Trouble Doubles

[Kami-Gaz]

*THWACK* *CRACK* *THUD* The dark alleyway was full of the groans of the beaten and criminal, strange to happen mid afternoon but it is what happens when a vigilante comes across a gang carrying weapons and illegal substances. The sound of whistling cut through the air as a hook attached to a ling swung in the air in the shade, it stopped, and the hook peeked out into daylight before zipping back in at a greater speed and a final *SMACK* sounded before the body of an unconscious man hit the floor.

“I said it would be far easier if you gave up doing this and just went to school!” A cold female voice growled as the owner walked out of the alleyway. A short hooded blue haired woman wearing an eye mask with the sleeve of her left arm torn off to reveal a wavy curling set of blue tattoos that stretched from her finger tips up to the shoulder and seemed to go further as the breeze ruffled her clothes.

“O… Kaay…” One of the beaten young men groaned, barely able to sit up with the lumps and bumps he had been given in the altercation. Had anyone even hit her? She was a monster. A series of the gang members raised their arms and put their thumbs up.

“Good, if I catch you on the streets doing this again, I’ll let the doughnut munchers have you.” Anarchy Blue noted before raising her tattooed arm and making a hook appear in her palm before shooting it high into the sky to latch onto a building. In a moment she zipped away and began shooting hooks to swing from building to building in the picturesque setting sun of Water7. It was painting the alabaster walls in a deep blood orange as the spring day started to shift into night.

During the trip home the swinging stopped around the time the young woman picked up a backpack and a letterman jacket which was thrown on. Walking out of an Alleyway near the Stratonovski estate Annika was walking with quite a smile on her face, wincing as she felt her bag press against a bruise on her back. “Fonzie is going to laugh his head off.” She sighed as she walked through the main gate that was guarded. The grunts guarding knew her and gave her a friendly nod as she nodded back and carried on.

“I wonder if Simon is back from the doctors yet… Did Miguel end up going with him in the end?”

---

Post: 1

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

The aftermath of Anarchy Blue’s outings were being talked about by most of Water 7 by now, as civilians and officers alike were all either on edge or simply on the look out, curious to meet this mysterious vigilante. This, of course, did not exclude the Leissvelt household, governed by the strife and conflict of an unhappy marriage and a young fifteen-year-old caught in the middle, which was only exacerbated by the tensions felt by Edwin Leissvelt in fear of being found out for his most minor infractions.

To top it off, things were only made more complicated when a third party was mentioned. Of course, the wife denied it, the wife always denies it either for selfish reasons or ones with the best interest of their child in mind.

Today was one of the many days that Charlie couldn’t bear being at home anymore and she left the house to busy herself elsewhere, in an environment that didn’t feature the echoes of accusations being screamed into the air from one party or the other. The latest one, however, stuck with Charlie, and it was this that drove the girl on her path today.

Clutching a photograph of her mother, a woman who was absolutely glowing with a beautiful smile on her face, and some unknown man in casual wear that looked somewhat sportive - it was nowhere near professional sportswear, but perhaps a makeshift sports outfit - she walked in search of the spot that was easily identifiable in the background: the basketball court. It wasn’t a proper court, obviously, but there was a net, and that was all one needed when playing the sport, along with some simple chalk to draw out court lines. Otherwise, simple placeholders would generally do.

Unfortunately, however, Charlie was not even aware of this basketball court that looked like a thing from the slums. All of her games were carried out in a yard area or on a proper court that would usually be offered by the sponsors that funded the event. Her family was well off, thanks to her father, and so she always had great tools to work with. It took her some time until she finally found the court that was in the picture. As she reached it, she held the photo up in front of her, positioning the image against the backdrop while she moved until she found a match for the exact location the photograph had been taken. It was on one of the seats, one that was higher up.

With a sigh, she lowered the photo again, a heavy frown on her face as she looked around her. He, of course, was nowhere to be seen. Apart from some other people, some children and some adults, playing very roughly on the chalk court, there was nobody of interest here.

Flipping the square cutout around, she read what was penned at the back, “Mickey Mink… What the heck is that supposed to mean?” she grumbled, recognising the name of the cartoon furry animal character with a long snout and exaggeratedly large brown ears and usually dressed in silly red shorts, but failed to understand the connection to this photo.

The sun was already starting to set, and Charlie was ready to head back home, knowing she’d get an earful if she stayed out late and got home after it grew dark, but as she tilted her head back with irritated sigh, that was when she saw it - her one last desperate attempt to locate the man in the photo. As she stared up into the sky, a shadow was cast over her for just a brief moment as none other than the famous Anarchy Blue whooshed past her in the sky, swinging expertly on those hooks of hers.

Of course! Who else to turn to for help but a vigilante? Somebody who looks out for the people of Water 7 when nobody else will! The girl thought to herself.

Spinning on her heel, she broke into a sprint, her bright white shoes serving her very well as she kicked through the streets as fast as she could in order to keep up with the blue-haired hero’s swings. It was exhausting, and had she not been heading toward a huge estate, Charlie would have easily lost her target as she seemed to disappear at some point along the way, but the building stood out like a beacon for Charlie to aim toward, whether she still had eyes on Anarchy Blue or not. Surely that had to be her destination.

When she reached the Stratonovski Estate, however, she came to a sudden halt, her hair whipping over her shoulders with the abrupt stop in momentum before she could be spotted by guards. Leaning forward with her palms on her bare knees, sporting a red divided skirt and matching red t-shirt as if she were currently playing for a specific team, she caught her breath and eyed the gates from her hidden location, as she moved to crouch behind some bushes. What were her options? Just the one really, the sun was setting and she was running out of time.

In seconds, she whispered encouraging words to herself, and then crawled from behind the bush, before doing the unthinkable. She marched right up to the main gate where the guards were. In a bold voice and a lot of fake confidence, standing straight and proud, Charlie looked up at the guards, an unintentional scowl coming off her gaze as she crossed her arms.

“I’m here to see Anarchy Blue and it is of extreme importance.”

The photo folded and stored securely in her pocket, she knew this was a gamble, but she was willing to try anything to get the answers that she couldn’t get from either of her parents. She only hoped that her assumption that this was where the hook-wielding vigilante returned to was correct. If not, then this must be a very bad place, to have so many guards about.

“Please. You can search me if you want to, and I’m not asking to be let inside but for her to come out and meet me.”

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

“I’m here to see Anarchy Blue and it is of extreme importance.” A young girl’s voice called from behind. She had managed to follow Annika home? That was impressive and also scary, this had to be fixed fast. The young woman was around the corner now and could tell that this was one of those issue that was going to blow up in her face if it wasn’t solved soon… then there was also a fact that she had a fan that sought her out! That fact alone set a fire in hear heart.

In a flash she had donned the mask and pulled her hood up before ditching her jacket to the grass. With some quick but quiet steps she got to the side and used her hooks to launch herself over the wall and land into a dark alleyway. One where she walked out into the dimming light of the day to look at the child with a bright alien grin the bodyguards had never seen before. “No need boys, I was never on your property to begin with!” She lied.

Anarchy blue walked over to the sports wear clad young person. “How can I help?” She asked, trying to soften her eyes as much as she could for a young fan in need of her aid. Then she looked over her shoulder to the guards and sighed internally… if they hear that she is going into danger they might try and follow…

Before her fan could speak Annika stood and looked about. “Come on, let’s go and sit down somewhere the walls can’t hear us.” She said as she offered a hand to the girl, allowing her to take it so the pair could head to the fountain that sat near by but was away from the canal and the path to the gate to the Stratonovski estate. “So… where were we?”

---

Post: 2

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

Charlie, although looking rather grumpy about it, was ready to be searched if that was what needed to be done. When she heard a woman’s voice behind her, she spun around, the girl's hair fanning out into a beautiful black trail behind her.

For a moment, Charlie was completely speechless, her eyes wide. “Holy sh…” she couldn’t even finish her sentence as she was so shocked that her calculations were actually correct - perhaps not that she entered this building, but that Anarchy Blue was at least in the area. Near enough to hear her name being called out.

“You actually came…” her voice was little but a whisper, having partly expected to get no response from her pleas. Who was she to be taking up the time of a city vigilante? What made her so special to actually be answered by such a celebrity, and in person at that?

This was a privilege, although despite being temporarily speechless, Charlie was not someone who was easily flabbergasted as she had a natural coolness to her that often came in the form of nonchalance and was sometimes mistaken for arrogance. This may, perhaps, be the most ironic thing about her, considering all the hard work and effort she puts into her favourite sport, basketball - nonchalance was not her usual language when it came to things she cares about. Taking the hand that was offered to her, she walked with Annika to the fountain and sat down with her.

“I’m sorry if that was rude earlier, I just really need your help.” She spoke in an honest tone, while her lips seemed to be stuck in a permanent frown, her dark eyebrows arched in similar fashion that communicated worry and unease. “I’m looking for someone. I’ve heard about what you’ve been doing, so I figured if anybody has been able to spot him, it has to be you while you’re up there swinging about or just walking the streets and rounding up crooks.”

With a sigh, she leaned back a bit to reach into a well-concealed pocket in her divided skirt to take out a folded photograph.

“This man.” Unfolding it, she held it out for Annika to see, though she kept a firm grip on it. Losing it was not an option, as if her mother found out she took it, she would be very upset.

Captured within that still image was a very photogenic young woman in her teens with long and straight black hair not unlike Charlie’s, eyes as blue as the ocean, which could somehow still be seen sparkling through the narrow slits that the girl's eyes were shaped as due to the big smile on her face. Her cheeks were red, as were the man’s, who had his own face pressed close to the woman’s with an equally attractive smile. He was young, no older than his late teenage years or maybe early 20s at best and he bore the tanned mark on his skin of a man who spent a full day on the court, confirmed by the scruffy outfit he wore with clear sweat stains on it and the backdrop to their photo.

“The woman’s name is Camilla Leissvelt, and his I have no idea. There’s something written and drawn on the back, but I don’t know if it’s supposed to mean anything.” Turning it over in her hand, she read it out loud to Annika, “Mickey Mink.”

Taking a deep breath, she watched Anarchy Blue with hopeful eyes. "So can you please help me find him?"

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

The reaction of the young woman in front of her was perfect, something that made the vigilante jump with glee internally. She was having the effect she wanted! The wonder that anarchy blue should give civilians in need, the fear in criminals that saw her and knew of her abilities. This was a sign she was making a positive impact on the canal city.

As they sat down Annika shifted her gaze and listened to the girl before her, shaking her head with the first statement. “No, not at all. You were after my attention, and you got it how you could.” She explained before letting her fan get going in what she wanted Annika to do. Looking for someone was easy, especially with two professional detectives in her pocket.

Then she saw the picture… that man was really familiar… “No way…” Annika muttered as she leaned in closer to the picture with a knowing smirk, something that twisted her face in ways barely anyone has seen. THAT WAS MIGUEL! SHE WAS MIGUELS DAUGHTER?! She shifted her gaze and looked at the girl, seeing the hair, the facial features and the sportswear… it was just all clicked and made sense now.

The smirk never really vanished as she extended a hand and patted the young woman on the head and ruffled the hair. “I can do more than help, i will take you too him and be there when you meet. I will help you find your Mickey Mink.” Annika spoke standing tall and proud before offering a hand up to the young woman as a method of sealing this deal.

“I already have some good leads.” Annika said with a confidence that just exuded from her in a radiating glow that was just infectious. Her eyes had lost their cool, her smile was heart melting and her blood pumping with an excitement for what was going to happen this night.

---

Post: 3

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

As Annika leaned in to look at the photo so closely, Charlie could see a smirk forming on the blue-haired girl’s face, and it made her uneasy. When she raised her gaze to clearly compare Charlie’s appearance to that of the man’s, it only made her worry more.

Oh sh*t, please don’t tell me it’s true… she silently thought to herself in horror.

Her hero then patted her head and ruffled her hair, presumably in an attempt to ease her concerns, and Charlie let out a soft sigh. “Okay…” she replied in an uncertain tone - this could go in any direction, and a negative outcome was really more likely than a positive one. She already had her own suspicions, and if this photo that she found at the bottom of her mother’s jewellery box wasn’t enough proof, then Annika’s response was... but she didn't know the circumstances and refused to jump to conclusions. Standing up after her, Charlie smiled back at Anarchy Blue and took her hand to shake and seal their deal.

“Thanks. I knew you could help me.” She nodded, Annika’s confidence easily spreading and eliciting a hopeful but determined look in Charlie’s eyes - for whatever outcome. Answers were answers. She wasn’t looking for anything more than that… she had no right to.

“You know him then? Personally?” she asked, judging by how quick she was to recognise the man and claim to have leads. “Is he a cool guy?” she asked, a hint of curiosity and worry in her tone. Before Annika could answer, however, Charlie shook her head. “Don’t answer that… I’ll find out!”

However, although she was excited to potentially be meeting her biological father, she considered her parents - what would become of their already strained relationship?

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

An air of excited energy sprang up around the girl as she answered that she potentially knew exactly who the mysterious figure in her photo was. It was infectious as it seeped into Annika and made her crack a smile that light up her face as well. The eye mask she was wearing dislodged slightly as the muscles in her face shifted and changed into a shape that the mask had not been made to conform too.

“I do know him personally.” Annika spoke before the next question came… was he cool? The smile twisted into a grin as she chuckled. The girl took the question back as she was more concerned about finding it out for herself and not being told. That was good, it was best to not let others’ opinions colour your own or spoil any surprises.

“Alright Kiddo, tell me your name and then I can take you to where he is going to be. I know where he works now. He was recently fired from his old job because the corruption above him wanted him gone. He is a hero I can tell you that much.” Annika spoke as she brought her hand up and removed the mask to slip it into her pocket. Now her face was unobstructed and the natural light of the sun was fading the luminescent ink in her tattoos was beginning to show more in the pale light. The hood from her sleeveless hoodie she was wearing was pulled back a to show the shortness of the back of her hair. The twin long fox tails from the front still rested on her chest however.

“I’m Annika, I can trust you not to blab my secret to everyone?” She asked with her grin shifting back into a kind smile that reflected the high intensity excitement that her new friend was giving off. A hand was pushed forward, in her palm was a small metallic hole. “Don’t worry all the stories people tell about my family are mostly made up, part of that corruption I was telling you about.”

---

Post: 4

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

Charlie’s gaze did not leave Annika even for a second, as the girl stared on without even blinking. With a quick nod, her name was rolled of her tongue, “Charlie. Charlie Leissvelt, but…” a hint of regret washed over her as she sighed, “I don’t think… he won’t recognise my name, I don’t think he will…” she mumbled, sadly, though she herself wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to come from this. Perhaps it was for the better. Everything became so complicated, and she was dealing with it alone.

Once Annika removed her mask and introduced herself by her real name, the girl in red smiled and nodded.

“It’s kind of cooler to meet you outside of your persona, Annika.” A nervous laugh escaped her, before she sobered up again, a frown returning to her face once more. What was to follow was an empty threat and she knew it, but for the sake of humour, she threw it in anyway, “My mum and dad don’t know I’m here looking for him, so… I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine?” she asked, that being more of a request than anything else. She glanced down at Annika’s hand and originally went for a shake, but she paused when she saw the metal ring in her palm. As she snickered, she whispered ‘cool’ to herself, her smile somewhat skewed into an intrigued smirk. Then she looked up at Annika again.

“There’s a lot of corruption going around… my dad fights that sort of thing too. Well, not like you do, but, you know.” Shrugging, the girl rolled her eyes, “He’s tried to get me interested in enrolling once I’m old enough so many times, but I’m more interested in sports. Basketball!”

Charlie paused, not always this talkative, but Annika was somehow easy to talk to, even though they had only just met. “He’s a police officer, my dad. I guess he tries his best…” that look of sadness from just moments earlier returned in the girl’s face as her mind wandered to her mother. He tried his best, sure… maybe for his job, but it didn’t take a genius to see that her mother was very unhappy and their marriage did not receive the same attention and care. Unfortunately, she had fallen into a state of learnt helplessness and seemed to have just accepted her life as it was - that of a lonely middle-aged woman, deathly attractive in Charlie's opinion, but too wounded to take any forward steps.

“So uh… what job was he recently fired from that makes him such a hero?” a subtle spark flickered in Charlie’s eyes. Perhaps it was the discipline and drive that often came with sport, but she was a girl who could latch onto a goal and push forward until she achieved it. Once that spark appeared, there was very little that could put it out, a trait that she earned not from her mother, but her biological father.

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

Charlie? That was a cute name for the girl that sat so close to her. Annika let one of her hands delve into one of her pockets to start fishing around as she let young Charlie get her nervous replies out of the way. Of course, Annika was going to keep this secret, the burden went both ways now that her alter ego was revealed.

As Annika heard what the nonbiological father did for a living her smile wavered, and her eyes sharpened for just a moment as an uncharacteristically cold breeze blew over Charlie. “He was a cop fighting corruption in the police.” Annika spoke, he words chill as a pair of lollipops were pulled from her pocket, both brightly coloured high sugar things. One was proffered to young Charlie, making the chill look in Annika’s eyes fade.

“Your target and his friend Simon were fired because Simon saved me from a pirate incident. He got me home and accepted the hospitality and thanks of my father… Your target was his supervisor, came to pull Simon out to stop him getting in trouble.” Annika explained as she pulled the wrapper off of the sweet and popped it into her pocket. She then waved the lollipop like a stick as she carried on. “I set up a detective agency under my dad’s company to give them a new job that uses their policing skills.”

The bright blue ball of hard sugar was popped into her mouth and rolled about in there by her tongue. The blueberry flavour was sweet and sharp, a perfect taste to help wash away the frustration she was still feeling over the entire incident. The unmasked vigilante stood up and let out a long sigh through her nostrils as she flicked her blue fox tails off of her shoulders to rest against her back. Annika pulled her lollipop out for a moment. “Come with me, I can show you his office and we can see if he is in.”

[Bobbie]

The girl saw the change in Annika’s demeanour, but didn’t think too much of it. When she said what this Mickey did, however, she froze. He was also a cop, which meant that the chances of her nonbiological father and this man, potentially her biological father, knowing each other were quite high and that spelt nothing but disaster. Nodding, she took the lollipop with a quiet thanks, then waited in silence for Annika to carry on explaining.

The fact that the two men were in a similar if not the exact same work environment was something that couldn’t be ignored. The fact that one of the two lost his job while the other didn’t, despite them both claiming to be fighting the good fight against corruption was cause for alarm. She was not naïve enough to glorify anyone, whether they were family or not, and so the possibility of Edwin or Mickey being involved in corruption was not to be dismissed. From the sound of things, it looked like the former was more likely to be so. What’s more, them both co-existing in the same department meant that they must have been in the same company most of the time - same accompanying officers, criminals, visitors… visitors like the other officers’ husbands and wives. Visitors like her mother. She stuck the sweet into her mouth to suck on while she listened.

“This was that smuggling case that made it to the news some time ago?” she asked, having only briefly seen it in the newspapers before the story seemed to have been removed from all print. Charlie remembered how angry her father was about the negative publicity and how he rambled on about consequences. She didn’t know who the man was back then, but she could have sworn the name Simon, or something similar, came up.

“So if you’re telling me that my target and this Simon fellow are the good guys, then the people who contributed to getting them fired must be the opposite?” Her tone became sad and disheartened as she lowered her gaze, taking the glossy candy from her mouth and stared into her own reflection in the bright red hardened sugar. This made her dislike Edwin even more.

It was times like these that she wished her mother never married that man, yet the thought that she wouldn’t have been born if Camilla didn’t was usually what caused her to change her mind. However, with this new information, she began to realise that perhaps it wouldn’t have impacted her existence at all.

As Annika rose to her feet and offered to take Charlie directly to her target’s office, she smiled and stood up after her. “Okay. Yeah, that would be great.” She stuck the lollipop back into her mouth though she wondered what she would say to him if they did find him in his office…

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

As the vigilante lead the way she sucked on her lollipop and nodded to the guards who nodded to her and did their best to hide their smiles and not break character, to point out that they had already seen her pass them. The entire staff knew who Annika was and what she did, but they had all sworn to secrecy, of course.

“The guy you are looking for was doing his best in a corrupt police world, but that isn’t something he has to deal with anymore.” Annika explained as she waved to one of the workers that were leaving out of the house entrance, they must have just come from the Spa. She held the door open and lead young Charlie through the marble corridors and past the Spa to the set of stairs that lead to the office that was set up for Simon and Miguel.

“Miguel is a working partner with Simon, they balance each other out really well. They are an amazing buddy cop duo.” Annika explained after taking her lollipop out of her mouth again. In this short walk she had worn away the hard sugar candy down to basically nothing as a stick with a few small clinging pieces of the sweet holding onto it was flailed about in her small talk.

As the pair passed the Spa the black fluffy tail of Fleur could be spotted with Matilda and another girl that Annika didn’t recognise standing behind her. That would be something that she would ask about next time she could talk to Fleur. They got to the stairs and headed up, her boots making a clicking noise on the granite floor. “We have everything in here to make sure everyone that works with us is happy and healthy. The Spa downstairs is really nice, but since I’ve eaten my fruit I haven’t gone in.”

---

Post: 6

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

Charlie walked after Annika, her role model, and listened to every word in admiration of how helpful she was. Meeting Anarchy Blue was better than she could have ever imagined. She had such a cold persona on the outside, but the girl felt that Annika, the identity beneath the mask, was sweet. When most people say it’s a terrible idea to meet your heroes, it was clear that Anarchy Blue did not fit into that concern.

“Okay. I hope my…” she paused as a frown formed on her face, the thought of calling her mother’s husband her father growing even more repulsive by the minute. “I hope Edwin didn’t have anything to do with that.” Charlie’s tone was anything but hopeful, despite her words - perhaps she wished for him to be the bad guy in this story, justifying her dislike for him.

As she followed Annika through the marble corridors, her gaze drifted away for a moment to gawk at the beautiful architecture of this place. The marble was pristine and so delicately chiseled, the walls were seamless, and then they reached a spa. Without making a sound, her mouth opened and she silently moved her lips as if she were say ‘wow’, until Annika continued to explain and her attention was instantly fully on their conversation once more. “Miguel?” With a quick skip in her step, the girl donning a red tracksuit hurried to walk alongside Annika. “His name is Miguel? That makes sense… Mickey must be a pet name for it…” as everything started to fall into place, it became impossible for Charlie to hide the excitement on her face. She just knew it, the accusations had to be true - Miguel was her biological father. “What’s his last name?” She asked, curiously, wondering what alternative she could have to Leissvelt, even if only unofficial.

A fluffy black mass and a green shimmer caught Charlie’s eye and she turned her head just briefly to spot Fleur and a girl with impossibly long green hair. It was meant to be brief, but seeing a wagging tail was a first for Charlie, and the girl froze. “That… she has a tail…” she whispered, before noticing Annika kept moving, so she jolted herself into a sprint, catching up to her companion rather easily, skipping a couple of steps in her ascent. “This place is amazing, I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be happy working here…”

As if her words could have somehow willed the universe to accept the challenge of proving the opposite, a tall grumpy looking man with tanned skin and short dark hair that matched his dark eyes just rounded a corner at the top of the stairs, and he seemed to be in a hurry. He was dressed in formal wear, a suit and tie, which he looked very uncomfortable in, the piercings in his ears contrasting against his attire as they glimmered. It was none other than Miguel Murphy.

Miguel's relief to have finally found the stairs was cruelly cancelled out by the reality of bumping right into Annika, one of the very two people he was trying to avoid, but it seemed that working in such a huge building had its disadvantages as he had been trying to find the stairs for the better half of the past twenty minutes to no avail until now. It was just his luck that the moment he found them, he had to find her as well, a thought that he may have unintentionally vocalised with a subtle ‘great’.

Charlie quickly moved out of the way to avoid being knocked down the stairs as the man smoothly slipped between the two girls to slither past them both. He was in a hurry for two reasons - firstly, he wanted to avoid Annika’s questions about Simon’s visit to the doctor; secondly, he was trying to avoid anyone giving him work so that he could keep himself available in case Simon needed him to hurry back to the clinic, where he had to stay for a night of observation. There was a third reason, but the main issue here was his pride. After being stuck in the waiting room with Simon for hours, he desperately needed a bathroom, but the one upstairs was currently unavailable as it was being cleaned, and he overestimated his abilities to navigate through this maze of a mansion to find another. Asking for directions in his own work place would only make himself seem incompetent, he thought.

“Jeez, what’s his problem?” Charlie grumbled, her back to the banister as she watched his feet almost glide over the steps, he was rushing off so quickly while looking at an expensive-looking watch on his wrist.

---

Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel: #ffdfb2

[Kami-Gaz]

Hearing the young Charlie make a comment on Fleur’s tail brought a flash of a smile to Annika’s face, one that she buried again as she looked back and nodded. “Fleur is one of our R And D specialists. She is only twenty-one but is super smart!” Her words were stopped when Miguel grumbled his way down the stairs right by them as if being summoned by Charlie’s comment to just prove it wrong. He had always had a fantastic sense of timing in this regard… he always showed up at the right time in the wrong mood.

“There’s a bathroom just through the Spa! First door on your right as you get to the bottom of the stairs.” Annika called after the man, her words dipped in venomous ice so he would know that she was not saying them to mess him about. As he vanished a long sigh escaped her lips before shaking her head. She had been pressed to the wall like Charlie had been but was quick to peel herself away from it to shake her fist and make the shout.

“That man… You’ll find out soon enough. He is just grumpy because his partner took the day off last minute.” Annika spoke, it wasn’t a lie… just a muddying of the truth. Simon had taken the day off last minute, not really telling her why and the excuse he did give was a blatant lie because the man couldn’t lie to save his life.

“Come on, we’re almost at your dad’s office.” She spoke casually, warming her words up for her new young friend… it wasn’t every day one got to reunite biological family, so it was something that gave her an ever so sweet taste in her mouth. On that she had started to like quite a lot more than her usual lollipops and candies.

---

Post: 7

Annika: acd1fc

[Bobbie]

The girl’s gaze remained fixed on the taller man who swiftly reached the bottom of the staircase. He began walking to the left and disappeared round the corner, only to return after Annika shouted out directions and he redirected his route to the right side instead with a brisk pace.

Her elbow resting on the rail, Charlie frowned a bit. “He must really need to go…” she couldn’t help mumbling in a snarky tone and with a little roll of her eyes, before looking at Annika again and nodded. “Right. I guess I’d be a little grumpy about that too.” That was only one of many similarities that she shared with her father, having the same impatient and grumpy manner to her when things didn’t go her way, but unlike with Miguel and Annika, she and Anarchy Blue were off on a great start that prevented her blue haired friend from becoming a target of said frustrations.

As Annika instructed, Charlie continued to follow her up the stairs, a subtle smile appearing on her face as her mystery man was referred to as her father. She thought that perhaps she should deny it, but then decided otherwise. It was probably quite obvious to somebody like her hero, and even trying to claim otherwise would be an insult. Furthermore, what was the point? Annika Stratonovski was an ally now… an invaluable one not only for her status but for the kindness she was showing her tonight. “I sure hope he’s happier than that man,” she muttered, though her mind was on another thought, as her curiosity was once again sneaking in. She was dying to find out if there were any similarities between what Annika already knew of her father and what she’s seen of her so far, but she didn't dare ask.

“Does he work with him too?” She asked, as she realised that they were moving in the same direction that Miguel had just come from. “That man, I mean… the one whose partner took the day off last minute.”

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Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

Annika pushed into the office open and walked into the room, a marble floored room with a pair of grand ceiling to floor windows on the far wall. This window overlooked the grounds of the mansion estate and over into one of the plaza’s of the city of water7 one of the GalleyLa business buildings sitting across from them, looking as grand as this building was. By each window as a dark mahogany wood grand desk, a green leather spinny desk chair. The walls had filing cabinets and cork boards where some leads were being investigated with pictures and red string. Annika reflexively gained a warm smile as she took a few steps in and moved to sit in Simon’s chair by his desk.

“That’s your dad’s desk.” She spoke with an air of cool confidence, materialising a hook in a free hand that was not holding the lollipop and firing it to bounce off of the wall and hit the door to make it close behind Charlie. This one she reeled back as quick as it was fired and when it met her hand, she brought her feet away from the floor and let the momentum spin her around a few times.

A rare giggle escaped her blue lips, a soft and precious sound that not even Simon had heard. The spinning eventually slowed as her feet pressed to the floor to stop it completely. This hadn’t made her as dizzy as she used to get before her training with Fonzie just a few months ago.

“So, Charlie. What do you think so far? You got a cool dad or what?” She asked trying to big the man up. She owed him a favour after the incident in the pipsi factory after all, this was the least she could do. Just the memory of him saving her made her shudder ever so slightly.

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Post: 8

Annika: acd1fc