[hr][center][A ZombiesAnHyenas / XianaEvermor Collaboration][/center][hr]


He’d never seen Archer— ‘Fabian’— so discombobulated.  Clearly this ‘Daphne’ was absolutely interesting enough to … To… … What WAS the plan here? He didn’t have one. Was this becoming a date? Unlikely. Clearly this was a work call, and she was being eccentric!

“[color=Orange], I’ve NEVER seen anyone make, uh, Fabian? So uncomfortable! He’s usually so blasé about sh— Stuff![/color]”

[b][color=#f7e286]"Yes, so out of character for him.  Almost like a [i]different person[/i] today…"[/color][/b]

[b][color=#c45302]"Daphne, I swear-!!"[/color][/b]  The door shut behind them, and she laughed musically as she walked them briskly towards the elevator, taking only a brief moment to smooth out her blouse.

[b][color=#f7e286]"I prefer ‘Dawn,’"[/color][/b] she informed, as they reached the lift.  She primped quickly in a compact mirror before staring at him with a crooked grin for a long moment, her eyes flashing iridescent.  [b][color=#f7e286]"I know just the place,"[/color][/b] she announced with confidence, and punched a button without looking.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Technological marriage of [Force] and [Light], projected from a single point with no [Array],"[/color][/b] she mused, inspecting his implants closely as she circled him, her fingers tracing the contours of projection, implant, and skin alike.  Whenever her fingers touched the light, ripples of iridescence followed in her wake.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Is it always this shape?  Can you change the resolution?  Can you feel?  Oh!  CAN I GIVE YOU A TATTOO?!  … Will it stick?"[/color][/b] She chirped excitedly as she reached his front once again, practically bouncing.  Dawn bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

Felix— Lux Discord— felt his eyebrows shoot up at the onslaught of questions. His eyes snapped to the random pushing of buttons, before snapping back to her fingers touching his limbs. She had punched the third floor… Which technically had a vehicle bay… Hm!

She kept touching though, and man... Part of his mind was screaming; watching as his limbs shifted and rippled. He had built in some haptic feedback for his limbs as he had been making them, and apparently the systems were working perfectly.  Felix remembered Sai being pleasantly surprised that it had worked with hardlight limbs, but, well, Felix just… Had a gut feeling about it!

[i]Speaking of…[/i]

His hand came up after a moment, planting itself shamelessly on her chest as he pushed her back a bit.  He smiled all the same, as disarmingly and friendly as he could manage. “[Color=Orange]Yeah okay hi! So, lil’ space yeah? Just a biiit too close to me! Sorry. Also, maybe, like, stop touchin’ the arms? Kinda feels like my skin is being warped and it’s uh— Nauseating?[/color]”

A pause followed his words, before he answered a question she had lobbed. “[color=Orange]Honestly? As long as I code in the— Well… Actually— No wait— Wait… Nah yeah, you prolly could? What sorta, uh, ‘thing’? Does your power do, again? You never explained![/color]” He questioned, head tilting as he pondered aloud.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Oh, sorry, I’m excitable,”[/color][/b] she grinned, letting him make some space between them, and then continuing to violate that space by leaning into it to look closely at his arm projections without touching them.  [b][color=#f7e286]"I guess the short answer is that I create and bend [Light],"[/color][/b]  she answered vaguely.  [b][color=#f7e286]"I can talk about that in a little more detail once we get where we’re going if you like,"[/color][/b] she said, eyes flicking up towards the corner of the lift where a security camera had been innocuously placed.

Dawn’s balance wavered a little as the lift came to a stop (they slowed down quite quickly for someone wearing heels), and she unsubtly took the opportunity to hook one of Felix’s arms.  She briskly walked them out of the lift and down the street to a luxurious looking white building with “Elysium” glowing in tasteful pink neon across its front.

[b][color=#553982]"Ah, the favorite child returns… and unsurprisingly with another conquest,"[/color][/b] chided a low, raspy deadpan from the bar.  The small statured woman the voice belonged to watched the pair enter with her mismatched eyes while cleaning a glass.  The gently tinted purple lights at the bar did little to hide the deathly pallor of the woman’s skin.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Oh shushush, this one is [i]special[/i],"[/color][/b] Dawn retorted, rolling her eyes as she dragged Felix around a corner to a booth with a bust of Apollo engraved into a table decorated with laurels. 

[b][color=#553982]"Aren’t they all…"[/color][/b]

[b][color=#f7e286]"Where’s Dio??"[/color][/b] she called back behind them with a note of impatience.

[b][color=#553982]"Running an errand for me,"[/color][/b] replied the bartender, and though she hadn’t raised her voice, she was clearly heard at the table.

Meanwhile, Felix simply… Stared. He was taking in all the proceedings of his situation with somewhat uncharacteristic silence. His vision swam with information and notifications from his HUD, and although he was half-listening, he still wasn’t expecting the information coming to him.

First was the building; he could see the public record blueprints on file in a small corner of his HUD… Or at least, that’s what he was expecting. Instead, he was given a ‘private property; available upon request.’ notification. Which was certainly something.

Then the woman at the bar spoke, and that nearly threw Felix all the way off his stride. He could [i]hear[/i] her, but she clearly wasn’t speaking above a whisper. It was a bit surreal. But… Maybe he was overthinking. He probably was.

Oop— And there was that whole ‘this one is special’ thing. “[color=Orange]This one can also hear when he’s being talked about! You tellin’ me you bring all the girls and boys here? I’m not special enough to be ‘special’??? How could you![/color]” 

Definitely no uncomfortability there, nope.

Felix chuckled, then turned his attention to Bar-Lady. “[color=Orange]Hey hi! Sorry to barge in? I think? Anyways; hi! My name is Felix Lanning, nice to meet you![/color]” He chirped. 

He filed the ‘favorite child’ comment away for later.

[b][color=#553982]"Helene,"[/color][/b] her voice whispered into his ear, and she was suddenly at the table with a Meze platter, flatbread and olive tapenade.  She expertly slid two glasses onto the table and filled Dawn’s from a black bottle that was simply labeled [i]“Krasí”[/i] in elegantly printed white text.  She looked through him for a long minute with her blue eye before turning away, and returning a few moments later with a tall glass of ice water garnished with a lemon wedge, and a bottle of Elysium’s signature pomegranate juice.  

[b][color=#553982]"Pleasure to make your acquaintance,"[/color][/b] she replied, raising an eyebrow at Dawn before leaving.  [b][color=#553982]"Let me know if you need anything…"[/color][/b]

[b][color=#f7e286]"We can speak candidly here,"[/color][/b] Dawn explained, tapping her temple with one hand while she grazed delicately on a piece of cheese.  [i]Signal Prohibited[/i] scrolled across the top of Felix’s HUD.

Felix’s smile never changed, remaining calm and bright as he nodded his thanks. “[color=Orange]Thanks Helene![/color]” 
He took the drink, watching as his HUD scrolled that deeply unsettling message. Thoughts raced around his skull, but nonetheless, he focused on Daphne— Dawn.  He took note that his recording was still ongoing, but if they could close off signal… It’d probably be corrupted by the time he got back to The Tower. Shit.

He screamed internally, forcing his face to remain perfectly still, even as he stressed about the entirety of this… Proceeding. He really really hoped Archer saw where he went before he went offline.

“[color=Orange]Can we now? Alright! In that caaaase… Who are you, really? I’ve NEVER seen Archer look so… Flustered. It’s honestly kinda glorious![/color]” He paused, before adding, “[color=Orange]Also, just so y’know, I’m not interested in a date! This is purely business and platonic! Like… Ehhh, like a relationship between two separate business people of separate corpo-kingdoms![/color]”

[b][color=#f7e286]"Really truly?  I’m the God of Light, Music, Archery, and Truth,"[/color][/b] she answered with a sly smile, interrupting the dramatic pause after only a moment with a fit of giggles.  [b][color=#f7e286]"You’re rather flustered yourself,"[/color][/b] she chided, with her eyes ashimmer.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Relax, I’m Fabian’s sister.  We’re twins, Helene is a close family friend, she owns this place."[/color][/b]

Felix’s eyebrows shot up at her response, as he waited for the subsequent revelation of her joke. … It never came. His eyes flicked down, staring at the Apollo bust imprinted on the table. He traced its outline with his vision, taking multiple pictures as he stared.

Was… She being serious? No way. Poor girl HAD to be deluded. Probably an Esper, gotta be.

She giggled, and although she kept talking and explaining, his mind wouldn’t allow him to accept it as truth. “[color=Orange]Twins… Huh. Huh! Okay, wait though, if you’re ‘god of truth’, then why, uh, tell a lie? Gods aren’t real ‘hon.[/color]” He flicked his eyes towards where Helene had walked away. 

[b][color=#f7e286]"Are they not?"[/color][/b] She asked, hitting him with a smug grin.