002 [video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh doesn't look well, but she's putting forth a solid effort. She's got her hair up and a coat slung over her shoulder, half buttoned, to cover the mess of bandages. But her face is pale and strained. She's been injured and hasn't yet recovered.]

Hello, Hadriel. I hope you're all well, or at least -- recovering.

Recent events have made two things clear to me. First, that the gods will attempt to turn us against each other. And secondly, that they can influence our minds in ways far more direct that I had anticipated. A protocol must be created so this will not happen again.

[She takes a deep breath and winces.]

However, I don't have the proper training to make such a thing. So I am reaching out to everyone here. If you have ideas, I would like to hear them.

Thank you.

[There's a pause.]

I am sorry, to the man I hurt. I'm afraid don't know your name.

That is all.

Comments

[voice]

[circumitus]

[Whatever injuries Rey has sustained recently is no longer an issue, thanks to a certain healer taking care of the problem. Maketh, on the other hand, does not appear to be looking so hot, but noting it would involve some level of care and Rey isn't caring about much of anything.]

What sort of protocol would even be feasible in this situation? Haven't seen that many candidates that are capable of controlling their emotions when they were being influenced.

[Not like Rey, though, who tends to go the whole mile in that field. As it is, she still sounds no more personable than she was the last time she and Maketh had crossed each other. Which is to say she is cold as fuck right now.]

[video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh looks worried for a moment, but hides it well. Mostly she just looks tired.]

A lock-down protocol at the very least. If we isolate ourselves when these events strike, we can minimize the impact. They seem to happen on a semi-regular time table.

[a pause]

Are you all right, Rey?

[video]

[circumitus]

Mm. Fair point. Probably would've been fewer incidents if people weren't out there risking exposing themselves as potential targets.

[Not that she blames them. Even Rey left herself open to the same thing because cowering inside just isn't her style.]

...

Yes, am fine. [It's more like an automated response than anything else.]

[video]

[synthedick]

Good to hear things are getting back to normal, or as normal as they can be. How are you holding up?

[He'll get to the rest of this message after checking on her. They can't afford to lose anyone on the patrol.]

[video]

[mismanagement]

I'm all right, though I'm afraid I won't be able to patrol for another week or so.

[video]

[synthedick]

You take it easy, get your health back. I'll make sure your shifts are covered.

video

[unknowable]

[He'd sure like to know who hurt him, too - but he never saw her face, doesn't even know it was a woman, and realistically is aware that they were all affected. As far as Adam knows, he may never find out who did it.]

I'd say that the next time any of us feel rage that we don't understand the source of, we should let the city know, and hopefully people will stay away from each other. But that depends on everyone listening and going along with it.

[video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh recognizes him, though. Her face is grave when she answers.]

That would be a start. I -- are you all right? Did you get medical attention?

[video]

[unknowable]

[He could ask what she means, but he's no fool. It's easy enough for Adam to put the pieces together. When he speaks again, he's more careful, more wary.]

I went to the clinic. It should heal fine.

[A pause.]

My name is Adam Parrish.

voice.

[bekommen]

[Oh ... well, Nick knew she'd have to face Maketh again sooner or later. This town isn't so big, and people you don't want to see have a way of finding you anyway, in her experience. Probably best to just get this over with. She's too embarrassed to show her face, though, so she sticks with just voice, taking a deep breath to steel herself for whatever reaction she gets. Nick doesn't do apologies often, and the fact that she'd been manipulated by one of the gods into (nearly fatally) attacking Maketh only complicates the whole thing.]

Hey ... look, um. I just wanted to say I'm real sorry for what happened. You were right about it being Rage. I should've listened.

[video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh just nods, slowly.]

You were not yourself. I don't blame you.

voice.

[bekommen]

[This is ... almost worse, that she seems so calm and understanding about it. Nick tried to kill her.]

Yeah ... well, it was still shitty.

voice.

[dedikated]

[ Kate sits with the message for a while. Whatever happened never affected her, she watched the entire thing with no real idea what was going on or what to do about it - other than lay low for a few days.

She taps her fingernails against the screen of her phone, making audible clicks. ]

Only things I can think of would be to figure out a pattern behind the Gods' interference. But I've lost track of time here already...

Unless we could make something that would alert us to their activities. That's probably impossible...

[video]

[mismanagement]

I've been able to determine a -- relative pattern. However, it's not yet accurate enough to give us more than a vague warning of when something might happen. Perhaps with more data points...

voice.

[dedikated]

Vague is something. [ A pause and; ] If y'don't mind sharing, what did you determine?

[video]

[unfollowing]

You and your training.

[Emily's voice is soft on that, and her expression is relaxed, like she's perfectly comfortable being just the tiniest bit smug here.

She's going to ignore the protocol thing for now, because if Maketh isn't trained in how to handle this, Emily sure isn't.

There's something else she wants to talk about.]

Are you okay?

[video]

[mismanagement]

What else would I rely on? [Maketh sounds tired, for the most part, but not annoyed. She might - might - even be teasing a bit. At the second question she nods slowly, hiding the wince.] I'll live. Did you make it back to the house?

[Video]

[thechoiceisyours]

I have absolutely no idea on a plan, but I'm in if anyone can come up with something.

[He just feels he should throw in his support here. Besides, he's definitely ready to try to figure out a proactive way of dealing with these sorts of things instead of just having to react when they happen.]

[Video]

[mismanagement]

I appreciate that, Chris.

[She gives him a little smile.]

I've been meaning to check in with you. How are you holding up?

[cashlin]

[Lilith's only idea resembling protocol is to take the gods out before they take the rest of them out first. (Who knows how long their generosity surrounding resurrections will last?) Even she's got the sense to recognize that won't fly, though, at least not at this stage, so she skips right over that topic and goes straight to checking in.]

And how's your recovery going?

[mismanagement]

[Maketh winces a bit.]

Hello, Lilith. It's slower than I'd like. I'll be speaking to one of the healers later to see what's to be done about...some of it.

[kickingand]

[ There's a rather grim expression here, but-- ]

Hate to break it to you, but not a whole lot gets in the way when a god's tapped into your brainpan.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh frowns.]

Every weapon has a disadvantage. Have you encountered such things before?

text

[greywaren]

[He wasn't going to respond at all until he saw Adam's response and the conversation that followed. It's enough to get his blood boiling, and Ronan hashes out a quick text, ignoring the apology in her post and everything else that points to none of this really being her fault.]

youre the fuck that shot parrish

[text]

[mismanagement]

Yes.

[There's no point in dying it or trying to apologize again. Maketh has said her piece. Now she has to deal with the aftermath.]