Captains (Uno, Lyra, & the Shepherds)
Quote from Kaqurei on July 18, 2023, 7:29 pmLyra's gaze fell to her hands. She was quiet for a moment, wondering herself how to answer. Where did she want him to start?
"At some point, everything stopped making sense. Started feeling like a bad dream. I'm not sure which parts were real and which parts I made up. It all blends together when I think about it." She took a deep breath to steady herself. She was about to pull back the curtain in her mind, and pull out the boxes where she shoved the fractured memories. Go through them again, one at a time. Maybe Roger could help her piece them together.
"I... I don't know how she got there. I left her. In the woods. I think... I think someone was shooting at us. There was a woman... No, the suspects, we found them. And there was a third woman there. Then... Yeah I think someone was shooting at us. Some kind of dart. Kimberly and the dogs went down. And I ran."
She was quiet for a moment again, reliving it in her head. Hitting the pause button. No. Play it. Let it play.
"The people from the mall--the business lady and the IRS Man... Were they there? I... I think they were there. When I found you. And then..."
Why was this the hardest part? Why was this the part her brain blacked out, and not what came after? Waking up and seeing Kimberly's fragile pale body laying in the arms of a stranger... That part was clear as day.
She was clenching her fists. Her knees were trembling against her will.
She swallowed.
"It's... It's like I'm looking through a tunnel. Everything is black. But... in the middle, there's fur. Orange fur with stripes like a tiger, and a bullet wound. It's bleeding. I... I passed out after that."
There. She'd spit it out. She looked up at Roger. Trying to regain her composure. Willing the nausea to fade. "What was out there? What were you shooting at?"
Lyra's gaze fell to her hands. She was quiet for a moment, wondering herself how to answer. Where did she want him to start?
"At some point, everything stopped making sense. Started feeling like a bad dream. I'm not sure which parts were real and which parts I made up. It all blends together when I think about it." She took a deep breath to steady herself. She was about to pull back the curtain in her mind, and pull out the boxes where she shoved the fractured memories. Go through them again, one at a time. Maybe Roger could help her piece them together.
"I... I don't know how she got there. I left her. In the woods. I think... I think someone was shooting at us. There was a woman... No, the suspects, we found them. And there was a third woman there. Then... Yeah I think someone was shooting at us. Some kind of dart. Kimberly and the dogs went down. And I ran."
She was quiet for a moment again, reliving it in her head. Hitting the pause button. No. Play it. Let it play.
"The people from the mall--the business lady and the IRS Man... Were they there? I... I think they were there. When I found you. And then..."
Why was this the hardest part? Why was this the part her brain blacked out, and not what came after? Waking up and seeing Kimberly's fragile pale body laying in the arms of a stranger... That part was clear as day.
She was clenching her fists. Her knees were trembling against her will.
She swallowed.
"It's... It's like I'm looking through a tunnel. Everything is black. But... in the middle, there's fur. Orange fur with stripes like a tiger, and a bullet wound. It's bleeding. I... I passed out after that."
There. She'd spit it out. She looked up at Roger. Trying to regain her composure. Willing the nausea to fade. "What was out there? What were you shooting at?"
Quote from Indy on July 18, 2023, 7:38 pmI couldn't help it. Clay was trying so hard on my behalf. I managed a small chuckle. I couldn't imagine he was being entirely truthful, but sometimes a good image didn't warrant any truth.
"What, you forgot the caramel syrup and bows?"
I looked long and hard at the restaurant, but nothing really seemed to jump out at me as 'danger'. What would that even look like? If Lyra was uncovering the secrets of the universe from inside that building, it was hard to say how it would look any different than it did presently.
Maybe I should actually try to get to know a future coworker instead of orchestrating how he was secretly a mass murderer. Maybe.
"Alright, tell me this. How did you get Chapman'd?"
I couldn't help it. Clay was trying so hard on my behalf. I managed a small chuckle. I couldn't imagine he was being entirely truthful, but sometimes a good image didn't warrant any truth.
"What, you forgot the caramel syrup and bows?"
I looked long and hard at the restaurant, but nothing really seemed to jump out at me as 'danger'. What would that even look like? If Lyra was uncovering the secrets of the universe from inside that building, it was hard to say how it would look any different than it did presently.
Maybe I should actually try to get to know a future coworker instead of orchestrating how he was secretly a mass murderer. Maybe.
"Alright, tell me this. How did you get Chapman'd?"
Quote from Adriana on July 18, 2023, 8:01 pmRoger swallowed hard. He ran a hand - the same one that had been bitten by the striped werewolf - through his hair. Conversations with Chapman following the event had solidified his silence in regards to the incidence.
And it wasn't a hard thing to do. That scene, so intimately altering to Roger's entire being, a pivotal moment on two very different paths - lent to his shame and inner turmoil so much that to revisit it in any expanse, even to consider what was once thought an impossible legend, was too painful. Lyra wasn't the only one trembling. Roger's lips were tightly pressed
"Kimberly stole those shots to protect me from their anger. Had she not, I would have certainly been killed, and perhaps you and everyone else at their mercy. She put herself between two worlds, one she knew well and one she knew little of, to protect both. What are you going to do with the truth, Torres?" his voice was hallow and ashy as he spoke, perhaps choked.
---
Clay laughed sincerely. "Where do you think I'm gonna put bows? Not all of us are blessed with your flowing locks, brotha. Now, caramel syrup - that I might try." Clay was getting out of the car now, walking out of the alleyway, but Val's question wasn't lost on him.
"I'll tell you what-" the thought was interrupted and he spat a curse and hit his fist on the side of the building.
"That's Roger's truck."
Roger swallowed hard. He ran a hand - the same one that had been bitten by the striped werewolf - through his hair. Conversations with Chapman following the event had solidified his silence in regards to the incidence.
And it wasn't a hard thing to do. That scene, so intimately altering to Roger's entire being, a pivotal moment on two very different paths - lent to his shame and inner turmoil so much that to revisit it in any expanse, even to consider what was once thought an impossible legend, was too painful. Lyra wasn't the only one trembling. Roger's lips were tightly pressed
"Kimberly stole those shots to protect me from their anger. Had she not, I would have certainly been killed, and perhaps you and everyone else at their mercy. She put herself between two worlds, one she knew well and one she knew little of, to protect both. What are you going to do with the truth, Torres?" his voice was hallow and ashy as he spoke, perhaps choked.
---
Clay laughed sincerely. "Where do you think I'm gonna put bows? Not all of us are blessed with your flowing locks, brotha. Now, caramel syrup - that I might try." Clay was getting out of the car now, walking out of the alleyway, but Val's question wasn't lost on him.
"I'll tell you what-" the thought was interrupted and he spat a curse and hit his fist on the side of the building.
"That's Roger's truck."
Quote from Kaqurei on July 18, 2023, 8:27 pmLyra looked at him earnestly, her dark eyes serious and unyielding. "I need to hear it said," she said. "What are they?"
She set her jaw. "You were there. Same as me. You saw them. It... It wasn't a tiger. The case file is frustrating as Hades. Vague. Doesn't give a description of the suspects. Just a car chase from the mall and an 'unfortunate shooting incident'. Doesn't say why. Friendly fire. Nothing about the business woman or the IRS man. No description of the women who stole the car in the first place. Nothing about the... Beasts. Nothing about the boy who was there. Nothing was investigated. It was just dropped. She died and it was just dropped. By our own people. I know a cover-up when I see one. I get that there are things some pretty big people don't want me to know. And I don't care. I need to know why."
Lyra looked at him earnestly, her dark eyes serious and unyielding. "I need to hear it said," she said. "What are they?"
She set her jaw. "You were there. Same as me. You saw them. It... It wasn't a tiger. The case file is frustrating as Hades. Vague. Doesn't give a description of the suspects. Just a car chase from the mall and an 'unfortunate shooting incident'. Doesn't say why. Friendly fire. Nothing about the business woman or the IRS man. No description of the women who stole the car in the first place. Nothing about the... Beasts. Nothing about the boy who was there. Nothing was investigated. It was just dropped. She died and it was just dropped. By our own people. I know a cover-up when I see one. I get that there are things some pretty big people don't want me to know. And I don't care. I need to know why."
Quote from Adriana on July 18, 2023, 8:45 pmHis knee bounced anxiously. His eyes looked around with all of the unease of a caged animal. The answer was right there.
"I feel like a madman." he said. It was almost a plead - please don't look at me differently. "They're everywhere, Lyra."
His knee bounced anxiously. His eyes looked around with all of the unease of a caged animal. The answer was right there.
"I feel like a madman." he said. It was almost a plead - please don't look at me differently. "They're everywhere, Lyra."
Quote from Indy on July 18, 2023, 8:46 pmI felt the change on the air like a strike of lightning. In one moment Clay's face was a jovial grin, and in the next it was deadly serious. I followed his gaze to the truck. Roger's truck. The name didn't immediately strike, until I recalled the conversation in the office.
That was the man who had been there the same night Lyra had.
I felt the crawl of dread on my spine right as Clay put a fist to the side of the building.
"What do we do, pull the fire alarm?" I muttered.
I felt the change on the air like a strike of lightning. In one moment Clay's face was a jovial grin, and in the next it was deadly serious. I followed his gaze to the truck. Roger's truck. The name didn't immediately strike, until I recalled the conversation in the office.
That was the man who had been there the same night Lyra had.
I felt the crawl of dread on my spine right as Clay put a fist to the side of the building.
"What do we do, pull the fire alarm?" I muttered.
Quote from Kaqurei on July 18, 2023, 8:47 pm"How do you think I feel? I remember something and there's nothing on the paperwork. I need to know I'm not crazy. I need to hear someone else say it," Lyra said, trying to bite back how desperate she felt for his sake. "What did you shoot at that night?"
"How do you think I feel? I remember something and there's nothing on the paperwork. I need to know I'm not crazy. I need to hear someone else say it," Lyra said, trying to bite back how desperate she felt for his sake. "What did you shoot at that night?"
Quote from Adriana on July 18, 2023, 8:50 pmClay crossed the road quickly. He didn't bother with the fire alarm. He walked right in the front door and spotted Roger and Lyra immediately. He was a moment too late. No, he was the moment.
"They're here." Roger said, deadly serious, his eyes meeting Clay's.
Clay crossed the road quickly. He didn't bother with the fire alarm. He walked right in the front door and spotted Roger and Lyra immediately. He was a moment too late. No, he was the moment.
"They're here." Roger said, deadly serious, his eyes meeting Clay's.
Quote from Indy on July 18, 2023, 8:53 pmI really wasn't sure what I was doing in this situation. I followed just behind Clay, then stopped. There was no clever espionage here. We had crawled into a crowded, brightly lit bar so Clay could stare daggers into a haggard man that smelled of sweat and alcohol.
I stopped at the threshold when I saw Lyra. Something lurched in my gut. Something with claws and teeth. Something like I'd somehow betrayed her in all of this - even if it was so no one would get hurt. I let my eyes fall to the ground and hoped she didn't notice me behind the crowd. And debated if it would be frowned upon to just slink back outside.
I really wasn't sure what I was doing in this situation. I followed just behind Clay, then stopped. There was no clever espionage here. We had crawled into a crowded, brightly lit bar so Clay could stare daggers into a haggard man that smelled of sweat and alcohol.
I stopped at the threshold when I saw Lyra. Something lurched in my gut. Something with claws and teeth. Something like I'd somehow betrayed her in all of this - even if it was so no one would get hurt. I let my eyes fall to the ground and hoped she didn't notice me behind the crowd. And debated if it would be frowned upon to just slink back outside.
Quote from Kaqurei on July 18, 2023, 9:05 pmLyra didn't know why her blood suddenly felt like ice. Somehow she knew who just came in behind her. She turned and saw Clay. Her stomach felt like knots. Tyranny's signal. Their conversation about Kimberly's file. That gut feeling he was going to call her off the case. And now here, in a run down little bar he had no business coming to.
They're everywhere.
By our own people.
They're here.
"Something I can help you with, Officer Smith?" she asked, tentatively still. It wasn't a crime to have dinner with an old friend. She hadn't done anything wrong. He could still play his cards right and come up with a clever excuse for why he'd followed her here.
Then her heart skipped a beat and she stood up, looking confused. She craned her neck to look past Clay. "...Val?"
Lyra didn't know why her blood suddenly felt like ice. Somehow she knew who just came in behind her. She turned and saw Clay. Her stomach felt like knots. Tyranny's signal. Their conversation about Kimberly's file. That gut feeling he was going to call her off the case. And now here, in a run down little bar he had no business coming to.
They're everywhere.
By our own people.
They're here.
"Something I can help you with, Officer Smith?" she asked, tentatively still. It wasn't a crime to have dinner with an old friend. She hadn't done anything wrong. He could still play his cards right and come up with a clever excuse for why he'd followed her here.
Then her heart skipped a beat and she stood up, looking confused. She craned her neck to look past Clay. "...Val?"
