riverview | Video - Did someone say something about bacon?

Entry tags:

Video - Did someone say something about bacon?

[ He'd really wanted to make this a text message. But as he'd poured over the information he'd run down, Will had come to the sad conclusion that there was no way anyone would read through all he had to address.

At least he'd have never read through it all. So that left video.

While the device was turned on, camera aimed towards the man in question, Will was looking anywhere but at the camera. Hopefully that didn't come across as too strange. But it probably did.

Good news was he'd managed to replace his glasses! They had roamed slightly down his nose and he had yet to bother pushing them back up on his face. ]

Ah hello.

My name is Will Graham, fairly recent arrival through the portal so I don't know ... most of you. Which probably makes this request even more awkward than it should be.

[ Yep, just a charismatic public speaker, that's him! ]

Uhm anyway. My job currently is with the Perimeter Guard, Surveyor and I've been told they would have my assistance with advising on monsters after a bit. To that end I've discovered there was a recent expedition out to the northeast of the city with an eye towards expanding our agricultural opportunities. That expedition apparently identified an infestation of [ here he lifts a paper and reads off of it, as if he can't bring himself to use his own words for this ] 'giant alien-hogs.'

[ Lowering the paper, he reached up to tug his glasses off his face, rubbing at his eyes. ]

Long story short, I've picked up the request for a second survey of the area to see how we can best secure a safe expansion into it, and what options might be available for best dealing with the native species of alien-hogs and or other monsters in the area.

[ Back on go the glasses and he gives the camera a quick look and small, closed lip smile. ]

I'll cover the affinity for animals/monsters requirement for this little trip but I've been advised that, while the object is to avoid conflict with any monsters, the team should include some Perimeter guards, and or someone with combat or combat avoidance, experience.

As I am new to this place, I figured it would be best to inquire about help over this device. But if there is a corkboard people like to use to put these expeditions together, please feel free to direct me to it. Otherwise ... uhm, I guess ... contact me here.

[ Taking a moment to ensure that he covered everything (yeah, think so) Will gave an awkward little nod and reached to switch his device off transmission and back to receive mode. ]

[ OOC: The mission Will references is this follow-up on fertile ground mission. Right now I am open to any discussion/plotting/planning! Feel free to ICly respond to this post or if you want to talk OOC shoot me a PM

this_ismydesign. Timeline wise, I'd like to kick something off by the 15th of June. :D ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ From the quick, double blink behind his glasses, it might lead one to conclude that the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

It hadn't.

Jack always took care of the briefings, leaving Will to hoover comfortably at the back of the room near the wall, only making brief remarks as necessary. But a briefing like this couldn't be worse than standing in front of his students and talking at them; right?

He looked back down at the paper, anything to avoid eye contact for too long. ]

I suppose, depending upon what sort of response I get to this request. If it ends up just being yourself and I ... [ he tailed off and shrugged. If it were the two of them, they could probably get along well enough without any sort of formal briefing. ]

[ She nods, understanding the rest of the sentence, unsaid. Her own gaze is steady, unwavering, but unpreposessing, too. Will seems vaguely-- not nervous, but nervy, a little jittery. Anderson doesn't know why, but she doesn't mean to press it. ]

If anyone else volunteers, I'd like to get a sense of their capabilities before we leave. [ She's just a professional that way. Anderson takes her protection details extremely seriously. ]

And I try to warn people about what I can do. Although if we're working together, you're all safe for the duration. [ Something of a lie: she will absolutely read teammates and even superiors if she has reason to distrust them specifically, such as the corrupt Judges that had gone after her and Dredd, but generally speaking, she tries not to. And she knows Will's trying to hide something-- what other motive could he have for wanting to avoid her in person?-- but she isn't interested in what it is. She'd just as soon get him to relax about it if she can. ]

How do you feel about snarky teenagers? [ Because Damian just invited himself along for the ride. ] I suppose this means we're up to requiring a mission briefing. I put him in charge of donuts, you've got coffee.

[ Coffee, donuts. This is how you do briefings, right?

As for her latter comment, Will reached up under his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. ]

'Safe'? [ He repeated the word, letting his glasses drop back down on his nose. ] Usually, insisting something or someone is 'safe', is around the time people start to get nervous.

Snarky teenagers? [ A pause. ] I guess I can handle it. And the coffee.

[ Sure, coffee. It'll be a little surreal, but in a pleasant way, rather than a suppressed panic way.

The latter comment provokes a bland look out of her. ] I always consider it safe. I thought you could use the reassurance. [ Anderson doesn't exactly hold it against people if her abilities make them uncomfortable, but an entire lifetime of prejudice and bigotry hasn't left her unaffected, either. She tries to put people at ease, while still standing up for herself. ]

Coffee is key. [ Will agreed. Though he could mentally hear Price and Zeller arguing the superiority of donuts.

The bland look, combined with her ... not explanation but ... defense? Caused Will to reach up and draw his glasses off his face this time. He was purposefully fuzzing out the image on the screen, as he turned the spectacles about in his fingers and picked at some sort of response. ]

Trying to reassure me is probably an exercise in frustration. [ He offered, though his voice was not unkind. ] I am not reassured and there is nothing you can do to reassure me. You have this ability and I have no defense to protect myself against it. You can do as you will, without my consent at any time and the decision to act or not act lays completely in your hands.

I've been ... subject to similar circumstances in the past. It's not ... pleasant.

You posses a frightening level of power over me, Anderson. Over anyone in a position similar to mine. We are subject to the whim of your judgement, at any time and that leaves us vulnerable.

So at this time, you cannot reassure me, as I do not know you well enough to be able to anticipate or protect myself against the abuses you have the power to visit on me.

[ He tapped his glasses in an agitated (nervy was a good word) gesture and then shook them out and placed them back on his face. ] It's best we just focus on this expedition, alright?

[ There we go. She wanted something out in the open like this, thinks it'll go much more smoothly. Anderson has her head tilted slightly as he speaks, listening, compassionate rather than offended. It's her job to have good judgement, to be trustworthy with this ability, something she considers her life calling. But Anderson is still only human and she acknowledges she isn't perfect, that there are limitations-- appreciates the has reason to be mistrustful and afraid.

It takes her a moment to reply, as she processes what she wants to say. She wants to respect his desire not to talk about it, but she also wants to address it first. ]

Alright. I'm sorry that happened to you. [ Soft-voiced, sincere. ] But I want you to know that I take my powers seriously. And my job. And I can't change you, I can only listen. [ The last person she'd mentally tortured had skinned someone alive, not to mention tried to shock her by imagining raping her. That was just the start. It takes someone at Kay's level of despicable for Anderson to do that, and even then it was because he wouldn't cooperate when they needed information; it was purposeful. People like the tech she'd rescued-- that was someone she should've sentenced as an accomplice, but could only see as a victim. She'd let him go. ]

If you need me to back off, just tell me. [ Clearly, she can handle it; this is the point she'd wanted to come to. ] Maybe someday you'll believe me that I'm not reading you. [ Anderson isn't sad about that, or wistful, just matter-of-fact. ]

Edited 2017-06-10 01:06 (UTC)

[ With his eyes cast down, Will knew that what flashed behind them was shielded for the time being.

There was a jerk of his shoulders, a mirthless laugh that was strangled in it's infancy as he finally peeked up and over the rim of his glasses. ]

I'll know when you read my mind. [ He said in a voice that was soft, yet edged sharper than a knife. ] You won't be able to hide it.

[ Common sense said he should take her offer and maintain strict distance between them. However, Will was not known for choices that were good for his own self-preservation. ]

When I have a final count of volunteers I will put together any necessary briefing materials and time for the team to meet, before we go out into a potentially hazardous situation.

Do you have any other suggestions?

[ Big opinion of how bad his mind was, huh? Everyone always thinks what they're experiencing is the worst it's ever been. Anderson has never had that luxury, of fooling herself that she's anything but incredibly fortunate. She sees so much worse every day. It's human nature to be limited in perspective. She's just never been able to be.

It'd have to really be something for her to react from reading someone. She's specifically trained not to, no matter what horror she sees. But Will will have to find that out in his own time, she supposes. She acquiesces to keeping to business for now, diversion done. ]

That should do it. I assume you're taking lead on everything? Sir.

[ Teasing, or serious? Essentially both. She really will call him sir if he's even temporarily her superior. Anderson has no qualms about it-- but there is undeniably some humor in the situation. ]

[ To be fair, most people only had their own minds to work from. In Will's world, at least, the human mind wasn't designed to handle the thoughts, emotions and motivation of other consciousness. He was a prime example of that, as his 'gift' was part of what made his own mental state so precarious most of the time.

At the 'Sir' he visibly flinched and looked aside, shaking his head. ]

I doubt anyone wants that scenario. I'm just following the instructions I was given about reaching out to gather a team and not going on my own.

[ Given his druthers, he'd have skipped the whole 'team' part of this and just skipped out on his own. ]

[ She's not unsympathetic, at all-- frankly Anderson is something of a bleeding heart, and it takes a lot of crossed lines for her to stop feeling compassion for someone. It's not a competition, for her. She's amazed at how good she's had it because it seems like everyone is struggling, everyone is haunted or trapped.

All of this leaves her unrealizing of just how lonely a position it puts her in. Watching others, feeling for them, and no energy spared for herself. It's the only way she knows how to operate.

But speaking of suggestions: ] If it's possible we'll get into a firefight, you'll want a clear chain of command. [ She founds as factual as ever. ] You should pick someone, if it's not you.

[ Reaching up to scratch at the back of his skull, Will gives a small shrug. ]

Honestly you should probably talk with user name d.wayne. He's the other interested party for this team who is offering combat experience. Peter Hale has also contacted me, though I don't know if he'd be looking to take the lead if we get into a mess.

[ Will slowly lowered his hand, looking thoughtful for a moment, before he shook his head. ]

I think the general hope is that we don't get into conflict. I suppose that might be my primary function.

I'm not bad at avoiding conflict either, [ despite appearances, ] but we should have contingency plans no matter what. Everyone doing their own thing is how you get someone killed.

If you know you want to stay out of it, I'll discuss it with them.

Teamwork is not my strong suit. [ Will admitted, reaching up to rub at his eyes. He'd lost count of how many times he'd closed a door in Zeller's face. He'd worked well with Beverly ... up to the point he got her killed.

Yep. No. He quickly yanked his thoughts away from that open sore. ]

Yeah, you guys just ... coordinate what you need to in terms of the 'what if' scenarios and just tell me where you need me to be. I'll focus on the information gathering.

You as a consultant? Alright.

[ It doesn't particularly matter to her if she ends up on lead, either. She'll do it if it's how it shakes out, but Anderson is used to being the rookie and has no ego to speak of. As long as whoever it is doesn't make stupid calls, she has no problem following orders. She's perfectly by-the-book until it runs up against her morals. ]

I'll let you know what we figure out. [ A beat. A little uncertainly, ] You doing alright? In general.

It's the role I'm used too.

[ He explained, and he was ready to ring off, expecting she may want to get to work on touching base with some of the other personalities who had answered his call. Then she asked that question and he caused him to pause for a moment.

He'd made this video with his shirt sleeves carefully rolled down and his cuffs cinched tight to ensure the right one didn't ride up and expose the bandages beneath. He'd like to keep his folly to himself.

Still, he couldn't help smiling. It was an oddly genuine expression, though tinged with something ... dark. ]

In general? Starting to feel just like home.

Back where you hunted monsters? [ Using his word, not hers.

She raises a single, delicate blonde eyebrow. Anderson is just a consummate skeptic; it has nothing on Will's ability to pretend. ] Anything I should know about in an official capacity?

[ Will shook his head in a gentle manner, lips pursing slightly. ]

Something like that. [ He responded, before he quirked a smile and glanced down at the papers he'd been referencing as he answered the second question. ]

Not at all.

[ Uh-huh. ]

If that changes, let me know. You deserve the protection of the law as much as everyone else.

[ She's just guessing that he gets wrapped up in some serious shit based on his job description, and that tinge to his expression a moment ago... Anderson believes seriously in what she does. She's a bit of a squishy idealist. ]

[ He nodded but otherwise considered the subject closed. ]

Let me know how your discussions with the other's go and I'll look for a good time to have a briefing before we head out.

Got it. I'll update you.

[ And not call him sir again, apparently, unless she really feels like being snippy. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Video - Did someone say something about bacon?

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject