apocalypsehowcomm | Event

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.

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He's not sure what to make of her tone but agrees. "Yeah, it was nice of him."

He perks up some. They had pancakes at the Noceda house. Apparently, they're a good breakfast (and sometimes dinner) food for a group of hungry teenagers - easy to make in bulk and filling.

He remembers turning her down the first time she offered them - but that was before he found Flapjack alive...well, mostly. His little palisman was much better now.

"Pancakes are good. If it's not too much trouble?"

"No trouble," Eda assures him, which is... probably at least a little strange, too. Normally there'd most likely be at least a touch of performative grumbling, even if she insisted on making sure he ate.

"They're pretty simple. Even if all the ingredients here are a little weird," she adds. Well, weird by Boiling Isles standards. She opens a cupboard to start rummaging through.

He tilts his head. "Are you having a good day?" He knows he tends to be more agreeable when he's having a good day.

He moves to pull out a skillet and a mixing bowl, and then goes on the hunt for syrup. He'll happily eat pancakes without it, but they aren't complete without something sweet to top them. "They probably think our food is weird too."

After a moment of rustling around, Eda sets flour and sugar on the counter, before starting to poke through a higher cabinet in search of baking powder.

"Yeah, they do. They even think it's weird when we cook with stuff from Bumble Gum and that's a human shop," Eda says, amused but evidently still confused.

"And... yeah, I guess I am," she adds. She's not quite sure why Hunter asked, but she supposes she is.

"It's nice having people to feed." That's true, even normally, but... right now it feels extra important that she be able to do things for them.

While she keeps searching for ingredients, Hunter looks around. Is she just grabbing random things or is there a recipe somewhere.

"It's fine if they think it's weird. More for us."

Well...it's good that she's feeling good then.

"Is it?" Cooking was just following instructions and stressing over what you did wrong when it doesn't work. Maybe it's different when you're good at it.

Hunter's first comment gets a snort, because even if she's feeling unusually charitable towards the world, she'd still Eda. She seems just slightly surprised by his next question, though.

"Yeah," she says, with a faint smile. "It is. I mean, it's... nice having you and Raine around." It may not fix anything about how much she misses her own kids, or anyone else, but it is nice.

Eda feels useful when she's taking care of other people. It's just that that particular aspect of her personality is currently dialed up a bit.

Hunter pauses while setting the pan on the stovetop, though he doesn't turn on the heat just yet. "Oh."

The comment draws a brief smile, though he's at a loss for how to feel or respond. The feeling that anyone wants him around is still foreign. He wonders if he'll ever get used to it. (He hopes so. It's a good feeling.)

"It's nice...being around...?" Is he doing this right?

"Good." Phrased a little bit awkwardly or not, Eda's glad to hear it. She knows he hasn't had the best time, both in his life with the Emperor's coven or here, but she hopes moving in here has been good for him.

She'd like to talk to him more about, well, all of that, but she doesn't want to push if he isn't ready to. (Or would that be helping, if talking about it would be good for him?)

"Grab me the eggs from the fridge?" Is all she decides to say, for the moment.

It probably would be helpful to talk about those things. Probably better than his current strategy of keeping it all in and letting it fester until something pops.

"Yes, ma'am." He jumps to the new task, swiftly moving to the fridge and locating the eggs. She didn't specify how many, so he brings the whole container to her.

"Thanks, milk too," she adds, before cracking two eggs into the mixing bowl. The cooking seems second nature, and meanwhile her mind continues to circle how much she wants to do this right.

"If you do ever have... anything you want to talk about, you can, you know?" she settles on.

Event - Dogged

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