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.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
It was a silent trek, back to the cafeteria. Jason half-expected the blonde woman to continue reprimanding him like a worried mother, but no sound came from either the two of them. For some reason, looking at Amelia reminded him either of his sister Jessica, or his mother herself. They both like to reprimand him for over-working himself on things, Mother for him studying too hard late at night when he was still learning and Jessica for his current disposition as a TRS Agent. Anita was a similar matter, but she was sweeter, not good at being stern.
They finally arrive back at the cafeteria, the crowds of people lessening, much to the vampire's relief. The noise from a while earlier was not comfortable at all, but he was glad he was able to hold out. He sees Amelia visibly frowning, and he turns to where she was sitting at. No lunch food was at sight, indicating that it had not been served yet. He spares the young woman a tired, sympathetic smile. He does hope she would be able to eat her lunch soon.
He seats himself on the chair where he once had been situated at, looking around. Agents are leaving the cafeteria, maybe to do more work or simply doze off to rest. He wondered what time it is, but there is no clock situated around the walls of it. He is tempted to ask Amelia for the time, but maybe it would only increase her chagrin of the matter with her food.
He pulls out two of the egg sandwiches he had bought a while earlier, handing one over to the young woman with a small smile. "Do you want one? You seem hungry." And indeed, she does seem so. He suspects she's been waiting to eat her lunch, only to meet a big disappointment. Fatigue is also just as evident in her face, just like his is. There is no reason for a tired agent to no treat an equally exhausted other.
A few minutes of silence ensue as he waits for Amelia to take the egg sandwich. Finally, he sighs, breaking the tension. "...I still plan to partake on the mission, Miss Amelia." He states in a rather serious tone, not turning to her. But his tone is evident enough for one to tell he is serious about what he had said. "Maybe not in the early hours, but probably at night where the sun will not be present. I figure there would be another announcement to go on, and I am also required to stay overnight." He munches on the egg sandwich, surprisingly indifferent with the world around him. "Also, the heat is preposterous and I hate it. So I'm glad you stopped me to remind me of just how much ignorant I am of the weather."
@amelia ● We being stubborn here, ain't we, Jason? ● 000
Before she realised it Amelia's mind was already in shambles, oblivious to the fact that in her haste, she had ingested an excessive dose of her drug. The repercussion of her brief lapse in judgement back in the men’s room has begun to take effect accordingly. As she finally arrived at her table, a placidly vacant expression adorned the weary young woman's previously sour expression. The steady stream of people exiting the cafeteria instinctively drew the attention of the bespectacled shifter's mellow eyes. All the negative tension from earlier was now rapidly fading away as her senses began to slightly impair in a rather peculiar fashion. She then detected a familiar odour from the table adjacent to her, prompting her to turn her head towards it.
Only then was she able to recognise Jason's presence, smiling at her despite the relentless admonishing he received mere moments prior. Quite the oddity, this vampire is for his relatively relaxed reaction to Amelia's analytical behaviour considering that most people would have at least found it in bad taste. Jason then sympathetically offered her a compacted, plastic-wrapped sandwich. Already the health-conscious Amelia could detect the oil oozing from in between the two compressed slices of white bread, staining the creases from within the plastic. She then shook her head and replied "No thank ye, a'm fine." her speech being faintly slurred especially when compared to the stiffness and decorum of her one-side dialogue earlier.
Amelia then cleared her throat, Jason's unexpected boldness in his decision to remain seated to her somewhat caught her off guard. Then again, in optimum condition Amelia could have well discerned Jason's presence even from several metres away. Almost immediately afterwards, Amelia lowered her head, feeling increasingly awkward each passing second she remained here with Jason. Already, a tinge of pink illuminated her face as she patiently awaited her order. Why and for what reason was he following her despite her arguably unfriendly disposition? Moreover, the drug induced drowsiness began to materialise as Jason's stifling presence overwhelmed her train of thought. Was he perhaps expecting an apology from her, or maybe he wished to express something? Whatever it is, Amelia was resolved to seal her lips for now lest she wished to make things more uncomfortable for herself.
Then Jason promptly broke the silence, compelling the now placated yet slightly disconcerted Amelia to compose herself once again. The vampire's desire to participate in the mission has been conveyed, eliciting a jaded sigh from Amelia. Fortunately for him, the slightly spaced out young woman was no longer in the mood for another long-winded lecture. Understandably enough, Jason uttered his subsequent remarks without offering Amelia any eye contact. "How old are yae... if ye don't mind me askin'." she inquired, her Scottish accent slipping out. Honestly speaking, Jason's extremely short-sighted work ethics induced Amelia to question the man's mental age, that in addition to hypothesising the possible circumstances that compelled Jason to 'stay overnight' as he claimed. In under no instances in the TRS protocol was there a directive that necessitated apprentices to be subjected to such gruelling work hours... unless of course this was all under Jason's volition which Amelia perceived to likely be the case considering his clear inclination to take part in missions.
At this point, Amelia could do little to stop him, the least she could do now was to at least help him reform his work conditions. "I don't suppose yer aware of how ridiculous this is aye? I'll only say this once, such behaviour will git yae nowhere" Amelia commented in retrospect to a 'former' comrade of hers back in Russia, no longer bothering to conceal her native inflection this time. "Yer a good lad Jason, likely have many pals as well with that kindness o' yers." Amelia continued in a much more casual fashion, rubbing her forehead as she gave him a calm glance. "Surely there's more tae ye than just solid 24 hours o' work, ah' mean just a wee glance an' everybody can see how puggled ye are." At this point, Amelia's slurring of words gradually worsened as the opiate effects of the drug ovedose began circulating throughout her system.
"Say, ye did'nae drink any blood today aye?" The strangely easy-going Amelia asked, blinking repeatedly all the while. In the meantime, an apron-clad young woman finally approached her table and set down a tray of her long-awaited lunch. Regardless of Jason's answer to her earlier question, Amelia listlessly turned towards the young woman. "Right lassie, a'm gon' tae need a blood bag, preferably O+" Amelia promptly declared before turning back to Jason. "Now listen 'ere lad, ye need more blood in yer system..." She uttered, the stare from beyond the lenses of her glasses exuded just how serious she was. After this she might have to pay Mrs Grans or whoever Jason's mentor is a visit with regards to the vampire's 'working conditions. Amelia, could not in good conscience rule out the possibility of worker exploitation. Whether Jason liked it or not, Amelia will not let the vampire's bullheadedness lead him to his eventual ruin.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
She refuses the egg sandwich being offered; Jason simply shrugs at this, before withdrawing it back inside his coat and munching on his current meal. He should pay attention to the blonde woman's health consciousness if he wanted to offer something she could eat. However, the sudden change of the woman's accent leaves him silently wondering what happened, before turning to Amelia with a raised eyebrow. Was she Scottish? Moreover, what triggered her to switch dialect?
Uncertainty in his face, he is about to ask her if something is wrong with her, but she beats her to it, asking how old he is. This certainly takes him by surprise, and he blinks at her with wide eyes. They'd only hardly ever know each other, so why is she asking for age? Did she notice something aloof in him? Then again, it isn't really a bad thing; even though he wasn't sure if Amelia were to disclose this information to others, he does trust in her quite a bit. Nothing could go wrong by just telling her how old he is, no?
"...27." He responds in a quiet voice, but loud enough for the blonde to hear. At this point, she would be the only one to hear. He is also rather cautious of other strangers hearing how old he is. "What makes you ask, Ms. Sutherland?" He questions back at her with a smirk.
She doesn't seem to hear, as she then makes a comment about his work ethics. Suddenly he doesn't look quite amused, but he hardly ever says anything and just shows it with a look. He's heard quite enough of those comments ever since he's become an apprentice for the TRS. Truth is, it wasn't just his background of working that makes him seem like he is married to his work; he is trying to avoid someone, as well. Working shifts will make it look complicated to the person he is purposefully avoiding.
He doesn't say anything of the matter, however, and makes her talk more. Amusement flashes across his face as she talks about his kindness, and the case of friends noticing how over-worked he is. He sighs and looks back at his half-eaten egg sandwich, fumbling it against his hand. "...I do try not to worry those I am close to, Ms. Sutherland." He says, his eyes softening. "Though I don't see the point of resting when there is so much work to do. Who takes care of the cases if no one is present to solve them? Who protects the city if no one is willing to do it?"
Then his expression darkens and he is reminded of someone else. "...And there is someone I am avoiding. Working makes things complicated for him."
He does not explain the mechanics, and neither is he compelled to do so. The vampire turns to the blonde woman and hears her ask if he has been deprived of blood. He doesn't much care about that, as he's already used to feeding on animals, but he simply nods and shakes his head. But only then does he start to panic once she announces to the approaching waitress that she would order type O blood. His eyes widen as plates and without thinking, he covers the blonde woman's mouth, his consciousness starting to grow.
Then he turns to the flabbergasted waitress with a sheepish smile. "A-Ah, nothing... I think that's all, thank you very much." He explains, chuckling nervously. The waitress shakes her head with the same shocked expression, but she leaves, much to Jason's relief. Then he turns to the woman with a rather reprimanding look. "I would rather not like anyone knowing I am a vampire aside from those who already know, thank you very much."
@amelia ● AMELIA, GOODNESS-- NO ONE ASKS FOR BLOOD IN THE CAFETERIA-- ● 000
Twenty-seven, well into the prime working age yet young enough to be associated with such rookie mistakes. Although Amelia is technically younger than Jason, he has consistently proven not to be the brightest of people in several instances throughout their relatively short encounter. Not only did Jason successfully manage to mistake day for night for he also, quite readily, opted to partake in the mission without heeding the repercussions to his vampiric body. In addition to that, the redheaded vampire's clear-cut intention to still pursue the mission despite his tangibly weary disposition was indeed hard to watch for the otherwise cynical woman. Before she knew it, she inadvertently began being more candid, if not more abrasive with her choice of words thanks is no small part to the overdose prior.
Everyone including her, are just inherently foolish regardless of age and race, that was a philosophy she sincerely believed in. Amelia was offered a high position in law enforcement for a reason. Her brain has technically become hardwired to hunt for information which could then be used as potential evidence.She was wholly conscious to the fact that the only certified and conclusive way for adamantly simpleminded souls to learn... is to learn the hard way. Taking into account Lorsette's current predicament with the upsurge of crime and AP activities, it could only end in two ways for Jason should he persist in what Amelia could only perceive to be a pointless charade; discharged from service... or killed in action. As much as it pains her to admit, she has absolutely no right to involve herself in Jason's private affairs even if it meant saving him.
In the moments following Amelia's heedless rambling, she struggled to retain her outwardly even-tempered demeanour due to Jason's response which she honestly found in bad taste. After all, it was exactly that way of thinking which regrettably caused her fall from grace. As far as Amelia is concerned, the very fact that some people genuinely believed that they could save everything and everyone was downright unfortunate. Regardless, she endeavoured to hold her tongue and, in the process, uncovered some possible theories behind Jason's arguably irrational behaviour. Just as her order had arrived, she wasted no time in requesting for a bloodbag to be sent over. Almost immediately afterwards, a visibly perturbed Jason hastily dashed for her mouth, covering it.
The waitress donned a confounded expression not from Amelia's request, but more from the vampire's nigh instantaneous reaction. As Jason nervously cancelled Amelia's request, the blonde woman remained oddly still as she placidly allowed the vampire to technically hold down her face. Predictably, the hand was soon removed and both of them exchanged stern looks. With Amelia expressing the vampire's apparent need for more nutrition and Jason openly stating his status as a closet vampire, the increasingly lightheaded young woman could only shut her eyes and sigh. "What a wee scunner ye are..." Amelia muttered shortly before languidly leaning, on her back and still staring up at Jason who was still standing next to her. "So lad, s'ppose ye like it raw then..." The blonde woman uttered in a surprisingly sarcastic manner and soon followed it up with an even bolder statement. "Want tae bite me then?" she stated in a dry voice as she arched her head up slightly so as to reveal her neck.
Admittedly though, Amelia herself did not understand the rationale behind her actions as before too long, she rubbed her forehead rather vigorously and her face flushed a slight tint of red. Clearing her throat afterwards, she stated. "Err... apologies for that, though I don't suppose... you... are aware that... bloodbags are in fact, being sold in the cafeteria in accordance tae... to TRS protocols." She explained with her head lowered for a brief moment in her attempt to recompose both her posture and speech, albeit with much difficulty. "With all due respects Mr. Flannagan, I do not see the reason for concealing yer race here in the Lorsette TRS HQ of all places, one o' th' most diverse places in the world mind yae... complete with strict laws banning workplace discrimination an' all." Amelia asserted in a relatively jumbled manner in her attempt to straighten up her language. By now, it becomes apparent her faint yet groggy countenance. Just what is this redheaded vampire making her do?... she herself is not sure anymore.
"Yer kind cannae get sick yet ye sure look th' part, aye... a-a'm nae tryin' tae stop yae, but fer goodness sake t'least deal wi' it lyke a prop'r vampire yae pure goon!"
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
The last thing Jason wanted was to discover how he is absolutely misinformed about TRS protocols.
But beside him is a woman who decides to remind him about it through her words, and for once he actually doesn't have anything more to say again. Blue eyes slightly widen in either disbelief or shock; his mind draws a blank and he does not find any more words to say or argue for the matter. His mouth hangs slightly ajar and he allows Amelia to reprimand him of things he failed to know as an apprentice.
...Then his mind works once more and he finds himself remembering the words imprinted in the handbook he had been given the first time he was admitted as apprentice. There were TRS protocols, and he had read it at least twice, but that was two years ago. The hand book stands discarded and abandoned in one of the shelves, and possibly lying across the floor with other stacks of books that Theodore had failed to read before.
He lowers his head and his cheeks burn red; he stands up from where he is and, without giving a reason for his sudden action, walks up to the counter. He and the counter maiden exchange a few words whispered against each other, before finally she exits and fetches him what he needed.
The vampire returns with five blood bags in a cellophane, the sixth one being held by his other hand and accompanied with a straw that he immediately sips some blood from. He sits back beside Amelia, without a word, setting the cellophane of blood bags just beneath his feet.
...He removes the straw from his mouth and groans, leaning against the chair and allowing himself to slide down. Now he was in a rather... awkward sitting position. "Ugh... I need sleep." Was the only thing he could say, his eyes covered by a sitting arm just above his face. He sips onto the blood bag again.
That pretty much just sums up that he forfeits in this argument.
@amelia ● JUST-- JASON JUST GET SOME REST AND SPARE AMELIA ALL THE TROUBLE OF REPRIMANDING YOU FOR YOUR ETHICS OKAY ● 000
Following Amelia's sudden outburst, her eyes began drifting left and right, avoiding contact with that of Jason's. She may have inadvertently raised her volume more than expected, that, in combination with her distinctive accent may have caught the attention of a few onlookers, much to her chagrin. More importantly, Jason's awfully docile response was unexpected on her part. A few seconds of pause elapsed with the both their reddened faces staring at a downward angle. Suddenly, Jason stood up, prompting Amelia to glance as he wordlessly turned back and walked away. As far as Amelia is concerned, she has done it yet again, sticking her nose to other people's business when she should not. The disgrace she held for her actions betrayed her unmoving yet slightly flustered composure.
She could not help but watch in despondency as Jason made his way towards the counter. Perhaps Jason has made the right decision, associating himself with someone like her will only induce negativity on both sides, at least that was what Amelia believed. Before long, languid hands took hold of the utensils before her and she began casually picking bits and pieces of her long overdue lunch. Upon every bite, quick, repeated glances were made towards the redheaded vampire striking a conversation with a service staff member. Unable to restrain her curiosity, she let out her trademark heavy sigh, her pupils constricted as she concentrated her auditory senses towards Jason's general direction.
Her eyes widened upon uncovering that the simpleton literally ordered five blood bags mere moments after her rebuking him. Moreover, she detected that Jason, for some strange reason, has begun heading back towards her whilst sipping through one of the armful of blood bags. This immediately raised several question in the analytical woman's mind. What on Earth is wrong with this man, requesting for blood bags post-haste after a lecture from a relative stranger. Why order so much, was he actually that deprived of blood to warrant such a hefty amount? Was she the one in the wrong, has she practically bullied this apprentice into complying with her whims? And most important of all why is he coming back? It did not take long before Jason finally arrive back at Amelia's table before lackadaisically settling the bags underneath his seat.
As for the young, blonde woman, Jason's terribly orthodox course of action rendered her head lowered once more in a futile attempt to conceal her flushed face. In response to Jason's... uncharacteristically casual remark, Amelia could only fasten her eyeglasses in position before muttering "Th' hell's wrong wi' yae... did'nae have tae order so much...". Glancing at Jason, she endeavoured to stretch herself upright before further adding "Stop actin' like tha' ye numpty, makin' me feel like an arse here..."
It took a few more bites of her cold lunch before she finally regained enough composure to state "I'm not really one tae speak m’self. A’m actually on leave today y'know... was pushing m’self too hard commissioner said..." This time, her words seem a lot less slurred although traces of it still lingered. "One wrong mover fer me, ah'll shift intae a feral mutt a'right..." She digressed, her eyes noticeably squinting during several instances of her rambling.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
He does not question Amelia's later statement, and he could also just question to himself whatever the Hell is wrong with him today. Was he lacking more sleep than usual? He certainly wasn't paying attention to details. Mistaking noon for night was certainly due to immense fatigue. His refusal to allow Amelia to spill the secrets about his vampire heritage, when he does know that the TRS does not support inequality, is more than anything that could prove him a madman. He groans and keeps himself seated in the position he occupied himself with, lamenting to himself the horrible situation he had dragged himself and Amelia into.
He sighs in exasperation and he closes his eyes, Amelia's first question lingering in his mind for too long. It just deserves a very good answer. "What's wrong with me? Everything's wrong with me." He spoke in a quiet and tired voice, proof enough of his inattentiveness this afternoon. "Didn't you notice, Amelia? I've already gone from insomniac to complete idiot." He deadpanned her at her next statement, and he considers it an insult to herself all because of worrying for him. "But I'm tired. You don't have to feel like a complete arse. I'm not worthy of deeming yourself an ass for."
He then listens from where he is as she talks about her own attitude, and the words her commissioner had told her after she'd pushed herself. Somehow, Jason can always relate. He'd been reprimanded before by higher ups (they acted very much like Amelia, although the blonde was milder in telling him off unlike they were), all because he decided to tire himself out for work. It didn't make sense for him, at first. Why reprimand someone who worked their skin off to get a job done?
But then he remembers she mentioned she was on leave before that. He slightly lifts his arm above his eyes and raises an eyebrow at the blonde. "You're on leave? Then you should be resting!" He almost exclaims, but then remembers his own conditions as well, covering his eyes against his arm once more and deeming himself a hypocrite. "But somehow, I can relate to your situation. Higher ups scolding me for working hard... at first it actually didn't make any sense, until now. But everyone has rules."
He smirks at the mention of a feral mutt. "So you're a shifter?" Of course, he doesn't mean that in an offensive way; it's simply a question of curiosity.
@amelia ● GOODNESS. THIS IS LATE. I HAD A HARD TIME REPLYING BUT STILL. MANAGED. ● 000
Following each and every bite from her long overdue meal, Jason's demeanour progressively shifted to that of a more sombre tone. Nonetheless, it was somewhat a relief that the clearly insomniac vampire was self-aware to a certain degree. All appearances aside, Amelia was hardly as insensitive as she deems herself to be. Perhaps the slight tranquillising effect of her earlier dosage played a huge role in alleviating her irritability yet, she could not deny the fact that admonishing someone like him was hard even for her. Her prior question regarding the vampire's awfully wholehearted compliance to her advice was obviously less of a question and more of an abrupt retort on her part. As Jason began to unexpectedly blurt out words of self-reproach, Amelia felt compelled to once again rub her increasingly sluggish eyes from beneath her eyeglasses.
The disclosure of her own similar circumstances followed suit, to which Jason, of all people, offhandedly mimicked what a certain subordinate of hers would say in this case. Amelia could not help but chuckle at the irony, "Och aye, yer awfy scunnert richt noo!" she blurted out in nearly unintelligible Scottish English, inducing her to clear her throat in embarrassment shortly afterwards."-Ahem... w-what I meant was that you are probably correct" she corrected herself, reverting back to her refined voice. "Though I must admit, that was quite bold, especially coming from yae…" Amelia further asserted, flashing a slight, sarcastic smile in the meanwhile. Before long, the mood lightened up a bit.
At long last, it would appear as though Jason finally uncovered the fact that she was a shifter, as if her suddenly being able to perceive Jason's race and blood pressure was not evidence enough. The fact that the redheaded vampire began displaying the slightest curiosity about her was strangely flattering, which said a lot considering that Amelia typically scoffed at such questions. So to speak, Jason's indifference towards her awfully accurate analysis earlier was more distressing. "Well yes, took ye long enough tae figure out... Then again, in yer current situation, that's understandable" she retorted. Unlike Jason, however, Amelia was still perceptive enough not to spout out hypocritical remarks asking her fellow insomniac to sleep. In fact, all the advice she had given him so far had less to do with him actually resting as much as it was pointers on how to help cope with ridiculously long hours without passing out.
"Well... let's just say I'm a very sick shifter due to some foolish decision I made as a lass..." Amelia subconsciously blurted out, much to her surprise. Lowering her once again flushed face, she hastily thought up of another topic lest Jason feels compelled to inquire further. "Say... ye said somethin' about avoidin' someone earlier aye?" Amelia replied, quickly following it up with "...Ye needn't worry, I would'nae inquire further... though if b-by any chance... ye need any help..." As such, the blonde woman reached for her pocket only to realise that she had forgotten her business card by her office. So much for a smooth delivery, she merely wished to give him the opportunity to contact her if ever. Perhaps Jason was distrustful of local law enforcement, which Amelia could honestly not blame him for, yet he might be more willing to seek help from a new acquaintance.
A few seconds of awkward silence afterwards, a red-faced Amelia rested both arms by her table. "Erm... apologies, I was s'pposed tae hand ye my business card yet I apparently forgot them, silly me..." she stated, after which she arched her head upwards and inhaled deeply before facing Jason. "RCMP, Inspector Amelia Sutherland at your service..." she stated while outstretching an open hand towards him. "-Former TRS Intelligence Officer, 2nd Foreign Affairs Division..." She further declared, so as to add context to her extensive knowledge of TRS protocols, although omitting the Secret Service part of course.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
There is a hint of sarcasm in Amelia's voice at her next statements; he turns to her with a glare and a pout, still sipping on the second blood bag fully equipped with individual straws. "Haha. Very funny." That much is also said with a sarcastic tone, and he perks his head up to the ceiling and closes his eyes once more. Too be honest, he's never been bold to admit to himself that he was wrong. Work has earned the boldness of his heart. Telling himself everything is wrong with him probably is the only correct thing he's said all day.
Her next statements make him nod, but then again a pout on his face was inevitable, as again, Amelia was right about him. "Indeed, haha..." He giggles rather sheepishly, but other than that he could say nothing more of the matter. He was tempted to point this out as well to her, as like him she does seem to be an insomniac who will stop at nothing to get her work done. But he is afraid of getting retorted at by the blonde, so he shuts up. Amelia does seem to know much more than most, even more than he does.
The response to his inquiry concerning her species finally arrives, and he turns to her with curiosity, eyebrows raised. Foolish decision made as a kid... as much as he is interested in what that foolish decision may be, Jason respects privacy and would not dare ask a question if it feels like the subject would be uncomfortable with it. It's much less also like if Amelia, per say, would ask about who he is trying to avoid--
Such question actually does arrive and she asks about the matter, but she does not force him to answer; instead, she tells him she would not ask him about more information about it any further and Jason is thankful for that. He's not comfortable to talking about him. He looks away and chuckles nervously, squeezing the third blood bag from the cellophane. "I'm... glad you won't have to ask any further... I'm uncomfortable if he were the subject of interest." He mutters to himself, inserting the straw into the hole he ripped from the bag.
The sudden offer for help makes him perk his head up, and he turns to the blonde lady reaching for her pockets. An awkward silence follows short, however... and suddenly he finds himself faced with an Amelia who apparently forgot the business card she is supposed to give him. "No, it's fine." He waves a hand dismissively and chuckles, lips tugging at the straw and sipping the blood in it again.
Amelia ends up telling him her business information verbally, and he notes it and the information comes to mind. She certainly has much interesting occupations at hand. The young smiles and takes the outstretched hand and shakes it. "Thank you. I'll take note of that." He states with a nod. "As for me, I think you know where to find me." He does a small finger salute at the higher-ranked female. "Jason Flanagan, TRS Agent, Hunter from Unit Two. If you ever need help as well, you have my assistance."
@amelia ● EYYY. HAVE AT THIS DUMB IDIOT AND REPRIMAND HIM AMELIA. HE NEEDS IT. ● 000
Amelia's somewhat offhanded question has loosened Jason's tongue enough to give her a much clearer theory behind his relationship with said individual. Already, Jason himself frankly admitted that the mere mention of 'him' was distressing for the redheaded vampire. Amelia would be lying if she claims that her choice of words had no subtle intent to make him at least the slightest bit more comfortable about disclosing certain facts yet, she honestly did not expect him to slip up that easily. Perhaps Jason truly was as simple-minded as she initially speculated, that or sleep deprivation simply clouded his wits. The brief seconds of awkward silence that followed were instinctively spent theorising the possible reasons behind the vampire's reluctance to speak up about this one, particular male individual whom he was apparently avoiding. As a stalwart agent of the law, she could not bring herself to plainly overlook such hints.
Perhaps due to her drug-induced stupor, she spent more seconds pondering than necessary whilst casually rummaging through her pockets. To her credit, however, the blonde shifter's listless movements unwittingly masked her pensiveness regarding Jason's issue. Regardless, her attention just as soon shifted towards her blunder with the business card, managing to play it off by formally reintroducing herself. She should definitely wrap the conversation up for both their sake, at the moment, they looked less like full grown adults and more like socially awkward school kids. Nevertheless, Amelia will not leave until she is fully satisfied. She knows full well that after this coincidental meeting, both of them would scarcely have any time to even reconnect with each other.
Shortly after the handshake and Jason's salute, a now vividly drowsy Amelia flashes a faint smile at him whilst withdrawing a black leather ID holder from her breast pocket. Before her eyes fluttered any further, she nonchalantly wrested her glass of water off the table and began hastily gulping down in the meanwhile. Afterwards, she straightened her back before once again gazing over to Jason. "We should definitely exchange phone numbers, if you don't mind of course..." she stated before casually sliding her ID holder towards the centre of the table for Jason to see. "My number's there" Amelia declared prior to pulling out her mobile phone.
Along with Amelia's mobile number, her ID clearly indicated her full name, race, date of birth, rank, department and email. It was indeed more information than necessary yet she felt it much more convenient than having to articulate one's phone number digit by digit. Already, Amelia was in the process of tapping away at her phone, her bespectacled eyes fixated at its wide LCD screen as she so calmly asserted "Please do inform me once you're done keying it in..." Relatively speaking, Amelia is certainly not the type to have reservations about disclosing her contact information to others, yet she interestingly felt a slight hint of self-consciousness this time around, which she plainly presumed to be a side-effect of the drug.
However, that clearly did not hamper Amelia's rather straightforward attempt at getting in touch with someone she had just met. As far as she was concerned, Jason has little reason to decline her gesture considering his questionable inclination to remain by her side so far.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
Even with his recent acquaintance with Amelia Sutherland, he still feels more than uncomfortable when bringing him up in a conversation, even with someone trustworthy enough like Amelia to keep it a secret. He looks at his two thumbs, fidgeting and wrestling with each other as he tries to forget about that man, forget about what he had done-- Jason has done this too many times, though, so it would be an understatement to say that as soon as he focused himself on forgetting, the memory of that man subsides quickly. He sighs softly and ruffles his hair, smiling to himself for having been successful at keeping him away from his head once more.
( sooner or later though Adriano will return again and there is no stopping it )
He turns to Amelia as he opens his fourth blood bag, raising an eyebrow in amusement to her sudden proposal of exchanging numbers. Indeed, that is a right choice; in case they would need each other (although most unlikely since they have their own offices to work in) they would have their phone with him. Although the fleeting contemplation of whether or not Amelia wants to exchange numbers is because of something else, he forces the thought out of his mind as he is not a malicious person to assume other people's intentions.
Once she offers up her contact info, he quickly pulls out his phone from his pocket and begins searching for the contact icon. With a nod to Amelia as she asks him to inform her if she's done, he begins typing up all the information he could see; some things are not necessary, but then again he does need to know more about an acquaintance he approached out of worry in the middle of lunch, and now the one he's exchanging numbers with.
"Alright then. I'm done." He smiles and shows her his contact info. "Here's mine. Do tell me if you're done typing it in as well." He asks her politely, looking at his watch for a brief second before turning to the phone he'd shown at Amelia, for simplicity's sake.
Her deep set aquamarine eyes gazed took the opportunity to gaze at the redheaded vampire, who was rather sluggish in his movements lately. At this point, such abstracted demeanour what was Amelia has expected from the lucidly sleep-deprived vampire, although she may have overlooked just how much this 'person' in question affected him. On another note, her endeavour to remain critical to her near surroundings has inadvertently accelerated her drug-induced weariness. Covering her mouth with a free hand, Amelia yawned.
Hopefully, Jason would abstain from enquiring more about the personal information she had so readily disclosed on her ID. Amelia would have been in the middle of yawning shortly before Jason's following queries urged her her to cease the act midway. By the time Jason finished his sentence and directed his eyes towards Amelia, the blonde shifter merely nodded and hastily began the typing process. In a few seconds time, she was done. "Awrite... am done..." she subconsciously muttered before resting her phone flatly onto the table and sliding Jason's phone back towards him with dexterous fingers.
Before too long, she promptly pocketed her phone and lowered her head. This encounter had lasted for much longer than anticipated, and she did not expected to be so invested in this rather... slow individual. Perhaps it was due to her relative experience with many TRS agents, who unlike her actually had more compelling reasons behind their decision to join. With Zeredah's war still on-going since the Middle Ages, it is indeed unfortunate that the moral compass of many would have been skewed by these agents of entropy. Jason has made it quite clear to her that his choice of overworking himself was more of an excuse than it was a choice.
Amelia then fixed her glasses and casually straightened her dishevelled hair before clearing her throat once more. "Thank very much for your company Jason, I do hope we meet again" a slightly perturbed Amelia stated before clumsily getting up on her feet, clanking on her chair and table in the process. Before Amelia realised, drowsiness may have finally overtaken her senses. Slipping her handbag onto her shoulder, she immediately turned to leave, no longer being able to bring herself to look at Jason with a straight face. Admittedly, she may have bothered the man more than necessary, yet for some strange reason she simply felt that it was the right thing to do.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
Indeed, Jason does not have anymore questions concerning her personal information. What was given to him was more than enough for him to contact her or for them to contact each other if needed. But, in all honesty... of all people Amelia could approach, it does not make sense to him why he deserved the shifter's trust to keep her personal information. Jason simply feels like he does not deserve such information. More TRS agents deserve this more than him, deserve to have her contact information more than he did.
It seems that fate just really likes playing with him for this matter.
The conversations he's had with her are simply strange to think about. Jason would be lying he said that his answers to Amelia's questions are simply for the benefit of having something to tell her in exchange for these questions asked. Was there ever a choice? Once upon a time he could have graduated a police officer like Theodore had, moved to another country like Theodore had... but all the dreams have been crushed once Adriano's assault came to the picture. He had so many choices to make after that, living under Theodore's roof; he became a delivery boy. A clerksman. Many more jobs he could ever count.
Why he chose to become a TRS Agent... the rest of his reasons remain a mystery. Sure, there is that eventual "fighting for justice" statement that most people seem to have for a reason when it comes to joining the TRS. But that was never the primary reason for Jason. Was it simply out of boredom? Was it a drive to fight for justice like most others dreamed of? Or a petty excuse to avoid his brother whom assaulted him long times ago?
...His reasons are unclear. But he is here now.
He sees Amelia slide his own towards his direction across the table upon announcing that she is done writing down his contact information. He nods and takes his phone from the table, slipping it in his coat pocket, where he usually keeps important things. "It certainly is a rather eventful day today, Miss Sutherland." He smiles and proceeds to stand, but does not take his leave as of yet. "I'll be looking forward to our next meeting. It has been nice knowing you, Amelia."
He turns from the table and is about to leave, but from the corner of his eye he sees the blonde struggle to maintain her footing. He spins back at her and is about to help, but it seems she is fine on her own. Standing frozen in place, he closes his eyes and heaves a small sigh.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own?"
@amelia ● I AM LATE AGAIN, FORGIVE THIS FILTHY HOOMAN ;O; ● 000
How unbecoming of her, to expose her debilitated state as a result of her own haste. After everything she said to him, the last thing she needed was Jason worrying about her. Like the vampire, Amelia wished to evade situations where others had to be dragged into her own troubles. In the end, perhaps one of the main reasons for being invested in this older man's well-being was how well she could empathise with his dilemma, as much as the notion vexed her. She has been far too accustomed to taking orders that before she realised, the shackles of those orders still influence her every actions. Never before had she questioned the virtues and protocols embedded into her mind since childhood, despite the fact that such principles were not absolute.
As far as she was concerned, her morals aligned with what society considered to be the greater good, and would do everything in her power to uphold what little semblance of peace is left in this turbulent world. Such a way of thinking was what got her this far, driving her to pursue the noble, if idealistic dream of becoming a heroine the people could be proud of... Likewise, she still clung to the same creed even as it drove her to the brink. Her past demons and internal quandaries mattered not in the face of such an malevolent, all-encompassing foe after all. She literally had not the time, nor the inclination to brood over such matters, inadvertently straining her to the point of no return. Ultimately, she proved to be quite a hypocrite as well.
Underneath her thinning veil of stoicism and competency was a girl at the threshold of keeling over, yet she concealed this fact by taking extra measures in averting her gaze from Jason. She would probably be fine throughout the short journey home and no assistance would be necessary, especially from Jason of all people. As per normal, Amelia shall be left to fend for herself despite essentially offering her life in service of others. Not only was this a position she had forcibly become familiarised with, she was in fact, proud of it. A mere few seconds after, Amelia straightened her shoulders and took a few steps forward. "Hauld yer wheesht lad, am no' dyin' anyteim soon!" Amelia playfully declared in a rushed, yet earnest manner prior to diverting her still pale-pinkish face towards the cafeteria's exit.
Slow and steady steps followed, exhibiting no apparent symptoms of fatigue like earlier. "An' dae try f'r a kip while yer at it ye numpty, cheerio" Amelia was attempting to uphold the last vestige of decency she had left, although she clearly stumbled in the vocabulary part. It was not as if Amelia was perturbed by Jason's good will. She was in fact flattered, perhaps a bit too much for her liking. She could only hope that the vampire took the hint.
darkness always surrounds me. but i manage to survive.
❝
Jason watches her stand up and head to the cafeteria's exit; and Jason is tempted to follow after she leaves. But he remains standing where he is, the fifth and final blood bag in his hand, a small smile forming at Amelia's playful response. Well, what had he expected... this is Amelia Sutherland, of course she can take care of herself. Why should a tired vampire who is too in love with his work draw his attention to the safety of a police officer he had just met this very fateful day?
Perhaps he'd brought himself too close to the young woman, obviously already thinking of her as a friend who has helped cope up with his exhaustion. There is so much that she and him had discussed this very day and their exchanged words he isn't bound to forget any time soon. Of course, there are no promises to him stopping himself from working too much, but at least he would try. He'd received so many advice from his fellow TRS agents as well... maybe it's time he try to follow them for a change.
"An' dae try f'r a kip while yer at it ye numpty, cheerio"
These are her words to him before her departure; his only response to it are the multiple confused blinks of the eyes. He understands the accent quite a bit, but his tired mind seems to have finally figured to ignore this statement as he probably does not know what she means by this... but a half of his brain is still awake, and able to register the accent and translate it to something sensible, or... a statement that would probably make more sense to him.
...He drains the blood blag of its last drop and smiles.
"...I certainly will."
The vampire turns and walks up to the cafeteria exit, having no intention of staying outside for long. For now, he just wants to retreat to his room, rest, sort out papers when he can... maybe he would have to sign up for the case Mrs. Grant had mentioned quite earlier, once day turns to night.
For now, he just needs to rest.
Maybe it's time for a change... even if only a little bit of it.
@amelia ● LATE FILTHY HOOMAN' EXIT!! (UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROTEST??) ● 000
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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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