apocalypsehowcomm | Event

Entry tags:

Event - Dogged

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So she was going to be hard to sell to. Fine. Becoming a coven head wasn't easy, either.

"I'm asking you to put me in a position where I can help you and the others. More than I can now."

They grimaced, and crossed their arms.

"I'm. Not Reyes. And I know that they weren't just demoted for being an off-worlder, Nia. I understand they're well liked here but there are.. things surrounding them that we don't quite have the full picture of. Recent things, too."

Raine shook their head. They were getting off topic.

"That's not my point, though. I'm aware you barely know me but since I've been here, I've made connections with people like Rue and Caitlyn, people I know are well liked and trusted by the ADI. I've also made connections with people that aren't... as in good standing with the ADI. I can bridge both of those gaps, and I can use my connections to fill and gain the trust in who I don't know."

They stood a little straighter. Raine wasn't trying to be imposing, but they did want to seem strong.

"Realistically I can't have everybody like me, but I could build a team. If I involve others, they'll be less likely to see this as something untrustworthy. I'm not just an off-worlder working for you if I'm part of something tangible. And, I already have people I can bring on- Eda was right about Zyrian and the others weren't unaware that she was looking. I am more than confident that she's trustworthy.

"Back home I worked in a system that aimed to harm witches against that harm. I built a team of my own from people I found I could trust. I took risks that could've killed me, or worse. I'm qualified to see this through."

To her credit, Nia pays attention to what Raine is saying. She offers them her full attention through their speech, but by the end of it, she's shaking her head minutely. "Raine, I don't currently have the authority to put you in any position, let alone a diplomatic one. I don't know if I'm going to be head of this operation next month. I don't know if this operation is going to exist next month.

"I know Rae's planning to leave. Plenty of others, too. Neil might pull most people his way. He's a good man, and he's not tainted like I am now. You want my support, fine, maybe. Once the dust settles and we see what people are staying and how everyone's agreeing to move forward. Right now, we're all just trying to stop the bleeding here from the wounds Zyrian just ripped open. That's got to be my first priority."

((ooc: upfront, the mods will not be assigning specific authority roles to PCs, but once decisions are made about the general path characters want to take (keep ADI/dissolve ADI/keep more structures/less structure), there will be opportunities for characters to simply take that leadership role for the remainder of the story and ICly play things out.))

"Fair enough."

Raine crossed their arms. Maybe was better than no, and Raine hesitated to push their luck any further.

"My priority is definitely on the mess Zyrian left behind, but I'm worried about how the destabilisation is going to be taken advantage of by.."

Raine paused. They didn't want to go on an entire speech again, so it was better to just be straightforward.

"I have a question. Have you met someone- an off-worlder named Elias?"

(Noted! I'm just doin Raine Things rn :) )

Nia's expression darkens. "Oculus. Yeah. He came and talked to me. Tried to manipulate me, more like. Smarmy bastard. Probably rich back home, if I have my guess."

"Oculus.. Right." They grimaced.

He was part of the Eye, wasn't he?

"He decided to take interest in me the other day. He was interested in everybody, actually. He was walking around with a clip board of names, supposedly for administration. But he already knew who I was. And Eda. Much more than anybody should know who just arrived. He's.. annoying. And unsettling."

"Yeah." There's a pause. "I told him I'm taking one of his eyes out if he can't keep 'em to himself. Let me know if I need to make good on that threat sooner than later. He's in deep with his lot. Trying to tell me to embrace the Hunt. I'll use him for now. His type are good for information, and we need it, but like hell would I ever trust him. Whether I stay on as head or not, he's on my list to watch and take out when he's outlived his usefulness."

There's something about the way she says it, an edge of vicious excitement that she can't wholly tamp down on.

"I'm afraid he might already be putting them where they don't belong." Raine began, but paused.

Raine did not like Elias- that was an immutable fact. But they narrow their eyes at Nia. The viciousness in how Nia spoke of taking Elias out wasn't lost on them, and they hesitated to encourage any talks of putting down Elias.

"Just make sure you aren't embracing it already more than you realise, Nia."

"I-" She purses her lip. "I'll admit, I've got a general bone to pick with his type after that Eye cult tried to set up in our backyard. And Oculus isn't a particularly powerful organization anymore, but they're the sort that's cropped up over and over again through the years ADI's been around. I'm not... going to go after him until he's actively a problem. And he's low on my priority list of problems."

"Have you looked into Oculus at all since they last showed up?"

Raine was going to say more, but was distracted by Nia's return to Elias.

"That's.. fine. And understandable. But-"

They cross their arms.

"Don't let Zyrian be right about you, Nia."

Nia curls her fingers into fists, jaw clenching for a moment in frustration. "I won't." She relaxes again. "Certainly don't wanna let him be. Last time we looked at Oculus was... around the time we were dealing with the Eye cult. They seemed to be some of the dregs of it. But there are pockets all over the place every now and again."

"If you think they're worth looking in to when things have settled down, let me know," Raine looked back out to the hallway for a moment.

"When the time comes, though, I'm going to stand by you if you really are dedicated to fixing things. Or.. at least trying to. And I don't think you deserve to be killed, or- or imprisoned for being an Avatar. Even if it means extra checks and balances. You didn't- you didn't choose it any more than any off-worlders chose to be brought here. It's.. Just how these things turn out sometime."

Her expression becomes harder to read for a moment. Something mixed between regret and resignation. "I don't want this, Raine, but I can't say I didn't choose it, that I'm not choosing it now." She makes a small gesture to herself. "If I wasn't, I'd do what Winter suggested and just... stop. Step away. Starve myself. But I... it feels wrong to do that. To let everything collapse and apocalypses go on without trying to fight them. I want to think that's me and not the Hunt, though.

"I'm going to try to fix things. I think I'm going to be relying on different people to check me and anyone else using these kinds of abilities in the fight. But I'll try. And I got an expiration date for that effort so I don't go past the point of... well. So I don't become another Hickey or Deepthi or any of the other avatars we've faced.

"I'll let you know about Oculus, it doesn't... it doesn't feel important right now. But that just might be priorities come in. After this is all sorted. After Zyrian's stopped. I can check again if I'm still around."

"Did you? You sought out the Hunt? You wanted it to turn you into an Avatar?" They pointed at her. "Most of the people I have had the displeasure of hearing about embrace the power. It wouldn't be unfair to say Hickey did."

They lower their hand, and crossed their arms.

"I may not understand fully the way that the.. magic. Works here, but I know that there are.. some rules to it. These things, they pull people in, indiscriminately. And they want us to give in- whether being afraid, or by giving into what they want us to do to make others afraid."

"Back at home I was in a.. similar position. Sort of. Being a Coven Head afforded me a lot of power. I could've used it as a means to.. hurt people, control them like the other Coven Heads controlled other witches. Controlled each other. Tried to control me. But didn't do it because it was wrong. But I had to consciously make that choice. Every day.

"You have a choice, too. To give in, or to not. It's not going to be easy. You might choose not to and still fail. But it's still your choice to try."

She offers a curt nod. "It is. And right now, I feel like can still make the right choices. But the minute I can't... I need people who aren't so touched as me to do something to stop me. People like Neil, Rae, and Winter. Maybe even Malcolm if he can pick up a gun and actually do it. The others who aren't gonna like me being here, staying with the fight. The ones who'll never trust me.

"Can't say I'll ever blame them for that, either. But for right now, we've got one problem in front of us. I mean to deal with that. If you've said your piece in full?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event - Dogged

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject