hadriel | 004 [Video]

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004 [Video]

[Lance is broadcasting from his kitchen, although aside from the backdrop being pretty universal among apartments it's otherwise difficult to pick out anything distinguishing about the room; he doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so it hasn't been too customized yet. But that suits his purposes well, since it doesn't reveal much and isn't too distracting.

He might look a bit tired, but still bright-eyed and welcoming as he addresses the camera.]

Hello, everyone, and especially all the people who are new; I know this is probably still all really strange.

[He'd been new not all that long ago, after all, and despite having been here a few months now it's still strange.]

I wanted to take the opportunity, both because of new arrivals and because of what happened at the end of last month, to remind everyone that the Clinic isn't just for physical injuries and illnesses. Although I'm not always at the Clinic, I'm a psychologist and if anyone wants to talk you can always contact me through a direct message to set up a time to meet.

[And, like last time--two months ago, it's hard to believe--he decides it's worthwhile to explain what exactly he means, for people whose world's don't have counseling.]

For those of you unfamiliar with what a psychologist does, it's basically our job to listen to and help with any problems someone might be having mentally or emotionally. Sometimes just one session of talking is enough to help, and sometimes it takes more regular meetings, but it's always up to the individual whether they want to continue with counseling. Additionally, anything you say during a session is confidential.

[Because that's pretty important to mention. And okay, main announcement now out of the way, he has a few individual messages to send.]

[Private to Brennan and Zack]

How are you both doing?

[There are some specific things he wants to go over with them both, but first he has to check up on them.]

[Private to Henry]

[He's a little nervous about messaging Henry, but hopefully it'll prove worthwhile.]

Hello, Henry. I was hoping we could speak.

[Preferably in person, since it's easier to read people that way, but he'll discuss that part after--if--Henry agrees to talk to him at all.]

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[Henry is not best pleased with Lance — as of current he thinks Lance says much and follows through on little. It's merely vexation though, unlike Maketh's hatred. Recent events haven't left him in the greatest of moods, so when he responds likewise using video, there is a terseness in his expression and voice.]

Were you. [But a beat later, he says:] Very well.

[Alright, well, definitely a better response than he could've gotten. But Lance changes his mind on deciding to try to meet him in person; it's probably better not to push it.]

The last time we spoke didn't... Go so well.

[A little bit of an understatement, but whatever.]

And with coordination between the Clinic and the Guard being important for both organizations, I wanted to try easing any tensions that might exist, as much as possible.

[Especially since his attempt to do the same with Maketh didn't go over so well, so if he can deal with Henry then it avoids having to put any individual members of the Guard in any awkward position of having to act as a go-between. Plus, as much as Lance doesn't trust Henry, he does think he's reasonable and it'll be much easier to just coordinate with him directly anyway.]

[Henry scoffs at that first comment, then dips his head.]

Of course.

[He speaks without hesitation, serious and earnest.]

Whatever you may think of us, we wish but to safeguard those trapped in this city. To that end, we are the same. I have and will continue to pursue our alliance.

[And history is proof of that: when Sharon, Kate and Bianca brought Silent Hill into the city, he oversaw that guardsmen helped to bring supplies to the healers in the temples and escorted those healers who went out into danger. He specifically asked Bruce and Kate to teach guardsmen basic field aid and how to safely move casualties. Alongside Bruce and Kate, he set up the old arrangement the guard and clinic had for new arrivals. On more than one occasion when the city was overrun with zombies and monsters, he made sure orders included defending the clinic, and fought to do so himself.

Of the guard's leadership, it was he who pushed for their organisations to work together. He wants them to be able to.

Not that Lance knows any of that.

Direct as ever, Henry asks:]

What offering do you seek?

[He immediately assumes that Lance is looking for some concession from the Guard to make peace. If that is what it must take, he will see it done.]

Edited (what are coherent sentences) 2017-07-13 11:40 (UTC)

[He can tell how serious Henry is, and this hasn't devolved into insults or anything, so it's already going pretty well all things considered. Lance nods at Henry's response--he can tell he means what he says--but then furrows his eyebrows a little at the last question. Offering? Maybe there's a miscommunication due to difference in times they come from.]

My goal for contacting you was mostly just to make sure there wasn't any sort of lingering animosity, or anything like that. Ignoring a conflict instead of addressing it just leaves it to be a problem later on, and I'm sure we both have enough to worry about already.

[So really, he just wants to acknowledge they can work together when they need to without any sort of lingering bitterness coming up. He still has problems with what he's seen about how things are handled in the Guard, but he can disagree with Henry's methods personally while maintaining professional courtesy.]

[For a moment Henry is puzzled.]

Animosity.

[He echoes, then pushes a hand through his hair.]

I am an honest man, I would that others were honest with me in turn. No longer say to me what you do not mean and I will have no further issue with you.

[Lance is equally puzzled right back; although he's glad to hear Henry doesn't seem to be holding a grudge, he's still... Confused.]

I don't typically say what I don't mean.

[The caveat is there because he will manipulate on occasion, but he doesn't remember doing anything purposefully deceptive during the meeting.]

[Henry gives a Lance an incredulous look, faintly frowning.]

You said that you would tell me if I might help matters between you and Maketh once you spoke with her and made your decision. That was over a month ago. You came to me with a plan you that had no intention of enacting and agreed to a meeting when you wished not to work with us. What was your purpose? To spy upon and adjudge us? To further argue with Maketh? You said that you would join us when the newcomers arrived and provide a report after, and lacked the courtesy to inform me that you changed your mind.

[Wow, okay, that's quite a list, and for a moment Lance is torn between surprise and an immediate sense of defensiveness mixed with underlying nerves; he has to very firmly remind himself to take a moment and think instead of reacting. Henry has valid complaints, and Lance started this conversation to begin with, so he shouldn't overreact.

So there's silence for a few moments as Lance decides how to respond while making sure he can keep his--at this time, unhelpful--emotional reaction in check. When he finally does respond, his tone is even but slightly cautious.]

I didn't follow up with you on the issues of Maketh or new arrivals day because I didn't think it was wise, after the meeting.

[He's being honest, even though he'd rather not be having to explain this for multiple reasons.]

As for the meeting itself, I did intend to work with you if possible; I only brought the idea up to you in the first place because I thought it was the right thing to do and you might want to be involved. But Maketh made it very clear that anything that went wrong was my problem alone, and so it seemed like willful naivete to continue planning what to do in the case of emergency if I'd already been directly told no one was going to assist me.

[And he's pretty sure it would've been a huge mistake to rely on the idea of people ignoring Maketh's opinion, considering she's one of the Guard leaders and clearly close with Henry. At the very least it would've put Nick and Henry in the position of having to choose whether to respect her wishes or not, and Lance was not at all about to take the chance on that working out in his favor.]

You and Nick had already said you didn't want any sort of official Guard involvement anyway, so it seemed like the best plan for all of us if I just handled it alone. As it turns out, Sato convinced some of the gods to give him what he wanted anyway, so we'll see how long it entertains him.

[At least that issue resolved itself. But all of that said, Lance takes a deep breath and continues with--]

But I should've explained all of this earlier, instead of just saying nothing on this issue or the others you mentioned, and I'm sorry for that.

[He doesn't think the actual choices were wrong, but he does wish now that he handled it differently; even though he doesn't trust Henry, he didn't mean to be disrespectful either.]

[Henry's frown remains as he listens, but eventually he nods.]

I accept your apology.

[He touches his knuckles to his mouth, then shakes his head.]

'Twas my mistake not to ask Maketh of your relationship before going ahead with the meeting. Had I known it so poor I would not have done so. I but saw a chance to— [He abruptly cuts himself off.] Well, that is not your affair. But let us not repeat our folly.

[He nods a little as well at that response, quietly relieved; he really doesn't have any desire to be in conflict with Henry, and it's also nice to be able to actually resolve something for once.

Lance shakes his head a little at the comment about Maketh, because that really wasn't Henry's fault, although he is curious about what Henry was going to say.]

I wasn't aware she was so angry with me either.

[He'd been more than a little surprised by how hostile she'd been at the meeting, and his surprise combined with nerves and other issues at the time meant he didn't necessarily react as professionally as he should've.

But he's glad to move on and try not to make the same mistakes again.]

Right. I think there are a few of us from the Clinic who are planning to or have gone into the arena, and although as far as I know those that are can all handle themselves it's still probably best to coordinate with the Guard on that. Would you still prefer individual people let you know if they're going, or just to be generally aware of it?

I would prefer that individuals informed us, so we may know them on sight.

[And while Lance doesn't ask for it, Henry feels that it's necessary to make it clear that the Guard aren't being territorial and ensure their intentions cannot be misconstrued.]

Understand that it is not a question of skill, but of value. As a community we can least afford to lose the clinic staff. Therefore if guardsmen are aware of you, henceforth we may keep an eye on you and assist you should the need arise. In the most perilous of situations, we will be in a position to cover your escape.

Alright. I can't exactly tell anyone what to do, but I'll let them know it'll be easier for everyone involved if they speak with you.

[He appreciates the further explanation Henry gives--this is actually something he's had a bit of a problem with--and nods, although he doesn't look completely convinced; it's not that he doesn't believe Henry, his opinion just differs a little on the issue of certain people being more valuable than others.

Still, he can see the point, and it's not a battle worth fighting especially since if he's speaking as an FBI agent instead of a psychologist he'd probably say the same thing. And, actually, that might be an important thing to mention; he'd been kind of hiding it before, but has decided not to any longer and it'd be good faith to tell Henry anyway.]

I was law enforcement, back home, as well as being a psychologist. So I understand the sentiment, although I'd prefer personally if the Guard's efforts were more focused on anyone else from the Clinic that might come into the arena and need help.

[He's not interested in putting anyone in danger to protect him, and in fact would much rather being doing the opposite if not avoiding anyone ending up in a bad situation to begin with.]

I shall keep that in mind. Yet it will not make too great a demand on us. One begins to suspect that you are intent upon letting no one support you.

[Given how Lance shot down all their proposals of backing him up in the meeting, and now this. Henry cocks his head.]

Have you aught to prove?

[Um, excuse you Henry, he's the psychologist here and the only one allowed to make those sorts of observations. He wishes.

As it is he's caught off guard a moment and it shows, and he quickly has to decide just how honest--or, more accurately, how forthcoming--he's going to be in his answer.]

It isn't that.

[At least about the refusing to let anyone support him. He usually does feel like he has something to prove, but he'll just... Not address that part at all.]

I work with a team at home. I've just also seen what happens when you rely on the wrong people, and I've only been here a few months.

[He says it with a small shrug, forced casual, but it's truthful; he'd rather go into something without help than find out too late he's counted on something or someone that won't come through, and he hasn't been here long enough to get a good sense of who's reliable and who isn't.]

[The truth is that Henry likes Lance better for that small break in composure, something other than a passively amiable veneer.

Even if it's not flattering to the Guard, he much prefers the honesty in the response than Lance's past pacifying.]

That is your prerogative. [He acknowledges.] Fine.

[Not that he won't encourage intervention if it looks in danger of becoming fatal, but in all other cases he'll spread the word for guardsmen to leave Lance be.]

[Lance is definitely picking up on that just talking to Henry is the way to go about things; he still feels like he's taking a risk by not carefully controlling the conversation and withholding as much information as possible, but maybe it's just not necessary. It's also a lot less stressful on Lance if he doesn't have to keep up the distantly professional countenance, so he's more than happy not to do so if he doesn't have to.

When Henry agrees, Lance nods and manages a small smile as well. But he feels he should clarify something--]

Thank you. It isn't anything personal against you or other individuals of the Guard, except for...

[Well. He thinks it's clear he specifically and personally doesn't trust Maketh, and with reason. But he's only making the comment so as to be accurate, not to insult Maketh, and moves on.]

And... Thank you for speaking with me about all of this. I appreciate it.

[He means that; this is one less thing he needs to worry about, and it makes the idea of coordinating with the Guard in the future a lot less stressful.]

[Maketh, of course. But if he'd once hoped to change Lance's mind about her, he certainly knows that battle is lost now.]

Trust is earned. So too is mistrust. I understand.

[So he merely dips his head graciously, then says:]

Be not afeared of approaching me.

[It's better to know exactly where they stand. Especially if there is an issue.]

[He would still be willing to listen--and he thinks there's still potential for Maketh to change which parts of herself she wants to act on--but for now he's made the decision to step back as much as possible. It's best for both of them with how things are currently.

But he's very relieved that Henry seems to understand, and nods in agreement.]

I won't.

[He'll extend that much trust, at least; he's pretty convinced at this point that Henry isn't someone he needs to be too careful with what he says to, at least in terms of expressing opinions or discussing problems. That's another relief.]

And I won't take up any more of your time, unless you had anything else you wanted to address yourself.

[Might as well do so now, if so.]

No.

[Henry answers with a touch of wryness; he's said plenty already. And since that is the case, he'll end it here.]

Farewell.

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004 [Video]

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