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Casual, really?

r/dataisbeautiful

Very interesting stuff. And the 'Casual tag' thing. I must be redundant af because I always add it and yeah, it's not entirely necessary.

Do you ever miss friends?

@zelxel Honestly, I'm really sorry to hear that. Losing track of old friends from the parts of your life that they helped to shape is one of the harder lessons to learn. Sometimes, you just can't find them again and that's a reality that we have to face when we lose people important to us, especially if like me you were too busy looking at your feet and not thinking about the future and how to prepare for it. But, it's also a good reminder to hold on to the new friends you do make so it doesn't happen again.

In my case, we were just a bunch of kids and we never thought about giving out each other's contact information because we were always online at the same place. I never knew their full names and they didn't know mine. Many of the people I did keep in touch with simply grew out of the internet and have moved on to living a fulfilling life with a job and a family. Roleplay is after all a very time consuming thing.

14 years is a very long time. People can change and move all over the world in a decade. But who knows? The world is big but made very small with how connected it is today and maybe you'll throw the right combination of keywords at Google and you'll find an old friend. Until then, maybe instead of chasing after them, you can make some new ones. Besides, the best way to get over someone is to get unde- I know you want to find some people to play with in the world that is Sailor Moon and starting a group or 1x1 game can often be a daunting task. I think someone had mentioned this to you before but try joining some other similar 'Magical Girl' style RPs and make some solid friends there and with them, you can transition over to the Sailor Scouts.

T H E R I V E R ᶠᵉᵃᵗ ᴱˣˡᵗ ˣ ᴮʳᵒᵏᵉⁿᴾʳᵒᵐˡˢᵉ

_Lorelei
^{PDC HQ}

"The bulk of what's been given to us will be available in the briefing room for you and the AIDA to pour through. There may be connections we aren't finding that it will and it'll also be a good opportunity for both of you to get caught up on the case. But so far..." Right arm up and in front of her again, she subtly tilted her index finger toward the ceiling, a motion that was picked up by the room itself. Digital files that were previously invisible were suddenly pulled vertically across one of the glass panes until all were visible and one was highlighted. Lorelei 'traced' down to another that read "CC#3492109" and swiped to the right, dragging the folder away from the others where it was then opened and the contents put on display. Now, across all four of the adjacent screens were a large number of images from previous murder scenes. Many of them were captures of blood stains, damaged furniture, loose bits of evidence such as bullet casings and stray hair follicles that seemed out of place. A few were of bodies covered in sheets and outlined in familiar white chalk. More still were of the surrounding areas which included streets, adjacent apartments, alleyways and open fields. "...Five murders with three having a loose connection to each other and the first and last associated by timing." Lorelei tapped at the air and one particular photo was lifted from the rest and expanded. "Victims two and three were known associates. Engineers in the field of artificial intelligence. Victims three and four..." The image on screen was a comparison photo. On the left was a peculiar bloodstain on a wall with what looked to be an inverted pyramid with two sides that extended downward and beyond each other. They ended at an equal distance from the main body as if to give the shape legs. Within the pyramid was a circle. On the right was an image of a tattoo at the base of the victim's neck just above where his shoulder blades met. It was the same symbol.

"There are already too many dots here for it to be a coincidence and I do not recognize that mark."

T H E L A S T A V A T A R ᶠᵉᵃᵗ ᴱˣˡᵗ ˣ ᴿᵒᵃᶜʰ

	__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ...is on her way to the Lower Ring.___
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________	Morning   ·   Clear Skies   ·   Slightly Chilly happening now... All of the Republic is gearing up for the centennial celebration of the end of the Great War. The middle ring will be hosting a majority of the day's events including special performances from a number of artists and celebrities and a large scale parade. Because of ongoing organizational efforts, security has been beefed up heavily in all of the Middle Ring and while not as clearly apparent as it is there, the Lower Ring has received some of the same. This presence is however felt more strongly around the neighborhood that hosts The Lotus Room, thanks in no small part to a recent raid and reports of individuals who have frequented the business and are allegedly sensitive to Spirit Energy and potential Benders. As it is an ongoing investigation, the business has been temporarily closed and is usually occupied by the RSF or, if not currently occupied, being monitored. Sakani, a protégé of the incarcerated Gran-gran, owner of The Lotus Room, has inspired some to action against the RSF.

Vyska watched the jagged edge of the skyline crawl by outside her window, the light of the morning sun catching the features of her face and casting their reflection against the glass pane in front of her. A girl stared back. A girl adorned in jewels and family sigils. In golden garments and tassels and red frills wrapped in black wool. Her perfect blonde hair fell to either side of her face and cupped gently at her jawline. The dark brown of her irises looked as if they were emboldened by the softness of the make up on her cheeks and lips and around her eyes. All of it the visage of a girl meant to look as business and casual as she could manage. Almost five years in and she still found the balance of it all rather awkward.

...Just like mom was supposed to be...

The warm of the sun was interrupted by the shadow of a towering structure that pierced through the distant horizon. It was quickly followed by another and then another and before she had time to adjust to the way the cabin had begun to lean into an incline, the clearer skies of the middle ring had been replaced by the ever present muggy haze that was the lower. Columns of smoke billowed violently into clouds that hugged the top of every skyscraper. The buildings themselves were packed so tightly together that it was often impossible to see unobstructed to the street below. It was these same spaces that often never saw the light of day. The stark difference between here and the place she called her home was all too apparent and even in the safety of her own airship, an air of claustrophobia was strongly felt.

She tried to shrug it off. Although this would be her first time here without her father, this feeling of throwing herself into a crowded pit was something she had expected. She'd found herself in similar situations many times during her youth and as added comfort, she wasn't travelling alone.

"Five minutes." Came a voice over the intercom. An abrupt mechanical whine followed by an abrupt silence signaled the end of the message.

"I still stand by this being a terrible idea." Jack commented from across the aisle. Besides having voiced his concern before boarding the train earlier, he'd been content with keeping to his usual brooding silence. The entire ride had seen to him with legs and arms crossed and eyes glued to the monitor he'd opened up on the table in front of him. A body present but not really. A tall and pale thing with short hair and a plain suit. He seemed able to fold himself into dark corners with ease and turn from a stark white to shadow if need be. The only thing giving him away now was his unusually chatty self. "We could be at the parade."

"Ms. Moon." Another man addressed her now, standing straight and tall and wearing dress pants and plain black shoes with a white shirt and a bow tie. He held a towel in the crook of his elbow and folded his other arm behind his back. He gave a short bow. "We will be arriving shortly. Would you like another coffee?"

"No, thank you."

"Of course." He took the empty mug in front of Vyska and gave another short bow before turning to leave, stopping only momentarily in front of Jack to which he had received a dismissive wave.

"Jie Xiao is supposed to sing. I do enjoy that voice of hers."

"You've said as much." Vyska pulled herself away from her reflection and turned toward the man. "You'll have to make due with the broadcast... and after we're through."

Jack smiled but kept his eyes on the dimly lit screen. "Don't worry. Plant is secure and the perimeter is solid. There's been little to no vandals recently or activity in the area so I suspect, besides what's being discussed during the meet, there will be little else that happens." He then glanced up at her and gave a nod toward her hip. "You still have it on you, yeah?"

"Of course I do."

"You'll be fine. Ms. Xiao needs me."

T H E R I V E R ᶠᵉᵃᵗ ᴱˣˡᵗ ˣ ᴮʳᵒᵏᵉⁿᴾʳᵒᵐˡˢᵉ

_Lorelei
^{PDC HQ}

"Well, we are involved now so... on the books. To be more precise, although the PDC is investigating, the specific individuals heading that investigation are currently unknown. 'Officially'. It's a lot of the reason why you are in a perfect position for this given your transfers and being frequently off base. There is a small window of opportunity where I need you to be there but not recognized. Again, I can't say why. Not yet. As for the keyboard detectives out there, you're free to use whatever means necessary to find out what exactly is going on. Which reminds me, you'll have full access to our briefing room and if everything works out in the next few days, whatever resources from the PDC we can offer are yours as well, although that is contingent on... a lot."

Reaching for the monitor next to her again, she tapped the bottom right of the screen with a knuckle and pointed at the same glass panels Kefira was studying. The looping footage changed to a live feed of one of the many holding cells in the sublevels. Sitting, naked, behind a metal table was a man and standing opposite him was a medical officer in full garb. Every now and then, the man in the chair would move his mouth as if to speak and after some time had passed, the man opposite him would press a number of keys. This mundane process would continue to repeat seemingly indefinitely with very little variation from either of the subjects.

"The one on the left sitting down is A D dash four dot M. He is AIDA version four. One of less than a dozen manufactured as part of a... cautious reintroduction, they call it. After recent history, getting our hands on one was not easy and I expect opinions on this to be a little less than polite, but given what I believe is happening or going to happen, we need him. Android or robot or friend or whatever you want to call him, I'm making him officially your partner. That means you have a one on one with him whenever you're ready. These latest versions are paired specifically with one other person. I know the general gist of how it works but medical will give you further details when you get down there."

She stood up from where she'd been leaning on her desk and walked around to the other side, closer to the muted panoramic of Oakland and to Kefira.

"Given the nature of all of this, I know there are a lot of questions and I can answer some of them." She nodded a 'go ahead'.

C O N C E P T S ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ

_{Surprisingly mobile friendly (mostly).
Credit to @Roach for table header hider and the timeline code.}

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

_ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ female · nineteen · upper ring ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ______________________________________________ Stance on Benders. Through her studies, she understands who they were, what they did and why they are no more. While the life of a bender was once something she marveled, she grew to learn that their very presence induced change in everything and everyone. Although that change would often times be for the better, if the record for the last handful of Avatars was any indication, their causality was simply the breeding of more conflict. Vyska firmly believes that Benders were a lesson to be learned and that the world can learn no more from them. Their greatest achievement was connecting the physical world with that of the spiritual and allowing them access to a near limitless supply of energy. Beyond that, Spirits and Benders have no place in the new world. History. Born into a family of both wealth and power, Vyska resides comfortably inside the walls of the upper ring. However, while the life of luxury was always within arms reach, her father made sure to impress upon her the importance of hard work, study, manners and the weight that was her family name and that of the name she was given: Vyska, after the mother who's life ended when her's began. And Moon with roots in tinkerers and inventors and leaders. At a young age, she was given to the throws of education. Private schooling. Lessons in dance and song and the playing of a number of musical instruments. She studied some limited forms of self defense and learned early on her way around a handgun. By the age of 14, her father had begun introducing her to the family business and by 18, had become quite the expert in all things SynEn. She was after all in line to inherit the 'throne' once her father retired. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ M I S C E L L A N E O U S SynEn. Owned and operated by the Moon family. This energy corporation gained momentum after the passing of Varrick with a strategic restructuring of Varrick Global Industries. SynEn, formerly a power company supplying electricity by way of lightning bending, needed to make a drastic change in operations when Bending was made illegal and punishable by death. After expunging their employees they shifted their remaining resources into helping develop the late Varrick's designs on harnessing spirit energy as a new form of power. In time, SynEn would continue to grow, absorbing the energy research and development department and become the sole provider of power across all of the Republic. Varrick Global would refocus their efforts on military and civilian design and depart from the energy business. SP-311. Handgun designed by Varrick's Global. Production is too expensive to be standard issue but it is sold as a personal firearm. Given the partnership between themselves and SynEn, this one was a gift. It fires bolts of condensed synergy and the battery holds twelve charges. R E L A T I O N S H I P S ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ______________ _______________ Mynwa_Moon__________________________ Father of Vyska. CEO of SynEn. Mynwa is detail oriented, driven to no end, intelligent and very efficient in everything he does. Despite a heavy focus on his work, he's found a precarious balance between his career and that of him being a father. He loves his child and has done what he can to raise her as best as he could. He expects her to take over the company once he retires. Being the sole provider of energy in the Republic, he has strong pull in government and is often seen in such circles. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ _______________ _______________ Jack_______________________ Said to be a former hitman for a powerful gang, Jack is Vyska's personal bodyguard and is seen in her shadow at all times of the day. He takes to his work seriously and does his job well. He has, on a number of occasions thwarted wayward attempts of harm on her person and in this way, has garnered trust from the Moon family. He will at times, and given he is in a good mood, offer advice or even engage in some casual banter. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟶𝟾 █▬ Vysaka gives birth to a 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ baby girl but dies due to 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ complications during the 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ delivery. Mynwa names 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ the newborn child Vyska. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟶𝟿 █▬ Vyska says "Daddy". 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟷𝟶 █▬ Vyska brings her own 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ flowers to her mother's 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ grave. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟷𝟾 █▬ At the age of ten, Vyska 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ learns how to use a gun. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟸𝟷 █▬ Vyska graduates from 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ primary at the top of her 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ class. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟸𝟸 █▬ Vyska is introduced to 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ her father's work for the 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ first time. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟸𝟹 █▬ Mynwa acclimates 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ Vyska to the world that 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ is SynEn. That same year, 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ King Wu VI takes the 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ throne at sixteen. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟶𝟹𝟸𝟽 █▬ Vyska visits the power 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ plant in the lower ring. 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ 𝟷𝟿𝟼𝟿 █ ____________________________________

Post a random fact about yourself.

I fell out of my bunk bed a few times as a child while I slept. The first few times I woke up crying. That last few times it happened, I just went back to sleep (on the ground).

Any old school aol role players ?

@zelxel Before my time.

I was just trapping cats and turning them into cheese.

C O N C E P T S ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ

_{This CS is not mobile friendly.}

_ female · nineteen · upper ring _______________________________________________________ Stance on Benders. Through her studies, she understands who they were, what they did and why they are no more. While the life of a bender was once something she marveled, she grew to learn that their very presence induced change in everything and everyone. Although that change would often times be for the better, if the record for the last handful of Avatars was any indication, their causality was simply the breeding of more conflict. Vyska firmly believes that Benders were a lesson to be learned and that the world can learn no more from them. Their greatest achievement was connecting the physical world with that of the spiritual and allowing them access to a near limitless supply of energy. Beyond that, Spirits and Benders have no place in the new world. History. Born into a family of both wealth and power, Vyska resides comfortably inside the walls of the upper ring. However, while the life of luxury was always within arms reach, her father made sure to impress upon her the importance of hard work, study, manners and the weight that was her family name and that of the name she was given: Moon, after the mother who's life ended when her's began. And a second name with roots in what seemed like ancient history. At a young age, she was given to the throws of education. Private schooling. Lessons in dance and song and the playing of a number of musical instruments. She studied some limited forms of self defense and learned early on her way around a handgun. By the age of 14, her father had begun introducing her to the family business and by 18, had become quite the expert in all things SynEn. She was after all in line to inherit the 'throne' once her father retired. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ M I S C E L L A N E S O U S R E L A T I O N S H I P S ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ SynEn. Owned and operated by the Moon family. This energy corporation gained momentum after the passing of Varrick with a strategic marriage of his daughter to a Moon lineage son. SynEn, formerly a power company supplying electricity by way of lightning bending, needed to make a drastic change in operations when Bending was made illegal and punishable by death. After expunging their employees they shifted their remaining resources into helping develop the late Varrick's designs on harnessing spirit energy as a new form of power. In time, SynEn would continue to grow, absorbing the energy research and development department and become the sole provider of power across all of the Republic. Varrick Global Industries would refocus their efforts on military and civilian design. SP-311. Handgun designed by Varrick's Global. Productions is too expensive to be standard issue but it is sold as a personal firearm. Given the partnership between themselves and SynEn, this one was a gift. It fires bolts of condensed synergy and the battery holds twelve charges. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ___________________ ___________________ Mynwa_Moon______________________ Father of Vyska. CEO of SynEn. Mynwa is detail oriented, driven to no end, intelligent and very efficient in everything he does. Despite a heavy focus on his work, he's found a precarious balance between his career and that of him being a father. He loves his child and has done what he can to raise her as best as he could. He expects her to take over the company once he retires. Being the sole provider of energy in the Republic, he has strong pull in government and is often seen in such circles. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ___________________ ___________________ Jack_______________________ Said to be a former hitman for a powerful gang, Jack is Vyska's personal bodyguard and is seen in her shadow at all times of the day. He takes to his work seriously and does his job well. He has, on a number of occasions thwarted wayward attempts of harm on her person and in this way, has garnered trust from the Moon family. He will at times, and given he is in a good mood, offer advice or even engage in some casual banter.

T H E R I V E R ᶠᵉᵃᵗ ᴱˣˡᵗ ˣ ᴮʳᵒᵏᵉⁿᴾʳᵒᵐˡˢᵉ

Lorelei
PDC HQ

O F F I C E of the C H I E F   of   P O L I C E

Image is a reference only. The office is carpeted and warmly lit with a single desk situated at the center and at the far end of the room. There are a number of monitors suspended against the windows at the back, these windows providing a panoramic view of the Oakland Skyline as a backdrop.

"Kefira." The chief replied, throwing the name out into the space between them without checking to see if it would stick. She hadn't looked up when Kefira entered the room. She wasn't sitting either. She was standing, bent slightly at the waist and leaning forward over her desk with both hands pressed into the wood. Her face was illuminated by the images displayed on the monitor she was staring intently at, her eyes trying to decipher meaning in something she wasn't even entirely sure had any. "Punctual..." She stood. "...As usual." The billowing blonde mane of the woman in front of her was confirmation enough that she had indeed greeted the intended recipient. "Secure office."

What was once a panoramic view of the Greater Oakland skyline behind her, with glass panes for walls in a 180° semicircle, became an obscure backdrop as the windows tinted. The blue, still early morning sky and lazy orange sun disappeared, replaced by muted colors of a dark, almost pitch black color and the warm glow of the light fixtures in the office. Behind Kefira, there were a series of audible clicks as bolts were pushed into place inside the frame of the door she'd just entered. With soundproofing, reinforced palladium 'steel' glass windows, and a hybrid titanium alloy structure meant to withstand impact from a freighter class transporter, the two were safe from a full assault on the precinct for at least... two weeks. Give or take.

"I'll make this brief and to the point." As she began, she moved slowly around to the front of the desk. "Big news lately is the string of now related murders across the state, as you already know. Originally responsibility fell to the local authorities but with the case now gaining National attention and the scenes of the murders moving erratically across multiple jurisdictions, It's fallen to us." She propped herself up on the edge of the desk, half sitting and half standing now in front of the officer. "Your record with us has been remarkable. The natural talent you've shown in a line of work that's inherently as dangerous as it is... it takes a lot to do what you do." For a moment, her eyes seemed to wander to some far off place as if to peer into some forgotten memory. The drift however ended as soon as it began when a blink immediately brought her back. "It takes a lot of skill. Most of it innate. And instead of wasting it's value trying to sniff out the head of some drug ring running the underground of this overly crowded city, I need you for this."

Lorelei, pinched the top edge of the monitor sitting next to her on the desk and pointed toward the tinted glass behind her. Four adjacent panes blinked to life, their once transparent surface now displaying surveillance footage of an alleyway. In that alleyway were two figures with features too soft around the edges to make out. However, one was clearly dead and lay bleeding on the ground while the other simply stared at the wall for a time before running out of frame.

"Earlier today. Old Oakland so close by. Footage pulled from the building's feed itself and made public on forums. They're some people out there trying to do their own detective work but I figured they could use some real help." Her eyes moved from the looping footage to Kefira. "For reasons I cannot disclose, I can't make it official, not yet. It's the same reason I can't tell you why the change in assignment is so sudden... and why you'll be partnered with an AIDA."

She let the silence that followed encompass them both.