Felix awoke to his face staring back at him in the mirrored ceiling.
The original owners still kneeling at the foot of a king size bed
He yawned - stretched himself awake.
Then shifted through clothing of the man's walk-in closet
He was roughly the same size
Felix Danabrus
"Go make us some breakfast: some eggs, and waffles."
Felix said without turning back.
Inside the closet was a mirror.
Inside of which several drawers for cufflinks.
To his right were suits - from white, to black and most colors in between.
He felt like standing out today
Felix Danabrus
'A nice red suit...'
Something to catch the eyes.
He was back in the city:
Felix Danabrus
'Might as well be seen.'
Felix inspected the dress shirt.
Yes he was almost exactly the same size as Felix
He rolled the cufflinks in his fingers, shifting them into place
He brought the girl down the stairs.
She was much younger than the man he sent to the kitchen.
The man was over the stove, watching the eggs
Felix Danabrus
"Scrambled."
Felix said, and the man started fixing the eggs.
The waffle iron beeped.
And moments later Felix was presented with a hearty meal.
Complete with milk
He tipped the glass at the man, then to the woman
Felix Danabrus
"Thank you for your service, go eat some yourselves."
He nodded - then drank
He suspected they were in fact: horrible people.
Considering the house they lived in
Felix Danabrus
'No one had this much money and got it by being kind or nice.'
He thought while scarfing down the food.
Felix handed them the plate.
Then he took out his phone and started fiddling with it.
He typed a long while, eventually he pressed one button.
And held the phone out in front of their faces
Their eye's twitch - a sign the namshub was taking.
He wrote them to be philanthropists.
Fundraisers for the poor
Felix Danabrus
'That was a good thing...'
He told himself
Felix Danabrus
'They were probably horrible people - why not make them better.'
He walked off
Taking the keys to their large SUV.
The really expensive brand only douches drove.
He always wondered what the appeal was - now was his turn.
He should check that Martha was listening - that she found somewhere safe.
He accessed the back of the mind, the link - searching - only to not find her
He nodded to himself
He did not know how she hid from the ping.
But that she was clearly holding back.
What was her game?
He drove aimlessly for a long while.
He watched the fuel plummet on the inefficient vehicle.
He was weaving through traffic just for the fun of it.
So far he hadn't caused any accidents.
In the rear view mirror - he saw flashing blue and red lights
He sighed and calmly pulled over
He waited for the motorcycle cop to knock on his window
He rolled it down
Police Officer
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Felix Danabrus
"Probably because I was driving like a reckless jackass, I suspect."
The cop tilted his head - and put his hand on his gun
Felix Danabrus
"Oh relax - I'm harmless - I've got my license and registration here..."
He held out his phone for the cop to see.
The cop stiffened slightly - his eye had started twitching
Felix Danabrus
"Who's a good boy?"
The cop didn't answer
Felix Danabrus
"When I say, who's a good boy, you say: I am, sir, now - who's a good boy?"
Police Officer
"I am, sir."
Felix Danabrus
"Now, go back to your little bike back there and forget all about me..."
The officer retreated back to the bike.
Felix sighed
Sometimes it wasn't any fun to have to tell them exactly what to say
Felix Danabrus
'wait a minute.'
Felix Danabrus
"Come back here!"
The officer complied, suddenly turning back to him
Felix Danabrus
"Am I to understand that - when I asked 'who was a good boy', that you couldn't answer because you were not in fact a good boy?"
The officer responded the moment he understood
Police Officer
"Yes sir."
Felix Danabrus
"Have you been a...
A bad cop?"
Police Officer
"Yes sir."
Felix Danabrus
"Have you intentionally ruined people's lives?"
Police Officer
"Yes sir."
Felix Danabrus
'Not going to tolerate that...'
Felix Danabrus
"Do you know any other bad cops."
Police Officer
"Yes sir."
Felix nodded
Felix Danabrus
"Go take your gun."
The officer pulled out the gun
Felix Danabrus
'Bit of a quick draw... good.'
Felix Danabrus
"Now here's the important bit - do you want to be a good cop?"
The cop paused
He struggled
Police Officer
"I want to want to be good."
Felix Danabrus
"We can work with that - Now: go and shoot the bad cops.
Shoot them in the head.
Until they shoot you in the head.
That'll make you a good cop."
He watched the Officer walk back to his car
Felix Danabrus
"Oh and be smart about it: get as many as you can."
He even heard some of the radio chatter - an invitation to a donut shop
Felix Danabrus
"That'll do pig, that'll do."
Felix drove on
His stomach growled: he had breakfast, but not second breakfast.
He exited the highway and scanned the streets for somewhere fancy to eat.
Not that there was much around here
Felix Danabrus
'Nothing but trash food for disgusting people.'
But he would find something.
He always did
%%%%
Light danced across the white cloth table
Martha ideally played with the curtain drawstring of the window next to her
Rossin sitting across from her, he only had to switch to allow them in.
He insisted on only the most expensive place to eat.
He claimed that there was a higher quality to the food.
And that she would need it.
The other patrons wore fancy clothes
They stole small snapshots from fancy phones
The pictures were of her bloody shirt.
She watched them.
Most fiddled with phones, other's stifled laugher
Rossin
'Martha, would you mind...'
He glanced at where she was looking, turned back to her and nodded.
She flipped the switch
Her perspective twisted about until she saw Rossin in her place
Hooks.ignore(Self) && .delete(Media.contain(Self) | break.
She turned and saw the phones slip back into purses and tuxedo suit pants
Rossin
"Martha, before you switch back..."
She nodded
Martha Crisp
'What is it?'
A server passed though her - she reacted only slightly
She felt nothing - but still had braced for a crash
Rossin
"I would like to taste some of the food, if that's alright."
She nodded
Rossin
"I've never done so, and I'm so curious."
Her stomach was hungry but her body was being fed.
She concluded it didn't matter by whom
Martha Crisp
'Not all of it, but yes.
Just leave at least half for me.'
He nodded
Rossin
"Then mind if I have the first bite?"
Martha nodded, looking around
Martha Crisp
'I have a question: how far can I go in...
This state?
Like if I just walk into the blackness behind you?'
Rossin
"I wouldn't, besides: that thing in your brain is somewhere in there."
He placed a napkin in her lap - properly
Rossin
"While you're there.
Do you see the board any easier: why don't you try writing on it."
She did.
It was like learning to walk - unsure of which muscles to use.
Only in this case: the muscles were some part of her brain.
Occasionally she managed to move the cursor, or write a letter.
But each time felt like an accident - and not what she intended
She still had to close her eyes - even in this shadowy perspective.
Her vision was still in front of 'her'.
Even if 'she' was seeing was an imagined perspective.
'she' needed to turn to look at something not with her vision.
Her mind still had to turn to face the board
She leaned back
Frustrated, unable to even make even a single letter.
Try as she might, brute force of will was not enough
A server walked in front of her - a large steak meal was presented to her...
Rossin, that is, along with many side dishes, including lobster
She - Rossin, dug in
Martha Crisp
'How am I supposed to do this? I can not write on that board at all.'
Rossin
"Relax your mind, it's a new muscle - you haven't used it yet, it'll come."
Rossin said between bites
Rossin
"This is delicious!"
Martha tried for a while longer.
Until Rossin was about halfway through the meal
Rossin
"You better switch now, I could finish this."
She did, and the first thing she noticed her fingers felt off.
The second: the taste was wonderful.
A sudden onslaught of umami and salt and sweetness...
In the perfect combination.
She sat there just enjoying the sensations
She shook her hand until her fingers felt normal
It seemed like it took longer this time than it had before
Rossin noticed her shaking hand
Rossin
'Like I said - it does just a little bit of damage each time we do that...
That will only get worse.
Which is why you need to learn to write on that board yourself.'
Martha nodded digging into the meal herself
The flavor in her mouth started to expire.
Her stomach was near full, which did little to stop her hunger
Rossin looked over his shoulder
He saw something Martha herself caught in the corner of her eye
Rossin tensed as Felix sat down to join her
Felix Danabrus
"Lovely place you found here!"
Felix casually helped himself to some of the half eaten artichoke
Felix Danabrus
"I thought you would still be asleep?"
Martha kept eating, only a non committal shrug
Martha Crisp
"Hunger won."
Felix Danabrus
"Hunger generally wins..."
He leaned back
Felix Danabrus
"How are you hiding - I pinged you, and you weren't there."
Martha waited for Rossin, who didn't speak at first
Rossin
'I have been doing some - house maintenance with our shared home.
I put up a firewall between us and the link.
Just say it is a trick you learned on the internet.'
Martha Crisp
"You find all sorts of things on the internet."
It was as cryptic a statement she could make, she figured the more vague she was the better
Felix Danabrus
"That's a very useful trick, I was wondering how I would find you again."
Martha Crisp
"Well, How did you this time?"
Felix Danabrus
"I didn't...
I found a nice place to eat, which happened to have you in it.
Nice stroke of luck."
Rossin
'It was the best place in town.'
Martha Crisp
"That's good, why not eat at the very best."
Felix leaned back and caught the server by the arm.
He showed him the phone screen.
The server's eye started twitching
Felix Danabrus
"Go fetch me what she's having, from anywhere."
The server nodded and scurried off to the kitchen
Martha Crisp
"So, what's next?"
Felix Danabrus
"Well, that depends..."
He watched her take bites of the steak and lobster at the same time
Felix Danabrus
"Your abilities, how far along are you?"
Martha Crisp
"I wouldn't know - would I.
It's not like I've seen anyone Awakened.
Besides you, that is.
Best I have is some dark net videos to compare from."
Rossin was pacing back and forth deep in concerned thought
Felix leaned back further in his seat.
He put his feet up on the corner of the table
Felix Danabrus
"You haven't been to the back of the mind.
You know about hooks but have at least some trouble using them.
And you have a firewall on your brain...
But you spent the night in prison because you...
Felt like it..."
He kept the end hanging almost like a question
Martha continued to eat
Martha Crisp
"So where would you rank me?"
Felix Danabrus
"Rank?
You think this is like a school where you have defined grades?"
Martha Crisp
"You said there was a school."
Felix Danabrus
"Yes, it's more like - a collection of students with a private teacher."
Martha Crisp
"That's a school."
Felix Danabrus
"There aren't ranks."
Martha Crisp
"But subjects, and classes in those subjects."
Martha swallowed the last of the steak
Martha Crisp
"And grades?"
Felix Danabrus
"No grades, if you can't cut it - they wipe you...
A pass/fail system I guess."
Felix scooched his chair back as the server laid out another meal like her's
Felix Danabrus
"Here's to second breakfast."
Felix raised the small cup of water in a toast.
Martha grabbed her glass and clinked it against his.
He held out his other hand, and took her glass and held it still.
He first poured a bit of his drink in hers and vise versa.
He then took some of his own food and put it on her plate
Martha pulled her glass back
Martha Crisp
'Fuck he trusts no one.'
He helped himself to a portion of her steak, and lobster
He dug into his food, devouring it with a ferocity that surprised her.
She was hungry - but apparently not ferocity hungry
['Second breakfast - how many second meals?',
'Do they all eat like this?',
'Do they all share food like that?']
She looked down at the piece of steak in front of her
She had a flash of inspiration - she tried just.
She moved the list she made onto the board, and it instantly worked.
The board flashed the words and Rossin looked surprised
Rossin
'Good job, what did you do?'
['Those lists: I can just put them up here']
Rossin
'That is a start.'
Rossin examined the board
Rossin
'About 4 second meals, more around noon, yes, and most of them yes - do not trust food they have not prepared.
I did not hear him ask the waiter to poison his food.'
Martha ate the offered steak
Rossin
'But you should also just be able to place thoughts there the same way.
Not wrapped in a list.'
Felix switched to eat his own food
Felix Danabrus
"This is fucking delicious."
Felix was gasping breaths of air between moments of food inhalation
Felix Danabrus
"New York's food is better.
You'd be hard pressed to find this even in Fiji.
I've missed simple food like this."
Martha Crisp
"I've never been..."
Martha Crisp
"Or New York."
He nodded
She had never seen someone eat so fast
Martha Crisp
"You know, the experience is better when you make it last."
He tilted his head, then nodded
He was slowing down soon - but not by much
Felix Danabrus
"So...
What's the most impressive thing you can do?"
['What should I tell him',
'Switch?']
Rossin considered, and shook his head, feeding her words instead
Martha Crisp
"I have that block that prevents you from finding me.
And I've removed most of my hooks myself."
Felix paused.
Studying her
Felix Danabrus
"Yourself, you got them out: yourself."
Martha nodded
Felix Danabrus
"Color me impressed."
Martha finished the last bits of her meal.
Her stomach in rebellion.
Kept under control by her unsatiated brain.
She could eat again
She realized
Rossin was still pacing in the back of the room
He fed her more words
Martha Crisp
"I've been doing some research.
Do you know Professor Flanagan."
Felix paused again
Felix Danabrus
"How did you come across that name?"
Rossin continued and Martha parroted
Martha Crisp
"Breadcrumbs - on the internet."
Felix only smiled - brittle and partially cracked
Felix Danabrus
"He's the only one that calls himself a professor...
Besides Ozmind - who is actually a Math teacher of sorts,
Probably the only one of the Awakened that actually likes to teach...
Ozmind, not Flanagan.
Flanagan never holds classes, just has a gaggle of students.
He's...
Eccentric is too light a word, and crazy...
Also too light a word, just in a different context.
He's died so many times I'm sure by now he's a caricature of himself!"
Martha tilted her head
Felix Danabrus
"He...
Probably isn't even really human at this point anymore.
He's something like an idea made manifest.
Or he's now just the part of himself that lives in other's brains."
Felix ate another bite
Felix Danabrus
"He basically thinks he'll find immortality that way.
By essentially being a story."
Felix Danabrus
"Of himself, told by his students."
Felix mumbled between mouthfuls.
He swallowed
Felix Danabrus
"He always had some out there ideas...
Even for the Awakened - they were...
Out there."
Martha sipped her water
Rossin gave words of encouragement
['Well clearly he is happy with the way things are going.']
She was relaxing knowing Rossin would be able to navigate the rough spots
Felix Danabrus
"Like Algera should be shared, or the Walkers.
He thinks there's people that are more powerful than the Awakened.
People behind the scenes controlling the Awakened...
Or some smuggling thing happening between 'realities'..."
Felix scoffed
Felix Danabrus
"Or weirder stuff, real cosmic hippy love/horror story there."
Martha leaned in
Martha Crisp
"And that's more crazy than the awakened?"
Felix Danabrus
"Well, Yes."
He started
Felix Danabrus
"We're gods, we control the hearts and minds of everyone...
Everyone."
Felix was not angry.
Just determined to believe that
Rossin shook his head
Rossin
'Always the arrogance...'
Rossin shook his head slowly
Felix Danabrus
"We'd be able to control any Walker if they existed, which they don't.
And this is definitely physical reality."
Felix stubbed is index finger into the wood of the table
There was a pause, Rossin prompted her - pushed at that thread
Martha Crisp
"He seems like an out-there kind of guy, would love to meet him."
Felix Danabrus
"You will: just be patient."
Felix took a sip of water
He let it dribble down his chin
Felix Danabrus
"Am I what?"
Felix barked a laugh, then coughed to keep his food down
Martha Crisp
"Then why should I be?"
Felix smiled more seriously, then at Rossin's prompt, Martha continued:
Martha Crisp
"I can cut it there.
I'm wired for this."
Felix nodded
Felix Danabrus
"Hope that you are, if you aren't...
Well...
Death would be better - in my opinion...
I know people like to cling to life...
But...
Sometimes - death is better."
It was remorseful - hidden pain deep in memory.
Martha waited, Rossin urging her to stay silent and wait.
Finally Felix cleared his thoughts and continued
Felix Danabrus
"We'll take the red eye out tonight.
Get whatever you need - not that you need to bring much.
Until then..."
He continued his meal
Felix Danabrus
"Enjoy what this city has to offer.
You'll be in New York for a long while."
Martha set down her empty plate.
Then took a bit of artichoke from his.
She ate it while Felix watched
Felix Danabrus
"Have a good meal, I have things to do then."
Felix waved, dismissing her
Felix Danabrus
"7pm, airport - meet me at the front desk."
Martha stood, she paused - and bowed before wandering off.
Rossin followed at her side
Rossin
'Aye, that was good - going to New York.
And I am pretty sure he is not just going to erase you...
He needs you for something...
But what?'
She opened the door
The sun was much too bright - or that restaurant was much too dark.
She couldn't tell.
She walked into the sun, suddenly hungry again