Perla
The cold concrete pressed itself against Ares as he sat against the peak of the facility. The unwelcome yet familiar feeling of rough stone against his skin. The roof was a frequent place Ares visited, and he couldn't deny it took effort to get up here. A perfect test for whoever this new person was. Whatever she wanted could not matter less to him, she was paying him and that was *More* Than enough in exchange for simple information.

Ares leaned his elbows on his knees, his free hand held his cracked phone. The message remained stationary on the screen, *5 minutes ago.* He looked up, as the wind pressed softly against his face. The coming night was quiet, and still. The roof was silent and almost made Ares feel suffocated, if it wasn't for the fresh air. 

This place was truly a prison, he sneered in his mind. The concrete was bleak and dripped with a sour feeling that he couldn't place his finger on. With a grumble, Ares turned his attention back to his phone. 

The wind swirled, and the cool crisp summer sky held heavy above him. His bulky grey jacket hugged the loose hoodie that fell comfortably over his muscular torso. Ares definitely didn't care what this new person thought of him, because he didn't look exactly *Put together.* His dark brown scruffy hair rested on top of his head in a ruffled mess that he frequently adjusted by running his hands through, lower down on his face alongside a bastard smirk rested piercings. Lower, sweatpants and converse shoes that looked like the bottom of a high school desk etched with graffiti and drawings. A silver necklace with two pull tabs hung from his neck, as he continued to tap his finger on the side of his phone.

For a brief moment, Ares considered if this was a good idea. This was quickly and easily dismissed by the fact that *Nothing* Ares did was a good idea, and that was why he had so much *Fun.*
Cassie
Though it was quite unlike Danica to initiate meeting with basically anyone ever, her curiosity and hunger for fly-on-the-wall knowledge negated that easily. At Newton's Cradle she essentially had to start all over again. She could admit she knew almost nothing about this place, and she could admit even quicker that she *Hated* That. Of course she could spend the time working away at it herself, collecting insider tips and local knowledge, but what was a mere cash sum and an evening spent talking with a stranger to speed that up a little? It was simply taking advantage of what was available. Dani *Always* Liked to play things in the fewest possible moves. It wasn't like she was particularly bothered or invested in what these people did, as long as it wasn't in her way it didn't matter, but there was always a thrill in being a spectator in the know. Always fond of her detective stories, Dani was quite the collector. 

It did take her a little longer than she anticipated to figure out the roof, but not by too much. She had also taken the time to retrieve from her dorm her laptop and a thickly stapled black and white printed stack of papers she'd gotten from the front desk. Every student in alphabetical order including their current dorm and intake photo. You'd be surprised what kind of stuff front desks would give you if you just asked and were patient. As a student, though it was kind of an odd request, Dani was allowed the documents.

_ _
The cooling summer air blew past her neck as she crested the concrete, the cold rough press of the surface against her hands being a dry pull. Once she figured out where the footholds were, it was rather straightforward for the athlete, no matter her light backpack. Crickets buzzed on the air and the tangy smell of the little hoods flowers tucked around themselves in the eve flicked up from the overgrown gardens. The long grass swayed. It was somehow both simultaneously clear yet crowded, the haze of summer atmosphere still hanging heavy in the dark. Easily pushing herself up, it wasn't long before Dani spotted Ares. Who else could it be?

Her dusted white converse stuck to the roof as she toed her way up, tossing her bag at her feet as she came to the slight plateau, *If you could call it that.* Danica stood slightly shorter than Owen at a reasonable 5'6", her most standout feature in the dark being the light waves of her hair that caught the dwindling light like glinting fish backs. Diamond earrings dangled from her in the swaying wind, with ruby rings and a simple necklace to match. Her sterling hair was held back with a clip, simple leggings, a while tanktop, and a beige zip-up hoodie making up the rest of what she wore. She had a pretty face, angular and typical, with long lashes around hazel eyes and dark brows that seemed either bored or passively annoyed. The soft light still emanating from the facility below glowed softly up against the darkening blue sky, catching gently over the both of them. 

"Ares. I'm Danica." 

She sounded American. Soon after she spoke she sat down with a pat and pulled the laptop and the booklet from her bag, slapping an American 20 on top of the stacked paper. She hadn't yet had the time to convert any of her bills to Swedish Krona, but she assumed it would do. 

"Tell me what you know."
Perla
With the faint sound a foot step, Ares leaned back over his shoulder to survey his guest. The same gaze that could shoot daggers sharper than his insults fell upon the stranger, and any normal person would have shivered at the sight. Ares was indeed intimidating, and his bulky frame and piercings didn't help. 

As she sat down next to him, Ares raised a brow at her confidence. *Straight to the point.* He admired that for a moment, but no more than a second. 

Ares looked her up and down. She looked clean cut and perfect to a fault. Her silky blonde hair was pulled into a neat bunch by a clip, and her outfit matched her textbook attitude. She looked like the kind of stuck up teachers pet that would be up Ares' ass about smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, or etching some tag into a locker. Despite this, Ares couldn't deny that between the diamonds that hung from her ears like stars and the ruby rings on her fingers, she was rather pretty. He felt his teeth clench slightly at the thought, *Objectively* Pretty. He had no care for such things. 

 As the two settled, he hoped that her carefree attitude over the Intranet cared over in person. He reached out his hand, and without a second of hesitation, tucked the money into the inside of his jacket. 

"Dani." He nodded. "Would say its a pleasure, but I prefer not to lie when I don't have to." Ares' voice held an accent, it flowed through the sounds of someone who knew Spanish and spoke it regularly. It was smooth, confident and bold, much like the rest of him. 

He snickered slightly, his bastard smirk held sharpened teeth. He looked like the kind of kid that shoved nerds into walls for homework answers, or got into fights for fun. His rough scarred knuckles didn't help this case.
_ _

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, princess. Where should I start?" Despite his rather aggressive opening, his teasing was lighthearted and fun. The boy was clearly just trying to get a reaction or some sort of rise out of her. 

No amount of anger or malice directed at Danica could be sensed.
Cassie
Maybe spending so much time on her own in the city had just made her tough, or maybe she'd never really cared anyway, but Dani took Ares' stare like a decorated war hero in their prime. Bounced it right back at him too, her dark stained lower lids hanging firmly. Ares looked to her like the kind of person she'd see in a group playing boosted music too loudly and throwing up sloppy, vulagr tags in an alleyway, but without the dopey edge to make him look like someone dumb enough to get caught. He looked like he knew enough about enough, with a clever glint in his eye that spelled troublemaker with an agenda, even if that "Agenda" Was just to dick around. His appearance spelled someone who cared about clothes in passing but not enough to go out of his way, and his hair looked like he'd cut it himself. The look on his downcast features made him appear like someone was hot shit and knew it, or at least genuinely thought he was. Danica at least had enough trust in their interactions so far to take that at face value and believe him. It didn't really serve her too much to doubt him, anyway. He was rudimentality charming in the way a scruffy teenage boy was, but Dani felt no compulsion to consider that any further. If anything she just hoped he wasn't the kind of idiot who would try to get into her pants. *Annoying.*

"Hm. Well then your honesty is appreciated." She said bluntly. "Neither do I."

Though her attitude and expression remained fixed and dull, her ease of speaking denoted someone who was alright with how Ares operated. If anything she appreciated that he at least knew who he was and how he was going to operate. Danica wasn't one for those with "Weak" Assertions. Danica flipped the booklet open to the first page, *Uriel Melançon* Being the first on the chopping block. The order wasn't perfect but it was close enough.

"Here. Tell me everything you know about this person here, and then flip through"

She paused.

_ _
"If you would, *Doll.*" 

A light smirk graced her lips in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash before she flipped open her laptop and readied a document. Clearly, she intended to take notes. The darkness crept in carefully from all around them, but with the light from the laptop and what emanated from below, seeing the names and faces on the paper wasn't a problem.
Perla
Ares stuffed his phone in his pocket, and leaned back on both hands. He was stationed like a king on a throne, overflowing with confidence. Yet, his attitude was laid back and chill. He seemed unbothered, so his charm was rather effortless.

Danica's attitude took him for a surprise, but a pleasant one. He cocked his head to the side with a raised brow and smirk, surveying her with his watchful gaze. He turned his attention to the paper and people, and curiosity pressed in his mind. Why would she care so much about the students? Maybe she was some sort of freak that wanted to keep tabs on everyone for whatever sick reason she so chose. Ares knew people like her back in California, or at least he *Assumed* They were like her. 

"Doll?" Ares snickered. "Thats a first." 

With a deep hum from his chest, Ares pulled himself back forward and leaned on one hand to look at the laptop screen. She was paying him, what did it matter why she needed the information. He didn't pick up the paper, simply looked at it for a brief second.

"Oh, Uri." Ares felt nothing at the name. "Made me a scarf once, seems neutral on everything. They are kind of a pacifist with tree hugger energy and get all sad when people fight on the intranet." Ares spoke using not only his voice, but also his hands. They moved with each syllable in a rhythm that held the same beat of fireworks. The boy almost sounded scripted with how effortlessly words fell from his tongue. 

"If you are interested in powers, they have the ability to put people to sleep from what i've seen. They are also a raging narcoleptic and are passed out all the time. Got sent to detention for spending the night with the ginger kid, Owen." 
_ _

Ares leaned back on his palms, making himself comfortable once again. His eyes closed against the deep black sky, while waiting for her to finish her notes and move on to the next person. Ares held no information back, and seemed very unaffected by what he was doing. 

Money talked, and so would Ares. 

"Next."
Cassie
Dani would tell you she didn't really care if she knew about people or not, and she truly believed that when she said it. Though, always the nosey type, there was a distinct satisfaction to knowing. Ares so far had seemed to line up enough with what she'd personally seen, and though she took what he said with a grain of salt, his input was better than nothing. Danica enjoyed having control over the things around her, she liked schedules and operations, plans and expectations being followed. She certainly wasn't a fan of anything unexpected. Being at this facility was about as big a wrench in her plans as you could imagine, even her sense of what was real being dismantled as she stumbled into being a parahuman. She had always thought if she was going to be *Superhuman* It'd just be because of skill. Maybe digging through Ares' opinions and being even more on top of analyzing people was just a way for her to try and scramble for feeling in control again. If she could know people she could predict people, and then she could figure out how best to be left alone. 

"I make a point to be unique." 

As always her expression stayed cold and dead, but her words revealed her to be more lighthearted and sarcastic than that showed. She listened carefully while Ares spoke, typing away whatever little footnotes she thought would be useful from his report. 

"Owen? Hm. I've met that boy. Skittish."

She thought Owen was fine, seemed nice enough and like an amiable figure among the population. He seemed scared of her though, so she doubted they'd get along much. Who knew he was into narcoleptics. 

"Also, if you know any intranet handles. Next."

She flipped the page for him and readied her next section.
Perla
Ares sighed, and with a solid motion his back met the cold roof. He pulled his arms upwards and tucked them behind his head to soften the rather uncomfortable concrete. He let his eyes close, and the darkness from outside had found its way under his eyelids. He wasn't taking this surprise pop quiz interview very seriously, and from his annoyingly casual behaviour it was obvious. 

"Intranet handles? That I can do." Ares didn't move from his position. "Username Lightningrod is blondie, or I should say their name is Finley. As their *Very creative* Username suggests, their powers are lightning related. They are a total nerd that likes to read and they're super into conspiracies and government secrets." With the mention of Finley, Ares' voice almost softened. It had a certain fondness to it that would go unnoticed if you weren't paying attention.

"Fin plays drums alongside me and Owen, and knows a lot about the angels and backhands of the facility, so if you want knowledge on that, go to them. They aren't *Nearly* As willing to talk as much as me though."

The night continued onwards as the boy recounted information, Ares attempted to keep his explanations brief.
_ _

"Username Sprite is Valio, but I call her Val. She is very quiet and doesn't tell anyone anything. She rarely smiles, but cared a lot when Margo went missing. Me and her were *Going* To go and find Margo, but the bitch came back not even a day after. That doesn't matter, though." He grumbled. "Val despite being like 6 foot fucking 8, is a huge softy. She wont admit it though." A slight laugh left his chest before he continued. 

He raised his hand and began to count on his finger as he spoke. With each person, another finger. Ares recounted all of this information with his eyes closed, from pure memory. Many found Ares bland and dumb to a fault, with enough braincells to rival a brick. His marks in school were terrible and he couldn't tell you what he ate the previous day if his life depended on it, but you could *Count* On him having knowledge on anyone that has ever talked to him.

"Username Stretch is Margarita. She is a cocky Italian hothead with the ability to stretch herself like gum. She hates me, and I dont like her. Nothing else to say." Three fingers up.

"Sunburst is Audrey. She is a hippie that probably smokes weed in her free time and has the power of absorbing the sun. She has like plants and shit running through her skin, its freaky but interesting. Calls everyone hun, and is very active on the intranet." 

Ares opened one of his eyes to gaze over at Danica, who was pressing away at her keyboard with no hesitation and the upmost accuracy like a workaholic receptionist.

"Are you gettin' all of this nerd, or do you need me to slow down." He didn't need to laugh in her face for her to know he was sneering sarcastic taunts her way.
Cassie
Danica typed away while Ares mused lazily, listing off the seemingly more important people to him first before he continued with anything else. Made sense enough. First, *And she noted they were first,* Came Finley. Ares seemed *Very* Fond of Finley. Her ears pricked and her brow raised as she heard that they knew quite a bit when it came to what happened around the facility, and her interest was instantly peaked as she heard even the inference that there *Were* Things happening to begin with. Interesting. If there were shady and dangerous things here at play, it'd definitely serve her to know about them. Danica was all but assured in her ability to survive on her own, keeping herself safe in the city for years, but when she had no idea there was even anything to be paying attention to, it made her want to be more careful. She'd need something to replace her pepper spray the staff took in her frisk. 

"You're in a band? Mm." She gave a small nod with her head, acknowledging what it took to do that. She'd have to ask Ares about himself too, though expected he'd play it up. 

Her expression paused for a moment as he described the height of Valio, and Danica had to wonder if that had something to do with her abilities. It was hard to imagine how different each individual could be when it came to their paranormality. 

As Ares spoke, Danica would be hard pressed to say she wasn't impressed. He seemed like the kind of person people would underestimate quite a lot, but he was listening, cataloguing, and she respected that. She made a mental note to stay on his good side if she could. For one, she didn't want him to start snooping on her, and for two, they seemed like-minded. He was quickly becoming one of her favourites here, if you could call it that. 

"Mhm. Continue. Unless *You* Need a breath."

_ _
She retorted simply, letting a small puff of air escape her nose that sounded halfway between a laugh and a scoff. The clacking sounds of her keyboard continued evermore, the light tapping babbling away like a brook in the winter.
Perla
Ares closed his eyes once more. The day was falling farther and farther down the horizon as the honey pink and deep blues sunk down to rest. The deep black void of night coated over everything with an inky veil, leaving nothing but dazzling pinhole stars in its wake. The boy sat comfortably under the crisp sky, he fit nicely against the dark hues the end of day brought. 

Ares let out a laugh. It was a crackling sound that made him tilt his head back farther against his forearms. Visible enough with this snicker, a silver tongue piercing reflected against the pale glow of the others laptop. 

"Oh please, me and my sister used to do this all the time. I could go on for hours." He raised his hand from his chest and waved it to the side in a dismissive manner. 

Ares could not deny something in Danica commanded a certain amount of respect from inside his mind. Perhaps it was the many similarities she shared with his twin sister, or the fact they both shared similar ideals on people. She wasn't pissy or up his ass about anything and even returned his snarky comments and gestures, albeit with a stone cold expression. This was more than enough for Ares to admit to himself he was enjoying the company. 

"Alright... Who's next on my shitlist." He paused. "Ah yes. Owen. Orchidforge. He is a bass player, and a total loser." The tone Ares used to say this didn't sound serious, in fact it sounded more like lighthearted teasing between friends. He wouldn't admit this.

"His power is this like? Heat shield? He pulls it out from under his skin, and it surrounds him in a barrier that can heat up and burn the fuck out of you. I learned that the hard way." Taking a second to think, Ares continued on without much hesitation. 
_ _

"Gabe is another one, his name is his username. He has attention manipulation powers. Basically a self centred drama queen that wants to be under a spotlight day and night. I haven't talked to him much, but he is apparently a famous actor and has over a hundred thousand followers on instagram. I get along with him fine, but he is egotistical." A small shrug came from Ares' shoulders at what he said. He didn't seem to care all that much.

"Hatsume, or Hi-Hat on the intranet, can make her voice really loud and is a total menace to everyone around her." He mindlessly fidgeted with his rings as he spoke. "Matti, Aletteias, can basically tell if you're lying or not when you say something. Creepy as fuck, and talks like Shakespeare but if he was even more lame some how. Asks a lot of questions, so I think he keeps information on people as well." 

The summer wind pressed against the two softly. Despite the all encompassing night, it was comfortably warm outside. The effects of summer were in full force. Ares always loved nights like these. 

"Taffy, or PlacedMedia, is totally insane. They went off the walls crazy and wont leave me the fuck alone whenever they are online. Absolutely hates me. I don't know what his power is, but its something shadow related? I cant remember I don't care." He scoffed, and his anger was visible before he moved on.

"I know there is this one clown kid, June? Jesterkid on the intranet. From what I saw, they have the ability to clone themselves. They sound like a circus on crack and are annoying as all hell. I don't interact with them or care for them. They are probably mentally insane or something." 

"Esme, gemstone powers. I see her flirting with Valio sometimes." Ares' tone spelt mischief, as if he wasn't supposed to say that. "Rai, can turn into a monster or something? I dunno I rarely see her anymore."
_ _

The boy paused and tapped his counting fingers on his palm in an attempt to draw more names out of the deep endless pool he had flooding his brain. It clearly was taking some effort, because his pace began to slow. Ares kept one arm tucked under his head, and returned the other with a sigh. 

"Oh yeah, Margo. You've met her though, I snooped through her room once when she went missing. I got to scan through some of her journals. She has this like, eye power? It enhances her sight or something. Has a lot of mental baggage from what I saw. I left her items alone, but honestly I should've stolen at least a page or two." 

The silence of the night hung heavy between his words as he ran through his mind once more. A permanent smirk tugged on his tan features, it seemed like second nature. 

"I can't think of anyone else. If I didn't mention them, I don't know them." Straight to the point. "Wanna know anything else then, stuck-up?"
Cassie
Dani kept up with Ares like a well oiled machine, her little information collection growing exponentially by the second. This was good. She was feeling a lot more confident as her little bubble fortified, her at least social safety feeling more assured. She at this point had enough trust in Ares to not rat her out unless someone paid him, and at that point she couldn't blame him. Money was money, and he seemed to be willing to sell out people he cared a lot about for less than a dollar a piece. Even knowing the possible risks, she felt this whole thing was more than worth it. 

The black of night encased them like a speckled cocoon, Danica feeling the absence of the sun's glow like something palpably missing, as if a warm cat had just jumped off her lap. Faint whispers of it crested from far off shores, but the distance felt like running down a hallway in a dream. She noticed now that if she reached, called, it would answer as if in rhythm with her own heart, pulsing through the air like blood through her veins or a river to the woods. It had all been such a quick thing, but she noticed more and more how it had *Always* Been there to some capacity. The only difference now was the fog was cleared, the muck cut away, the clog removed. It was all a little overwhelming at times. She couldn't tell if she liked the silence or dreaded it. Either way, she didn't have the time to mourn. 

"You're very thorough. That's good."

Ares was getting just about the most silver platter treatment Danica had on offer, complimenting him in the matter-of-fact way she often did. Usually people didn't very well understand what she meant by things, but she had decided long ago that was no issue of hers. She said what she meant and it wasn't her job to make sure she was adding enough soft filler words to make it all cushy for people. She took the nickname in stride, not generally caring what people called her. Even "Danica" How most said it wasn't her real name.

_ _
"Do you know who the user Bone-afied is? Anything you know. And then tell me about yourself. I'm also interested in these... *Angels.* Any other major events or "Backhands" Of the facility too."
Perla
"Why thank you." Ares opened one eye, and flashed one of his troublesome smirks. It almost gave the illusion that he was winking before he returned to his resting position. His voice was gravely and confident, it sounded like the sizzle and crack of a lit matchstick, and flowed through his sharpened teeth with the same consistency of poison honey. 

The calm of the night carried on above them in tandem with the lack of birdsong. Ares had gotten used to the annoying chirp and hum of the wildlife outside of his window, but the quiet that fell when the sun left was still his all time favourite. 

"Oh? Her? I don't know her name. Amelie? Maybe? She is super fucking ill from what I've seen. Constantly talking about how she is in the hospital, or coming back from it. Ive seen Valio call her *The sick girl.* Its interesting, I don't think people see her for anything else." Ares seemed unaffected despite going with a rather sad choice of words. "She also doesn't like me and is such an asshole. As you can guess, a *Lot* Of people don't like me. Thats not *My* Problem though, I couldn't care less." He shrugged once more before opening his eyes at Danica's next few words. 

Ares raised a brow, and looked at her for a second. "About me? What do you need dirt on yours truly as well?" He snickered. 

"Well, if you must know. Me, Ares Morales, can explode shit." 
_ _

Ares threw himself upwards with a grunt, and returned his posture to a hunched over position. He was sitting upwards now, resting his elbows on his knees. The boy would never turn down an opportunity to show off. 

Ares turned his palm upwards, the lighter coloured flesh was decorated with rough callouses and bandages alongside dried blood on some of his fingers. Within a few seconds, a small firecracker explosion set off in his palm. It was bright orange, and lit up the roof with a blink of light. It was warm for a second, then it disappeared into the summer night with the wind. Ares turned to look at Danica, a rather prideful smirk on his face. 

"Of course, they can be a *Lot* Bigger than that, but you get the idea." He fell back downwards onto the concrete with a thump. "I can also make smoke and I'm immune to explosions. I haven't really tested that out, but so far I have yet to be burned." 

The way Ares spoke made it clear he didn't *Actually* Know a lot about his powers. They had come quick and taken him completely by surprise not even a couple weeks before he was shipped off to Swedish hell like livestock. The boy would never let anyone know this of course, if anyone asked he was incredibly strong and sure of himself. He definitely believed this. 

"Im from California, and I'm Puerto Rican. I speak Spanish, and I play guitar. I think school is dumb, and I hate being here. Satisfied?"

As Ares stretched his arms behind his head once more, the muscles in his torso pulled tight against his hoodie. He always hated the feeling, and felt frustration bubble under his skin at the thought of the facility. 

"Well cmon then, what about you, princess? Whats *Your* Freak story."
Cassie
Danica hummed lightly at his description of Amelie, stitching together the little bits she had already garnered but just couldn't quite place a name to. Amelie seemed kind of odd to her, blunt and to the point but formal and quite the provider. Deep pockets, or at least she assumed so. *Headstrong terminal servant* Was what came to mind. Aside from that, Dani actually found the bluntness refreshing. She thought it good when people didn't pad their words. 

"I simply want to know all you'll tell."

She mused dryly, her slender fingers tapping away incessantly. She paused though as Ares got up, her clear hazel stare turning to him. The dull blue glow of her laptop screen reflected on her eyes as she watched carefully. *Does he intend to demonstrate?* Though she'd seen a few people utilise their abilities in passing, it felt like something entirely different to truly see it head on. 

In Ares' palm, a *Crack* Pounded fast and quick just after a flash of light like a firework on new years, the burst settling on the air with singed and crackling edges. It was there and then it was gone, but the sharp, prickly scent of gunpowder lingered for a good moment after. Or at least it was something *Like* Gunpowder, and there was something about that explosion that was *Like* A firecracker, but Dani couldn't help but feel it differed from the shitty fireworks she'd let go on broken concrete many times before. It wasn't in any way she could directly place, or in any way that was even slightly obvious, but it just seemed to be Ares'. That sounded right. Probably. Danicas eyes fell to his hands while he explained further, her tapping starting right back up again. 

"Жесть-" She mumbled under her breath.
"Impressive. Very."

_ _
She jotted down the messy remainder of what else he gave, recognizing the conservative way he went about describing himself. Made sense. She nodded once to indicate that that was indeed enough.

"Mm. Danica Belyaeva. Born Russian, coming from New York. Figure skater. Seventeen. As for my... Abilities, I deal in the sun. Light."

Though it had only really been a month since Danica had exploded in that arena, she'd been slowly figuring out that that blast wasn't just a one off thing, and she had much more control once she put her mind to it. Suspecting she'd need to do a little show too, she let out a prickly breath and turned her attention to the light of her screen. Something told her she could save the more impressive things for another time. She didn't need to put all her cards on the table just yet. 

Adjusting to be sitting more upright, she sprawled her fingers before the light, feeling its illuminating reflections moving with a quiet, uniform drum. She found unnatural light to be much less alive than the sun, its standardized hum something almost robotic. In many ways it made it both more cooperative and a nightmare to direct. It was straight forward and took well to instructions, but did nothing to work with her. No unnatural light had made any efforts to come to her as kin. 

Feeling her fingertips along the hum, she sapped all the light from the screen and keyboard, calling it to a sphere between her focused hands. She hadn't deactivated the device at all, but had merely taken and manipulated its light. The white-blue glow hovered for a moment like a perfect shelless bulb before Danica cast it back out with a light opening of her hands, letting it dissipate back to the screen. She shook her open hands slightly for emphasis. *Jazz hands.* 

"Tada." Moving on.

"Next I'd like to know about these Angels."

She was bare bones and to the point when talking about herself, and seemed at least a *Little* Half assed with her display of power. It was less a display per se and more just a fun party trick with how she presented. Either she really was that lame or she didn't really feel like pulling out any stops.
Perla
"Russian? You drink Vodka and shit then?" 

Ares snickered lightly. He remained pulled back against the roof, his dark eyes covered by his eyelids. At the mention of power, he opened his eyes with a raised brow. This kind of information was important, as proven today. He told himself to keep a note on anything she showed him, but it was second nature. 

As Danica pulled an orb of light out of her glowing laptop, Ares couldn't help but feel a little bit impressed. The particles of light swirled against the dark sky and illuminated the area surrounding the two with a soft glow. Useful. A flashlight? Ares wondered if alongside the harnessing of light, Danica could also harness the *Heat* That came with it. Especially if her powers were sun related, it was a safe assumption. Ares would remember that. 

"So, a glorified flashlight? Wonderful display."

A small scoff like laugh left his chest after he was finished speaking, and the same bastard smirk pulled on his features. Ares couldn't deny he thought her power was indeed interesting, but hell if he would ever *Tell* Her that. Another profile formed in Ares' tornado of a brain. If anyone asked, and could pay the price, Danica would be another person on his information shitlist. 

"Oh angels? Well honestly I don't know much about them either." Ares pulled himself upwards once more, sitting with his elbows against his knees comfortably. "From what I know, they attacked the facility a while back. There are three main ones? Or more? Finley told me about it. Its why curfew exists." His voice spelt annoyance. 
_ _

"What I do know, is that they have mind control powers, and weapons that can give you permanent wounds. I don't remember who it was, but someone got cut with one of their knives, and it never closed. Thats not even the worse part, like I mentioned they have mind control powers right, and can pretty much possess people." Ares recounted the experience the best he could, but even *He* Couldn't deny it was blurry in places. He wasn't exactly the most involved, and hearing things secondhand from Finley only told him so much. 

"And then, Margo and Mattias went missing. Kidnapped by the angels. I dont know what happened to Mattias, but apparently he was in there longer than Margo." Ares shrugged. "The weird part though, is that while the two of them were missing, an angel by the user Marblewing got into the intranet and sent a picture of a tower from the industrial district. Me and Valio were going to go investigate, but Margo came back before we could. Its strange, because the intranet is a closed forum used only by people at Newtons Cradle. I wonder how the angel got in." His voice trailed off, he was obviously thinking about something. With a small shake of his head, he picked back up the pace. 

"I still have a screenshot the picture, and I'm tempted to go and find the tower by myself." A part of him was painfully curious. Ares was always curious, and being handed thousands of open ends on a silver platter made him want to dig deeper. Despite knowing it was incredibly dangerous.

"Oh, and according to everyone I asked, they aren't immune to fire and explosions. Therefore, I'd be a pretty useful addition when fighting them." Ares put on a dramatic display of flexing his muscles before lowering them with a quiet laugh.

"But again, like I said, if you want more knowledge and conspiracies you should talk to Finley."
Cassie
Danica scoffed lightly at him, a sound that could also have been taken as a chuckle depending on what speed you played it back. The soles of her shoes shifted against the grainy sloped floor, the little bits of sandy concrete rubble scratching lighty in the night. A cool breeze rustled past the overgrown ivy. Here they were sheltered from the view of any windows or the central courtyard, but could see as the buzzing lights below were shut off for the night. 

"Mhm. Lots." 

She mused dryly with a raised brow before continuing to work through her different notes. She was quite pleased with her answer to Ares' questioning, knowing full well whatever he knew could and probably eventually would be spread to others. The whole thing was kept bullet-note brief, roughly only relaying back to him mirrored information from his answers. Even her display of abilities was a gross understatement of what she could really do. She wasn't sure she'd be able to recreate what she'd done at the arena on a whim, but she was at least confident she could get close. Practice would have to be done for that soon. 

"*Thank you.*" 


She spoke sarcastically with a low drawl at Ares' *Vibrat* Recount of her little light show, rolling her eyes slightly before returning to her screen. Her ears pricked and she opened a new tab as he started explaining what was going on with these "Angel" People. Considering the boy before her had just summoned an explosion with his bare hands, it didn't seem too far off that they would actually be angels.

_ _
*Clack, clack, clack.* Danica listened intently, the well of starter information sounding so much deeper than anything she expected to be here. She'd thought it'd be more like a veterans home than anything else, certainly nothing like a place where people could get kidnapped and their peers could plan to rescue them. *What in the goddamn hell?* Her brow furrowed with focus while she typed manically, there was absolutely no doubt she'd need to find people who knew more. She *Had* To know more. At least if Ares had a chance at fighting them with his abilities, maybe she could too. The kind of blasts she could work on were at the *Least* Comparable to a flamethrower. Hm.

"Is there anyone else who knows anything?"
Perla
Ares didn't notice what Danica took of the entire situation. She seemed unaffected, despite her pace increasing. Ares for once, was in his head. He furrowed his brow, while thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind. This wasn't unusual for him, his brain normally sounded like bees hyped up on drugs, but it always annoyed him when it was for reasons such as these. 

"Well, Valio is one. She was with me when Margo went missing, and I think she knows more then she lets on..." Ares paused. "But good luck getting her to tell you anything, i've never seen her answer questions related to the angels. I wouldn't bother with her."

He mindlessly chewed on the inside of his mouth between thoughts. All of this recounting information, and explanations made Ares think about what was actually going on. The whole storm had calmed down, since the two had returned, but Ares could feel like it couldn't have just ended so quickly. The urge to go to the tower itched in his mind, and has been for less than a month now, despite no new information on the angels coming out. He had to figure things out for himself, but he also wasn't in the mood to play hero. 

"Next is Margo of course, she was fucking *Kidnapped* By the angels... But she hates the both of us so I doubt she'll tell us anything. Although, I could ask Finley to get that information for me, if you'd like." Ares didn't know Margo's stance on Finley, but it was worth a shot. 

"Uriel is next, Margo's roommate. Surprisingly. I'm not actually sure what they know, but they put themselves in a fucking coma when the two went missing and share a dorm with the bitch who got kidnapped so it would be worth a shot to ask them. As well as Mattias, but I don't see them around much."

Ares looked over at Danica finally, surveying the notes on her laptop then looking at her expression. Her brow was furrowed like his own, clearly she was just as curious as he was. 
_ _

"The last people that came to my mind are the faculty but I doubt they'll tell you shit. In fact, I wouldn't recommend going to them. Im one hundred percent certain they are working against us. Like, yknow the angel I mentioned in the intranet? They were banned by the admin near *Seconds* After posting the picture. Thank god I was able to get a screenshot of it but... It's strange, is it not?"

Ares adjusted his pose and leaned back slightly on his palms. His dark amber eyes raised upwards. The night held heavy above them, and clear crisp stars danced against the dark. 

"I think asking people questions can only do so much. I want to go to the tower myself." He scoffed. "Finley said I shouldn't though." 

He looked over at Dani once again, a slight tease on his features. "You don't talk much, y'know that."
Cassie
"Yes. Try and get Finley to do that."

Danica nodded curtly as he listed off people, jotting down anything and everything. Of course the faculty wouldn't be of any help. Maybe they didn't want people to get involved at all, which made sense, but fuck like Danica had *Ever* Left her safety and trust in others. She wasn't a child anymore, and she hadn't been for far longer than she probably should have. Either she looked into things with her own two hands or she would take everything with a grain of salt. Having her pepper spray confiscated left an even more sour taste in her mouth than it did before. *Bastards.*

"I do." 

The ivory-haired girl knew full well she said little in comparison to others. If she didn't have anything valuable to say, then she generally found no use in speaking at all. 

The buzzing *Whr* Of summertime crickets and frogs from the tall grass on campus wafted on the air, the almost silent ambient sound cooing sweetly through haze. Danica looked up at Ares as he spoke more, watching as he accentuated everything with lively hands. He certainly was quite the explosive person to watch speak, fitting his paranormality almost earrily. She typed a bit more before speaking again. 

"I'd go. To the tower."

Her hazel gaze turned to his with a serious tilt. 

"Once we learn everything we can and prepare, it should be fine. Enlightening, hopefully."
Perla
Ares looked at her, and met her serious gaze with a matched level of confidence. A hint of skepticism was visible under his brow. The two of them were on the same level.

"Your little light power better pack quite a punch princess or you're going to get your ass beat. You're like? What? 5'4?" He snickered. 

Although the two held the same amount of stubbornness, it was impossible to ignore how much Ares outweighed Danica physically. She wasn't weak by any means, but sitting next to Ares "Bastard" Morales she looked... *Small.* His tan skin pulled around large muscles, and his height was only one thing lending to his intimidating demeanour. He wasn't the tallest, but tall *Enough* To be impressively strong for seventeen almost eighteen year old boy. Not only did he have a solid workout routine, he had experience. Ares had broken his knuckles open on the faces of assholes far before the facility. 

"Anyways. There is more we should learn though, thats true. I may be impulsive but i'm not an idiot yknow." He smirked. "I'm unsure how many angels are in that tower. I heard from Margo in passing it was something like fifteen? Maybe more. We don't know. Im confident enough in myself, but cmon two motherfuckers don't stand a chance against that many angels at once."

Ares sighed in frustration, what Finley had told him made sense. It was a dumb idea to infiltrate the tower but he couldn't help but think about it. Maybe Valio would still be open to the idea, but without someone inside the tower to save it seemed rather pointless. Ares couldn't deny his curiosity though, testing his strength on some unsuspecting angels could be a fun way to spend an afternoon.
_ _

With a sigh, Ares stretched his arms outwards. He cracked his knuckles, and pulled his back tight before lowering his arms with a deep grumble. He ran his hand through his hair rather quick, and turned his attention to Danica. 

"Taking a break from the serious talk, how has the facility been treating you so far? You haven't been here very long, yet here you are... Tryna figure everything out." 

His voice was almost teasing, laced with a hint of mockery and curiosity. It wasn't malicious in any sense, and felt like a genuine question. Only coming from Ares, *Genuine questions* Always sounded slightly like jokes.
Cassie
Of course Ares doubted her, that was only natural. She sure hadn't shown a lot of what she could do, and being able to make it to the roof didn't make you special. The baggy jacket over her shoulders betrayed how muscular she was from years of gruelling figure skating training. Dani certainly wasn't the bulky type like Ares, but she was strong, and she was capable.

"I know it can. And *You're* What? 5'6?" 

Her brows raised slightly in amusement, the closest thing she'd done so far to smile. She wasn't the biggest fan of leading on more of what she could do, but she sounded like she knew what she was talking about, and she had a distinct distaste for being thought incapable unless it served her. If Ares knew anything from the brutal way he'd discovered his powers, he'd be able to recognize the look of the same in Danica's eyes. She tried not to let it get to her, and would tell this to noone, but some nights she woke in a frantic sweat, *Terrified* Of herself. *Demon.*

"Hm."

She thought for a moment, jotting a few more things down on the dull blue glowing surface. 

"*I could cloak us...*" She muttered to herself before looking up to answer his question.

"Fine. It's fine. I've been here long enough to be curious. Annoying location. I'll manage. You've been here how long?" 

Danica brushed off his mocking tone with ease, quickly learning that he just sounded like that. Much like how she just *Seemed* The way she was to people. It wasn't her job to cater to others.
Perla
"I am six fucking feet tall, *Thank you.*"

Ares let out a laugh. He took the joke as it was, lighthearted. He was used to jabs at his height and many assumed it made him insecure, but it was the farthest thing from it. He couldn't care less. 

Listening to her say she knew her power could pack a punch made Ares shrug. He figured she could do more than she showed, which was also true for Ares. Danica would not be wrong to assume all Ares could do was mini firecracker explosions like the one he showed her, but they were both aware of the fact there was *Much* More the other was not seeing. A part of Ares wanted to see what she could do. Interesting. He normally didn't care. 

He heard her say something under her breath, but decided to bring it back up later. 

"God damn, you are *So* Straight to the point." He groaned and grumbled. "Do you *Ever* Have fun?" Ares looked at her with one raised brow, his expression told her he was convinced she was the most boring, bland person to ever exist. The two were polar opposites in so many ways. 

"Ive been here for... A while? I haven't been counting " The tone of his voice dripped with annoyance, clearly he hated the many months he's spent here even if he didn't know how many exactly. "Its fucking terrible here. Im surprised *You* Of all people think its *Fine.*" He surrounded the word *Fine* With air quotes. The boy didn't believe her. 

"Surely the facility has done something to piss you off, they leave *No one* Unscathed." 

The last bit was clearly playful, and almost sounded like Ares was telling a ghost story. The smirk on his face made this fact clear.
Cassie
"Want a sticker for it?" 

She snickered again lightly in the same sort of scoffing way. Ares was starting to get to her whether she liked to admit that or not. It was far too early to say anything yet either way. Danica took hard earned time to really acclimatise to people if she ever did. It was either that or Ares would have to literally save her life. Which she heavily doubted would ever happen. 

The blonde appreciated the quiet understanding of withheld information, feeling people who were butthurt by that sort of thing were just impatient and took everything too seriously. They both had reasons. Even just being lazy was reason enough. Despite how clearly opposite they were, Danica and Ares seemed to share solidarity. Understanding. Danica wasn't blind to the value of that. Perhaps they could be decent allies. 

"Nope. Never. I stopped having fun the moment I turned three. It grants clarity. You should try sometime." 

Danica spoke flatly, her gaze remaining pinned to her screen while she spoke. She *Did* Have fun, she just perhaps too often let herself be bound to regiment. Danica was certainly capable of having a good time, even to Ares' standards. She'd need to figure out at some point if he knew where to get booze. Cigarettes too. She didn't smoke much but sometimes it helped her figure things out better. Fun habits she'd stolen from her family through keyholes.

"Hm. Curfew is *Bothersome.*" She genuinely sounded like she hated it. Woah! So she does have feelings.

"Also they confiscated my stuff in the frisk."
Perla
"Of course I fucking do, the hell?" He laughed. "I deserve some recognition for keeping this fantastic figure up."

Ares finished laughing through a smirk, he was clearly joking. Although, he wasn't *Entirely*, Ares did in fact believe his figure was fantastic, but he didn't need recognition for it. 

"Oh, that makes a lot of sense." Ares very dramatically nodded, as if coming to a grand realization. "Ill never stop having fun. Its a lot more enjoyable than whatever you got goin." 

The way the two spoke contrasted each other more than day and night. Ares blasted through his words like scorching sun and blazing fire, and Danica flowed through her words like smooth stars against moonlight and freezing snow. Despite all of these differences, Ares was having an incredibly good time. It beat doing nothing in his dorm tearing up his fingers on unforgiving guitar strings.

"Curfew is the worst." He grumbled. "I never listen to it though, I'm not exactly big on *Rules.*" Ares was beginning assume Danica was the same, but her cold textbook attitude left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

"They took your stuff?" A snicker fell out from under his breath. "You would be smart to sneak in any items *After* The initial search." 

Ares reached into the pocket of his bulky jacket, and pulled out a black switchblade. He made a show of rolling it over his knuckles, before the sharp blade fell out with a click. The entire knife was black and tactical looking; the light of Danica's laptop reflected against its matte surface. Despite matching the rest of Ares' outfit well, it was one of his less flashy blades. 

"I have more knives than any person needs, yet the faculty doesn't care." Ares flipped the knife around in his hand with ease, he clearly knew his way around them well and wasn't scared of getting cut. His dark auburn gaze rose to Danica. 

"What'd they take from you?" He questioned, not entirely expecting her to answer.
Cassie
"I'll be sure to get that arranged for you Narcissus." 

Dani smirked slightly as she spoke, keeping her eyes locked to her screen. For better or for worse, this boy was proving entertaining. To her at least, she could even call him amiable. She would never tell him, but he was funnier than half the people she'd seen gave him credit for. This would have been something in her *Humble* Opinion, but truth be told Danica held her opinion any way other than humbly. 

"Your loss. May you die overcrowded and confused." 

There was certainly a dichotomy going on with these two and it was as clear as the glass in new windows. Dani was one way, and Ares was another, but despite this they got along pretty damn well. Whatever way they acted and whatever personalities they had, they seemed to just work; like they had some kind of unspoken understanding or common grounds, just looked at from the different sides of a glass. I wonder, what exactly does this shared glass hold? 

"Mm. I find rules often... Unproductive. Best cherry-picked for convenience." 

She rolled her eyes at his comment about sneaking things in after the search. Though Danica genuinely cared about very little, she found jabs at her methods to be unpleasant. Whatever. It'd have to slide. Her hazel gaze flicked up when he pulled the knife, watching him as he made a spectacle of manoeuvring the thing about. She could well do with one of those, especially with this whole angel business. She wasn't actually sure how helpful it would be, but she always felt better with something for defence. Spending so much time living in cities basically on her own had given her a healthy shot of concern for personal protection. Her pepper spray had been taken but she *Was* Able to bring extra door locks. 

"Hm."

_ _
She could certainly respect someone with an arsenal, and she'd always been interested in blades. Usually they came to her strapped to her feet, but that wasn't the start or end of her interest. Ares seemed to have a lot of experience fiddling with the things.

"Pepper spray. Apparently it's *Unsafe.*" 

She said the last bit with an annoyed emphasis.
Perla
"So we agree... Hm. Didn't take you for the type." He said with a shrug. "Rules are the worst." 

The words fell out of his mouth with a grumble. Ares almost sounded comically defiant. Pouncing on any chance to break a rule or prove someone wrong like a tiger that hadn't eaten in months. He leaned hard into every and any stereotype that had been pinned on him, he clearly didn't mind being known as a delinquent. If anything, he revelled in the fact. Being who he was brought him pride, he knows he is cool. And of course, what was the point in trying to be anything better when life is such a shit show. 

The boy looked at Dani with a scowl. Clearly not directed at her, but at the facility. It made sense *Why* She wouldn't be allowed pepper spray, but why was he allowed *Knives?* Maybe the staff just hadn't found out yet. Another score on Ares' end. They rarely found out anything, he must be better than he thought... Or they don't care. 

"You big on self defence? Makes sense." He snickered. "Or is there a different reason for you bringing pepper spray." The tone of his voice sounded like he was genuinely curious, but masking it with a teasing front like always. 

The knife he was holding wasn't one of his favourites, he had another exactly like it. Looking down at his hand, the light reflecting off the blade, an idea popped into his mind. One that confused him, why on earth would he think something like that? His brow twitched as it furrowed further, before he turned back to Dani for a response.
Cassie
"You wouldn't take me for many things." Danica said it as if it were a simple fact.

Her words were not aimed to insult Ares' perception in any way, she knew he was far too clever for that by now. One could suppose she'd said it out of arrogance, believing herself to be elusive in ways others were not. That wasn't right either. Danica shrugged it off as simply knowing herself to be someone often steered clear of, and thus never really got to *Know.* Many presumed her a prude who would scoff at delinquency and stuck to rules like the bible. She was one to scoff, but that was more a general trait than a directed attack. 

The Russian took note of how passionate Ares seemed on rules. How passionate he was about defying them. The hatred in his voice was almost something out of a cartoon, a harsh caricature of disdain to the point she could almost see his whole head going cherry red and his fist clenched in resentment. Ares seemed to be nothing if not set in his ideals, and Danica had to admit she respected that. If there was one thing Danica appreciated, it was someone who knew what they valued. It didn't matter to her what that value was. 

"I'm big on independence." She said flatly.
"The city isn't some safe heaven."

The last bit fell off her tongue as if a mantra she had been telling herself for years. Of course there were spots that were more than safe, but she needed the freedom to move wherever she chose whenever she chose. In her books, awareness and informed caution were commandments. It was important to her to be able to do whatever she damn pleased, and she didn't really care what she had to do to allow herself that. If she all of a sudden needed to start packing around a gun tomorrow, she wouldn't waste time being squeamish, she'd just learn to shoot.

"I'll figure something out. Why do *You* Keep weapons?"
Perla
"I'll be sure to keep an open mind *Nena*." He sneered sarcastically with a grin. Clearly he would be doing no such thing. The nickname tacked on the end was Spanish, and the boy's accent came out full force when spoken. It wasn't exactly the most *Respectable* Nickname, but what did Dani know. 

Danica was smart to not underestimate his perception. Ares simply had high standards for what he personally deemed important. He simply chose not to listen all the time, and yet despite that he has a shocking memory. A skill he had trained from being the centre of every argument and petty drama the bastard children back in California could throw at him. Rumours floated through the halls of his school in hushed whispers and half baked conclusions, and he collected them all. It *Always* Came in handy later. 

"Ah is that so? I mean, for someone like you it definitely isn't." Ares set his elbow up on his knee and leaned his chin into his palm. Of course the city wasn't safe for someone like her. Ares knew, especially because of his sister, that he had an advantage here. Being a nearly six foot tall muscular man with the same snarl as a feral dog, he knew people wouldn't dare to harass or bother him. Unlike Danica. Ares could see the muscles that wrapped themselves around her arms under her jacket, but still. She wasn't the most physically intimidating.

As he sat there, the knife in his hand twirled mindlessly. The idea in his mind pestered at him, how annoying. 

"I keep knives because they are *Cool.* Self defence with a knife is a weak mans solution. If I need to beat someone up, i'm using my hands." 

The tan boy moved his hand off of his chin, and showed the back of his hand with a smirk in a twisted and proud display. His knuckles were scarred and rough, they had seen blood and had broken the noses of many people, and this fact was obvious. Ares snickered condescendingly and returned his head to his palm. 
_ _

"I guess thats bad advice for you." He looked down at the midnight black knife in his hand, then back up at her. 

With a satisfying click, the blade flicked back into the handle. Ares rolled it over his knuckles once more before letting it fall back into his hand, the handle facing Danica. He extended his arm outwards to her, his hand was open as if he was giving it to her on a silver platter. The expression on his face was curious, but at the same time his brow was furrowed in anger and his mouth was pulled up into an almost mocking smirk. It was impossible to tell was he was feeling or thinking, yet a hand holding a knife was pointed at her in a shockingly friendly invitation.

"Take it if you're so worried. The staff wont get on your ass about it if you don't go stabbing bitches for no reason." Ares' tone was flat, but still managed to retain that same bastard flow.
Cassie
Danica scoffed lightly at the word she couldn't recognize, but only really grumbled due to the fact that she also insulted people in *Foreign* Dialects all the time. There was a slight satisfaction to her in speaking as comprehensively as possible and yet people still staring at her without an ounce of understanding. A lot of the time in America, as long as she was speaking Russian, Danica had the freedom to say whatever she damn pleased. *хитрая сука* She mumbled. She rolled her eyes at him with a smirk, her head tilted down and glued mostly to her screen. 

She knew what he was saying was true, but her nose still scrunched a little sourly. *Someone like me? Хрен с ним.* Danica knew better than anyone the kind of precautions she took, but that didn't mean she didn't hate the fact she had to take them. People should learn to keep their noses to the ground and their hands to themselves. 

The girls eyes peeked up from her screen as he displayed his hand, the ropes of scars showing someone who knew how to let their bite match their bark. It also showed someone reckless and aggressive, but that was neither here nor there. Passion and a little impulsivity could go far in a pinch. Danica respected bragging rights. His condescending laugh made her snicker though. The *For you* Made her roll her eyes again. She could gauge he didn't mean it as it sounded, at least not fully, but it was no wonder this dude was able to get into so many fights in the first place. Morales was one hell of a character, and Danica could appreciate that better than most.

_ _
"Uhn-huh." She said drily with a curled lip. 

Danicas face flashed an odd mix as he held the blade to her, her eyes flicking from the handle, to him, and back again. She looked simultaneously sort of like a puzzled fox trying to cheat a trap for some dinner, and an unaffected subject waiting for something to happen. What kind of snapping mechanism would rain down on her should she take the bait? Danica was learning quickly that she respected Ares, that she saw how overlooked he wrongfully was, maybe that she even saw him in a kind of alliance, but she still was far from trusting him. What was the pay off?

"What if stabbing people is my only joy in life?"

She glanced again at his face.

"What's the payback? What do you want?"

It would be easy for her to just take it, but first Danica wanted to know the terms. If there was anything she hated, it was debt.
Perla
The lack of any sort of emotion aside from confusion on Danica's face nearly made Ares scoff, like a half baked laugh that didn't come out in full. Yet he didn't, because even he was slightly confused. *Why was he doing this?* Did he even have a reason? Who cared, he surely didn't and it was too late to take back his offer.

"Then maybe you should've had a knife in the first place if its *Such* A passion." He snickered

His gaze flicked away from Danica, yet his hand remained open. It wasn't a trap or bait, Ares could only hope she could see it as it was. This gesture of his was to hopefully avoid another enemy, another soft hearted motherfucker that couldn't see past his surface level insults and aggressive attitude. Ares knew Danica better than that, the two had possibilities for a powerful alliance and he knew this. Why pass up something such as that? The knife was a peace offering. Proof he wasn't here to use her for money whenever he felt like talking. 

"Nothing. I don't want jack shit in return. I hate having debts and deals with people. Take the knife or don't, I couldn't care." 

The temptation to yank his hand back, shove the knife in his pocket, leave and never come back was *Strong.* There was a sort of embarrassment in extending an offer of friendship. *Friendship.* Was that what this was? Couldn't be at all. The two were merely here to exchange information, and sometimes she joined Ares for dumb things but that didn't mean anything. Ares felt his brow furrow, his grin had shifted into an expression that almost read as a scowl ages ago. 

Ares hated being confused, and Danica didn't make it easier for him. There was intrigue in people such as her, but also frustration. *Lots* Of frustration. Danica had made him think far too much in the last few hours, he had stretched past his daily quota. How annoying.
Cassie
It was a little amusing to watch the boy squirm at things not going how he'd expected them to immediately. If the Russian could do anything, she could silently scrutinise like no other. Verbally too sometimes. Unlike Ares, she wasn't usually one to be the loud asshole, but you could always tell she was judging at least a little. There wasn't any malance to her watching, but a faint smirk ghosted her face. 

"Sometimes I like to get creative."
Her voice had a slight smooth grain to it, the cool and dull words rolling from her throat like a precisely cut block of slate. Danica spoke like grey river rocks and the thick ice cube in the centre of a bar glass. 

Despite her hesitance, the Russian categorised this as an offer of truce. Of a deal. Like a contract of allyship, friendship, that Ares was handing her the pen to. Maybe she thought about things too hard, but thinking was something she did well and it was something that served her. She appreciated finding Ares so soon, someone like-minded enough to be an ally. From the others she'd seen so far, finding herself lots of people she didn't want to ignore seemed like wishful thinking she didn't even want to start wishing for. Ares was good enough. He seemed like the kind of person she would have liked back home when she still went to school. Morales was a good egg, at least by her standards. 

Danica looked at him a final time with the same *Look* On her face, flicking her gaze from him to his hand again for good measure. The pads of his fingers looked raw in the strong way, the flats of his palms rough as tough leather even in the dim light. Morales didn't just sit around all day doing nothing and it was apparent. At the very least it didn't look like he was lying about playing guitar in a band, even if it just sounded like it was a couple dumb teenagers right now. Maybe they'd be more one day. Maybe.

_ _
Reaching out, Danicas carefully manicured nails caught the light before landing on the knife, the girl picking it up with a claw of a hand. She flipped it around in her palm, flicking out the blade before trying it on the pad of her thumb, admiring the moon in its metallic surface before flipping it back. It was a good weight to have. It hadn't really hit her how uncomfortable it made her to be without anything, even if she was supposedly a walking fire hazard now. The knife was good. She felt safer. It'd make her trips out to find a good ice rink soon feel better. Having the weapon made her feel normal, and having that here was like a breath of fresh air. 

"Thanks."

She looked at him when she said it, the word feeling somehow more genuine coming from her voice than many others. Ares, if he hadn't already, would soon find Danica didn't say anything thankful often, just as she was rarely ever nice. Whenever she was, you knew she meant it. She gave him a small nod before the knife disappeared into her jacket. *I accept your offer. You wont regret it.*
Perla
"Yeah no problem, don't mention it- and don't stab yourself or whatever."

Ares was feeling *Something* Pulse under his ribs and reverberate his chest. It was a confusing sensation that filled his buzzing mind with frustration. Was he embarrassed? Confused? He didn't care enough to stick around long enough to figure out. Something about someone getting on with Ares so quickly, and in a way that didn't end in a hissy fit stuck with him. It proved that, maybe there was the slightest possibility he wasn't as sour as everyone had pinned him as.

Of course, he was aggressive and hot headed to a fault. A troubled boy with a tendency for violence and rough scars on his hands to prove his bite was worse than his bark. The kind of kid that would slump against the plush chairs of principal and guidance counsellor offices. Mindless conversations about *"Unfriendly and unwelcome behaviour,"* That left Ares with more suspensions under his belt than he thought was possible. Moral of the story, people do not *Like* Ares Morales, nor do they even dare to get along with him. 

Yet, Danica was different.

She didn't care for the scars on his hand, his petty insults and angry fronts. The way his mouth twisted over sharp teeth with condescending grins. The dark piercings that sat in his tan skin, that made everyone pin him as a delinquent. Ares was the kind of boy that made poor mothers cover their children's eyes, shielding them from whatever *Horror* Lay beneath his murderous stare. Danica didn't care about any of it.

The two weren't friends. 
_ _

They had a long ways to go before they could be considered *Friends.* Although, they were a fast pair of acquaintances. A solid alliance has been established between them. Both Ares and Danica were fiercely loyal, and seemed to uphold a certain respect for people who shared similar ideals. Ares was smart to extend the knife towards the girl, a symbol of his inclination for at least a somewhat positive bond between the two.

Maybe they would never get close, Ares didn't care. Whatever this was, was better than an enemy. 

The taller tan boy stretched his arms, and lifted his body upwards. He stood against the concrete roof, shoved his hands in his pockets and then looked back at Danica, with a somewhat neutral expression aside from his cocky smirk. Even with his face looking the same as it always did, the rather quick and sudden movement was clear he was looking to avoid what he had just done. 

"Well then, my work here is done." He groaned. "Thanks for the money, message me if you need more info." 

With a solid movement, Ares gave an almost mocking salute with a half baked bow as he turned back towards her.

"See ya around Danica." 

He turned, and jumped down over the edge of the roof, landing solidly on a platform a few feet below. Unbothered yet bothered by the interaction. 

Ares was a difficult person to understand.
Cassie
"I'm making no promises."

Ares was certainly making himself out to be someone many weren't too fond of. That wasn't entirely a fault of his own, the boy deserved way more credit than anyone seemed to grant him. He appeared to Danica as someone who did exceptionally on his own terms, but was so few times granted those terms that he was assumed an all around dud. Clearly, a dud was something he was not. Morales was a spark. Morales was a power tool. He was specialised and effective, but no one brought a jackhammer to a ballet. For people like Ares, the systematic paths of youth did him wrong. Danica was intrigued how *Home* For him differed from this place. She was intrigued to know how he would do once he was an adult. Being properly in the world grants an autonomy he would either use to do something great or something terrible. It wasn't often Danica was hopeful, but maybe he'd be ok. Maybe they'd all be ok, but she felt that was too far. 

"See you."

All she knew for now was the weight of the knife in her pocket felt good, and the equally sharp tool of Ares' allyship felt better. With a salute, he was gone. Pulling a notebook from her bag, Danica started filling in what she'd learned.