Event - Dogged

[apocalypsehowmods]

↬ Main Navigation

Dogged

The message goes out to everyone on ADI's network. It seems to be something captured live. It's Pam Ruan, head of HR who holds a prosthetic finger up to her lips before whispering, "Everyone's pushing for transparency right now, right? Figuring out where threats are coming from and sharing. I think that should come at all levels. Let's see what Nia's talking about with Mr. Zyrian Steel, hmm?"

The camera flips around as Pam clearly creeps closer to an office door. There are muffled voices, and Pam sets the phone face up before using one hand to shove the thing under the door. The video shows a sliding picture of the office's bland ceiling for a moment before coming to a stop. The voices become much clearer.

"-down in Wolf Trap," a masculine voice is saying. Presumably, Zyrian Steel. "There's just no need for that."

"Zyrian, this ain't a negotiation." Nia Lehrer's voice is familiar to most people working at ADI at this point. They've likely heard her speak in some pre-recorded training videos at the bare minimum. Nia's tone is no nonsense and clearly on the edge of snapping in frustration. "You're not hiring us. I'm sending my people down to Wolf Trap next month. We've got evidence of those signalhead things being on the march, one down that way, your kick off for New Horizons in the park, and evidence out of there about the Lullaby Girl from some of my people."

There is silence.

"You remember her? Ava? Or Amber, it seems like. She's the one you gave us those Lucidio masks to help train our people against. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you don't remember her, Mr. S." Another drawn out pause. "You ain't been straight with me for a long time. You ain't been straight with ADI since Tawnya was Warden. You tell me you need us in Buffalo, payback for helping in Wolf Pen and Cortana and the mobile med units, and not only do half the staff come back with crab claws and whiskers, but I find out you're using us for business politics." There's venom in her tone. "Or were you just going to stay quiet about Etcher's enterprises competing with your own software companies? ADI is not your personal attack dog. You are our client. And I thought my friend. But I'm about 30 seconds away from firing you from both."

Further silence, then a heavy sigh. "And I was going to offer to send you and your staff on such a nice retreat." There's the sound of a chair being pushed back. "Warden, I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. You are the dogs. I am the master. I hold your leash. Or have you forgotten just how much technology I've donated to ADI over the years, how many of your systems run on things I built? We've had a mutually beneficial relationship up until now- Well… you and I have. Tawnya got to be a problem before the end, too. But I made sure that was taken care of."

"You self-aggrandizing son of a-"

"You're a much more practical woman than she ever was, even with those shiny ideals you hold so dear. You'll compromise for the greater good, to protect what's yours. Such a good Warden, looking out for her charges."

"What are you talking about? And get your hands the hell off my desk."

"Haven't you ever wondered about the title? Warden. Odd name for a leader of any organization, even one like yours. But maybe not so odd when you consider your more eldritch masters." A scoff. "The Hunt always does pick out the most oblivious avatars, doesn't it? What does a Warden do?" A beat. "She controls the monsters, Nia. Sniffs them out and contains them. And she goes after the poachers coming after her prey. Tell me, have you ever noticed how you're always picking up on threats far afield with uncanny precision. It's been getting stronger, hasn't it? Tawnya was the same way. As was her predecessor, I imagine."

"That's not- I wouldn't ever…"

"Wouldn't you, though? Every time you sent your own dogs after a threat, reveled in it, you were being such a good Warden, instilling terror in the hearts of your enemies, ADI's enemies. So many cults know who and what you are and they fear it. Fear the Warden of ADI, famed avatar of the Hunt. Even now, I know you've compromised yourself. Have you considered what that's done to you? You let that Visionary kid stay alive. I rather think that might have been the start of your slide, hmm? Making exceptions, just this once.

"Now," he continues, voice growing louder and footsteps starting toward the phone, "I realize this is a lot to take in, to think about. Why don't you do that self-reflection while I attend to other matters? You are doing good work, puppy. I need a dependable pet to take care of all those nasty pests who keep trying rituals. But no need to worry about the New Horizons launch, really. I'll just-" Zyrian pauses and everyone will have a view of a middle-aged caucasian man with dark, slightly graying hair and a beard. He's wearing khakis and a Hawaiian shirt, and he's looking down at Pam's phone.

"Well… fuck." He stomps a heeled shoe on it and the transmission ends abruptly.

➥ Links

• OOC Questions - LINK
  
• General Setting Prompts - LINK
  
• NPC/Mod Response Prompts - LINK
  

↬ Main Navigation

Comments

Artefacts 2 I had to restrain myself from typing wouldn't you like to know weather boy

[rainestorms]

Raine wasn't very squeamish, but somebody bleeding from their eyes was quite unsightly- no pun intended. Seeing Elias Bouchard blind and helpless however, twisted something mean in the back of Raine's mind that they didn't quite ignore, for once. They knew with.. whatever their new condition was, that it would hurt him. They didn't like hurting people. But...

Elias reminded Raine too much of people that had hurt them. Though you don't typically expect to fight fire with fire, perhaps it would be a good thing for Elias to feel something deeper- something other than his usual smug overconfidence.

Raine did their best to ignore the gruesome sight, and though he couldn't see them they gingerly touched his shoulder. Their form became more corporeal than before, though there was no smile of satisfaction on their face. Just a cold glare. If he could even see it.

"I don't know." They replied, rather flatly. "I'd have thought you'd figured that out. You seem to have everything here figured out, anyways."

[hellojon]

It's an odd feeling, the sensation of loneliness that washes over him. Because at his core, there is part of Elias Bouchard that is lonely. Anyone he could have possibly called a friend died a hundred years ago and there are so many things about his current self that nobody knows. And, based on that lovely little vision of his death he saw, he is going to die alone, killed by the Archivist. It's at this point Elias realizes just how easy it would be to slip into the Lonely's soft touches.

He can't help himself: he lets out a small noise of something close to despair when he feels the sensation of isolation hit in his core. Hopefully Raine hasn't noticed? But let's be honest, they noticed.

"Yes, well there's one very obvious problem with that," he muses, trying to turn himself so that he's at least facing in the direction that he thinks Raine is, still wanting to make eye contact even though he can't actually see right now. "It's easy to get turned around when things are...chaotic."

[rainestorms]

Raine didn't miss the noise of despair. Something similar had happened the first time they'd finally reached out and touched somebody. Raine had caused an office worker to break down and cry when they'd touched her arm to get her attention, frustrated after feeling ignored and looked through for the entirety of the day. It was a shocking thing to witness, and Raine felt bad for inflicting such horrible feelings on people who didn't deserve it. They'd only done it when it felt necessary to be heard, which was a dwindling number of times as of late.

They didn't remove their hand from Elias, though. As he turned to try and face him they looked away- mostly because of the blood- but they did feel uncomfortable, their consciousness pleading that maybe they should have let him go. Tell him where the nearest bathroom was.

Maybe not yet.

"Things are chaotic right now," they reply, though their tone is distant. They decide to ignore his comment, and pry a little. The tables were turned after all- they could get into his head now.

"Do you miss your home, Elias? Whatever that looks like- I assume it doesn't look like here. And I assume it definitely doesn't look anything like where I'm from. Did you have friends there? Family? Or were you the same way that you are here? Because it sounds like that might be the case. You sound like a very lonely man. Despite all of your knowing things about people."

[hellojon]

Elias can't see Raine, of course. But he can hear where their voice is coming from. And he just stares them down, not turning away, keeping his bloody visage pointed in their direction. He knows what this is. This is someone drunk off a little bit of power, taking the opportunity to bully.

"What a crude attempt at manipulation," he dryly points out, stubbornly pushing against the waves of despair creeping through his mind. Of course he's alone, he's always been alone, he's fine being alone. He sent friends to their deaths for the slightest glimpse of knowledge. If he keeps telling himself that he's fine being alone, maybe he'll believe it. "Honestly, I don't know what the Web was thinking. Usually the ones they pick are more subtle. Less blunt."

He takes a moment to pull out a handkerchief, wiping blood away from his eyes as he points out, "Crude, blunt, and wrong. My world is remarkably like this one."

[rainestorms]

Raine's attention was split between Elias, and the slowly rematerialising limbs of their body. It seemed to be taking longer with Elias- maybe because they didn't like him?

His assumption that they're trying to manipulate him does get a dry chuckle. They'll let him believe it, for now.

"Is that what I'm doing? I didn't realise," they respond flatly. "I guess I'll have to take a note or two from you. Though, I don't know much about the Eye, and I always imagined it would select somebody more.. good at being subtle. If I'm being honest."

Still, in their attempt at just messing with Elias, they'd push on. They needed more time, and they still weren't sure if they could actually control the speed at which they fed it.

"So were you like this at home then? The nice, proper facade in public, and pointing out things about people that are generally kept a secret and insults in private? Because I think I might've been right about you being.. unpopular."

[hellojon]

Elias doesn't say anything. Instead, attempting to push through the despair overcoming him, he tries to just outright shove Raine away from him. He can feel their hand on him. He knows vaguely where they are and he wants them away from him as quickly as possible.

[rainestorms]

Raine is caught off guard by the attempted shove away from them, but they're quick to react. They grab ahold of his wrist, and twist his arm behind himself in a manoeuvre Eda had shown them. They're a little impressed at themself, honestly, but it's overshadowed by the threat of not finishing getting back to normal.

"Sorry, Elias," They sound a little more desperate. "I can't let you go just yet. I'd really like to, trust me. Here-"

They pull him, both to keep him off balance but also to move out of the more public hallway.

"I'll even help you find a bathroom."

[hellojon]

"If you really want me to trust you, then let go," he hisses, through the fog that threatens to overtake his mind, drown him in his regrets.

He's going to die. He saw it, he's going to die and he's going to die alone. Give it ten years and no one will remember his name.

He's off balance though, and stumbles after Raine, grumbling all the while.

[rainestorms]

"I really wish I could." There was almost a laugh in Raine's voice as they dragged Elias alongside them. "But I can't. As soon as it is finished I can but it's.."

They sigh.

"The medallion's not making this quick."

Luckily for Raine, there's a bathroom not too far around the corner.

"If you're not going to try and shove me again, we're at a bathroom. I can lead you inside."

[hellojon]

"In case you haven't noticed already, I can't see," Elias snarls, as he's dragged along. "What medallion are you talking about in the first place?"

He doesn't try to shove Raine. But really, nothing about this situation says that they can be trusted. So instead, he tries to yank away from Raine, tries to pull himself away.

[rainestorms]

Raine lets Elias go, but doesn't do much to prevent him from falling on his ass from the force of them giving him what he wanted.

"Oh, I didn't forget," Best to deflect away from the medallion. "We are in front of a bathroom, though. I could just leave you out here if you want me to, but I am going to wash my hands."

Raine was still on a mission though, and rather than wait for an answer they pushed the door open, and walked inside. They tried to make their footsteps sound as unhurried as possible as they turned on the sink.

Instead of washing their hands however, Raine moved to the middle stall, lighter on their feet. They grimaced as they looked over the toilet, but climbed onto it anyways. It might be an unpleasant footstool, but time was limited. Raine wasn't as agile as they used to be when they were younger, but luckily the stall was small enough to where they could balance themself using the sides.

Raine lifted up the ceiling tile, enough to hide the medallion, and then set the tile back down. They climbed back off the toilet, as gracefully as possible. They let themself catch their balance, calmly walked to the sink, and began to wash their hands.