riverview | Video - Did someone say something about bacon?

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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 ]

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Hey.

[ Anderson is much more relaxed today than she was when she'd spoken to him last, and furthermore is more natural over voice or video than texting. She's still in her Judge's armor, so Will gets to see her looking every bit the part as she says, ]

Will, right? [ She recognizes the username. ] If you want armed backup, I can do it.

I believe I introduced myself as such.

[ Sometimes he could get sassy. It wasn't meant to be rude or arrogant, if anything the wry humor is directed back towards himself. Sometimes he was shit at giving his name.

Looking at the video, her face doesn't immediately resonate with him but a quick glance at the User name brings it back.

Hrrm.

On the one hand, it's a natural yes, given the majority of their conversation. However, there is that small issue of psychic. Rapidly he weighed his options before determining that a refusal would height suspicion and simply delay the inevitable. ]

Hello, Anderson. The hope is that we won't have a violent encounter but yes, I believe it would be wise to be prepared. I would appreciate your assistance.

[ If nothing else, she's just as level-headed as she'd seemed over text. She isn't rushed or impatient at his quip or as he thinks, sitting comfortably, remembering his issue with her abilities and assuming that's what's stalling him.

Anderson wouldn't have been surprised or too exasperated if that had held him back, but his agreement makes her smile, a subtle, small twitch of her lips, an opening of her expression. ]

Thanks. [ She can't help teasing him, ] I'm not bad at stealth, either. [ She wouldn't say she's great at picking up on animal minds-- not enough practice-- but in general it's a useful skill for avoiding things that can think. Scanning constantly isn't practical, since she'd be too distracted by it, but occasional 'pulses' are doable. ]

You planning on having a full briefing?

[ 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. ]

( Damian Wayne was probably not the person Will Graham had pictured when they first spoke before - a young teen, serious green eyes, and a neutral expression that seems a bit too mature for his age. Any seriousness or professionalism he might have wanted to maintain is likely ruined by the fact that he's wearing a shirt that's a few sizes too big (thanks, Richard).

Regardless, Damian wasted no time getting straight to the point. )

I'm trained in combat and avoidance, Graham. I'll go with you.

( He's not asking if he's allowed to go, rather he's telling Will he's going. )

[ 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. ]

[ Will didn't even try to cover the way his eyebrows lifted when Damian spoke. He had no real room to speak about over-sized shirts, given his own pint size, though the young man's age did cause concern.

Not as much as when they had been text snarking at one another, because there was a serious (the idea of an 'old soul') in those bright green eyes. Enough so to hold Will's tongue when he might have otherwise said 'Hell.No'.

After all, the mission was meant to be more covert and stealth, than any actual fighting. ]

Very well. Though I expect that means we're now up to requiring a full briefing. You're in charge of bringing the donuts.

[ Was he kidding? Hard to tell. ]

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.

( Damian was prepared to argue why he should be allowed to partake in the mission. After all, he was the son of Batman, the former heir to the League of Assassins. If he anyone was equip to handle a mission like this, he was sure he fit the bill.

He nodded at the response, lifting his chin a bit when there was no argument. )

Fine. Who else have you recruited for this? ( He took a moment to consider what other questions he should ask here before he paused, realizing there was an important bit of information they hadn't quite shared. Or well, that he hadn't. )

I'm Damian Wayne. ( al Ghul, but that wasn't important. )

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. ]

[ Having already offered his name, Will merely nodded to show he had heard Damian when the young man had supplied his own. ]

At the moment, it's just yourself, a woman named Cassandra Anderson and me. [ He offered without much concern.

Not a large team, it was true but there might yet be some stragglers. If not, then he expected they'd still make do. ]

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)

Peter Hale. [ He gives the camera a languid little wave. ] I think we might be roommates— I could have sworn I saw the back of your head leaving the floor earlier.

[ But Will looked like he was in a rush, and Peter hadn't been in a particularly chatty mood. ]

I have some experience with [ Here, he pauses for a split second. ] strange creatures, and combat experience as well. But I'd prefer not to get into a spat with alien hogs, if it's all the same to you. That aside, I'm willing to join your expedition.

[ 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?

[ Will blinked and then peered at the screen to try and see if he could place the face.

He really needed to start looking at the people he was sharing space with, or else encounters like this were going to be a regular embarrassment. Reaching up to brush his fingers through the tell tale hair, he gave a small nod. ]

Sorry, I'm not used to living with other people. It's about all I can do to remember to keep the wet towels off the floor. [ Among other bad, nocturnal habits.

Not important at the moment. ]

I'd appreciate another [ he paused to choose his words ] creature savvy expertise on this, and I agree about not getting into a spat with the local monsters. However, I can't promise they'll feel the same way.

Especially if we appear to be encroaching on their territory, or worse; stumble across their young.

[ Peter's fresh to Riverview, just starting to settle in and get a feel for the surroundings. What better way than to kick that off with a survey of the nearby territory? (And if pressed, he'd admit he's curious to see what the hell alien-hogs look like.) It never hurt to be familiar with the less explored areas.

He shrugs. ] No harm done. I only just arrived, at any rate.

[ Will's the first of the lot he's shown his face to, but Peter isn't a fan of living with others. A move in the near future's a high possibility. For this specific instance, bringing it up seemed like a good springboard for a conversation with an otherwise stranger. ]

I understand the risk. Have you done a lot of observation on the monsters in the area?

[ To be fair, Will was already contemplating his own move to somewhere more quiet. Though so far the majority of his 'roommates' seemed to be keeping to themselves, which he appreciated.

Still. It was good to meet a few folks at least. ]

In the short time I've been here, I've observed what I could. [ He explained. ] I have something of a ... natural affinity for monsters.

When I was discussing my job options, there was discussion of becoming something of a monster advisor for the Guard and the police. Figure it could be worthwhile to develop an understanding of what's out there.

A natural affinity for monsters.

[ Repeated back at Will with raised eyebrows, and no little amount of curiosity. Monsters of the fairy tale variety, or the human kind? Murderers and the like. What does having a natural affinity for either of those mean, anyway? An understanding of them? A sense of kinship?

Or maybe Will Graham's just good at wrangling them. Well, that's something left to explore later. ]

If the monsters are prone to hostility, I can see why that'd be a viable position. [ A thin smile. ] Monsters are interesting. You get all sorts.

Do you have any notes on the alien hogs? I'd like to know what to expect.

( Three was more than enough for a mission, as far as Damian was concerned. )

What can she do?

( If he was going to work with her, he wanted to know what she was capable of doing. He'd learn some about Graham already, but he planned to learn more once he got an idea of who this woman might be. )

You should probably ask her that yourself. [ Will suggested, looking as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. ] I believe she would be in the best position to discuss her resume with you.

[ No way was he wading into the middle of those two. Make some popcorn and watch? Oh hell yes!

Sometimes he could be a brat in return. ]

[ Had Peter asked any of those questions aloud, Will's answer would have been a resounding "yes".

As in 'yes' to all of it.

However, while the statement seemed to house questions in the way it was termed, Will decided that since there wasn't any one inquiry -and the subject was difficult to begin with- he was going to ignore the unspoken curiosity and just continue. ]

You do get all sorts. I've been investigating the library when and as I could, starting a bit of an inventory. That's part of why I would like to make the most of this opportunity if we can.

I have some notes from the original expedition team. I was thinking I'd share them when we have the team defined and come together for a briefing before we go out.

[ 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.

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Video - Did someone say something about bacon?

video! assuming TDM is canon

So assumed!

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video! don't mind him, inviting himself

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Damian .... /o

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B| self-proclaimed mission leader has arrived

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Damian ... don't be rude

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video.

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it's genetic, he can't help it

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