
Edict's eyes rotated like stone sculptures in their sockets. One could practically hear them grinding like millstones as they slowly and steadily panned between people. His smile was, to his best effort, sincere and genuine. He held his arms out to his sides, almost like Jesus without the nails.
[color=f49ac2]"How about it, [color=3874f4]Drake[/color]? Wanna come with? Keep an eye on me just like ol-"[/color]

Jack, out of nowhere, landed on the scene. [i]So typical.[/i] Edict's mouth was still wide open in his attempt to ingratiate himself, but closed as he spun his torso to see the person coming in.
[color=f49ac2]"Oh, Mister Timeless... Just planning a trip to the local strip club, [color=6644ff]Jacky Boy[/color]! You in?"[/color]
Edict spun back to wiggle his eyebrows at Drake, sliding his sunglasses over his eyes with a grin. 
[color=f49ac2]"Now you can't even use gas money as an excuse!"[/color]

And then the pileup at the door got just a little deeper... No sooner had he opened his mouth to fuck with Drake a little more, another [i]cling cling[/i] rang the door bell of the shop. A puff of blonde hair, a face beat half purple: Plenty of people got into trouble like that around SP, but this one was here with them now. He probably would've missed her if she hadn't spoken up, using Finn's stature to hide behind ever so slightly. But the voice was unmistakable. He'd heard that same too-cocky tone for years. He didn't even have to try hard to recognize her.
[color=f49ac2]"All my Stars, little Miss Thorn? No shot... [color=000000]Everleigh[/color]? You look..."[/color]
Edict visibly cringed.
[color=f49ac2]"[i]Great.[/i] Just great. Love what you've done with the bruising."[/color]