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AdHocAvenger:
Charleville is a little older now than the pic on his wiki. No longer the baby faced teen he once was. More of a man, still a fucking kid. Still a fucking punk. His dreads are kept up in a west phille black and white bandana rag. He's at that age where it's cool to have stubble, so he's doing that stubble thing that works in the videos.
He's got headphones on his ears and is bopping about the lodge to some straight fire jam or other. From the dancing, it's probably something by Michael Jackson. He spins over to the fridge to pop the door open, leaning in to grab ... the cupcakes.
"Aight. So. I ain't calling you That Dope Lady. Klaire makes me sound like that creepy fucker from Silence of the Lambs. Fucking. Anthony Hopkins or some shit. 'Clarice'." He spends a moment looking her up and down and sucks a tooth, shaking his head. "I mean. 'That Dope Lady is a pretty cool fucking name, if I say so, which I did, which is why you got it, so. I mean." Another suck at the tooth. It's like he's helpless, here, really, to stop complimenting her.
"Miss Dopeness? Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Kickass?" He snaps his fingers twice and leaps on providing, "Duchess of Dope!"
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire was dressed nicely, but not ostentatious. A nicer shirt, cardigan, and jeans. Rook with his vest was with her as this was...well...a hard talk. And Rook was a service dog, he was allowed in.
She noticed the young man, worries getting about her, but she passes it off as enthusiasm. At least she hoped it was enthusiasm.
"I'd rather have none of those if you don't mind. If you don't enjoy my name, you may call me Psyche as well. Or Investigator Henriette if you want." She watches him, and Rook sniffs at her hand, offering some comfort.
"Thank you for meeting with me, Charleville."
AdHocAvenger:
"Psyche. Sick ass Psyche, I love that. Dope sick tight tight tight, Psyche. Yeah. Psyche. Mmm. I like it. I like it! Very you." Charleville sets the cupcakes down on the table and pops open the lid. They are some deeeeeeeluxe cupcakes, these. An assortment dozen from one of the gourmet cupcakeries that pop up around town next to the cafes.
"Nah. That's my job, right? Happy to meet all of God's children and that's the truth. Balm taught me that." He kisses two fingers and points up at the ceiling with a glance in that direction.
"So lay it on me. What's the deal, yo."
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire takes a cupcake, but looks at it closely. She wasn't entirely sure THIS didn't still have something in it. After a moment she does eat it.
"I was told I needed to pick a name. Phyche is the goddess of the soul, it seemed apt." She takes a breath.
"It's about the Mark IIs. I was interviewed by one, and it seemed to know I was part of the Free Council. Then, I found some interesting information from my investigation the other day, I'm not sure how much Ethos has told you."
AdHocAvenger:
"Assume I really like the sound of your voice, Psyche, and that everything you got to say to me? I wanna hear." Because, say the motions of his body as he reaches over for his bong whis is packed, that is the longer he will have to sit here, eat cupcakes, smoke weed, and call it working.
"Please. Please. You have the foor."
He watches her attentively out of the side of his vision while lifting his Snoopy bong to his mouth for a monster, bubbling, blurbling hit. He pulls out the bowl and lets go of the carburetor to let the smoke up the pipe, drops the bowl back into its grommet, and gives a big thumbs up.
"Oh, snap. Someone brought cupcakes." He grabs one. He is, apparently, also listening.
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire is just... so put off by him. She takes a second to figure out what to say.
"What do you know of Marsbase Hermes?"
AdHocAvenger:
"For real?" He says the two words like he's amazed, dismayed, and disappointed all it once. His childish good cheer and jokes sort of die on the vine, and he's now staring at her across the table. Stone faced. "Oh, we judgin' now? That what we doin', Klaire? You judgin' me? Say it plain, what's on your mind, Klaire. Dyin' to fuckin' know. Cos I know for sure Hermes ain't it."
Klaire Henriette:
She stands. "I think I should leave, that's what I think. You are high enough to forget you brought cupcakes that you talked about a minute ago. It makes me struggle to trust your judgement for this."
AdHocAvenger:
"Or I'm seeing what kind of person I'm talking to," Charleville counters. "I'm an Acanthus. A master of Fate and Time. I remember shit I wish I didn't know, I know that. And I know if I didn't know as much as you don't about something you come to talk to me about, I might start wondering if there's some other shit I don't know about, either. You come into my home. Where I live. And you judge me for how you find me."
"This room ain't real. This weed ain't real. I ain't real, really. Not like you're lookin' at me. And neither are you. And you think it matters one bit whether or not my molecules are humming this way, or that way? I could snap my fingers and undo all of this and never light that bowl if you want. Want me to do that?"
He tilts his head the other way, "Or do you wanna get to know me. Mark One's friend. The guy that reverse engineered some of his software. One of the people that maintains his chassis for him. The dude that helped fix up a cool apartment for Mary and Amos. And what you wanna know about me right now is whether or not I was high when I was doing all that? That's what's making you get up and leave a room?"
He flips it on her, then. "How many bankers desks you sat at in your life. You ever stood in the line at the DMV? Ever pay a fine at the police station? Ever sit down with a social worker or say he went that way officer? You want to play 'trust your judgement'? Bare your sleeves first, let's compare scars."
Klaire Henriette:
She keeps calm, but underneath shes seething quietly. She takes a moment to assess, to figure out what to say...and she sits back down calmly.
"No, I haven't had to do that. Any of those. I apologize for my judgement." Rook comes over and puts his head in her lap.
AdHocAvenger:
That's enough for him. His smile breaks again. "Cool. Forgiven! I come on strong, I get it. You want to talk about what that's about? Or about Hermes? Or what?"
He plucks up a cupcake to start peeling off its paper cup.
"And pleeeeease try to relax. We're peers. You're not better than me, I'm not better than you. That's thinking you walked in here with."
Klaire Henriette:
Relaxing...thats a struggle for her. Thats why she has Rook. She was expecting...well not Charleville and is having to adjust.
"Peers, right. I'm not used to peers like this is all." A deep breath. "But yes, Hermes. Another Sleepwalker named Phyx joined me on my investigation. I wanted his technical know how, and we came across a Mark II that was messing with a generator. Phyx and I...made a poor decision. We thought we would be able to disable it quickly and were wrong. If you've seen the explosion in Northwest Philly, that was our fault." Theres a grimace.
"But...I managed to get in its head before the pilot left. After that...it was just a robot." She pauses so he can ask questions for what shes said so far.
AdHocAvenger:
"No chance you kept some bomb residue or some shit from the blast? Debris, maybe? I can do some forensic analysis, get back to you? If that blast was magitech?" Another little cocksure suck of his teeth, "We can disarm 'em one way. And if it's just chemistry going boom, we can interrupt that, too. Not that I'm not usually in favor of destroying the enforcement apparatus of the state."
He nods a bit at the end, "I wish we knew where they go. We figure there's a warded warehouse somewhere. You know? They can't be nowhere, they gotta be somewhere. And every time I ask the Vibe, the Vibe ain't got shit for me. So whoever does have em? Hid them good. We could probably get it out of Creator, who we also have in custody-- they're the one responsible for all this? Mostly? But that would mean being in a room with Creator when their lips are moving and not punching them in the face while screaming, and I've not got that part figured out yet. Cos they tried to kill my Nan and fuck up the tree."
And so the 22 year old inner city kid reaches for the bong again. "What about you? What you do?"
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire shakes her head. "I was more focused on getting myself, Rook, and Phyx out. I had...wanted to get to Mark II to somewhere we could recover it, but was too panicked to focus. Luckily none of us were killed. It almost..." she stops to consider. "The body looked like it turned into smoke almost...then just exploded. It was strange. I'm not usually around explosions, but it didn't look mundane. Whether its just some kind of chemistry or magic is beyond me, but the site may still have residue."
Psyche pauses. "So thats the thing, when I get in someone's head, I can pry around. I'm a private investigator who looks for missing people, it led me to...many supernatural cases as well. But...I got in one's head. I saw glimpses of a base on a different planet. Soteria heard my description and thought it was Marsbase Hermes." Theres a pause for thought. "I may be able to figure out the location of the werehouse if I can get close to one thats being piloted again. Phyx pointed out...while being piloted, they are far more dangerous, but also more vunerable. The pilot seems to feel pain still, so maybe I can dig into where the werehouse is?"
She pauses, a wary smile. "All theoretically of course. I would never promote breaking laws as a private investigator."
AdHocAvenger:
If she did have occasion to wonder if he was paying attention? His motions stop at the mention of a base on a different planet. It's very clear some pieces may be coming together for him.
"Oh, shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..." Pause for breath. He makes the T sound.
"Do. Do you like, mind? If a call some friends in?"
Klaire Henriette:
She pauses, not expecting such a reaction.
"Of course, whoever else needs to hear this is welcome. As long as Rook can stay." Rook's tail wags at his name being said, relaxing his head on her lap.
AdHocAvenger:
So he pulls out his phone, pulls up an app called CouncilChat and pokes a button.
He sends her a wink while it rings, but the pickup is quick. The voice on the other end is the pleasant voice of Mark One.
"Hello. What is up, dog?"
"You know where I'm keeping it, B!"
"Real?"
"Yep! Listen, buddy. I'm sitting here with Psyche, one of our citizen voters. She and a friend had it out with one of your cousins, and he went full death star on us. But before then she was in the Cat's head, right? And this android wasn't dreaming of electric sheep, but maybe we're thinking it's Hermes."
"And so you called me."
"And so I called you. You and Mary want to come meet with her?"
"Yes, B. That would be the defecant."
"The straight hype defecant."
"Yes. That. I will travel shortly."
The calm ends, and he sends her a grin. "You ever met Mark One or Mary?"
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire waits patiently while to call goes on, content to scritch at Rook. The fur on his flank was growing back in.
"No, I don't believe I have. I have stayed on the outskirts of the Mages still, but I'm slowly feeling more at home."
AdHocAvenger:
Mark One is the first of the line, the OG Unit. Feel? He's a sweet good natured family man under it all. A real wife guy. But, you know. He looks like one of them, kinda. Moves like one of them, kinda. Talks like one of them in a way that will make your skin crawl a little, but I promise you his brain case is free as a bird. We monitor his signals coming and going. He's fought for us. He's married to one of our own. Okay? Don't make me choose between his flesh or yours here, and you won't lose. So. And his wife, she's straight out of Captain America, the Early Years. Italian lady, hard as nails. Reminds me of three of my mom. So if you think I'm protective of the TinMan, I have nothing on her. Okay? So. Any weird awkward questions you need to get out to keep from staring, get 'em out."
Klaire Henriette:
Psyche grimaces at the thought of facing another robot so soon, but Charleville seems confident. She'll remain civil.
"As long as Mark One doesn't explode or interrogate me like the last two did, I'll be ok. You trust him, that will be enough."
AdHocAvenger:
"Oh, he asks questions like a motherfucker. He doesn't walk into rooms thinking he knows everything."
Charleville ticks his head at that, yep. That was throwing that right back in her face, that was.
"If he explodes, you're in a room with me. So you're under warranty." He snaps his fingers. Remember? "Breathe in through your nose deep as you can, out through the mouth for a ten count. Then remember people are just people."
Klaire Henriette:
She takes the hit, petting Rook. "Questions and interrogations are different. I much prefer the former. The first one threatened Rook, so I'm a little on edge with interrogations. Questions are...how we learn, yes?"
She takes that deep breath at his direction, seeming calmer. There's a firm nod to Charleville that she's listened.
AdHocAvenger:
"Awh, shit. They messed with your dog, yo?" This is a bridge too far for Charleville. You can do a lot of shit in this world, but messing with dogs is a hard no for this kid, apparently.
"Yeah. No. No interrogations. He's just super curious. And super gregarious. It'll help if you imagine Mark as just a little tiny dude in that thing's head working the controls. It's more apt that you realize, probably."
The mechanized clomping issuing from up the hallway sure sounds familiar.
"Awwwwwwhhhhh, shit. There he is!" Charleville sort of slinks up off his chair and begins slow motion running towards the approaching android and his missus. The kid and the robot juke to opposite sides first once, then twice, then slap hands front to back, and go through an impressively elaborate series of clearly choreographed and carefully thought out little hand motions and daps that end with the two bumping hips.
Then he's turning on Mary, who is wearing the expression of the amused but impatient wife. "Hello, Charlie," she says with mock annoyance.
"Hey, girl. How's his motor oil?"
She blushes, but rolls her eyes, and that's all it takes for Charlie to gesture to them.
"Mr and Mrs. Mark an Mary One? This here's Klaire. Psyche. Mary's also knows as Persephone. She took the long walk back when my nan passed. Came back with us. She used to be at Hermes."
That gets a funny look from her, since she wasn't here for all the prior conversation. She looks to Klaire in bemusement, but does offer her hand. "Hi. Mary One, nice to meet you. What about Hermes?"
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire stands as the other two enter, turning so they could see her and Rook. She gives a bemused look to the greeting between two of them.
"Nice to meet you both." She shakes Persephone's hand when offered, the mythology not lost on her.
"Yes, Hermes. I am a Sleepwalker and telepath, and managed to get inside the head of a pilot of one of the Mark II's. While they were hurt, I saw a glimpse of a base on another planet in a crater, as well as a mention as a thought of 'returning to Hermes' before the pilot left the Mark II. Soteria seems to think this is meaning Marsbase Hermes."
AdHocAvenger:
"That sure sounds like Hermes," Mary agrees, taking a seat at the table. Mark plods on over next, offering a baymax style wave before offering out a white, skeletal sort of hand that ends in tactile sensory pads.
"Hello, Klaire. I am Mark. Mark One. It is very good to meet you. Oh look. Cupcakes. Honey. Look. Cupcakes. I love cupcakes." He looks over to Charleville, "Why did you not tell me there would be cupcakes?"
Charleville looks cheerful, "Surprise!"
"Oh. I like surprises. Thank you." He takes one of the cupcakes, opens a hatch in his chest, and sticks it inside. Clunk. He pats his panel twice. "Adequate. Thank you."
"Did you get the pilot's name, maybe? Any features? Did-- It all feels like a really vivid dream now. But I know I was there. I know I know those people. And I feel like if I saw them again, it would all come back. But. Yeah. That's Hermes. Built into a crater near the Martian pole. That's. Really kind of upsetting, actually." Mary doesn't look happy at all. Obviously.
Charleville reaches for his bong again, lights it, bubbles it. Takes the hit in, lets it out with a bit of a cough this time. He wags a hand in front of his face and squints a bit against the watering of his eyes.
Everyone seems to be kinda just sitting with this for right now.
Finally Mark breaks the silence with, "I am a flipping a table in my mind. It is very impressive. I am very very angry right now. Thank you for listening."
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire sits back down with Rook, petting him gently. He is the bestest boi and he knows it, and he makes talking way easier. Having Mark One just be silly was also comforting.
"No name or features, I could if I focused on that. Instead I was focusing on distracting them and overwhelming their mind enough that Phyx, another Sleepwalker, could disable the Mark II." There was a slight pause as she looks to Mark One, who was considerably cooler.
"I have a theory that if I try again, I could pry into the pilot. Find information like those things. Pilot names, as Charleville and I were discussing, maybe their current warehouse, those things. I am no Mage...but that also may help us if they aren't expecting it."
She smiles faintly at Mark, bemused. "Thank you for sharing."
AdHocAvenger:
"We've actually had a bit of luck with just that trick, Klaire. Lyudachenko or Myrne or what the fuck ever right now. You know who. Them. They it she pointed out these hubristic assholes overlook shit they don't respect. Your magic is beneath them, right? You're like a bug to them. And, no lie? Fox used a little dead bug to figure out-- this is not a joke, this is true --that the Guardian caucus here had been taken over and when. A single fucking dead insect left in the corner of an otherwise clean and sterile room."
"You can be that bug, Psyche. For real. Like. Maybe this doesn't work? Maybe it does? Maybe it doesn't? But you have absolutely the right idea. I have been screaming since I Awoke about how all these top down motherfuckers need to start thinking sideways and seeing people for who they are but it's all sleepwalker this and fucking ticky marks and comparing dicks, and I'm so fucking sick of it. That wasn't what Balm was about, and I don't fuck with that shit. No, ma'am, I do not. And that has you feeling like you have to come hat in hand to be like, hey, maybe I'm actually a useful human being after all. And it pisses me off so much. Fuck. Anyway."
He gives a thumbs up. "Maybe what we can do is go out in a crowd together. I put on a street show, Marks will come running. Especially with what I've been spitting lately. I draw 'em in, you read their minds, I rewind time, concert never happened, marks never came, we compare notes. We'll want some muscle standing by just in case this become more than we think it'll be, but we do this right you get a name and I get to spend a day playing to a crowd and call it working."
He has a running theme, you see.
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire nods along, a slight wince at the hat in hand bit. That's what she grew up with, university bigwigs that she had to be daddy's little girl for. Life was different now, and she liked it better that way.
"I can do that, yes. My problem is...it is hard for me to press into their heads. Sometimes I get a really solid connection, other times I don't and get shoved out pretty fast. A mind can only be prodded so much before it protects itself."
She pets Rook. "I'm not too familiar with time magic, but if you think it will work well, I'm willing to try. Coming up with a list of things I need to look for will help me."
AdHocAvenger:
"We can always fortify you mind, I can work the numbers around the edges for you. Get you a favorable spread to work with, odds wise. If you really are the key, all we have to do is find the right lock and turn it. That's all it ever is. Gotta find your moment to be it. Ya feel? Nawh, we got this." He holds up three fingers on his right hand, scout style. "I won't even wake and bake that day if it'll make you feel better."
Klaire Henriette:
She hesitates. "Doesn't that leave a trail? Casting spells on me? I think Bones had called it a Nimbus." Oh fuck she knows things!
"And if you store spells within me, they can also see that. Would that possibly alert them?:
She nods to the rest. "If we get this to work, I'm willing to try. Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. I can't promise results...just a hope that we can find out something."
AdHocAvenger:
"Sure, but you can cloak and scrub nimbus. It's like a magical fingerprint. But you can scrub it pretty good. I mean, if you don't wanna you don't gotta, but you're the one who mentioned it. I was just agreeing with you and supporting you with the full measure of my resources. On account of you're a citizen voter of the Free Council. And a person, and all that." Charlie reaches for a cupcake again and just takes a big stoner bite. "Mm. These are so good."
Mary is, for sure, a lot more understanding. "We could also try it remotely. With you doing it through a portal from a safe distance. It's ironically easier to detect, but also a lot safer for you, if that's your concern."
Klaire Henriette:
She frowns and pets Rook. "My concern is largely what will happen if things go poorly. The last time I took a big risk, it blew up in my face....well...technically behind me." A deep breath at the morbid joke.
"I have to be close enough to hear them if they were talking. But its...more of a vague distance. If I'm too far I can't listen to their minds. Would we be able to protect people if things go poorly is my issue."
AdHocAvenger:
Charleville snaps again, just to see if it'll stick this time.
Mary ticks her head over his way. "As long as there's no one there to counterspell the Acanthus about thirty times in a row, we can simply undo all that was done if we need to. It's not an elegant solution, but it works."
Klaire Henriette:
She pauses, the thought catching up. "Time magic...got it. Thats not a way I'm used to fitting my head around."
AdHocAvenger:
Charleville grins broader, "I'm not used to people that aren't used to weed! We're both learning stuff today. Cool! Yeah, that's the badass thing about the Free Council, right? Is like. We'll work with anyone cooperative, really. So we pick up a lot about other groups. Like my brother is dating this--" He checks himself before he wrecks himself, here.
"Really nice lady. Respecfully. In the Changelings. Yeah. So. Like. We pick stuff up, we share stuff. You hang around long enough, we will find the things you didn't know you didn't know and make sure you know you don't know 'em so you can know 'em." He spends a few moments making sure that's the correct grammar, then nods.
Klaire Henriette:
She pauses at the Free Council comment, noting his views to memory. "Yes I suppose thats fair. My partner is one of the Lost as well. Cooperation is nice, yes. It's still...new for me to seek out other's help."
Less of the Lion, don't be prideful, like Jay said. "I'm learning to change that."
AdHocAvenger:
"Oh, for sure. Everyone else needs the help. Never me. Me is supposed to have a handle on this shit, right? Yeah. I feel that." Charleville finally slaps his knees and states.
"Genuinely, as fun as this was, I need to kick it. Think about my offer, Klaire. Aight? You control the knobs on your involvement, not me." He ticks a little salute, grabs the Snoopy bong, and starts bopping his way down the hallway.
"...not my lovah... unh. Just a kid... ...I am the ooooone...." And off he goes, leaving the Ones with Klaire.
It is Mark that breaks the silence.
"He is so unusual."
Klaire Henriette:
She sighs. "Ill think about it, take care Charleville."
There was an awkward silence from her at first, luckily broken by Mark.
"Indeed...very much indeed." A pause to consider how it would come across...they probably got this question a lot... right? "So you two are from...Mars?"
AdHocAvenger:
"Long Island," says Mary.
"Best Buy," says Mark. Mary thwacks him with her clutch.
"Allentown, Pennsylvania," he corrects now that he's been thwacked.
"Mars is like a dream to me, like I said. Mark never was there. I never even knew he'd been part of the program until he helped rescue me. And we were back together again. The last thing I remember with any real clarity before waking up in the MTAI bed here in the Lodge is flying my plane into bad weather. Like I'd done for 250 flight hours prior. It's like it all happened to someone else, but if I close my eyes I can see it happening to me. I have flashbacks sometimes. Still. And every so often... memories? Come bubbling up out of the fog. I don't know if it's a good idea that I go there. I don't know if there's any way I can unlock those memories in myself unless I do go back. So it's a complicated quesiton, genuinely."
"You should have gone with Best Buy," Mark replies to another smack.
Klaire Henriette:
There's a small smile at the Best Buy comment, and a bigger one at the smack. She was quietly reminded of Astrid and Ylva.
She listens closely. "So a dream, I see. I would offer my help if I could, but my abilities don't work in a way that would help, if you would even want that." She gives an apologetic look. "So, you are a pilot then? And what about you, Mark?"
AdHocAvenger:
"Yes, I am. US Army Air Corps, Women's Auxilliary Corps. Captain Mary One. Yes, ma'am." The way Mary says all of that, it is like she's spoken the ground over which she will fight any motherfucker in this room. "I was a fully rated combat pilot at Hermes. I wasn't a squadron leader. I was wing to one of the Control Unit pilots, I remember. Often an arm or a leg in gestalt. I remember... lots of combat. Near the outer rim. Monsters roiling out of the darkness. White rain and tracer fire. It's all." She gestures at her head, miming a jumble.
Klaire Henriette:
She nods slowly, getting most of it, then a concerned look. "Captain Mary One, got it....monsters in the outer rim? What do you mean by that?"
AdHocAvenger:
"I." Mary falls silent. What does she mean by that. Her head shakes a little, shoulders shrugging. "Some people think we were fighting abyssal incursions into the Astral. Keeping a lid on things out in the deep astral. There's no sense in being lords over all creation if that creation gets annihilated by the abyss. So maybe Hermes was the Seers doing just that. Keeping the Abyss out."
Mary shrugs her shoulders and rubs at her forehead a bit. "Hey. I'm not feeling so great. Do you mind if you. I don't know. Write your questions down? And I can take them as I can? This really takes a lot out of me. And I'm trying to just work it through my therapist. So when I start getting agitated, I just. You know. Back away a bit. Not trying to force anything in myself right now."
Mark reaches out one metal arm with a gentle whirr of servos, folding his clawed hand around hers gently.
"I rhymes with dove you, Mary One."
That gets a smile out of her, and she nods.
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire notices all the emotions and immediately is fine with dropping the conversation.
"We don't have to talk about it, promise. I've had my own number of hard things to talk about before." She shifts to the next thing, distracting.
"How long have you two been together? You two are adorable together."
AdHocAvenger:
At that question, Mary just bursts into sudden tears and hides her face in her hands.
And poor Mark with his limited vocabular and grammar and emotional contexts is stuck trying to explain matters in a way that will contextualize what has just happened, here.
"Since 1941. And about a year and eight months." Mary babbles some polite excuses and pushes to her feet to head off and deal with her feelings. Mark looks after her, then back to Klaire, then back to his departing wife, then back to Klaire. The lenses in his eyes whirr and focus on Klaire.
"You were not aware. You could not have known. I have been trying to find her for 80 years. Many of those, I was a conscious construct for."
Klaire Henriette:
Klaire freezes and immediately looks worried, wondering what she said wrong. Then she leaves. Rook almost goes to go comfort her but is stopped by the leash and trods back to Klaire.
"Oh I'm...I'm sorry. I wasn't aware...no. I was just trying to change the topic to happier memories." There's a grimace. "I understand that worry. Please, go take care of her, and I can make it up to her I will." She gestures for Mark to pay attention to his wife, not her. She didn't want to be in the way of that.
AdHocAvenger:
"She does need friendship, Klaire. She is so lonely. And I am so inadequate to the task. Coming to visit her another time would go well. She is almost certain to want to hug you if you do. There will be a large pasta dinner."
Mark whirs his focus over to the dog, head slowly turning to the side and then back again, rather like a dog's might when inspecting the creature. "Good dog," he says in his computer monotone. "You take care of your human. Good dog." All the servos then sort of propel his chassis upward and he swivels with fluid grace to begin plodding off back up the hallway.
"Making it a race was not fair, Mary." Plod plod plod. "But I am coming, dear."
Klaire Henriette:
"I quite enjoy pasta dinners. In case you need me." She pulls out a business card to Henriette Investigation quickly, and hands it to him as he heads by.
Rook barks happily at the attention from the robot, this was a nice robot, not like the last robots! Good robot! You take care of your human and I'll take care of mine!
Klaire smiles as Mark plods off after Mary, then sighs as they leave earshot, leaning down to put her head against Rook's. "I hope...that wasn't all the disaster it felt like...lets go home Rook." And they leave the sanctum. As soon as they were outside the warded areas, but still away from people, Rook was teleported home, followed a few seconds later by Psyche.
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