Waiting for Results

## strude

Dart settles into the couch with his knees up and his wings wrapped around him. He had the evening off thanks to his boss fucking up the schedule and putting Sam on instead of him. Which fine, whatever, everyone deserves some hours. He prefered they went to him first though.

BirdBOI is online

*Hows the social hall shit going?*

*#sam-robertson hey mini-man hows the weather, enjoying the winter ‘zza delivery gig and the extra hours?!?! where the fuck you headed right now?*

Dart hits send watching his message go live on the #rpdex-forum. It was going to be a long day holding down the fort for Saana with only Eleanor and Finch for company. Dart tightens his wings around himself hiding his screen better, as he opens #grind-on-me and begins his daily swipe left routine.

## Sapientes Gladio

*What needs to be done today?*

The Persian man wondered as he exited his not-so-quality vehicle, dressed in his thrifty attire since he just got back from a session with a client. He put it to the back of his mind as he moves his shades to the top of his brunette hair. Hopefully there was a mission that needed his attention because he needed to feel useful honestly. Mithra was set to invisible on the forum and needed to see who was online doing anything.

SuaveOracle is online.

Do I even want to know what I missed? I'm at #headquarters right now.

Putting his smartphone away in his back pocket of his jeans, he pushed open the front door and looked around. “Anyone here?” It would be his luck to show up and everyone was either busy or asleep. Shrugging it off, he took the stairs to go all the way to his favorite location, the upper balcony. Trying not to get too comfortable, he kept his shoes on and took a relaxing seat on the very hipster and chill sofa bed. Wiggling a bit, he pulled his phone out to scroll up and catch up what he missed.

## strude

“Mr. Finch?” Dart peeks up over the edge of his wings to see the movement of a figure headed up the stairs. “Eleanor?” Dart asks hoping it’s not because god Eleanor was well Eleanor, and gets up from the couch his wings stretching out behind him but still dragging on the floor a little.

*Voice didn’t sound like Finch*, Dart thinks and goes after whoever was here.

Dart ascends the steps quick as a nervous greyhound, nearly biffing it on the ridiculously long and ruffly runner at the top of the steps. He takes a moment to check the hall all the doors are closed so he turns to the balcony entrance and pushes open the paned window door with it’s white trim.

Peeking his head inside he finds the intruder and fuck him right up it was Mithra. Dart swallows down the instant lump in his throat and mentally tells the uncomfortable patter of his heart to fuck off. Reminding himself it’s a misplaced crush, just like all his crushes; Leo, Remi, briefly Saana, Venus and well Ana scared him a little too much but that didn’t stop the occasional ride to boner-town when she got up in his business.

“Hey,” Dart swears his voice is steady as he steps over the threshold of the balcony to join Mithra. It’s chilly outside, but the heater that hums in the corner gives the space a little warmth from the February chill. Saana had him cover the balcony in November to keep the snow out. “No work today?”

July 27, 2018

## Sapientes Gladio

Messing around further on *The Forum*, he enjoyed talking to Vindaya. That woman certainly was something interesting, and he was not joking about not having anything to do work wise. They were overstaffed for his shift at Books-A-Million so they called him to let him know that he didn’t have to come in. At his other supplemental (and better paying) job, the client that spent the entire half an hour drunk crying about his cheating wife, ended up falling asleep for the other half hour. It was in a word: a mess. But at least he came out $2,500 richer than before the man showed up. Despite playing therapist for an hour session, he considered himself lucky and a bit irritated that he wasn’t the unfaithful type.

At least, he never considered himself to be.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he noticed that Vindaya had to sign off.

ThePanacea is online.

You know what they say about idle hands, Oracle. I’m sure you can find some trouble somewhere.

Oops, I’m being paged. Don’t get hurt.

*ThePanacea is offline.*

*You know what they say about idle hands, Oracle. I’m sure you can find some trouble somewhere.*

*Idle hands are the devil’s work after all.* Mithra thought to himself.

Hearing someone coming upstairs, he lazily turned his head to notice and hear Dart come towards him. He seemed nervous? Perhaps Mithra was looking too far into what the young delivery boy does. Flashing a genial and typical debonair grin, he said “Yes, they did not need me today. So I figured I would come to HQ to see if I was of use for any missions or just something.” He shivered involuntarily, it was pretty cold up here but the cold didn’t bother him too much. He was innately a furnace.

“Is there anything to do? Surely you did not want to hang out with a dork like myself?” Mithra was only half joking, but that’s also because he was a dork. An attractive one, but one nonetheless. Plus, what did teenagers these days like anyway?

## strude

*Oh god*, Dart’s right wing stretches and ruffles coming to half cover Dart. “No it’s fine Mithra I don’t mind hanging out with a dork.” Dart looks up, internally groans at how stupid that sounds, and grabs at his wing winding his fingers through his feathers.

Part of him wishes Mithra were Sam right now, it was easy to talk to Sam he was his bro, pizza rival and all that dumb shit. Mithra was, well pretty for one and that was a crime alone, but goddamn nice, like real nice. His voice was nice, the things he said were nice, and Dart’s stomach twinges with a spike of warmth at that. Uncomfortable not-right-now-please warmth.

“I ah, you know Sam, he got my shift this afternoon so I don’t got much to do either. I’m tracking something downtown right now with Leo.” Dart tries to hold even a little eye contact and settles on sort of staring at something just past Mithra’s shoulder.

“I figure if they need me I’d go down there.” Dart knew they wouldn’t, Leo had Venus and Ana they could hold their own again the cities superpowered drunk. Unfortunately.

“They seem to have whatever's going on handle though. Sooo,” Dart shrugs, “just me and my phone and an empty house.” And there is was, Dart can feet the heat creep up past the collar of his shirt to his ears. “And by that I mean I was on the forums and I’m not creeping around doing that alone in Saana’s house or anything.”

Dart’s mind backpedals and squeals to a grinding halt. He lets go of his wing the appendage stretching out with a painful thud against the door frame, then back out through the door along with the left wing knocking a picture from the wall behind him.

Dart groans out loud, stares up into the void of his skull and accepts the hot wash of blush across his cheeks.

*Kill me.*(edited)

## Sapientes Gladio

Dart was even more of a socially awkward mess than usual, and Mithra could not help if he should laugh at how cute it was or try to reassure the resident fly boy if it was alright. Mithra strokes his freshly shaven chin and looks over at Dart before formulating the proper words to say. In the Oracle’s defense, anything he said would have just spurred Dart on. Well, let’s start with some small talk and try to calm the boy down.

“What’s going on downtown with Leo?” Furrowing his brows in concentration, trying to piece together if what he read on the Forums made any sense. “Well, if you say that you’re on standby, it could be something fairly easy, or difficult.”

Rising to his feet, he walked behind Dart and carefully picked up the picture and placed it where it belonged. He smiled politely before turning fully back towards the young man. “We all need our resident wing boy, James.” Clapping a hand firmly on the delivery boy’s shoulder, he then asked, “Do not feel nervous around me, I’m but a humble oracle that tells the future occasionally and wanders the astral plane for fun.” He said it as if it was the most casual thing in the world.

“Plus, we are friends, are we not?” His hazel eyes observed James before he removed his hand. Thinking about it, he only really ever interacted with Dart on the forums, he was always so jittery around him. Mithra just suspected he was socially awkward, so he could not put his finger on it quite yet. Opting to change the subject quickly, he then asked a vital question:

“Are you hungry? I can fix something to eat for the both of us if you so desire?” Remaining the dense and polite man that he is, he turns to leave the room, head downstairs and towards the kitchen. He figures that as a pizza delivery boy, he did not prefer to eat pizza 24/7 but the youth these days seem to run on junk food more often than naught. Opening the refrigerator door, he contemplated what would be a good meal to make. He also wondered how long would it be till someone else came back, since he and Dart are all alone together.

Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

## strude

Dart can’t help the ways his feathers flare out and ruffle at the casual touch. His heart, already this close to giving out, hammers three hard thumps like it’s going to punch its way out of his chest. *Friend was one way of calling it*, Dart thinks and they were ostensibly, not like Dart had implied or otherwise suggested they should be anything else, so friends was as good a noun as any.

Dart holds his breath and swallows down the not-quite-fear-but-oh-boy-is-this-a-feeling going on in his throat. Letting out a dizzying breath as soon as Mithra moves on, and damn it he was still so nice about all of it.

Dart follows several paces behind. “Yeah, sure, thanks I wouldn’t mind a bite.” Dart scratches at the back of his neck. “I ah, you know sorry bout the picture frame there. I’m usually better about my wings.” Dart laughs a nervous little sound and pulls a stool out from under the counter overhang.

“You know after we eat we could go check Saana’s logs,” Dart suggests, sliding on to the stool and leaning against the counter chin in hand. “Find out if there is something we could go do. She’s been tracking a few things around the city trying to figure out this hero business. Sort of why she’s never around.” Dart watches Mithra move through the tiny kitchen, placing things on the counter in front of him then turning back around.

*Just friend*, Dart reminds himself, but smiles anyway because Mithra was nice to watch.

July 28, 2018

## Sapientes Gladio

“I’m fine for being able to see what’s in Saana’s logs.” Mithra said over his shoulder as he decides what he wants to make for the two of them. Realizing he said something earlier about his wings and the picture frame, he chuckled fondly.

“I do not understand why you’re apologizing to me exactly. The frame does not belong to me and surely you will get a grip on handling your wings, no?” Returning to the task at hand, he thinks about what sounds delicious and filling to eat.

Stir fried rice sounds really good. Placing a plethora of items on the counter, he grabbed the wok, looked at the huge pot of leftover white rice (hopefully it wouldn’t be too big of a deal if he used it right?). Pouring the oil in the wok, working it around the area and then began his scrumptious concoction, he was absolutely in the zone as he chopped the meats, vegetables and added the seasonings necessary.

Within less than a half an earn, leftovers were placed in the refrigerator for the true residence of the Whisper’s Home and soon two bowls with a fork on the side were to presented to both men.

“I hope you do not mind that it has some spiciness incorporated into it, I tend to prefer my stirfry pretty hot.” Spicy and flavorful was what Mithra preferred strongly. He dug in and ate in silence, his mind wandering to a far off place.

Hearing a *ping!* sound from his phone, he whipped it out to see it’s a notification from his email. Inputting a passcode, he swiped towards it to see what it detailed. A client wanted an emergency session in the upcoming days. Rolling his eyes because Mithra could not fathom at all at the idea of booking to have emergency sex. He really must be a robot since he 100% cannot relate. At least he was an expensive bootycall, so it isn’t all that bad. Replying with as much professionalism as possible, he’ll have to see what is going in his schedule for the day that he was attempting to book.

Mithra just realized that he was in front of Dart, he tried to make sure he had a look of neutrality and did not put too much attention on what he was replying to.

“I am awful at small talk, but are you seeing anyone Dart?” Shrugging, hopefully whatever was on Dart’s mind could be taken off.

July 29, 2018

## strude

Dart drops his plate with a clatter into the sink, his back ridged and wings tucked tight. Was he seeing anyone? He most certainly was not, and that should not be an issue, but it is in this particular moment as his brains scrambles for some quippy reply that doesn’t make him sound too indifferent, or lonely, or sad, or desperate.

“No one,” Dart says quickly, turning on the tap to rinse his plate. Then turns much to quickly in the tiny space of the kitchen, bumps his wings, winces and without missing a beat heads straight out past Mithra around the dividing wall between kitchen and living room. “Ah, no one wants to date a bird boy.” Dart comments as he heads down the hall, only to return with a single sheet of paper a minute or two later.

“Saana’s safest mission on file.” Dart places and paper carefully beside Mithra, and tries for cool by leaning on the counter and attempting eye contact with some success. Even if he looks away within seconds back down at the paper and Saana’s chicken scratch.

“It’s on the far side of town, she’s been watching some guy, a designer or something. She told me he’s working on some cool fabric she wants.” Dart pushes up, stands straight and drums his fingers against the counter. “Something to do right, a lot more fun that talking about my love life.” Dart’s smile quickly turns to a tiny, nervous lip bite. “Think anyone wants to join us?”

July 31, 2018

## Sapientes Gladio

Not entirely *too* offput by Dart’s apprehensive and shy nature, he made a note of it in the event he wanted to discuss it further. Finishing the remainder of his contents, he put his bowl in the sink as he looked at the mission details. His brows furrowed at the concept of sneaking into some designer’s apartment.
Mithra pursed his lips, he might have to get creative with perhaps maybe having his astral form scout the area and figure out a way to get in without creating too much of a disturbance. This could be tricky or difficult.

“You know what Dart? I think I just might know someone.” He made the effort to text Vindaya to see if her shift has ended and if she would be willing to tag along with them.

“Let’s go, my car is out front.” He smiled, lightly brushing against Dart’s side and his wings lightly before pushing through to the front door and allowing the biting winter winds to hit his face.

It was not all too far from where they were, but at least the warm drive will warm them up.