[center] [h1][color=red]S[/color] [i]a m u e l[/i][/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/YAOdhnj.png[/img] [color=red]"Death from above!"[/color] [color=888888]— Sam[/color] [hider=Status]30 | Male | G.E.M.I.N.I | Creeping Anxiety Stab, Slash | Dagger, Sword | Arcane | Fade Paranoia | Hallucinate Malice | Darkness | Devious Intent [Obfuscate (4)] [Intangible (4)], Damage X (6), Pull (2), Dispel (6), Mana Burn (6), Restrain (4), Extend (2), Trap (0), Piercing (2), Full Enhance (4) DAMAGE: D | SPEED: D | SENTINEL: D | 750 [Bronze Self][Intangible (4)] = -32 Mana PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 478[/hider][/center] [hider=Y'knowWhatThisIs]In a familiar office sat a man three sizes too big for the chair beneath him as he waited patiently for the arrival of his boss. Most of his features were in a constant shift, never remaining one way for more than a couple of seconds at a time. Sometimes, he would have a sharp chin, wide mouth, and a soft nose, and others he would have round, chubby cheeks and huge ears, with a comically-small nose. There was a bit of consistency, however, in that each mouth seemed to be biting its lower lip and he was incredibly huge in stature. The man also never had a pair of eyes, but that didn't mean it was hard to find out what he was looking at -- he'd been focused on the door the entire time he was here. As if the person who walked through it would dictate the rest of his life. And, well, they did. The knob soon twisted and the door opened to reveal one tidily-dressed Samuel, holding a small stack of papers in one hand and a coffee in the other. He looks up, mild surprise taking over for a split second, only to smile wide. [color=red]"You're early!"[/color] He couldn't hide his approval if he tried. Samuel walked around the office chair the man sat on and over to his desk, where he set the papers down and promptly lost any and all interest in them. Instead of sitting at his own chair, Samuel took a seat on the edge of the desk nearest the man, sipping at his coffee one last time before addressing the huge man before him, now noticing the nervous look he was getting. [color=red]"Oh, if you think I've called you up here for a bad reason... well, you're wrong! Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact!"[/color] The eye-less man's posture slackened in apparently relief, but a tilt of his head made it obvious he was quite confused. [color=#66b2b2]"The opposite? You mean you want to praise me?"[/color] he asked in a gravelly voice. Samuel nodded. [color=red]"It is only natural, Protector,"[/color] it suddenly becomes a bit difficult for Samuel to retain eye contact with Protector, but he pulls through. [color=red]"And, I feel as though I must apologize."[/color] The Protector remained silent, urging Samuel to continue. [color=red]"I won't try to butter my words up here: I expected nothing positive from you. Chaotic elements introduced into an orderly workplace like this... well, that just tends to be a recipe for disaster. I was wholly against the idea from the very beginning, and, well, I can assure you that one of your colleagues only reinforced that doubt with their conduct with the missing shirt and lockerroom behavior. But you are different. I see a hardworking, honest man who has not once failed to achieve what they are asked to do. If the tedious busywork you've been given has caused you no end of grief, you've done quite a good job of being polite enough to wait until I'm out of earshot to complain,"[/color] Samuel gives a soft laugh. [color=red]"This behavior should be commended and so it is, and you don't strike me as the sort to let praise go to your head,"[/color] Samuel stands up and moves to the back of his desk, where he sits down in his chair, facing Protector. [color=red]"That's really all there is to say, for now. Keep up the good work!"[/color] It was difficult to say how they truly felt, but the Protector's evershifting mouths seemed to offer up a small smile, perhaps feeling validated that their hard work was being noticed. They stood up and opened the door, but before it shut behind them, they could just barely make out one final remark, Samuel had probably intended for his ears only. [color=red]"Now, if only that behavior could rub off on the other guy..."[/color][/hider] Samuel delivered a swift, painless death to the foe before them with a cruel smile. Of course, this was not intentional, merely an inescapable expression he was forced into whenever he made use of this sick, twisted curse of his. It was sure to give off the impression that this bloodshed and carnage were joyous occasions to him. He didn't really feel that way, but he wasn't above using this to speed things up a little. If it made this dirty work a bit safer and a bit quicker, of course he would abuse it. To do otherwise would be inefficient. And speaking of inefficient... [i][color=red]Running off to do your own things without properly communicating a plan and listening to the team leader... oh, I'm quite confident we won't have to pull some random employee in for those training videos anymore. Just give me a camera and I'll show you everything protocol warns us NOT to do.[/color][/i] Well, from what he could make out, before it became covered in tear gas, the Esper the thugs had wasn't wiping the floor with the freelancers. Perhaps a bit of spontanuity every now and then could prove helpful? Samuel had no problem with those two successfully killing such a potent threat, especially given the high-tier magic he was capable of using. Hell, his death could prove to be the blow to morale they need to force these thugs into a proper, real panic! Now, what should he be doing? Couldn't well leave everything to the freelancers. He had a job to do! It would be embarrassing to allow these chaotic elements to take center stage in a G.E.M.I.N.I operation. It would reflect badly upon him, the other agents, and it might even disappoint his boss -- something Samuel might prefer death to--- A loud noise caused by an explosion near them almost sent the injured Samuel tumbling down the stairs, something he only barely avoided doing moments ago. He was getting kinda tired of these stairs, honestly. As the loud ringing that assailed his ears subsided, he noticed the hole left before them. [i][color=red]That isn't going to please Doctor Moller... Not at all.[/color][/i] Samuel became irritated at the reckless destruction of property these criminals seemed so fond of. He thought about flinging a damaging spell right back into the hole, but his large barge of a friend decided to charge straight on in after a brief moment of preparing themself. Silhouette then decided to move to the edge of the hole in order to follow up on the protector -- a strategy that while repetitive, was quite effective up to this point so Sam had no qualms about abusing, only to notice that his armored ally was suffering some sort of mental attack. [i][color=red]To worry about such trivial things amid live combat... maybe I was thinking too highly of you.[/color][/i] Silhouette couldn't help but be disappointed at this behavior, ignoring moments ago when he was doing essentially the same thing. But who's gonna call him out for hypocrisy in his own mind? Nobody. Except me. Anyway, he looked up just in time to see a speeding Klava rush to their aid, though he could swear she had seen better days (or anything at all really). He couldn't say he felt confident leaving Apollo to deal with things by himself, but jumping through fire and tear gas just did not seem like the smartest plan, so he decided to assist the other two in helping clean up the people blowing holes out of the ground beneath him. Sam inhaled and followed the icey woman down, though not through the hole they had made. Instead, listening to the voices beneath as best he could, he cast a specific note on himself once he was sure he could land on or nearby his target, Adder, by falling through the floor in an angle they wouldn't expect, hoping to surprise them with a blade to their neck or the most appropriate vital he could find. An extended fight with his wounded arm wouldn't be the best idea, though hopefully, Protector could regain their composure in time to assist if it had.