[Nexus] GLoG 64: Campsites, not Chessboards!

[The Bushranger]

"Errr... is this Quinn?" Once he gets an affirmation, he'll explain the whole detail about the idol, the guardian, and Helios' offer, dropping hints that he may not be trustworthy. And basically asking what she thinks he should do. As well as letting her know his location and what's going on.

If her player hasn't been keeping up with that plot-line for whatever reason, let Reinholdt know and it'll be explained in more detail.

BR has only halfway been keeping up with this plot-line. But thinks he knows enough. And Quinn gives a sigh. "I can't say for sure. I know this is no help, but you'll have to trust your own judgement here."

[UncleWolf]

Entrance

A black convertible pulls up and coasts gently to a stop at an appropriate place before shutting off. The door opens, and a halfling steps out. He opens up the back to grab a box before shutting and locking it all and setting on the alarm. Carl didn't know what to do with his money since he had a steady paycheck now, but he was sure the car was a start.

Box in hand, he begins searching for Sunny.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Sunny is working on the new Drone Workshop, directing her three robots. She has a picnic table they've carried over nearby to act as her desk, and she's sitting there taptaptapping away at her laptop.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl eventually finds her, but he doesn't speak up as he doesn't want to interrupt her. Instead, he simply takes a seat nearby and watches.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Sunny is muttering, on one side of a call with Mainframe "...And with auto-backups... improved firewall and live scanning should prevent another Mean Drone situation... reconstitute him the best we can..."

In Sunny's earpiece: The mortal coil soldier is here. Mainframe says. It can use the eyes of the building robots, even though it doesn't have a body here.

Sunny looks up and grins, only visible in her eyes crinkling up though. "Carl!" Then back to Mainframe. "Run through scenario sierra - epsilon -12 while I'm gone, please." And she retracts the helmet of her power armor and removes the gloves before reaching across the table to take Carl's hand.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl smiles back and squeezes her hand. "Hi Sunny. How's everything going?" He pats the box next to him. "I brought the cornbread like you asked too."

[happyturtle]

Building Site

"Come and see!" Sunny says happily, getting up and putting out a hand to help him down. Then after taking two steps, she thinks Cornbread! and grabs a big piece to carry with her.

Carl will probably find it remarkable that she retracted her helmet out of doors. She doesn't do that anywhere but here.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl smiles and grabs his own piece of cornbread. He doesn't mention he made two batches and ate one on the way there though.

He's a halfling, what else is to be expected?

He definitely is shocked that her helmet is down, and can't hide his initial look when he realizes that, but he just smiles, happy to see that she's able to do it. He follows her to wherever she leads him without question.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

She holds his gaze for a moment when he notices, and grins bigger, proud of herself, and happy that he understood the significance. "This is my favourite place in the Nexus. I always feel safe here." She misses the old rose garden though.

The workshop is a small structure, about half the size as one of the residential cabins, and the walls are in place, along with the framing for the roof. "There's a dual layer Faraday cage, two Class two Mace Units, some more <technobabble technobabble etc>. The Mainframe will have an installed unit here, with backup to the MagNets, and the assembly and repair bench will go there."

Yup. She's teching out.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl doesn't pretend to understand half of what she's saying, but smiles nonetheless, extremely glad that she's happy here and able to let herself loose. He'd ask questions, but gets the feeling that the ones he'd ask, would require half a week's explanation.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Eventually she realizes she's left him behind. "Sorry," she says, ducking behind her hair. "I keep doing that." She sits down on the concrete floor of the unfinished workshop. Sitting helps shrink some of the height difference so she didn't have to look down so far.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl hugs her after she sits down. "Don't worry, I like it when you do. It's great to see you happy." He didn't mind looking up at her to be honest, he's had to do it all his life. Besides, at least she was someone he actually liked to look up to.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Sunny holds on to him beyond the length of a normal hug, working up her courage for something. Carl might notice two of the three robots taking up positions in the entrances of the building.

Finally she pulls back enough to meet his eyes. "How much do you know about what happened to me?"

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl stiffens a bit by instinct when he sees the entrance cut off by the robots, but forces himself to relax, remembering that this was Sunny and that he was safe. He looks back into her eyes before looking away a bit. "I...I know some." he admits. "I didn't want to mention it until you were ready."

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Does it help that the robots are facing away, to keep people out? And that the roof is still just framing?

"I'm ready." Sunny says, and clasps his hand in hers. "It was 3 years ago, at the ApocaCon..." and she tells her story, mostly in the way it was told in the Digest, though more emphasis on the events instead of her current mindstate.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

It does help, but he's still slightly shaken when the entrances and exits like that are just cut off without warning, especially when he's unarmed.

Throughout the story, Carl holds her hand, and by the end, he has his arms wrapped around her as best as he can, as if he's able to try and protect her from the memories. "It'll never happen again, I promise." He swears, sounding slightly shaken and angered about it. It's one thing to read the reports of the event, another to hear a victim speak of it.

[Murkus]

Well, if there is any way in which I can help, please let me know.

Sarah nods spritely, still smiling at the talking motorbike. Everyone here was offering to help her, and she didn't even know why she needed it. "Thanks. That's nice of you."

[happyturtle]

Building Site

((He'll have to mention that to Sunny sometime so she'll know to warn him. Silly machine empath giving her robots orders just by wishing for privacy. ))

He's probably halfway in Sunny's lap by now then, as she's certainly doing her share of clinging and a little bit of crying. Not very much. These are old wounds by now. "I know it won't," she says, with steel in her voice.

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

(He probably will eventually)

What Carl doesn't mention, is that it won't happen again because he promises himself that he'd break anyone who tried to do something like it again, in half. Or just kill them in their sleep, that was more his style.

He holds onto her and rests his head on her shoulder. "Is there any way I can help?"

[happyturtle]

Building Site

Sunny nods, resting her cheek against the top of his head. "Mhm. There's something I want to try. And it's kind of crazy and a little dangerous."

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

He furrows his brow and wonders for a moment, trying to figure it out. "And what is it?" He asks a bit cautiously, slightly confused and intrigued.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

"There's a technique for treating phobias called flooding. You expose yourself to the stimulus that's triggering fears. Not gradually, the way I've been doing, but all at once. And for as long as it takes until the fear response ends." Sunny takes a deep breath. "I want to go back to the site of the Apocacon. Without the power armour."

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

Carl shudders at the thought a bit, imagining how he'd handle something like that, before squeezing her tight. "If... you want. I'll be there for you." He pulls his head back to look into her eyes. "It won't hurt you too much, will it?"

[happyturtle]

Building Site

She looks into his green eyes, with both fear and resolve in her eyes. "I think... it's going to hurt a lot."

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

"Just promise me two things. Let me be there with you, and that we'll take a couple days beforehand to relax so you can build up your strength. I'll cook whatever you want, the whole nine yards." He says, giving her a sad smile.

[happyturtle]

Building Site

"I promise," Sunny says. The robots leave their posts by the door and start working on the building again, without her saying anything. "Thank you, Carl."

[UncleWolf]

Building Site

He gives her shoulder a gentle kiss. "Any time, Sunny. All you have to do is ask anything."

[Shadowcaller]

"I was actually more interested in how you'd take it. It doesn't do me all that much good if you actually remove those memories rather than copy them. You understand. Hold on one second."

"Remove? Of course not, it's not like I remove my own memories after giving them to you. And I also I very much would like to use the term 'share' rather then copy." Helios informs him carefully. "Just see it as a faster way to talk which I think you would prefer in this type of situation. I will just go into your mind scape, take a look there and then return without altering anything. Very effective and time saving which many of my clients prefer. Another benefit is that sometimes people don't remember everything you were about to tell after all and this method removes that deffect." Helios argues, the mouth turning into a smile.

"Then again, you would of course not know if I removed any of your memories. You simply need to take my words for it or possibly ask one of your associates later. But I assure you that in my job being true to your word is prefered if you like to stay in business." The supposed god continues to inform Reinholdt.

[Reinholdt]

BR has only halfway been keeping up with this plot-line. But thinks he knows enough. And Quinn gives a sigh. "I can't say for sure. I know this is no help, but you'll have to trust your own judgement here."

...
"Thanks."
Reinholdt says in a way that suggests he doesn't mean it before hanging up.

"Remove? Of course not, it's not like I remove my own memories after giving them to you. And I also I very much would like to use the term 'share' rather then copy." Helios informs him carefully. "Just see it as a faster way to talk which I think you would prefer in this type of situation. I will just go into your mind scape, take a look there and then return without altering anything. Very effective and time saving which many of my clients prefer. Another benefit is that sometimes people don't remember everything you were about to tell after all and this method removes that deffect." Helios argues, the mouth turning into a smile.

"Then again, you would of course not know if I removed any of your memories. You simply need to take my words for it or possibly ask one of your associates later. But I assure you that in my job being true to your word is prefered if you like to stay in business." The supposed god continues to inform Reinholdt.

"Hmm... you know, I think I much prefer the old fashioned talking method. Let's just use that, yes? You tell me what I want to know I tell you what you want to know, we're all happy. Even if it takes time to do and some repeated callings of you should I get interrupted, I think it be preferable."

[Shyftir]

Outside

Ory slipped out of deadtime and also out of his earlier shock. He just shrugged and headed to the gate, to search for his missing hoverboard.