capeandcowl2020 | Open Post 002

She was going over some papers while she waited, but one benefit of determining the timing is that she always had the chance to be at full attention when a guest arrived. She poured a cup for Max and passed it to her side of the table, sugar and cream were in the center.

"About as could be expected. Alive, or at least as undead as I was the day before." Lonely, tired, a bit overwhelmed sometimes, but she's not going to say any of that. The thing about pleasantries is they have to be kept pleasant. "And you?"

In general, she preferred coffee, generally black in an attempt to get as much down as possible. But she'd found over time spent working with Kanaya that tea with sugar and a little cream was not only good but could be quite calming, so she stirred in her sugar, listened to Kanaya speak.

"Nothing's really changed." Nothing, she sometimes starts to think, ever will. "Things have been quiet this week. Nygma's still working to become more involved." Choosing to report on the business side of things, because at this point her personal life is never much fun to discuss. "I think Jack Bauer may have come out of hiding."

Even the face of tea has changed in these years. Kanaya no longer puts blood in hers, there simply weren't regular quantities for her to do so with. Her feedings have to be more direct now that she's lost her prescription, it's one of the opportunity she's glad this work has afforded her.

Nygma's one she had never been particularly fond of. Not enough to have any qualms against his being involved, but she'd let Nyx handle that herself. She didn't want any of it. The other name caught her attention. "Do we know where his sympathies fall? He could be an effective ally." Or, as she left unspoken, a frightening enemy. Just like someone else she knows. "Have you heard the rumors of Soldier Blue being sighted?"

"With us. I went and found him a few months ago - he'd been living a quiet life. I believe I managed to convince him he was needed back with us." There's a touch of pride in her eyes at that. It had taken some effort. Jack had been at best reluctant to come into a fight that could so easily compromise his moral stance, but in the end she'd made him see how much he was needed.

And that name in return catches her attention, setting her cup down for a moment. "A whisper a few weeks back, nothing more. I'll admit I was hoping you'd have more."

"Then you've done us all a great service," she said, though there was a certain sobriety in her acknowledgement. More for a bullet evaded than one now resting in their chamber. "He will likely be more familiar with these sort of scenarios. With his experience, we may make some sort of progress."

Thinking of Blue, of course, only made her more somber. His gentleness had been rather inspirational when she was younger, and she almost fears that it could never last in a world like this. Or worse, maybe it had, and the way she's had to change to meet her own circumstances won't measure up. "I've caught flickers at best. Nothing clear or certain, nothing I can zero in on. I may have to disappear for a few days to find somewhere I can properly focus on it."

Nyx had done her part, after all. She'd brought in heavy-hitters of her own. While there's no denying the usefulness Soldier Blue could lend to their cause, Kanaya was already apprehensive about approaching him. She could never force him to join them, and wasn't entirely sure she wanted to give him the burden of such an option. More than anything, she just wanted to see him again, whatever it could mean to the resistance being entirely moot.

"He's quite familiar, and plenty capable. I'd be most concerned as to whether he'd let moral qualms stand in his way, but I think once he's committed." A gesture with her hand that seems to say 'that's that'. It will be interesting to see which way the coin flips in the end - Jack, she rather thinks, is due for either a heroic sacrifice in defense of his morals or he will prove alarmingly good at ignoring them in pursuit of the goal. She doesn't think there will be much of an inbetween ground.

As for Blue, Max didn't remember him very well. Quiet and soft spoken, but she's heard rumors of his power, enough to make her certain he would be good to have on their side. "Let me know if there's some way I can help." For now at least it will have to remain a hypothetical. But perhaps soon.

"Are you set for supplies for now?"

"Which moral qualms would those be, exactly?" There were so many on Earth that simply never existed when she was growing up. She had grown more familiar with them after a while, nine years would do that to anyone, especially when they start carrying a rosary wherever they go, but there was so much that could still fall under that term. Jack had somewhat of a reputation, after all.

"I think I'm the one who should be asking you about supplies, actually." She flipped through a few papers in front of her, then slid a stapled inventory list toward her. "I have a shipment coming in on Thursday. Getting it into the right hands is, of course, everything, so I'll need to know if you need anything off of it. It may be the last for a while, if I'll be out of commission."

Closing the datebook in front of her, she leaned an elbow on the table, cradling her chin. "If all goes well, it shouldn't be longer than a week. If it doesn't, I'll...make sure the proper channels are informed somehow."

"Civilians getting hurt, mostly. In a fight as grey as this, it's bound to happen." Somehow through everything he'd done and everyone he'd tortured or hurt, Jack had maintained some boundaries. But war was never kind to boundaries.

She took the inventory list with interest, started reading it over carefully and thoroughly. "I wouldn't mind getting my C4 stockpile a little higher. Beyond that, the only thing I'm really running low on is medical supplies. Ah. Yes, I'm going to need some of these antibiotics and heavier painkillers, I'm almost out."

She kept reading, but glanced up at that last bit. "How long would you guess it will take?"

"Forgive me if it sounds callous, but I think the civilians themselves are far too grey to be suffered my concerns. Give them a moment to recognize what you are and you'll see how quickly they turn from a civilian to an enemy combatant." And she was right, it did sound callous, but she'd invested so much time and work into maintaining a human disguise, into setting up her systems to be impenetrable. Put more than that, she'd invested fear. Of discovery, of capture, of all the ghastly stories she'd heard of those taken in by their enemy. She didn't even trust the children she was responsible for, or the others working in the orphanage. Spending long periods being someone other than herself has made her very bitter to those she can't be herself around. And she wasn't even the one who looked like Kiefer Sutherland.

"Let me know where the drop off should be, I'll work it into my itinerary and give you a time. As for my absence, well, it will take as long as it takes." But that was a lousy answer, they need her here and she knew it. Taking an indefinite hiatus might as well be letting them all down. "If it's longer than a week, you'll hear from me."

"It sounds callous but true. But he doesn't get it yet." She shrugged, took another sip of her tea. She held little faith in the concept of the separation of a fight into clear divisions. It hadn't worked out well for any of them, and it was better to simply accept it ahead of time.

Her mouth twitched a bit at that, almost into a frown, because she made a point of keeping no one absolutely vital to her but Kanaya's work was rather important in conjunction. "We'll be looking for your return. Hopefully it'll go quickly and smoothly."

She made a small sound of agreement, sorting through some papers. That dependence worried her just the same, despite how good it may have felt to be so important to not only one person, but a whole burgeoning movement. That movement was still more important than her, and letting it collapse because the keystone fell wouldn't be acceptable.

"I've been making arrangements. It's nothing permanent yet, but we need contingencies. Alternate routes to move through if the main tunnel should collapse."

Dependence was an unfortunate side effect of their life style - they were limited in their choices for who they went to, and that meant that anyone who worked in one area more than the others became at least somewhat important. It wasn't even about importance, simply that resources had been allocated in the only way that worked, but it also left them exposed.

"There are a few other options. They're just not as good as you."

"I know, and I apologize." It was still embarrassing to find that small thrill not only in being needed, but to be a resource that others recognized. Some things you just never quite grow out of. But it was countered with the knowledge that she was co-opting those same resources for what were probably selfish reasons, something more out of sentiment than pragmatism. With his signal so erratic, could they really be sure that he'd be in any state to help them?

"I'm afraid there's no other way to do this. We don't know anyone else who can find him that he would already be familiar with."

"No need for apologies. We always figure something out, and hopefully it won't take long." A shrug, the usual resigned one that means 'what can we do?' There's rarely all that much choice involved in how they have to approach any given situation. The variables are set and fixed by their opponents, pushing them into a constant state of reaction. Once they fixed that, she was fairly certain, they'd be able to make a much more significant advance.

"I get it. It's got to get done."

And that was partly why people like Jack Bauer and Soldier Blue were important. They had the power and the resolve they needed to give them the edge to move forward. They've enough people already keeping their defenses in order, now it was time to raise an army.

"And hopefully, once it is, we'll be all the better for it."

Any new resources on their side would be a huge advantage. Anything that could shift the board enough, and Soldier Blue could be that. From what she remembered of how his powers worked it would be a delicate business to make him that advantage they needed, but it was possible. That was all that mattered.

"We'll make it work for us. Is there anything you'll need before you go?"

It was the delicacy that she was most concerned over. That's why she would have to take so much time, and even then there were no promises.

She touched the cross around her neck, looking down somberly. "If you would, just keep me in your prayers."

A glance to the cross, and then she nodded. She didn't pray, herself. Didn't particularly believe in anything at all, when it came down to it, but she knew that it brought others comfort.

"Sure. Of course. You'll do a good job, I'm sure."

Sometimes you lose everything and find God, even when none of it makes sense and you aren't sure how real it's supposed to be. It was part of her cover that began to bleed in, and she wasn't sure how to shut off, or if she wanted to.

She rose from the table and began straightening her papers. "Hopefully, I'll won't disappoint your confidence. In the meantime, I'll see your supplies are delivered without issue, whether I'm here or not. You'll receive the times and locations within a day or two."

Open Post 002

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