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 Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:24 pm
Though Alexei prided himself on his work ethic, he was only human. Sometimes, he needed to eat. Or, more accurately, drink. Coffee was the only energy he needed, and his body was trained to flourish on that above food and sleep. He had a dozen different coffee places he could go to; a creature of habit, he had favorites, of course.
Today, he’d decided where he’d be going to get his coffee based purely on the fact that his stomach had reminded him that while coffee might have been his go-to, he did need to eat, and there was a small restaurant on the corner that served a quick meal he wouldn’t feel too guilty about waiting for.
He’d left his briefcase in his office—a rarity—and locked up before setting out. He might have stuck out amongst the casually dressed people roaming the area; he was always dressed in a suit. He walked at a brisk pace, deliberate and certain; he seemed like he was at least slightly aware of what was going on around him, even as he withdrew his phone and skimmed emails.
He didn’t seem to know what he was doing with himself if he wasn’t keeping busy, so he never gave himself the opportunity to find out.
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:33 pm
Anandi Rai, one software developer who’d recently gotten the respect she believed she deserved in her workplace, was busy munching on a small sandwich with side salad while working through a database bug on her laptop. Sometimes she was pestered so much in her office that she had to leave just to continue to work! Sure, her boisterous personality earned her a reputation as a bit of a ditz, when it came down to the wire, Anandi at least had the skills to back up her paycheck. She may have been 1) a woman, 2) Indian and 3) bouncier than an inflatable backyard castle rental, but program she could. And program, she did. However, one particularly complex system loop in the coding was driving her positively batty. Someone, likely one of her coworkers, had gone in and made a lazy fix much earlier in the program’s lifespan. Without bothering to clean up obsolete coding, they were running into a problem and oftentimes it could take hours simply to track down which line of code was the culprit. It was in one particular huff that she leaned back and happened to catch a familiar, yet surprising sight - Mister Alexei himself, Judge McJudiciary, stern Overlord of Coffee and Important-Looking Desk. Plain as day, suited up and strutting (or so she thought) up to the counter to grab something to eat. No. Way.Sure, she was in a cafe nearby. As Sutai, she saw Alexei often enough, but as a civilian? She didn’t expect that he even went outside unless it was absolutely necessary. Without even thinking, Anandi simply stared at Alexei. One hand clapped over her mouth (to keep from catching flies). I could talk to him! That would be so fun but… then that might complicate things, wouldn’t it? He could be a bad guy in disguise but I saw Mister Shiloh alive and well the other night… The Negaverse wouldn’t pick a judge, would they? Maybe a lawyer… they’re pretty sleezy OH NO HE’S COMING THIS WAY---Jostling her papers and laptop into a more organized clutter, when no other obvious open seating presented itself, Anandi tried to advertise the second seat at her little table as simply the best thing ever. “Oh, hello! Um… oh here, you can sit with me! ...if you like!” biggrin
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:38 pm
Alexei paused with the invitation; he had placed his order and was now in possession of what would be a quick, light meal. He had intended to simply get his nourishment and return to his office, but now he was left with an offer to sit with her.
Her, a total stranger, who seemed like her work clutter was already taking up any space meant for company.
Unwilling to be outright rude, Alexei did not ignore her or pretend like he hadn’t heard her; he had stopped and looked at her. Initially, his expression was relatively unreadable, though he eventually raised a brow as he wracked his brain to identify her. She didn’t look like any of his associates, or even anyone he’d seen in Court recently—but, there were so many faces, sometimes it was hard to keep up.
Eventually, he gave up trying to place her and shifted positions to face her fully. He stood near the table but made no effort to sit—just in case she’d misidentified him or thought he was someone else.
“I’m sorry,” he began politely, “Have we met? I’m afraid I don’t seem to recognize you.”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:44 pm
Oh this was too much. Luckily for the two of them, the din in the cafe meant most patrons would be paying more attention to their friends and their meals than to any one conversation in particular. Still, she didn’t want to risk revealing too much, too quickly, and especially too loudly. Instead, Anandi whipped up a napkin and, using her pen, wrote down one simple word: SutaiFlashing it to Alexei with a grin on her face, Anandi then folded the napkin and hid it under some of her work papers. Stacking them all up on top of the computer’s lid, Anandi was able to make some room for the judge on the small table. It wasn’t enough room for a second huge spread like she had, but it was enough to comfortably have a plate of food and drink without knocking anything over. “I won’t take too much of your time, I promise! Are you on lunch right now, Mister Alexei?”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:46 pm
Alexei’s gaze drifted to the name on the napkin, and while he recognized it, he still didn’t recognize her. He was interested enough to ignore the crowded space and take a seat across from her. He did not unpack his food but he did seem to relax a bit and adjust his posture to make himself a bit more comfortable.
“I am,” he replied, “I don’t have anywhere to be for a little over two hours so I thought getting a quick bite seemed like a good idea. I’m not terribly worried about anyone taking up too much of my time, I manage my schedule well enough.”
He still didn’t quite understand what was going on but he was going to find out.
“You have the advantage of knowing what to call me. I doubt the moniker I know you by is appropriate for this environment…?” he chanced, assuming that such was the only explanation; he couldn’t imagine that this was some girl just randomly blackmailing him. Besides, he doubted anyone else in Destiny could be as smiley as Sutai, and yet here was this girl, giving her a run for her money.
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:55 pm
She hadn’t really had the opportunity to speak with someone who knew her powered identity, but not her civilian one. Indeed, she acted exactly the same in both guises (which probably wasn’t the best for her identity but luck seemed to keep her on the up-and-up as far as that was concerned, and the glamor helped too). Reaching over the pile of work papers and notes, Anandi extended her hand in a bid to politely shake over it. “I’m Anandi Rai, computer programmer.” She giggled, giving Alexei a playful wink. “I didn’t think I’d see you outside of the building so it was a nice surprise! Mister Shiloh says you’re always working so it’s probably good that you’re taking a break now. Do you need a napkin, Mister Alexei?” Anandi had a nice stack of clean ones (especially with her tendency to drip salad dressing on things). “I have to say, it’s nice not to have all those… accessories to worry about, and I don’t have to wonder if I need to turn sideways to fit through a door…” His mystified look had Anandi watching for any eavesdroppers before leaning in to explain in a hushed whisper. “You see, Mister Alexei, when we power up, we look different. It’s to keep us safe but… I trust you. Please don’t tell anybody else, okay? It’s all magic and sparkles and whatnot~”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:56 pm
Though the logical side of Alexei told him she was out of her mind and speaking nonsense, there was the part of him—the part he’d buried, at least during the daytime hours—that said he believed her. He wasn’t still totally willing to accept that there was all this magic in the world, but neither was he in a position to deny it—especially when he’d stared it in the face.
He shook her hand and then returned it to his side while he listened. Instead of arguing or asking the onslaught of questions that filled his head, he nodded contemplatively.
“Well, that’s fascinating. It’s a pleasure, Anandi. You really don’t have to worry about my ability to keep secrets, though. Keeping them sort of come with the profession. Though, does Shiloh know? Have you—you, Anandi,” he clarified, “been introduced to him?”
It wasn’t exactly something they had discussed—it hadn’t even occurred to him to ask Shiloh how much he knew about the Squire. That night had been traumatic enough, he didn’t want to accidentally dig up bad memories.
He hadn’t made any effort to unpack his meal just yet, though it wasn’t out of a lack of desire to be there. Anandi had his full attention and he seemed to be searching her face to find anything that looked like Sutai. He could feel the similarities, though—even if he couldn’t see them.
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 8:58 pm
Come to think of it, Anandi had never met Shiloh in civilian form. She felt somewhat guilty about that, since she knew both of his identities, but the same could not be said for him. “No, not yet, Mister Alexei. There hasn’t really been a good… opportunity? But Mister Shiloh is a very kind man. It was a pleasure to take care of that youma for him.” Speaking of secrets, Shiloh’s secret identity as a Page was something Anandi didn’t feel comfortable with divulging. It was a private matter, between Shiloh and whoever he wanted to share that information with. Anandi was fairly convinced, however, that Mister Alexei was a safe person - not under the thrall of Chaos. “It’s fun to say hello to him while he’s on the job, though! Since that night, I haven’t found anyone skulking around the building that your security couldn’t take care of. There was a very nice guard that chased me down the back of the building and I felt kind of bad about it, you know, but a lot of the police just don’t like us. It’s very sad. I’m just trying to do my best and help keep people safe. He said, you there! You’re trespassing on government property! And… okay, yes, I was, but really, the police and their guns won’t stand up to a youma attack… or worse than that.” In the grand scheme of things, neither did Sutai, but she hoped the work she was putting in would eventually pay off. “I bought some donuts and left them by the steps for him. I hope he didn’t mind too much.”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:05 pm
A faint smile flitted onto his face when she mentioned leaving the security guard donuts, though he turned his head away to hide it. “Well, I can’t blame you for trying, I suppose. I hope that works out. You’ll have to forgive the officers, the police. Everyone, really. They’re only doing what they think is best. I mean, really—young adults running around in strange costumes, getting into strange fights? In any ordinary circumstance, that’s reason enough to intervene. It’s not easy to accept magic in the world. I’d imagine most people are afraid of it. It is rather threatening, don’t you think?”
He returned his gaze to her once more. “To think that guns and the government aren’t enough to keep you safe must be a frightening thought. To have faith that you can trust them to protect you while you live your lives? To find out that’s a lie and that there’s nothing you can do about it is a bit discerning. It makes things seem a bit hopeless.”
He didn’t seem like he thought things were hopeless, but even if he did have such a pessimistic outlook it was unlikely he would have voiced it. “People are afraid of what they don’t understand, though, and with everything going on I suppose there might never be a good time to explain it. All you can do is keep trying. Which reminds me, I wanted to thank you for that. I appreciate everything you’ve done. I dread to think what might have happened to Shiloh if you hadn’t been there.”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:06 pm
Anandi couldn’t fault the police. She harbored no ill will towards them. “Oh no, Mister Alexei, I’m not mad at the police. They’re just doing their jobs! I’d be so very scared too, if I found out that there are things out there that a gun and police car can’t take care of. Really, though, the police are still doing a very good job keeping the peace and keeping the citizens safe. We can’t do that for them, not on an everyday level. I mean, sometimes I help people with regular things. You saw how that man took that woman’s purse. I know I’m not the best and that the police should be the ones to take care of it… it’s muddy, morally, I suppose…” Truthfully, Anandi knew she shouldn’t take the law into her own hands, and that she should mind the business for which she was awakened. Still, part of her couldn’t simply stand by and wait for police intervention when she had the power to fix a problem right away. It must’ve been murky for Alexei as well, being a judge. “I do try to do the best I can, though. I can’t say that for everybody. There are some truly awful people out in the city that have access to magic and that scares me. But…” Anandi poked her cheek, a gesture she also performed as Sutai. “....it’s not all hopeless, Mister Alexei. The things I’ve seen, I mean…” She looked up to the ceiling of the little cafe, listening for the moment to the din of the patrons around them. Without their own brand of magical intervention, this cafe may not even be standing. The people in the cafe may not have even been alive to have these conversations. “...I think the magical people are just the same as regular citizens, because there are good and bad. There are lawbreakers and there are people like me who just want to do the right thing. I’ve seen a lot of really great things, like people who were bad, but decided to give up their evil ways and become one of the good guys. I’ve even seen a princess~” Anandi couldn’t help but smile incessantly while thinking of her dear Princess Polaris. “I know it sounds crazy, Mister Alexei, but it’s true. And… I’m so very glad to have been able to help Miser Shiloh. That’s what I do! Is he doing alright? I saw him the other day but he looked very busy so I didn’t want to bother him too much. I don’t think he got injured from the youma but seeing one so close and everything… I imagine it’s been very difficult for him.”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:11 pm
Alexei followed her gaze before returning his attention to her face. Though he was still entranced by her altered appearance, he liked to think that maybe he’d have recognized her even without her telling him. Some of the things she said, or the way she moved, reminded him too much of Sutai.
It was a good disguise, all things considered. He listened while she talked, about how they couldn’t understand. He shouldn’t understand, himself, but he did. More than he let on. He hadn’t powered up since the first night it had happened, but he’d been aware of it. Biding his time, planning. Thinking.
He hadn’t told anyone about Mamertine and to be honest, he didn’t plan to. There was too much at stake to rely on anyone to keep his secret. Besides, he was good at keeping secrets. Most of the people he’d met so far seemed so young.
“Shiloh is fine, so far as I can tell. Honestly, I’m still so surprised that the media is doing so good at covering this up. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that the city officials haven’t caught up with this.”
He’d heard cases where someone referenced some strange monster, or some costumed individual. Before, he’d just assumed he was dealing with someone on too much drugs, or desperate to tell some lie to get out of a harsher sentence.
Now, he had to reevaluate all of it.
“Speaking of that, though—how do they keep it quiet? Is there some code the Knights abide by?” Sutai hadn’t been trying very hard to stay in the shadows when she’d gone after the purse snatcher. “Or do you have some agreement with the media, or…?”
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:24 pm
Anandi placed her hands in her lap, folding them over and over again on themselves as the spoke. "Well, truthfully, Mister Alexei... I think it could be a combination of disbelief and umm..." She leaned in to whisper what she thought would be a blasphemous thought, as Alexei was a judge and somewhat public figure. These could be his constituents she was speaking ill of! She hoped he would forgive her this transgression. " Corruption. By the Negaverse, I mean. I've heard other people say that the Negaverse has people in high places, if you know what I mean. Moles, people who make things happen in their favor. Umm... I haven't seen it myself so I don't know if it's true or not, but that must be why the news hasn't really picked up on it. We've been out here for a very long time, Mister Alexei." Her piece said, Anandi leaned back in her chair to a more natural position. Her salad bowl lay empty by her side and her head simply wasn't in deciphering code anymore. She was deciphering life. "Sometimes I don't think about it. I just... want to help. I know I'm not the strongest or the bravest person out there, but sometimes you can't just wait for the police to arrive. Especially with all the monsters out there. They are real, Mister Alexei. I promise, it's not just some wild animal Mister Shiloh saw. Youma are very real."
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 10:52 pm
The older man didn’t so much as flinch when she mentioned corruption; instead, he simply nodded knowingly. It was far too easy to believe, and he’d seen enough corruption already that it wouldn’t have come as any surprise if he learned that someone was being influenced by an outside source.
When she suggested it, his mind began to twist, clutching his memories and combing over faces, names. His food was still untouched; he hadn’t even bothered to unpack it. The cup of coffee, however, he raised to his lips and took a long sip. “Unfortunately, that’s a little too easy to believe. I suppose these days you really can’t trust anyone. It’s disappointing and disgusting.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Someone really must do something about it.”
Someone, perhaps, who knew where to look for corruption. Someone who didn’t have to rely on a corrupt system to prosecute their own.
Someone, perhaps, like him.
He could get away with it, they’d never know it was him. He could do all that was necessary, as Alexei and Mamertine.
He lowered the cup and tapped his fingers contemplatively on the side of it. “At least those monsters—the ‘youma’—you can tell they’re monsters. It’s not so easy to handle when you’re dealing with the monsters that can pass for human.”
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Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 8:13 am
Anandi didn't mean for the conversation to take such a dismal turn. She lowered her head, uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments while she listened to the judge talk of corruption. She knew she was but one person, who did not know very much about the inner workings of the media or the judiciary and justice systems. Even if she were to put her mind to it and attempt to enact a change... ...where would one even start? "...I... I wish I could do something about it, Mister Alexei. People deserve to know the truth about what's going on, but..." She simply shrugged, helpless. "I don't think they'd listen to someone in a tutu, and there's so much going on in the city without taking the corruption into account. People need to be kept safe from the youma and the Negaverse, and other people like me need to be trained and kept safe too..." Golden eyes locked with Alexei. Yes, he was right. Some of the monsters passed for people, which made them that much harder to deal with. She took up the end of her braid as something to do with her hands. Brows furrowed and Anandi frowned. "...yes, you're right, Mister Alexei. But... I'm only one person... I suppose I could ask Miss Delphi and Mister Alphubel and some of my other friends to see what they think... What do you think?"
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Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 10:55 am
When she moved to fidget with her braid, Alexei seemed to pick up on the mood. He hadn’t been bothered by it but he hadn’t intended to put her in a position where she was uncomfortable. “I think,” he said after only a minor pause, “That you’re doing a good job already.”
A polite, reassuring smile dawned on his face; he may have appeared stoic and reserved, but he was not devoid of emotions. He was just very, very good at manipulating and controlling his. “No one is Superman, Anandi. We can only do so much at one time. Different people are fit for different roles, and I think you’re filling yours expertly. It’s probably best if the people of Destiny City think they’re safe. I suppose knowing the truth could only cause mass panic. The city would crumble, everyone would leave—who knows how far all those monsters might spread if they don’t have Destiny City to keep them centered?”
He shrugged. “Perhaps a quiet take down is the best. If the media reported this, nothing would ever get done. I don’t doubt that corruption is involved, but if people aren’t in a panic, perhaps it safer for them. I suppose in situations there’s no right answer, is there? But you’re doing all you can and I should think that’s enough.”
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