[b]SEO Head office hallway [/b] Zach’s expression tentatively changed to a more guarded look as he observed the cat’s expressions and movements. Crispin definitely sensed something wasn’t right. But he seemed to relinquish the feelings of insecurity a little too quickly during the whole exchange. Zach leaned against a marble pillar with his arms folded. Listening to the cat speak of his family. Oscillations between a sense of trying to be conversational, before quickly retracting the need to offer any more information. Especially the abrupt ‘that’s all you need to know’ on the twin sister frontier. The dog’s resumed smile dipped to a frown again. [i]Not taking this seriously…[/i] his pupils dipped to the floor disdainfully, before perking up with curiosity. Now was the subject of his mother. What are we, after all, without our maternities? Inevitably, facets of ourselves are inherited from somewhere. Even if buried deep beneath the tomb after copious environmental and behavioural conditioning, a default undiluted personality will always rise at one time or another. [i]’A big techie? Works for the fed?’[/i] he raised an eyebrow at that. Especially the roll-on comment of her having to be a mercenary on the side. [i]‘Seriously? He doesn’t even know what his own mother does?[/i] Zach thought, shaking his head incredulously while Crispin laughed about his mum looking like a pirate and sounding like she had quite the durable build on her. His father? Obsolete knowledge. What was it he was trying to say… illegitimate? The dog sniggered but found himself raising his head superiorly after the Ocelot’s backhanded comment. A cooler and reserved expression on his face. "Frankly, Zachy, if this is how you start your small talk"--Crispin laughed--"yer pretty bad at it. Might wanna get some help with that. You wanna tell me about your fam too?" “Sorry you don’t approve of my social skills, Mr. Ocelot,” the hound retorted “my family? Not sure it’s best to open Pandora’s can of worms.” Crispin scoffed. “…you lost me there.” The cat chuckled skeptically. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [b] Level 72, Office [/b] Athena gave Jess a dirty look. Arms on her hips as she tapped her foot and huffed at the whole situation. “Seriously?! Even during something like this you’re still wearing those rose-tinted glasses?” she uttered a scorning laugh. She then mock surrendered with her hands up in the air, eyes closed with a sarcastic smile. A body language signifying that she’d rather be anywhere than here. “Ok, ok… I mean… nothing abnormal about today at all right?” her voice trailed off with an exasperated breath. If only there were some damned witnesses here. She was aware of the Orwellian regulations here, but hadn’t really encountered anything like this before. She’d expect any one individual to be drugged during her nocturnal lifestyle. Hence, why, she never accepted drinks from anyone. Bar the first time, that first time… waking up. Wondering where she was… But she wasn’t going to go there. She shook her head. Surely there were rights here. She vaguely remembers reading the work contract, but the fine print was a tedious read with cleverly worded ambiguity. It was a job at the end of the day, surely this was not part of the package? “Well come on,” she turned her face to square up Rey with a cool look, eyeing him up and down “show us you’re not so beta and pick up that body.” Fleur looked at the remaining conscious individuals hesitantly, before nodding at Robyn promptly. Rey cleared his throat, before compliantly rushing to pick up Xell by the shoulders. Assuming by Jessamine’s joke that she wanted to drag him by the feet but doing so would give him a carpet burn? Athena folded her arms and smirked with satisfaction whilst Jessamine stupidly bowed with thanks to Rey’s obligation for help. Quickly hopping to Xell’s feet and picking him up on the count of 3. These people were too easy to dominate. “Well, we’re all set up to go,” Rié attempted to give Athena a stern look. Holding the direct eyestare, before pointing her head towards the door “we can’t be late.” Jessamine found herself walking backwards whilst holding Xell’s feet, happily adopting motions which were a cross between a shuffle and skip. Robyn on the other hand, needed all the strength from his torso to keep Xell afloat. He hoped to hell that this would not be a long walk. Athena shook her head and sniggered. Being an authoritarian was not an innate desire of the rabbit’s at all. But what were those moves earlier? The fennec took one last sweeping glance of the office and all its parameters. All chairs neatly tucked within their desks. Computers either in sleep mode or portraying desktops of SEO and its corporate messages of being a world leading organization. Her mouth was left slightly ajar at a desk in the very distance. A momentary flashback of [b]that[/b] [i]night[/i] flickering before her eyes. That strong arm reaching out… She soothed her neck in a guarded manner. Before pulling her arm away to run up to catch with the rest of the cohort. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ [b] SEO Head office hallway [/b] “What I mean is, some things are better not worth knowing.” Zach narrowed his eyes, before turning towards the grand doors. [i]’Sure is taking his time.’[/i] The dog pursed his lips. “Come on maaaaaan!” Crispin turned in his chair as if to confront him “you don’t get to pull that stunt with me. I poured my heart out to you!” “Willingly…” Zach replied with a smile “sooooo… do you feel we’re better bonded?” He asked as if speaking to a troublesome patient. “Not so fast,” Crispin wasn’t going to have any of it “there’s got to be something between the lines here. Please let me guess… don’t enlighten me yet!” Zach felt as if he had no choice but to stay put and listen. “This Director… the one that owns this company. No one knows his or her name right? Or what he or she looks like, for that matter.” Crispin speculated. “This is getting ridiculous…” Zach’s voice resounded coolly. Unfolding his arms, he started marching towards the cat. “Well, what if he’s actually your dad, or mum, Zachy? And you’re… you know… being the face of the corporation because you don’t quite have the skills or the brains to have devised… all of this!” the cat continued holding out his arms as if to behold grandeur of the vicinity. “Nothing wrong with that. Really. Plenty of heirs who use the ‘Bank of mum and dad’.” “That’s enough…!” The seething dog was millimeters away. Hoisting out a loaded device with a sharp gauge that glistened in the dark. Crispin instinctively stood up. Ready to evade what was incoming with startled eyes. Before the feline could react, he found a force hoist him by the scruff of his neck. Dangling him like a fresh piece of fish with winced eyes- he gradually opened them to see the cowering looking puppy on the ground. Eyes twitching as he gripped the syringe with both hands whilst having dropped to his knees. A purple light cast upon him against the checkered marbled floor. In fact, the hue of the whole room without notice was cast with cerulean and magenta tones. “…Really… that’s enough…” a smooth voice resounded. Present but far removed emotionally. Crispin could finally deduce the owner of the voice was the one who was suspending him some feet from the ground. He reluctantly turned his head far enough for his peripheral vision to do the rest of the work. A tall statured creature with a smirk could be seen. The fleecing red eyes vivid enough to drain the life out of anyone who stared long enough. “An interesting speculation Mr. Ocelot. But you’re far off the mark,” the Director dropped the feline who landed almost conveniently into his chair a thud. The Director beckoned for Zach to stand up, before pointing an elongated purple finger towards one of the far end seats. Ones that were at a raised platform versus the rest of the arena of chairs. The dog nodded before obliging the order. The purple lights and mist continued to lurk throughout the room. The only colour defying its alluring tones was the creature’s red eyes. The rest of his attire consisted of a thinly stripped black suit with a white work shirt. Clean cut and as if it had been especially customized for this authoritarian. A creek was heard from across the room, earning synchronized looks from all within the vicinity. The hydraulics contained within the monumental doors whirred and gave off a few clicks, before opening wide. Meek shadowed silhouettes standing against the white light. Crispin's eyes had to adjust to the sudden introduction of brightness after being in the dark for so long. After a few seconds, he was able to deduce the figures. Some people he had seen or had been speaking with earlier! A grumpy looking femme fox who he had seen around. Seemed like a bit of a mole in his opinion. A bunny nurse with the saddest looking eyes. The human… Rey was it? Carrying a body! That grey reptile… the guy who tackled him earlier. Maybe the tumbling had made him sick earlier? The other carrier was someone he was unfamiliar with. Some red squirrel dame. Oh wait, she had in fact blown him a kiss earlier. He was about to reach out to wave and holler. Almost as if his thoughts had been read, he found himself relinquishing the notion. “Not very timely at all,” the Director turned around fully to tap on his watch The door immediately shut behind them to cast the scene back into the foreboding violet and magenta tint. “…woah wooooahhhh….” Fleur flailed her arms, trying to keep her balance but lost the fight as she tumbled into Athena’s arms. The fennec obliged in catching her. Eyes momentarily void as she tried to process her surroundings and all that had happened. Wasn’t too long until she gritted her teeth and pushed the bunny away angrily. “That damsel in distress move won’t work on me!” She retorted, folding her arms to give off all sorts of anti-social vibes. The rabbit rubbed her head in a daze, before sheepishly turning her doughey eyes to face the tall figure standing in front albeit mid distance from across the tiled checkered room. “Julien Summerfield…” Fleur uttered “unfortunately one of the attendees posed some resistance on announcement of his appointment.” She jested towards the body of Xell that was being carried by both Rey and Jessamine. Julien nodded his head to one side slyly “don’t worry. He’s not getting out of it that easily.” The purple creature searched within his blazer pockets. Retrieving a vile which had a transparent green substance in it. A syringe. “Which one of you would like to wake Mr. Weaver up?” he retracted a deft arm back, before swinging it forwards to release his grip upon the retrieved item. Its green shine defying the purple saturation of the atmosphere itself as it swished within the vile. Slow motion following as all figures within the room kept their eyes on it. Leaving Julien to wonder what action would follow next. “Might it be your only chance to wake Mr. Weaver up ever again, I wonder?” He announced with a smile, folding his arms as he awaited the next few revelations. Or lack of.