Cedar sat staring through the half full bottle of clearance shelf convenience store wine at the distorted view of the blades she had wrenched out of the the razor in her bathroom. A bottle of assorted pills sat next to the wine, pills from nearly empty bottles from her medicine cabinet, pills stolen from purses and first aid kits she could slip her fingers into, even pills she had found lying on sidewalks and floors. Some of them might even be tic tacs. She wasn't sure what the contents of the old pill bottle were, exactly.

She heaved a sigh. The shattered camera lens was in the trash can. Her negative account balance didn't even leave her enough money to keep her electricity turned on, much less replace the lens. Her student loans had run out and her efforts to find a job willing to work with her class schedule and her "history of instability", as employers tended to put it, had proven unsuccessful for nearly three months. She had even tried finding work that would take her on full time, her class scheduled be damned, but that still hadn't proven to be useful. She had struggled with going to classes due to the depression and impending homelessness, and hadn't been in three weeks. She was sure to fail this semester.

She couldn't help it. The tears were coming.

Angrily, Cedar snatched the bottle of wine up and yanked the cork out. The pill bottle was next. The lid flew across the room as tears started pouring down her face. She tipped the bottle of mixed pills back as if she were taking a shot of hard liquor.

Oh yeah, there were definitely mints in there. The sweet taste of peppermint combined with the bitter take of medicinals and dirt, coming together into a complete cocktail as Cedar took a deep gulp of the foul, astringent tasting strawberry wine. At last, after several deep quaffs, all of the pills were down.

Trembling hands picked up the razors and the last ounces of desperate determination fought the waves of intense nausea that had begun. She examined her wrist. It would be harder to cut through the scar tissue. She had to pick just the right spot, the spot that would give way easily. Ah, yes, there it was. Along the left side of her right forearm, right beneath where the scar tissue from the jagged glass she used previously had healed. With a deep breath, Cedar lowered the razor to her skin where it bit in. She could barely feel it. She could barely feel anything.

The next wave of nausea hit just as a knock sounded at the door. For a moment, Cedar sat perfectly still, the blade still resting inside her bleeding flesh. No one ever knocked on her door. Unless...

Flashes of her little brothers faces as she had last seen them came into her head. Clumsily, she pulled the razor out of the small cut it had made and rose.

Dizziness welled up inside her, and she steadied herself on the table. After a moment and another knock, she lurched her way to the door, glad for once that she couldn't afford furniture and thus there was nothing in her way to trip her. She didn't realized just how desperately excited she was at the thought it might be her long missing brothers and uncle. You could almost hear her heart shatter when instead she saw a dark skinned UPS delivery woman holding a box.

"Delivery for Cedar Collins." Her voice came out a little muffled. She must not have been speaking very loudly. Cedar nodded and took the clipboard to sign for the package.

Her knees were shaking now, the corners of her mouth set firmly down as she resisted the increasingly violent contractions of her stomach. Finally she got her signature down- it had taken so long to write it!- and handed it back. When she took the box, Cedar noticed just how deep brown and lovely the skin of the other woman was. She wished she could photograph it.

Damn her broken camera! It was useless! Fighting back tears, Cedar nodded and muttered a 'thank you'. The woman nodded back with a raised eyebrow. "Have a good night." After contemplating for a moment, the woman turned and walked away.

Cedar shut the door and turned around. How odd... when had she gotten to her knees? Her stomach gave a final, tremendous assault and suddenly all of the work she had done that night was splattered across her floor. As if in a dream, Cedar realized what had happened. The tears came again.

"Dammit! Dammit!Dammit!DAMMIT!" She shrieked, tears pouring down her face and dripping down her throat. Those were all of the pills she had. There were no more. Sobbing, Cedar knelt over the puddle and tried to see if any of the pills were salvageable. Some of them might have been, but another set of heaves attacked her, and anything that might have been left to achieve Cedar's ends was deposited with the rest of it.

Dizzy and shaking, Cedar sat back, leaning against the door. Through her sobs and tears, she saw the box. Funny. She had nearly forgotten about it.

Curiosity taking over, she gently pulled it to her lap, ripping through the tape. She didn't know she had the strength left to do that.

On top of the two lumps covered in bubble wrap was an envelope decorated with an intricate circular symbol. On the envelope in a delicate font typed into the rich paper was her name, her full name, along with her address. It wasn't sealed. Inside was a letter on the same rich paper with the same fine, printed font.



Cedar wiped her mouth. She read it over several times before she was certain she understood. Had she applied to Silent Wheels, Inc.? What were they? She didn't remember. Setting the letter aside, Cedar found one of the two lumps in the box and unwrapped it. She gasped, nearly choking herself.

It was a camera lens. The exact type she had broken the day before. Hardly able to believe it, she fished out the second lump and found it to be a complimentary lens, one that could handle further shots. She could hardly believe it.

Cedar got herself to her feet. Then she got herself to the bathroom. Cupping water in her hands from the faucet, she drank some and brushed her teeth. Holding the lenses as if they were the source of life itself, she resolved to deal with the mess tomorrow. She was tired. The lenses and the letter sat on the suitcase she used as a bedside table for the mattress on the floor she used as a bed. She drifted off to sleep, and for once hoped to wake up in the morning.



The house was so beautiful. The drive had been a little further than she thought it would be, but her car had made it and she was happy it did. Her car did not like long drives. But this house... it was so beautiful.

Cedar pulled her camera out and snapped a few photos of the building and the grounds. Her fresh lenses were perfect and she had been snapping photos all day long of nothing in particular. She was too excited not to. This house, and she could only assume the person who had supplied her with the lenses, was the exact right subject for the day, especially in the dark.

Slowly, she walked up to the house. She was just a little bit early, and the letter had stated "9:00PM promptly". She was nervous to be standing on the porch, but the threatening storms from last night had held off on any real rain. Tonight, it seemed the clouds would make good on their threats.

Cedar stood admiring the grounds. The drive was a long, well kept dirt road lined with tall trees that were losing their leaves. Autumn was well under way. It was mid-October, and the trees were obligingly exploding in the signature colors of the season. The scent of the fallen and rotting leaves on the ground added to the excitement and mystery of the evening for Cedar. Still standing on the porch, nervous to knock, she decided to wait until exactly 9:00. According to her watch, it was 8:53. She had left early in order to be on time, thinking her slow movements brought on from the incident the previous night would threaten to make her late. She was glad she left early and moved slowly. If she had assumed she could move as normal, she would certainly have been late.

Being early allowed her time to look out at the grounds, well kept in the style of an English garden, with shrubs and bushes growing along the drive and deeper into the grounds. Walking paths were lined with soft muted colors, hard to make out in the darkness of the night. The only light this far from the main road came from the sliver of moon overhead and the lights gently glowing from inside the house. The trees were growing in elegant draping shapes, casting shadows that looked sad and beautiful among the flowers that were still blooming.

Bushes of white blooms grew further into the grounds, almost too far to see in the darkness. The fluttering movement around the white flowers drew Cedar's attention to them. Bats. Cedar smiled and checked her watch again. The watch face flashed 8:55. With a nervous sigh, Cedar stood to wait the last five minutes before 9:00PM.

Ryker turned off the shower standing there for a moment while he thought about the long shift ahead of him. He requested a double so that he could eat and sleep in a decent place for at least one night tomorrow. A little treat for himself since his birthday had now officially passed a week ago. The water dripped off his curly brown hair and down his back as he reached for a towel. The last month had been a wreck for him. He was fined for sleeping on a bench, which he thought was completely unfair. He didn't qualify for any of the shelters or they were all full. If he had a kid with him he'd have found a place to stay by now, but where was he going to find a child to play his brother or even his son? He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the tub. He wasn't sure if the shower even helped. The room was full of mildew and he was sure the water and soap provided just spread the germs around.

He put on his uniform, collared black shirt with black slacks. A pair of non slip shoes to match. He clipped on his bow tie and tried to pat out the wrinkles that seemed to be permanent. This was as good as he was going to get. He was lucky to have found a place that would be willing to pay him cash after every shift. He was never sure when he would leave, so he couldn't wait around for pay checks. He put his room key in his pocket and headed for the door. Just as he opened it a woman stood there ready to knock.

"Are you Ryker Johnson?" she asked quietly he could barley hear her.

"Yeah, who are you?" he replied a little skeptical.

"Please sign here," was all she said.

He hesitated a moment and then gave his signature. She handed him a large orange envelope and turned on her heels to leave. Ryker closed the door and opened the package. He pulled out the documents and his heart dropped to his stomach. He was greeted with a picture of his mom...at least it looked like her. He ran a finger over the picture as he read the papers on her.



Her name was Lillian Stone-Mason. She was 23 in the picture. Ryker sat down on the bed as his darted from picture to her story. She got pregnant at 16 and had him when she turned 17. His father's name was unknown on her records. His mind drifted back to the day she had left him there. He was all alone. She hugged him goodbye and promised to come back, but she never did. According to this file she was running from someone. The believed it to be his dad, but she never gave up who he was. Even after she was shot by him she never said his name. He finally had a picture of his mother. After all these years he had a name and face to the person who had given birth to him and then abandoned him in the middle of nowhere.

Ryker couldn't bring himself to read more about her. There was another picture. The guy he called father, but apparently he wasn't even that. Blonde hair and gray eyes. He could never forget that, but in this picture his hair was shorter than Ryker remembered.



The guys name was Lucas Mason. He was 35 in this photo. According to the file he was a long time friend of Lillian. Helped her escape the abusive ex boyfriend while she was still pregnant. He told the police the guy showed up out of nowhere shortly after they left the child by the road. He claimed they left the kid for his own safety. That the people near the drop off were nice and he would grow up without fear. It looked like Lucas lived a longer than Lillian, but only by a year or two. He managed to kill Ryker's real father, but that got him sent to prison since there was no witness to actually cover his story. Lillian died from the gunshot before she could confirm or deny Lucas' story. He was found hanging in a prison cell.

Ryker looked up from the papers and saw the clock. He was 20 minutes late already. He hadn't realized how much time he spent just staring at the pictures of the people he used to know. He couldn't confront them or forgive them. For all he knew the whole thing was made up, except for the photos. Then he pulled out the little letter that had been stuffed to the bottom.



He looked the letter over a couple times before he used the motel's phone to call out of work until further notice. The manager on the other end didn't seem all that surprised. He was just happy that Ryker gave him notice.

"I guess I'll use my remaining money for one more night here," he whispered to himself as he began to undress.

---

Ryker walked about 3 miles from the bus stop to get to this house. The way it looked startled him a bit. He'd never been anywhere so fancy. He hiked the book bag up on his shoulder and walked up to the door. It was 8:55pm. The moon was shining, and it looked like nobody was home. His boots skid to a half as he reached the front door. He saw a women standing there and he cocked his head to the side a little confused. Was she the one who requested his presence? He wasn't quiet sure. All he knew was that he felt a little under dressed with his ripped up jeans that hung loosely around his waist from lack of food and a shirt that a hole or two around the stomach and combat boots.

He waved slightly as he looked her up and down. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would have sent him the package, but what was she doing here.

"Hi...I'm Ryker. Are you the person I'm supposed to meet?" He asked with a small crack in his voice.

@Inda

---

---

There was nothing to be done, everything had already been done. His classes were over, all he had to do was buy some dinner and practice on his own. Just because Chronus was out of his parents reach didn’t change any routine he had prior to the move. It felt wrong to not do the system that was drilled into him from day one Swiftly he stopped by the local supermarket that was on the way home. He enjoyed walking around rather than driving, his apartment was in the centre of everything so all but two people’s houses were within walking distance as well as a gas station and a market. It was super convenient, his father never looked over any details giving him the best once as always. Not that he didn’t have a car, anything he asked for he got with little questions asked and yet the dull feeling of boredom etched it's way into his very bones.

Finally he reached the building, bags of food in hand he did a quick jog up the stairs and stepped through the door. As soon as he did he slipped on the mail that lay scattered on the floor from many days prior that he lazily stepped over each day. He hugged the milk as his back hit the tiled entrance and braced for impact. A thud and crash echoed in the empty home followed by a groan. ”Why am I like this..” he muttered out and sat up, rubbing his back glaring at the piles of bills and papers. He crawled his way to the carpeted area, only to sit there with an annoyed look on his face his legs and arms crossed pouting. ”I hope everything I JUST didn’t bust open. Stupid post man.. Stupid mail slot.. Why couldn’t this place have a place for this outside the door like every other place ever?” Grumbling and muttering angrily to himself he put his things away and picked up the mail that was left on the floor, setting it on the coffee table next to his violin case. He would attend to that in a moment, in the meanwhile he was hungry and had just restocked his fridge.

Minutes had passed, he turned on the radio and let the water boil and set his package of instant noodles down on the counter. It wasn’t meals fit for a king such as himself but he could at least admit it was good and filling when made properly. Chronus made his way to the couch and settled down, picking up the junk that caused him to nearly knock himself out at the door. It was bills, ads, more things he didn’t even pay for but mailed to him because of protocol. He didn’t mind the fact that his parents paid for everything, it meant that all the money he made teaching snobby kids went straight into his pockets. His hands stopped when he came across the monochrome envelope. It was dull and void of all colour, the perfect shade of grey. It resonated with him and he wasn’t sure as to why. Yet he decided to turn it over and it was closed with a wax scarlet seal. It sent a chill down his spine, it was the exact shade of red as the stud in his ear. Chronus didn’t necessarily know why the whole outside made him freeze up momentarily, it almost reminded him of himself in some way. Going forth, Chronus lifted up the scarlet seal and inside read a letter. Though that was the least amount of his focus, what else was tucked inside made him jump up with shock. Inside was the piece of music he had lost some time ago, the treasured piece composed to such perfection it could never be recreated. In elegant scarlet writing on a midnight background was “Blood at the Moonlit Ball”. His hands trembling he dashed to the centre of the room where the piano he bought himself sat in the small apartment. Instead of a TV he opted to have the fated baby grand be his muse. He opened up the cover and there, the notes stained the page just as he remembered them. Quickly sitting at the piano he moved his hands elegantly across the keys, pumping out the music from his very soul.

For hours he played the piano that night, no longer caring about his violin practice. No longer interested in food. Chronus played and played until a neighbor came and knocked on his door telling him to knock it off. He had no idea how it got there and who gave this to him, but he wanted to sincerely thank them, something he hadn’t done in years. He was genuinely happy for a split second of his monochromatic life. Time stood still that night around him, and he was overcome with many emotions.

---

The day came and so he had to arrive to the designated place. It, unfortunately, was not within walking distance so he had to drive to the area. It was a pain but he felt as though it must be done. Dressed in his usual hoodie, pants and long white boots that lay atop the straight legged jeans. In his car was sheet music scattered throughout and broken violin bows, he wasn’t the most organized person but he knew where everything was within the mess so it never bothered him much. It also had details scribbled down to every music store in the city and person on file in case he needed something. There was also planner he had jotted down notes in for performance dates and music lessons. He called off all today’s lessons though to make time for this. Something he had never done before since he moved here.

Pulling around to find a place to park, he slid up next to a blue toyota. There seemed to be others invited to the party, at his utter dismay though. He had simply wanted to thank whoever it was that brought him his music and be on his merry little way. Groaning, he went through the glove box pulling out all three sheets of music and any others just incase this was someone trying to wiggle a free performance from him. Chronus shoved it all into a small black bag that had a violin as a zipper and piano keys in the corner and got out of the car. Throwing a few more things in there before he left such as business cards, contacts with his agent and father, pens and his trusted planner of course.

Finally climbing up to the entrance he saw there were others waiting there attempting to make idle chit chat. He had no interest in that, not to mention they all looked like riff raff anyways. Some of them more than others, yet he felt more put together than anyone else who was there. Taking a small breath in, he approached them with light footsteps and his arms crossed, a charming smile crept its way on his face that he used in professional settings so everyone didn’t find out he was some sort of lonely asshole, he’d rather be seen as the charming loner type, “Ah I see there are others here. Is this everyone or is this more so just the beginning? And has the master of the establishment arrived yet?” It was short, sweet and to the point. Keeping that distance from others just enough so they don’t feel compelled to talk to him. It would be even worse if someone knew of him, gorging him for attention. Chronus tried to shrug his shoulders in an attempt to relax, at least mentally, his outside looks was that of a carefree teenager with a slight attitude problem.

Cedar watched, a little confused, as a young man walked up the drive toward her. He wasn't much younger than her. He couldn't be the one in charge of this whole thing, could he?

"Hi... I'm Ryker. Are you the person I'm supposed to meet?" She stared at him for a long second as the implications slowly dawned on her. The pills and alcohol from the night before had left her feeling ill that day, despite her elevated mood, and it made her mind just a little sluggish. She shifted the black portfolio she held against her chest uncomfortably, noticing that Ryker didn't have one.

A moment later, a second man came up, this one older looking with more of a beard than the younger man. "Hey. You get one, too?" He asked, showing what looked like the same letter Cedar had tucked inside the portfolio.

“Ah I see there are others here. Is this everyone or is this more so just the beginning? And has the master of the establishment arrived yet?” Cedar jumped a little when the third voice floated to her from beyond the second man that came in, this man looking about the same age as Ryker. At least the third person was carrying papers, though they didn't look like photographs.

"Uh... Hi. I'm Cedar Collins. I hadn't realized this was a group interview-"

Just as she started speaking, her watch flashed to 9:00 and the door swung open.

Standing in the doorway was an elegant and voluptuous woman, aged somewhere in her thirties, with waving copper hair and a sultry black dress that covered everything but seemed to suggest an innate sensuality. She wore impressively high strappy heels which looked perfectly natural on her.

"Welcome! I'm Nina, Nina Valetti. You all must be here for the interview. Please follow me into the parlor." She said with a wide smile that seemed to flirt with every one of them.

Cedar stood for a moment in shock. She hadn't even knocked yet. Seemingly just by Nina's invitation, Cedar found herself following along down a richly decorated hallway, hung with still life paintings and lined with expensive vases full of fresh flowers that looked to be cut from the garden outside, and turning abruptly into the second door on the left. The parlor was a large room colored in rich burgundys, browns, and creams, with hints of rose and chestnut. The furniture was upholstered wood with antique New England style chairs around the old wooden card tables that lined the wall. A longer coffee table surrounded by equally old looking sofas, wing back chairs, and a chaise was off to the right upon entering the parlor. In the far left corner was an antique bar, shelves lined with cut glass bottles of various liquors. An antique brass and glass absinthe fountain set rested on the counter of the bar, along with a metal cocktail set etched with flowers.

The center of the room held a table laden with multicolored petit fours, macaroons, fruits, chocolates, sugared violets and even chocolate dipped rose petals. A gentle fire flickered in the hearth that was set into the right wall. The scents in the room were heady, homey, and intoxicating.

Cedar stared in awe of everything. There were no paintings in here, but tapestries and shadow boxes that held a variety of antiques, from fountain pens to combs to books to instruments. A piano sat to the left of the doorway. Above the fireplace, mounted like a hunting trophy, was the head of a giant bird.

"Please, help yourself," Nina said, gesturing to the dessert table as she passed it while walking to the bar.

"What would you like to drink?"

Ryker hesitated a moment before following the lady inside. He'd never been such a fancy establishment that it made him feel extremely under dressed. He looked back at the men who had arrived after him and even they seemed fancier than him. Clearly he was the butt of the joke in this scenario. He pulled at the color of his shirt and then felt his back pocket for the invitation to make sure it was still there. The words in his vocabulary would never be able to describe the scene before him. The inside reminded him of a museum he had camped out in once during his travels. He looked at his feet to make sure his shoes weren't dragging dirt in with them and then turned his gaze to the food before him.

It'd been a while sine he'd last eaten and his stomach made it known, but he was too skeptical to accept any food right off the bat. He'd learn many times that people would slip something in a delicious treat only for you to wake up with nothing but your underwear on. Ryker began to feel like coming was a mistake, like he had no reason to be here when clearly he was the least qualified of the group. He watched the women go to the bar and his mind quickly went to liquor as a way to ease the tension he was feeling inside of his muscles. "I'll take a scotch, clean," he said with a little bit of confidence in his tone. He had his ID ready in his other pocket with his wallet in case they didn't believe him to be of drinking age.

Nina grabbed a cut glass whiskey glass from below the bar, dropped a couple of totally clear ice cubes into it, and poured from a cut glass bottle on one of the shelves. The liquid looked like dark amber honey flowing over the ice cubes.

"18 year old Aberlour. I think you'll enjoy it." She said with a grin. "Please, please, take some food, darling. You look skin and bones." Nina shooed Ryker away from the bar then, toward the table in the center of the room.

Quickly, as if she had plenty of experience behind the bar, a crystal martini glass was brought up from below the bar. Frost began forming on it as tiny tendrils of cold air smoked upward. She deftly slid a lemon slice around the rim and turned it upside down in a circular china dish of sugar tinged with a gold color.

Seemingly at the same time as she was dealing with the martini glass, the etched metal cocktail shaker was being filled in her hands with vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup, all poured from their own glass bottles on the shelves behind. Her hands moved over the bottles, pouring and moving things with such a dexterous speed and so light a touch that it almost seemed as if a bottle was going to slip through her fingers and shatter on the ground at her feet. Her voice rose easily over the noise of the shaker as she mixed the drink almost by instinct.

"Don't be shy. I can make you anything you could possibly want." She said to the others still walking through the doorway. Her words drifted through the room, somehow ominous and sensual at the time.

Only a moment after reaching below the bar to bring out the martini glass in the first place, she was holding a lemon drop in a glass rimmed with golden sugar.

"Or, if you prefer, I can simply surprise you."

image

Sara winced as she slumped down against the crumbling brick wall behind her. Her whole body ached and she felt like she had been awake for days. That wasn't too far from the truth; she had been sleeping fitfully the past few days. It had gotten so bad she had even gone to the shelter for a night; while it was warm and comfortable it was generally more dangerous there then on the streets. People didn't take too kindly to her automatically getting a spot whenever she would show up. But she was young and female and those two things gave her a priority edge for last available bed or last available meal.

Today had been a bad one, she was coated in filth and worn out. Food and work had been scarce and even begging had only brought her a whopping sixty seven cents today. She knew she couldn't sleep where she was but she was tired and needed to find a place soon. The building behind her had a quasi-usable fire escape she could climb and some of the upper windows looked manageable. With luck this abandoned warehouse would give her at least some measure of safety and comfort for the night.

Just as she was about to stand up she heard the sounds of footsteps. Looking up she saw another girl, only a little older than her, headed straight towards her. Sara wasn't sure what to do but the issue was resolved when the other girl handed her a bulky manila type envelope.

“Sign here” she said without any preamble and Sara goggled at her. She plainly saw her name on the package. No one here knew her and no one who knew her knew she was here. At least that's what she thought.

Sara quickly signed and the other girl disappeared without any further words.

She turned the package over in her hands very puzzled. Finally, with a look at the darkening sky, she quickly opened it and tilted it. The key to a motel room dropped out, the number of the room clearly printed on the key, along with a sheet of paper.

Greetings Miss Sara Mackenzie,

You have been selected to participate in an interview with Silent Wheel, Inc.....

Sara tried to remember if she had ever heard of this organization before and came up blank. But the motel room key was heavy in her hand and she looked at it again. She knew the motel. It was only a couple blocks away. One of those extended stay type places, super cheap and super basic. And better than any abandoned warehouse or homeless shelter could ever be.

She quickly made up her mind. Gift horses could not be looked in the mouth. She stuffed the envelop and letter into her pack, shouldered it, and headed off in the direction of the motel. Along the way she popped into a 7-11 to see what the little bit of money she had from the day could buy her. Two Slim-Jim's. Good enough for her dinner.

She walked into the motel office, a dirt covered young girl with an equally dirty and worn back pack. Most would have shooed her out immediately but the guy at the desk didn't even look up.

“Um” she said softly “I have this key...”

The guy looked up then, looked at the key, and nodded.

“The room has been paid for one night, checkout is noon tomorrow. I'll get you some coffee for your room.” He spoke without inflection or enthusiasm, as if he was super bored with everything and disappeared into the back room of the office moving as if on autopilot.

Sara just stared as he left then looked around the tiny office. A dish of tiny snickers bars caught her eye, complimentary candy for the guests was almost too upscale for this place but she didn't quibble. Instead she grabbed a handful and quickly stuffed them in her pocket. She was about to grab a second handful but she heard the guy returning.

He caught her startled movement but didn't say anything. Just handed her three single serving coffee pods and a McDonalds bag.

“What?” she asked but before she could say anything further the guy just shrugged sheepishly.

“I got too much food and you looked like you might be able to use it.”

There was a time when Sara would have gotten indignant or huffy. No longer, she knew what starving was now and didn't turn down anything that might help. She just smiled shyly, thanked the man, and headed to her room.

It was the most luxurious thing she had seen in ages. It had a rather dated but working baseboard heater, a single serving coffee maker, a hard bed with threadbare sheets and blankets, a TV with about 8 channels, 2 rough small towels, and a tiny bathroom with a shower. To most others it would have been awful. To Sara it was wonderful.

Several hours later found Sara wrapped in the bed sheet and sitting cross legged on the bed evaluating her belongings with a steaming cup of black coffee beside her. Her first order of business had been to shower and scrub herself over and over till she was quite literally squeaky clean. Next had come dinner. She had made short work of the contents of the McDonalds bag, a cheeseburger and some cold fries. There had been a second burger which she had eaten the filling out of and painstakingly re wrapped the bun for later. She also had 12 tiny snickers bars which she had taken from the office, two slim-jim's, and a bruised apple she had found that day. All of her clothes, what few she had, had been washed vigorously and hung to dry around the room along with her pack which she had cleaned up as best she could. The tattered John Grisham novel she had found in the nightstand drawer had joined her pile of belongings and the three cents she had left over from the day sat carefully on the nightstand. The old tin can she used as a drinking cup and the battered set of fork and spoon she had also had been washed and lay beside the bathroom sink to dry. The letter and it's envelope also lay carefully in the pile, Sara had taken the time to reread it several times to be sure she had all the details clear.

She finished her coffee, savoring the extreme bitterness and warmth it brought her, carefully piled her belongings next to her on the bed, and went to sleep. She was exhausted but for the first time in days felt comfortable and relieved she wouldn't have to be up and out with the dawn. She had enough for breakfast and a little extra and the promise of more food, desert at least, tomorrow. She would definitely show up for the interview if only to thank them.

***

The next morning she savored sleeping in, watched TV, and had a breakfast of apple, coffee, and the burger bun. She was actually happy and comfortable and even the damp clothing she had to wear the next day didn't discourage her.

She set about to panhandling, given she was supposed to be at some sort of interview she figured she should try and have a newish shirt plus she needed bus fare; the address was a long way away. She managed enough to buy a decent second hand shirt and decided to be radical and get a green one. It was a good day and she got the money she needed earlier than expected so with nothing else to do she headed out.

The bus stop was a ways away from the house, even then, but she was used to travel by foot. Shouldering her pack with everything she owned she started the long walk. Due to the late hour of the meeting she knew she would need to have a place to crash so she walked slowly, looking along carefully on either side for anything that would do.

Her walk was slow enough, with enough detours off the road to check out possible night crash sites, that she ended up almost late. She stood at the gates, watching the others walk in, hesitating. She hadn't realized there would be others, if there was any sort of competition she might as well write herself out right now. Still she owed the folks a thank-you at least.

She jogged up the path, keeping to the grass to muffle her steps, and slipped inside following the others like shadow. The building was almost scary, she was terrified to touch anything even the carpet. As she followed the others she was very careful to watch her steps, keep her pack close to her body, and did everything she could to minimize her impact on the furnishings and such.

---

---

Chronus couldn’t help but to watch everyone look around precariously and with such awe. This was nothing to Chronus though, he performed on stages that made this whole facility look like a joke. He kept such thoughts to himself though, he didn’t necessarily want others to feel as if he was stuck up. The woman who greeted them felt a little too formal to be the distributor of their invitations. Or at least that was the vibe he picked up from her. They walked through the halls and as the girl and other man began to look around, their eyes glittering he kept his eyes on the woman. Nina. She was nice enough, but Chronus was always taught to be overly aware of those around him. You never know who was going to throw a heist next these days, so it was best to be careful. They could pull a high bounty off of him had they really wanted to, anyone could really. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and raised his eyebrows at the arrival of the newcomer who swooped in last minute. Another riff raff character, he could only assume. Was he to play to the homeless and the lost? How ironic considering he was neither of those things but felt a twinge of self pity for being able to even remotely relate to them in some sort of odd way. But it was only for a moment.

Nina brought them in deeper into the house and offered drinks. Clearing his throat, Chronus spoke gracefully “I do have to decline, as I am underaged. I am only 19 years old, and to be perfectly honest, alcohol doesn’t suite my tastes.” If any looks were thrown his way he wouldn’t have taken note of them. Chronus was used to any looks, his baby face was truly that of a baby. Successful beyond measure in some regard, and only at 19, not even bothering to break his professional stride to risk being caught doing some illegal. Sure he was rebellious, but breaking the law? He has a reputation to maintain after all. Sighing, he hung back hoping Nina didn’t inquire him further about some drink and food. For all he knew it could contain some sort of drug and they would all be sent across country as part of a sex ring or something. The thought sent shivers down his spine, causing him to tense up even more than he already was. Chronus pulled the black bag full of his music closer to his chest, holding his breath. Trust no one unless your agent is nearby, that was something he taught himself. And since both of his agents were currently out of the country it was hard to keep cool. Chronus gave the poor people a break, sending one to Europe and the other to Australia with their families. He had enough money to throw around for that, and since he had no performances coming up any time soon he didn’t see the harm. Chronus hated unknown factors, and this was one large question mark.

The man with curly brown hair spoke up first. He was slightly unshaven and had the look like the rest of them, improvising on some sort of rough attire. Chronus didn’t formulate an opinion on him yet, but he was certainly bolder than the rest of the crew that was assembled. Chronus gave him a bit of credit though, wondering as to what his purpose was here, though he stayed silent. Did this man have some hidden worth? Chronus couldn’t be sure, his hands were dirty so he was no instrumentalist like himself. Was he a singer? Based on his voice, Chronus somehow doubted it. His eyes glazed over with boredom of inspecting him, since he couldn’t figure it out why dwell on something and someone as insignificant as him. Chronus did let out a small chuckle however, knowing that if this man was offered something he doubted he would say no. The fact he jumped at the offer made that prominent.

Next he turned his attention to the other man in the room. His eyes were glazed over, broken in some way. Or at least that’s how he felt it was. For all he knew he could be a hardened killer and he stopped feeling emotions long ago. A drip of pity smeltered inside of Chronus’s black soul but was soon devoured by the never ending abyss of shadows. He had a rougher look to him than the other one. Nina was right when she called him skin and bones, this guy seemed a bit more put together than him. But not by much though, and if his memory served him correctly he was another person who drove. So obviously he made money to take care of it, it was a fairly nice care after all. He stood taller than Chronus, but yet most people did. He was on the shorter end of his age, height wise. Chronus couldn’t help but to notice he was a bit more wound up than the rest of them, maybe he was nervous? Was he looking for something? Chronus really couldn’t tell and felt it was not really all that fair to accusations of a man who could probably knock his lights out had he ever made him mad and he just so happened to be faster than himself. Chronus was proud of his speed, as a person who didn’t get out much he still held his own in every other sport beyond football. He was much too scrawny for something so violent. This guy didn’t speak much either, he looked a bit awkward when he did. Chronus could tell there was more to this guy beyond a wound up posture and scary eyes. But honestly, he didn’t care enough about others to ask.

Chronus’s eyes trailed over to the older girl. She was fairly pretty, but she looked very weary of her surroundings. Perhaps she was over stimulated by being surrounded by glitter and lights within the home? He wasn’t standing close enough to her to really read her face all that well though. Her posture was tight, but not as tight as the other guy. Chronus had wondered why she was here, she had something with her also. A camera? Was she a photographer? Or a freelance, traveling to get the perfect shot? It did cause him to be a bit curious about her, but not enough to ask. Was she hired to take shots of the house and the festivities he assumed that were to come. Maybe she was a newbie who had some sort of flyer hanging up, looking to get started. If she was good enough, he wouldn’t mind having her take shots of his next performance, whenever that was. He wasn’t against helping out those who are not born fortunate enough in this world to be successful. Mostly at least. It really depended on how good she was for him to even consider it. Or even she may have even been to a show, had she he would’ve been surprised considering how quickly tickets go. Rolling his eyes, he was done analyzing the girl for now. He was glad he had the ability to look bored almost all of the time, otherwise it would have been creepy. His own eyes were always glazed over, but not in a broken way but in a snarky way, he could do it on command at times. It both was a blessing and a curse.

Lastly he inspected the late arrival, who he assumed to be the last person but he didn't know. Quickly he scanned her up and down and decided she was younger than him. He hated being the youngest person in the room, it really did bother him. Well, he hoped she was younger than him. The longer he inspected her, the more he saw that could prove him wrong. She was just as riff raffy as the lot of them, but she had that retained youthful face regardless of how tired she may look. There wasn’t much to say about her, though she looked surprisingly thin. When was the last time some of these people ate? Not that he cared enough to inquire them further about their dietary habits, it still was a question that popped up. She looked to be the most cautious out of all of them. She held her items close and tiptoed on the ground, she reminded him a bit of a mouse. Trying her best to go unnoticed and touch nothing, all while attempting to get to her destination. Chronus let out a small laugh, what an interesting character he thought. What was in her hands had really peaked his interest rather than her herself. She really did not want anyone touching it, making him want to well...touch it. He could only assume her story was simple, just like the first guys. But then again he could be wrong, she could have some sort of crazy hidden talent that could knock his socks off. Like a street magician or something like that. Chronus shook his head at the thought, she would roll a 6 in sleight of hand, that’s for sure.

Finally he took the letter out of his bag, diverting his attention from the crew that had assembled so far. It mentioned something about an interview but he wasn’t interested in getting another job. He had enough of them as is and had money to buy this house ten times over. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but still. Dinner and a show would hopefully be enough to fit the bill. He wouldn’t even charge them for returning his Blood at the Moonlit Ball piece, it was his pride and joy after all. Once more his eyes drifted lazily to the lady Nina, she was more mysterious than the group they had gathered. Why them? He had dozens of questions running through his head, for her, for each person, and yet he spoke not one of them. It wasn’t in his place to speak them and well.. Chronus didn’t care enough to push further. He did decide however if things did start to become strange, he would make himself designated leader amongst the group. Or dictator, he wasn’t picky about his titles. Though his favourite was king or God. Flipping his shaggy black hair from his eyes, he shoved his hands back into the pockets of his jeans, staring intently at Nina.

(Ignore, issue with this post)

@Xeron@Astarael42@arockysmith@Kote

"I'll have whatever you're having." Cedar said. It looked way better than the rubbing-alcohol-esque wine from last night. She pushed the thoughts of her suicide attempt out of her mind and tried to focus on what was going on now. This room was amazing. Nina handed Cedar the lemon drop she had just made and began making another one for herself.

“I do have to decline, as I am underaged. I am only 19 years old, and to be perfectly honest, alcohol doesn’t suite my tastes.”

"Now, Chronus, don't worry about that," she said in response. "It never stopped me before."

Chronus? His name was Chronus? Cedar felt an immediate, if minor, kinship. Odd names ran in her family. Her parents were hippies and she was named after a tree, after all. Her brothers began to settle into her mind, and she tried to focus elsewhere. She couldn't let the hurt settle in. It was still fresh from last night.

"Please, feel free to speak to each other. We are going to be spending the evening together, after all. I'm pleased to introduce Mr. Ryker Johnson, Mr. Chronus Klefkin, Miss Cedar Collins, Miss Sara Mackenzie, and Mr. James Miller III. " She indicated to each person with a carefully manicured hand.

Cedar nodded to each person, smiling at Ryker, the only person she had already gone through introductions with. James, the second man she had seen, looked to be tired and sad. Her smile transferred from Ryker to him, and then on to Chronus, and finally settling onto Sara.

Sara looked so skinny and so young. Cedar felt a pang in her stomach. Her brothers had been so thin the last time she had seen them, as tiny eight year olds. The pictures she had gotten didn't make it look like they were getting any larger, only taller, as they progressed through their teenage years. Cedar couldn't help equating this girl to her beloved brothers, and the grief was building deep inside her.

Cedar shook her head and looked back at James involuntarily. There was no way he reminded her of River and Rainey- he was older and taller than her, both elements of a person that helped her not see the playful smiles of the little boys she adored in everything they did.

Unfortunately, all three of the others- Ryker, Chronus, and Sara- all began taking on elements of them in her mind, and she wouldn't be able to handle this interview if she couldn't stop herself from crying.

Cedar turned and made her way to the table of food and grabbed a delicate black and white china plate from a stack of matching ones on the end of it. This was definitely a decadent spread. A lot of these items Cedar had never seen before. Chocolate covered rose petals? She wasn't sure she was brave enough to try them, even though they looked beautiful. She pulled out her camera and snapped a picture discretely. She put petit fours, macaroons, and strawberries on her plate. As she began walking away, she remembered something her mother said when she was younger.

"The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences." It was a quote from someone, but Cedar never knew who. This was one of the only things that ever got her out of her own head. She would never move on if she never took new experiences to live with, instead constantly living with only the memories of her missing family.

But do you really want to move on? Cedar pushed the thought out of her head. This was not the time. She grabbed a single chocolate covered rose petal, and ate it.

The petal tasted like roses smelled, with a wonderful and delicate earthy taste, followed a bittersweet burst of the chocolate ganache. Cedar was impressed. She snapped another picture of the petals, and followed that up by snapping pictures of the spread on the table, her mind removing everyone else in the room. A few shots later, Cedar put her camera back into the bag at her side and she focused her attention back on her plate of food and the cocktail Nina had given her.

She hadn't been able to eat anything this fancy... ever. It was a treat.

@Inda@Xeron@Astarael42@Kote

Ryker looked over everyone in the room as he sipped the drink the women made him. He was a little happy that he wasn't the youngest person in the room. That spot seemed to be filled by Sara. The girl from earlier didn't appear to be the oldest anymore either. She was trumped by a James Miller. He found it rather odd that all of them had been requested. They appeared to have very little in common if anything at all. He found himself glancing at the table and debated tasting the food. He watched as the women, Cedar, took a plate of treats and a couple pictures. He waited for her to take a bite to see if she endured any effects.

The food before him was fancier than he was used to, along with the drink in his hand. The alcohol was top shelf and it went down like water. He'd never been one for the high price items. Usually it was the cheapest money could buy and you were down on your ass after a couple sips because the taste was horrible and your body wasn't meant to ingest something of that nature. Cedar seemed to be taking the food no problem, Ryker began to wonder if she was used to eating like this or if it was foreign to her the way it was to him.

He scanned the room a little room watching the movements of the one named Chronus. That was a weird name for a person. It was certainly original and he had no doubts that the poor boy was bullied as a child based purely on name alone. He cringed a little thinking about how he missed out on that aspect of life. All he knew about children was the stuff he read in books and what his guardian had told him. Other than that he wasn't sure. Maybe Chronus had a nice personality that saved him from ridicule. His slender arms holding onto papers. Ryker couldn't help but feel a little unprepared. The whole situation reminded him of the first time he went on an interview and he had no qualifications up against men with years of experience. He'd failed to get the job then, and he was sure he'd fail again.

The only reason he even came to this place to find out how they knew so much about his mother and the man that Ryker could no longer consider a father. He wondered if the person in charge knew who his father might actually be. Why did he hate his mother so much that he felt like death was the only way to deal with things. Had she told him he existed? Did she use her last breath to continue keeping her secret or did she reveal everything? His eyes went back to Cedar for a moment. More photos of food. He wasn't sure if she maybe her job outside of here was a food blogger or whatever.

Then he turned to look at James. The man was the bigger of all three boys. He prayed he wouldn't have to try and lift anything heavy or participate in some sort of fight club for the spot. The place seemed to fancy for fighting though. Ryker eyed him up though. Squaring his shoulders and putting his now empty glass on the table and tried to portray himself as tougher than he appeared. He was no alpha, but he wouldn't let himself get pushed around. He was always on the defensive when it came to other people. Never sure of what they wanted. James wasn't suspicious, but he was competition and that was all that mattered.

Sara was a beautiful young women. She looked a couple years younger than him and he felt the need to protect her, although she looked like she could handle herself. Her face was emotionless when his eyes fell to her. She looked strong, but he made the mental note to try and keep by her. He wasn't one to pick himself over another, especially a female. She was quiet though, and quiet always made him think of danger.

Everyone was silent though. Chronus had spoken some, but that was about it. The voice that came out of the boys mouth was not what he had been expecting either. It was slightly musical and he kind of wished the kid would speak again. He let out a small cough and he could feel all the eyes move in his direction.

"If you don't mind me being so blunt, but why are we here?" Ryker asked crossing his arms over his chest and staring the women who had greeted them up and down. He didn't trust her for a second, but she looked to be a decent bartender. "You bring us here and offer us things, but you neglect to actually say why exactly we were summoned. I don't think I'm the only one who got a little....I guess...gift in the mail. You wouldn't offer up information like that without a price." His voice was skeptical and he his face serious. He wanted answers and he was sure everyone else did to.

"If you don't mind me being so blunt, but why are we here? You bring us here and offer us things, but you neglect to actually say why exactly we were summoned. I don't think I'm the only one who got a little....I guess...gift in the mail. You wouldn't offer up information like that without a price." Nina flashed a smile at Ryker. They wanted answers, and she was ready to give them.

"Silent Wheel, Inc. wants to hire you for a series of assignments that would send you to desolate and abandoned places throughout the world. We have need of data and, in some cases, items to be found there. According to the contracts, you would be paid $150 a day for the first assignment, plus travel expenses. Half of the expected pay up front, and the other half when you complete the assignment. We expect this first assignment to take four days, but will consider the next two days as part of the assignment to total 6 days of pay. These next two days we expect you to spend getting your affairs in order for the trip. Any additional time this may take will be paid for when you return. On the second assignment, pay will go up to $225 per day. Upon the third assignment and every other after that, $300 per day." She stepped out from behind the bar and walked toward the mantle.

"There is very little we needed for the actual interview, which has been completed. You arrived on time, you are not showing outward disdain for each other, and you are all cautious about what it is you're experiencing at the moment. None of you noticed the griffin head mounted on the wall, but that is alright. We can train a better sense of observation into all of you." She indicated upward to the massive bird head mounted on the wall. It was large- large enough that it could fit the heads of two people in its beak. Cedar stared up at it, shocked she had missed it. Something seemed off about the bird head, beyond the size. The eyes, the shape of the neck... it definitely reminded Cedar of a cat of some kind.

But that could easily be manufactured.

"All equipment necessary for the assignment shall be provided by the company. All medical expenses will be taken care of by the company. Should you pass away or disappear during an assignment, Silent Wheel, Inc. will make a $10,000 donation to a charity of your choice, which we ask you indicate on page three." She took a leather briefcase out from under a long coffee table and produced a stack of papers- one for each of them- which she laid out on the coffee table with expensive pens set on top. She held several envelopes in her hands, thick ones. "Should you accept the assignments, you will leave today with these. They contain documents with details of the first assignment, and the $450 up front salary payment, in cash." Cedar's breath caught. She could really use that money.

"I realize this may seem odd. But do realize, we are willing to send you around the world, allow you access to things most humans will never see in their lives, challenge your perception of the very fabric of existence, and provide you with the comforts you currently do not possess- or will soon lose." She eyed Chronus as she said the last part of her statement. "Please do not take that as a threat, sweetheart. We are just aware of many details of the lives of Leyden City residents."

Cedar took a slow, constant drink from her cocktail until the glass was empty as Nina spoke. This was crazy. Was it crazy? This was crazy.

You're about to be homeless. You've not had a job interview in months. Can you afford to walk out? She thought to herself. And she knew she couldn't. She sighed.

"Is that why you sent me the camera lenses?" She asked, keeping a grip on the empty martini glass with her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

"Yes," Nina confirmed. "You were chosen specifically for your ability to document the locations we will be sending you to. You," she indicated to James, "Were chosen for your skills in nursing. You," to Chronus, "Were chosen for your skills in sound, music, and energies. You," to Ryker, "Are uncannily good at disappearing, a trait that best associates you with protection and hiding. We nearly didn't find you to deliver the letter. And you," She finally indicated to Sara, "Are so determined to survive that we trust you to be able to do whatever is necessary and make whatever choices you must- however difficult they may be- to make it back to us."

@arockysmith @Xeron @Kote @Astarael42

---

---

The man known as Ryker spoke up, Chronus watched him as his eyes flickered around the room as he spoke. His voice showed confidence, even a bit of a stern tone which threw Chronus for a loop. He hadn’t expected him to be the one to say anything, he thought he was going to be the one who was going to have to say something. Clearing his throat, he placed his hands elegantly on his hips as he listened to Nina speak.

"Silent Wheel, Inc. wants to hire you for a series of assignments that would send you to desolate and abandoned places throughout the world. We have need of data and, in some cases, items to be found there. According to the contracts, you would be paid $150 a day for the first assignment, plus travel expenses. Half of the expected pay up front, and the other half when you complete the assignment. We expect this first assignment to take four days, but will consider the next two days as part of the assignment to total 6 days of pay. These next two days we expect you to spend getting your affairs in order for the trip. Any additional time this may take will be paid for when you return. On the second assignment, pay will go up to $225 per day. Upon the third assignment and every other after that, $300 per day." Chronus scoffed, he didn’t want to come off difficult or anything but he was perfectly financially stable. Scrunching his nose, he eyed the woman up. Her movements were fluid and she seemed kind enough, and not only that she seemed to be serious in the offer. That was a lot of money sure, he wasn’t going to deny that. Weighing his options, he finally spoke.

”You think something like this alright? Is this legal? I am well off, I need something beyond money to entice me. I perform in stadiums that make this place look like a joke. I rake in plenty of money. And the thrill of getting dirty and exploring the depths of the world has never been on my agenda. I work as a tutor for high class clients and so taking off months at a time to halt their training is something I don't think I can manage. At least without something more to convince me.” He walked to the front of the group now, each movement was graceful and with a strong stride. Chronus made a large gesture to the others in the room, his glossed over eyes looked straight through each and every one of them. ”I realize that all of you guys need money in some form or another. But doesn’t this seem awful fishy? Train our senses because we didn’t notice a simple house ornament?” He whipped around, his scruffy black hair hung in his eyes as he did so, those glossed over eyes pierced Nina. ”As for you, I have plenty more questions. Why get a ragtag team of misfits to do something like this? Wouldn’t someone who has been trained been better? It would be more cost effective, they wouldn’t need this whole meeting and what not. The ambiguity of this whole situation is extreme. We all have our traits, but I don’t see how any of them mesh into what you’re looking for. I don’t see how my understanding of musics and energies could benefit in any way. Good at hiding and a will to survive? I surely don’t understand those either. Is this going to be that dangerous that we will need to survive? Chronus took note of Nina’s words, about losing something. She had looked straight at him when she had said that and it was just the thing he needed to go off on a tangent. His professional air around him broke for a split second, he was slightly worried about his agents he had sent off on vacation. Did they have that much power? If so, it was no laughing matter. Who in the world would book his tours? He was much too demanding to face those pretend bigwigs to show enough restraint to book his own shows.

Letting out a long breath, he rang his hand through his hair looking through his fingers at Nina. He wasn’t scared of them, Chronus had a raging god complex after all. That of a bored god at least. A smirk slid on his face, all while any emotion in his eyes were whisked away into an abyss. Finally placing his hands back in his hoodie's pockets, he let out a small laugh. He was no thrill seeker, at least not that he would admit. Chronus hated being told what to do, all while that was all he had ever known. They would need to put more on the table for him to even consider putting his entire life on hold and making room in his schedule for them. Which at the current the moment was… empty. And would be for a while. But they didn’t know that did they? Of course not, to the naked eye he was a busy worker bee. A small ‘tsk’ noise left his mouth, and he finally stopped staring at Nina. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got with himself. These people in the room, he would be alienated immediately. Chronus knew he was very very different from everyone, nothing impressed him anymore. They had their jaws on the floor when they came inside the building. He had no issues to show for, everything for him was internal. And even then he felt nothing, Chronus knew he was a shell of a human. Everyone here had a story to tell, had emotions they felt, all while he turned all of his emotions and experiences into a joke to inflate his own ego. Even then he toured around Europe, America, Australia and more seeing sights that would shake their bones. Yet it was no longer impressive, it was just something he had to do.

Why would he get impressed by run down places that are potentially dangerous with a bunch of run down people? His hands were his money makers, had he even broken a nail he would throw bitch fit. Crossing his arms over his chest he let out another sigh, this was ludacris. Chronus just came here to maybe perform some music as a thank you and be on his way. Now he was being asked to go explore the world and not in the way most people would expect. Rummaging through his bag he pulled out some sheet music, holding it up in front of him. ”Blood at the Moonlit Ball. Explain how you knew I was missing my music. How did you obtain a piece of music that has more value than this whole entire building and then some. He was no longer asking questions, he was demanding answers. If he knew how to feel something other than irritation, he would be feeling nervous. But every question all melded into a burning hot irritation in the pit of his stomach. All while his face showed nothing, it was an empty slate beyond his set jaw that one couldn’t even seen unless they really payed attention. The femininity of his face hid that well, it was moments like these he was content with his female face.

Everything about Chronus oozed a hollow elegance, but the music he held up was that of true beauty and grace. The cover was midnight blue with golden stream illuminating deep scarlet letters with a palace in the distance. It gave off almost a mysterious and eerie aura, as one could be transported straight into the world on the cover. The back had a pure white skull on the back and a rose in full bloom within the eyes, dripping the same scarlet colour of the rose. Just by the cover one could feel the passion bursting from the seams, contrasting Chronus in almost every way.

Sara listened from the most unobtrusive spot she could find and when she was offered a drink she just mutely shook her head. She didn't drink. Or do drugs. It was uncommon in her walk of life; such things helped one forget...if only for a time. But she had seen the results of such and while it might be nice to simply be...shiny...you often came out of it much worse than you went in. She had a hard enough time of it without shooting herself in the foot.

Instead she asked for just a glass of water and selected the most filling deserts she could. Caramelized bananas, custard tartlets, and some sort of chocolate dipped cheesecake filled strawberries made their way onto her plate. She hated eating so much sweet food, it made her teeth itch, but she knew she needed to eat something offered and she didn't want to look like a ravenous bugblatter beast of Traal.

So she ate as calmly as she could, sipped her lemon infused water, and listened at Nina spoke. She didn't believe any of it of course. Or maybe she believed all of it. She had once believed in the impossible. And griffins were clearly impossible. Now, however, she had a much firmer grounding in reality. This company was, however, willing to pay well. And contrary to what Nina had said she wasn't so much intent on surviving as she was in not making it easy for death to take her. Then again maybe that was the same thing. She didn't mind if she died in any case, just wasn't ready to give up yet. She wondered if they would be provided with suicide pills just in case something happened. Aaaand now her imagination was running off with her. The price for standing under a “griffin” head she supposed.

She gave herself a mental shake to ground her back in the reality that was her life now and watched as the musician rampaged around the room. She thought for a short while that he was on the verge of throwing a truly impressive temper tantrum like a spoiled child. Instead he seemed to gather himself into some sort of control before he continued in his demands for answers.

Sara herself didn't particularly care one way or another. She was mostly certain she would go ahead and do it; why not? It's not like she had some other pressing engagement. She did have one stipulation she would make, at least so far, and that was the death benefits not go to a charity. Charities were run by rich people with too much time and money and not enough wisdom and common sense.

Ryker scoffed as he listened to the tangent from the kid named Chronus. He couldn't help but eye him up and down with a slight glare as he went off the women. He sounded like one of the sons for a family he worked for briefly. It didn't matter much money their parents just willing handed over, they wanted more. Ryker had known first hand the children were buying drugs, he usually participated in the recreational activity with them, and if it wasn't for the line of cocaine his bosses had walked in on him doing he'd probably still have a job with them. It made Ryker physically sick to know that this guy felt entitled. His music held more value then the very house they stood inside? He found it difficult to believe.

He walked over to Chronus and stared daggers into the boys eyes. "Obviously they know you care a great deal about that garbage. Missing music. That's what your self righteous heart desired? I guess when everything is handed to you by mommy and daddy nothing else really matters. You don't need to stay here if you'd rather sit on your ass and continue living the life you were handed. You're dressed head to toe in what I can only assume is some kind of designer brand, while the rest of us look like we've been starved out or digging clothes from the waste bins. You said it yourself, you don't need the money so just leave," he paused and snatched the papers from his hands looking it over, "Moonlit Ball. You're seeping with entitled arrogance. Are these supposed to be your story? The fantastic life of Mr. Woe Is Me."

Ryker let the papers fall to the floor as he glanced around the room. He hadn't meant to cause the scene, but it was too late now. He looked at his feet embarrassed by his own actions. He was usually less confrontational but for some reason Chronus pushed his buttons. It wasn't intentionally, but it happened either way. He was mentally kicking himself for possibly getting himself kicked out of the job before it'd even started. The money was something he needed especially if ever planed to find out who his father really was. He looked back up to Chronus opening his mouth to apologize, but failing to find the words. He'd done it once again and lived up to the reputation people always gave him.

"I was out of line," he turned to face Nina now, trying to avoid the eyes of everybody else, "I hope this doesn't effect my spot here. Unlike Chronus over here, I actually need whatever money you can offer."

Nina listened to Chronus' ravings with patience. Before she could even open her mouth to respond, Ryker had stepped in and told him off and then immediately apologized.

"No, Ryker, you are quite within your rights. Upon accepting this job, you'll be self managing yourselves. You'll have to learn to handle the stressful situations, and should you fail to accept this kind of talk from each other and instead choose to take it personally, I doubt you'll survive these locations." She turned back to look at Chronus for a moment before walking to the couches surrounding the long coffee table.

"I hope you're enjoying the refreshments." Nina said to Sara and Cedar. "I made them myself. Had I anticipated hardly anyone was going to eat them, I wouldn't have bothered."

"Oh. They're wonderful." Cedar offered, feeling a little put on the spot. She didn't know what to say about no one else eating or drinking anything. Now she was nervous the food might not be safe.

Oh well. She was in the process of killing herself last night. Did it matter if someone else did it for her tonight? She shook her head and tugged down on her sleeves to better hide the jagged scars on her wrists. She needed to stop thinking about her brothers and about suicide.

"Chronus, please simply trust that we knew how to get our hands on that music for the time being. I believe the fact that your parents have been missing in Pompeii for nearly a week is a little more important to you. But if you truly don't think you need this work, then by all means, please take your leave. I'm sure James would be happy to walk out with you." Nina nodded toward the door where James looked to be about to leave. Cedar glanced up, looking a little crestfallen at the departing figure. Disappearing family members caused the grief to well up again. She didn't want to see Chronus' reaction. He would either throw a fit or not care, and either one would be difficult to see. How could she not empathize with the outburst he may have? How could she not hate him for his potential apathy toward losing his family?

"It will only be a matter of time before the authorities start to suspect you had something to do with their disappearance. If you think you can handle that and keep your bills paid while your family accounts are frozen, then I wish you the best of luck." Nina's voice was pleasant and silky as she spoke the warning.

"Now. If you'll please come sign these contracts so we can get everything finalized."

Cedar tore her eyes away from James, which had been fixated firmly on him until then. She took a contract, set down her portfolio, and took a seat to review.

"What if we don't know what charity we would like to use yet?" Cedar asked.

"Then take some time in these next two days to decide and we'll have you complete that page before your departure." Nina smiled warmly at Cedar. She nodded and started filling out the contract. Nina, on the other hand, picked up Cedar's portfolio and began looking through it, seemingly disinterested now in anyone unwilling to follow her instructions.

"These photos are fantastic. We chose the right photographer for the job." Cedar was sure Nina was only trying to make small talk now, but the compliment made her blush. She didn't want to be seen as egotistical, but she was proud of her photographs, especially the ones she had chosen specifically for that portfolio. She was glad she hadn't brought it in vain.

Ryker grabbed a contract and sat down across from Cedar. He found himself feeling more comfortable around her since she was the first person he had a chance to meet. He began reading through it glancing up every and now then to look at Cedar and then Chronus. He felt a little guilty for having lashed out at him. He should have kept his mouth shut, but the guy was being so pompous that he found it hard to control his temper. He looked at Nina thoughtfully. "How do we know you actually donate the money? I mean we'd be dead so who's to say you give the money to the charity of our choice. I don't doubt the legitness of your business, but people with money usually use death as a way to make more money. You see it all the time when famous people keel over." he said a little quietly. He already knew the charity he would pick, but he wanted to make sure that his death wouldn't actually be in vain. He signed his name the last couple times making sure it was slightly legible and then put his pen down.

He never had the privilege of going to a school where you learned cursive so his signature looked like a child trying to mimic their parent. He hid it a little embarrassed. He found himself once again watching Chronus with close eyes. Now that he'd had a bit to cool down he felt like there was something more to the rich brat, but he wasn't sure if he'd allow himself to actually like the kid. He didn't seem strong physically so it wouldn't surprise him if Chronus was the first to die on a job.

---

---

Chronus let out a long, almost evil laugh before settling himself back down. He knew that he was the outcast amongst the outcasts but never in his life did he think they would be so blunt about it. Frustration writhed around inside of him, and he raised his hand up against Ryker glaring at the man. Chronus knew full well that he was a selfish, entitled fuck, but at least he was civil about it. He had no ill will towards anyone in the room, and he was tempted to leave just as the one man did but he did no such thing. Bringing his hand down, Chronus picked up the dropped the music and put it back into his bag once more. Grinding his clenched teeth, he suddenly grabbed Rykers’ shirt pulling the shorter man up to his level snarling at him in the most professional, ice cold, manner one could muster. ”Don’t ever touch my music again. You are the scum on my shoe and nothing more. You will never be anything more than that. I am the king of my craft, I sit atop a throne alone, one your wildest dreams could never think of.” A wicked grin spread on his pale, doll-like face as he shoved Ryker down. ”I wouldn’t even spit in your direction. How dare you think you have the authority to tell me what to do. Leave? Leave simply because you said so? I don’t take to people telling me what to do all too well. I can unlock the floors of hell you’ve never been to before and shove you right in, since I am entitled and what not. I have the money, resources and enough boredom to do so. I am the last person you want to make irritated. And me? Wearing name brand clothing? I am in a hoodie and jeans. I don’t go around flashing my money, I let my talent speak for me. Which is more than you can say at least. I don’t need to look powerful to be powerful.” His eyes locked with the older mans, the stormy grey colour empty, no emotion running through them to match his words. Tearing his gaze away from him, his twisted face returned to the ever bored state it typically looks like.

His hollow gaze now hit Nina, her words fell out of her mouth too easily. Almost as if she was expecting something like this to happen, it all felt so scripted. Chronus knew he has a notoriously short temper, but to go so far as to be physical and twist his face like that? It was so unlike him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something like this was supposed to happen. Or perhaps he was overthinking it… But his thoughts suddenly stopped in their tracks the moment Nina said something about how his parents had gone missing. ”Haaah??? My parents are missing from Pompeii? Seriously?” It felt like time had froze around him, he couldn’t formulate sentences. He had remembered that his father sent him an email about a business trip to Pompeii and he was going to book a few of his shows while he was there. For them to go missing left him very confused, they were very important figures around the world sure but they always had security with them. Did something happen…?? More questions brewed inside him, panic and confusion once more melded into the all too familiar feeling of irritation. Yet his face...his face was fine. Once again, his outward appearance was completely neutral. Almost as if he didn’t care. He was unimpressed with Nina’s words and they most certainly did not scare him in any way. If anything they made him uncomfortable, the fact that the family bank account was frozen meant his parents truly had something happen to them. And while he figured finally having them off his back would give him some sort of relief, it did the exact opposite. He felt more stressed than ever. Chronus knew that his reasons for feeling like this were completely wrong, but he couldn’t help it through. Finally, after mulling over his thoughts and staying silent, he spoke up. ”Suspect me? I have never been close to my parents, but I never would want them to disappear. I am not worried at all to be perfectly honest. If I learned anything from those two insolent people, it’s that no matter how far I am… They are always watching me. That I can’t escape, no matter the distance.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he flipped his hair from his face.

Strolling over to the table where the papers were, he put his arm on the counter and let his head fall in his hand. He looked over Cedar for a quick moment, she spoke very timidly yet he was curious about her photos. But the curiosity faded just as quickly, causing him to now look at Sara. She looked very annoyed over the whole spectacle, which he couldn’t blame her. Both him and Ryker were slightly out of hand but he felt no need to apologize. Chronus was provoked after all. All he was doing was trying to tell them how fishy this all was, and yet they all were blinded by the prospect of money which he had plenty of so he was the only one able to keep a straight mind about things. About how this whole project thing was very sketchy, he still had many more questions. He almost thought about calling the family lawyer to take a look at thing but that honestly seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. Chronus desperately wanted to back out, to turn around and go home, to figured out what happened to his parents. But if these people had something to do with it, then wouldn’t it make sense to stay on the inside of things? To stay informed? But were his parents really worth all the trouble they were causing right now? Chronus shook his head, knowing that he wouldn’t like the answer either way. Glancing at James figure, his legs twitched ever so slightly. But wouldn’t that mean Ryker won? The thought of losing to brat like him made him angrier than his parents going missing. He has never lost at anything. His room back home was full of glittering trophies, ribbons, and awards of all kinds, each and every single one for first place. His intelligence and talent got him everything he wanted, so to be challenged by someone who has most likely never won a damn thing in their life was unacceptable, as he has beat out everyone who HAS won at least something. His pride wouldn’t stand for it.

Grinding his teeth, Chronus radiated an aura of irritation. He hadn’t had such an annoying internal conflict in such a long time, he didn’t really know how to deal with it. Even if outwardly, his face showed no sort of emotion, if one had a keen eye they would be able to tell that his jaw was moving ever so slightly with his teeth grinding. His next movements were elegant, his arm raised like a conductor's, he held a pen in his hand. ”I had no intention of signing today. I did not want to work for you and this sketchy organization. You expect me to not question where you found my music? You want me to just accept that you found it and to be happy with it? Had I not came here, I would’ve done just that.Sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong is my specialty, I often try not to ask too many questions because it is a bother. Everything about this was bothersome. I don’t enjoy leaving my house unless I have to. Do I honestly look like the type of person who would fare well out in the elements in abandoned places when, if I were to hurt my hands or feet in any way, my carrier would be ruined? Obviously not. You don’t even have to kid yourself with that. I am perfect at everything though, there is not a thing I cannot do but there are things I will not do because I am smart. However…” He paused, letting out a long breath, his jet black hair moving to hang in his face, ”I still have a lot of questions for you guys. I am above you and your ideals. I will figure out this places truth, I intend to know what you did to my parents. And I have a feeling you guys are hiding something. I could be wrong, paranoid even, but my intuition is telling me this is so. It’s a farce, and I may be the only person to see it right now, but that doesn’t worry me. You revealed yourself to the wrong person. I am smarter than whoever is in charge here, I will figure it all out.” His empty face didn’t change at all while he spoke. His words were cold, precise and dangerous.

Bringing his hand down, his hand wavered over the contract. Ryker really got under his skin, it almost made him feel like he was moving his hand for him, all over putting his pride on the line. How stupid, ridiculous even, Chronus wanted to let out a pitiful laugh for himself. Had he not scuffled with him, had Rykers utter arrogance not gotten in the way he would not be here about to do something that every fiber of his being was screaming at him not to do. ”I do have one request however. When I go on tour once more, or when I have a performance, I have to be there. I won’t let this little game get in the way of my job as a professional musician. Am I understood? I will never prioritize this over my real job. If they happen to line up at any point, please do know that I will not go with this one. You will have to do this without me.” His hand didn’t move at all as he waited on her confirmation. His pride or not, he had a status to maintain.