— veiled —

ALIA COHEN MIZRAHI // THIRTY // PALESTINIAN // ALPHA ORDNANCE AND ENGINEERING OPERATIVE he seemed [ IMPRESSED ] by the way you came in { tell us a story, i know you're not boring } the room is on [ FIRE ] as she's fixing her hair { you sound so angry, just calm down you found me }

[oefortuna-blog]

agentchiron.

Thomas laughed openly, “While I would like to consider myself to be the statuesque epitome of male perfection, I’m not actually very tall. I can see how the scruff, however, might confuse you. It is currently of Big Foot proportions. I promise to have it tended to by the time the sun comes up.” And he did, unfailingly, every day. Even if his nights were typically like this one–perhaps with a little less gun pointing and a little less company, “I suspect that you don’t want me to know who it was waving a gun at me..” He grinned, teasing.

“The statuesque epitome of male perfection?” At this, she laughed. It was free and easy. If one were to suddenly walk up on them, they wouldn’t sense the rather tense confrontation they just had. “I’m sure you clean up nicely. I can feel it in my gut. And my gut is never wrong,” she said half-jokingly. When the doctor teased her, she quirked an eyebrow, smile not leaving her face still. “That’s partly true, but not for the reasons you might think. It’d be fun to see you go crazy, even in the morning, trying to figure out my identity... I’d leave a glass slipper to make things easier for you, but unfortunately, I don’t have one,” she teased back, with a wicked grin.

[oefortuna-blog]

mavenparrish.

❝ gaea, you mean svea right? she made me run for her floating scarf and vulcan, yeah he’s okay, ❞ he said. ❝ — now that’s a secret i’ll never tell, sweat pea. ❞ he dragged his thumb and fore-finger along the center of his lips, like zipping up a zipper.

❝ fine,” she threw her hands up, feigning annoyance. ❝ if it’s a secret you can’t tell to your own mother, i’m not too keen on hearing it, anyway. ❞  there was a splay of color on her cheeks at the sudden thought of him referring to something raunchy as the most fun experience he’d ever had. alia didn’t know why she would even come across such a thought, and regarding maven, at that. maybe it was because of the cheeky air the boyish man had.  ❝ have you been working on any new gadgets? ❞

[oefortuna-blog]

alekxsedov.

Almost as if a switch had been pulled, she dropped the anxious act, turned into a woman much more sure of her profession. Herself. In all honesty, he would’ve told her to get lost. Her tone had implied that she wasn’t sure about something, whether it was approaching him or the vest itself that she was searching for someone to test. It didn’t really matter. Just like you wouldn’t buy a product of a salesman who failed to advertise it properly and with the uttermost confidence, you wouldn’t offer your chest to be shot at when the designer wasn’t capable of getting their point across properly either. His fingers hovered above the black rook, yet kept his eyes fixated on her face as she seemed to catch herself upon being asked about her vest.

The technical part about the vest was mostly just mumble-jumble to him. He understood the concept, certain parts that were vital to stop a bullet or lessen the impact, but overall knew little about the compositions. Alek listened closely, although he made very little signs of approval or disregard, what he was feeling or thinking. But the second she started to talk about her profession, it was like an awakening. Her voice was a lot stronger, the way she held herself as she indulged in a matter she was passionate about. It amazed him how some people seemingly lit up when they were in their own element. Though, he assumed that he was a different person when it came to his job as well. The usual frown on his face loosened ever so slightly as he tapped the rook against the wooden board. “One condition — you’re the one shooting.” He replied finally, an obvious Russian accent underlying his words. The accent was fading slowly, but still ever as evident and prominent. “Otherwise, I’m in. Give me a time and place,”

Alia was quick to pick up on the subtle shift in Alek’s expression. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed in surprise. Was it because she’d said something right, or was it because he’d zoned out from all her rambling and suddenly remembered a fond memory? Alia chose to dwindle on the former possibility. It built up her confidence, and strongly at that. “Of course,” she replied instantly, as if it was already obvious, but her tone wasn’t the least bit snappish. “I basically teach kids how to fire weapons, for a living,” she added good-naturedly, with a smile gracing her lips and a brow raised ever so slightly. The woman was not just a simple inventor. She was an Ordnance and Engineering Operative, and in Alpha, at that. She’d become so accustomed to guns that they were already, in essence, an extension of her own arm. When he asked about the schedule of the experiment, she started to fidget once more. The nervousness she felt was subtle, but it was evident in the way she bit the inside of her cheek and adjusted her glasses. “Well, that’s the thing.” She gazed at him hopefully. “I was hoping we could do it now?”

[oefortuna-blog]

esthersj.

“So, you think that languages aren’t good enough do you?” Esther spoke, her eyebrow arching and her lips pursed into an unamused frown. “Languages keep you in tune with the enemy, you understand them and you understand their moves and their motives.” Her voice became ice cold and her eyes narrowed even further. 

“Oh, no, I believe we had a misunderstanding,” she replied calmly, unfazed by the sudden predatory look on the woman’s face. “It would be foolish to undermine the need for knowing multiple languages in international espionage. What I was simply trying to say is that every Language Operative should be taught to fight, in case they get thrown into the field. We have recruits who don’t even know how to fire a gun.”

[oefortuna-blog]

agentvulcan.

“Say no more, you’ve got me convinced.” He stood up for his desk without any further questions. Abandoning his work to be finished at another time. Offering his arm for her to take in a playful act of chivalry.  

“You’re a dear, Danvers, but I am concerned; are you this easily swayable in the field?” She said this in a teasing manner, as she gently took his arm. Alia was a hardworking woman, and if anything, she was the type to pull an all-nighter or two just to fidget with an invention. It was Friday night, however, and she had been working herself too hard for the entire week. She badly needed a break, and she knew Seth did, too. “Shall we walk to town or hail a cab?”

[oefortuna-blog]

agentchiron.

The question left him laughing in turn, “Absolutely. Do you see any good reason not to be? I certainly do not.”

At his answer, Alia fought very hard not to cringe. It was a success, since she was able keep her face as poised as it ever was. She could think of plenty of reasons to not be in high spirits, given her past, the present, and the imminent future, but she chose not to say them aloud. “That’s a remarkable quality. What did you do in the war?” she inquired, still smiling, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

[oefortuna-blog]

agentgaea.

Svea was comfortably seated in a couch, looking at ceiling as she got lost in thought. When she heard the other’s words, her head followed the voice in an excruciatingly slow way, as if to question if Alia was joking. “I’m even afraid to answer that question.”

Seeing Svea’s reaction through her reflection in the mirror, Alia bit back a chuckle. She spun on her heel to face the other girl. “See? This is why I envy you. Rumor has it you’ve been gallivanting with one of our male agents across town.”

[oefortuna-blog]

lalekxsedov.

Blonde brows shot up at the womans question. Now that seemed to be something he’s never been asked before. The knight he had just kicked over and picked up was placed next to the board, his finger calmly tapping against his knee. She must be an engineer, definitely, would explain why he hadn’t seen her around much. A hint of amusement was visible on his ever so frowny features as he gestured her toward the chair opposite him. “Now, the question is….why do you sound so anxious? You’re asking me to put on a vest you’ve designed, yet you lack the convincement that one would want to hear when asked to be shot at.” Icy blue eyes carefully scanned her features, noted the way she bit her lip, her blinking just slightly more erratic than what was normal. Was she nervous because of the question, the actual process of testing the vest or the fact that she had to have approached him? 

Aleksander cocked his head aside, idly running the nail of his thumb along the sides of his index finger. “You need a bit more convincing than that, There are many…men with more bulk, as you’ve stated. But you can start off with telling me what makes your vest so much more different that it has to be tested again.”

Alia was caught off guard when he asked her to stay. She had already expected herself to be dismissed and was preparing to leave him be with his game. At his request, she occupied the chair across his. Her back was straight as she elegantly crossed her legs and placed her hands on her lap. Now that he was at eye-level, she found his face less intimidating — surprisingly handsome, even. She was wary that he was scrutinizing her features, however, and for that, the white pawn on his chess board suddenly became all too interesting. The woman fought hard not to squirm on her seat. 

His question loosened the knots in her stomach, although only barely. It was a question she’d prepared for and was glad to have been asked, because like any good creator, she was passionate about her work. Her eyes took on new light as they landed back on his. She smiled a genuine smile at the man, forgetting for a moment that his mere presence intimidated her. “It’s made of a specially formulated vanadium-tungsten-steel-chromium alloy, which we proved earlier to have a tensile strength equivalent to three thousand four hundred thirteen megapascals at a remarkable thinness of one nanometer." She primarily spoke with a lilting English accent, but there were subtle hints of her Palestinian heritage in the way she articulated her words. She could have easily shed off her mother accent after being brought to England as an adopted orphan at age six, but she'd always liked how unique the hybrid made her felt, and so she chose to keep it. "The hyperstrong alloy fibers are woven together so intricately that no bullet could pass through it -- I promise you that. It’s nearly fool-proof, but we still have to test if it can absorb the shock of a bullet -- or bullets, for that matter, well enough to leave the wearer unbruised. I’m concerned that if I brought in someone with little muscle mass for the experiment, they’ll end up with a fractured rib, or worse. You, on the other hand, are highly likely to feel nothing but a sparring punch in the worst case scenario." 

[oefortuna-blog]

agentchiron.

“–Also, big foot? Surely, he would be much taller, don’t you think?” Thomas laughed, better now as the air outside helped to cool him and he was relatively confident that he wouldn’t be shot, “I’m not certain what sort of situation you’d like to command unless it involves frightening me half to death.” Again, he laughed, finally lowering his hands into his pockets, “Carina? Come to finish the job you started with your book?” It was a guess, likely highly inaccurate, but he had very few clues.

"Have you seen him in person?” she retorted good-naturedly. “For now, all we have of Big Foot are preconceived notions. Even his existence or nonexistence is a preconceived notion in itself. Running by that, I’d say he’s that tall and looks exactly like you, in your scruffy state.” Alia bit her lip when he admitted she’d scared him, but she was still smiling. “I never run out of things to command,” she answered vaguely. “Horrible guess,” she laughed softly, “but yeah, sure, believe that.” Taking another step back, she plunged herself further into the darkness. “I told you, Chiron, I’m not going to reveal myself.”

[oefortuna-blog]

lorenaxo.

“That’s a tough question, what do you consider fun?” Lorena asked.

"Surprise me. I’m more versatile than I look.”

[oefortuna-blog]

edisxns.

          edison was the kind of man who took a lot of questions too literally. after pondering for a second, he finally answered with,  ❝ oh, yesterday was pretty eventful. i created a new cipher and that might be considered fun. though, that is a relative term, so it’s up to you if it fits the criteria. ❞

                alia found herself grinning at edison’s distinctive nerdiness. it was somewhat adorable. ❝ a new cipher, huh? that’s very impressive, although i wouldn’t exactly call it fun. when’s the last time you had a night out drinking and dancing, meeting new people? or is that not your cup of tea? ❞

[oefortuna-blog]

ladylancaster.

“It’s about making fun wherever you might.” She dragged her fingers over the barely purple patches on her knuckles. “Twenty-one year olds rich kids? That isn’t a question, Agent - besides, you had me at party.”

Her eyes were unavoidably drawn to the bruises on the girl’s knuckles. Alia deemed the sight nothing but nostalgic. “I remember when I was still a Cadet. I used to enjoy beating people up in the ring — boys, included.” She belonged to Alpha like the girl, after all. An elegant brow rose at Laurel’s next words. "You have a penchant for twenty-one year olds?” She chuckled softly. “How old are you, exactly?”

[oefortuna-blog]

mavenparrish.

❝ damn right you should envy your all mighty ruler of everything that resembles fun in this hell hole of boringness. ❞

❝ ruler? well, i don’t know about that. gaea can be entertaining. vulcan, too. what’s the most fun you’ve had in one night? ❞

[oefortuna-blog]

agentchiron.

“Oh, where to begin. I sleep in a bed, soak up the sunshine, come inside when it rains, eat amazing foods. Sometimes, for fun, I do absolutely nothing. The possibilities are endless.” Strangely, there was not the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Soft laughter escaped from her lips at the man’s optimism. “Are you always this chipper, Doctor?”

[oefortuna-blog]

mcrtimer.

    “Too long ago,” Mortimer retaliated, a sweeping shrug undulating his shoulders, “what fresh hell do you have in mind, Mizrahi?”

    She turned her back to the mirror, and when her eyes met his, they screamed of barely concealed mischief. “Well, Mortimer, you are going to accompany me to a jazz club — whether you want to or not.”

[oefortuna-blog]

agentvulcan.

“Am I?” He leaned back in his chair, moving away from the reports with a grin and his pen tossed back onto the desk. “And what are we doing in town on this lovely night?” He wasn’t about to turn her down on the offer.     

Her grin dazzled as her eyes followed his pen. She was pleased that she needn’t bat her eyelashes at Vulcan for him to give in to her whim. “Why, we’ll be visiting the carnival.”

[oefortuna-blog]

kczlov.

“It may have been more than a month since.” Helena uttered with a slight shrug as she looked up at the woman before her, a small smile tugging the corner of her lips before she spoke once more. “Why? You have some immoral plans in mind?” 

“What is morality but a social construct?” she furrowed her brows at her as if she were defending herself, but the ruse quickly fell apart when she grinned. “I have a couple of friends from the British Navy in town that I believe you’d love to meet.”