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It was around nine in the morning when Tori finally stumbled into the kitchen, a late night causing her to oversleep and spam the snooze button on her alarms.
Beverly had been up and around since six, and Chloe had the misfortune of an opening shift at Ridge City Grinders meaning she had left at five. This left Tori waiting impatiently as her coffee brewed, wondering if it might have been better to just skip her normal drink and grab one of the energy drinks Beverly kept stocked in the pantry.
Maybe Tori would do both actually, she had greeted Chloe on her way out before passing out on top of her covers.
Normally she might have just stayed awake all day, but that had happened too many days in a row and she wanted to at least get a couple of hours of rest before her meeting.
When Tori inevitably overslept she was left scrambling to be ready, brushing her teeth as she made her not very healthy breakfast of sugary cereal in chocolate milk; the roommates were usually better about keeping a cohesive list of groceries, but they had all been so busy lately that regular milk had been passed over in the minds of the three tenants. As had fruits and vegetables, or really anything good for the body, but Tori found she wasn’t that mad at her past self as she dumped the remaining contents of ‘Lodestar Lightning Loops: Enough Sugar to give you Super Speed!’
The mixing tastes of mint, chocolate, and whatever abominable artificial flavor the cereal used was not particularly pleasant or filling. The coffee Tori chugged after every bite was certainly not helping.
After Tori dumped her bowl and mug in the sink she turned around only to see Beverly standing in the doorway to Tori's room. While Tori had been eating breakfast her friend had taken the time to comb her closet for a suitable outfit.
Tori had slept in her jeans and oil stained t-shirt, while she didn’t mind the ensemble her sheets would certainly need to be washed when she got back home. She flashed her friend a grateful smile but didn’t have time to thank her before a knock rang through the space
Cursing slightly Tori turned towards the door out of the apartment. While she could make Beverly do the socializing, Tori was already in the kitchen and closer to the entrance, if it was the New Science Sentrys Tori would just send them on their way.
As Tori crossed quickly to the doorway she ran through as many polite yet dismissive responses to whatever their friends down the hall wanted. She was still in a rush after all, and really didn’t want to keep Wade waiting.
All the possibilities that had crossed Tori’s mind died as she looked through the peephole.
In fact, Tori felt her mind short circuiting as she looked at the man in the hallway.
“Who is it? Did Chloe forget her keys again?” The light humor in Beverly’s eyes faded away as Tori whipped around, confusion worn plainly on her face. Tori made some hand motions that while not particularly informative, served the purpose of quieting Beverly.
Turning back to the peephole Tori saw that the figure had raised his hand hesitantly to knock again, the look on his face was one Tori would never have expected from all the expressions he had worn on TV and the descriptions of his antics throughout the decades.
Tori took the gamble and cracked the door open, the shorter woman’s eyes looking up as the man in front of her dropped his hand back down to his side.
“Oh, hello! Would Chloe Henson happen to be home?” Captain Bullshit posed the question as he rocked back and forth on his heels, a smile lighting his previous uncertain demeanor.
He was different than how Tori would have expected him, she watched the news enough to know that the meta favored an aviator cap and ridiculous clothing. While his current outfit wasn’t exactly what Tori would call ‘normal’ it had taken a second for her to place him in his more formal attire. Though that could also just have been shock at seeing the famous saboteur in person.
Dress shoes accompanied hot pink socks that made it up to his knees, and while Tori didn't consider herself a fashion expert she spent enough time with Beverly to know the colors clashed with Captain Bullshit's bright checkered skirt. A button down formed the base of the outfit, built on top of that was a tie that made it down to his high waisted belt, a cropped blazer finishing the look off with a spectacularly dizzy floral pattern.
The blinding getup almost distracted Tori from the question.
“No. She’s out right now, I don’t know when she’ll be back. Can I take a message?” The corporate drone Tori had borrowed from Ivan came in clutch at hiding her concern. What did he want with her roommate? While Chloe would likely return from her shift soon Tori had no inclination once so ever to divulge that fact, or tell Captain Bullshit that she was working.
“Ah, I see, sorry to intrude. I was hoping to speak with her-“ a door down the hall creaked, familiar voices growing louder as they prepared to leave their own apartment. There were two options Tori could see in front of her, neither of which she cared for.
If any of the New Science Sentry’s saw Tori talking to a wanted criminal it would raise questions she wasn’t even sure she could answer at the present, but at the same time she could thrust the man onto the heroes to deal with. Except… It wasn't like anyone in the present company could beat the Rookstone escapee, cape or villain. Plus, Tori had a duty to look out for her roommate.
Swinging the door open Tori grabbed Captain Bullshit by his tie and dragged him inside the apartment. Tori almost slammed the door behind them but thought better at the last second and stopped the momentum, carefully shutting it behind her as she pressed her back to the door.
This left one of the most dangerous and unpredictable people of the past century alone with Tori and Beverly in the girls apartment.
“Kind of wishing I had gone with the bow tie after that.” Rubbing his throat Captain Bullshit stuck out his tongue.
Beverly stood at the edge of the kitchen, waiting to see who their early guest was. She had been just as caught off guard as Tori had been, mouth parted slightly as she stared at the new addition to the home. Her eyes immediately fell to his costume and panic that hadn’t quite made it to her face turned towards judgement.
“The fuck? That’s… Why is…what are you wearing?” Whatever question Beverly meant to ask was lost in her need to justify someone wearing two discordant shades.
“The skirt is cute but if you matched the coral with your socks it would make the plaid feel less overwhelming. That and an ascot instead of a tie maybe…” the taller girl was interrupted by Tori coughing into her hand, something that sounded suspicious like Beverly's name.
Captain Bullshit took no offense to Beverly’s advice, only adjusting the tie slightly with hands covered in gleaming rings.
“Colors hold no sentiment to what we think goes well together, just like us they love who they want. Just because we don’t think they go together doesn’t change their feelings.” This was phrased as a matter of fact statement, art did not wait for the human eye to fall on it to be complete.
“Okay then. Tori, would you mind explaining what the hell is going on.” Beverly had shifted back to her serious demeanor, green eyes becoming sharp and focused on the new threat.
“What do you want with Chloe?” Tori directed the question at Captain Bullshit, if the roommates were stuck with him they might as well try to get him to talk.
“To meet her.” Captain Bullshit was not looking either of them in the eye, from the outside it might have been funny. Beverly was a good couple inches shorter than him, Tori even more so. Yet his honey brown eyes refused to look at the girls, studying the apartment instead.
“I like your um…pineapple.” The fake gold pineapple sat on their kitchen counter, morning light only making it more apparent how bad the paint job was.
“Oh! I love this cereal," Captain Bullshit picked up the now empty box. “I don’t know how they're still producing this. Lodestar would never sponsor something this unhealthy. Tastes great though.”
Beverly shot Tori a look behind the colorfully dressed man’s back. At first she thought it was a glare at eating the last of the cereal, before realizing it was probably for letting Captain Bullshit in. Not that Beverly in green dragon form would have managed to keep him out if he really wanted in.
The look conveyed a number of messages and emotions, the most prominent being: ‘Why is he here?’, ‘What are we supposed to do?’, and most importantly ‘How do we protect Chloe from someone as powerful as him?’
All very good questions that Tori couldn’t answer.
“Is this some sort of recruiting thing? If so, I don't think Chloe is interested.” Tori was hiding her fear behind the only barrier she had- anger.
“Recruitment? No, no. Not at all! Although, knowing about Edict it would be fun to see what kind of disorder she could sow. Absurdist abstraction goes well with chaos as a medium.”
“You know about Edict?” It was Beverly that asked this question.
“Of course. I know about all of you.”
“And I suppose asking how is a lost cause?” Tori was getting tired of random people knowing her secrets, it made hiding them all the more difficult. Mostly because she didn’t know who knew what. Captain Bullshit knew about Edict, but did he know about the phrase she used? If he knew about Hephaestus did he know who her mentor was?
Ivan. Tori needed to get a hold of Ivan. She should have done that before she even opened the door, or made Beverly do it.
“Nexus told me. He tells me a lot actually.” Before they could try to get anything else out from him the front door clicked open. Chloe walking through.
“Hey guys, I brought some… coffee back.” Chloe saw him then, the door shutting behind her with the certainty of a coffin lid closing. Captain Bullshit eyed her wearily, he had a look of slight insanity when talking to Tori and Beverly, the look on his face now resembled someone more sane, more nervous.
Without another word Tori strolled over to her friend and took the cardboard carrier from Chloe's unmoving hands. Chloe looked from Captain Bullshit to Tori back to the man standing in their apartment.
Her eyes were so round Tori could see the tell tale ring of brown behind her blue contacts.
Honey brown.
Her grown out pixie cut was a white blonde, the product of bleach, yet beneath it a shade of caramel that Tori so rarely saw except when Chloe was feeling too lazy to dye her roots. The tone familiar as Tori looked back over her shoulder at Captain Bullshit, whose hair was not concealed by his normal hat.
Taking one of the to-go cups Tori boiled it with a mere thought. She passed the remaining cups to Beverly, who instead gave it to their guest.
Tori started to chug her twelve ounces of liquid gold, relying on the caffeine to carry her through the soon to be uncomfortable conversation.
Wade would have realized as soon as he saw Captain Bullshit at the door, Tori was sure, but she didn’t have meta genius. Hell she didn’t even have proof.
She was going to look really stupid if this turned out to be a baseless accusation, but protecting her roommate came over any sense of embarrassment she would normally feel in social circumstances.
Tori threw the cup in the trash, ignoring Chloe’s complaint that the paper cups were made to be recyclable. Thrusting her finger in Captain Bullshit's direction, Tori realized he had slowly been creeping away from the door towards the living room.
“You’re related to Chloe, aren't you?” Beverly and Chloe both reacted more appropriately to the situation, surprise and shock outweighing any reason.
Captain Bullshit shuffled his feet, again not looking at any one.
“I…I recently learned that I did in fact have a child I was not aware of.”
“Whatthefuckisgoingonthat’sCaptainBullshitrighthowlonghashebeenhereToriwhatareyoutalkingaboutwhatishetalkingaboutthiscantbereal-“ Chloe’s run on sentence was interrupted by Tori hitting her on the arm, jolting her out of her trance.
Beverly’s reaction was a low whistle and raised eyebrows as she glanced between her two roommates and one of their new family members.
“Ok, that’s…wow.” turning Beverly looked back at Tori, “You might want to cancel your meeting with Wade, Tori. I think you’re late anyway.”
Sitting at their dining room table Captain Bullshit talked about his time before prison, before the mistake that landed him in Rookstone, before he knew a woman very similar to Chloe.
Captain Bullshit had only asked Chloe once if she wanted their conversation to be private, when she refused he accepted the presence of her roommates.
Privately Tori had wondered about Chloe’s time being homeless. She knew her friend had been on her own for a little after the Ridge City Riots, crashing with friends and coworkers. Listening to the two tales coming together, Tori felt a little closer connection to Chloe. She hadn’t had any family to return to.
Chloe hadn’t known her mother, but clearly Captain Bullshit had. At least for a night.
The conversation was awkward and a bit stiff, but considering how bad it could have gone, Tori considered it a win. The two agreed to talk more in the future, to try and figure stuff out together.
Once Captain Bullshit left however Tori had her priorities in order; take a boiling hot shower, take a long ass nap, and ordering Chloe some nice take out.
Realizing she hadn’t checked her notifications since sending a quick text to Wade, Tori pulled out her phone. By now the guild council would be in a meeting which was likely why Wade hadn’t bee mad about her canceling, only reminding her to try and do so before the actual time of the meeting passed.
She sent him an apology before shooting a message to Ivan.
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Ivan felt the buzz of the text when it came but didn’t check it until after the meeting had wrapped up, it was the sound that was linked to Tori's number meaning if it was truly urgent she would have just called.
All the rest of the council members had left the room besides himself, Wade, and Xelas. Normally Ivan would have been one of the first of the seven gone but he was preoccupied reading and rereading the texts.
Xelas rested an arm over his shoulder leaning in conspiratorial as if to tell Ivan a secret, she could clearly tell whatever he was looking at had him concerned.
“Something terrible happen to your quarterly reviews?” The look on her face didn't die entirely as she read the messages, only taking his phone from him and handing it over to Wade.
“Well,” Wade's thin eyebrows raised as he took the phone from Xelas, “I sure can’t blame her for canceling.”
Tori:
Just a heads up prob no dinner tnite
Tori:
Captain Bullshit dropped by looking for C, nothing bad I think???
Tori:
btw Nexus is telling him stuff about the country club
Tori:
They gay, trust