Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2022
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
With April, an activity check has arrived for members to do! Please post on the AC and tag all your accounts, including WIPs and OOC accounts. Failure to post on this AC will result in your accounts being marked inactive or deleted. Please note, due to a late start, the due date for this check has been adjusted for one time and one time only.
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Compromised information promised and given to a single soul summoned the suspicions echoing in the chambers of Felix's mind. A mere day prior as summer stepped away for the readying approach of autumn had TRS been ambushed. Crucial information countered despite stealth being assured and confirmed, leading to concerns stirring inside Felix. The purple-haired male discovered himself with a lack of faith towards the woman he handed the entirety of his information to in hopes of preserving their troops and bringing the Assembly closer to the brink.
Then the TRS were successfully ambushed in lieu of the information, as though the Assembly became aware of their ambush attempts. A counter that injured many and led to the hospitalization of a portion of their hunters. Narrowly had the group managed to escape the clutches of the Assembly without someone being murdered in the process. It was nothing short of miraculous that their struggle assured them freedom. Thus, Felix provided his suspicions to the scouting division, sharing his concerns regarding the recent information leaks.
Naturally, the information would reach back to the woman who possessed the moniker, Tessa Harmon. The informant hardly minded a circumstance of distrust so long as they were not placed together or she acted as the receiver of his intelligence. In the aftermath of it all, Felix strode the halls with Bruce following closely behind him. They were awaiting return information to proceed with their gathering efforts. Once granted a precise location, he and Bruce would venture out on another mission to gain data about the Assembly of Phantoms.
Thus, for the time the pair decided to consider the instance of peace their break. While a majority would idly sit without a single care in the world, Felix's restlessness kept them upright. Unless wounds were across his or his partner's flesh, the blind man preferred to roam. Alertness played in his static, the movements echoing in every action reflecting in his electro abilities. As they strolled further, a sigh escaped Felix's lips, gentle as his cane tapped against the tiled floors. It was a force of habit related to his guises of being entirely blind.
The rhythmic steps of their movements were everything he detected with the occasional passerby rushing past. The regular races of the TRS to counteract AP strategies keeping the organization rolling. For a moment they stopped, heading to the side of the hallway to allow a group of TRS members through. They remained stationary, assuring each group their passage through the hallway to continue their work.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]The AP's latest ambush on the TRS had come as a surprise. A surprise to everyone but one Tessa Harmon, of course. While it would have been too dangerous to follow up on the information she'd given the AP to ask about their plans, not to mention the fact that it was safer for her to be able to deny that sort of information anyway, it didn't take too much to guess what would go down. The TRS was going to ambush them and the most aggressive response was to get an attack in first. It hadn't done too much damage, a fact Tessa found herself oddly relieved about, but it had been enough to knock the air out of the TRS and delay any future attacks for a while.
Unfortunately, it took a niche bit of information for the AP to know when to lodge the attack, which left Tessa with something of a mess to clean up. She had known it could cause some issues before she'd even passed on the intel, and she had been making preparations to prove her innocence since the very moment Felix Mellobrook had given it to her.
Receiving information like that was always conflicting. Tessa had all but given up her entire life so that she could infiltrate the TRS and become a truly useful agent for the AP. She wanted to give everything she could, but she also understood that it was a balancing act to maintain her cover. There were plenty of people in the TRS that could vouch for her supposed hatred of the AP, but that would mean nothing if she did something truly incriminating.
When she had been called in to talk to some higher ups it hadn't been a surprise, but she acted like it was anyway. A few choice defenses and emotional manipulations had her off the hook pretty quickly, although she was willing to bet another slip up soon would command more scrutiny. That left her with one last person with suspicions to smooth over. No one had explicitly brought up Felix's name, but it was pretty obvious he'd been the one that brought her behaviour to light.
Tessa didn't know what to think of Felix. Although he was for all intents and purposes a blind man she knew there was more to it than that. He could navigate well enough and he had the tendency to see through ruses that others wouldn't be able to. It would have been fascinating to observe if it wasn't directed at her.
As she walked down the hall, she steadied her breathing. Appearances or other visual manipulations wouldn't do her any good, so she would have to make she was following through on her act to the very core. Whatever his enhanced senses were, she wouldn't allow herself to look like a fool by not monitoring her breath or making some other miniscule error like that. Continuing down the hall she loosened, and added a controlled shake to her breath.
She was walking at a faster, more distressed pace by the time she managed to actually find Felix. She hesitated very intentionally before speeding up more to catch up. "Mellobrook! We need to talk." she called, her voice carrying down the hall. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Silently, Felix waited for the passing individuals venturing down the hallway. The static around him sensing the wall of a man at his flank as they remained against the wall. Steadily, the blind man's cane remained firm against the hard flooring of the TRS. The informant's world was filled with the clacking of shoes moving down the hallway. Plans filtered through Felix's mind as he debated the future missions of himself and Bruce. There was plenty the pair was required to accomplish for the organization's sake.
From the opposite end of the hallway, his last name echoed down the walls upon the passing of the individuals. Out of instinct, Felix faced the source of the noise, his mind already deducing the source of his name. In the context of the recent happenings within the TRS and additionally the tones, cadence and general noise of the voice, Felix easily figured who would seek his attention. Naturally, after the accusations were made, Tessa Harmon would arrive to register complaints with his reporting of concerns and information.
The quickened pace of steps growing closer summoned a sigh between his lips. He should have expected complaints from the individual he accused of potentially leaking information.
"Miss Harmon, if you're here to inform me about how wrong I am, I assure you I do things out of caution. We both know the limited nature of that information, just as I know myself and Bruce are not responsible for a leak in it," the blind man explained.
The words were simply stated, Felix hoping to ward off any wild defending. Alas, knowing how circumstances proceed, the purple-haired informant doubted the woman would not try. Whether it was to protect her guise or out of anger at the accusations was to be determined by the arriving conversation.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Tessa's eye widened as she caught up to the inseparable duo and listened to Felix's calm explanation. She had been hoping for some sort of emotion. If he kept a level head it would emphasize any trace of anger she showed, painting her as unsteady or overly emotional herself. Or maybe it would just be the obvious act any spy would use to clear their name. Thankfully, she was not just any stupid spy. She had been playing this game for a long time and she knew exactly where the pitfalls were. She would have to come up with a new approach on the spot, but she'd always been a quick thinker anyway.
Her gaze darted towards Bruce for a moment before returning to Felix. Even if the bodyguard was a silent observer in most cases she'd have to convince both of them so playing on Felix's emotions would be a tricky approach. Innocence, naivety, and an undeniable support for the TRS would be the way to go, then. "Oh, no, I totally get it." she replied quickly. "And I don't want to throw any accusations at you. In fact, I'm glad you reported what you did. As members of the TRS it's important that everyone reports suspicious activity. Whether or not those suspicions are well-founded is beside the point when it comes to the safety of the organization." Plus, if everyone reported everything it would make her job a lot easier. She liked predictability, and there was nothing worse than when someone decided to keep some subtle clue she'd dropped to themselves. She was sure there were some people out there who were suspicious of her but had kept it to themselves so they could hold it over her later.
She returned her mind on the subject at hand. She had to transition from not caring that he'd reported her to defending her case. She'd made bigger jumps in the past. "That being said, the TRS is like a home to me and I care what the people in it think of me." Even a half truth like that felt wrong on her tongue. 'The TRS is like a home.' Her definition of the word 'home' had never involved anything as... safe as the TRS. She was far more at home amongst masters of deception and manipulation. "I know my hands look bloody but could you please give me a chance to, I don't know, clear my name in your book? You don't have to change your mind about me, but I'd really appreciate it if you at least give me a chance. Preferably somewhere more private?" she glanced around, very aware that while the halls may have been relatively empty at that moment, someone could pass by at the worst possible moment and pick up some suspicious bit of conversation. She didn't feel like clearing that up too. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Consequence always existed in the tracks of action. A single report to higher authorities inevitably summoned the circumstance he was served with. The two tracks unfolded themselves inside his mind, the entire plain inside him rolling similar to a chess board. While the evidence to support his suspicions was lacking enough for reprimanding action, the possibility kept his wary. If Tessa Harmon held malicious intent to the TRS, Felix was required to hide cards beneath his sleeves when in her presence to maximize the success in his missions.
The psychological chess game would inevitably begin, and Felix planned on participating until his suspicions were entirely cleared. There was a chance the Assembly of Phantoms merely got lucky and predicted their movements, however, naivety was a foolish man's downfall. A subtle raise of the brow arrived with the accepted reasoning behind his reports to the higher officials. In a way, Felix expected anger, thus a resignment to the necessities of those actions was an oddity, however, his familiarities with Miss Harmon were limited at best.
Proper predictions would be ascertained through extended periods of discussion between the pair. For now, Felix's brain would detail every portion of this conversation, the vividness of his memory beyond that of any regular individual. The informant's hands rested on the top of his cane as he allowed the tip to remained stationed on the tiled floor.
"Then I am overjoyed you arrived at that conclusion," Felix answered her. "The organization's safety arrives first and foremost, therefore, I am not planning to overlook anything questionable. Even if the perpetrator was Bruce."
Briefly, Felix's hands adjusted, lifting the cane to gesture to the burly, wall of a man behind him. While the purple-haired man prayed the interaction would be brief, it appeared the young scout had further information for them. As she entered the subject of TRS being considered her home, Felix already predicted where everything would be heading. There were no twitches in the man's phlegmatic expression as he listened to the woman's words. These were the expectations of dangerous allegations towards one's loyalties to the agency.
An Assembly of Phantoms member would inevitably be imprisoned and questioned with zero hopes of witnessing the sunlight unless they cooperated. The young woman made her intentions clear, the wishes to remove the squalid marks from her name from a single report. Her articulate nature was something unpredicted, alas, the informant, aware there was plenty of time remaining before the following mission, knew being uncooperative would not be helpful. If there was more information about the present information leak he could gather, Felix was required to take it.
A sigh breathed through his partially opened lips. Despite his wishes to proceed with his discussions his Bruce Andonov about their next moves, this would prevent an obstacle in the long run. He doubted she would merely let everything drift down the river for long, innocent or guilty.
"Very well," the informant answered. "Bruce and I have time before we brief on our next mission. Now, where would you wish to discuss these matters? Furthermore, before there are any complaints, my bodyguard will be in attendance no matter the arguments you may have. Whether I believed you or not, it is within Bruce's job requirements to watch over me."
The informant knew Bruce was a tactful man, capable of analyzing expressions. Despite his wishes for independence, Felix would admit the bodyguard was a magnificent partner. The light dragon possessed the eyes required to analyze crucial details his blinder ones could not or that his electrokinesis failed to detect. Thus, if discussions between himself and Tessa Harmon were necessary, Felix desired his bodyguard's attendance. In order to maintain a smoothed over reasoning, the informant even included the bodyguard's job requirements to made counter-arguments difficult, if not, impossible.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Sometimes it surprised Tessa how predictable people were. For the most part she could determine what someone would say or do, not because she could follow their logic but because she knew better than to assume people based their decisions off of logic like she did. They went with their gut, and their guts could easily be manipulated. Felix, however, made it hard to anticipate his actions. His face was impossible to read, but he was upfront about his intelligence. It gave him away. If he played along a bit more she might have assumed he was like anyone else. As it was, she would have been surprised to find him an unworthy opponent in a duel of wits or perception. Regardless of whether or not she thought him to be a little rough around the edges, it was a pity he had chosen to align himself with the TRS. He would have made a good informant for the AP.
Her idle thoughts were cut off by a single comment. 'Even if the perpetrator was Bruce.' It was a lie, but he'd said it without a trace of doubt in his tone. Tessa glanced at Bruce, curious to see what his reaction to suck fickle loyalty would be. Regardless of what Felix thought, Tessa doubted he would actually turn in his body guard. She knew first hand how hard it could be to betray people, even if what they had done was wrong. If she was more honest with herself, that would define her relationship with the Assembly. She pushed the thought out of her mind. If she let herself get hung up on it she'd be distracted and she couldn't slip up.
As Felix went on, Tessa kept wide eyes fixed on him, analyzing his expression under the guise of what she hoped Bruce would see as a polite attentiveness. "Would people really raise complaints about that?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Since she was a child, she had always excelled in deceit and intel gathering, but that didn't mean she hadn't grown over the years. When she was 12 she might have cut him off eagerly to inform him that she had no complaints, but training under Octavio and learning the skills required to be a Scout from the TRS had taught her to let people say whatever they were going to say before adding any input. There was a firm connection between gathering information about someone and properly lying to them, so anything she could pick up on without prompting with suspicious questions could be considered vital information.
From Tessa's perspective, it seemed like he was a bit too insistent that Bruce had to be there as a body guard. Something deeper had to be going on, even if she didn't know what. Was there some threat putting him in more danger that she could see or did he rely on Bruce's different perspective on complicated situations far more than she had originally though? Regardless of the answer, she made a note to pay attention to any communication between the two, verbal or otherwise. It could be hard to tell if they had some sort of coded way of talking to each other without being extra cautious.
She had considered where she'd wanted to talk to him in anticipation of being asked. It was relatively benign on the surface, but what she chose actually held quite a bit of meaning. She had to choose somewhere that either put them on even ground or gave him the advantage. She didn't anticipate any trouble, but if she were analyzing someone's words she would make note of where the balance stood to determine the mentality they were approaching the upcoming interaction with. The safest thing was leaving the decision open for him to choose, but he had passed it back to her and she wasn't interested in wasting time playing hot potato with a such a small matter that he might not have even been paying attention to.
"Uh- Where to talk..." she muttered to make sure it didn't look like she'd put thought into this decision. If she was trying to prove she wasn't a lying, scheming spy the worst thing she could do would be to make it obvious that she had already played out the multiple different paths this conversation could take in her mind. Not it would do her much good. She was already getting the feeling she'd have to stay on her toes and play this as if it were an active battlefield, considering the road ahead as it twisted and turned. She suppressed the urge to grin. This was her favorite game and it had been a long time since she'd had a worthy opponent.
"I'm not really sure. Not here though." she said lightly and shook her head, "How about the cafeteria? I could actually use a bite to eat." As far as she was concerned it was the only real option. There were very few private locations within the TRS headquarters, and she wouldn't move their interaction to a secondary location by suggesting somewhere outside of the building. As a scout she had an office, but that would be her own turf which wasn't what she wanted either. The cafeteria wasn't an explicitly private location, but it was pretty far from any meal times and she had paid enough attention in the past to know that it would be relatively empty now. Plus it was large enough that the few people that would be there could be avoided, which made it much better than the hallway. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]The neutrality in Felix's expression was evident as his phlegmatic nature suppressed emotional response. Despite its stifling of relationships, it assisted in the clever art of masking. A guarded, difficultly read expressed resulted in hardships for others, especially given the state of human nature. Regular human interaction summoned the copying of expressions, but as an emotionally suppressed individual, Felix made it difficult for others to harness those mundane parlor tricks. Mental notes and inner ticks would were devoid of him, rather, his countenance was stubborn, remaining its closed-off phlegmatic nature.
Whatever chess game was destined to unfurl between them brought about a curious stir within Felix. Through his short life, the purple-haired man had been greeted with his share of swindlers and conmen. A majority of blind individuals were vulnerable, thus, natural those beliefs were asserted over him as well. Immediately, Felix prepared himself to scrutinize his opponent's words and actions, the static clouding into the air. These were his tools for sight, prepped and refined for sight and crucial analysis.
The mention of complaints being raised was met with a stiff nod. There were a limited amount of people who showed themselves as ignorant to the requirements of bodyguards and their services. While occasionally, people would request their guards to remain behind, Felix, nowadays, was learning the betterment of Bruce's presence.
"People can be ignorant, Miss Harmon. I may wish for it not to be the case, but unfortunately, it gets perpetuated," he stated with a gentle sigh. "Thus, I dispel anything before it results in a boilover."
Ulterior motives existed beneath the requirements, however, the necessity remained. There were few expressions on Bruce's face as he remained behind Felix, prepared to tail his charge as required. Discussions would occur in the aftermath, and the informant was prepared to entirely digest the circumstance and nitpick at the details. The movements of the woman's face were detected, alas, nothing substantial would arrive with their present transactions. These were the meagre stepping stones into a greater pond of knowledge to arrive, and Felix planned on investing himself fully.
Nonetheless, every detail would be documented by his superior memory. The inner archives of his endless thoughts and memories would allow for a proper analysis when a suitable time arrived and for the counterarguing of specific points or contradictions in the face of lies. In short, Felix was entirely prepared for the focus-powered game of debate. While the informant could not detect her feigning of unprepared plans, he maintained a skeptical mindset. There was a chance she thought out her decisions, thinking of where the pieces would lay on the chessboard.
Nobody wanted to readily admit to pondering the realm of possibilities for destiny's charted course, especially when surprising elements could be used for an advantage. The gifted questioned nothing, remaining quiet as she decided a suitable location. Whether she provided them with the comfort, herself or nobody mattered naught in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, everything hanging from the line came down to the unfolding battle of wits. The suggestion of the cafeteria was promptly greeted with a nod from the informant.
"Very well, cafeteria it is then. If you prefer, Bruce and I can pick a table while you gather some food," the informant offered.
Before she could answer, Felix began moving down the hallway, Bruce following behind. The conversation was bound to take place shortly and these were significant affairs. Every stride would bring them closer to the cafeteria, Felix's ears listening to his surroundings. If Tessa wished to contest the decision or desired to add additional details to the circumstance. His steps were measured as Felix proceeded down the hallway, heading for the large double doors of the cafeteria. Upon his entry, he paused for a moment, waiting to check Tessa's movements upon their entry.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Tessa hated how neutral Felix remained. She was a master at playing off emotions, but she couldn't do that successfully if she couldn't get a good read on his emotions in the first place. It wouldn't throw her off completely, of course. The TRS was a faction in a war, and many of the people she dealt with, especially the older ones, had developed thick skins. Guarded cynicism was as much of a starting place as anything else. It just meant she'd have to work a little harder to make sure she was subtle. If she tried too hard to twist his thoughts he was probably the type of person that would get suspicious. Truly innocent people may have a desire to clear their names but they'd be willing to settle for a discontent understanding. As long as that understanding was enough to make sure he didn't cause problems for her she'd be willing to settle. [break][break] As Felix began down the hall, Tessa followed a couple of steps behind, wanting to note how he and Bruce naturally interacted without it seeming too suspicious. She had interacted with the pair before so it wasn't like this was her first bit of insight on them, but every bit could help. "Fine by me. Would either of you like anything?" she offered. The moment away to grab food would be good. Clearly she couldn't rely solely on emotional plays to get what she wanted so reworking her plan a bit was a good idea. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Their stroll down the hallway possessed the familiar notes of duty. Steadily, Bruce kept pace, a hulking shadow behind the purple-haired young charge who strode forward. Throughout their journey, the dragon’s eyes accomplished a sweep of their surroundings, analyzing everything and maintaining a subtle tab on the other attendant. While it was accomplished primarily through other senses, Bruce could never hide the curious glance over his shoulder at the young woman following behind them. The movement of the head perched upon his neck made it inevitable.
From behind, she held a particular vantage point, however, her movements were tactfully pinpointed by the young informant. Should anything abnormal be accomplished whenever the hawk-like eyes of Bruce wavered, the static field manifested by Felix would catch it. Each step was measured on their way to the cafeteria, Felix maintaining a high awareness of their surroundings. Though, upon their entrance, a separation was bound to occur given the circumstance. At the mention of fetching something for them, Felix shook his head.
“No thank you,” he answered. “Bruce? Would you like anything?”
The large man with white locks shook his head. Non-verbally responding to the shake, Felix nodded before turning away. A display of the hidden talents possessed by the blind man, however, his peculiar method of sight was no secret. The members of the TRS were aware Felix viewed the world through other means, but the specifics were the unknown factor for a portion. After the exchange, they retreated through the rows of tables, heading to a smaller table on the far side of the cafeteria where they could discover some privacy.
While the cafeteria was relatively empty, Felix wished for privacy to discuss these affairs. The accusations were easily surmised as fatal to certain TRS workers. Thus, without a wish to stir any ruckus amidst the ranks with his accusations towards Tessa, he picked quietness. The purple-haired man settled at the small table, Bruce taking residence at the chair next to him. This left the two chairs across from the information duo. Stationed beside him would be the cane, a relatively useless tool given his capabilities, but brought along to manifest the illusion of helplessness and for emergencies where the static fizzled out.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"] Tessa was aware of Bruce casting the occasional glance in her direction, just as she was aware of him keeping tabs on the rest of their surroundings. It must have been a strange job to always have to be on guard, especially considering the casual relationship he seemed to have with his charge. She herself spent a lot of time paying attention to her surroundings, but her focus was more on determining how others were seeing her and even then she almost always had the occasional opportunity to relax at some point.
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Tessa brushed aside her errant thoughts and nodded as both Felix and Bruce declined her offer to grab them anything. ”Alright, I’ll catch up with you guys soon then,” she said.
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She headed off to the line which surprisingly had a couple of people in it despite the time of day and grabbed a burger and some fries as the line edged forward. Slowly a plan started to formulate in her mind. If she got emotional things could go downhill very quickly. She was usually good at keeping a handle on any genuine emotions. They were there, but they were murky, streaming in with their faded, twisted rays like the sun at the bottom of the ocean. It was arrogance that shone through the brightest, and it was that same arrogance that could get her in the most trouble. Her opponent was intelligent. She couldn’t afford to underestimate him. She also couldn’t afford to get defensive. If she was too confrontational people would notice and they’d get suspicious too. It was a fine line she’d be defending, especially considering her overall lack of knowledge on Felix. [break][break] Finally at the end of the short line, she greeted the cashier - one of many people she’d long ago made a point to become friends with - and paid for her food. She took a step then hesitated to looked around and locate the pair of consultants before walking over and taking a seat across from them. ”I’m back,” she declared needlessly. She ate one of the fries then began speaking. ”So how much do you know about my… history with the Assembly? It’s not something I’ve tried to keep secret but I’ve been a part of the TRS for a long time now so I’m sure the gossip has died down somewhat.” It was hard to estimate how much any given person knew about her, no matter who they were. In the AP it was safe to say her name and image were known, but many in the TRS trusted her enough that she wasn’t an immediate suspect. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Once comfortable at the table, Felix patiently waited for the woman determined to clear her name. The blind informant was uncertain how everything would unravel. His reservations about the circumstance left him a tad cynical towards Tessa’s intentions, but he was required to quell his tongue. His accusations were not baseless, the information shared between them was limited and appeared not fabricated given the difficulties in grasping it. The purple-haired informant was attempting to maintain an open mind, however, he knew Bruce would not leak the information.
Throughout their partnership, Bruce was a steady asset in the battle against the Assembly of Phantoms. Few instances existed where information was leaked and countered in suspicious circumstances, even in moments where plenty of people was brought attention to the data. Thus, inside the blind man’s head, there was a substantial reason for his suspicions. Fortunately, it kept him apprehensive and prepared to question whatever Tessa would state. As her footsteps rang in his ears and the young woman returned, Felix was prepared to listen to whatever she wished to state.
He nodded at her return, the man patient as he waited for the woman to begin. The opening comments served as mere door openers to the heavier, underlying topic. The status of Tessa's previous loyalties. Gossip circulated, and with a memory incapable of forgetting the blandest facts, Felix remembered each one word for word.
"I've heard my share," he began, clicking his tongue softly. "Miss Harmon, I hope your defence does not entirely consist of you being a runaway. I understand your history has turbulence that suggests your loyalty to TRS is beyond that of an average agent, but it cannot be a defensive measure. There are plenty of people TRS has protected throughout the years, and it has bitten the hand of the protector."
The purple-haired man laid out the topics he wished to avoid hearing. The notion of a drawn-out conversation on how the woman was an Assembly of Phantoms runaway appeared as a baseline defence. Thus, he disarmed the potential shield in hopes of steering Tessa into a predicament should feign innocence hinge on her past. The informant was searching for a stumble, points where he could pick at any deceit or potentials for an underlying truth. There was a chance he could gain a negative opinion from his monotone words, however, he was a pursuer of truth, not a sympathizer.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]I'll show you how the game is played
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[attr="class","inner-finally"] Although Tessa was slightly disappointed by Felix’s response, she kept her face neutral and prepared her next words in her mind. She hadn’t asked because she particularly cared what he thought of her past, she was merely trying to develop a baseline. She usually assumed any association with the AP was a red flag to most people, so the fact that he skipped over that to the assumption that she hated them for the things they’d done to try and destroy her actually put her in a better position than she’d been expecting.
”No it’s quite the opposite, really.” her lips spread into a smirk, “I’m not about to go on some patriotic rant about how the very idea of doing anything to help the AP disgusts me. I’m just trying to be up front. If you hadn’t heard I was raised by the Assembly and found out later it would look like I was trying to hide things. A lot of people are naturally suspicious of me so I like to make a point of not hiding anything. I’m an open book.” That was a policy she lived by. If she was open on little things it made most people assume she was safe to let down their guard around too.
”Don’t worry, I’m not basing an argument on character witness either. But if you want to talk about basing an argument on faulty facts, your suspicions are circumstantial at best. You gave me that information, yes, but there are people higher than me that I report to. In an organisation this big it’s hard to guarantee how many people actually know even the best kept secrets. It could be that the AP has an informant with access to some high clearance databases. Or it could be that the information you received was leaked by the AP with the intention of setting up the TRS and making them drop their guard. It wouldn’t be an unwise plan on their part.” She kept her tone as even as she could. She didn’t want him to get defensive but she needed him to see the holes in his theory. That would be the fastest way to bring all of this to an end. [break]
[attr="class","blindballottalker"]Hands grasped together and positioned atop his lap, Felix listened to the young woman. Hopping to potential conjectures was merely natural for the purple-haired informant. Inside his head was a spiralling web of information, stretching out and leading to the potential reasons for Tessa’s actions. The purple-haired informant’s face remained neutral as he listened to the defence. His skepticism was strong beneath her so-called proof that there should be doubt within the whistle-blown happenings. However, his mind fixated on her opening; why bring up her history if it was not privy to the circumstance?
Inside his mind, he could not resist suspecting a pity grab with her words. Perhaps it was aged cynicism or genuine knowledge about the occurrences within the organization. By reporting the leak in information and who it was passed on, Felix was accomplishing the crucial, additional tasks of his occupation. Her points were valid about how information was a chain and furthermore, the Assembly of Phantoms was deceptive. Yet, something felt off about the entire exchange. He accomplished diligence in reporting the information leak specifically because the likelihood of his information being falsified was low probability.
The matter with those of higher authority receiving the information, while not impossible, was off given records. There were instances of incorrect information or leaks around Tessa Harmon, as would occur with an informant. Comparing the records was the important portion of contention and establishing where exactly the leak may have occurred. The leak occurred after he received and handed off his information, thus, he held reason to suspect the individual he handed it off to. As she finished, he released an inaudible exhale as he leaned back in the chair, straightening his back.
“You may state it is not about the past, but you brought it up,” he began with a frown. “Your past was not the matter of contention, it was the factor of which after handing my information to you, it was leaked. As for the second portion of your argument, given the difficulty and manner in which I obtained this information, the probability of it being falsified is low. I went through a lot of struggles but overheard everything from a safe distance. Additionally, your following argument, that suggests you did not provide this emergency information in a timely manner, as per the requirement. The information was short notice and ultimately, presented little time for a sloppy telephone game.
So you can inform me about information currents and falsified data, but the matter is simple, the chain should have stayed short in lieu of the emergency situation that was occurring at that present moment.”
The purple-haired man was uncertain about Tessa’s arguments. Portions of him, while acknowledging the innocent wishing to be labelled correctly, wondered why she would bother. Furthermore, the sheer invoking of her past suggested wishes of maintaining it in the back of his mind, a whisper informing about his foolishness in mentioning the possibility. The young man doubted anything bad would come of his reporting of the circumstance. If anything, the woman would be spoken to and observed with more watchful eyes.
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The skin is created by Wolf of Adoxography and Gangnam Style. The thread and conversation remodels are by Kagney. The Strange Reality board list, Heal My Soul info center, I Remember Now mini profile and Electric Requiem profile remodel is made by Pharoah Leap. The Who's That Member member list remodel was made by Tictactoe. The Cbox.ws Shoutbox remodel was made by Trinity Blair. All templates used for claims, information sheets, applications, etc are credited to their owners; credits for these can be found in the threads the templates are use on. Images that are used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners, however, they have been edited by Zac with a few being edited by Chibi Magician. The plot, rules and various other information pieces for The Duality of Man are written by Chibi Magician with the assistence of her co-admins, Finnegan and Dremulf, alongside other unlisted people who were kind enough to give their input. The TRS, AP and face claim were all created by Fleur for specifically the use of TDOM. All plugins used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners. The templates my members use are credited to their maker, if you find a template that belongs to you, but is uncredited, please speak to Chibi Magician or the member themself. Characters created on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners and should not be used elsewhere without the creator's permission.
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