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Members of the Guard,
Chris has kindly made us a tool which, when used, shall afford us all awareness of compromised allies during an extended crisis. It works by prompting one to respond through a simple touch at set intervals. The names of those who fail to respond in reasonable time are sent to those who have responded. I am sure I need not explain its advantages.
[There is an app attached for download.]
Please inform me once you have acquired it.
[In addition to the message Henry sends everyone, he adds an extra message for Nick:]
–Nick, this should prove especially useful for you. While I pray that there is no repeat of what happened last time, it will ensure a smoother transfer of power.
Chris has kindly made us a tool which, when used, shall afford us all awareness of compromised allies during an extended crisis. It works by prompting one to respond through a simple touch at set intervals. The names of those who fail to respond in reasonable time are sent to those who have responded. I am sure I need not explain its advantages.
[There is an app attached for download.]
Please inform me once you have acquired it.
[In addition to the message Henry sends everyone, he adds an extra message for Nick:]
–Nick, this should prove especially useful for you. While I pray that there is no repeat of what happened last time, it will ensure a smoother transfer of power.
Yes. It would be--useful, to have officers in place to delegate work and give orders of their own. [And to know that they would be followed. Still, the whole thing has an edge, coming ever close to a formal militia, and Maketh worries. It's far too easy to fall into old patterns. What she was before cannot exist here. This place cannot be the Empire. She's sworn to make something better.]
[Shortly after this conversation and before taking a little jaunt that she's agreed to:]
I'm heading out to the Silent Hill zone with someone. Just thought you should know.
[Because reasons.]
I'm heading out to the Silent Hill zone with someone. Just thought you should know.
[Because reasons.]
Edited 2016-09-12 04:26 (UTC)
[Well, at least she thought of Nick and his worries.]
With "someone"? Why?
With "someone"? Why?
[She's trying to work on this thing where she actually acknowledges that people give a shit about her and her wellbeing. It's weird.]
Because it came up in conversation. And he decided it'd be great to take me seriously when I told him to take a "field trip" there for an idea on how well trying to kill one of the gods worked out.
Suppose sarcasm doesn't convey through text much unless you use the little smiley faces.
Because it came up in conversation. And he decided it'd be great to take me seriously when I told him to take a "field trip" there for an idea on how well trying to kill one of the gods worked out.
Suppose sarcasm doesn't convey through text much unless you use the little smiley faces.
[That'd be a quiet sigh on his end.]
All right. Be careful out there.
All right. Be careful out there.
No worries.
[Always worry.]
There is another reason why I'm doing this. I'll keep you updated...
[Always worry.]
There is another reason why I'm doing this. I'll keep you updated...
Updated after the fact, but I'll take what I can get.
[Better than no news at all, right, Nick?]
...Thanks.
For what it's worth, you'll know one way or another when I get home.
[So it won't be that long of a wait. Maybe.]
...Thanks.
For what it's worth, you'll know one way or another when I get home.
[So it won't be that long of a wait. Maybe.]
[At least she's willing to keep him informed of what's going on, this time. He's not entire sure what she's after with this little 'field trip,' but he can wait until he sees her in person. She's probably with this fellow she's headed out with right now, after all.]
All right. You watch your back, Rey.
[And come home safe, and all that Dadbot stuff. The Silent Hill zone is a literal nightmare.]
All right. You watch your back, Rey.
[And come home safe, and all that Dadbot stuff. The Silent Hill zone is a literal nightmare.]
Edited 2016-09-15 03:41 (UTC)
Got it. Let's keep our fingers crossed that 'last time' ends up being the only time something like that happens.
Edited 2016-09-15 05:43 (UTC)
[There's a long pause on her end, and then:]
Will do.
[With that, she clicks out.]
Will do.
[With that, she clicks out.]
[It's a long time later before Nick gets any hint that Rey is even alive. She doesn't immediately report back to him after the event with news of her survival. She's too distracted for that, and regrettably doesn't consider it.
[Not to mention it's late. Late enough for the city to be dark, at least, so it's about as close to one's perception of "night" as you're going to get.
[The door slams softly shut behind her as Rey stumbles in through the front entrance of the house she shares with Nick. Despite the nicks and dings here and there, she seems relatively in one piece. Just recovering from the adrenaline high that got her blood flowing, only now winding down. Barely.
[Because of that, she wasn't really sure if she should return home at all tonight. Or ever.
[She frowns and lifts her head towards the seemingly empty living area.]
Nick? You home?
[Since he doesn't live upstairs anymore and he doesn't need to sleep, she doesn't feel the need to call too loud.]
[Not to mention it's late. Late enough for the city to be dark, at least, so it's about as close to one's perception of "night" as you're going to get.
[The door slams softly shut behind her as Rey stumbles in through the front entrance of the house she shares with Nick. Despite the nicks and dings here and there, she seems relatively in one piece. Just recovering from the adrenaline high that got her blood flowing, only now winding down. Barely.
[Because of that, she wasn't really sure if she should return home at all tonight. Or ever.
[She frowns and lifts her head towards the seemingly empty living area.]
Nick? You home?
[Since he doesn't live upstairs anymore and he doesn't need to sleep, she doesn't feel the need to call too loud.]
[Nick appears from his room half a second later, his brow knitted together, those glowing eyes of his laden with concern. Of course he's up -- he doesn't sleep. Yet even if he did, he'd have still been awake, working on papers, checking over reports for patterns of activity. No matter what he was doing, he couldn't bury himself in it enough to cover that sense of dread gnawing at the back of his mind.
The Silent Hill zone, of all places -- the spot where the gods had managed to isolate what was left of the fog. It was a permanent reminder of what had happened, of the power some of the people trapped in the city had, of what lengths they'd go to for their freedom. It had been bad enough when it was all over the city. Why would anyone go there willingly?
That's what Nick wants to know. He hopes Rey's risk was worth the trip, especially since he doesn't yet know just why she was taking that risk in the first place. All he knows for certain is the worry he's been feeling for hours as he's waited for word form her, his phone on his desk, only an arm's reach away.
So the second he hears the door close, he's out of his chair and headed to the den; his slow pace keeps him from making it there until after she's called for him, but all he's been trying to bury with his paperwork is still written across his face as he steps through his doorway. He tries to remain impassive, but the tension in his mechanical frame is evident.
She's fine, he tells himself for the tenth or eleventh time -- it's the first time it's mattered, now that she's standing before him. She's more capable than he is in a lot of ways, so of course she's fine. She can take care of herself.
Of course, he's been wrong before, both about Rey and others he's cared for. Times like that are why he's fought with unease all night.
But he does his best to keep it out of his tone as he goes for the understatement of the year.]
I was starting to get worried.
The Silent Hill zone, of all places -- the spot where the gods had managed to isolate what was left of the fog. It was a permanent reminder of what had happened, of the power some of the people trapped in the city had, of what lengths they'd go to for their freedom. It had been bad enough when it was all over the city. Why would anyone go there willingly?
That's what Nick wants to know. He hopes Rey's risk was worth the trip, especially since he doesn't yet know just why she was taking that risk in the first place. All he knows for certain is the worry he's been feeling for hours as he's waited for word form her, his phone on his desk, only an arm's reach away.
So the second he hears the door close, he's out of his chair and headed to the den; his slow pace keeps him from making it there until after she's called for him, but all he's been trying to bury with his paperwork is still written across his face as he steps through his doorway. He tries to remain impassive, but the tension in his mechanical frame is evident.
She's fine, he tells himself for the tenth or eleventh time -- it's the first time it's mattered, now that she's standing before him. She's more capable than he is in a lot of ways, so of course she's fine. She can take care of herself.
Of course, he's been wrong before, both about Rey and others he's cared for. Times like that are why he's fought with unease all night.
But he does his best to keep it out of his tone as he goes for the understatement of the year.]
I was starting to get worried.
[It's obvious before Nick even says anything. Rey knows that she should have called sooner, and the thought did occur to her when she had walked out of the Silent Hill zone some time ago. But she was so hopped up on the rush of violence still that she didn't trust herself not to give him even more cause for concern.
[With a heavy exhale, Rey makes her way over to the couch, then carelessly falls into the cushion. If she gets a few blood splotches here and there, it makes no difference to her. Cleaning isn't a high priority at the moment.]
It's fine. I was made for this sort of thing.
[Mostly. It wasn't really what her mother had in mind when they had first constructed her vessels, but that ended up being where the project headed. Especially after her original's theatrical display after killing her twin in cold blood. Seems that it just comes natural to her.]
[With a heavy exhale, Rey makes her way over to the couch, then carelessly falls into the cushion. If she gets a few blood splotches here and there, it makes no difference to her. Cleaning isn't a high priority at the moment.]
It's fine. I was made for this sort of thing.
[Mostly. It wasn't really what her mother had in mind when they had first constructed her vessels, but that ended up being where the project headed. Especially after her original's theatrical display after killing her twin in cold blood. Seems that it just comes natural to her.]
[Nick remains standing, his hand on his cane, his eyes on the floor as she crosses it, a few drops of blood marking her path. His gaze affixes itself on Rey as she flops onto the couch and assures him she's fine.
And of course she is. She was made to be a weapon; she's used to handling whatever dangers are out there. It's what she was built for.
That's not all she is, though.]
That doesn't mean something can't happen to you. Now what was that all about?
And of course she is. She was made to be a weapon; she's used to handling whatever dangers are out there. It's what she was built for.
That's not all she is, though.]
That doesn't mean something can't happen to you. Now what was that all about?
[Naturally, Rey would be swift to argue what "all" she is. But that would open up a can of worms that she doesn't want to talk about. Not while there are other affairs to address.
[She leans her head over the back cushion of the couch, her eyes rolling to the side to meet Nick's, glowing in the shadows of the room.]
I wanted to confirm something. Whether or not we might have a "problem child".
[Like and like, she would also argue. Despite where they headed, part of her actually didn't have a terrible time.]
[She leans her head over the back cushion of the couch, her eyes rolling to the side to meet Nick's, glowing in the shadows of the room.]
I wanted to confirm something. Whether or not we might have a "problem child".
[Like and like, she would also argue. Despite where they headed, part of her actually didn't have a terrible time.]
And?
[He's waiting, Rey. While he knows she's a woman of few words, his tone says he'd prefer if she found some for him.]
[He's waiting, Rey. While he knows she's a woman of few words, his tone says he'd prefer if she found some for him.]
[It's too bad that he just can't take her word for it and leave it at that, but his response is expected.]
And we may have a problem. Perhaps not now, or tomorrow. But eventually.
[Pause.]
Nothing seriously bad happened, for the record. Well, other than running into what you'd usually expect when heading into that part of the city.
And we may have a problem. Perhaps not now, or tomorrow. But eventually.
[Pause.]
Nothing seriously bad happened, for the record. Well, other than running into what you'd usually expect when heading into that part of the city.
And that's bad enough.
[He sighs, biting back some latent frustration.]
Who is this guy? Someone you know?
[He sighs, biting back some latent frustration.]
Who is this guy? Someone you know?
No, he's one of the new batch of arrivals. Said his name was Sato. Blond, older guy. Wears a hat.
He seems pleasant, but I'd be careful.
He seems pleasant, but I'd be careful.
[If Rey says to be careful, that's really saying something.]
What happened?
What happened?
[It really is.]
About what you'd expect. Things changed. We were attacked, and he didn't even miss a beat. Didn't hesitate, or panic.
[She pauses, before choking out the words:] He's... like me, in a way.
[Rey just tends to keep that side of herself in check when no one else is around.]
About what you'd expect. Things changed. We were attacked, and he didn't even miss a beat. Didn't hesitate, or panic.
[She pauses, before choking out the words:] He's... like me, in a way.
[Rey just tends to keep that side of herself in check when no one else is around.]
[Nick's eyes narrow. Like me could mean a lot of things: a soldier, a machine, a weapon, a person with a load of other personalities in her head. Nick gets the feeling it's not that last one.]
But not enough like you to consider him an asset.
But not enough like you to consider him an asset.
Hardly.
[And it has nothing to do with the fact that he walked off while she was being attacked like he was leaving her to pick out a new pair of shoes, or that he didn't balk at the hellish transition of the Silent Hill zone.]
The issue is, I'm not sure if the Guard is equipped to handle someone like that.
[And it has nothing to do with the fact that he walked off while she was being attacked like he was leaving her to pick out a new pair of shoes, or that he didn't balk at the hellish transition of the Silent Hill zone.]
The issue is, I'm not sure if the Guard is equipped to handle someone like that.
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