Recon and Recruit

[Nicholas Kells]

Although Nick was a little apprehensive about being surrounded by so many metas, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of luring some of them onto his side. Anyone looking at him would have though he was just pleased to be helping these young people to research their options for the future. But really, he was scanning the crowd and sizing everyone up like an elementary school kid trying to pick his team for dodge ball.

The twins were wandering around the crowd and Nick felt disgusted every time his eyes feel on them. He was going to have to do something about those two.

But he'd leave that for another day. Today was all about giving off the right impression to the upcoming generation. He had worn his best suit, but left the tie and shirt slightly looser than he would normally prefer, not wanting to appear to up-tight. His smile never left his face, even when he happened to glance the man at another booth with bright blue wings. He had fliers and forms to hand out, thanks to a few kind words to Victoria, laid out on the table along with a PowerPoint playing a slide show about meta acceptance and integration.

He was careful not to pay too much attention to the slide show.

"Operation Patriot is the place to shape the future for the meta population, along with base-line humans," he said to any questioning passerby. He'd spent the previous evening practicing that line to be able to say it without sarcasm of disdain. It's the future all right, he thought to himself. Just not the one you might envision.

"How would you like to help shape the future?" he asked one of the students who stopped at his table.

[Mia Keystone]

Mia didn't need to be at the fair. Which was, of course, why she was there. That and that she wasn't supposed to be. Despite the fact that this was all about figuring out what she was to do in the future, where she would be, it still probably fell under school event.

She hadn't really asked anyone though, just chucked on a pair of shoes with a decent platform on the soles so her major shortness wouldn't give her away, and had a scarf wrapped around her neck. It just so happened to cover her mouth too, but that was just a happy coincidence.

Hands stuffed in her pockets, the technopath was strolling between the stalls to see what exactly they were trying to sell the meta leaders of tomorrow. So far... it all seemed pretty basic. Integration programs, a minor think tank or two (she knew the better ones did private enrolments) and, of course, the military. Oh, the military. Ever since that strange little happening with the twins, just before her masterpiece, Mia had been trying to figure out this OP thing.

It seemed pretty harmless. That was why it worried her.

And so, when a pretty average looking guy with an average looking powerpoint presentation asked her if she wanted to help shape the future, Mia held back the very very sharp reply that had occurred to her and put on her 'interested but doesn't want to look interested' face and raised her eyebrows.

Play dumb.

"That sounds ok," she said slowly, crossing her arms. "But, like, shape it how? Is this an economics sort of thing?"

[Nicholas Kells]

Pretty harmless was exactly the attitude Nick liked to portray, at least while he was still in the planning stages of things. People tended to be more trusting and less imposing if they thought you were harmless. In short, they stayed out of your way.

He smiled slightly at the young girl who stopped by his table. He knew that not all of the students here would be as malleable as young Angela he had met in the hallways the other day. He figured that most of the older students, like the ones wandering around today at the College and Career Fair wouldn’t be the type he was looking for. Still, he had hoped to find one or two that would be interested. Or more important…interesting to him as well.

Why is it that every young person these days finds it necessary to insert “like” into every sentence? he wondered to himself before replying to her.

“Not just economically,” he said offering her one of the fliers Victoria had put together. “Operation Patriot will be influential in every part of the future. Assisting metas to find their place in the world, lobby for laws and policies that protect them, and seeing that their voices be heard in the larger community, we are not blind to the problems that the world faces.” He paused, wishing there was a way his high school drama teacher could see him now. “Economics is just a small part of the world we envision for the future.”

[Henry Ballo]

Henry wasn't sure about this...career fair thing. The whole thing seemed a little odd. He knew normal schools did this as well. He had gone to a public high school and had attended one or two, although at the time he hadn't known enough about what he wanted to do with his life to have any awareness of what the stalls really had to offer. Now, however, as a graduating senior, he viewed it with a bit more of a skeptical eye. Or not skeptical. He knew he was supposed to be looking at this with an open mind. And to a certain degree, he was. He wanted them to actually be able to help him. He wanted to find something that fit.

He just sincerely doubted that he would.

His brows climbed as he saw the Operation Patriot booth, and he glanced around. He didn't know much about the program, except that it was supposed to offer more equal rights to metas. He was skeptical of government programs that offered equal rights to any group. From his studies of history and his own personal experiences, it didn't work well. A small girl was there questioning the man, and he stepped up behind her, folding his hands behind his back and listening.

It sounded stupid. And the man said it in the flat tones of one stupidly reciting memorized words that they held no real belief in.

"And when will this begin?" he inquired politely. "And how? I do not see anyone rushing to do so. Shall we get an amendment of our own, perhaps? 'Congress shall make no law...?' It is very fitting." He hadn't meant to start out sarcastically. It had just happened.

[Mia Keystone]

Assisting metas to find their place in the world.

That sounded suspicious. Highly. Intriguing. Mia's eyes narrowed, though she quickly worked to relax her face. Her eyes scanned the flier, but quickly disregarded it as using a lot of words to say very little. Weasel words. Clearly government work; the whole think reeked of politics. Carefully, the technopath folded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Fascinating," she said slowly, tilting her head to one side. Then, hearing a voice above her, she tilted her head right back and grinned at the stoic faced Henry. Dude was even taller up close; she'd only really seen him in a class or two, but Mia never forgot a face, or a name. At his question the smile dropped and she could have stamped a foot in frustration. You didn't start accusing them of being shady now. That was no fun. Besides, how could you find anything out if you don't infiltrate??

"I think what my tall friend here is asking," Mia said slowly, stepping back slightly and pressing down on Henry's foot with her own small one in warning, "Is that it seems strange to us, being in a meta school, that non metas are gonna try and fight for our rights for us. First Amendment and all."

Seriously? He'd quoted the bill of rights? Ideally, she lent forward. There was a computer, showing some powerpoint thing. What she would give to get even a fingertip on that. "So what are you looking for in our multi talented student body?" she finally asked, turning back to the smiling man. "Because with all those fancy words, I don't think I actually heard anything about what we'd be signing up for."

And Mia was starting to get very curious.

[Nicholas Kells]

Nick smiled at the girl as she folded up the flier he offered her, even though she was starting to grate on his nerves a little. He had expected this Career Fair would be a bit annoying, but already he was glancing at the clock. He started to continue his rehearsed speech when another student walked up behind the girl.

He worked hard to suppress the frown he was starting to feel. This was why he hated children. At some point they started to feel like they knew everything about how the world worked. As usual in the case of a parent, he left his own daughter out of this group assumption. After all, he had raised her. She was bound to be different from the mindless sheep surrounding her.

“Rushing is not the best game plan in situations like these. And amendments to include metas may very well need to be a part of the future.” Nick continued, loosing the robotic quality of his pre-planned speech. Not because he felt passionate about the subject, but because the conversation was becoming more engaging. “Perhaps it is because you’ve been here that you feel odd about someone like me wanting to protect someone like you. Secluded here, what do you really know about the world out there?”

As she girl leaned forward, Nick leaned back away from her. He covered up the awkwardness by reaching into his briefcase for a few business cards to lie out on the table. “Well, like you’ve pointed out. It’s hard to believe that non-metas wish to aide metas. People trust those they can relate to. And talent is something any organization can use.”

[Henry Ballo]

Henry’s eyes flickered down at Mia as she grinned up at him. He didn’t smile back. He was wary of Mia. He was aware of her handiwork and aware of her tendencies toward other students. He had no desire whatsoever to be involved. Instead he was going to keep his head down and do his best to ignore how she seemed to be glaring at him now.

Tall friend? Honestly? Well, he supposed it was not the worst thing he’d be called. His slight frown turned ito a positive scowl as she stepped on his foot, but then he tugged his expression into a straight one as Nick continued to speak. At least the man seemed more involved now.

He would have liked to say that he probably knew more of the world than this button-down idiotic American probably ever would, thank you very much, but as Mia had indicated she wasn’t interested in his speech—or perhaps his sarcasm. And he liked his foot—and his life—in good condition if it was at all possible. He already knew Mia was capable of messing them both up very well.

His brows climbed as he leaned away, then glanced down at the business cards. Hm. “Yes, but what talent is it you are looking for?” he asked. This time his tone was properly polite, if guarded. “I am good with languages. What kind of thing could this…Operation Patriot help me with?” In spite of his skepticism, he was curious. He could use all the help he could get, and while he didn’t know exactly what he had in mind for a career…he had a few ideas.

[Event !]

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