forum Amicus Curiae (Closed O/O with @Dayzed)

Started Mar 13 by @Anxietyfilledcinnamonroll group

tune

Blackwood is an agency that was formed under the vow to protect inhuman populations while also taking care of unruly inhumans who wish to destroy humans, such as demons and hellhounds. They juggle the two worlds valiantly.

Around five years ago, Blackwood and Nexus became acquainted with each other. Nexus struck a deal to help Blackwood with their cause, providing extra people and arms in exchange for more insight into the inhuman populations. The two organizations have been friends ever since. Of course, in Nexus fashion, they have been acting suspiciously over those five years, but nothing to warrant an issue.

As of now, there is a major problem of a dangerous inhuman gang on the rise. Blackwood requires assistants, but with Nexus lying through their teeth, how long will it be before weapons are pointed at Blackwood as Nexus demands a higher price and issues destructive threats?

---

@Dayzed

This is a thought out and planned version of Operation: Cease and Desist with the inclusion of Nexus. The established relationships will remain though.

Rather than being my universe with Day's characters just existing, it will be more of a hodge podge of both our worlds. There will be higher stakes and plenty of chaos with Nexus being involved. Nexus is Day's organization that contains Apotheosis, and Blackwood is my organization.

⚠️I would also like to make note there will most likely be mature themes like violence and gore, but also other possible triggering topics. Read at your own risk.⚠️

Oh! Also, if you're curious, Amicus Curiae means "friend of the court". In Government, that friend is a person or organization offering additional information or perspective about a court case. The definition still stands for the exception it's not applied to a court case.

A month had already passed by since he had gotten the news. It had been a gift from his father for his twenty-first birthday. Or well, that's the way Jake saw it.
And still, his blood boiled every time he thought about it, the bloodlust palpable in the air as he stormed the halls of Nexus' institution. Everyone had made sure to steer clear of Jake while in his terrible mood- the man was just a hair trigger away from snapping and even the head of Nexus knew that.

There was only one man who could calm Jake in the current state that he was in, and Tohmie, the head of Nexus, was about to make a huge mistake by separating the two.

Despite the blatant display of volatile emotions that radiated off of Jake even when he tried to act like nothing was wrong, the guy still had it in him to drown himself in the presence of Alaska- cornering the older male until he had nowhere to go.
Jake tried his hardest to be tender, pressing soft kisses to the other's neck and feeling him up, but Jake's love always turned aggressive in the end when he was livid and consumed with problems that didn't have an easy fix- if they even had a fix at all.

It's when part of his executioner tendencies spilled and poisoned his already twisted personality, taunting Alaska to the verge of tears, edging the guy to the point of begging. It always made Jake's heart feel a little lighter with amusement.
Over the years, or more specifically, the past few months, Jake's mental health had plummeted. He was sharper with his words, snappier, cruel.

Twenty-one years in the making and Nexus was all too excited to unravel Jake into what he was meant to be.

So where was Nexus' reinforced steel shield?

…
With his distraction.

While Jake did treat Alaska quite roughly at times, it was clear that he still considered Alaska's body like something worthy to be worshipped- and anyone who so much as looked at the other male wrong, had spent some time with Jake in his interrogation room.

Currently, Jake had his lover pressed up against the wall as he cooed lovingly at him, one of his hands on Alaska's waist as he pulled him closer. Jake brushed his thumb across Alaska's cheek, looking at a few of his white patches before his eyes found Alaska's again. A slight smirk painted his lips before he trailed kisses down his neck, but before he could get any further, the door to the closet opened and in came-

Darius stared straight at Alaska as if he couldn't be more annoyed with the fact that he had gotten tasked with finding Jake. Seeing the sexually active male made Darius want to off him.
"You've already been reported twice, this will be the third time. There's a meeting and I'm pretty sure it has your name written on it, be there, or Tohmie will come looking" Darius said as he stepped back out of the small room, not really caring if Jake and Alaska carried on or not.

Hearing this, Jake let out an aggravated sigh, but still, in true Jake fashion, he continued.

---

"You haven't had enough." Were Tohmie's first words to Jake, who looked to be as if he was on trial for something grand. It wasn't. It was such a minor thing that it didn't quite suit Jake who came in extremes.
Currently, both of his wrists were cuffed down to one of the chairs around the table, most of the Nexus council members present save for one or two who had more pressing matters to attend to.

"It has got to stop" Tohmie continued, however, her voice was nowhere near as strong or commanding as it should have been for someone who was called the leader of Nexus. Her father had been a different story but Tohmie was a doe-eyed woman who was in her late twenties, just a year older than Darius who was twenty-seven. She had taken over a few years ago but no one really knew when the transition of power had happened since it had been so smooth. It felt a lot like it was still her father in charge, despite his picture hanging in the hallways with two dates engraved on a small gold plaque.

Tohmie directed her attention to Alaska next who had been sat beside Jake in hopes of keeping the cuffed man happy. Tohmie knew it was a difficult time for Jake and she would do her best to please him while doing what she needed to do.

"I'm aware you two are in a relationship, however, me and the others have come to an agreement that it would be best if there were no more distractions around" She gave Alaska a small sympathetic smile before her brown eyes panned over to Bane, who Tohmie had come to recognize as someone who was in charge of what she thought to be their "military" team.
"If it can be sorted out, I would appreciate it greatly- I'll make sure to keep things under control on our end as well" She spoke calmly, even though Jake's expression had gone dark.
Jake knew it had been a long time coming, but it didn't sting any less. And while most of those around him expected Jake to lash out at this moment, he didn't.

Amity breathed in sharply and looked around the room. It was your average meeting space. It was plain with no color and artificial lights. She closed her eyes, trying to settle herself. Alaska kept getting himself in trouble, and it irked her. Amity gritted her teeth, opening her eyes again. Her forest green eyes landed on Jake, noticing how he had been restrained. Curious. She didn’t do that back home. More often than not, being summoned to her office was enough to strike fear. Amity turned her hard glare toward Alaska. The guy seemed choked, swallowing harshly to fight embarrassment or tears, she didn’t know. He would have to extricate himself from the mess he had put himself in. She wasn’t the type of leader to hold her agent’s hands; however, Amity wasn’t opposed to vouching for them or defending them.

This meeting was supposed to be more than the boys being reprimanded, but the romantic activities during work hours had been enough for Nexus that it shoved the other issues aside. Amity sighed. She had brought the other pillars, her boys, and one guard. Adrian sat next to her, his face tense. He cast a glance down at his hands. Although he occasionally exhibited anxiety, he wasn't a bad deputy and had the confidence to take the lead. Their chief of security, Bane, liked to stand. She had never seen him sit down before. If so, he came across as cautious. Sitting next to Adrian was Jules, who was also their head medic. He appeared anxious as well, possibly even annoyed. Amity had seen people glancing at Jules as though he was an anomaly, but the hellhound behind him kept him guarded. Standing in the back were her most trusted agents, Jax and Val, her boys. While Val shuffled nonstop, Jax folded his arms and glared into space. Eris, the first lieutenant of Bane, was the last person present for added security. The fact that she was closer to Alaska made things more difficult for the poor guy.

At last, Amity laid her gaze on Alaska. The man appeared to be in a panic. His face twisted into a little whimper as he fiddled with his hands. His eyes darted around as if he were ready to burst through his skin. Other than Bane and Eris, her presence definitely worried him. Getting into trouble with her was the thing that most frightened her agents. Though not a very positive influence, Amity did not see Jake as a negative one either. It made Alaska happy.

She decided to speak up since she had enough of Tohmie's words. What action was she meant to take? Remain silent? A leader didn’t keep silent. “Well, if I may interject, I expected better of you, Alaska.” There was a hoarseness behind her voice. Amity’s vocals dipped at the end, a disappointed stare accompanying her words. Alaska perked his head up, his eyes growing wider. He looked like a kicked puppy.

Amity mused at his expression. “However, I am sure we can arrive at a better consensus for everyone involved. This could be a non-zero-sum game instead of specific people losing. After all, do we have to jump to the final solution first? This isn’t exactly the most pressing matter to date. Splitting them up will only cause more problems for you.” She glanced at Jake. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be babysitting full-grown adults. So, let’s find another solution first.” She hummed, side-eyeing Tohmie. It was no secret she was sassy.

Laying her hands on the table, Amity smiled. “But for now, I can busy Alaska. I’m sure he won’t have qualms with that. Bane?” She looked over at the hellhound.

Bane shuffled. He was the tank. One look at him screamed, ‘I’ll tear you apart’. Heavy chains hung off his belt, seeming to be for handling inhumans better. He moved toward Alaska, which the werewolf looked panicked. Almost as if the guy was going to punish him. He placed a hand on Alaska’s shoulder.

“I can certainly do that. We’ll have a talk in my office. I’m sure that will be alright with my Lieutenant.” Bane stared at his second lieutenant, who looked completely mortified.

Eris snorted at his terror, giving him a smug look. “Can’t believe you of all people are getting scorn for being someone’s plaything.” Alaska seemed to get defensive, but unable to act with Bane standing around him. The hellhound narrowed his eyes at Eris, to which she rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.

Amity turned to Tohmie. “I think that sounds fair, don’t you?” She asked sweetly.

At the interjection from the other organization's leader- Amity, as Tohmie had come to know her, she paused with her words, allowing Amity to take the floor.

As she spoke, Tohmie's expression remained neutral, that was, till it was her turn to talk.
"I jump to the final solution first because I know everyone here as if they were my own family. I know that Jake will not listen, it wouldn't be the first time either. However, I never said this was the most pressing matter to date- you concluded that yourself. I just wanted to get this out of the way before we continue with the meeting. Surely you didn't think I'd call you all here for something as insignificant as this?" Tohmie questioned, however, her voice, expression, and gestures weren't malicious. She gave no indication of ill will towards anyone on the other side of the room.
"After we settled this, I had planned to carry the conversation into a more favorable direction…" She trailed off, giving Amity a small smile before continuing. The look Amity was giving her wasn't lost on Tohmie, but she didn't seem to react to it, only acknowledging her words.
"I understand that this seems a little like babysitting adults…" She trailed off. "But that is our job, isn't it? In simple terms that is. If you're not there to correct their mistakes and set things in order, then who is? Or are you implying that this matter is childish? Being a leader is paying close attention to the people you work with and sometimes that even includes making decision for their betterment- though, I assume, that you, as a leader, should already know this"
There was silence from Tohmie's end of the room before there was a heavily annoyed sigh that came from Ren. The man was tall in stature, but didn't quite make it past 6'1". He had brown hair that was in a short high ponytail. His features were sharp, and his deep brown eyes that looked more like a soulless black only added to what most people considered intimidating- or more appropriately, unsettling.

Tohmie shot Ren a distasteful look at his sigh. If there was something Tohmie was known for, it was that she tolerated no disrespect from those she worked with. Amity on the other hand…
"I would also appreciate it if those on this end of the table would speak up if they disagree. Otherwise, keep it to yourselves" It was then that Tohmie's mask slipped for a moment, a silent look of murder on her face. While Tohmie was mostly understanding and sweet, she was also aggressive and a very skilled manipulator, always getting things in her favor. However, when she couldn't get what she wanted by playing nice, the mask came off. But that was only reserved for Nexus, even though she already had all the power handed down to her from her father. Most of those on her end of the table had no problems with Tohmie and how she ran things, but there were those like Vincent and Leilani who challenged her a lot.

On top of everything that made Tohmie, Tohmie, she was not an easy woman to please and had no patience. She liked things a certain way and would force everyone to abide by her rules. If they didn't, she had plenty of ways to make them summit. It wasn't hard either when you played dirty and had blackmail up your sleeve.

Tohmie turned her gaze back over at Amity as she finished talking. She knew that the fake added sweetness to her tone was meant to mock her, but it seemed that when Tohmie interacted with any of the Blackwood members, more than half the time, she was polite and patient. Two words that those at Nexus who knew her, would not describe her as.

However, Tohmie's politeness and patience were not faked, it was genuine. When she had no problems with others, she didn't go out of her way to react to their taunts. It wasted her energy and ruined her mood.
"Well, I suppose if you'd be willing to keep Alaska busy, it would give Jake some time to focus on what's important" Tohmie looked over at the silver-eyed man with a look that bore into him and told him, he was in for it after the meeting. "Limit their time together, though, I still do think it would be better if they cut contact altogether. Not out of malice but simply so that this won't continue to be an issue in the future." Tohmie finished, letting out a small tired huff before she turned her attention back to Amity from Jake.

"But now that we've brought that to our attention, you seem eager to talk about the bigger issue. I don't mind, if you would?" Tohmie gestured to Amity before she sat down in her chair, letting Amity take the floor once more. Tohmie wanted to hear her thoughts on everything going on and the solutions she would propose. Tohmie was used to always getting the first word in, but every now and then, she took a step back, not wanting to come off as controlling, even though she was nothing but controlling. But she found that illusions helped a lot when trying to win someone over- and Blackwood, although they worked for years together at this point, still seemed wary of Nexus. If they knew what was good for them, it would continue that way, but Tohmie was especially cunning in matters that involved winning someone's trust.