Cult Smashers: Part Nine

Kelly called Nate into a private meeting the next day. When he showed up in the room, he saw that Sally was there. He didn’t know much about her and only recognized her from early morning martial arts classes. She had struck him as being somewhat angry looking, not the sort of person who was friendly or even wanted to make friends. But oddly enough, she looked like a very different person today.

Nate was no expert, but he would have described what she was wearing as a “women’s business suit”---and not a cheap one either. Her hair had obviously been brushed, newly cut in a short, stylish way, and, it even looked as if a little styling jell had been applied to control loose strands. There was even a very fine pastel scarf knotted around her neck. She also seemed to have a very small, yet quite effective, bit of make up. And if Nate’s sense of smell was working properly, she seemed to have just a hint of perfume.

Nate was surprised.

“Didn’t expect me, did you?” Her voice a sort of “professional---take command” sound to it. She shifted on her chair. “Didn’t expect this different me, either---”.

“Well, I guess you aren’t a morning person. You see kind of grumpy in the martial arts classes.”

“No, you mean ‘grumpy and frumpy’.” A small laugh “That’s not it. I choose to project the persona of being like that there because it doesn’t suit my purposes to get too friendly with those other people. You see, part of the expertise that I bring to the Old Ones is the ability to control the persona I project to others. Think of me as a bit of a chameleon. That’s what they want me to teach you---how to ‘blend in’ to different types of situations and exert some subtle forms of psychological control when it suits our purposes.”

“In order to do that, you are going to be developed as a ‘key’ that fits a specific type of ‘lock’ and the Elders will present you with an opportunity to fit into it. Once you have done that, we want you to change the direction of some of the force that the Alt-Right is aiming at democracy. The hope is that you will at least be able to deflect it away so it won’t create damage, and, at best bounce it back at the people who sent it so it will neutralize their organization.”

“As I see it, the first part is to open your eyes to the ways that subtle types of behaviour can exert significant influence on others. The very first part of that was having you come into this room and see me when I have consciously changed my outward being from what I had allowed you to see when we were learning about violence. We’re also going to get you some new clothes, a hair cut, and, do some ‘field trips’ together. Before that, I’ll email you some materials I want you to look at.”

She got up, slinked over to the door, and, turned as she opened it to leave. “One last thing, think about how much you can draw another person’s attention towards you by looking and acting in a way that you totally don’t expect---especially when they make a dramatic exit.” 

"It's also important to leave people guessing. Let them 'fill in the blanks' instead of trying to explain everything all at once." She blew him a kiss, “I’ll be in touch”.

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Moreover I say unto you, the Climate Emergency must be dealt with!