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Post by Spinister on Jun 15, 2010 20:29:05 GMT -5
Singe finally downs some of his food, and he nearly chokes on what he's eating when Kup gives him that new name. He lets some tears streak down his face, putting on Game Face #47: My Girlfriend Just Died, Won't You Console Me?
It's close enough to grieving, right?
Spinister glares a glare of death at the wireless clock radio, which is clearly sinister. Probably recording them, even now! And loaded with C4!
Soundlessly, he picks up the paper and and pencil, which are probably also evil, and he holds up the top sheet to the light, to see if he can see what was written on it in those faint indentations that paper gets.
Then, Spinister writes, in a neat hand more like a font than anything else, Blink once for yes and twice for no. Should I move you? He holds it down for K'ire to see.
She might not know, either, if she's safe to be moved, but she should have a better idea than he does!
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Post by SceneMod on Jun 17, 2010 10:21:26 GMT -5
Temple of Shards
"Hmph. That doesn't sound good at all, Teaspoon. Was she the pretty sort, or especially skilled? There's...been a rash of that kind of thing lately." She reaches out to try and pat Singe on the arm.
Sawain frowns, "It's why we try so hard to get ta know our brood, to try and keep watch on 'em. Powers that be think that people are an expendable commodity, but we don't."
She leans back in her chair.
"The Temple...has some investigative services. If ye were willin' to help out in one of the branches for exchange, they might be able to find her. But ye be recent, and ye don't even know us yet, so I can understand not bein' willin'."
Angels of Entropy
Spinister can make out the indention of something on the paper, but he won't be able to really pick it out unless he does a lift.
The clock radio continues to look unassuming!
K'ire's eyes widen bit when she sees what Spinister has written, and for a moment there's hope shining in them. She blinks once...then her face falls and she looks away. He's only given her two options for replying, but the answer is so much more complicated.
Finally, she looks back at him and closes her eyes. Once. Twice.
She wants him to move her, but he shouldn't. And it has nothing to with her condition.
Another few seconds and she tries to use her finger to trace out something on her sheet. It's slow going, her hand is shaky, and she has to stop often.
J-I...L...L-Y....?
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Post by Kup on Jun 17, 2010 14:16:19 GMT -5
Kup doesn't know what sort of skills have been going missing, so he goes with the safer choice. He smiles sadly and nods her head. "Ket? Yeah, she's a lovely little thing. 'Course, I'm kinda biased, but I don't seem to be the only one what thinks so." He frowns. "Normally I keep a watch for the wrong sort givin' her the eye, but... seems I really fell down on the job this one."
He lifts his right hand to both support his head and cover his face, as though lost to grief for a moment, but he looks up, letting himself look hopeful at Sawain's last words. "I... Look." He lowers his hand. "I've gotta admit, I'm... I'm kinda wary. But... but I really don't know where else t'go, and I'll do anything t'get her back. What... what would I need to do?"
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Post by Spinister on Jun 17, 2010 14:39:43 GMT -5
If she's well enough to write things on her sheets, she's well enough to use pencil and paper, that disappointingly does not appear to contain any secret messages. The clock radio is still evil, though.
Spinister writes out, My partner because calling Kup 'that bounty hunter I am assigned to work with but would actually like to murder in his sleep' is a bit complicated is looking for Jill. He sent me to check on you.
He then tries to tuck the paper under her hand and the pencil into her fingers, pulling out a datapad of his own to write replies on, for himself.
Singe smiles weakly as Sawain pats him on the arm. So far, this Sawain seems a decent sort, and maybe she really is. Doesn't mean the church is or that all of it is, though. Could just be propaganda BS, or... he comments to Kup, sounding distressed, though it doesn't quite go with his words, "<I wonder if she's implying anyone in specific about those expendable people.>"
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Post by SceneMod on Jun 17, 2010 22:56:33 GMT -5
Temple of Shards
Sawain smiles a reassuring smile, "Nothing too terrible, lad, just some volunteer work. Though what exactly would depend on which department they need help in, and what the overseeing Father or Mother of that department needs imparticular. Here, fer example, we need a good amount of helpers each day with the line and such."
"If ye want, we can set up an appointment for ye. Might take a few days though," Sawain frowns again, "Been a lot of doings lately in the upper echelons. I don't follow the politics, but things trickle down."
"Sorry, lad. I wish I could help ye more, but all I can do is answer questions for ye, seems like."
Angels of Entropy
K'ire doesn't really take the paper and pad, but it's easily enough slid under her hand. She smiles, just a little, when she sees that someone is looking for Jill. Slowly, laboriously, she writes, Worth it...saving her.
Why...are you bothering...with me? I'm...distraction.
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Post by Kup on Jun 18, 2010 8:52:12 GMT -5
Kup doesn't have to fake the expression of pain and frustration that washes over his face when Sawain says 'a few days.' Damn it all, but the girl doesn't have that long!
Still, it gets his foot in the door and gives him an excuse to be hanging around, so he'll work with it for now. He rubs the back of his head. "Yeah... yeah, I'd appreciate it you can do that. That's an awful long time, though - she's already been missing for a bit, y'know."
When Sawain mentions answering questions, Kup says, "Well, really... one thing I weren't too clear on. This is a mission, right? A church? So... it's great that you guys are into good works and all, but what're you working, if you get my question?"
As he looks down at Singe, he switches to a tone that sounds like the attempt of someone who is, himself, rather upset attempting to calm someone else. Like Singe's tone, it does not match his words. "<Not sure. Around here, it could work pretty well both general and specific. The 'powers that be' here ain't the most benevolent type.>"
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Post by Spinister on Jun 18, 2010 9:22:21 GMT -5
The short of it is that Spinister is bothering with K'ire because Kup told him to, because Kup is lead on this mission and Spinister is, theoretically, being paid to follow along.
But Spinister's not sure there'll be a paycheque for him in the end. Rookies are expendable. He's going to try to avoid ending up dead - there are people who need him - but that badge he has in subspace probably won't be his much longer.
So why is he doing this?
On his datapad, he writes out, Because this is my case, and I'll decide who lives and who dies. I won't be screwed around. Can I pull out that line and carry you? Either take you with me or drop you off with someone safe? Regroup with my partner and continue the search?
Spinister won't be able to take her through the air ducts, he doesn't think, and that will take too long. He's not going to shoot out the window - destruction of property and everyone will notice.
No, he's going to do something else that everyone will notice.
Singe breaks into sobs as Kup tries to 'console' him and sniffles, "<Found the reptile woman, but she says she's just a distraction! Wonders why we're bothering with her!>"
Church politics. Great.
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Post by SceneMod on Jun 19, 2010 10:54:49 GMT -5
Temple of Shards
Sawain nods, "I'll do what a can to hurry it along, but I'm just a volunteer meself. In the meantime, ye don't have to go back to sleepin' on the streets. We have plenty of beds if ye want."
"Obviously, ye don't have to hang here all the time. Just letting ye know that if ye want a hot meal and a safe bed, we have them."
She smiles slightly as Kup shows he's more cagey than most by asking what the Temple's angle is.
"'She will gather unto Her the children of Her tears, and use them to light the Darkness',Canto 28; Line 149, Lament and Ascension," she quotes with enthusiasm and a touch of reverence, but managing to not sound preachy, "Even as our world slides into decay, we hold fast to our belief that the Lady Firebird has not forsaken us. We are all Shards of Her spirit, created from Her tears as she Burned, and it is our duty to protect and kindle the burning flame of life within all. To light the darkness of the lost souls so that they may once more find their way."
"Or, to put it in a more practical way," Sawain grins, "We believe everyone's a part of a larger whole that was shattered, and we all ought to do what we can to foster the light in our fellows instead of lettin' 'em get eaten up by the darkness." Then she frowns. "Or just eaten. Some of those Unicron cults, they do that, ye know. Crazies, they be."
Angels of Entropy
K'ire just stares at Spinister for a few moments, still not quite believing the cop's determination to rescue her. He isn't...he isn't Family, she knows he isn't so why?
The Rookery...but....he...he knows everything that happens, somehow, and those other cops, too, they said... She abruptly stops writing.
I was unconscious for a long time. I don't....I don't know what all...was done or how bad things are. But....I was shot in the leg. It takes several seconds for her to lift her other hand, but she does, slipping the gown off one shoulder and revealing a set of stitches just under her collarbone. Not...here
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Post by Kup on Jun 19, 2010 23:18:09 GMT -5
Kup gives a quick nod as he looks down at Singe. He's tempted to snort in derision, but that wouldn't fit character.
"<Yeah, no kidding she's the distraction. That don't mean she ain't in trouble."
Kup's optics flare at both Sawain's quotes and her description. "Sounds familiar. I've never been the most religious sort m'self. But y'don't have to be religious to have heard the more common, well, catch phrases, I guess you'd say. Light our darkest hour. Til all are one. Seems like some threads just pop up over and over again."
His expression twists into one of disgust at the mention of Unicron. "Naw, that's still eatin' up by the darkness, lass." He shakes his head. "Awful lot of them, too. I'm new to this region... issat common in the area, or just local to Pz-Zazz?"
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Post by Spinister on Jun 20, 2010 22:41:46 GMT -5
Sitting around and 'talking' doesn't suit Spinister well. He vaults from the headboard, landing lightly, too lightly on his feet on the floor. He reaches over to pluck the line from her - if it kills her, he's going to be even more annoyed than he already is. He slips his badge out of subspace and into his hand. Then, taking some mental cues from far away Singe, who knows a bit more about carrying organic women than Spinister does, Spinister tries to gingerly pick K'ire up.
With his freer hand, he tries to open the door.
In the flat, commanding voice he uses for speaking to his own rookies, the one that makes them think he's both emotionless and soulless, Spinister stares at the officer on duty and announces, "This is above your pay grade. You saw nothing here, if you ever want to see anything again."
Singe sniffles, "<Spinister's going to try to move her. Not sure where to take her. There's some 'he' that knows everything that happens and some other cops, and she's got stitches where she wasn't shot. This is a clusterfrag, Kup!>"
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Post by SceneMod on Jun 21, 2010 23:20:10 GMT -5
Temple of Shards
Sawain sighs and sits back in her seat, "Entirely too much so for my tastes. We seem ta attract that lot. The planet, I mean. Not sure why, but they been growin' in power and number for a bit now."
"Used to travel a lot, myself, but I haven't been of Pz-zazz in, oh, Lady....since me last beard cuttin'," she frowns, "Couple decades or so. But you'll find a mix, most places. Some planets that are just his, some that are very much not."
The avian priest who has been directing the food line walks up to the table. He nods politely at Kup and Singe, then turns to Sawain and trills something in a sweet birdsong before heading back to the line.
Sawain's brow furrows as she turns back to Kup, "Huh. Father Loriel says you should check with Mother Theron at the Rookery for information on your lost one once you're done eating. Guess Tommy filled him in whilst we were talkin'. Mama hears most all the runaway talk, so it's possible, I suppose."
Angels of Entropy
K'ire isn't strong enough to stop Spinister even if she truly wanted to, though she does makes some weak and muffled protest that she isn't worth saving. Removing the line doesn't kill her but it does maker her gasp and go limp, and makes the machines monitoring her start to screech out a warning. Spinister won't have too long before there's a flock of nurses heading to check on the patient.
The time on the clock radio now reads 8:42.
This is not the correct time.
It goes backwards one minute.
The cop on guard had long ago fallen asleep in his rocked back chair. Spinister's sudden appearance startles him awake, all four legs hitting the ground with a hard clatter.
"I...wut...wasn't...." he stammers.
Spinster can probably be gone before the cop collects himself enough to manage a coherent sentence.
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Post by Kup on Jun 22, 2010 15:19:54 GMT -5
"<Yeah, I noticed that, too,>" Kup answers Singe. "<Stitches could be from that strip of flesh they pulled offa her, or she could be bugged.>" He pauses, and a scowl almost creeps in before he goes back to the worried, fretting expression he'd been holding for Sawain. "<Or bombed.>"
He allows more hope than he's feeling to glimmer on his face as Sawain says he can talk to 'Mother Theron' now. "I... so soon?" he asks, excitement and relief clear in his voice. He looks down at his meal and smiles sheepishly. "Really, I... I'm thinking I've had about all I can deal with right now, anyway. Especially with, well... knowing that." He looks down at Singe. "<You ready?>"
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Post by Spinister on Jun 22, 2010 16:13:04 GMT -5
Speaking of bombs, Spinister spares one last glance back at the evil clock radio, which is... counting down.
Is the lunatic really going to blow up a whole hospital? Spinister would, if he had a reason to, and he really, really wants out of here, now. Walking past the sleepy cop, confident and quick, he goes for the fire escape. The elevator will take too long, and there might be people on it. He's already set off alarms, anyway.
Spinister wants to say to K'ire, I know you aren't worth it. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm doing this for you, but he doesn't owe her even that much.
What has she done but gotten herself injured and put in the unenviable place of needing to be rescued? If one of Spinister's friends was taken, Spinister would walk across a trail of bodies until he met his friend on the other side, standing on his own pile of corpses, the key to his escape already in his hand. The ones most worthy of rescue are those who need it the least.
Hairsplitter suggests, Maybe that's the time Jill has left.
Spinister would prefer a bomb.
"<Funny you should say that. There's a clock counting backwards from 8:42 in K'ire room. Any bright ideas on where to take her, provided Spinister gets her out? Here seems really bad, not back to her apartment, not to the police, certainly not to the Decepticons,>" Singe murmurs quietly, as if accepting something dourly.
Mother Theron was on K'ire's list , yeah? The possibly faked list.
"<I'm just burning to go.>"
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Post by SceneMod on Jun 23, 2010 16:21:29 GMT -5
Sawain reaches out to try and pat Kup on the arm. "I understand lad. Good luck to ye in your search. I'm on shift most days, same hours, if ye need to speak to a smilin' face. Remember, you're always welcome."
She smiles at the two before rising, ambling over to speak to another pair sitting at a table not too far away.
Angels of Entropy
The fire escape is just down the hall, and Spinister ducks into it about the same time the nurses come around the corner from the opposite station. The cop who was stationed at the door looks completely dumbstruck and out of his element.
There's a sign in the fire escape stairwell that points up and has a symbol for a helipad.
The door to the fire escape was equipped with an alarm, however, there is no audible alarm sounding.
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Post by Kup on Jun 23, 2010 20:39:50 GMT -5
"Thank you," Kup answers Sawain gratefully, head down. As soon as she's gone, however, he scoops up Singe and walks as quickly as he can without drawing attention towards the door.
"<Tell him there's a safehouse at Fifth and Avarice. Brown two story building, room above the store. Drop her there.>" Silver is probably going to be pissed that Kup is giving the address of one of the safehouses to a cop (and a naked cop at that), but Silver can go hang. They need a safe place for the girl.
He moves briskly to the Rookery. He was just told to go there, and his story is urgent - his cover story gives him justification to hurry. "<You want shoulder, or should I just keep carrying you?>" he asks the organic gunformer as he walks. He complies with whichever Singe prefers as he steps into the doors of the Rookery.
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