Canon is The Secret World; on the hunt for a game.

[powderburn]

N-not to put too fine a point on it, but... we have a bad name. N-not you and me, but the- well, you know. The Templars. We say the name, and then people st-start getting itchy trigger fingers. But we do a lot of good. Better us than the D-Dragon or the Illuminati, you know? At least someone survives this way.

Uhm... just... try not to send me somewhere dangerous, okay? Kingsmouth... that's bad enough. I-I don't need any more on top of that.

Comments

[wakeandbake]

Oh man, yeah, those Illuminati fucking suck, don't they? Dragons and Templars too, if we wanna be fair. But hey, could be worse. Could be... I dunno. Beeless and facing up to zombies and draug with nothing but guns like those poor assholes still hanging on in Kingsmouth, right?

[Oddly enough, he's lopsidedly grinning while he speaks, and his tone is an easy, unconcerned drawl.]

My name's Chris, by the way. Sounds like you're in some deep shit. Sorry for your lots.

[powderburn]

[Nana visibly flinches at the response, then nods jerkily in agreement.]

W-Well, I'd say Andy and Sheriff Bannerman have done okay. I-I mean, for not knowing what's going on. It's... it's admirable. B-but I am glad for Agartha and the bees. Don't get me wrong! Just... they didn't really brief me on zombies.

[The smile she gives him is tiny and fleeting.]

N-Nana. Thank you. You've... been there, too, haven't you?

[wakeandbake]

[His grin widens slightly when she smiles, however briefly, and volunteers her name. Staying on friendly terms with this apparently jumpy Templar is definitely high on his list of priorities. He's not much of a fighter without his semi-automatic.]

To Kingsmouth? Oh, yeah. I dunno what it's like now, though. Good to hear Andy's still hanging on.

[His smile slips a couple degrees.]

You wanna see a shitstorm, try going to Egypt. That place is just fucking cultists and mummies as far as the eye can see. And sand. Way too much fucking sand.

[powderburn]

Andy's a good soul. N-none of them deserved to be dragged into this.

[The Order might look down its nose at a bleeding heart, but Nana knows how it feels to wind up over your head in trouble. Let the Illuminati and the Dragon leave collateral damage behind. She'll save who she can.]

Cultists? W-wait, does that anything to do with the Morninglight? O-or those weird nightmares? Or... [She trails off, bites her lip, then looks away.] ...Tokyo.

[wakeandbake]

Man, I don't fucking know. All I know is they look like normal fucking guys right up until they're screaming about heresy and trying to kill you in the face.

[Something she says seeps into the pleasant haze that is his brain, at the moment.]

Wait, what? What's going down in Tokyo? They haven't been telling me shit since they stuck me on a desk job.

[powderburn]

"Heresy"? Wh-why would anyone be screaming about heresy? Maybe... maybe the hardliners, but n-not us field agents!

[She makes a face at the thought of Tokyo.]

You didn't... hear about it on the news?

[wakeandbake]

Nah, I don't get the news. Or, well, more accurately I try not to fucking look at it unless I absolutely gotta as part of the job. Doctor's orders.

[No, really. He doesn't sound happy about it, either. There's a long pause before he asks, tentatively:]

... how bad is it?

[powderburn]

Bad, I-I think. Not... not Kingsmouth bad, but still. Bad.

[Or at least that's what that messed-up nightmare she had said. Who knows if that's the truth or not?]

A-a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway, near Orochi. I-I don't know more than that. Except... I-I think the Morninglight had something to do with it.

[wakeandbake]

Morninglight, huh?

[He sounds distracted, and he's staring at a point slightly to the right of and just beyond her ear.]

Guess I'd better look into this shit myself. Maybe see if they'll let me go... uh. [He blinks. Oh, right. He's not just talking to himself.] Listen, maybe you wanna go to one of these games after all. Anything is better than wherever they're gonna send you next, right?

[powderburn]

Y-yeah, probably... it'll be like a vacation. Like- like a normal life again.

[She pauses. Looks at him with more than a little concern on her face. Staring off into space like that can't be a good sign. The next few words are surprisingly gentle.]

Are you... feeling okay?

[wakeandbake]

[He blinks. Ah, whoops. Not as smooth as he thought. He offers a crooked smile.]

Yeah, yeah. Fine. Look, I gotta get back to work. You take care of yourself... wherever you wind up. I'm gonna go ahead and hope it's somewhere that doesn't suck.

[idkworldruler]

Oh please, Kingsmouth wasn't that bad.

[powderburn]

N-not that bad?! There are zombies! And- and draug! Did you even see that thing in the shipwreck off-shore?

[idkworldruler]

Obviously you haven't had your legs cut off yet.

[powderburn]

[We now pause while Nana glances down at her own legs. Then she looks over and turns green at the thought.]

G-god, I hope not. Sonnac wouldn't be happy- uhm, I think.

[idkworldruler]

Spoilers, she's a bitch. Bigger spoiler, it felt good to see her freak out in the end. Also, fun fact, I doubt that he cares all that much.

[powderburn]

Fun fact... [Thaaaaat rings a few bells.] -Oh God, you're a-an Illuminati, aren't you?

[idkworldruler]

What? Pff, naw, I'm the Dread Pirate Roberts. [His lips quirk up slightly.]

[powderburn]

Y-yeah, and I'm Buttercup. Pull the other one. [Not buying it.]

[idkworldruler]

Are you now? I'm not sure if our kiss would be rated the most passionate in history, but I could give it a try. [Unrelenting.]

[powderburn]

[wat.jpg] Wh-what? No! You were- that was- that was sarcasm! Ugh.

[idkworldruler]

[That reaction, worth it.]

Was it now? I wouldn't mind having you as my Buttercup. [Insert wily smirk.]

[powderburn]

[Troll. Horrid, horrid troll.]

N-no thank you. I'm pretty sure, uhm, that there are rules about... you know... fraternization. Between factions.

[idkworldruler]

[All Lumies are, don't you know? U mad brah?]

How do you know that you already haven't?

[powderburn]

I-I'd know.

[...Probably. Damn it, why you gotta make her question stuff, bro?]

[idkworldruler]

I know you don't know, ya know?

[It's all in the job bro.]

[powderburn]

Uhm... I don't understand. I-I know that you know that- gah, that's so confusing!

[Shame on you for trolling the hapless newbie. Shaaaaaame.]

[idkworldruler]

Is it? I guess you really don't know.

[He will take that shame and roll around in it happily.]