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[Sorry, Atem. You're only an acquaintance, and he knows how Rey can be regarding her privacy. Still, he answers honestly:]
No, she's not.
No, she's not.
Edited 2017-12-20 07:18 (UTC)
「There is it... He could say, yeah i knew it, it was expected, blahblahblah, but being right in this one doesn't bring him any satisfaction, this is about her. The acquaintance knows.」
where is she?
where is she?
[On his end, Nick sighs. He already said she's at home, and given how small the town is, Atem could probably find where that is without much trouble. Maybe they're friends; maybe he'll have more luck getting through to her than Nick himself has.
Sorry, Rey. This is for your own good.]
The spiral houses in the middle of town, number 1401.
Sorry, Rey. This is for your own good.]
The spiral houses in the middle of town, number 1401.
「That's not very reassuring, Nick...」
please do
please do
[He doesn't answer, but he'll try, Atem. He really will. He does appreciate the vote of confidence.]
can we talk somewhere?
Edited 2018-01-14 20:40 (UTC)
I've been busy, and frankly, I haven't been all that impressed with what I've seen of you lately.
i dont blame you
thats... part of what i wanna talk with you if possible
thats... part of what i wanna talk with you if possible
[Nick can be very black-and-white with his methods sometimes... but he's also got as human a heart as they come. He knows folks can change, can make mistakes. Wanting to talk about it at all is a good sign, and he should be more understanding, even with all that's on his mind lately.]
All right. I'm at the headquarters right now.
All right. I'm at the headquarters right now.
be there soon
「It's not only the fact of what he wants to discuss with him, but that he's going to meet him for the first time what makes Atem hurry to the headquarters. About fifteen minutes or so later, he and his obnoxious hair make it through the door. He should have been here, helping with the construction in some way, but since he got busy with other... stuff, it might be the first time he's found himself in the new location of the Guard.
He looks around, expecting to see Nick at any second.」
「It's not only the fact of what he wants to discuss with him, but that he's going to meet him for the first time what makes Atem hurry to the headquarters. About fifteen minutes or so later, he and his obnoxious hair make it through the door. He should have been here, helping with the construction in some way, but since he got busy with other... stuff, it might be the first time he's found himself in the new location of the Guard.
He looks around, expecting to see Nick at any second.」
[Atem's hair is odd, but nothing too surprising to Nick, given the kid has shown himself on the network a time or two. Nick himself tends to stick to voice and text only, so Atem might not realize exactly who he's looking for when he walks through the door... or what he's looking for, rather. In good news, there aren't many others at that hour in the building: it's mostly just Nick for now, trying to get things in order so the organization can be running at full speed as soon as possible. Moving things from the rubble of the old building, deciding what to keep and what to trash while the new one is under construction -- it all takes time and manpower, and they've been lacking on the latter for some time now.
But he's helping head this operation now, and he's going to make sure things run as smooth as they can. Not an easy task in Hadriel, but someone has to do it. If nothing else, the job keeps him occupied, moving. Better than than to rust away worrying about how much of a leader a synth like him could even be.
He glances over his shoulder as he hears the door open, and steps out of the room in the back that he's turned into his late-night office, his eyes aglow in the dim light.]
You wanted to talk?
But he's helping head this operation now, and he's going to make sure things run as smooth as they can. Not an easy task in Hadriel, but someone has to do it. If nothing else, the job keeps him occupied, moving. Better than than to rust away worrying about how much of a leader a synth like him could even be.
He glances over his shoulder as he hears the door open, and steps out of the room in the back that he's turned into his late-night office, his eyes aglow in the dim light.]
You wanted to talk?
「Atem, not expecting to find anything extraordinary or out of common when meeting Nick for the first time, freezes for a moment when this person speaks to him. By the question he makes and the voice, it's obvious it is Nick.
It's not like he's used to this, but he's seen some things before, even back home, and while he does keep a curious stare on him (with both normal eyes thanks the Gods), he decides not to dwell on it for long.」
... Yeah. Hmm... It's about Yukari's murderer.
It's not like he's used to this, but he's seen some things before, even back home, and while he does keep a curious stare on him (with both normal eyes thanks the Gods), he decides not to dwell on it for long.」
... Yeah. Hmm... It's about Yukari's murderer.
[If Nick is affected by the look Atem gives him or the curious stare, he doesn't make mention of it, nor does he mention his eyes just yet. Atem came here to talk, so Nick is going to let him talk.]
I'm listening.
I'm listening.
「He supposes he deserves the cold attitude, it's not big deal, nothing that he hadn't handled before.」
It was Michael. Do you know him?
It was Michael. Do you know him?
I know of him, but don't know him personally.
[That's about how Nick knows a lot of people in Hadriel, sadly -- no real connection with them, just putting names and faces together over the network through surveillance. He'd get out there and get to know more people, but the city doesn't give him all the time he needs for that -- not when the gods and the Null are constantly throwing new obstacles their way.]
[That's about how Nick knows a lot of people in Hadriel, sadly -- no real connection with them, just putting names and faces together over the network through surveillance. He'd get out there and get to know more people, but the city doesn't give him all the time he needs for that -- not when the gods and the Null are constantly throwing new obstacles their way.]
I didn't... do anything to him. I couldn't.
「He admits, ashamed of himself that he made so much fuzz just to not go through what he intended.」
But that's not all, I felt that I should let someone know that he might do it again. Probably not entirely his fault but...
「Sigh, this is complicated.」
「He admits, ashamed of himself that he made so much fuzz just to not go through what he intended.」
But that's not all, I felt that I should let someone know that he might do it again. Probably not entirely his fault but...
「Sigh, this is complicated.」
[As relieved as Nick is to hear Atem didn't follow up on his vague threats, Nick wants to cover the second part first.]
Someone making him kill people?
Someone making him kill people?
From what he told me, there is something inside his head that that demands him to kill other killers... He said he has the final word over it, but that he can't guarantee it will not happen again. That's why I wanted to tell you. I offered my help but...
「He doesn't know if he didn't want it because he didn't care to change or if he was too scared to even try. Even after deciding not to follow through, it's not like he cannot forget about it.」
「He doesn't know if he didn't want it because he didn't care to change or if he was too scared to even try. Even after deciding not to follow through, it's not like he cannot forget about it.」
You can lead a horse to water...
[Can't make him drink though, and you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Still, that does present a problem. The city has had its fair share of murderers before, and it's always a tricky subject, given that the dead don't stay dead and there's no real law or police force in town, despite what folks may say about the Guard themselves. However, they have a job to do, and that's to protect the residents of the city. Nick would prefer to do that even if it's from each other, but not everyone sees it that way.
Getting everyone to see eye-to-eye is likely the hardest challenge they'll ever face, and one that's nigh impossible when you've got people coming in from all kinds of worlds. Even if they could get remotely on the same page, that'd help.
Those are thoughts for another time, though.]
All we can really do for now is keep a closer eye on him, see that he doesn't do it again. And if he looks like he's going to, step in to keep it from happening.
[Can't make him drink though, and you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Still, that does present a problem. The city has had its fair share of murderers before, and it's always a tricky subject, given that the dead don't stay dead and there's no real law or police force in town, despite what folks may say about the Guard themselves. However, they have a job to do, and that's to protect the residents of the city. Nick would prefer to do that even if it's from each other, but not everyone sees it that way.
Getting everyone to see eye-to-eye is likely the hardest challenge they'll ever face, and one that's nigh impossible when you've got people coming in from all kinds of worlds. Even if they could get remotely on the same page, that'd help.
Those are thoughts for another time, though.]
All we can really do for now is keep a closer eye on him, see that he doesn't do it again. And if he looks like he's going to, step in to keep it from happening.
「He's been learning that one the hard way. He does wonder, if there is something else he could do and still help people in some way, since it's crushing his spirit that people don't want to be helped, at least not in such personal way. He might be understanding now why Lance does things the way he does. But he cannot simply stay around and do nothing. It's not in his nature to be but a spectator, he never was when alive, and now, it's all he's got left. Or so is how he sees it.」
Unfortunately, I cannot step in anymore.
「Just another reason why he's telling someone from the Guard.」
Unfortunately, I cannot step in anymore.
「Just another reason why he's telling someone from the Guard.」
You seemed real keen on taking care of it yourself before.
[Nick has an inkling why Atem might be backing off, though. Just a hunch.]
[Nick has an inkling why Atem might be backing off, though. Just a hunch.]
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