Thread: //.ghost/ECHO::Murphy_Was_Right:// [ClockworkCadence x Ryees]

RE .ghostECHOMurphyWasRight Watching the men roll up on them was a somewhat surreal experience. First, they did not immediately open firethat was always a pleasant surprise. Next, they began to speak in alarmingly calm and collected tones and allowed the womanLyra Caspari, by her wordto tell their story. And what a story it was, a tale of poor luck and quick thinking presented in such a disarming, demure, deferential tone that Kirin could not help but stifle a laugh. Mistake. OW. The outward pressure on his upper back from his jittering chest sent fresh spirals of pain lancing through his shoulder right in time with her story. It was convincing, to say the least, the way he crumpled and clenched his teeth, sucking air through a jaw that threatened to crack under the pressure from his gritted molars. He cast his perception five seconds ahead to better act in line with her words, and their performance was much less disjointed from there. Admittedly, Lyra was quite the actress. Her voice carried all the concern of a spooked ninny and her arms had cradled his head with a bizarrely comforting tenderness before they rose defensively. It was enough to illicit the laugh, but there was a genuine softness to it that partially belied her hardened initial presentation. His intrigue sparked curiosity tinged with a shard of distrust, inquisitive of her true nature but scrutinizing of how many faces she could potentially be wearing. .MAXIN was clearly an idiot, as expected. The other two did not speak much, and when .GORGON spoke Kirin wondered if they were even allowed to speak. She was shrewd and direct, clearly befitting her position as babysitter of her clown entourage, and looking for all the world like she would just as soon melt their heads on the engine block as take them back with her. The prospect of .LOOT changed her tune, though, and Kirin hoped sincerely that Lyra actually had something to give them a raider lied to was a raider that would abandon you, or worse. The seconds ticked by, though, and the group had approached them. Kirin's vision trickled in data, his Sight kicking in as the group sat within the space of his atelier. The motes had long since dissipated from view, their effect settled into the environment and slowly growing as time passed. .GORGON Babysitter, keeper, leader Sidearm, belt knife, boot knife .MAXIM Muscle, gunner, idiot AR-15, sidearm, belt knife .DUALITY Assassin, liar, bitch Poison vial, wits He forced himself to keep his face straight at the notes regarding Lyra they were not voluntary by any means, instead constructed by his subconscious as his mods worked out information and fed it back to him. That his subconscious classified her wits amongst her gear was amusing in and of itself, but her key character traits were what he had to fight hard to not chuckle at. His laughter would only be written off as insanitynot that Lyra needed any help believing that , anyway. Kirin leaned on Lyra as they moved to the vehicle, and climbed in next to her as they clambered within. It took him a few moments to get in and get settled with his arm in the condition it was, but soon enough they were rattling over the flatlands outside the city, heading north and east. He made sure that he sat on the far side of the vehicle. That alleviated the chance that one of the crew could bump into him and discovered the invisible firearm strapped to his body and the ensuing bloodbath that would leave them, once again, stranded. The humvee ate ground, making good time across the wasteland. Barely half an hour passed before they slowed. Leaving his atelier, the details around the crew had faded into memory, and that memory was scattered at best, his normal absorption hindered by the incandescent firestorm that incised his lefter torso every time the vehicle hit a bump. More than once he was inclined to enthusiastically murder the driver just to make the vehicle stop and end his pitiful existence once and for all, but he sufficed with setting up an internal fantasy wherein he disemboweled .GORGON with the disassembled fan assembly within the engine compartment. A well-built gate for a very obviously permanent compound cranked open as they approached. That was a surprise to .LAPLACE , as settlements in the badlands were typically not long for the world, whether it be by other raiders taking over the space or .WRAITHS claiming the territory and killing off everyone inside. To see four walls, two gates, and guard towers, all of stout-looking gray concrete and rebar, topped in razor-wire and well-maintained, was enough of an oddity to attract his stare. Yeah, that's our place, .MAXIM intoned, seeing Kirin staring about. Going on three years, we've been out here. Welcome to Fort Bardiche. The humvee settled just inside the gate, combat parking in a designated area just through the gate. The crew funneled out, and Kirin followed suit, eager to get the hell out of the rumbling pain machine. He cast his eyes around, taking in the sights. Better than a dozen buildings, squat and square, sat along the outer edge of the wall that created a space easily four-hundred yards square. The north, east, and south walls were occupied by the structures, while the westmost lane of the square seemed to be a combined track, firing range, and workout area, dotted with targets and tires and swing bars and workout equipment about its length. The buildings that took up the walls were organized so that all the doors empties out to the center cul-de-sac, a teardrop-shaped road of hard-packed dirt that had a road to the north and south where the gates sat. The largest of those buildings was two stories, and clearly looked to be the barracks and general living quarters. It was towards the building next to it that they were led, a small-ish tent that contained a single desk and a row of filing cabinets. It was the administrative center of the camp, no doubt, and the tent where they were led. .GORGON disappeared inside, the Idiot Brigade stopping outside and turning to stand guard. When Kirin and Lyra entered, she was already seated behind the desk shuffling papers about, a single chair across from her. Expectancy sharpened her gaze as she looked from them, to the chair, then back to the paperwork. Kirin gave a gentlemanly nod to the chair, playing the part of the courteous man just long enough for Lyra to insist that he had the worst of the injuries and harry him into it before standing behind him with a concerned-appearing hand braced on his good shoulder. Moments passed, and .GORGON flattened her hands on the desk, giving them a scrutinizing glare. So. Let's talk, shall we?