Garrison Unassigned (Sofia)

[JESSIE SANTANGELO]

One of the more remarkable traits of mankind was its ability to adapt. Catastrophe and disaster in the real world, the industrial revolution, the advent of the information age, and, most recently (at least in a global sense), the digital conversion, somehow, someway, the collective life form of humanity persisted and flourished. A micro-example of humanity's adaptability presented itself in the small town of Valli. Not long ago, destruction was knocking on the doorstep of the town. Its citizens held hearts tinged with panic, souls filled with fear, and the future was uncertain. The Virus swarm, a furious, unbridled power, seemed poised to erase them all.

But today? That dark feeling on the horizon was just that - a distant potential. Life in Valli had already melted back into normalcy, save for the few 'strangers' that had taken up pseudo-residence within the town proper. These individuals - mostly unstated, unidentified members of the Virus Defense Force - held the town of Valli in a perplexing spell of complacency mixed with just-hidden-below-the-surface anxiety. A few of the VDF members - the minority, numbering from one to three on any given day - were nothing more than advanced scouts; reconnaissance for the organization whose goal was simple: monitor the situation and report any Virus activity back to those in charge. The remainder, like one Jessie Santangelo, were, at best, directionless recruits or, at worst, warmongering individuals that had 'just missed' the battle they thought they craved.

Thus, the tumultuous balance of calm and tension played along the atmosphere like a metal slide down the steel neck of a bluegrass banjo. Those without direction had, through no real organizational efforts of their own, become a kind of in-town garrison force - playing 'guard duty' for the citizens of Valli on the off chance that stragglers from or the Virus swarm itself became active once again. The more destructive individuals rode on the coattails of the good will the garrison force had managed to cultivate, more often than not clashing with their 'allies in name' and, on occasion, slipping out to 'play raider' against anything that was 'Virus-like' - as far as they could argue. The VDF scouts? They hadn't, so far, bothered to interact with either group.

It was not the best of situations. 'Cabin fever', for the warmongering group, was trending high and, in recent days, the 'garrison' members had found themselves fighting - at least, verbally - with their high strung allies more than watching the roads for potential Virus threats. Tension had been slightly reduced by a 'town meeting' of sorts (an misnomer as Valli citizens were not involved) that had resulted in the pairing of individuals from each micro-faction into specific guarding pairs. In truth, the majority of 'ease' that came from this meeting was the 'mass exodus' of half of the 'new recruits' - with the majority of 'combat directed' individuals leaving the town to 'seek their fortunes elsewhere, VDF be damned.' Still, it was a temporary fix. Listlessness was affecting all of them, and Jessie was no exception.

-----

"Look, I don't give a shit what you say you are! Claw, Beast, whatever, there's no way I'm gonna believe you waltzed right through Weeping Canyon and didn't get tainted by nothing! You don't look like a citizen of Valli, and we haven't found anyone who'll vouch for you, so turn your asses back around-"

"Hey, guy, chill out? I already told you were aren't citizens. We're just passing through."

"Like hell you are!"


Ah, the wonderful environmental flavor of unnecessary conflict. As Jessie made his way to his self-assigned gate - it was time for a 'changing of the guard' - he found himself a momentary spectator to a scene that was, if recent memory served, omni-present. The 'guard' on duty was a Leech that had identified himself as 'Rico.' An ill-tempered young man, this butterfly-winged individual was quick to anger and was, quite obviously, lacking in both perception and the social graces. Further still, his weapon of choice - a billy club - left much to be desired in terms of valid potency... but that didn't stop him from acting 'too big for his britches' on a regular basis. Such was the case today. The Leech had stopped a pair of individuals - one male, one female - that were not only much larger than the boy, but also looked like they would be far more comfortable in a combat situation than the Leech could ever dream of. Worse than that, at least cosmetically, the pair were obviously Beasts of some great cat disposition, leading Jessie to believe that, were he not to intervene, that the butterfly would be easily ripped limb-from-limb and wing-from-wing.

Clearing his throat and adjusting the position of his guitar on his back, Jessie stepped into view.

"What we got goin' on here, eh? You done got yer feathers all ruffled up there, Rico. Ain't it 'bout time to set you out t'pasture?" As he strode into a position between the Leech and the quickly-losing-their-patience Beasts, Jessie offered a bit of a smirk. Shifting his gaze from the 'guard' to the 'detained', he gave a nod of his head, his hand moving as if to tip a hat that he wasn't wearing. "Howdy ma'am, mister. What seems t'be the trouble?"

"The trouble's this sonofabitch here."
"We're on our way to Clocktower Boulevard and we have to pass through, but-"

"Whatever! This is suspicious as hell, Jessie! Why ya buttin' in, huh? I can-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, Rico. Just shut yer trap a minute and I'll work this out, alright?" Jessie kept his focus on the Beasts, moving ever-so-slightly so as to place himself, physically, between the pair and the Leech. "I think this's just a misunderstandin', ain't it? Ain't no reason to have no trouble come from this. Ma'am, Sir - far as I can tell y'all got no designs on causin' a ruckus, and iffin' ya are just passin' through, we got no reason ta get in yer way. Mosey on through, if ya like, but jus' keep on keepin' on towards the Clocktower. Valli ain't the place ta be, if ya catch my drift. We on the fringe of a black tide, ya know? Ain't got no use for no pissin' contests with them Viruses out there on the horizon. Y'all move along quick, y'hear, and there won't be no trouble. Honest words, alright?"

A tense moment passed, with the Beasts - specifically the male - scrutinizing Jessie, while Rico scowled from behind the Siren. Then:

"What the hell are you, cowboy? Some kinda sheriff?"

Jessie grinned. "No, sir. Ain't no lawman, nor no outlaw in me. Just a volunteer, tryin' ta help out a bit." The grin faded, but he kept a 'high spirits' look, relaxing a touch and cupping his thumbs on to his belt. "We gonna break this li'l pow-wow up? Y'all got a journey ta get to, don'tcha?"

"Yeah, whatever. Better tell your Leech friend there that some of us won't play nice with that kinda attitude."

"'Course - and right you are. Y'all take it easy, hear?"

The Beasts moved on, with Jessie holding his 'friendly' posture until they were out of sight. Then he turned back towards Rico, managing a rather large sigh accompanied by a shake of his head.

"Christ's sake, Rico. You tryin' ta get yer chip busted or what? You best wise up quick, boy-o. 'Nother minute or two gone by and you'da been a brand new case o' digital tumbleweed."

"What? No way, Jessie. You just show up to-"

"Hey! Best way ta get yer ass kicked is ta think yer more badass than ya actually are! You got a brain in that skull? Eyes in yer head? They got double-size, double-time, and triple-experience on ya, greenie. Go dunk yer head in a trough and cool the hell off, hear? I got this post now, and it's time-change anyway."

"But-"

"GIT! Ain't gonna tell ya again, son! You be startin' a civil war in this place if ya don't quit with all that 'I'm-in-charge' bullshit!"

Rico's response? His hand went to his billy club. But Jessie had anticipated this. (Lies. This had happened every single time the Siren had come to replace the Leech.) 'Quick Draw' was far superior to an untrained Leech trying to wield a short range bludgeoning weapon. Before Rico could even loose the club from his belt, he was face-to-face with Jessie's Peacemaker.

"Don't you be doin' nothin' stupid, Rico. You in debt up to yer eyeballs in stupid as it is, ain't cha? Keep on actin' like that, partner. Keep on. I'll carve yer tombstone myself, if it pleases ya."

Another tense moment... but, just like always, the Leech relented.

"I fuckin' hate you."

Less than friendly last words, muttered on the wind, and the Leech and his words, were promptly swept away. Tomorrow would, no doubt, be a repeat performance. In fact, the club-to-gun exchange had become so commonplace that the citizens of Valli failed to even react when the Siren v. Leech standoff occurred. In Jessie's opinion, the routine was getting old, quick. Still, he holstered his weapon, and then pulled up a chair just off the side of the road. It wasn't the best vantage point, but it did allow the Siren to see the road leading into Valli. As he took his place, the tension in the environment seemed to evaporate. Most days, no trouble appeared at this entrance to Valli - so long as it was Jessie and not the uncooperative Leech playing guard - and it seemed as though the citizenry of Valli appreciated this. But how much longer was this 'living in the eye of the storm' going to go on?

"Somethin's gotta give, and give quick..."

[SOFIA BLAKKE]

Where Is The Edge

♠ Sofia ambled through town slowly, watching as a mother ushered her two children inside instead of allowing them to roam the streets and the hushed, anxious conversations of a few citizens. There was still a tenseness running through the town, as if it was not yet used to its regained normal lifestyle and wasn't quite ready to believe that it wouldn't be yanked away again. But...nothing seemed out of place in-particular.

♠ The Antivirus member's primary focus was to deal with a few Virus swarms backed up inside the Weeping Canyon, beyond the city limits. But to reach there, she had to pass through Valli; to make matters easier on the organization and to conserve time and manpower, she'd also been given the task of scouting around Valli itself on the way there. She was to report back on anything unusual happening in the village, any immediate threats or Virus activity near inside the town limits, and on the state of the other Antivirus members there.

♠ Nothing was catching her eye in particular, though. It was a strangely desolate, nervous place, but nothing seemed to have changed...at least, not that she could gather, herself.

♠ "The trouble's this sonofabitch here." Flicking her tail, she heard the sound of a distant, yet unmistakably angry, voice reach her ears. Moving towards the source of the voices, she lingered nearby as she caught sight of a small group of people - a couple seemed to be VDF members and the others, judging from the situation, looked like they were being questioned.

♠ Curious, she watched the scene play out. She was ready to intervene if necessary. That Leech... There had been quite a few new recruits lately - she didn't recognize either of the two figures - but there had been far too many like him. There was no need to pick a fight when it wasn't necessary, but some of them seemed to be just itching for war. She scowled to herself. She wondered if many of them even cared out the VDF's true purpose...it seemed to her that they were just in it to make a name for themselves, and conflict was the fastest road to that. It was disgusting, really.

♠ But thankfully, she never had to intervene. The other new face - a Siren, by the looks of it - managed to put out the fire before it started. The two civilians went on their way, but there was an exchange between the two VDF members afterwards. And then it was over, with the war-mongering Leech relenting with a final curse. Sofia found herself smiling slightly, in spite of herself.

♠ After a last moment of hesitation, she walked up to where the Siren was now sitting. "Hey, good job on keeping that situation from escalating. I'm Sofia Blakke, a VDF scout sent from the Savette headquarters recently. I assure you that'll I'll bring back a negative report regarding that Leech there, if you give me his name." She extended a hand, offering a polite handshake. Hopefully he wouldn't be offended by her eavesdropping, but...well, she was working as a scout right now, after all. "And who might you be, anyway? Same organization or not, I don't believe we've met before."

It’s the rule that you live by and die for, it's the one thing you cannot deny, even though you don't know what the price is it is justified

Tagged: jessie ♠ Notes: -- ♠ Lyrics: within temptation

[JESSIE SANTANGELO]

The art of 'being approached while appearing not to notice' was definitely something Jessie had been working on since he'd taken up residence in Valli. There were many benefits to such a practice - even when one wasn't exactly proficient in it. On one hand, 'pretending' to be ambushed, particularly when one could draw and fire his weapon in a split-second, was almost as effective a combat tactic as actually ambushing one's enemy. While this was fine and dandy if one happened to be looking for a fight, it was actually the 'other hand' of the equation that Jessie had typically been hoping to exploit. Certainly, being the 'center of attention' was usually a Siren's dream, but it wasn't very conducive to playing 'guard duty.' And being a guard brought its own attention troubles, as once one was identified as a 'helper', one's assistance tended to suddenly be in very high demand for even the most mundane of tasks. As such 'being approached but not being noticed' allowed one to conveniently find something or someone else to focus on, so as to not be conscripted into silliness, and it came with the more passive benefit of, potentially, convincing whatever taskmaster that may have been approaching that, perhaps, said 'guard' was not paying attention and just didn't have time for you.

Whatever the reason for employing the act, employ it Jessie did as Sofia approached. While she was at a distance, Jessie merely assumed she was some townie or traveler who was most likely not headed his way. As the distance closed, however, he became much more aware of the general situation, noting first the tail that identified her as a Claw and, secondly, the kind of appearance she had - which thankfully seemed to imply that she was not going to, say, pull out a gun and start shooting everyone (or just him) in sight. The latter portion was a semi-reassurance, while the former might have put the latter in question - but Jessie was quite prepared to let that slide. After all, he'd had enough trouble for one day, thanks to the hyper active, overtly discourteous Leech.

The closer Sofia got, however, the more obvious it became that she was, indeed, moving towards him. Since the meeting appeared 'destined to be', Jessie's next course of action was to decide exactly how to handle it. It was usually more fun when it was a female. A greater variety of terms that could be used in either a friendly or combative manner were available and - let's face it - he preferred setting eyes on the fairer sex, anyway. With that as the starting point, Jessie went diving into his mind, trying to piece the half-glimpse of the approaching woman's appearance to whatever bits of dialogue he meant to employ once she arrived.

It was going to be a great plan. Really. Full charm to start, with small talk circling around any potential 'come help me do something' issues to... at the worst, an amiable departure leaving him back to his own devices, or, at best, a potential date... leading to some form or fashion of energy absorption.

But the best made plans...

"Hey, good job on keeping that situation from escalating. I'm Sofia Blakke, a VDF scout sent from the Savette headquarters recently. I assure you that'll I'll bring back a negative report regarding that Leech there, if you give me his name." She extended a hand, offering a polite handshake.

...Say what? Not only had the lady pre-empted any conversation starter Jessie'd loaded into his verbal chamber, but she'd also hit him with such concrete terms as 'VDF scout' and 'from... Headquarters.' In the same breath, he'd gotten a 'good job!', a promise to ensure that the previously demonstrated 'trouble' stayed at the bottom of the pile, and was put in the surprise position of needing to accept a handshake.

Oh, and that wasn't the end of it.

"And who might you be, anyway? Same organization or not, I don't believe we've met before."

Oh well. So much for plans. Luckily, the situation presented was nothing if not positive, and improvisation was the way of the game for one with a performer's past. In one motion, Jessie slipped from the chair he was sitting in, pushing it backwards with his foot so as to make space. Though he would have preferred to accept Sofia's handshake in the 'gentleman-greeting-a-lady' mold, he opted for the straight-forward, firm grip. After all, she'd identified herself as VDF first and foremost.

"No, ma'am, I'm right sure we haven't. ...Met, that is. Name's Jessie. Jessie Santangelo, at your service. Pleased ta be makin' your acquaintance, Miss VDF-scout-from-HQ. And if yer talkin' 'bout ol' Rico back there well, it weren't no great thing. Ain't no stranger ta bein' a hothead in the wrong place, at the wrong time, myself, so sendin' him to the stables - every freakin' day - ain't so much a 'good job' as a necessary one, know what I mean? Fools cause trouble for themselves as much as for everyone else. Can't be no makin' of peace if yer always breakin' it." He offered Sofia a bit of a smile and a nod as the handshake was dropped. "Anyhow, Miss Blakke, ta what honor do I owe the pleasure? Can't say I know how things're s'posed ta work 'round Antivirus parts, so..."

[SOFIA BLAKKE]

Where Is The Edge

♠ The Siren didn't seem to notice her at first as she approached, but turned his attention to her as she neared. He almost seemed taken aback at first as she spoke - perhaps he hadn't expected to be approached by another Antivirus member that he didn't recognize - but he didn't seem fazed.

♠ In a single, brief motion, he lifted himself from his chair and scooted it aside. He accepted her handshake and a gave a brief smile as he spoke, introducing himself. ...So it was Jessie, huh? Sofia listened intently to his words; she gave a nod as he let go of her hand and finished his first statement. "It's refreshing to met a new recruit who thinks that way, though." Err...or at least, she assumed he was a new recruit, judging from the sheer number of them in this location and the fact that she hadn't seen his face nor heard his name before. Hopefully she was correct and hadn't just said something terribly presumptuous. She crossed her arms, looking a bit irritated, not at him, but at something that she couldn't see. "An unfortunate number of them are war mongers like that Leech."

♠ She turned her attention back to him as he spoke again, though. "Well...my main mission is out in the Weeping Canyon, but I was also ordered to survey the town and gather intel on its status. I overheard your earlier conversation, and thought that I should return with a name to report in regards to that Leech." She explained in more detail. The more they weeded out the self-important punks like him, the better. "Also, since it appeared you were working as a guard, I was was wondering if you had any information that I should take back to Headquarters. Has there been anything significant to report?"

It’s the rule that you live by and die for, it's the one thing you cannot deny, even though you don't know what the price is it is justified

Tagged: jessie ♠ Notes: sorry for the slight shortness ♠ Lyrics: within temptation

[JESSIE SANTANGELO]

"Haha... well, li'l lady, if yer lookin' for ornery types like that rascal, Rico, I haveta say ya pretty much lit'rally just missed the party. I reckon it was about... eh, a week ago, give or take, that we sent 'bout twelve... thirteen others out the door. Didn't take too kindly ta words 'n' terms that didn't directly match their mean dispositions, so they pulled up their britches, put their caps down real mean-like 'cross their brows, puffed up their chests, and high-tailed it out that-a-way." Jessie replied, jerking a thumb in the direction of the Weeping Canyon. "Just as well, I think. Made the town proper more akin ta right as rain than it was before. 'Fraid it's the best we could do without a showdown or two goin' on, though. Wouldn't feel too good, myself, havin' a shootout in this here li'l town or what not."

With a grin, Jessie next keyed in on Sofia's irritated look. "Careful, there, darlin'. Ain't yer mama ever told ya that yer face's gonna freeze like that if ya keep up that look? Best be flashin' them pearly whites, am I right? Too pretty ta be stuck with a perma-scowl."

But the conversation had been shifted towards the 'going ons' of Valli and the surrounding area and, at that, Jessie shifted a bit. He leaned back, tilting his head slightly skyward, and tucked his thumbs into his belt.

"Well, lessee... far as I can tell, ain't a whole bunch ta be reportin' on, really. It's like ya say, Miss, we all just a wound up posse o' greenhorns, muckin' 'round in the mud like blind li'l piggies lookin' for truffles. Ain't got no direction, ya see. Folks that rounded us up, as it were, were fine an' dandy for talkin' on the who, what, when, and wheres when the swarm was shufflin' on, but soon as them Viruses went cold, them same folks vanished like a drop o' water in the Mohave at noonday. Sure 'nough, a group o' idgits can lay ya down a railroad o' gold when ya got yer eye on 'em, but soon as we's left to our own devices, eh... well, ya know." He gave a bit of a shrug. "S'prolly the trouble ta be told in truth. There's some good folks here, don't get me wrong, but then there's folks like Rico and Slim and Jenkins and Reginald. They the sore spots in Valli. The worse ones seemed ta wander to the Canyon down yonder, and that's where the trouble stories're comin' from now."

Jessie fixed his eyes back on Sofia - careful to keep them solely on her face - and offered a much more somber, apologetic smile than the grin that had come earlier.

"Honest as a Sunday, ma'am, it ain't the Viruses that're the trouble 'round Valli nowadays. A straggler or two, here or there, ain't much o' nothin', even for me an' the few straight shooters we got left. We can handle them, fine as day. But down Canyon way - and from some o' the other directions, too - the good word is it's others doin' the raidin' and plunderin', if ya catch my drift. Sore sorts done gone an' made Valli a kinda oasis, if you will. I suspect that might be the sort o' thing you'd be lookin' ta report on."

[SOFIA BLAKKE]

Where Is The Edge

♠ Sofia listened intently to his reply, trying to file it all away in her memory so that she'd have something to report back at headquarters. So there had been more trouble like this recently, huh? "Indeed." She nodded. "It sounds like the situation was handled well. That's a relief." From what she gathered, it sounded like a lot of the war mongers had already been taken care of and removed from what was still a delicate situation - that alone would likely make Valli more stable.

♠ His next words caught her off guard, though. "Eh...?" She couldn't help but flush slightly red in spite of herself, somehow a bit embarrassed at having her expression called out. She didn't hear comments like that much in her line of work.

♠ But, before she had to give any further reply, the tone of the conversation shifted. The Siren glanced upwards towards the sky. She frowned a bit at his words. "I see... I'll make sure to let the higher-ups in Savette know that more direction is needed here. And if you feel you currently need any information, ask now, and I'll do my best to answer before leaving." After all, it was impolite to ask for information, yet not offer any in exchange.

♠ She paused, momentarily taken aback by the Siren's sudden, focused stare. "Right. I'll make sure to let them know what's going on down in the canyon, as well. My main objective was to eliminate any stray Viruses found lingering near the village boundary, but I'll see what I can do about the raiders, too. Though..." She spared a glance around the village, biting her lip. "I'm not sure how much I can do alone..."

It’s the rule that you live by and die for, it's the one thing you cannot deny, even though you don't know what the price is it is justified

Tagged: jessie ♠ Notes: -- ♠ Lyrics: within temptation

[JESSIE SANTANGELO]

"What can ya do, huh? Guess we sorta took care o' your primary objective for ya, right? Ain't a bad thing, true enough, since it helps out puttin' the brakes down on the trouble train, but I guess it ain't so good neither. Didn't mean ta be puttin' a crimp in yer style, there, Miss Sofia." Jessie's smile had turned from a somber one to one of a more teasing variety. "If yer gonna be doin' some lashin' for folks frumpin' up yer mission, all I ask is ya wear yerself out on them folks like Rico first, and save the more tender touches for li'l ol' me, alright? Hahaha...But in all seriousness, Missy, don't you be goin' off and tryin' ta be no hero by your lonesome 'gainst those jackasses down in the Canyon, y'hear? You's a right nice picture, as I said before, and I'm sure it'd just be a devastatin' blow to the morale of all of us with workin' eyes iffin' it went and happened that such a pretty thing met her end all solitary-like down yonder, ya know?"

And here, Jessie paused a moment, turning so as to give Sofia a side profile view of himself while he looked off towards the canyon. His disposition seemed to darken for a moment and, perhaps unintentionally, his hand slipped out to hover above the firearm on his hip.

"'Sides, them folks don't deserve no touch of beauty 'fore they get dusted. Villains and varmints like them oughta be razed out by somethin' much more akin to the ugly side o' life, don'tcha think?" He glanced back at her, a half-grin on his face. "Like yours truly, for example. Am I right?" Of course, he was far from 'right.' He was, after all, a Siren. Still, he said it for her benefit (or, really, for his) simply for comparison purposes - further layering on his unveiled flattery about Sofia's physical appearance. "Unfortunately, darlin', as for questions, I can't say I got much in the way of specifics. General is the only trail open right now, 'cuz we ain't had nothin' but ourselves to act as a compass. Best I can do is say things like: What d'ya want me to do? Where d'ya want me to go? Who'm I s'posed ta be reportin' to? Ya know, things like that. Don't know the front from the back or the top from the bottom, as it is right now." And he turned back towards her. "But, ma'am, if I may be so bold, if you be lookin' ta go causin' trouble ta those folks in the Canyon - despite my warnin's - well, then I gotta ask that ya take me with you. Thing's're calm enough here that I ain't doin' no extra bit o' good by bein' here, miss, and I'd just as well put a bullet or two in the heads o' those bastards as I'd take a bullet or four for the li'l VDF scout princess standin' here in front of me. Whatcha say? I can be an extra gun-" He emphasized this by quick drawing his Peacemaker, cocking it, releasing the hammer, spinning it on his finger, and re-holstering it. "-or yer musical accompaniment -" He tapped the guitar strapped to his back. "Or anything else ya want me ta be. Just say the word."

[SOFIA BLAKKE]

Where Is The Edge

♠ "As long as it got done. That's what matters." And lord knows that with the current degree of dis-coordination within the VDF, most things were certainly easier said then done. Hearing that matters in this department had already been settled for the most part was actually a relief. Besides, with his words about the trouble going on in the canyon, it sounded like she still had plenty to do to make good use of her time. ...A right nice picture? She blinked, then flushed slightly again against her better judgment when she realized what he meant. Well...he was a Siren, after all, she reminded herself.

♠ She listened to the rest of his words, thinking for a moment before answering. She resisted a sigh - why were so many members getting recruited without anyone giving them a briefing at all? Yet another sign of Antivirus's somewhat poor organization... "Our main base of operations is set in Savette, and all members are welcome there. The headquarters is where members can give reports, get assignments, and attend meetings. Occasionally, in volatile areas such as this, scouts, such as myself, will stop by and ask for reports or updates, as well."

♠ "When I am ready to return to base, you can accompany me, if you'd like - it looks like there are still plenty of other members here. I could give you a full briefing of everything there." She suggested, before moving to his next statement.

♠ Eventually, she nodded. "I do plan on continuing out to the canyon before returning to Savette, but I assure you that I am quite trained to be able to handle situations like this in terms of both combat and knowing when I am outnumbered or outmatched. You are free to come if you'd like, however - another set of hands and eyes is always appreciated." After all, as that old saying goes, two is better than one, right? She smiled a bit.

It’s the rule that you live by and die for, it's the one thing you cannot deny, even though you don't know what the price is it is justified

Tagged: jessie ♠ Notes: sorry for the lateness of this D: ♠ Lyrics: within temptation

[JESSIE SANTANGELO]

"Yes'm, I believe providin' ya escort back ta HQ might be in my best interest when it comes to this antivirus thing. Ain't never the best thing to be runnin' 'round like chickens with their heads cut off, eh?" Jessie gave a bit of a laugh. "Not that we done so bad here, that is. But, hey, ain't it standard practice that the ol' new employee be given a tour o' the office? Usually, if I remember right, that comes first... but, better late 'n never, as they say. Ain't never been out Savette way, so t'would be inter'stin' ta see the landscape and whatever classifies as wildlife. 'Specially if ya could be so kind as ta keep wearin' that rosy shade whilst we gallivant around."

Flirting aside, Jessie turned, in full, towards the road leading towards the canyon.

"True as can be, miss, I couldn't be lettin' ya go that-a-way by yer lonesome even if I wanted to. So, 'preciated or not, and with no regards to yer trainin' - which, by the way, I don't doubt in the slightest - I'll be moseying on in that direction here sooner 'n later. We can go on an' make a nice couple on a romantic stroll, if ya like... or one of us gets ta play that ne're too nicely coined term o' 'stalker', leastwise 'til it's certain there ain't no danger about. If ya bolt on ahead, well... I won't be too far behind and that's a promise. If ya prefer to lay back a moment, I s'pose it ain't no big deal for me ta go walkin' out, drawin' attention to myself so's you can sneak on up unnoticed and hit 'em where it hurts. Whatever it is that be yer preference, Miss. After all, I am the subordinate in this situation, ain't I? Haha."

((OOC: Sorry it's short. >.> Where would you like for us to take this? NPC blasting in the canyon, then to HQ? Lemme know if you have some specific ideas. =D ))

[SOFIA BLAKKE]

Where Is The Edge

♠ Sofia nodded as he began speaking again. "Right, very well. I do apologize. Whoever recruited you and the other newcomers should have at least offered a clear explanation and the location of our HQ." Things were getting so chaotic...the last thing they needed were more new recruits, like that earlier Leech, who barely knew what they were signing up for and how they were expected to act as a member of Antivirus. Though it was encouraging that they still seemed to have managed to get the situation in Valli under control in most terms.

♠ "'Specially if ya could be so kind as ta keep wearin' that rosy shade whilst we gallivant around." Noticing his last words, she blinked for a moment, before quickly trying to clear her throat and remove the slight blush from her face. Yet much to her irritation, it only deepened at her efforts. In the end, she just looked away like a frustrated child; she focused her attention on the route leading out to the canyon, though she still listened carefully.

♠ "Let's choose the roll of fellow members and operate as partners." She suggested with a slight smile at his talk of romantic strolls and stalkers. "Green or not, you are still a member of Antivirus, the same as I. I will choose not to doubt your skill, either. First we should scout out the situation - from there we can contemplate the best way of dealing with it. ...Do you have any estimate of just how many rouges we might run into out there?"

♠ With that, she turned back towards the road leading in to the canyon. There was no point in wasting time or hesitating; she already started to walk as she finished speaking.

It’s the rule that you live by and die for, it's the one thing you cannot deny, even though you don't know what the price is it is justified

Tagged: jessie ♠ Notes: sorry for the lateness again... and an NPC fight then an HQ tour sounds fine~ ♠ Lyrics: within temptation