"You need to hurry up. I don't remember you taking this long to get ready before. Though I suppose back then we were always short on time weren't we?" he was a long game of cat and mouse and Thierry had always had Cisco wrapped around his finger. The agent for INTERPOL had fallen for the thief almost immediately and never looked back.
They had a dance. back and forth. Ebb and flow. Nights spent in passion and the younger would be gone in the morning. Now they didn't have that problem anymore. Now they could be together. If only Thierry would hurry up so they could enjoy vacation together.
Another year, another Secret Santa! (Despite it being way past Christmas, but who cares? Time is an illusion.) Any way! @agent-sentinel-official I am your Secret Santa/New Year's person! Hope you enjoy!
Birds of a Feather
Years.
Decades.
Centuries.
Millennia.
They all start to bleed together after a while. Joan doesn’t remember when he stopped counting the turn of a new year. So New Year’s Eve and Day were just that to him. Days. Nothing special. But it was still amusing to see everyone around the manor do their own rituals and observances for the day. All mainly the more mortal agents and officers, but a few of the immortals (or at least those harder to kill) were having their own fun.
Joan decided to take a break and go out on to the back section of the porch. It looked out over the vast garden that was still slumbering under the winter snow, but plenty of evergreens still stood strong and proud against the bright white covering the grounds like a thick down blanket. He just didn’t expect to see Walter out there, bundled against the cold with a pair of binoculars.
“Walter?” He scanned over the man. It looked like he hadn’t moved in a while. “What are you doing out here? No New Year’s traditions?”
“This is the tradition. A newer one, at least.” He gestured out to the snow covered grounds, keeping his voice low. “Every year for the past couple years, if not decades, there have been some irruptive waves of birds looking for food farther south than they normally go. It’s not the best thing ecologically, I guess, but it’s still nice to see the birds every now and then. I think something just draws them to the manor.”
Joan’s head tilted slightly to the side. “Birdwatching? Never thought of you as a birder before. The fishing and what not doesn’t surprise me.” He thought back to the hawk he saw flying the grounds ever so often through the years. It was even circling high in the sky now. “Is that your hawk? I always wondered why it never really left the manor grounds...”
The younger immortal smiled. “That it is. Nursed it back to health and everything.” Walter put his binoculars up to his eyes again, looking towards the hawk then back over the grounds. “I guess having all the time in the world allows you to develop habits and hobbies that you wouldn’t have with a normal lifespan.”
Joan was quiet. That was true. The amount of hobbies he’s picked up throughout the years was a perfect testament to it. Maybe this was another he could pick up. “Do you mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. Feel free.” Walter gestured to the plenty of open rockers left out on the porch. “Who knows, maybe we’ll get to see something unexpected now that there’s two of us out here?”
He couldn’t help the small, soft laugh that left him as he eased himself into the old wooden rocker. “Maybe. Who knows?”
They both sat in silence, the sounds of the manor settling against the cold and occasion woodland creature filling the space for them. It was peaceful. Even if they didn’t see anything spectacular or even anything at all, Joan would consider this a good moment. And he hoped Walter would too.
“Hey Joan?”
“Yeah?” He didn’t turn from the garden and neither did Walter.
@agent-sentinel-official , I am your secret santa!
@the-roanoke-society
Behold, a classic mythology-inspired aesthetic for Walter, borrowing imagery from Zeus. Oak trees, eagles, bulls, and lightning, and purple are all sacred to him, and given your fc, I felt that it fit.
The taller man smiled at the girl next to him who laid sleeping bundled in two jackets and a fuzzy hat. He stopped the car in front of the place they were staying at. He couldn't believe it had been 5 years since he had joined a cult and 4 years since he vowed his life to her and she trusted him enough to sleep next to him as he drove.
He carefully picked her up as to not startle her awake and keep the camera she held dearly close. He walked in both wearing rings and he was the one who got the room and everything for their trip there. Walter spoke softly to the clerk and walked to their room with their keys. He placed her on the bed and got to work on setting the room to a warmer temperature for his goddess.
Cthylla started stirring and looked as Walter moved to make tea for her wearing his button down and dress pants. She smiled and spoke to him, ' Thank you Walter… are those the suspenders we just got you?' she asked rubbing her eyes carefully.
The taller man smiled and nodded, ' of course. They were from you.' the woman nodded and grabbed her hands, ' do you ever find yourself wishing to run away from the life you're being forced to live ...?' she asked him. He pulled out the pictures from his pocket having developed them two days prior. He sitting smiling on his car the first one he held up, ' I use to then I found someone to devote my entire life too and she's right in front of me.'
This is the origin story of Technical Officer Signal and how he joined the Roanoke Society.
@the-roanoke-society
So, of course he should have just stayed home and play his video games. He should have just told the guy no. But of course his bleeding heart had to take over when the guy started crying over his missing kid sister. And now here he was, in the welcoming circle of a cult that was notorious for causing problems and being weird.
He had been roaming the deep web like usual one night, searching for any problems that needed to be fixed and trolling the trolls. That was when he was messaged by a local hacker that he knew vaguely. The hacker said his sister had been missing for nearly a month and he still couldn't find her. So, Dodger stretched and started digging. When he found her it was in some teens found footage type video that had been posted on a forum about a cult. And of course he was talked into going and getting the girl.
This sect of the cult had never killed anyone. And the entire cult was based around a peaceful space butterfly or something like that, Dodger didnt really pay too close attention. The entire cult just liked doing pranks that inadvertently hurt people. He just wanted to grab the girl and get out. But with his big mouth and tendency to ramble he got himself inaugurated into the cult with ease.
After the ritual was done and the celebration began, Dodger walked up to the girl he was supposed to be saving, Sarah. She was standing alone with her cup of hot cocoa, sipping it lightly to warm he on this cold evening.
As he approached she smiled brightly, cocked her head to the side and said, "Shaboozy," in greeting.
Dodger did the same, as he had been instructed to do when greeting other members of the cult. And then he started some small talk with her. Nothing too odd, just a few questions about her life with the cult and things like that. She thought he was trying to hit on her, but in reality he wanted to know if she was going to put up a fight when he inevitably dragged her away from this corner of the woods.
She reported that she hadn't been with the cult long, only a few weeks. Which lined up with her missing persons report. So, he started prying about her life before the cult to see if she would get homesick and want to leave with him. But as she started to reply, a large grey headed man came out of the bushes.
"Everyone stop where you are and put your hands up," said the grey headed man. He was hovering his right hand above a gun of some sort, Dodger didnt really care. He just put himself between the strange man and Sarah.
The leader of the cult stepped forward. "Who are you? The police? You can't arrest us we aren't doing anything wrong we are just having a party. We arent even making that much noise!" said the leader rapidly. Dodger could tell he was nervous.
"I'm not here to arrest anyone. I'm here to get all these underaged kids back to their parents." Said the grey headed man.
By this time, Doger could see that there was a tall, dark woman standing behind him. He had to admit she was really hot.
There was a murmur of talking from the other cultists. Some of the younger members spoke up and said, "Why?" "We don't want to go back!" You can't make us go!"
"We can get the actual authorities involved and they won't be as nice in getting you home." Said the dark green haired woman.
"Party's over kids. You are going to get in our van and we will take you home. You are being taken advantage of even though you don't realize it." The grey headed man said in he really gruff voice. He was stern but gentle enough that it was persuasive.
"I don't trust two peeps that just randomly show up in the woods with guns and want to take away kids to who knows where." Dodger piped up, his voice squeaking a little with fear. He grabbed Sarah's hand and started to walk away from the two strangers.
"Says the guy who joined a cult" said the sexy woman under her breath.
As they walked, Dodger slowly quickened his pace, dragging Sarah behind him and widening the space between them and the strangers.
"Stop!" commanded the tall grey headed man.
"Nope!" Dodger yelled as he started to run with Sarah behind him into the the forest. He didn't look back as he ran, clutching onto Sarah's hand.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked as they ran into the darkness of the forest.
"To my car." Dodger yelled back to her.
"What? Why?" yelled Sarah as she ran, slowing slightly.
"I'm taking you to your brother." Dodger said out of breath, running on pure adrenaline.
"What?! Isn't that what those people wanted to do." Sarah asked.
"I guess. All I know is I'm not lying about my motives and they might be." Dodger said, looking back at Sarah.
They came into a clearing and they slowed to a stop, both breathing hard. Dodger looked behind them to see if they had been followed and didn't see or hear anything.
"How do I know you're not lying now?" Sarah asked as she breathed hard. Leaning over with her hands on her knees.
Dodger was in the same position. "Why... the hell... would l join... a stupid cult... that's full of kids... if not to... save someone?" He panted. He could bearly hear himself think over his heavy breathing, his heartbeat in his ears, and the distant humming. "Wait, huh?" He said as he righted himself. Dodger looked around and saw a light flying towards them through the trees.
"Shit!" cursed Dodger. He then grabbed Sarah's hand again and started running again.
They didn't get far when the drone that was flying towards them caught up and shot a rope net at them, trapping and tripping them. Both Sarah and Dodger fell when the the net wrapped around their legs. Dodger looked up at the drone and raised his hand at it. He snapped his fingers and when he did the drone short circuited and fell from the sky. He then got himself and Sarah free from the net, but it was too late. The strangers were there standing over them.
"How did you do that?" Asked the green haired woman.
"Uh... I've always been able to do stuff like that. Change the tv without a remote, turn on my computer from across the room, a short circuit drones with a snap. I don't know what it is, I just learned to control it." Dodger rambled, which he does when he's scared.
"And you were helping this girl back home?" asked the tall man.
"And I was doing a fine job of doing it before you two showed up." Dodger huffed as he stood up, brushed himself off and helped Sarah up.
"Right." Said the strange man skeptically. "You're coming with us too."
Dodger sighed and slumped his shoulders. "So it's going to be kidnapped by two weird returners of children. So be it. Cuff me." He said dramatically as he put his hands together in front of himself.
The two strangers looked at each other with an eyebrow raised then back at Dodger. The man shrugged and reached behind him and grabbed handcuffs from his belt and clamped them over Dodger's wrists.
The next few hours were boringly filled with driving and the two strangers who introduced themselves as Agent Sentinel and Agent Archivist, who dismissed the question of who's agents they were, knocking on doors of the families of the children that had joined the cult. Dodger said goodbye to Sarah who thanked him for trying to get her to realize that she needed to go home and got off the van. Then the next few hours were the two proclaimed agents asking Dodger about his powers, how he found out about the cult, what he does for a living, which he reported he was unemployed at the time, and why he was on the deep web in the first place. Halfway through the drive, Dodger realized these weren't just questions to pass the time. These so called agents were interrogating him.
As they ended their interrogation that took a few hours, Agent Sentinel turned on a road that led to a giant manson. He parked the van out front and turned to look at Dodger who was sitting at the back of the van. "Well Mr. Bain, I think we have a proposition for you."
As Sentinel finished his sentence the front door of the manor opened.
What does cherub think of Sentinel, Hans, and Tina? ^=^
In the beginning, Sentinel intimidated Cherub. He reminded her of her father, who was not the nicest man. But as time went on her views on him changed, and now she sees him as sort of a mentor type.
With Hans, there hasn’t really been that much talking between them. They don’t have that much in common, although she does try to make soothing remedies for him whenever she thinks that he will need it. As a matter of fact, the only thing these two have in common is that they both come from an abusive home.
As with Hans, Tina and Caroline share the unfortunate fact that they both had abusive fathers. Cherub is very fond of Tina, who is wise beyond her physical years, bot as a witch and as a person.
