“You two ready?” Florian asks.

He’s standing at the doorframe in our office.

Wonder if the bastard has noticed if anyone has gotten into his computer yet.

“The Karma Task Force, right?” Lacie asks, “Is the Agent here? What are they like? Handsome? Tall? Older? A handsome, older, person is always welcomed in my books.”

Is that a jab at me?

Florian smiles weakly at Lacie.

“Perhaps we can tone down the enthusiasm, we’ll have them run off before they help,” Florian laughs.

“Run off?” Lacie asks, “From my infectious positivity.”

More like nauseating. Well, time to get this shit show on the road. Huh. Let’s see what type of Order of Exalted agent they have hired. Florian smiles at Lacie, shaking his head with an amused twinkle in his eyes. He doesn’t gesture for us to follow him, it’s only implied as he leads us up the stairs and towards the conference room.

This is-

-fucking worse than I thought.

First, there’s two of them. A Mortal woman stands on guard at the side of the flashiest fucking young man to exist. She’s tall, board shoulders, in a monochromatic suit. Black and white, with a skinny tie. Hair tied up in a loose ponytail, and all of her black bangs swept back and tucked behind her ears.

She prides herself on her companionship then. Her Aura manifest as interlocking chains, creating wings. Dutiful then, someone who is loyal, honest, and takes pride in their work. Those types are always trouble.

As for the Golden bastard. What the fuck is this? Ordinarily there is a field surrounding someone, their Aura. He has no open display of his values. Someone inward then? He’s doing a lot of thinking behind his flashy, golden, amber colored irises. His hair is the color of warm honey, and there is an air of familiarity to him. As if one of his ancestors had clashed with me in the past. He’s dressed so flamboyantly, I wouldn’t assume he is an Agent of the Order of the Exalted. Black pants, and a black pullover sweater with an embroidered peacock displayed on the right shoulder sleeve.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“These are the two I was speaking about last night,” Florian states.

The golden blonde smiles at the both of us, but it’s one of those smiles that doesn’t reach his eyes. Polite then, formal.

“Magi,” he states flatly.

“Troy Holland,” eugh just saying the Mortal’s name makes me sick.

“Lacie Holland,”

“How adorable, they are family,” the woman teases, “Wolf. And I’ll request that you two keep your distance.”

Lacie is looking up at her with awe, “Yes. I mean yes, ma’am.”

Wolf raises one of her thin eyebrows, “Ma’am, that’s the first time anyone around here has spoken to me with such authority. I think I kind of like it,” she laughs.

“You punched out the penitentiary Director,” Florian reminds her.

“He wasn’t punched out, more like momentarily incapacitated with my fist,”

Ah. So that’s what happened. Lacie giggles, and Wolf flashes a look her way with a smirk. The woman with monolid eyes and onyx colored irises has one of those foxy grins. Her name might be Wolf, but she’s more than just fierce, she’s cunning too.

Even without her. This Magi guy has been putting the pieces together of everyone in this room, hasn’t he? Making analysis. Working us out.

On one hand, being part of this investigation could be useful. It gives us an advantage. But without an Aura to read. This Magi guy will be difficult to deal with. I am only as good at cheating; I know how to read people because I know how to read their Auras. As all Phantoms are.

He notices me watching him. Our eyes lock gaze. He’s reading me. Meanwhile, I am getting a headache looking at him. Something about him.

“Er, sorry, am just getting used to all the big shot investigators being so young,” that should cover any suspicion he has of me right now, “Must be a genius. Haha.”

“I don’t really like the term genius, it implies a level of superiority that I am not comfortable declaring,” Magi tells me dryly.

He’s going to be real fun at parties. If he goes to any. Considering he looks like some Celestial Age prince who has walked out of some time distortion of the Realms.

“Well, how else would someone so young be a big time Agent of the Order,” I attempt to laugh. Trying to play off incompetence.

“Luck, maybe,” Magi responds, “We’re working in a team, which speaks of everyone’s intelligence in the room. No one can work in a vacuum of ideas, no matter if they are genius or not. Though I do not believe in the concept of geniuses.”

“Right, what are we waiting for, then?” I ask.

“Shaun,” Florian responds, “Once he gets here, we will begin.”

“Florian,” Magi looks up at Florian, “It is to be said that Wolf and I are never here.”

“Naturally,”

Lacie claps her hands excitedly. Magi looks at her. She covers her face, placing her hands over her mouth, “Sorry. It sounded so official.” She mumbles through her palms.

Wolf smiles at her, “We are very official people.”

“I am here,” Shaun grumbles, entering the conference room, “Should we get started?”