hadriel | 014 [Video] /dated to a few hours after Yusuke's anon post

[Lance looks a little over life at the moment, which most of his friends probably recognize as his standard look when not being purposefully professional. He's not bothering with the latter right now, both because he's a bit annoyed and because he thinks it would be pointless, so instead everyone gets normal, slightly bitchy Lance.]

Okay, I wish I could say that I can't believe I have to remind people of this, but vigilante justice is not exactly the best idea here. Not only is it morally wrong to just declare yourself to have the authority to decide who is and isn't deserving of 'justice', but it's logically wrong too; you're just going to cause problems, not solve them.

I'm not saying not to intervene when something's actively happening, but going after someone days or weeks later is just starting the whole process of retaliation all over again. So can everyone just take their egos down a notch and, if they're concerned about someone being an active threat or something, work on coming up with some sort of solution that isn't going to make things worse as soon as it's done?

[This is not the first time he's had to go into this discussion while here--or at home--and so that's why he's being extra short about it. He's also not just talking about the recent incident, it's simply what prompted him to say something this time.]

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[He knows, Lance. He got it from both sides regarding Sato, though he knows the situation with Caedra isn't quite the same. They handle things differently now, and have for some time -- and most of all, it's all on Nick's head now. He's still not sure how he feels about that.]

I've been meaning to put out a call for more volunteers. Guess I could use that opportunity to remind folks that we aren't the cops. That said, not policing what people do while trying to keep them safe all the same is a tightrope I don't recommend walking.

[He knows better than to worry about whether or not Caedra can defend herself; it's the rest of the city he's concerned with, especially those who might get caught in the crossfire if things escalate.]

That's a good idea. We've had a lot of new arrivals since the last time there was any sort of official Guard post, so there might be several people who just aren't aware of it at all or who are, but aren't sure about it.

[The more information the better, generally.]

Yeah. I haven't spoken up since Henry left.

[And by the tone of his voice, he's still processing that. Maybe this old bot just struggles to learn new tricks, maybe he's been put into a position he'd rather not have, or maybe he's just shouldering a lot more than he ought to, but whatever the reason, there are times he wishes things were back to the way they used to be. He kicks himself for thinking like that -- it's better this way, after all. Henry is where he ought to be, Maketh's corruption and all that came from it were snuffed out long ago. It's just him now; the Guard and all they stand for rest on his head, his orders.

It's that kind of leadership that makes him uncomfortable, but he hasn't yet figured out what to do about it. He should probably talk to people, for starters, but what kind of leader is he if he can't hold it together?]

[He definitely hears the tone of voice, and although even Lance can't read everything Nick's thinking just from that little hint, he can take a guess. It's pretty clear that leading isn't exactly Nick's comfort zone, but--]

If it's any consolation, I think a lot more people will be willing to trust the Guard and its purpose with you in charge. There's a reason people went to you even when the others were here, and you may be overthinking what actually goes into leading versus what you were already doing before.

[And he means all of that. He's still skeptical about some of the people in the Guard and why they might be a part of it, but overall Lance trusts Nick's judgement and leadership. And, after all, actual 'leading' for the Guard doesn't need to happen that often, and even when it does it only goes so far if people don't trust you; Lance is pretty sure Nick will be easily as effective as the previous leaders, if not much more so.]

[A soft sigh.]

Maybe. Gotta be honest that it means a lot to hear that from you. [He's well aware that Lance and the previous administration weren't exactly on the best of terms.] I guess I get hung up a lot on the Null, and the obvious similarities. Seems a lot of people come here from worlds where technology got out of hand, and then decided it didn't need regular people anymore. They ask what my programming is, and hell if I know what to tell them.

Do you want my professional advice on what to say, or the informal advice?

[He says it lightly, clearly a joke with the implication that one might be a lot less polite than the other. But seriously--]

It's understandable to be worried about being seen like the Null, but you're not a Null. Humans should realize that not everyone in the same species is the same, let alone people form different species who only share some similarities.

[He definitely gets why Nick would feel uncertain, but ultimately it's the other people that are going to have to get over their misconceptions.]

Your only responsibility is only to lead to the best of your ability.

[He doesn't answer whether he wanted a professional or a personal opinion, but Nick will take what he can get at this point. The answer is one he already knows, and one he preaches sometimes himself -- that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but people sometimes do regardless. It didn't matter as much back home, where he was just a detective, but here in Hadriel, he's supposed to be a representative, a leader. People look to him more than they ever did in the Commonwealth, and he's all the more aware of his flaws -- both internal and mechanical -- for it.

Still, he gives a nod on his end of the line.]

I'll do what I can, Doc. I can promise you that. I just hope the best of my ability is good enough.

[Because it sure doesn't feel like it, sometimes -- it wasn't good enough for the real Nick, and it's not good enough for his synthetic copy.]

014 [Video] /dated to a few hours after Yusuke's anon post

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