Supply and Demand [Cassius & Idés]

Cassius put on his glasses as he stepped through the doors of one of the many lecture buildings on campus. This one in particular was mostly used by buisness and economics subjects. As a Buisness major himself, this was also the building Cassius spent most of his time in when he was on campus. Even with the sunglasses the sun was glaring and slightly hurting his eyes. He walked down the stones steps that lead to the door, His books had already been neatly put into his messenger bag that he was now wearing ove his shoulder.

"Hey, Seymour! see you tomorrow!" A voice shouted behind him before a hand slightly slapped his shoulder. One of his classmates, one he couldn't remember the name of had said his goodbyes before he walked past Cassius, running to catch up with a small crowd of people. Seeing the crowd did remind Cassius this was one of the other high society kids on campus. Which one of them it was, he didn't remember nor cared to remember at all. Cassius walked for a while the same path as his classmate had, but took a turn towards the laboratories on campus.

Ever since Cassius used some of his powers last friday he had at first thought the little dizziness and nausea at first was the only side effect, but he had felt weaker in the couple of days after. He glanced at the silver ring on his left hand as he walked. He had texted Idés about it, thinking it was time to switch out some of the zeals he used. And thus the two of them had agreed Cassius would stop by his laboratry after classes today. Hence why he was on his way there right now.

It took a while before he reached the laboratories building, the buisness and economics building wasn't exactly close by. Cassius entered the building using his student ID card that worked as an access card too. Once inside he took off his sunglasses, putting them back into his bag before he made his way towards Idés' laboratory. Once he found the lab he knocked on the door, the way he always used to, before entering. "Hey Idés, sorry for being late, the professor kept talking for awhile" he said, coming with the reason why he was running a few minutes late. He hadn't spoken until he was sure the door was properly closed behind him, something he always did. Cassius could never be sure if anyone would be listening in on his conversations, so it was always better to be on the safe side of things. After he had finished speaking he looked at the professor and  his long time friend.

The trip to the black market last monday had given Idés a whole new area of inspiration for how he should approach his current project. Instead of the usual EZPEC friendly approaches he usually made use of, he had decided to take a bit of detour into the world of handcrafted zeals. The topic of hand-etched runes, to be specific, a topic that they for whatever reason had neglected to teach while he was still studying. Or, the reason seemed rather obvious. The potential of these runes were endless, and thus perceived as dangerous. Which made it a preferable option to teach any potential manufacturer to stick strictly to the pre-approved runes that the EZPEC could etch in automatically.

There were many restrictions in this field, after all. Restrictions that did not apply to an educator and researcher, such as Idés. It made him giddy with excitement. Now they were really getting somewhere. If he could get the EZPEC exposure to cooperate with such a rune, that is. He might have to override the source-code, which meant he might have to pull some contacts. His old roommate was a programmer and hacker, maybe he had some pointers? But of course, he would also have to look at the safety of exposing such a thing. Idés had no interest in dying in some horrible EZPEC accident as a result of poorly done research.

The lab was still in a state of disarray – no point in cleaning it while he was still in a work progress. What if he needed to look at something he had been looking at earlier? Then it was just easier that it was still lying where it was easy to find. Thus the blueprints were still laid out in the open, alongside tests of materials and so many books and paper. Along with the occasional coffee-cup, which he really should just clean up. The mechanical sounds of the EZPEC exposing, the faint clicking of a pen and the faint music of Idés’ work playlist were the backdrop to his workflow. A counter was shown above the EZPEC, showcasing exactly how long the current badge had been exposed.

Idés was currently sitting behind his desk. On the laptop of the table was an open PDF of the fail-safes in place on an EZPEC, long since forgotten in favor of an encyclopedia on ancient runes and their intended uses. The latter had been found in the very back of the archive, long since forgotten about. But it would very much be considered classified knowledge, had it not been such a neglected field. In his hand was a pen, which was sometimes used to scribble down a note in his notebook or a point on his list of reminders for later research. But most of the time he was idly fidgeting with it, clicking the little tip in and out of the pen.

He had held a lecture that morning. But ever since then, he had been sitting like that, the cup of coffee on the table long since having gone cold. He could’ve probably stayed there until long until the evening if a knock hadn’t broken him out of his flow. He looked over his reading-glasses towards the door, which swung open to reveal Cassius, who apologized for being late once the door had closed. Idés glanced at the clock above the door. He wasn’t that late, really. Idés tucked the pen behind his ear and smiled at the man. “Hey Cass. Don’t worry about it,” he said, glancing at the counter above the EZPEC. “It’ll be a couple of minutes before the last batch is done anyways. Come on in,” he said as he got up to gather the rest of the zeals while they waited for the last to be done. “How’re you?” he asked. He, of course, was interested in knowing how the man was handling his symptoms and how bad it was this time around. General concern for his well-being. But also, if he didn’t want to share more than he already had, that was fine too.

Cassius nodded as Idés spoke. Then it was the question How are you?. A question often followed by a lie. “I’m fine… all things considered” Cassius said, the first part being an automatic response to the question, and the second he added quickly as he remembered it was Idés he was talking to. He didn’t say much else, neither did he mention how he had noticed more of the symptoms lately. It was his own fault after all that he was, he couldn’t quite remember the last time he had properly fed himself. He would do it soon, before something bad happened.

“Is everything alright with you?” Cassius returned the question. He hadn’t really spoken to Idés since that meeting and a lot seemed to have happened both before and after that meeting for the both of them. They had known each other for a long time, Idés had joined the EFA a year after Cassius had.  Naturally, they grew to have a friendship of sorts. Idés was one of very few that knew about Cassius 'condition'. He eventually placed his bag close by the door and moved more into the room. He glanced around the messy room, slightly wondering how Idés could ever work in such environment.

Cassius said he was fine, all things considered, which Idés really had no choice but to take at face value. That kind of response was cordial, of course, the kind of automatic response that came with the question. It was like small-talk about the weather, social etiquette at the end of the day. Mostly Idés hadn’t truly expected to be met with honesty about how the man truly felt – that wasn’t really something anyone in the EFA ever did – which was why he didn’t prod, even if he knew the man had to be experiencing some unpleasant symptoms. And why, when asked himself, he also answered. “I’m alright.” He shrugged. “We’re nearing the end of the semester, I’ve got a lot of papers to grade soon. But that’s fine.” Or, well, it was pretty boring, but it was part of his job. “You have exams coming up?” he asked as he started packing the zeals that had already been exposed into a small box that Cassius could easily transport.

It was odd to think about how there was only a year between Cassius and Idés, but that their roles at the university were still miles apart. It was a weird situation Idés often found himself in. But Cassius, he had known for years. Even if they had never been the closest of friends, it still meant that they had known each other through their difficult teen-experiences. That created some sort of bond that wasn’t easily compromised by the artificial authority of his job-title. When the two had first met, Idés had still ruled a buzz-cut and spent most of his afternoons getting high in a basement full of delinquents. They had seen each other grow up in a lot of ways, he supposed. Yet they still had the kind of relationship similar to what Idés had with Dominic. They had known each other for years and there was a friendship of sorts – but still that distance that seemed to perpetuate through most of the EFA. A sense of camaraderie and friendship, whilst still knowing next to nothing about each other, except what was strictly necessary.

Sometimes Cassius would forget that Idés was a professor. He would always remember it when it came up in conversations like now when Idés said he soon had papers to grade. "Yeah soon, My last exams before I graduate, if I pass" Cassius answered. Cassius said that as if he hadn't started studying for the exams over a month ago. Despite all the things that was going on, he had managed to sit down and study for them. It sometimes hit him, when they were talking a little about their university lives like this, that there was barely a year between them, yet Idés was a professor and Cassius was a student. Yet that didn't stop them, they had known each other since they were teenagers. When Cassius looked more like his parents wanted him to look, a true heir to a powerful family.

Idés had joined the EFA roughly a year after Cassius. He had seen Cassius before he became cursed, seen the teenage boy who was furious at the world. Worst of all, he had seen Cassius becoming sicker and sicker until he was not sick anymore. Or well, until he became a different kind of sick. It was weird for Cassius to think about, that Idés knew so much about him, yet so little, yet the same could've been said for Cassius and what he knew about the other. When they first met, Cassius was so angry all the time that he used to go around picking fights with anyone, often beaten and bruised.

"Any progress on your research?" Cassius asked, not wanting to think about the past anymore. Slightly scared he would end up saying something he wouldn't want to say.

Idés nodded. He didn’t really doubt that Cassius would pass. While he wasn’t involved in his education and didn’t know for sure, Cassius struck him as someone who was quite studious. He hadn’t ever heard anything about him failing before, at least. Perhaps that was just a given, when you were part of an elite there wasn’t really an option to fail. Idés wouldn’t know anything about that, though, the two came from wildly different backgrounds. “That’s exciting. You know what you’re going to do once you’re finished?” He asked, shooting Cassius a smile. People tended to go in a lot of different directions once they were done with their studies. Some would travel, if they had the money for it. Some would take up internships to get a head start on their careers. Some would go right into the job-market and that’d be their life for the next 40 to 50 years. But of course, with Cassius' family, his condition and the EFA, he probably didn’t have the freedoms that many had in their twenties. He wasn’t entirely sure how that worked. Idés own job had happened seemingly by coincidence – life had a tendency to lead to unexpected things.

Then Cassius asked if he had made any progress and Idés nodded again. “Yes I have. In fact, I might very soon have something to show you guys” he said, looking proud. “It’s very promising, at least. If I can get the calculations and runes right. And I have to figure out the safety features, of course.”

The EZPEC beeped, indicating that the allotted exposure time had finished. He went to open the lid but didn’t take them out yet, allowing them to cool off first. He turned to look at Cassius. “But yeah. Very promising,” he repeated.

Cassius smiled slightly when Idés asked him what he would do once he was finished. "I will probably get a posistion in my father's company" He responded as if he had a choice in the matter. His father's plan was for Cassius to take over his company as his eldest child. He had decided Cassius choice of schools, the classes he took and the major he was in. All to make him the perfect heir. Cassius would have no choice but to listen to his father and take the position his father would force him into, to learn and build up experience to eventually take over for his father. Considering his state of being, It was probably for the best. Though Cassius had always thought that his sister, Artemia would have been the better choice for an heir.

Cassius listened intently has Idés spoke, answering his own question about the progress of his reasearch. "I am looking forward to it" He said with another small smile, happy for Idés, especially when he saw the proud look on his face. It was nice seeing that one of them was doing something they loved. Sometimes it made Cassius think, seeing how Idés glowed and the light in his eyes when he talked about zeals or anything else related to his work, if Cassius had been free from the expectations weighing down on his shoulder, what would he be doing? If he had been just a normal guy, no illness, no warlock powers, no high class family. What would be his passion? What would his life have looked like? Would he glow like Idés talking about whatever hobby or work he would be doing?

Cassius slightly shook his head as if to shake the thoughts out of it. It was no use thinking about what things could have been. He glanced back at Idés, haven't even noticed that he had been staring at the ground, lost in thoughts.The slight silence between them was comfortable, at least for Cassius. He didn't feel a pressure to say anything when he was with Idés. There weren't many people like that around him. Cassius knew himself that he perhaps wasn't the best with words, so it was nice when he didn't have to constantly think of what to say and how to say it.

He nodded when Cassius said he was going to take a position in his fathers company. He wasn’t actually entirely sure what the Seymour family business was, but he knew they were influential enough to be considered part of the elite. He also wasn’t entirely sure what it meant to Cassius – if the role of heir was something he minded or not. Idés presumed there must be some sort of safety in knowing that a future was secure in that regard, at least seen from the perspective of someone who grew up in Erast. Where Idés was from, a future which didn’t involve a lengthy jail sentence was considered a success story. Although, he supposed being an heir was also limiting to Cassius’ personal freedom, in a way Idés couldn’t relate to at all. How different would his life have looked if he had come from a wealthy family? Idés didn’t linger at the thought. “Sounds reasonable. Beats studying, at least,” Idés joked, not digging further into how Cassius felt about his future – it didn’t feel like his place to do so. Idés started packing the newly exposed zeals away into a box. He returned Cassius’ smile when he said he looked forward to seeing the new things he had been working on.

Then he moved back over to his work table where the rest of the zeals were stacked. The Zeals, energy boosters, came in the forms of many different trinkets that looked pretty unassuming to anyone who didn’t know what they were. Coins, beads, rings, sunglasses, watches. Simple things that could help give Cassius the extra energy he needed due to his condition. As he packed the last zeals away, he didn’t notice Cassius drifting off into his thoughts.

“Can that handle a new charge or is it finished?” he asked, referring to the ring Cassius was wearing. Most items of this sort could handle being exposed more than once. But they reached a point where the material had simply broken down to a point where it no longer was able to hold the same amount of energy for as long, at which point it was mostly just a waste of resources to even attempt to recharge them.

Cassius watched as Idés started packing the zeals. It felt a bit weird to think that thanks to these small things, Cassius could go on being a somewhat regular warlock. He could pretend, pretend that he was still his powerful self, pretend that he didn’t feel sick every time he used too much power without having properly fed himself. Speaking of which, when was the last time he did just that? It was perhaps better to not focus on that right now.

When Idés asked about the ring, Cassius glanced down on it. He have had the ring for quite a while and Idés had already recharged it a few times. Cassius had come to learn to notice and see when it was about time to retire these objects. He could remember when Idés had first started helping him with this, how he didn’t know that the items couldn't handle anymore and they’d just break with a simple wave of the hand. How he, in full panic, ran to Idés’ lab each time it happened.

“I think it’s finished” Cassius answered. “One more and the ring itself will most likely break” He continued as he took of the ring. The ring looked old and worn as if he had used it for years. However Cassius knew that it hadn’t even been a year since he started using it. “You still got some rings left? They were quite handy” He inquired as he stepped closer to the other. Cassius preferred the rings and necklaces. He didn’t quite like the feeling of earrings and he refused to wear any other bracelet than the old and worn bracelet he already wore. It was a silly thought, but it felt like it would be a betrayal to wear another one.

Idés watched as Cassius removed the ring and agreed that it had definitely seen better days. That was the issue with such an object. Perhaps one day someone somewhere would discover a material that didn’t get worn, warped or burned. It would certainly be useful as Zeal production definitely had its waste issues. Cassius stepped closer, watching him pack away the items and asking if he had more rings. He nodded. “Yeah, but only one. Need to order a new batch. Jewelry’s in the box with the yellow label,” he explained. “Other accessories in the blue, and pendants in the red.” He had come to learn over time that it was way more practical to have an array of discrete options for extra boosts. “I’ve also experimented with some stationery items. It’s in the green one. Let me know how that works out, yeah?” He said, rubbing his neck as he shot a smile at Cass. It wasn’t unusual that he would throw something a little bit different into the mix. Figuring out what worked the best was pretty much through trial and error, in his experience. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t. Textiles, for instance, had turned out to be more of a conductor of static electricity. Which made blankets and clothing not the best vessel for energy boosts.

“Other than that, it’s the usual.” He got out a briefcase, that was in itself a Zeal. It looked fairly small and unassuming, but it was larger on the inside. He started moving the boxes into it. Then he closed the briefcase and turned to Cassius. “I think that about covers the boosters. Is there anything else I can help with?” While the boosters were what he mainly made for Cassius, but Idés was also able to expose medications or offer symptom relief, in some shape or form. If Cassius needed it one day, of course. Idés still offered it every time. He liked to be helpful.

Cassius listened as Idés explained what was in each of the little boxes. He nodded as he responded, “will do” he said. Cassius was a little bit skeptical of the stationery items though, but he would try for Idés’ sake. When Idés asked him if there was anything else he could help with, like he always did, Cassius wanted to reply with an automatic ‘I’m fine, I don’t need anything else’.

In reality, Cass had started to feel the usual warning signs symptoms he would get when he hadn’t fed in a while. The details of when the last time was exactly were getting blurry, though lately he had felt like he didn’t have time for it, too much going on to make time. That fact coupled up with the added stress from everything that has happened had slightly worsened everything. Cassius could still manage of course, he would power through it this time like he had all the last times. He would power through it until the next time he had the chance to replenish the very thing he needed to live on, it was too soon for him to leave this world, there were still people needing him.

A part of him didn’t want to admit all of this to Idés, sure they had known each other for years. Idés had seen him at his sickest, when he was dying. So, scared that Idés would get worried too much, Cassius decided to pretend everything was fine. “Nothing this time either, though I will let you know if I will need it” he said with a small smile.

He wasn’t sure whether to believe Cassius about that or not. Knowing that the man wasn’t the type to ask for anything that wasn’t strictly necessary, Idés wasn’t sure if he’d ever know if something was up, unless it was something akin to an emergency. But Cassius knew he was there if he needed it. Idés wasn’t entirely sure if he ever would. Either way, Idés wasn’t close enough to Cassius to press him about that and doubted the man would even share what was going on if he did. Therefore he simply nodded and returned the smile. “Right on.”

He closed the briefcase and slid it across the table to his friend. “Here you go, then. Let me know if there are any issues with any of the stuff,” he said. He rested his hands in the pockets of his labcoat and leaned against the worktable, fully turned to look at his friend and fellow EFA member. “And you’re welcome to stop by any time, you know? If anything pops up.”

He knew that Cassius likely wouldn’t take up his offer. But still, he felt it was necessary that he knew. It may be that the illness made everyone who knew extra worried about the welfare of Cassius. At least the people who actually cared about him. Idés didn’t know much about his family, but he could imagine it being difficult to live the kind of double life Cassius had to. And with the kind of family he had. Idés didn’t want to assume, but it seemed a tense situation. The kind of opinions supported by the Seymour family, they seemed directly opposed to what his friend stood for. At least Idés knew that despite the many difficulties and poverty, he wouldn’t ever be fully abandoned by his family. They would be ready to support him, no matter what. He wasn’t sure that the same could be said for Cassius.

“You know where to find me. It’s not like I ever leave this lab anyways,” he added jokingly with a chuckle, trying to disperse the sense of seriousness. He didn’t want to put Cassius on the spot. Nobody liked feeling vulnerable.

When Idés slid the briefcase across the table towards him, Cassius picked it up in one swift move. “Thank you again, for doing all this when you don’t have to” Cassius said with a small smile of gratitude towards his friend. “If there ever will be a need to I’ll let you know” He responded as if he was doing perfectly fine and really didn’t need anything more. As if he was as healthy as he had been before it all, before become cursed, before ever getting the diagnosis that turned his life upside down. Back to when he was just a small child whose biggest issue was the everlasting lessons he had.

“Now if you will excuse me, my mother wanted to have a family dinner tonight” Cassius said as he glanced at the clock. “I really need to get going unless I want her on my case for being late” he said with a slight chuckle. “We’ll be seeing each other sometime” Cassius said as a goodbye as he opened the door and left the room. The next time they saw each other would probably be at an EFA meeting or if they coincidentally ran into each other on campus, they were both busy people after all.

As he walked down the empty hall except for him being the only person in it, a wave of nausea hit him. Cassius stopped up and placed a hand against the wall for a little support. This was nothing, he was fine, he just had to ride it out. Once the slight nausea was over, Cassius continued walking. He should really get some of his special sustenance once he had the time, but for now he just had to survive on pure willpower alone. He had had periods before where he couldn’t get any for some time and he had always managed. It wasn’t going to be that different this time, right?