Killers and victims, killers and victims. Three of your own have fallen prey to murderous intent last week. Your numbers keep shrinking. Azura has fallen prey to Franciscus in the same night that Olympia betrayed her friend Millium and killed Cian who wound up in the crossfire. At this rate, is there anyone you can trust?
The townspeople's anger burns hotter than ever. Wherever they go, must they live in fear of stumbling on a corpse? They can't live like this. More than ever, the visitors are being shown that they are
unwelcome.
Walking outdoors, cold looks are the norm. Shouted profanity isn't unexpected. Barely anybody is willing to still hold a conversation with any visitors.
Even within the motel, there is no feeling of safety any longer. Not only have two people died in this very place, no, now the townspeople also lost their fear of coming inside. While they don't enter private rooms, the daring among them vent their hatred of you by vandalizing the common rooms.
Cartesio has become a menacing place.
In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and
the maps have been updated once again. Don't mind that some of them have been damaged in one of the attacks on the motel.
Links
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Couches and wilted plans are against the wall. Everything looks like it'll fall apart the moment you touch it. And, high on the back wall, above the reception desk, there's a logo. Not a shield, or the flag of a country, or anything like that, it's a corporate logo.
Keith and Natalie barely steps six foot inside the reception area -- not close enough to do anything but look around their surroundings, they don't even have time to look at the logo in detail. Suddenly, from one of the walls, a very bright light erupts for just a second, like an explosion. There's no sound. Gusts of very strong wind fill the place, in direction of the giant doors, while from where the light was everything is blown away. Couches, plants, everything flies in the air, crashing against the walls and the ceiling.
You should run away. It's dangerous right now]
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She hates it, but she takes hold of his arm, aiming to head back to the double doors with him in tow.]
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The wind trying that begins tearing the place apart cuts that train of thought short. It's hard to intimidate him really; he's fought Haggar and her druids, so a small display of a magical defense system doesn't make him want to back off. In fact, it's clearly a sign that they're in the right place if this dilapidated room is worth defending at all. He scans the room another time, arms up and ready to dodge whatever furniture gets tossed his way, but then there's a grip on his arm.
For a moment, it looks like he's going to argue. They're not going to get a clean opportunity to do this again. The Sergeant's going to be aware of the potential for intruders during executions and other absences. He'll fix the problem, he'll make it so much harder.
The words "you go" are on the tip of his tongue, but they've already had this discussion, haven't they? Teeth grit, he turns. Turns and runs back towards the double doors with her.]
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It's unclear what happened, but...nothing's exploding in the lobby? So there's that. And you're alive, that's good too. Well done]
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Once they reach the lobby, she pauses, looking back for just a moment at the double doors.]
What the hell just happened...?
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Just keep moving.
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...Well, that went well.
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We need to get rid of these disguises so they can't be traced back to us.
[A beat.]
We should talk about this while it's still fresh in our minds. The dead said there was darkness inside the Lodge, but that's not what we saw.
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[Given that, she agrees with the idea. With a sigh, she runs a hand over her face.]
Just us, or everyone? You want another meeting?
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[A fire would be a bit conspicuous now, he thinks.]
As soon as we're done with that, we could try calling a meeting, yeah. In one of the empty motel rooms maybe. Shouldn't be weird if we're all gathered in the motel.
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[She nods.]
Empty motel room sounds good. You wanna plan for like an hour or two?
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[He's better with the military crap than he is with organizing briefings/debriefings. He's still trying to think what else they're gonna have to dispose of, but for now he's not coming up with anything else. And that's when it finally occurs to him to look over at Natalie to ask a really basic question.]
You okay?
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[There's a pause at the question. She's alive, they're both physically unharmed, and she can't pretend that wasn't more than she expected. Still... She can't claim she isn't frustrated at the lack of progress they made. It doesn't change her answer much, though.]
...Yeah, I guess I am. [...] How about you?
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[Keith raises an eyebrow, giving her a quick up-down look to make sure she's not physically injured, but even he can tell that's not what it is. Whether she wants a real answer to the question or not is anyone's guess, but a real answer's what she's getting.]
I guess I'm wondering if leaving really was the right call.
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[She's fairly certain that it was, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating to deal with.]
I just wish... I don't know. We brought all that shit, I thought we'd be prepared for basically anything.
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You don't think I have the reflexes to dodge a chair, huh.
[Death by chair. What an embarrassing way to go. The small smile fades after a moment.]
It's impossible to be prepared for everything. If it were just me, I'd have kept going despite that.
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[She pauses, then, and sighs. She's taking this the wrong way, more likely than not, but:]
Yeah, maybe. Sorry I slowed you down, or whatever.
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[Not what he meant at all, but now that he has to clarify, he doesn't really want to.]
I get into bad mindsets sometimes. [A lot. All the time.] I was thinking maybe it'd be worth it to go further. Even if I died, I could still find a way to pass the information to you guys... like the dead are doing now.
[He shakes his head.]
I'm glad you were there.
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That's harder to do with him, given what she knows; how it's difficult for him to talk like this too, but he keeps giving her the courtesy of doing so time and time again. After some time passes, with a small sigh:]
When I told you that you aren't expendable, I meant it. Okay? So - I'm glad I was there, too.
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Sorry. Takes a while for things like that to get through to me.
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[There's a stressed laugh of her own as she runs a hand through her hair, letting it down from the bun it was pulled into.]
Sorry. I'm not, um, used to - breaking into places like that. I'm a little tense.
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The very first infiltration mission I was on was on a Balmera. The Galra had completely overtaken the planet, and we had to go deep underground where the Balmerans were harvesting crystals in labor camps. This felt more dangerous than that. It'd be weird if you weren't tense.
So ... [It's a little awkward, but he gives her a pat on the shoulder.] ... congrats.
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The surprise, though...]
Wait - congrats for what?
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...for making it out?
[Which is true in part, but that's probably the most superficial way he could've phrased it.]
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[She doesn’t sound bothered, though.]
Either way... Thanks. You too.
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