acatalepsy_rpg

[ when the feed comes on, riza's expression is tense. controlled. she's looking straight into the camera. there's an air of professionalism to her as she speaks, but that's to be expected.

she's lived through enough warzones, calamities, and nightmares to know how this goes. ]

My name is Riza Hawkeye. I know some of you, but-

[ not important. she blinks herself out of that. roy was always better at this, wasn't he? okay, breathe. ]

We need to regroup. I'm sure everyone has felt some part of what is going on, but things are getting out of hand. We can't turn on each other at a time like this, not with whatever is happening down below. I know a lot of us are scared, but if we're going to get through this, we need to pull together.

[ a beat, and then she exhales. riza doesn't look fantastic, honestly. she hasn't slept in who knows how long, and with everything going on around the ship?

but she's trying, that has to mean something, right? ]

Anyone who needs help, come find me in the lounge. I know basic first aid and can see what I can do. If anyone has any kind of healing abilities that are working? I can help with those too. I'm trying to collect what supplies we have, but help is appreciated.

I'll be in the Lounge if anyone needs to find me.

[ and then the feed cuts.

ooc timeline wise! this is happening semi-post the event log but pre the wrap-up log! meaning that people who went down in the first log can be back up, but all the dead bodies haven't made it up. she is open for network stuff but also if you just want to action meeting her in the lounge......feel free.

also.....no one has told her about roy yet so. that is open. c: ]

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I know you will. [ she gives him a small, empathetic smile. because above it all, they both do know how that all feels. the weight, but also the responsibility to come back to their roles. their team. she watches him square his shoulders and pull himself back together and all she can really do is nod, feeling herself grow a bit more centered. ]

I agree. That monster, and whatever it's doing, can't go on like it is. The messages we found up here prove that. That...thing is what killed the last crew. All of them.

[ he touches her arm, and some of that resolve crumbles from her face. just for a moment, but riza lets it. ]

You're going to need two teams- one to go after the monster, and one to. [ a pause, and then she swallows. ] One to retrieve the bodies. We can't leave them down there.

Team retrieval will need just as many experienced fighters. ...just in case. [He briefly glances around. They’re alone. His shoulders sag a little and the care worn expression he’d been hiding is on his face. His grey eyes are faintly haunted. But just as that mask’s removal shows his pain it also shows the will to see no one else hurt. The haunted light is tempered with a sharp intensity.

He turns what she told him over in his head. His priority is to learn all he can and come up with a plan to kill the creature. While he’s at it to see to the team that had been up here. ...as much as he can.]

I want you on the retrieval team or on guard up here. You’re level headed, reasonable, and if they need to retreat I know you will see it done. [Shiro shuts his eyes for a moment. One moment. It’s all he can afford.] We don’t know if we’ll succeed in dealing with the creature. Please keep an eye on Hunk. He’s honest and a good man to have with you. As a healer and an engineer.

[He opens his eyes, a sad smile on his face.] I know I’m asking a lot of you. I wish I didn’t have to. If you decide to come down on the team to fight the beast, I’ll welcome you all the same. It’s your decision.

[ he's right. of course he is. she knows he's going to be, because it's almost exactly what she would say if their situations were switched. but more than that, she feels the way his body relaxes, a sign enough to her that they're alone.

the rest of what she'd been holding together collapses to the floor, and riza leans forward, pressing her hands to her face. she's exhausted, but more than that she's terrified, and she hates what she says next more than anything, but because it's shiro, she can say it. ]

I should go down there, but I don't know if I can. Roy's still- [ missing, gone, probably dead. the words die in her throat as she sits there for a moment, her face still in her hands. then the moment passes, and riza takes a breath, sitting back up and watching as shiro closes his eyes.

of course he's thinking about hunk, his paladins. riza lets out the breath and nods. ] I'll stay up here. Act as a base for you to come back to. Hunk will be needed, especially if he's a healer. [ and then, as shiro gives her his smile, she returns one in kind. ] You don't ask that much of me, Shiro. We're here for the same reason. But- [ there are too many possibilities, too many chances, images, scenarios. she doesn't know if it'll help anyone for her to go down there and then get caught up in who knows what just to look for him.

not when she can be of help up here. ] I'll stay here. Make sure there's somewhere set up for the retrieval team.

[His heart twinges when she stops hiding behind her mask. He knows how he would be if it were Keith that hadn’t returned. A mess that has no business going back down but would charge into the fray anyway. But he would be at his most effective that way. Riza knows where she will be strongest.

Shiro reaches for her shoulder. It’s because their public faces are off he can do this. If she allows it he pulls her into a hug. Otherwise his hand just stays on her shoulder like a steady port in the storm.]

I’ll do what I can down there. No matter what happens, I’ll make sure it won’t hurt anyone else.

[He will stop it even it costs his life and he knows Keith feels the same way. This can’t be allowed to continue.]

[ she will let him pull her towards him for the hug, tucking her face into his shoulder as he does so. it's easier knowing they both get it. that she's not showing weakness, or have anyone to hold it together for. she closes her eyes, breathes, and listens to shiro talk.

but a moment later, she will pull back, her eyes hard when she looks to him. she knows what he's saying, and she can't tell him no, but. ]

Come back. [ don't tell her whatever it takes. don't. ] Finish it, and come back. Okay?

[He relaxes as she settles against him. The last bit of tension he’d been keeping fades away. He expects it when she pulls back with eyes like two chips of ice. His grey eyes meet hers.

She didn’t tell him no to the underlying promise. But, she is asking him for something else. He isn’t used to having a future that stretches out far and wide. He might not actually have that but it feels like that’s what he has. He trusts his instincts.] We will finish it,

[His voice is heavy with certainty. He would find a way to survive. He would bring the team he took down there right back up when it was over.] And we will come back.

[ she's not....well. she's not thrilled with that answer, but not because of anything that shiro says, but because she knows just as well as he does that he has no real control over it.

still, his agreement and the serious expression on his face helps, and riza nods. okay. okay. because it will have to be enough for her right now.

and after another moment, riza runs another hand over her face before she moves to stand. there's a restless energy in her that she just needs to walk out. ]

What do you know about it? The monster.

[He lets her go and braids his fingers into one fist in front of him. He had gone toe to toe with the beast a few times. Is his magic back to normal? He is afraid to check. Focus.

The facts come out clear and precise as if he were staring at a screen and reading off the data.] The creature has the ability to phase or warp. I can’t tell which it is. It’s faster than a human and as long as it has ample darkness it can cover distance in seconds. Attacks vary. While it hits you mentally and slows you down, it could be lashing out at you with its limbs.

It’s intelligent and self aware enough to recognize threats. It tried to go for Maes while I was with him because it knew I would try to protect him and possibly leave myself open.

It hates light. It might be feeding on fear. Some of the victims look like it was toying with them to get the most out of the kill. I don’t know how much higher order functions it has. It never tried to communicate.

But the fake versions of people it generated to use against me were all people I care about. When that didn’t work it,

[He falters. She needs to know and he trusts her. He takes a breath in and continues. He doesn’t notice he talks a little faster..] It sent the witch who did experiments on me against me.

It has a limited ability to make these fakes life like. If you know someone very well it’s closer. Haggar wasn’t even a shadow of the real thing. It was all attacks from the only battle I’ve had against her. Keith and I killed the fake.

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