hadriel_logs | Long Hours [Open Guard HQ Post]

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Long Hours [Open Guard HQ Post]

Who: OPEN - anyone visiting the Guard HQ throughout early November
What: This is an open post for the Guard HQ - feel free to tag Nick here, make your own top-levels, etc. for whatever your characters might be doing there! They don't have to be in the Guard, so long as you can come up for a reason for them to be there.
Where: Guard Headquarters
When: Early November
Warnings: TBA

It's been a busy few days at the Guard headquarters. It's no real surprise, given the current state of affairs: the Null have made contact again, putting targets on the backs of anyone who openly opposes them, all while throwing any peace the city might have had into question once more. Usually, it's the gods making trouble, and while most folks aren't happy with them either, at least they tend to follow a pattern, inciting specific emotions with brief, albeit tumultuous events. On the other hand, they know little about the Null and how they operate other than what they've been told.

Chances are they might not be able to trust much of that as it is. They might be more mechanical than living beings, viewing anything other than cold, hard logic as a disease to be wiped out, but that doesn't mean the Null can't lie, can't deceive. If they're operating on efficiency, then they'll do whatever they deem necessary to get the job done, even if that means cutting down anyone who gets in their way. Some would say it's for the greater good, sacrificing one for the sake of the many, but it isn't right. It isn't justice.

There has to be another way.

For as much as some would say otherwise, the Guard keeps busy. The patrols clear the streets of any creatures that might sneak in from the caves -- they protect new arrivals from monsters until they can get to safety. Even when not actively working, the Guard generally tries to keep a helping hand only a minute or so away at all times, just in case something goes awry -- from the gods, from the Null, or even from other residents of the city. It's a thankless job that has its ups and downs, and if the new notice on the door to the headquarters is any indication, it's about to get a whole lot bumpier.

For anyone entering the HQ, they are greeted with a sign tacked to the entrance, one at eye-level and scrawled in handwriting as clear as Nick could make it:

Looking for volunteers for extra patrols and assignments - see Nick

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As for Nick Valentine himself, he can be found in two places these days. Most of the time, he's at his desk in the headquarters, that one off to the side along the wall as one enters the building. With the Null continuing to make promises and trying to attract people to their cause, he's been keeping himself busy: filing reports, going over the roster and map to rework the patrol routes for efficiency, taking notes and transcribing all that's going on over the network. He hasn't been home in two days himself, and while he's not human, he can get as worn down as anyone by the threat of what's to come, by the danger it poses to this place. It's as much of a home as he's going to get; someone has to protect it.

Their main problem is that they only have so many hands to handle the storm that's brewing among the people. The gods haven't exactly been helpful in most cases, even with the small compromises they've made -- for some, it's too little too late, especially with the Null's latest demands. They want a sacrifice to reveal their weapon, if there really is a weapon at all. They made it sound like it's in the city already, but where? And if it does exist, can they get a hold of it before everything goes to Hell in a blood-soaked handbasket?

It's war, as usual, with all the wrong people wrapped up in it whether they like it or not. War never changes. If there's something he can do to prevent Hadriel from going the way of the Commonwealth... well, Nick has to try. He has to do something for the people here, for those who have nowhere else to go, for his family... and hell, even for himself.

Curufin is in fairly often anyway, and he is never slow to help with tasks such as sorting and filing when he's in the office. And when he sees the sign on the entrance, he comes to Nick's desk.

"How's it going?" he asks. "I can take some extra assignments."

Ignis walks into the HQ early on the second day after the Null's message. He hasn't really been able to keep still, driven by a restless energy that would normally have been funnelled into protecting Noctis at times like these. When the focus of a life-long oath is removed from a person, there are few directions that can be taken from there, but Ignis is not someone who easily falls into despair when there are other things to be done.

Instantly, he recognises that he isn't alone. Nick Valentine isn't someone he's really sat down and spoken to as of yet (the appearance of the man can be a shock, but not too off-putting) but he is certain that there hasn't been a time in the last two days when he has walked in here and found that desk unoccupied. Ignis doesn't doubt that if he didn't require sleep and at least semi-regular meals he would have been doing exactly the same thing. The Null have always been a threat in the back of his mind, since the first message of theirs that he saw, but they have made sure that no one can dismiss them now.

"You ought to take a break, Nick," he says quietly, resting his fingertips against a small section of the desk not covered in paperwork. "For sanity's sake, if nothing else."

Drake has really only dealt with Henry and Maketh thus far, but he knows who Nick is. Knows who to look for when he sees the posting on the door. He's already busy -- between Guard patrols and helping build the bunker and just watching over Ephemera in his current state he's wearing thin, but he wants to stay on top of this. Find out what's being organized and where the other members of the Guard stand. Maybe someone's planning something he can help with. The feelers he's put out so far haven't come up with anything.

"Nick?" He steps up to the desk, eyeing the spread of paperwork curiously. "What are the extra assignments?"

Nick glances at Curufin as he approaches, raising an eyebrow.

"You sure? You seem to have plenty going on as it is."

Given all the surveillance he does, he's seen the network -- frankly, everyone has probably seen the transmission in question by now.

Nick's eyes flick from his own writing to the fingers on his desk, then to the man they belong to. He hasn't gotten much of a chance to talk to Ignis since he joined the Guard -- not before, given Nick doesn't partake in any of the cooking Ignis has been roped into doing, and not now that the Null are back on the radar. He should change that.

Perhaps when there's less work to be done. "I appreciate the concern, but someone has to keep an eye on things. Might as well be the guy who doesn't need to sleep."

That doesn't mean he doesn't need to rest, and he knows it.

Lance absolutely does not want to have this conversation, because he can only see it going badly. The only reason he's willing to try it is that he thinks the consequences for not doing so could be just as bad, and he's exhausted every option he has for handling things on his own.

He'd considered, for a short time, whether he'd wanted to speak with Nick or Henry first, and had decided on the former for a few reasons. One is that his past conversations with Nick had gone better, overall, although recently he and Henry have been getting along fine; another, more importantly, is that he thinks Nick might be more objective. He wouldn't blame Henry for taking the side of someone he cares a great deal for, but that potential does make Lance wary of trying to discuss this with him.

So for those reasons, as well as a few others, it's Nick that Lance decides to seek out; he approaches him at the guard headquarters cautiously, after making sure the place is relatively deserted for the moment.

"Hello Nick. Can I speak with you?"

As much as he's trying not to make it obvious, it's probably still clear that he's tense and apprehensive about this; exhaustion and stress from the last few days aren't helping with that either.

Nick, similarly, knows Drake mostly by name and his patrol assignment; given how much time he spends patrolling himself, Nick tends to not know the various recruits as well as his bosses do. It's one of those things he always says he'll work on when he's got the time. Finding the time is the trick, even for a detective.

He levels his glowing eyes on Drake, staying his pen. "Extra patrols, and a few cases where we need certain areas watched more than others. The Null have a growing list of targets, and we can't be too careful."

Given he's pretty sure he's the only one in the headquarters at the moment, Nick glances toward the door when he hears it open -- he can't say he expected to see Dr. Sweets coming through it, but he keeps the surprise from his expression for now, giving the man a nod as he heads over. From the sound of it, he's not looking to volunteer for patrols. Doesn't seem like the type anyway, given his general demeanor when it comes to the Guard.

"Doctor," Nick greets. He can tell there's something wearing on Lance, but there's a lot wearing on everyone these days. "Sure, we can talk. Is here okay, or...?"

He cocks his head toward the back, picking up on the uncertainty in the doctor's tone. Others might miss it, but he's a detective -- it's in his nature.

Lance gives a cautious glance around the guardpost, making sure there's no one lurking in the corners that he hadn't noticed at first, and although he'd definitely prefer to talk privately he also doesn't want to be the reason the place is left empty should someone need assistance.

So after a moment he shakes his head at the question, deciding that this should be okay for the moment. "Thank you. Here is fine, at least for now."

He hesitates another moment, before deciding to just get into it. "There's an... Issue, that I've been concerned about for some time, and with the most recent developments regarding the Null it's something that I can't keep hoping to somehow resolve myself."

Though he sees that glance, Nick doesn't question it; it just reaffirms that this must be something the doctor wants kept quiet, if nothing else. He sets his pen aside and gestures to the chair before his desk, an offer for Lance to take a seat.

"You know I'm all ears," he replies -- especially if the Null might be involved. That may be true, but whether or not Lance trusts him with whatever he's got to say is another story.

Lance takes the indicated seat, nodding a little in response; he believes Nick, that he's willing to listen and wants to do the right thing, and that's the reason Lance is bringing this to him. It's also the reason why he's doing his best to keep quiet the voice in his head that's telling him he's taking a huge risk by trusting someone he barely knows.

He's silent several more seconds, still, as he figures out how to actually say this, and there's really no way to do so that isn't going to sound bad. But sometimes that's life, and this is too important for not to say just because he's nervous.

So he takes a deep breath, and just says it.

"I'm... I don't think Maketh intends to attempt stopping anyone who might try to take the Null up on their offer."

Lance's assessment is met with a moment of silence on Nick's end; he leans back just a bit in his chair, taking it in, his brow knitting beneath the brim of his hat. He lets out a sigh from a breath he took on reflex rather than out of necessity. His voice is quiet when he does answer a few seconds later.

"Frankly... you might be right."

It's something he's not sure he ever wants to bring up to Maketh himself -- especially not with what's going on with her and Rey these days -- but he does worry about her, about whether or not she'll do the right thing rather than cave to old habits that have been ingrained into her her entire life. He's not the only one who has seen how she gets, who knows she can take things to an extreme. While he believes she's got a good heart, he also knows how destructive those ingrained impulses can be, how much they can drive a person to do whatever it takes to see things through. A mindset like that is one of the main reasons he exists at all, that he is Nick Valentine... and unfortunately, he came with a lot of the original Nick's baggage in that regard.

"A lot of us aren't fond of the gods here. I can't blame them, seeing how it seems they put us through Hell every few weeks. But eventually, we have to realize who is the biggest threat of all here, whether its the gods, the Null, or us."

Edited 2017-11-02 00:09 (UTC)

Lance is... Not expecting that. The best he'd been hoping for would be that Nick was willing to listen to his reasoning, and more realistically he'd been expecting to be disbelieved entirely; surprise shows on his face for a moment, before he can get it under control, and some of the tension he's been holding drains just slightly.

He listens, nodding in agreement to Nick's last points; although Lance has decided to help the gods, mostly due to a combination of Brennan's reasoning and his own potential benefit, he still doesn't really like them. But he considers the Null a much more present threat, and now with the hit list the people here are even more of a danger than they already are.

"I understand the conflict those here might have in whether to side with the Null or the gods." He starts off carefully, more because he wants to express things clearly than because he's afraid of Nick's reaction now. "However, no matter which side you're on, neither should take precedence over the lives of the people here who didn't ask to be involved in this. Particularly when you're one of the leaders of an organization that people might rely on for protection."

Which is really the biggest problem, and why he's bringing this up. If Maketh were just an individual it would be a different situation; still a problem, but not on such a scale, and Lance knows that he hasn't been able to trust the Guard as a whole because of his concerns regarding her. Who knows how many other people might need help but won't ask for it, or perhaps even worse might ask for help and think they're going to get it, but won't.

"I agree."

There's no hesitation before that answer, not even a little. Nick has made it pretty clear where he stands with the gods, multiple times and in the open; those who know him know exactly how he feels about the Null and their demands, despite the superficial similarities between them and himself. However, it's not hard for anyone who has spoken to Nick to see how he regard the people of Hadriel and the Guard: the people are the priority. The Guard is not the law, as he's reiterated time and time again -- the Guard is there to protect those who need it.

And given the threat the gods and the Null present to those people, the Guard has a job to do. Lance is right, though: having someone like Maketh in a leadership position, someone who might be putting her personal grudges ahead of the principles of the organization, is just asking for trouble.

"She's not the sole leader of the Guard."

He knows what the deeper problem is, and the quiet uncertainty in his tone says as much; even he's having a difficult time swallowing it, though. He has immense respect for Maketh, for what she's tried to do here. Maybe that's what makes it all the more difficult to face the music.

As far as her involvement with the Guard go, Rey has been fairly discreet. Her time spent at the HQ has been minimal, usually relying on Nick to deal with the paperwork and filing. Not that Rey minds -- reports at her least favorite thing, and there's only so many doodles and scribbles she can turn in before her patience with the desk pushing part of the job wears thin.

With Sato gone, it would almost seem safe for Rey to return to her regular relationship with the Guard. Drop the pretenses. But as time has gone on, she's found herself more comfortable living the way she has been. Keeping the Guard at a distance, and prioritizing the Speakeasy. At this point, she considers herself to be more of a member by association than anything else.

After all, her girlfriend and the synthetic who might as well be her father work here.

In light of recent events, however, Rey has been dropping notes here and there throughout the city. A little graffiti here and a sign there. Maybe a symbol on a table or a card in a book. Things that might seem like little leftovers of boredom.

Unlike Nick's more blunt form of drawing attention to the Guard, Rey's is a little more underhanded. She knows a thing or two about subterfuge, laying low -- discretion. And while she wants to believe that the people here are trustworthy not to send them all to a gruesome fate at the hands of homicidal machines, she has seen those complicit to the Null's request. Some of them might be sincere, others might be playing their cards like herself.

Either way, she has to be sure.

Having brokered a (sort of) deal with Rose and Law alike, Rey might be growing confident in her plans. But if something goes wrong, or there is another way, she sure as hell would like to hear it. Safety in numbers and all that.

So one can find her lingering about at the HQ, sporting a vest bearing a patch with the symbol that has been prevalent in her codes and messages throughout the underground city.

If anything, one can look at it as a treasure hunt -- if the treasure at the end of the hunt is disappointment and bad life choices.

[ooc: This is supposed to ICly kickstart the plan against the Null that Rey has been plotting! If you want your character involved, throw in their two cents, or just give Rey crap for yanking their chain, then look no further.]

Edited 2017-11-02 02:39 (UTC)

Lance can hear the underlying tone to Nick's voice, and although he's relieved that Nick seems to understand he's still sympathetic to how difficult it might be for him to deal with this. So his next response is slightly hesitant but honest, trying to avoid judgement while still stating the situation as he understands it.

"I know she isn't, and I believe Henry is both capable and means well." He can't fully say he trusts him, both because he doesn't know him well enough and because of the issue he's about to bring up, but he genuinely believes Henry's motivations are good. "But he's also very close to Maketh, and even the best people can find it difficult to oppose someone they care for."

Which he's very concerned might happen; if Henry takes Maketh's side out of a sense of loyalty, then in effect she's the one calling the shots. Aside from Lance's issues with Maketh specifically, this is another reason he's been so wary of the Guard overall, because he doesn't know if Henry--or anyone else--would take any action if there was a problem.

Lance is right on the money -- Henry and Maketh are as close as blood, and while he trusts their hearts are in the right place, Nick has little doubt how Henry might side in a conflict. Henry has a good head on his shoulders though, is as pragmatic as he is honorable; he's shown time and time again that he truly wants what's best for the city, as well as for Maketh. He might just be the type to apply some tough love when necessary, especially if it means keeping Maketh from going down a dark road, one that would spell the end for her and the Guard.

Nick's eyes narrow just a hair, his mouth tightening. "And you think I would."

Oppose someone he cares for, that is. It's not really a question, but he wants to know what Lance thinks of him regardless.

Edited 2017-11-03 08:18 (UTC)

He's silent several seconds at that question, both to make sure he says exactly what he means and to consider Nick's small change in expression. He can't quite read what the latter was for, and hopefully it's just that the topic is difficult, and so after a few more moments Lance finally responds.

"I think you understand the line between protecting someone, and enabling or being complicit in their actions." Or at least, he's taking the risk and hoping that Nick does, because Lance doesn't know him well enough to be sure. But he does know Nick's a detective, and that provides a different type of experience and outlook than Maketh or Henry might have. It isn't about being willing to turn on someone you care about, but to know when you have to act despite how much you care for them because it's the right thing to do.

Nick's eyes land back on the pen atop his papers, and the mechanical hand right next to it.

"Yeah. I do."

He knows when things have gone too far, knows when it's too late to save the people he cares about. He should've seen it sooner the first time with Eddie Winter, with Jenny. Maybe he should've seen it sooner this time, too.

But it's not too late -- at least he hopes not. Nick cares a lot about Maketh, and not just because of the Guard or her involvement with Rey. He wants her to see her own potential rather than watching her throw it away because she doesn't think she can be anything more than what she was back home. He knows what it's like to feel out-of-place, too -- to struggle to find a place to belong.

"It's hard enough to get people to trust us as it is," Nick continues, with a glance Lance's way that says he includes the doctor in that count. "People keep thinking we're the police or that we're somehow infallible. Like we aren't stuck here the same as them. It's not a perfect system, but it never will be if we don't do what's right, even if it isn't what's easy."

Edited 2017-11-04 01:39 (UTC)

Lance had been hoping he was correct, but hearing Nick agree is still a welcome surprise. This conversation is going better than expected, even if it's still not an easy one to have; he's quiet, while Nick continues, listening and giving a small nod of agreement before responding.

"I understand that it must be incredibly frustrating to be a part of the Guard and trying to, genuinely, do the right thing, only to be met with such opposition." And although Lance distrusts the Guard himself, some of the complaints leveled at them have been completely unfair. So he has sympathy for Nick, especially since he believes Nick is truly trying to do good.

But, as Nick obviously knows considering that glance, Lance also very much sees the other side of things as well. "But something like the Guard is very... Intimidating, especially to a new arrival who doesn't know how anything in this place works, and even more so if they've had bad experiences with similar--or perceived to be similar--organizations." He says it quietly, for once not trying to hide that he's speaking for himself as well as in general. "Anything that reinforces the fear that members of the Guard, let alone one of its leaders, might take advantage of trust put in them will only make things worse."

He knows that's what happened with him, and he's gotten the sense that there are at least a few other individuals with very similar concerns. He's spoken to some, and he very much doubts that's all of them.

The last thing Nick says, though, is incredibly reassuring to hear, because the understanding of that distinction between right and easy is vital. It's also something he's said almost word for word to Maketh before, without any progress, but that Nick says it so quickly and easier makes him suddenly far less afraid that he'd made a mistake by talking to him. "You're right, and even if it takes time, that's going to be what convinces people who are wary of the Guard to change their minds."

"And that's if we can convince them at all," Nick finishes. At the end of the day, they're not there to make friends: the Guard has a job to do, and whether people like them or not, there are those who need protecting, those who could make the city a better place to everyone if given the chance. They can't survive with a sour reputation, though -- that might work for an individual, but not for an organization, one that would benefit from the trust of the people. Civilians might be more willing to come to them when trouble arises, and they might be able to get more hands willing to help when the job isn't completely thankless.

But he gets what Lance is saying: they all come from different worlds, and even Nick can't say he hasn't had his fair share of problems with groups like the police and the Diamond City security. Just as there are those willing to help, so too are there people who would take advantage of their position, who'd use it for personal gain no matter what the cost.

And he can't have that. Nick doesn't believe Maketh would be the type to go that far, but not everyone knows that. All they know is what they see, and if they see someone unstable -- someone increasingly unsure of herself, or someone who puts a vendetta over principles -- leading them, it could cause more problems than its worth for not just the Guard, but for those who depend on them to keep the streets safe.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

Nick has his own ideas of how to handle the situation, if they have to cross that bridge, but has never been one to turn away advice from someone who seems reasonable, especially when said person was willing to trust him enough to voice his concerns to begin with.

Edited 2017-11-04 02:36 (UTC)

Lance is far less convinced than Nick about how far Maketh would go, especially after his many conversation with her and, beyond that, the two more violent altercations. But he doesn't want to go into those, because this is already going to look like a grudge, and it truly isn't about that.

But he doesn't have any real answer to Nick's question; he doesn't know what to do--or what to suggest for Nick to do--other than very vague basics, and he also feels like it might be safer if he doesn't offer actual input other than voicing his concerns. So he's quiet several seconds, staring down at the surface of Nick's desk, and finally offers a weak shrug. "I'm... Hesitant to suggest anything, for several reasons."

But still--

"In the short term, I just think that focusing on how to protect people is the more important thing; issues of image and the Guard in general are less of a priority." Surely something Nick already knows, but... "So ultimately it's about making sure that the orders given to the Guard are meant to work toward that goal."

In order words, all that might be necessary for now is to review any orders given, and make sure there's no ulterior motivations underlying them. It's the most neutral thing Lance can offer as advice, while still directly addressing the issue.

Though he knows a neutral, non-confrontational answer when he hears one, Nick did ask, so he'll take what he can get. He can't say he really blames Lance, all things considered.

"That's what I was thinking, too," he admits quietly. "Even if we wanted to, we don't have the time to focus on anything superficial at the moment. Not when people are either trying to get themselves put on the Null's list, or are planning murders over the damn network." He flashes his teeth for just a moment as he says that, annoyance eking into his voice -- both of those accounts are clearly less than hypothetical. "We just have to do what we can to protect folks for now, even if it's from each other."

That, and hope that things will either work themselves out, or hold together in the meantime. Knowing Hadriel's record, he assumes it'll just be something else they have to fix later.

"I don't know how much my word is worth, but I'll keep an eye on things on this end, make sure things don't get out of hand."

"Would I be incorrect in assuming that you need some kind of rest?"

Maybe not sleep, no, but even the MTs don't work indefinitely. Nick isn't like them, but he is some kind of machine, and Ignis can only apply parts of what he knows to his current situation in his efforts to understand it without having to ask too many prying questions.

"Fifteen minutes, detective. Hadriel won't explode because you step away from your desk, I promise."

His tone isn't one of a person trying to put the pressure on, but given that he's currently feeding most of the Guard on a regular basis (with Nick being an exception), he has developed a certain sense of duty when it comes to their wellbeing.

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Long Hours [Open Guard HQ Post]

Nick Valentine [around the HQ - open]

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Rey. | Open

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